Munitions Empire-Chapter 1202 - 1122 mutually help
"The Three Emperors Alliance is certainly not just a superficial show of unity. Naturally, we are unwavering in our support for the just cause of the Poplar Empire." Harry said with a smile to the envoy of the Poplar Empire.
His words made the envoy of the Poplar Empire breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that meeting Harry alone was indeed a wise choice.
At least his trip wasn’t in vain, or rather… the bribe given to the Duke of Egret wasn’t wasted. Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for.
Thinking painfully of the hefty sum sent to the Duke of Egret’s mansion, the envoy of the Poplar Empire couldn’t help but feel he had practically handed over the cost equivalent of a destroyer as a gift—such extravagance.
But everything has its rewards. At least now, he was standing beside Harry, and everyone who knows the immense influence Harry wields would agree—such an opportunity was undoubtedly worth every expense.
"His Majesty instructed me to sell a certain kind of advanced fighter jet to the Poplar Empire—a very powerful… brand-new fighter jet." Harry said as he walked, signaling to someone near him to pull open the nearby curtain.
As the curtain was drawn apart by his assistants, the envoy of the Poplar Empire laid his eyes on a type of fighter jet he had never seen before!
This fighter jet lacked traditional propellers, each wing featuring a cylindrical structure beneath it. At the front of the aircraft was a sharp nose design, allowing for easy installation of densely packed onboard cannons.
Additionally, the plane’s unique swept-back wing structure lent it a more aggressive, sharp appearance, giving the aircraft an aura of absolute dominance.
"Heavens above! What is this?" The envoy of the Poplar Empire, who didn’t understand the technical details, exclaimed in shock. Following him were military officials and representatives from the Poplar Empire Air Force, who were utterly awestruck by the sight of the fighter jet.
"It’s called the Model 262 Jet Fighter, completely different from traditional propeller-driven planes. Its propulsion system is powered by jet engines located on both sides!" Harry explained the aircraft to the guests.
Only now did everyone realize that what was mounted under the aircraft wasn’t a pair of massive, cannon-barrel-like weapons but the engines themselves. Previously, they thought the tubes beneath the wings must have been some sort of weapon system, with their sheer size almost enough to scare them senseless.
Through Harry’s explanation, they finally understood that a completely new and unprecedented weapon was now before their very eyes.
"Without propellers, its speed leaves traditional propeller aircraft far behind! It can easily reach a speed of 800 kilometers per hour. None of the Ice Cold Empire’s current fighter jets can compete against it." Harry spoke with confidence as he pitched this advanced weapon to the potential buyers.
"If necessary, it can be equipped with a compact radar system, turning it into a two-seat night fighter, enabling the Poplar Empire Air Force to achieve all-weather—specifically night-time—combat capabilities." Harry walked closer to the aircraft, prompting others to instinctively follow him.
Harry raised his hand and placed it near the aircraft’s nose: "Two 30mm caliber cannons, or alternatively two 20mm caliber cannons! Each cannon holds over 100 rounds. You will gain unprecedentedly powerful aerial firepower."
"It can easily shred bombers!" Upon hearing this, the eyes of the Poplar Empire’s Air Force officers practically lit up with gold—this was the all-new fighter jet they had been yearning for! It was the future fighter jet they absolutely had to acquire.
"Its only drawback is its high cost. Performance-wise, it can completely crush any opponent! Considering the Three Emperors Alliance… we’re willing to offer this aircraft to the Poplar Empire at a reduced price." Harry smiled, his genuine attitude making all the gathered elves feel at home.
At this point, these sharp-eared elves mentally thanked the far-married royal Princess Iryn. In their opinion, it was precisely because of her presence that the most powerful Great Tang Empire in the Three Emperors Alliance was willing to lend a hand to the Poplar Empire at this critical moment.
"We are greatly appreciative of the generosity of the Great Tang Empire. Might we inquire… what is the price of one of these Model 262 aircraft?"
"Half-price—700,000 Gold Coins per aircraft!" Harry offered a somewhat discounted price. While this price still wasn’t exactly cheap, it brought some relief to the elves.
The advanced weapons of the Great Tang Empire typically came at astronomical costs. Frankly, 700,000 Gold Coins for a single fighter jet was already an exorbitant price. To put it into perspective, a submarine costs only 7 million Gold Coins.
But then again, a submarine was an openly sold commodity that anyone could purchase, whereas the jet fighter was a non-tradeable asset of the Great Tang Empire!
Acquiring the jet fighter earlier would grant the Poplar Empire Air Force significant advantages on the battlefield. Even if the Ice Cold Empire equipped more Yak Fighters, the elves could still overwhelm the dwarves with superior technology.
"Its fundamental working principles are revolutionary. Until the Great Tang Empire decides to sell similar technologies to other countries, the Poplar Empire will maintain its technological edge. This is the sincerity of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang." Harry emphasized further, seeing his counterpart hesitate to speak.
"We understand! We understand! The generosity of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang is deeply appreciated. However, the price is still beyond our financial reach," the envoy of the Poplar Empire said awkwardly.
Although the price wasn’t excessively high, the financial constraints of the Poplar Empire were undeniable. Previously, they had procured 200 TA-152 fighter jets to counter the Ice Cold Empire’s purchase of 400 Yak Fighters.
Following that, the Poplar Empire bought three submarines, matching the Ice Cold Empire’s acquisition of three similar weapons. This ongoing arms race had drained considerable foreign reserves from both warring nations, leaving their coffers rather empty. freewёbnoνel.com
At 700,000 Gold Coins per fighter jet, even purchasing 14 aircraft would amount to nearly a billion Gold Coins. Add to that the costs for personnel training, maintenance, repairs, and ground crew education… establishing an air force squadron with dozens of planes was anything but economical.
However, Harry appeared unimpressed by this argument: "It seems expensive, my friend, but in reality, it’s not costly at all."
He knocked on the Model 262 behind him and confidently emphasized: "With this jet, you can reduce pilot losses significantly. One aircraft could take out ten, even twenty enemy planes! Do you realize how much cost savings this represents?"
Due to absolute technological superiority, jet fighters held a crushing advantage over traditional propeller aircraft. As long as losses remained negligible, costs for training pilots and manufacturing replacement aircraft could be dramatically reduced.
In fact, Tang Mo was eager to sell his jet fighters: with the entrance of the J-6 into combat, Tang Mo’s stock of propeller-driven aircraft technology had become increasingly obsolete. This lesson had to be learned—he couldn’t allow outdated first-generation jet fighter technologies to pile up in his inventory.
Thus, he decided to start with the Three Emperors Alliance—the allies themselves were great for "milking," weren’t they? There’s an old saying: "It’s perilous to be enemies with the United States, but fatal to be its ally."
For this reason, he planned to peddle the TA-183 fighter to the Great Qin Empire: a fighter with a shorter range, which seemed more suitable for a neighbor’s arsenal.
Then, as these jet technologies spread, the whole world would step into a new era of aircraft development. By leveraging Shireck’s influence, Tang Mo could sell antiquated MiG-15 and F-86 jets as scrap to other nations.
By that time… the Great Tang Empire, having conducted countless experiments, would have already matured their advanced air-to-air missile technologies, allowing their Imperial Air Force pilots to enjoy target practice during real combat.
Otherwise, relying solely on installing cannons for dogfights on jet fighters seemed wasteful. It was far better to integrate radar and electronic systems for high-level beyond-visual-range aerial combat.
After listening to Harry’s persuasive pitch, several elves whispered among themselves. Indeed, they were already facing a dire situation and desperately needed a series of advanced weapons to resolve the ongoing crisis with the Ice Cold Empire.
Now, with an option laid before them, it was impossible not to be tempted. They desperately wanted the Model 262—a fighter jet capable of empowering their pilots to fight one against ten.
"You can go back and deliberate, but don’t take too long. I can’t guarantee this aircraft production line… won’t be reallocated to another model next week," Harry said threateningly to the already intrigued elves.
The factories of the Great Tang Empire were extremely busy, with no time to idle for non-existent orders. From Harry’s perspective, selling the Model 262 as part of the Great Tang Group’s offerings was a form of "technical poverty alleviation."
If the Poplar Empire refused, Harry would have no reservations about inviting envoys from Dorne or the Laines Empire for discussions. Naturally, even envoys from the Ice Cold Empire were not off the table.
The elves immediately bowed and nodded: "Sir, please allow us to consult with our government. We’ll have a definitive answer for you by tomorrow!"
Such a significant matter certainly required careful study, yet everyone understood that the Poplar Empire would inevitably find the money—borrow if they must—to secure the Model 262 fighter jets.
"In that case, I won’t keep you for dinner." With the deal yet unsealed, Harry saw no point in hosting them for a meal. He didn’t even bother with niceties, casually dismissing them before walking away.
The elves weren’t surprised by this. They knew… this time, they were once again the supplicants to the Great Tang Empire. If the other side displayed arrogance, it was no matter. As long as they were willing to help, the Poplar Empire stood to gain immensely.
