CHAPTER 1802: CHAPTER 1781: HI, GRAND IVAN.

The West fails, the East shines. Gao Yang couldn’t meet with the aviation people, but he managed to secure someone big in shipbuilding.

Where there’s cause, there’s effect. Although Gao Yang helped Nikolai out of sympathy, he opened a door of convenience for himself. Gao Yang was sure that with Nikolai’s connections, he could easily bring over groups of designers and engineers from the Black Sea Shipyard.

It’s important to know that the people at the Black Sea Shipyard are having a much harder time compared to those at the Antonov Design and Manufacturing Consortium. At least the Antonov people still manage to work and scrounge a living, but the Black Sea Shipyard hasn’t seen a new ship in years, and there’s nothing left to sell.

The Black Sea Shipyard built all the Soviet Union’s aircraft carriers. Given Ukraine’s current strength, forget building carriers, even frigates can’t be made. The aircraft carriers built during the Soviet era were torn down for scrap metal after a rough deal with America and sold off at scrap prices.

It wouldn’t be correct to say the Black Sea Shipyard has nothing left to sell because they still have some assets, like blueprints and the most valuable talent they’ve stubbornly retained through hard times.

But now, the Black Sea Shipyard isn’t going to be able to keep anything.

Gao Yang returned to their temporary base and sent Nikolai to the airport to pick up Little Donnie, who was coming specifically to bring him a satellite phone. Gao Yang didn’t even have time to greet Little Donnie himself.

Gao Yang quickly entered the living room and walked up to Yarebin, who was still lounging on the sofa watching TV, immediately saying urgently: "I have a new idea."

Yarebin glanced at Gao Yang and said in a low voice, "What idea?"

Gao Yang sat down next to Yarebin and whispered, "I got in touch with the Antonov folks, but I failed. Well, I now realize I was too optimistic before. It’s really not easy to take their secrets away."

Yarebin looked at Gao Yang, rolled his neck a bit, and said softly, "That’s normal, I suppose."

Gao Yang nodded and said, "Yes, it’s normal, but Dmitry not even willing to talk to me is really unsettling, so I plan to change my strategy. Hmm, Dmitry seems to have fantasies about his future, and I think I need to shatter that fantasy to achieve my goal."

Yarebin stayed quiet, and Gao Yang continued, "What I’m saying might disappoint you, but you need to help me analyze whether my thoughts are correct. Here’s what I think: I’m a mercenary, so why pretend to be a decent person? If they disagree, I could just use force."

Tarta, lounging on the other sofa, disdainfully said, "That’s your brilliant idea?"

Gao Yang quickly said, "No, no, I mean using a dual approach, combining inducement with coercion, using whatever works best. If neither works, well well..."

Yarebin sighed, glanced sideways at Gao Yang, and then said loudly, "You finally see the reality. I was always wondering why you pretended to be a gentleman. Dmitry wouldn’t see you or take anyone’s call; just go to his house, tie him up, and talk."

Gao Yang said in annoyance, "I’d thought of doing that long ago, but you guys wouldn’t help me. Do you want me to find his house by myself and then tie him up to negotiate buying the blueprints?"

Yarebin shrugged and laughed, "But you never asked us."

Gao Yang waved his hand repeatedly, "No, I have a better way now. I thought maybe I shouldn’t do it personally—it’s complicated—but simply put, I should play the good cop and find someone to play the bad cop. Uh, you don’t get the good cop/bad cop thing, it’s—"

Yarebin interrupted Gao Yang, "No need to explain, I get it. Go on."

Gao Yang was surprised, "You understand such advanced concepts? Amazing! Uh, here’s the thing, the Antonov Design Bureau has had technical cooperation with Huaxia, and it’s quite deep. I don’t have the time to waste with Dmitry. I’ll just grab his blueprints, and as for the people, they can go wherever they please. I have easier targets, like the Black Sea Shipyard. What can I say, I just need bargaining chips, and it doesn’t have to be Antonov. With this time, I could work with someone else."

After finishing his rant, Gao Yang angrily grabbed a glass of water from the table and drank it all at once, then angrily said, "I’ve been stuck in a mental rut these past few days, fixated on Antonov. Why bother? So I’ve decided to put pressure on them."

Just as Gao Yang finished speaking, he realized Yarebin was glued to the TV. Gao Yang refocused slightly on the TV and noticed it was showing news about the Antonov Design Bureau.

A group of soldiers had surrounded the Antonov Design Bureau.

Yarebin looked at Gao Yang with a complex expression and whispered, "Well done. Right after you failed the negotiation with Dmitry, you mobilized your resources, and within two hours, soldiers surrounded the Antonov Design Bureau because the pro-Russian Dmitry refused to follow the government’s orders. What can I say, well done!"

Now Gao Yang dreaded hearing "well done" because he worried it was sarcasm, but quickly realized Yarebin meant it sincerely, as he nodded approvingly, "Identifying the problem, deciding to take the right actions, and mobilizing force to strike, leaving no time for the opponent to react—clean and neat, beautiful! Gao, I must say, you’re advancing rapidly—you’re a genius!"

Gao Yang half-smiled as he blankly watched the intense conflict unfolding on the TV and loudly said, "It wasn’t me. I didn’t arrange this."

Yarebin was stunned and said, "What?"

Gao Yang looked at Yarebin, took a deep breath, and loudly said, "I said this wasn’t my arrangement. I just made the decision; how could it be acted upon so quickly? Even if I did send someone, could they move so fast?"

Yarebin exhaled long and painfully said, "If it’s not you being too clever, then it’s someone being too foolish. How could anyone issue such foolish orders? Do they really want to ruin Ukraine entirely? Gao, get ready to renegotiate; this time, you’ll definitely achieve your objective."

Gao Yang, still in a daze, said, "Yes, I think so too."

No one spoke further. Everyone in the room silently watched TV as Gao Yang began dialing people he thought might be useful. After a while, the door opened, and Little Donnie came in, holding a satellite phone.

Gao Yang ended his current call, embraced Little Donnie, and then took the satellite phone Morgan had just secured for him. Turning it on, he pointed to Yarebin and said, "Little Donnie, you haven’t met them yet; let me introduce this one..."

Just as Gao Yang turned on the satellite phone, it rang from an unfamiliar number. Gao Yang glanced at it and smiled, "Sorry, let me take this. Hello, who’s this?"

"Hello, old friend, it’s been ages since we last contacted each other!"

The voice on the phone left Gao Yang stunned and, after a pause, he numbly said, "Hi, Grand Ivan!"