“Emily, this is exactly Old Clark's brilliance.” Manager Foster patiently explained, “Although the Batumi embargo has been lifted, this year the Wassenaar Arrangement came out, and Western countries and the Japanese won't sell us high-precision CNC machine tools. Even for ordinary CNCs, they sell them at sky-high prices, because we don't have them, so we have to take the loss.”

“I get it!” David Foster didn't understand at first, but as soon as he heard his father's explanation, he immediately understood: “We don't have them, so they charge us exorbitant prices. If the Precision Instrument Department manages to make them themselves, then even if they can't mass-produce them right away, at least the question of whether we have them is solved. They're afraid our precision CNCs will develop, so they'll immediately lower prices to seize the market and suppress our domestic CNCs.”

“Exactly! If you don't have them, they choke you or sell to you at sky-high prices.” Manager Foster nodded, “If the Precision Instrument Department has them, it means both the theory and lab products are out. At this point, if they don't lower prices to grab the market and suppress our domestic industry, they'll have no chance in the future. Many industries are like this—they're capable of doing it.”

David Foster understood this logic and couldn't help but mutter, “It's really frustrating!”

“By the way, Emily, when you're at school, come by here when you have time, and make sure to get to know that chubby guy.” Manager Foster felt the same way, but didn't say it in front of his son, just reminded him, “You should also flatter Old Clark more—maybe one day we'll need experts like them to help us.”

“Got it!” David Foster agreed and didn't say anything more.

Whether it was Henry Grant, or the father and son Manager Foster, or Director Thompson, none of them knew that the impact of this matter had already gone beyond the school. After Old Clark and Professor Miller discussed it, they first reported to the department leadership, then to the university leadership, and finally it reached the Ministry of Machinery Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

The small Wanxin Motorcycle was of course not worth mentioning, but if they could use this opportunity to give Japan and Western countries the wrong impression, making them think that the country already had high-precision CNC machine tools, it might be possible to pry open the embargo of the Wassenaar Arrangement and open a crack in the blockade.

The higher-ups were, of course, happy to play dumb and cooperate. After all, if it succeeded, it would be a great benefit to the country; if it failed and they didn't fool the Japanese, it wouldn't be any worse than the current situation. So why not do it?

Who would have thought that just a quick manual machining job could lead to such a big mess?

Chapter 0010: This Is Impossible (Part 2)

At 9 a.m. the next day, Suzuki Company was already bustling.

“Mr. Ohnishi, that Chinese guy is here again. Are you going to agree to their request?” In the office, John West's secretary Lucy White asked her boss.

“Ha, Lucy, do you think that's possible?” John West was in a good mood, joking with his secretary, “Does China have such precise CNC machine tools?”

“But, Mr. Ohnishi, can't China make engine crankshafts too? It should be easy, right?” Lucy White didn't know what kind of obstacle John West had set for that small Chinese motorcycle factory, she was just curious as she brought coffee to her boss.

John West gave a gentle pull, and Lucy White fell into his arms, sitting on his lap.

“Of course, the original tolerance for the crankshaft is plus or minus 0.1 millimeters, it's just that the roundness and coaxiality requirements are higher. Many factories in China can make this size.” John West looked at his beautiful secretary's face up close, inhaled the scent of Lucy's perfume, and said with a smile, “I just took two finished products and gave them a drawing with the tolerance reduced by twenty times, telling them to make it in four days.”

“What if they actually do it?” Lucy asked, her big eyes full of teasing.

“Impossible! China doesn't have high-precision CNC machine tools with 5-micron accuracy.” John West buried his face in Lucy's chest again, taking a deep breath, “Maybe if you gave their experts a month, they could hand-polish one, but in four days? Unless they can use aerospace-grade precision machine tools. But do you think the China Aerospace Agency would let a small motorcycle factory use one just to make a single crankshaft?”

“You know they can't do it, and you still made such a demand, Mr. Ohnishi?” Lucy endured the heat in her chest and asked John West.

“Isn't it just so you can enjoy watching them come begging with bitter faces?” John West tightened his arm around her slender waist, “Isn't mocking those polite Chinese guys your favorite thing?”

“Mr. Ohnishi, you're so bad!” Lucy was tickled by John West's breath and couldn't help but giggle.

“The agreed time is almost here, right? Go wait for them at the door! They actually came more than a day early—I'm really curious to see how they'll come to beg us.” John West let go of his secretary, after all, it was the office, and reminded her with a smile, “When they arrive, get ready to enjoy yourself. Be as polite as possible, and fully savor the pleasure of secretly looking down on them.”