Chapter 32: Official Statement: What’s the Hurry?

In the Fuli Huating residential complex in the capital, Chang Wen watched the live stream. When he saw Wang Yang standing beneath the F-22 fighter jet and delivering two solid thumps to its hull with his fist, he spat his coffee directly onto his computer screen.

He hurriedly grabbed a tissue from his desk and skillfully wiped the screen clean, his eyes fixed intently on the F-22, which stood there like a beast of steel.

This... this really wasn't a projection. It was a genuine F-22 model!

Good grief, this Wang Yang was truly capable. To be able to procure such a high-fidelity F-22 model was no small feat. After all, a full-sized F-22 is 18.9 meters long, with a wingspan of 13.56 meters and a height of 5.08 meters. Even building a model with those exact dimensions would be a monumental task, taking at least half a year.

It seemed that half a year ago, when Wang Yang was trading barbs with his detractors in the live chat, he had already been planning to build these two models to shut them up. Wang Yang was certainly no amateur when it came to the internet; his mind was sharp.

However, despite being a model, it was still an F-22. Selling it online, even as a replica, could potentially violate regulations.

With this thought, he pulled out his phone and called his department head.

The call was answered quickly. "Hello, Director? It's me. Do you remember that live-streamer I showed you earlier, the one named Wang Yang?"

"Wang Yang? Who is that?" Zhang Wenchang asked after a brief hesitation.

Chang Wen explained, "He’s the one who boasted in his stream that he would be selling F-22s to his fans and claimed he’d drive the price of an F-22 way down."

"Just get to the point. I don't have time to memorize every streamer," Zhang Wenchang said, sounding impatient.

Chang Wen gave a helpless smile. "It’s like this, Director: I see he’s selling F-22 models in his stream. They appear to be 1:1 replicas based on the actual aircraft's specifications. I wanted to ask if we need to report this to the Armed Forces Department or any other relevant authorities?"

"A model? Are you sure it's just a model?" Zhang Wenchang asked offhandedly, seemingly busy with other matters.

Chang Wen nodded. "It has to be a model. Wang Yang is just a streamer. As you said, he couldn't even get a meeting with high-ranking U.S. military officials, let alone manage to buy two real F-22s. Besides, even if he had bought them, they would have been spotted during transport; there's no way he could have hidden them this well."

Zhang Wenchang gave a grunt of acknowledgment. "That makes sense. If it's just a model, then leave it be. Even if you reported it, the Armed Forces Department wouldn't care. Like you said, it's just a model with the same exterior dimensions as an F-22."

"Understood, Director. That puts my mind at ease."

Chang Wen hung up and turned his gaze back to the computer screen. Wang Yang was just about to announce the price of the two F-22s.

...

In a rental apartment in Qingcheng, Liang Yuzhu sat before her computer, watching the stream with bated breath.

Earlier, when she saw a swarm of trolls flooding the chat and demanding an apology, her heart had been in her throat. She was terrified that they would ruin the broadcast. If they had succeeded, Wang Yang wouldn't have been able to sell a single aircraft, let alone make a profit.

But seeing Wang Yang walk up to the plane and strike it with his fist, and noticing the tide of the chat turning positive, she finally exhaled in relief. At least the trolls hadn't derailed the stream.

"I really hope we can sell both of these today," she whispered to herself, gripping her knees tightly to hide the sweat on her palms. "Even selling one would be enough to pay off a bit of the loan."

...

In the live stream, as Wang Yang spoke, the chat erupted again.

"Bro, put the link up! We're ready to order! I bet those trolls are dying to buy one; they claimed they’d saved up money three months ago just for this!"

"Haha, exactly! Those guys were so confident. I thought they were all wealthy heirs who could drop a billion on a real F-22 without blinking."

"My advice is to contact those who left their numbers and info earlier so they don't run away. Look, they've gone silent. They're clearly scared."

"Heh, scared? Don't make me laugh! I'm a professional. Besides, I said I wanted to buy a *real* F-22. Does Wang Yang think he can fool me with a model? No way. That's just a scam."

"That's not what you said before! You said that as long as Wang Yang brought an F-22, you’d pay for it, no matter the price!"

"Hey, ignore those trolls. They'll never admit they were wrong; they'll just dodge and weave. They won't buy anything. They're all bark and no bite. They'd struggle to even afford a car, let alone an F-22. Don't be ridiculous."

"Bullshit! It's just a model, why would I buy it? I want a real one that can fly, fire missiles, and engage in combat—not this toy!"

"You guys are just stubborn. You're just trying to welsh on your bet now that you've seen Wang Yang actually delivered an F-22."

Watching the verbal warfare between the loyal fans and the trolls, Wang Yang gave a helpless smile.

He had anticipated this. These trolls were professional keyboard warriors. Even if he actually flew an F-22 into the sky, they wouldn't pay up. As the loyal fans pointed out, they couldn't even afford a car, let alone a fighter jet.

Moreover, Wang Yang hadn't counted on the trolls as his primary buyers. The real potential customers were the "big players" hiding in the stream, watching quietly. After the buzz he'd created and the trending topics he'd triggered, he was sure he had attracted some serious interest.

If the price he was about to announce satisfied those power players, they might just wave their hands and buy the jets on the spot.

Of course, the probability was low, but he had to try.

With that, Wang Yang stopped hesitating. He raised his hand to settle the chaotic chat.

"Just a moment ago, I had my assistant contact those who left their numbers and information earlier. Unfortunately, all the numbers were disconnected, and the names didn't match up. A real pity."