They Fled This Place, But We Came

When it comes to Iraq, the vast majority of people always think of war, riots, and terrorist attacks. In the past decade, the continuous wars have repeatedly plunged this country into chaos, with sectarian conflicts, frequent terrorist attacks, rampant theft and robbery, and out of control gunfire... Chen Baoqi never imagined that these scenes, which he had only seen online, would one day be so close to him.

During those 8 days in Iraq, Chen Baoqi still finds it shocking to remember.

One day in early 2018, Chen Baoqi suddenly received a notice that he needed to go to Iraq to debug the exported 12VC generator sets. Although he had already fully anticipated various unknowns when he began to be responsible for technical services in the Middle East, his first instinct when he learned that he needed to go to Iraq alone to carry out work was still "out of bounds".

"I didn't expect to eliminate other countries except Türkiye, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, let alone such a volatile country." According to Chen Baoqi, no colleague of the company has ever been to Iraq for business before.

In recent years, the company's marine power sector has rapidly dominated the domestic marine power market with its technological advantages in the engine field, while also seeking new market breakthroughs in overseas markets. The Iraqi power industry suffered severe damage during the war, with insufficient power generation, outdated power grids, and high road damage rates. To restore these equipment and facilities, a large number of generator units need to be supplied. Yuchai, which has been deeply cultivating overseas markets for many years, has already set its sights on this goal and successfully sold multiple YC12VC products here.

Wherever customers need us, we will appear. "Despite being full of concerns, Chen Baoqi decided to be the company's" first person to eat crab "and planned to make sufficient preparations to go to Iraq.

Although the determination is made, the mood cannot be calmed down. During that time, Chen Baoqi couldn't help but imagine scenes of gunfire and explosions. Considering that the risk of going out this time is too high, he plans to buy himself an accident insurance, 'if there is an accident, at least some compensation for the family'. Helpless, I searched various online channels and consulted various travel and insurance companies, but without exception, they were all rejected because 'Iraq is a war-torn country and the risk is too high'. Later, he learned that the OEM who went to Iraq with him had collaborated with an insurance company, which was why he reluctantly bought an insurance policy with a coverage of 200000 yuan through them.

On the weekend before departure, Chen Baoqi made a special trip back to his hometown in Beihai to have a long lost meal cooked by his mother and chat with his parents about family matters. On the night he stayed at home, he stuffed his prepared salary card and a note with a bank card password under his pillow. Then he called his brother who worked far away in Guangzhou and told him about his business trip to Iraq and bank card matters. He entrusted his brother with all the details of the family's affairs. But don't worry, there may not always be turmoil there, everything will be fine, "Chen Baoqi comforted his younger brother and silently encouraged himself, gradually becoming more positive in attitude.

One day in May, Chen Baoqi, dragging a suitcase filled with engine parts, met with an OEM from Jiangsu and set off for Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, over 6000 kilometers away. For the convenience of adjusting the time difference, he took a late night flight. The plane flew smoothly over the sea of clouds shrouded in darkness, and as it approached its destination, Chen Baoqi's mood gradually became uneasy. Sitting next to two Chinese people engaged in the oil industry, who have been stationed in Iraq for a long time, Chen Baoqi thought that this was a senior "Iraqi", so he asked them for advice.

However, what surprised him was that although these two spent half of their time in Iraq every year, they never went out. After arriving at the airport, the company will send armed personnel with guns to drive bulletproof vehicles to pick us up at the stationed base, and then go directly to the airport when the deadline for returning home arrives. During this period, we are never allowed to go out. "After hearing these words, Chen Baoqi's mood became even heavier. Fortunately, he was also an optimistic person. After a psychological struggle, he decided not to think too much and waited for "the ship will naturally straighten out at the bridgehead".

The next day at noon, the plane arrived smoothly at Baghdad airport. Due to limited resources, local customers in Baghdad could only arrange a regular SUV to transport Chen Baoqi and OEM to the hotel, but everything went smoothly.

After consulting with customers and OEMs, we have decided to purchase some debugging tools such as cables and wrenches from the industrial market in Baghdad city. In the afternoon of that day, the client found three local employees at the company to escort Chen Baoqi and others out for procurement. Before departure, they specifically instructed us to walk among the three of them and not to wander around casually

Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, is the economic and trade center of West Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The sacred mosque and various statues of characters from the "Arabian Nights" story can be seen everywhere, allowing people to feel the ancient and magical blend of modern urban atmosphere at any time. However, beneath its peaceful surface, countless gunshots have occurred, taking away many lives.

Just as Chen Baoqi and his companions were passing by the corner of the intersection, they suddenly saw a crowd of people pushing and shouting towards them not far away. The originally sparse street suddenly became congested, and the calm street was filled with the sound of car horns and pedestrians shouting one after another, creating an extremely tense atmosphere. Has there been a riot?! "Chen Baoqi's heart tightened and he instinctively grabbed OEM's arm and said. Later on, I found out that it was just a false alarm. It turns out that there are cash transport vehicles passing through this intersection. Due to frequent cases of attacks and robberies on cash transport vehicles, in order to reduce the risk, cash transport police will drive away all pedestrians on the road and open up a main road for passage.

Arriving at the industrial market, everyone dared not stay for long. They quickly bought tools and accessories, and then bought some instant noodles and vegetables for dinner at a nearby shop before rushing back to the hotel.

The next morning at 5 o'clock, the customer and a security guard holding a handgun, accompanied by Chen Baoqi and OEM, departed in the SUV to the location of the Baiji City Water Treatment Plant where the generator set was being debugged. Baiji City is an important oil town in Iraq, located between the two major ISIS (extremist terrorist organization) controlled bases in Chitose and Mosul, and over 250 kilometers away from the capital Baghdad. A few years ago, Baiji city was subjected to multiple rounds of extremist suicide attacks and was occupied by northern extremist organizations until it was recaptured several months ago. The Baiji City Water Treatment Plant is a project introduced by the United Nations for the restoration and reconstruction of infrastructure. However, on the road from Baga to Baiji city, there are still frequent incidents of roadblocks, robberies, and terrorist attacks without reason.

As the sky gradually lit up and the vehicles drove out of the city of Baghdad, Chen Baoqi watched as the road was covered in darkness, spending the longest six hours in history.

After leaving Baghdad for several kilometers, the ruins of the bombing were everywhere along the way, and almost no formed buildings were seen. Only a bullet passed through the hole on the remaining buildings, and the road surface was bumpy due to long-term lack of maintenance. The original residents had already fled their hometowns for refuge, and there were few cars on the road, showing the desolation left by the war. There are many checkpoints set up on the road, especially near the capital. Almost every kilometer, you can see the lookout post of the checkpoint and armed troops with machine guns.

On the way forward, except for necessary safety communication, everyone in the car remained silent for the rest of the time, holding their breath and listening attentively to the movements outside the car. OEM is not visiting Iraq for the first time. He reminded Chen Baoqi, "Memorize the phone number of the Chinese Embassy. If you are attacked by terrorists or detained by the military, do not resist. Be flexible and see how to survive." Chen Baoqi nodded in agreement. At every checkpoint, he hangs a heart, watching as clients respond to military inquiries in a local language he doesn't understand, praying for a smooth passage.

Bagg is 250 kilometers away from the Baiji Water Treatment Plant, which originally only took 3 hours by car. However, due to frequent road inspections, it took a full 6 hours to reach the Baiji Water Treatment Plant. Fortunately, apart from being forcibly detained at one of the checkpoints and not allowed to pass, there were not many unexpected situations along the way.

After passing the final checkpoint at the entrance of the Baiji Water Treatment Plant, Chen Baoqi and two armed vehicles accompanied by one in front and one behind entered the factory area.

Around noon, after communicating with the personnel of the water treatment plant, Chen Baoqi and the technical personnel of the OEM manufacturer immediately started working, checking the working environment of the unit, the installation of the engine, and conducting inspections on the matching oil, coolant, diesel, and other aspects of the unit. Under the scorching sun, Baiji was scorching hot in the afternoon. Everyone carried mufflers and exhaust pipes weighing over 100 pounds for installation and debugging, and bursts of hot air rushed towards them, causing people to feel dry, hot, and uncomfortable in no time.

Before departure, Chen Baoqi carefully sorted out the possible problems that may occur during the process based on past debugging experience, and prepared different debugging solutions and necessary tools as early as possible. Therefore, the actual operation process was relatively smooth. At around 5 pm, the commissioning was finally successful in one go, and the generator set was delivered to the water treatment plant users before dark, while teaching them the maintenance knowledge they need to pay attention to in their daily lives. Seeing the dedicated work of Chen Baoqi and OEM, the user was also moved: "Many places here need to be rebuilt, and many generator sets will be needed for the project in the future. We will prioritize your products in the future

On the way back, Chen Baoqi and his group also encountered a sandstorm. From a distance, they watched as the sky turned yellow in an instant. A large amount of sand and dust swept in from the road ahead, hitting the front glass of the car. The car could only face the sandstorm and crawl forward in the chaotic sand and dust. But everyone is no longer as anxious as before. "Driving at night is more dangerous than during the day, and it is safer with the cover of sandstorms. Extremists may not choose this situation to rob and attack." Due to the low visibility around and the urgent need to return to Baghdad as soon as possible, the car accidentally hit the sand pile on the roadside multiple times. However, in Chen Baoqi's opinion, this small malfunction is completely insignificant.

When checking in at another hotel in Baghdad, the front desk inquired and learned that Chen Baoqi and his group had returned from Bayiji, and directly refused the check-in request. In their eyes, people returning from Baiji are very dangerous. Later, after communicating with the hotel manager, the customer reluctantly obtained approval for check-in.

In the future, you can visit Yiji again and stop calling me, "the customer said with a hint of fear. Although they are locals of Baghdad, the client has not been to the processing plant since Baiji was taken control in 2015. As a native of Iraq, he was solely responsible for the security check and coordination along the way, and he also endured considerable psychological pressure.

The local residents dare not return to their hometown, but we have come! "After returning to the hotel, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and OEM personnel also joked.

Yes, where the market demand is, where the Yuchai engine is, our service is there!