Chapter 102: Not Too Much, But Too Little: Let's Argue

The Air Force really needs to take this matter seriously.

Why?

Resettling demobilized officers is an important task for the military.

Retired pilots are now quite willing to work for Wuzhou Company.

On the one hand, they can keep up with their old profession and continue flying planes.

On the other hand, Wuzhou Company gave too much.

Their monthly income, including salary, bonuses, and the goods they sell during each flight mission, is in the five figures.

Looking across the country, in 1992, how many people could earn five figures a year?

If I lose such a good job, where can I find one like it?

Moreover, the Air Force has long been accustomed to this, and they have all agreed to arrange for the new batch of pilots to work at Wuzhou Company when they retire.

And now you're telling me that not only are there no new jobs, but half the existing staff will also be laid off.

Isn't this an international joke?

If this isn't causing trouble for the boss, then what is?

On the phone, Wang Xiao was extremely helpless: "We've really tried every possible solution, but our Secretary Cao and the provincial leaders have suffered so much from their mistreatment."

The military leader sneered, "Those bastards, do you think I don't know what kind of people they are?"

They endured a lot of mistreatment in order to get the flight routes approved.

Even though the higher-ups have already given the order, they keep dragging their feet and delaying it.

I just want to punch them.

After arguing with the military leaders, Wang Xiao said with anticipation, "Leader, I had planned to expand Zhimen Airport and find a way to bring in more aircraft during this trip back to China."

In fact, they have expanded three times since last year.

Looking across the country, there are very few airports that can match the scale of Jiangzhimen Airport.

Their helipad can accommodate 12 Il-76 cargo planes at the same time.

However, Wang Xiao genuinely felt it wasn't enough; even doubling the size might not be sufficient.

The current cargo throughput is actually too low; it could easily be increased several times over from where it is now.

The military leaders dared not make any grand pronouncements because their previous experiences dealing with civil aviation were not exactly pleasant.

However, he still emphasized that he would try his best to achieve it.

It can't be that while everything else is developing, this place is shrinking.

After the call ended, Deputy Secretary Cao, who had been listening nearby, nodded and smiled slightly: "Hopefully they can find a solution."

The relationship between local governments and the military has always been very delicate.

She glanced at her watch and called to Wang Xiao, Ivanov, and the others, "Let's go eat first."

When she first arrived at the Beijing office, she was so angry that she didn't even realize it was almost lunchtime.

Actually, at that time, she was so angry that her ribs felt like they were being pricked with needles, and she had no appetite at all.

Now, I can barely manage to fill my stomach haphazardly.

The group went downstairs to the restaurant for a meal.

There's a joke that says Beijing is a culinary desert, and the best restaurants are all the local government offices in Beijing.

They hire real master chefs, so the local specialties they make are exceptionally authentic.

Jiangdong cuisine is quite famous throughout the country, so all the private rooms are full during mealtimes.

The head of the Beijing office followed his superior, his face etched with embarrassment.

It's really inappropriate that our own provincial leaders have to sit in the lobby to eat.

Deputy Secretary Cao didn't seem to mind, and even praised them, saying, "Business is pretty good. It's good that you can be self-sufficient."

The person in charge immediately began to complain: "Boss, you have no idea, there are tons of people issuing IOUs."

Deputy Secretary Cao laughed and said helplessly, "It's good enough that they can issue an IOU; at least they acknowledge the debt."

Whether or not the debt can be repaid is another matter entirely.

This problem exists not only in Beijing, but throughout the entire country.

When she said this in Russian, Ivanov nodded in agreement: "That's right, they all issue IOUs. That's how it is with businesses in Russia now. Everyone buys and sells on credit, without paying cash; it's all IOUs."

Deputy Secretary Cao expressed his concern for them: "If this continues, the triangular debt will become more and more serious."

To resolve the triangular debt, China has truly suffered a major setback.

By March 9th of this year, the third national conference on clearing up triangular debt had been held.

Previously, a similar cleanup meeting was held in 1990 and 1991.

The first approach was to divide the country into major war zones, assign quotas and tasks to each, and have the leaders declare that the triangular debt must be completely cleared up, and that anyone who wanted to owe debts and not pay them back would not be allowed to do so.

When the meeting was held again in 1991, the situation had changed to repaying as much as possible, and for those who really couldn't repay, local governments would provide guarantees and borrow money from banks to repay the debts.

This year's demands have become smaller; we don't expect to pay off the old debts, we just ask that no new debts be incurred.

Why are standards getting lower and requirements getting fewer?

Because there's no way to clean it up; the more you clean, the more it gets. Before you can even plug the hole, you create an even bigger one.

Firefighters didn't even have time to put out the fire.

As a result, Deputy Secretary Cao now gets a headache the moment he hears the words "triangular debt".

Wang Xiao sincerely advised her, "Secretary, you must try to think more positively."

After all, it is foreseeable that the scale of triangular debt will only grow larger and more numerous in the future.

Why?

Because China has been investing with long-term debt, and this has not changed in the past, present, or future.

But why didn't we feel the effects of triangular debt before?

Because at that time, China compensated for these costs through institutional and social costs.

Specifically, this manifested as excessive procurement of agricultural products, with surplus grain to be delivered after the public grain was delivered, and various other tasks to be completed after the surplus grain was delivered.

There was also a severe shortage of various consumer goods. You needed ration coupons to buy anything, and the queues were incredibly long.

To be more specific, you know what voluntary labor is, right? You know that farmers are conscripted every few days to dig reservoirs, build dikes, repair roads, and so on.

These workers have to provide their own meals and don't receive any wages.

After the reform and opening up, these problems were gradually resolved.

However, at the same time, triangular debt also emerged.

Ivanov was utterly bewildered: "Why is this happening?"

"Because any industrial investment can potentially create liabilities. Now it's just that the compensation is now done through monetary costs and wealth costs."

Ivanov suddenly realized: "So, according to that logic, triangular debt is actually a good thing?"

Under the death stare of Deputy Secretary Cao, Wang Xiao dared not utter any wild words. He could only touch his nose and say, "It's not exactly good, but at least it can stop those zombie companies that can't generate any social wealth from deceiving themselves. Those that should go bankrupt should go bankrupt quickly, so they don't keep sucking the blood of society. How can they have the nerve to do that?"

Just then, the dishes were served, and Deputy Secretary Cao tapped the table: "Eat, eat! The food won't taste good if it gets cold."

Wang Xiao picked up a piece of stir-fried cabbage with vinegar and ate it with rice.

It's true, although northerners eat less rice, he thinks northern rice tastes better than southern rice.

Ivanov was still preoccupied with the problem of "triangular debt," and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt: "The triangular debt has to be resolved, right? What if it gets worse and worse?"

Wang Xiao swallowed the rice in his mouth, picked up another piece of meat from the fish belly with his chopsticks, and said jokingly but half-seriously, "Wealth comes from the outside world. A horse won't get fat without night grass, so we can't just rely on internal wealth accumulation."

Before she transmigrated into the book, China already had a household debt of up to 200 trillion yuan.

Everyone joked that they should hurry up and go out and rob, and not just rob their own people.

If we had shown the same ruthlessness and determination as we would rob our own people, the Chinese people wouldn't be living like this—each person carrying an average debt of 140,000 yuan.

This includes the very elderly and infants.

"I estimate the only solution is to integrate into the global economy and achieve free foreign trade."

Wang Xiao ate his rice with gusto, enjoying it more than anyone else.

At the dinner table, Deputy Secretary Cao and Ivanov seemed to be deep in thought.

She had almost finished eating, while the two of them had barely taken a few bites.

Wang Xiao then used a spoon to scoop radish and pork rib soup for herself.

She had only taken a couple of sips when the door to the private room opened. The guests who came out were taken aback when they saw Wang Xiao, and then clapped their hands with a smile: "Oh my, really, Mr. Wang, what a coincidence!"

It is Director Zhang of Jiangdong Provincial Television Station.

The blond, blue-eyed guests standing next to him were led by Militlu, the director of Romanian television.

Wang Xiao immediately stood up and greeted everyone with a smile: "What a coincidence, I didn't expect to run into you all here. It's truly fate that brought us together from afar."

Director Miritru laughed and generously expressed his gratitude: "If it weren't for Miss Wang's generous donation, we would never have had the opportunity to experience the wonderful Chinese television culture."

He felt he had truly benefited greatly from the short week-long visit and study tour.

Wang Xiao smiled and asked, "I wonder if you've found a TV series you like?"

That's the key point, everyone. I didn't pay for you to sit together and have a social gathering.

Director Miritru nodded: "Our Chinese colleagues recommended 'Journey to the West' and 'Dream of the Red Chamber' to us, and we all think they are excellent television works."

Wang Xiao strained his ears, wanting to hear more, but then it stopped.

She stared in disbelief: "That's all? No other TV series? Have you seen 'The Outsider' that we talked about last time?"

Director Miritru's expression was subtle: "I've seen it, it's a great TV series, but—"

Wang Xiao didn't let him continue, and said with a big smile, "Sure enough. Elena and her college friends also really like this TV series, as well as 'Public Relations Lady.' Elena said her parents will like these TV series too."

Director Miritru laughed: "It seems I'm not such an outdated old man after all. I can still watch the same TV series as young people."

Wang Xiao made a quick decision: "Then let's import them. Since you all like them, they should have an audience. Hmm, I wonder how much it costs to dub Romanian TV dramas. If needed, I'd be happy to offer a little help for cultural exchange between the two countries."

A middle-aged Chinese man wearing glasses next to Wang Xiao seemed to finally lose his temper and interrupted him: "Comrade, wait a minute, exporting TV dramas is a very serious matter. We should treat it with more caution."

Wang Xiao maintained her smile: "I'm not playing games either. Nobody treats money like a joke. Aren't 'The Outsider' and 'Public Relations Lady' popular TV dramas?"

The middle-aged man with glasses tried to persuade Wang Xiao: "Our recommendation of 'Journey to the West' and 'Dream of the Red Chamber' is the result of careful consideration."

Firstly, "Journey to the West" was very well received and caused a great sensation when it was broadcast in Japan and Southeast Asia. Romanian audiences will likely welcome it as well.

Secondly, "Dream of the Red Chamber" was introduced to Germany by a television station and has been validated by the market.

Wang Xiao really wanted to roll her eyes.

What does this have to do with her?

Is she paying to bring mythological and historical dramas to Romania?

How can she advertise and sell her products?

Damn it, they don't know how to be stingy if you don't spend their money.

What about Director Zhang? What did she say to him back then?

So you'll just ignore what she said from the start, won't you?

Are you kidding me? Who's paying for this?

Can't you show some respect for your benefactor?

Wang Xiao interrupted the middle-aged man's endless chatter: "Um, could we talk in private for a moment?"

Because what she was about to say was extremely offensive.

Once inside the private room, Wang Xiao became quite blunt and unceremonious towards the people from the China Television Association.

"Japan and West Germany are both developed capitalist countries with wealthy people. Compared to them, the mainland is a poor country."

Rich people have no interest in the normal lives of poor people.

In their presence, the only thing China can offer is its past glory and ancient culture.

Therefore, Japan will import "Journey to the West", while West Germany will only be interested in "Dream of the Red Chamber".

However, Romania is different, and more accurately, the situation in the CIS countries and Eastern Europe is different from that in Japan and West Germany.

Perhaps we ourselves don't feel it much, and some people are even still hesitant about reform and opening up.

However, based on my interactions with people abroad, especially those from the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, they are very interested in China's reform and opening up, and they acknowledge the achievements made.

They are also very interested in the current social situation in China.

The most important aspect of cultural export is timing, and now is the best time.

If we don't take advantage of this moment to promote our modern culture, when will we?

When they are completely surrounded by Western culture and have forgotten their former curiosity and interest in China, will they be left behind?

All product exports are accompanied by cultural exports.

For example, was Coca-Cola popular in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe because it tasted so good?

No, it's about cultural identity.

Because they identify with Western culture, people are willing to pay high prices for Coca-Cola, which they see as a symbol of Western culture.

Wang Xiao really wanted to swear.

Are you all brainless? You can't even seize an opportunity that's right in front of you?

They're calcium deficient; their bones are so soft. Don't they have even a shred of cultural confidence?

Damn it, she was already furious with that arrogant Civil Aviation Administration director all day.

Now, if she were to run into this group of clueless people again, she would really lose her temper.

Director Zhang and his colleagues looked at each other in bewilderment. After a long while, the middle-aged man with glasses asked hesitantly, "What if the Romanians don't like watching these?"

Wang Xiaozhen thought he was crazy. People paid money to buy it, so what business was it of yours whether the broadcast was good or not?

Are you overthinking it?

I, the one who paid for the sponsorship, am not in a hurry yet.

She forced back her anger: "It's okay, they'll like it. And—"

She then painted a rosy picture: "Compared to historical and mythological dramas, modern dramas have lower production costs. If modern dramas can succeed in the Eastern European market, we can sell more TV series and recoup our costs faster."

Director Zhang quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes, the TV dramas we produce that reflect modern life are also very good, and the people really enjoy watching them."

Modern dramas are so easy to film. Setting up sets and finding costumes is easy, and you don't need to think about creating any special effects. It's very simple.

Jiangdong TV has already produced its own drama series. If it gets off to a good start in Romania, they'll sell the series there too.

If one of these can sell for tens of thousands of yuan, that's free money.

However, the middle-aged man with glasses still frowned, his tone hesitant: "But the boss said..."

You big-headed devil!

Wang Xiao maintained her smile and remained polite: "But the sponsors are only willing to pay for modern dramas."

Get this straight, I'm shopping with money in my pocket, why should I let the mall management decide what I buy?

Don't you understand your role? Don't you understand your job responsibilities?

They get arrogant with a little power, thinking they can control everything.

Damn it!

Wang Xiao concluded definitively: "Just these two dramas."

She made her statement and then went to talk to the people at the Romanian television station about it.

The cunning director of Miritru immediately made a request: "Actually, 'Journey to the West' is also very good. I wonder if we could get it as well?"

The reason he chose the latter between "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Journey to the West" is:

Firstly, because the latter involves constant fighting, which perfectly matches Romanian people's love for Chinese martial arts films.

Secondly, because each episode of "Journey to the West" tells a story, no matter when you start watching, you won't be completely confused.

Wang Xiao had already quickly started thinking in his mind: if "Journey to the West" were broadcast, then various masks and golden cudgel toys could be launched at the same time. Small dolls would also be a derivative product.

She readily agreed: "Okay. However, Journey to the West is quite long, and the translation will take a long time. Why not produce a modern drama first, so that we can broadcast it first and leave enough time to slowly dub Journey to the West?"

The head of the Miritrudaya area was all smiles.

Nonsense! I thought I could get two items for free at the mall, but now they're giving me three, and the third item is more expensive than the first two combined.

If it were Wang Xiao, she would be happy too.

That is, if she is not the one who pays.

The television crew finally left in a grand procession.

These past few days they've been busy watching and discussing films; the Romanian guests haven't really explored much of China.

Before leaving, they wanted to take their time to explore the capital city.

Before leaving, Wang Xiao smiled and asked Director Zhang for help: "There's a script I'm quite interested in, and it'll probably be filmed in Romania. We need some Chinese actors to play merchants. The most important role is a middle-aged male actor who needs to know martial arts and speak Romanian. If he doesn't know it now, he should be able to memorize his lines later. Ideally, he should have lived in Europe before, and his appearance shouldn't be too striking. At least after makeup, he should be able to blend in seamlessly into the crowd."

Director Zhang got excited and quickly rattled off a few actors in his mind.

"When and where should I audition?"

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "It's definitely going to Romania. Don't worry, whether you get the job or not, the round-trip travel expenses, food, and accommodation will all be covered. We'll pay you the usual service fee. I'll check the specific dates and let you know as soon as I have any news."

Director Zhang nodded happily: "I trust your efficiency. I've never seen anyone work faster than you."

He left happily. On this trip, he also went to Romania to broaden his horizons.

To be honest, he hadn't watched any Romanian TV series, but he had seen quite a few movies.

He genuinely thought Romanian films were quite good; some of their concepts and filming techniques were no worse than American films.

Ivanov was incredibly curious and kept asking Wang Xiao, "Wang, how did you convince them?"

He thought Wang Xiao's mouth was particularly sharp, just like the Chinese saying that one's mouth has been blessed in a temple.

They can always persuade others easily with just a few words.

If she were a lawyer, she would definitely be one of those top lawyers in American movies who can turn the tide and charge by the minute.

Wang Xiao simply said, "I told them I'm paying, and I'm in charge."

Ivanov was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

If it weren't for the bowls and plates on the table, filled with soup and liquid, he would definitely have pounded the table.

Wang Xiao sat back down in her original seat and quietly ate the green tea cake that had just been served.

The green tea cakes, freshly scooped from the oil, have a wonderful blend of sweet and oily aromas. The taro filling inside is delicious, leaving a lingering fragrance on your lips and teeth with every bite.

What a joke! As the sponsor, she neither engaged in any underhanded tactics nor randomly inserted people into the production.

Where can you find an investor like her who is even better than a coal mine owner?

Stop being so ungrateful and creating trouble for no reason.

People in the Air Force now feel that civil aviation is just making trouble out of nothing.

Their plane was flying perfectly fine, but then someone from the civil aviation department had to jump out and say that this matter was under their jurisdiction.

What business is it of theirs? They're so talkative, their mouths seem to encompass the heavens and the earth.

I have nowhere to put my face.

The air force units on the Zhimen side first sought approval from their own superiors, and then rushed to Beijing overnight. Early the next morning, the air force also approached high-ranking military officials.

To their disappointment, the military leadership actually told them to back down and not to confront the administrative departments head-on.

The air force personnel were dumbfounded. When did they become easy targets, being bullied by others?

The top leader sighed: "Now the focus is on economic development. Civilian functions should be moved to the forefront, and military functions should be moved to the back."

The air force was alarmed: "How can we back down? Are we going to starve?"

The senior leader reassured the family: "We need to be aware of this trend. In the future, our military companies will also have to be converted to civilian use."

It was truly like a bolt from the blue on a sunny day, leaving everyone dizzy and disoriented.

In fact, everyone knows that with the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the tense military confrontation of that time also quietly came to an end.

Against this backdrop, it is only natural that the military's morale has declined.

It's not surprising that higher-ups don't want to strain relationships with people.

But you don't know the pain until you're cut yourself.

Even disregarding the income of retired pilots, the small Jiangzhimen Airport alone generates tens or even hundreds of thousands of yuan in contract fees per month just for the military units.

When you get the money, you feel 10% happy; when you take the money away, you feel 100% pain.

They had even planned out exactly how to spend their money.

Saying that this money is going to fall through now isn't just cutting off a piece of flesh, it's like stabbing someone in the heart.

Anyone who's been in the military knows how poor they are right now.

The leaders are really good at talking without understanding the hardships their subordinates endure; they just know how to spout high-sounding rhetoric to them.

The air force personnel were seething with anger, but they couldn't vent it on their superiors, so they had no choice but to slink away.

What troubled them most was how to make the call. They would have to notify Wuzhou Company, and the number of flights would still be cut in half.

Finally, when there was absolutely no other way, the person holding the phone felt like they were lifting a thousand pounds when they made the call.

Why did he have such a foolish idea back then, making such a grand statement that his unit would go all out?

As it turns out, the military leadership had no intention of showing their faces at all.

That was a real slap in the face.

He stammered for a long time before finally telling the woman what had happened.

The situation is rather delicate right now; it's not appropriate for their troops to take the lead.

The higher-ups have also said that we cannot arbitrarily interfere with the decisions of local administrative organs.

Wang Xiao understood immediately. To put it bluntly, the higher-ups in the military felt that this matter had little to do with them and there was no need to get involved.

but--

Wang Xiao now has to drag them down with him.

If there's no connection, then build one.

If the relationship isn't that close, then strengthen it.

Wang Xiao simply said "Oh," then added with a hint of doubt and regret, "So you don't want to buy a plane."

"Huh?" The air force officer on the other end of the phone was a little confused. How did this get related to buying airplanes again?

Wang Xiao said in a serious tone: "I remember I wanted to rent your air force's planes before, but you said that there was a serious shortage of planes, and you couldn't even guarantee your own flight training, so there was no money to buy planes."

Although it's true that you shouldn't hit someone in the face, this is the absolute truth.

Besides, everyone knows their army is so poor, there's nothing to hide anymore.

Wang Xiao sighed softly: "I always thought you wanted to upgrade your aircraft, but couldn't because you didn't have the money. Actually, you know how we got our transport planes; people were selling them to us, and it wasn't just the Il-7 and Tu-7. But we don't need the other planes, so I was going to ask you if you wanted them. It seems we don't need them now."

This is like throwing out bait.

But even though the air force leaders knew it was bait, they had no choice but to take it.

Why? Because China's army, navy, and air force are all relatively weak, especially the air force and navy.

It's not that I'm belittling myself; I'm genuinely weak.

The biggest manifestation of this weakness is the poor equipment.

The air force currently has mostly old aircraft. To put it bluntly, compared to the Soviet air force, they are like junk that the Soviets could sell, and even their equipment is better.

The leader immediately took the microphone: "You mean you can get us planes from other military units?"

Wang Xiao directly denied it: "It's impossible, you don't have the money to buy it."

Good heavens, that's the most honest and truthful thing ever.

In recent years, their air force has also introduced aircraft, namely the famous Su-27.

Because they lacked foreign exchange, the contract amount between the two parties was in the form of loans, 70% of which was conducted through barter trade.

However, due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, although the Russian Federation government has stated that it will continue to fulfill the contract, the plane has not yet arrived to this day.

"I don't think I can get my hands on a Su-27," Wang Xiao said honestly. "I might have a better chance with one that's a level below. The price is negotiable. But if you don't have the money, you can't just try to get something for nothing."

The air force officer who had been in contact with Wang Xiao immediately shouted, "We have money! We can use half of the contract fees we collect to buy planes, but at least half of the planes must belong to us."

Even close brothers keep clear accounts; we need to make things clear now.

In this day and age, it's not uncommon for superiors to intercept the supplies and money of their subordinates, and for subordinates to withhold the money and goods that should be handed over.

Those who can hold onto and retain supplies and money locally are like Li Yunlong in "Bright Sword"—they are considered capable people.

Since things have developed to this point, and the troops at the gate need to rely on their superiors to exert pressure to protect their air routes and flight schedules, they certainly cannot be stingy.

But we absolutely cannot strip them bare, nor can we exploit them relentlessly.

A quarter of the original price is already their limit.

After haggling for a long time, the Air Force leaders got angry: "What use do you have for so many? One-third, one-third of the planes are yours."

After finally reaching an agreement, they rushed off to find high-ranking military officials.

Okay, let's compromise. You just need to pay for the plane for us.

There's no reason why an air force could be used like an army, where you wouldn't even be able to fly planes.

This is a matter of life and death for us, and we absolutely cannot back down on this.

In the end, even the top leaders had no choice but to step in and act as the middleman.

It's because the Soviet Union collapsed; the promised Su-27s still haven't arrived in their laps.

As long as the plane remains on the ground, accidents can still happen.

Seriously, if these businessmen could fly a Su-27 right in front of him, he'd roll up his sleeves and fight them, even forcing civil aviation to reserve the aircraft slots for them.

Senior leaders were still unwilling to give up: "Why can't we develop the Su-27?"

The Air Force officer was particularly straightforward: "She's a very honest person, a woman of her word. If she says she can get it, she really can. Even if there's the slightest uncertainty, she won't exaggerate."

The senior leader glanced at him and said, "You actually believe her."

The Air Force colonel said confidently, "What's there to disbelieve? They're a huge company with a massive commercial city and so many planes."

Does he believe in character? He believes in ability.

Wuzhou Company has so many assets, and so many planes take off from their airport.

He wasn't afraid that Wang Xiao would go back on his word and not get them the plane.

Because smart people never create such short-sighted and foolish trouble for themselves.

He believed she could definitely get them a plane that was both high-quality and inexpensive, exceeding their expectations.

He really thinks highly of Wang Xiao.

The truth is, Wang Xiao didn't know much about airplanes at all.

Even though she has bought so many Tu and Il series aircraft, they are all used for transporting goods. They belong to a completely different field from fighter jets.

So after Wang Xiao finished boasting and hung up the phone, he turned to Ivanov and asked, "What level of fighter jets or other military aircraft can we get?"

Listen to this, she doesn't even know what kinds of airplanes there are or what their uses are.

Ivanov's first reaction wasn't: "Sister, why did you suddenly decide to buy fighter jets? Fighter jets don't have the carrying capacity."

Instead, the question is: "Who is the buyer? Can they afford to pay?"

As a businessperson, the first thing to consider is the other party's ability to fulfill the contract.

Don't even think about getting something for nothing.

He has no interest in IOUs. No matter how powerful someone is, if they don't offer cash or checks, he sees them as someone trying to take advantage of him.

Wang Xiao said confidently, "It's alright, the money is in our hands."

The money for the military to buy the planes was deducted directly from the contract fees they paid to Jiangzhimen.

She wasn't going to be foolish enough to give away the money and the plane and then expect them to pay her back.

What kind of pipe dream are you having? These days, being able to delay payments is a real skill.

Does the military not owe money? They can accumulate huge debts.

Upon hearing that the money was guaranteed, Ivanov immediately perked up.

Airplanes were not a rare thing for the Soviet Union.

There was a joke back then that the Soviet Union boasted to the Americans that it would achieve one airplane for every Soviet citizen within five years.

Americans were curious: what do you individuals need such a plane for? What use could it possibly have?

The Soviet leadership said seriously, "Of course it's useful. For example, when Moscow residents hear that Leningrad has started supplying bread, they can immediately fly over to buy it."

Although this is an ironic joke, it also illustrates that the Soviet Union had a lot of planes.

The Soviet Army alone had nearly 5,000 tactical attack aircraft and more than 25,000 aircraft of various types, including more than 10,000 helicopters.

Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, these planes will not simply disappear; they will simply be quietly consumed.

Ivanov racked his brains and knew who to ask to get the plane.

Frankly speaking, buying tactical attack aircraft is, in some ways, more convenient than transport aircraft.

Because the latter can be further developed for civilian use, while the former is truly a double-edged sword for the CIS countries at present.

You need money to maintain and service your plane, right? Do you have the money? No, you don't.

This damn country lacks everything, except for all sorts of random weapons.

Ivanov said confidently, "Then let's each wait for good news."

We have no problem getting planes, as long as you can maintain our flight routes and sorties.

Even for a MiG-29 of this caliber, it's not entirely impossible to find a solution.

Deputy Secretary Cao listened in stunned silence.

To the uninitiated, they might have thought they were discussing buying some luxury car.

This is a fighter jet, a very important piece of weaponry.

However, when they think about how the Chinese officials who profited from selling various precious strategic materials were doing so, it seems there's not much difference between them and how they are doing now.

The pot calling the kettle black is equally laughable.

The only difference is that they do have more planes, and reselling them to make money from foreigners doesn't seem wrong.

People live off the land and water, and a living person can't be suffocated by needing to pee.

The signal of mobile phones in this era was particularly poor, making them unreliable.

Wang Xiao and his team needed to wait for news as soon as possible, so they couldn't just go out for a stroll. They could only stay obediently at the Beijing office and keep an eye on the phone.

Fortunately, the chef here is really good at cooking, and everyone had a great time eating.

Deputy Secretary Cao no longer wants private rooms; she prefers to eat in the main hall and hear what the people of Beijing think of Jiangdong.

The dinner table is often the most relaxing time for everyone.

For example, the people at the next table were drinking beer over preserved egg tofu and fried meatballs, discussing their plans to make a fortune.

"Seriously, buddy, listen to me, hurry up and find a way to get a car, and you'll be able to drive a taxi soon."

"No way." The person with the 20/80 split haircut on the other side immediately denied it. "That requires a certificate, which I don't have."

"Hey, it's all loosened up now." The crew-cut man emphasized, "We're desperately short of taxis in Beijing right now. With the policy relaxed, private individuals can run taxis too. Didn't you take the taxi driver qualification exam two years ago? It's okay if you didn't pass. You'll be able to take it again soon, and we'll be picking from among you guys."

"Eight-tenths open" stared wide-eyed, unable to believe it: "Really?"

"Of course it's true, it's news from my old man. If you weren't my buddy, I wouldn't have let a word out. Listen up, it's only a few days away."

Think about it, driving a taxi guarantees at least five or six thousand a month. You only need to pay 810 yuan to the transportation bureau. Even if you spend over ten thousand yuan on a car, you'll definitely make your money back in two or three years at most.

"And all the money after that will be yours."

"20/80" was clearly very interested, but hesitated: "Where am I going to get a car?"

"How would I know?" The man with the buzz cut took a sip of beer. "If I knew, I'd get a few cars right now, resell them on the spot, and I'd be rich."

The two began to sigh and frantically try to find a way to get a car by contacting people they knew.

Wang Xiao put down his chopsticks and took the initiative to greet them: "You want to get a car, what are your requirements for the car?"

The two men were taken aback, but seeing that it was a young and pretty girl, they weren't alarmed. They simply looked her up and down and asked, "What kind of car do you have?"

"The Russians own Volga, Lada, and Muscovites cars."

The two young men immediately perked up.

In the 1980s, Lada cars were basically standard equipment for taxis; it was only in recent years that they were replaced by Xiali cars.

Although the Lada is a bit ugly, it's okay even without fish and shrimp; at least it's a drivable car.

"How much is it, Lada?"

"Seventy-five thousand."

"It's a bit expensive." The other party subconsciously tried to bargain.

Wang Xiao smiled and emphasized, "It's not a counterfeit product. All the documents are complete and can withstand inspection."

The man with the buzz cut looked at her suspiciously: "How can we believe you're telling the truth?"

Wang Xiao smiled and pointed to the sign outside: "See? We're from Jiangdong. This is our provincial leader."

Deputy Secretary Cao was suddenly brought up and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Does she have to endorse her?

She could only nod at these people reluctantly.

Wang Xiao casually picked up a piece of paper, wrote down an address and phone number, and pushed it over: "It's not in Beijing, it's in Suifenhe. You can go directly there, or you can go as a group. You can get a discount if you buy a lot of cars."

The two men stared at the note and then at Wang Xiao, hesitating and unable to make up their minds.

Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated: "You can go however you want, I don't care. But just a heads up, no IOUs. It has to be either cash or wire transfer, figure it out yourselves."

"Um," the man with the buzz cut couldn't help but ask, "what kind of discount?"

"10 or more, 70,000 yuan." Wang Xiao reminded, "First come, first served. Russian cars are in high demand in Northeast China right now, you won't get one if you're even a little late. I'm only doing this because I saw you guys came all the way here to eat our Jiangdong cuisine, it's kind of like fate. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered eating."

With that, she turned around decisively and went back to eat her own lunch.

Deputy Secretary Cao is truly impressed by today's young people; their mentality is just too good.

We have no news at all about how the military is doing with the civil aviation authorities.

She ate her lunch absentmindedly.

As a result, the young girl recovered and still had the mind to go and find strangers to do car sales business.

Wang Xiao didn't seem to care: "It's fine even without fish and shrimp, it's still a business."

These privately owned taxis are practically a windfall from heaven, they're incredibly lucrative.

Those who seize this opportunity may not become extremely wealthy, but they can at least enjoy a comfortable life with modest means.

If a thousand people buy cars, even if each car only makes a profit of 20,000 yuan, that's still 20 million yuan.

But if there are 10,000 people, that would be 200 million.

Even a small shrimp can stir up a big storm.

Currently, there are only over 10,000 taxis in Beijing. Even if another 10,000 are added, it will still be far from meeting people's travel needs.

Deputy Secretary Cao had never imagined that this business could be so profitable, and could only shake his head in admiration of her magnanimity.

In fact, Wang Xiao was only outwardly calm; inside, he was as anxious as a cat scratching at its wits' end.

Because the air routes involve a business worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Just as she was finishing her plate of lotus root sandwiches, the waiter came over and asked her to answer the phone.

Even Deputy Secretary Cao couldn't sit still any longer and immediately got up and followed him inside.

The caller was indeed from the Air Force.

Wang Xiao cut to the chase: "How is it?"

The voice on the other end was indescribable: "Don't even mention it."

With a high-ranking leader acting as an intermediary, at least everyone managed to meet.

The two sides first talked in the office, and the conversation got so heated that they started slamming their fists on the table.

The civil aviation staff said, "You can't be so domineering. You've eaten the whole pot of food. What about the rest of us?"

The Air Force representative emphasized that so many of us, from pilots to Air Force family members, have already secured our livelihoods.

Before we had jobs, everyone could rely on their own abilities.

But if you try to sabotage our meal while we're eating, then you're deliberately trying to make things difficult for us.

We absolutely cannot agree to this.

Go ahead and try to stop us; our planes should take off when they're supposed to.

The civil aviation staff slammed their fists on the table in anger: "If that's how it is, then we won't approve any of your flight plans."

The Air Force retorted sharply, "Do I need your approval? I don't expect you to fly my planes!"

The two sides were arguing so fiercely that they almost came to blows in the office.

Finally, both sides were pulled to the table for drinks, and after a few rounds of drinks, they each took a step back.

The number of flights from Zhimen to Moscow still needs to be cut, but by one-third.

In the words of a civil aviation leader: "You can't just eat the meat while not letting others even have a sip of soup. Oh, you've built Zhimen Airport into a thriving, prosperous place. What about the other airports? Are they starving? This is not the spirit that our People's Liberation Army should have."

Well, what else can we do now that things have come to this?

Seeing that things were not going well, the air force personnel quickly ran out of the private room to warn Wang Xiao: "We really tried our best, but their barrage of words was just too much for us to handle."

Deputy Secretary Cao, who was listening nearby, felt like cursing.

A bunch of useless people, they can't even win an argument.

She was pushed off to prevent any argument; otherwise, who's afraid of whom?

Wang Xiao remained expressionless and pressed on, "Where are you now? Don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble. We're already very grateful for your help, and we definitely won't make things difficult for you."

The Air Force personnel figured that since this was, after all, within the capital's territory, and Wang Xiao and his group had come all the way from Jiangdong, it wasn't their home turf. Even if they wanted to cause trouble, they couldn't muster many men.

Only then did I feel relieved enough to give them my address.

Ivanov, standing nearby, was eager to try: "Your Majesty, shall we go and fight them for three hundred rounds?"

Cutting a third of the flights? Dream on! That would be a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Who will pay this bill? They absolutely cannot agree to it.

Springtime winds were strong in Beijing. Wang Xiao pulled a woolen hat over his head and said expressionlessly, "We should go and pay their bill. It wouldn't be right to let them treat us."

Ivanov was completely bewildered. He turned to look at Deputy Secretary Cao, hoping that the two women could understand each other.

Deputy Secretary Cao, however, frowned deeply.

Her intuition told her that this time they would definitely have a big chunk of flesh bitten off.

Everyone rushed to the army's guesthouse. The exterior was unremarkable, but the interior was surprisingly spacious and well-decorated, no less so than the Jinning Grand Hotel, where a night's stay cost ninety US dollars.

However, Wang Xiao and the others had no time to look closely and went straight to the private room.

Director Zhang smiled enigmatically: "What, are you trying to overturn the table?"

The atmosphere in the private room suddenly turned cold.

The air force personnel were all sweating bullets, fearing that things would escalate on the spot.

They are certainly not satisfied with the outcome of the current negotiations, but the civil aviation authorities absolutely refuse to back down.

If things escalate too much, the outcome could be even worse.

Wang Xiao suddenly laughed: "Director Zhang, you really love to joke. Isn't it obvious? We've finished eating, and if I don't come and pay the bill, I'll be too inconsiderate."

The atmosphere in the private room eased up again, and someone even said, "Oh, you're too kind."

Wang Xiao smiled and nodded at the people, then turned his gaze to the senior leader of the Civil Aviation Administration and took the initiative to greet him: "Sir, may I say a few words?"

The person opposite laughed: "Hey, this isn't a government office. In modern society, there's no reason not to let people speak."

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Alright, I was young and ignorant, and my words were not pleasant to hear. Please forgive me."

With that, she cupped her hands in greeting, sat down in the empty seat, and straightened her back: "You say that air traffic control and safety are necessary, so we can't put all the planes in the air. I don't think that reason holds water."

A rustling sound came from inside the private room.

Director Zhang's face was long and he scolded, "What do you know? Arranging flights is a very technically difficult task. Laymen shouldn't talk nonsense."

Wang Xiao remained calm: "I don't really understand these things, but I know a very basic principle. China's flight operations are not too many, but too few, pitifully few."

Taking the former Soviet Union as an example, there were more than 4,000 airports of all sizes in the Soviet Union.

In 1985, the Soviet Union's civil aviation transported 113 million passengers annually. That means that one in every two people flew that year.

What about us? What about China? How many airports and how many airplanes does China have? And how many people have ever flown on a plane?

We Chinese people, when we see an airplane flying overhead, will stay below and watch the spectacle for a long time.

In this situation, you tell me that launching too many planes is too dangerous. I don't know how to convince myself to believe you.

An air force officer immediately chimed in, "Exactly! Moscow doesn't even seem to think we fly over that many planes. We're the ones complaining about ourselves first."

In fact, Moscow has four airports.

Because the number of passengers on domestic flights within Russia and flights to and from CIS countries is declining sharply, some flights have to be canceled frequently.

So Moscow didn't really feel that there were many flights from China.

After all, the more planes that come, the better, since the airport charges a service fee.

More planes mean more money.

Director Zhang continued to argue illogically: "The two countries have different national conditions, how can we apply this to them so rigidly?"

The air force officer wasn't afraid of offending him at all, and retorted on the spot: "That only shows your incompetence. If others can do it well, why can't you?"

Director Zhang was so angry that his face turned a deep purplish-red. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up, ready to storm off.

Wang Xiao interrupted him directly: "Let's be frank. We all know perfectly well why they're cutting our flight frequency instead of adding more to Tianjin Airport's. To put it bluntly, they think we're stealing their business and want to drive us out of business first."

The atmosphere in the private room instantly became a little awkward.

An old man with gray hair, whose identity Wang Xiao couldn't figure out, spoke up: "Everyone should eat together at the table. You can't eat alone."

Wang Xiao rolled her eyes inwardly.

Damn it, are you guys eating at the table? You're practically overturning someone else's table.

Why don't you cook for yourself? Besides using your privileges to steal and pick peaches, what else can you do?

What incredible skill!

Wang Xiao ignored the old man's words and continued, "But you're mistaken. It's not that there are too many people making a living in this industry, but rather that there are too few."

How large is the gap in the consumer goods market of the CIS countries? It's a gap of tens of billions of US dollars, bigger than you can imagine.

How much have we provided? Less than one-tenth so far.

I can't find any reason why we should be so eager to fight amongst ourselves right now.

Besides China, other countries supplying Russia and the CIS countries include Turkey, Italy, and South Korea, among many others. They deliver goods by the ship and by the train car.

A cargo ship carrying 10,000 tons of goods can carry as much as a hundred airplane flights, and its volume is much larger than ours.

Why are other companies with such large shipment volumes able to operate peacefully, while we haven't even had a chance to enjoy our food yet, and we're already fighting amongst ourselves?

Are they afraid the joke won't be big enough?

Wang Xiao cursed inwardly: "They really don't care about being shameless."

The private room was so quiet you could almost hear an echo.

Both high-ranking military and civil aviation officials remained silent, not uttering a single word.

Finally, a middle-aged man with a round face, resembling Maitreya Buddha, who was sitting on the side, spoke up: "Are you saying that our exports to former Soviet countries are now less than those to Turkey, Italy, and South Korea?"

Wang Xiao emphasized, "We will still be able to catch up in the future, and even surpass them if things are managed properly."

She explained earnestly, "Because the products they offer are relatively limited, mainly focusing on clothing and leather."

Italy's advantages lie in its stylish designs and the influence of Western culture. However, its high labor costs and high commodity prices make it unaffordable for most people in the CIS countries.

South Korean clothing has an advantage in style, but as an Asian country, its image as a high-end brand is somewhat inferior to that of Italy. Price is also not a significant advantage.

In this respect, Chinese goods are really rivaled by Turkish goods. Their prices are cheaper, and the quality is indeed quite good.

However, Chinese goods also have obvious advantages.

We came from the era of planned economy. Our township enterprises, our street factories, and a large number of state-owned factories all produced goods that were in short supply at the time.

From paper stationery to clothing and footwear, from household goods to car parts, we can provide it all.

Therefore, it is now the CIS countries that need our goods.

Our low labor costs enable our light industrial products to compete on price.

The CIS countries right now can't find a better option than us.

What we need to do now is not engage in internal strife, but ensure product quality, provide excellent foreign trade services, and strive to secure as much market share as possible.

Director Zhang sneered, "You've monopolized the air routes to Moscow, is there any market left for anyone else?"

Deputy Secretary Cao retorted, "It's only a few planes. If you approve twice as many in the north, we won't object."

"There are only so many merchants buying goods, and they've all gone to your area. Are there any more people coming from the north to buy goods?"

Wang Xiao stood up and gestured invitingly: "Then could you please come with me to the streets, take a look at Xiushui Street, the Yabao Road Market, and then go to the Ritan Hotel to have a good look. Let's see if the number of foreign merchants coming to Beijing to purchase goods has increased or decreased since our Wuzhou Freight Company opened last May?"

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Happy New Year!

The individual taxi drivers mentioned in the article emerged in the early 1990s.

In 1992, to alleviate the taxi shortage in Beijing, the city relaxed its entry restrictions. Previously, Beijing had only about 10,000 taxis, which were parked at stations and needed to be called when needed. After the restrictions were lifted, private capital and individual taxis flourished: by the end of May 1993, the city had as many as 49,000 taxis, more than double the previous year, while individual taxis reached 585, also nearly doubling in number.

Most of these lucky individual taxi drivers had taken the government-organized taxi driver qualification exam in 1990, but had not obtained a certificate. From April to June 1992, some of these people were "developed" into the first batch of individual taxi drivers that year. In October, the second batch of exams began, with registration organized by district and county: anyone with a local household registration, at least three years of driving experience, and who was unemployed or jobless could register to take the exam.

Those who pass the exam buy their own taxis and own the property rights, but the operating license for individual taxis is not transferable.

At that time, there were no regulations regarding engine displacement, vehicle type, or size; it was simply a matter of "small vans" and Xiali cars. Only these two types were recognized as taxis, and drivers would choose a "small van" over a Xiali. The management station was an organization for individual drivers. In April 1993, these taxis officially began operation.

“Back then, we only paid 810 yuan to the transportation bureau each month,” said a driver surnamed Li from Huairou County, Beijing. He was one of the lucky ones who passed the exam in 1993.

This 810 yuan includes personal income tax, business tax, industrial and commercial tax, road maintenance tax, vehicle and vessel usage tax, etc. After paying these normal taxes and fees, the remaining income is all his own. Mr. Li, who drives a Fukang car, earns about 4,000 to 5,000 yuan per month. An individual taxi driver who invests over 100,000 yuan in a car can recoup his entire investment in two or three years; any money earned after that is pure income.

In comparison, drivers of the same Fukang taxi currently pay the company around 5,000 yuan per month in "franchise fees," which includes minimum wage, social insurance, taxes, vehicle depreciation, and vehicle insurance. Some drivers report that their monthly income is only around 1,800 to 2,000 yuan.

The workload of the two types of drivers also differs. Company-employed drivers typically work around 15 hours a day, while individual drivers generally have more freedom in managing their time, usually not exceeding 12 hours a day.

In 1994, the Beijing Municipal Taxi Administration decided to implement total volume control, ceasing the approval of new companies and individual taxi operators. As a result, individual taxis and taxi companies came under control. In 1996, thanks to the efforts of a city leader, some individual taxis in Shijingshan District were legalized. Consequently, the total number of individual taxi drivers in the city exceeded one thousand that year.

However, this ultimately did not change the market structure in Beijing's taxi market, where companies are the absolute dominant players.

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 20:30:50 on December 30, 2023 and 18:25:08 on December 31, 2023!

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Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!