Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 1247 Hard Currency is Really Good (First Update, Please Subscribe)
"Buy cars from the USSR!"

After receiving this instruction, Zheng Xingying was so shocked that he was burnt on the outside and tender on the inside.

As we all know, there are people who buy Soviet AKs, Soviet cannons, Soviet tanks, and Soviet planes, but... basically no one will take the initiative to buy Soviet cars.

After all, this thing is selective. Basically, as long as a country produces cars, it is not necessarily worse than the Soviet Union.

Is there any mistake?

"sure?"

Zheng Xingying asked again. This was the third time he asked.

"It is certain that the timber company hopes to introduce 300 to 400 heavy-duty off-road vehicles for timber transportation..."

Ok!

It was just transporting timber. Although the Soviet Union certainly didn't mind exporting trucks to Southeast Asia, it certainly couldn't say that we bought the trucks to serve as missile launchers.

Fortunately, there are many tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia, and timber felling and processing are extremely developed. It would be perfect to buy a few hundred off-road trucks to transport timber in rainforests with inconvenient transportation.

As an employee of the company, Zheng Xingying immediately flew to Moscow as soon as he received the order. Having studied in the Soviet Union, he was already familiar with Moscow. As soon as he arrived in Moscow, he contacted his old friends.

"You're going to buy cars from the Soviet Union?"

Ivan, who worked in the Soviet Foreign Trade Company, looked at his old classmates in surprise, feeling like he was dreaming.

This is truly miraculous.

"You know, there are swamps and mud everywhere in the rainforest. Ordinary cars can't be used at all..."

Before Zheng Xingying finished speaking, Ivan said:
"I understand. Just like Siberia, there are no roads, so we have to rely on cars. Indeed, only the Soviet Union has cars suitable for such roads."

This is also an advantage!
After thinking for a while, Ivan said:

"In that case we're going to Minsk!"

More than 200 kilometers west of Moscow, just next to the road leading to Minsk, there is a complex of buildings and a large factory. This is the Soviet Minsk Automobile Plant, abbreviated as MAZ.

"Zheng, look, this is it. This is a factory established in 47 that specializes in producing heavy trucks."

MAZ was enthusiastic about foreign customers, especially after learning that they would buy 300 to 400 trucks. Without any hesitation, they immediately showed their best products.

“这是我们目前最好的重型卡车——MAZ-537，它配备一台排量39升的D12A 525A柴油发动机，这是T54坦克使用的12缸柴油发动机的改进型。转速为2000转/分钟，可以输出525马力……”

Looking at the huge machine in front of him, although Zheng Xingying was not a mechanic, he had to admit that although the Soviet Union's technology was not as good as that of Western countries, it also had some unique features.

"It adopts 8x8 all-wheel drive, independent suspension and other mechanical structures. The vehicle has enhanced traction capacity. It can haul various materials."

From missiles to tanks!
Can't tow without it!
Looking through the information in his hand, although the performance is very good, Zheng Xingying still said:

"Let's take a look at its test run first!"

So, accompanied by Ivan and the factory staff, Zheng Xingying came to the test site. As soon as he arrived at the test site, before he could see the MAZ-537 perform its passing ability, he saw a heavy truck that looked even more spectacular passing through a deep water pool.

Unlike the somewhat rounded MAZ-537, its cabin looks angular, with the same 8x8 all-wheel drive. Its special appearance immediately attracted Zheng Xingying's attention.

"What kind of truck is this? It looks a bit like a mine cart."

In response to his inquiry, the MAZ factory staff did not hide anything and even spoke in a rather proud tone.

"This is the MAZ-543 truck we have just successfully developed. It is a new vehicle developed based on the MAZ-537 model. Its performance has been comprehensively improved!"

In fact, this truck was developed by the Soviet military three years ago for the purpose of transporting missiles. In addition to improving performance, it also needed to optimize the transportation of missiles. Because the vehicle uses many parts of the MAZ-537, the development progress is very fast, even much faster than the missile itself.

Although this is a special vehicle for transporting missiles, it is also a truck, so MAZ did not deliberately keep it secret.

Facing this unique and even majestic truck, Zheng Xingying said with some displeasure:
"Since it's a new truck, you should have introduced this to me first! Not the old one!"

His dissatisfaction seemed justified to the Soviets. After all, he had paid real money to buy the off-road truck.

As a result, you got a fucking old one to deal with, how could he not be angry? So, he was really angry, but it was also because of his anger that the Soviets quickly provided him with all the technical information.

This was also to appease him. Of course, even so, Zheng Xingying still showed his dissatisfaction and anger, and repeatedly reminded the other party that it was wrong to do business like this.

Just two days later, in the Three Armies Building in Chang'an, several military technicians were stunned when they saw the models and drawings brought from Moscow.

"It was designed to launch missiles!"

They saw the advantages of this truck at a glance - although the driver's right blind spot is huge, its central "recessed" part is just right for placing missiles. And it's a very thick one!

"MAZ-543 can be called a giant. The basic model is 11.6 meters long, 2.97 meters wide, 2.67 meters high, and has a transport weight of up to 22 tons. It can basically meet our requirements, except that it does not have refrigeration and air conditioning." Putting down the drawings in his hand, the army major said:
"It's just right to use it as a missile launcher. The left side has a driver's cabin, and the right side can be converted into a control room. As for the load capacity, it's just enough!"

How could it not be enough?
The missile weighs only 15 tons, leaving a full 7 tons. Even after installing various control equipment, it is still more than enough. It can be said that this is a natural launch vehicle.

How could this not be innate?

Originally, the Soviet army asked the Minsk Vehicle Manufacturing Plant to develop a heavy truck specifically for transporting, erecting and launching missiles.

In the next few decades, basically all Soviet missile launchers, from air defense to ballistics, were improved using it.

Therefore, he is definitely the most suitable missile launcher!

"The only problem is that the life of this car's engine is too short!"

This is a common problem of Soviet engines, not only engines, but also other Soviet products.

Of course, this car is also included, but this is not a problem. After all, it is impossible for a missile launcher to run on the road every day.

"That's no problem. After we buy it, we'll replace it with our engine. This car is cheap anyway. It's half the price of our heavy-duty trailer of the same tonnage! If it's an off-road vehicle of the same tonnage, it's at least 80% cheaper!"

Cheap!

Things from the Soviet Union were really cheap, especially industrial products. In order to earn foreign exchange, the Soviet bloc was very happy to export their goods at low prices.

After all, apart from oil and arms, the Soviet Union really didn't have much to export. So they were very happy to trade price for sales!
For the Soviet Union, the order for 500 MAZ-543 trucks was not considered a lot in the country, but in terms of export, it was definitely the largest export order for finished machines in history, and it was exported to Western countries, which had never happened before!

So much so that it alarmed the Kremlin.

"The KGB believed that Nanyang's purpose in purchasing this truck was not pure, and it was not just for transporting timber."

Inside the Kremlin, Brezhnev looked at Khrushchev and said.

"After all, this truck can transport missiles."

After hearing what he said, Khrushchev asked back.

"So you think they couldn't build this truck without our help?"

Faced with this question, Brezhnev remained silent.

Nanyang's automobile manufacturing technology is much more advanced than that of the Soviet Union. If they have military needs, they definitely don't need to import from the Soviet Union. Just like if the Soviet Union had military needs, it would definitely develop its own.

"A few years ago, Nanyang introduced the electroslag remelting technology from us. That was the first time we exported technology to a Western country. The country earned $380 million from this transaction!"

This deal was facilitated by Li Yian. At that time, Nanyang had just introduced L7 rifled artillery technology from the United Kingdom. However, Nanyang did not use traditional vacuum furnaces to refine artillery steel. Instead, at the suggestion of Li Yian, it introduced electric slag remelting technology from the Soviet Union. Through the introduction of this technology, Nanyang's tank gun technology once again surpassed that of Western countries.

This was entirely inspired by France. Historically, France has never been able to solve the high-pressure tank gun technology. French military industrial enterprises negotiated with the Soviet Union and exchanged electroslag remelting technology with the Soviet Union using tank thermal imaging and other sighting systems. Only then did France's main battle tanks have usable artillery.

Therefore, Li Yian suggested that the steel company negotiate with the Soviet Union, not only introducing two sets of electric slag remelting furnaces, but also introducing technology, thus becoming the first country in the Western world to produce electric slag steel.

Looking at Brezhnev, Khrushchev said:

"For the Soviet Union, the West only needs our oil, timber and other raw materials. They don't need our technology or our industrial products. But don't we have technology that's ahead of theirs?"

The answer is yes. It is not just the electroslag remelting technology. In fact, the Soviet Union has its own unique technologies in many fields. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, these technologies have even promoted the progress of certain technological fields in Europe and the United States to some extent.

"We have a lot of technology and machines, which are the best in the world, but most of the time, the Western world is prejudiced against the Soviet Union, thinking that our things are backward and not worth mentioning, so they don't even bother to understand our technology, but the Nanyang people are willing to understand us!"

Khrushchev lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then said with a smile:

"Even if they use it for military purposes, so what? Can they still use it to shoot missiles at the Soviet Union? Didn't the military say it? It can only carry missiles weighing more than ten tons, and the range is only a few hundred kilometers!"

After saying this, Khrushchev pointed to the report.

"My friend, this is a huge order worth tens of millions of dollars. This is cash!"

Although they said that international trade based on the US dollar was a US conspiracy and that the Soviet Union would replace it all with trade rubles and barter, their bodies were very honest in the face of large orders of tens of millions of dollars.

Let alone missile launchers, even if Nanyang wanted to buy tactical missiles, Khrushchev would agree. However, he knew very well that Nanyang did not need Russian missiles at all.

But now he is satisfied with being able to export a few hundred trucks! Moreover, they not only bought trucks, but were also willing to exchange small car technology for MAZ-543 truck technology. In short, this was definitely a very cost-effective business for the Soviet Union.

All I can say is that hard currency is great. Just like that, with the Kremlin's consent, 500 of the latest MAZ-543 trucks were exported to Southeast Asia before the Soviets themselves had any equipment, thus achieving a breakthrough in the export of Soviet heavy trucks to the West.

In this way, the famous MAZ-543 model came to Southeast Asia.

Although it was only a business worth tens of millions of dollars, it opened a new chapter in the economic and trade cooperation between Nanyang and the Soviet Union. In fact, Nanyang has never minded conducting trade cooperation with the Soviet Union. After all, no one would refuse a profitable business.

(End of this chapter)