Chapter 111 The Crane and the Clam Fight: Is There Such a Good Thing?

Ivanov and his friend had a wonderful idea, but putting it into practice was extremely difficult.

Why?

Because seafood is not an ordinary commodity.

If you're importing clothing, shoes, or socks, you find a supplier, fill out a customs declaration, pay taxes according to the law (or evade taxes), and then ship the goods back.

But seafood is different. Seafood is a special commodity. To enter the market, it must go through a series of certifications and approvals. The process is so long and the road so difficult that it is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Wait a minute, that's not right. The king crabs imported from Vladivostok through Suifenhe are incredibly fast. Oh, and we recently added oysters and sea cucumbers because the restaurant wanted them.

They can do it so easily in the Baltic Sea, so why can't they? There's no such double standard here.

Believe it or not, this matter could indeed be labeled as double standards, but the target of the double standards is not Russia and the Baltic states, but Xiaozhou and Suifenhe.

To emphasize, Suifenhe now holds a unique position. It serves as a benchmark—a model of openness and wholehearted dedication to economic development.

Doing business here is a breeze; everything is easy to discuss.

Vladivostok wants to import China's fruits, vegetables, and light industrial products, but it doesn't have the money to pay. So it uses seafood as a form of barter. Doesn't the government give it the green light?

open!

What would be difficult to accomplish anywhere else was accomplished in Suifenhe. Tang Yicheng only needed to submit the application, and the official stamps were completed within a week.

As people jokingly say, aside from drugs, Suifenhe will probably let you in anything that can make money, as long as it can.

Once it enters, Suifenhe will no longer need to go through customs with Beijing or any other city on the mainland. It will be much easier.

As for you, Xiao Zhou, you want to airfreight salmon? You look so much like a salmon to me.

Ivanov sighed with regret, lamenting that Fyodor had really gotten lucky, managing to snatch all the good things away; then he could only regretfully move on from the matter.

The outcome was unexpected; the situation took a completely different turn.

Well, it was all a series of unexpected events.

Ivanov relayed the news of the difficulty in exporting seafood to China to his friends stationed in Lithuania.

As a result, the latter was resentful that Fyodor was eating alone, so he called him and spoke sarcastically.

Fyodor's not-so-shrewd mind was startled by the phone call, and his first reaction was that those Baltic bastards were going to steal his enormous wealth.

Unfortunately, he didn't realize that he possessed a core competitive advantage, meaning that others couldn't take away his orders anytime soon.

In his panic, he realized he should cling to Ivanov's coattails so that the big boss could continue to carry him.

But to curry favor with someone powerful requires a significant investment. Ivanov's tastes are popular, not niche, making it impossible for Ofeldor to even consider making a self-sacrifice.

He wasn't unaware that Ivanov wanted the plane, and he was indeed trying to pry it open.

But the unit he belonged to was called the Pacific Fleet, not a flight group, so there were definitely far more ships than planes.

So after much deliberation, he cleverly decided to put his mind to the warships.

Speaking of these ships, we need to talk about the Russian Navy, or more specifically, the current state of the Pacific Fleet.

The main word is "poor".

The poverty didn't begin after the collapse of the Soviet Union; it was poverty that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and then it became even poorer.

What are the specific manifestations of poverty?

For example, as we all know, naval vessels require regular maintenance and repair when they malfunction.

But for Pacific Fleet ships, going into a repair shop is tantamount to death.

Without money, even fuel supplies are insufficient, so good ships have to stay put and avoid going out unnecessarily, let alone ships that have encountered problems.

Since entering the factory was tantamount to a death sentence, O'Fedor put his mind to work and actively promoted his plan to turn waste into treasure.

To be fair, these faulty ships are a burden to the Russian military, but in another country, they would be prized assets.

Although Ofeld disdained everything about the Soviet Union, he understood the strength of its military.

He thought he could use these malfunctioning ships to do favors, so he made a phone call to Ivanov: "Hey buddy, wanna buy some?"

Ivanov's first reaction was to refuse. What use would he have for ships? He had never considered becoming a shipping magnate. He felt that sea transport was too slow, unlike the swift flight of airplanes.

O'Fedor was getting impatient: "Are you even a buddy? How can you be so clueless? I mean, you, your friend, besides airplanes, don't you want a boat?"

Ivanov was shrewd; he directly refused, saying, "Airplanes are for opening up air routes; we don't need sea routes."

O'Fedor is furious. The Air Force doesn't need it, and neither does the Navy? They're still connected.

Ivanov then said with little interest that he could help ask, but estimated it was unlikely.

These days, everyone's finances are tight. It's better to sacrifice your own friends than yourself. You're lucky if you can take care of yourself. Who cares about the lives of others?

But when he contacted Wang Xiao again, his tone had completely changed. He excitedly emphasized, "Wang, I'm selling them cheaply. Three for a package price of 1 million US dollars. Fyodor wouldn't dare to try to fool me with cheap junk."

Haha, I never imagined that Baltic seafood could have such benefits even before it's been taken to the sea.

That's right. The route from Vladivostok to Beijing has been approved, and the planes are in place. Now that O'Fedor has tasted the benefits, how could he possibly spit out the fat that's already in his mouth?

Wang Xiao was also confused about the intricacies between the Navy and the Air Force, so he could only call the Air Force first and emphasize one thing: you'll have to figure out the one million US dollars yourselves; we're not going to pay that money for the Navy. We didn't ask for any intermediary fees or public relations fees—that's absolutely a display of socialist class sentiment.

Air Force officers were all jealous.

Wait, wait, did you guys act too hastily and in the wrong direction? You're procuring ships for the navy, and you've already done three in one go.

Where are our planes? Don't forget we're talking about exchanging planes for flight routes.

Wang Xiao repeatedly assured them, "We haven't forgotten, we've been looking for it. We found something good and thought that you all are one family, so we wanted to do you a favor."

Then she unleashed a barrage of attacks, convincing people that these three ships were the reward for the route from Vladivostok to Suifenhe.

When Ivanov received another call from Wang Xiao, he almost died laughing.

The world is truly mysterious; something that never happened could lead to such an outcome.

It is evident that when a person reaches a certain position, every move they make will be scrutinized under a magnifying glass.

Even if the person involved didn't mean it at all, it can still inspire people to write a whole essay in their minds.

Wang Xiao and Ivanov both felt that, having come this far, it was time to put an end to the matter.

Neither of them even personally handled the matter, because neither of them knew anything about naval vessels. Whether it was good or bad, whether they could take on the task or not, the navy could simply send someone to do it themselves.

Their only role is to act as intermediaries, assisting with payments and handovers.

But to their surprise, Ivanov's friend in the Baltic Sea made a trip to Vladivostok and witnessed Ofedor's sudden wealth firsthand. His eyes, red with envy, could never look away from the word "wealth."

My friend's idea was very simple and down-to-earth. He believed that Ivanov was too lazy to put effort into the salmon issue because the profits weren't enough.

Ivanov is a capitalist.

Human beings are not greedy because capital exists; rather, capital is born because of the greed inherent in human nature.

My friend believes that for a 300% profit, Ivanov would absolutely dare to trample on all human laws.

Well, it's not that exaggerated. It's just that if the benefits are enough, he will definitely be more motivated to make this happen.

It's precisely because this is a vacuum, with no one taking the plunge, that it's so profitable.

To pique Ivanov's interest, a friend gave him a gift: a Mi-24 helicopter, priced at $1 million.

This is a real gem; it cost over five million US dollars to build. Even though it's been in service for several years, it's still a pretty good machine.

Ivanov, of course, would not admit that he was attracted by the helicopter; his high-sounding reason was: for the sake of our friendship.

As a loyal friend, he always adhered to the principle of "you're good, I'm good, we're all good," hoping that everyone would live a happy life.

Taking the opportunity, his friend extended an invitation: "In that case, come on over, my dear Ivanov, and enjoy our seafood. Whether it's salmon or sturgeon, it's all so delicious."

Ivanov's enthusiasm subsided slightly, and he quickly asked Wang Xiao, "Is there any chance of this happening? Imported salmon from Xiaozhou?"

After thinking about it for a long time, Wang Xiao felt that it wasn't something he couldn't give a try.

Exactly, that's the reaction of Ivanov's friend. It looks just like a small-town garment factory.

Back then, the garment factories in Zhouzhen and his several townships went to great lengths to secure orders from Japanese merchants, completely disregarding ethics and competing to lower prices, even to the point of losing money to gain market share.

Judging from the current situation, it's starting to look promising.

It's really weird.

However, considering the Soviet military industry's overwhelming dominance, military products probably didn't mean much to the locals, much like watches, and perhaps weren't even as popular as fashion items.

She shook her head to shake off the strange feeling and called Vice Mayor Sun directly to present the facts.

Now the whole country knows about opening up the economy, and all regions are vying to attract investment.

This resource refers to both funds and resources.

But funds and resources don't grow legs and run on their own; they need carriers. Who are these carriers? Simply put, the powerful and wealthy. These two groups have a mutually dependent relationship.

And what's the simplest and most effective way to build connections? By eating and drinking together.

If you can't handle hospitality, how can you get any work done?

But how can we host such a high-class and sophisticated event? We need to serve high-end, rare, and unique items that we have here and that we don't have anywhere else.

For example, seafood airlifted from the Baltic Sea.

For example, cherries that are flown directly from Europe by air are large cherries.

One is from abroad, the other is air-freighted; the combination of these two advantages—expensive and scarce—makes it undeniably high-class.

These things are more to the liking of the powerful and wealthy than bear paws or deer antlers, which are considered local specialties and, no matter how precious, they have plenty of ways to obtain; they are not as attractive as foreign goods.

Having risen through the ranks, Vice Mayor Sun is intimately familiar with the ins and outs of hospitality.

He quickly grasped the benefits of air-freighting seafood and cherries to Xiaozhou.

Yes, just for this food, people will look at Xiaozhou with more respect. The fact that you can get something that's not available elsewhere shows the capability of your local government.

This is very important. When businessmen make investments, in addition to looking at the hard power of a place, they also need to look at the soft power of the government.

A powerful and influential government can secure more preferential policies and resources for local businesses.

The so-called harmonious relationship between government and business is never just about the government playing the role of a good servant. If you lack ability and can't get things done, they will simply walk away without a word.

Even couples need to join forces to build a family, let alone when looking for a place to invest and start a business.

Vice Mayor Sun quickly made up his mind: they had to take this deal.

However, they need to carefully consider how to cultivate these relationships. This is not something that can be accomplished simply by talking; it involves far too many aspects.

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "As soon as they mentioned it to me, I thought of Xiaozhou. After all, the planes and flight routes are already in place. As long as the leaders give their approval, we can transport the goods over at any time."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Xiao went to visit the Chinese Embassy.

Her purpose in coming was very simple: she wanted to ask the embassy to see if they could arrange for the purchase of cherries in Romania.

The seafood incident gave Wang Xiao an idea; she really should make full use of their Wuzhou Company's aircraft.

Due to different industrial focuses, most of Wuzhou Company's aircraft are currently used for one-way cargo transport.

Thinking about it carefully, it is indeed a bit wasteful.

She chose large cherries because most of the cherries sold in the Chinese market are small cherries.

Yes, those small cherries that are about the size of a hazelnut.

Perhaps due to transportation limitations, she had never seen a large cherry, whether in Jiangdong, Jiangbei, or the capital.

Fortunately, thanks to the blessed black soil of Romania, the cherries are almost as big as crabapples, and they are really delicious.

That's what Wang Xiao thought.

She believes that everything should be reciprocal, and trade is no exception.

If you keep engaging in unilateral trade and make money off others, but they never make money off you, it will make anyone uncomfortable in the long run.

She imported cherries from Romania, right? That at least shows I bought something from you too. We're not greedy creatures that only take and never give; if your products are good, we'll want some too.

Of course, the most important reason is that she can take the opportunity to use up the Ley she has acquired.

However, there's no need to tell the embassy staff about this.

When Wang Xiao is with people, he is incredibly upright and righteous, always talking about sincere friendship.

"The Romanian people are going through a difficult transition period, and life is not easy for them. If possible, I would like to try importing their cherries to sell in China. If there is a market, it will at least be a source of income. Just like when we export agricultural products, it will make life easier for farmers with an additional source of income."

The counselor was stunned.

Earning foreign exchange through exporting agricultural products is not uncommon in China; in fact, it sounds very familiar.

In the mid-1980s, a renowned private trade expert named Sun Chao emerged in mainland China, who was nicknamed Sun Wukong (the Monkey King).

He traveled between various departments, units, and ports to help farmers in Anqing and even the surrounding areas, and eventually throughout the country, solve the problem of selling their grain, and successfully achieved the export of grains such as corn and soybeans.

However, Wang Xiao's situation was reversed; she wanted to help Romanian agricultural products enter China.

Wang Xiao continued, “Thanks to the efforts of our embassy and our government over the years, I have fully felt the affection that the Romanian people have for us Chinese. I feel that I should do something to repay the Romanian people for their support. But we don’t know how to go through the import and export process, so we can only ask the embassy for help.”

The counselor finally digested her words and, after some thought, cautiously replied, "After we find out more, we estimate that there will be more procedures involved in importing fresh food."

This was truly the first time he had ever encountered something like this.

China has indeed imported a lot of goods from Romania in the past, including trucks, cars, tractors, and the like.

Despite its small size, Romania once possessed formidable industrial strength. It was one of the few countries in the world capable of independently manufacturing giant tires for 110-ton dump trucks, and also one of the few capable of producing spherical bolts.

However, most of these factories are currently shut down.

After much consideration, it seems that exporting agricultural products is indeed the simplest option right now.

The counselor also offered his advice: "The grapes and plums are both good; they're grown by our embassy. Come over next month and you'll find they're really sweet."

Wang Xiao laughed: "Then I'll have to do a careful calculation to see if I can recover the cost of importing it."

Since the topic of grapes has come up, she should ask about the situation in Almaty.

Xinjiang grapes are indeed delicious, but the problem lies in the current limitations of transportation, so only raisins are basically delivered to the mainland.

If their planes could bring back local fruit directly after shipping it to Almaty, the cost would be much lower than transporting fruit separately, thus creating a profit margin.

By the way, what are the specialties of Budapest and Kyiv? She needs to see what she can find.

It's clear to the naked eye that it will only become increasingly difficult for them to open new routes in the future. It would be a huge loss if they didn't make full use of the existing routes.

Wang Xiao made up his mind, said goodbye to the counselor, and left.

For the Mi-24, to secure as many flight routes as possible, and for her foreign trade business, she had to fly to Lithuania.

They need to express their sincerity in cooperating.

Wang Xiao went to the free market to find Ruan Xiaomei, explained the work arrangements to her, and most importantly, told her subordinates that their boss was going on a business trip.

Ruan Xiaomei meticulously recorded the tasks, but most importantly, she needed to quickly arrange for the garment factory workers to be in place. The factory was scheduled to start operations in mid-June.

As for why mid-June, and not earlier or later? Because the middle school entrance exams would just be over then.

As parents of a ninth-grade student, Chen Yidong and Qian Xuemei, no matter how carefree they were, could not possibly abandon their daughter who was about to take the high school entrance exam and fly to Bucharest ahead of time.

They're already on a whirlwind trip; their daughter just finished her exams, and the next thing they know, they're at the airport, flying all the way to Romania.

Ruan Xiaomei couldn't help but sigh, "Boss Chen and Boss Qian are truly amazing when it comes to their daughter."

To pave the way for their daughter and make it easier for her to go to university, they even mustered up the courage to go overseas to work hard in their middle age.

How many parents in the world would do this?

Even among only children, there are quite a few parents who think that since they've raised a daughter, they don't need to work hard anymore.

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "For them, this is also an opportunity for development."

Ruan Xiaomei laughed along: "That's true, there are too many garment factories in China, and they all try to drive down prices more aggressively than the last. Coming out here actually offers more opportunities."

As she spoke, her eyes glanced out the office window, and she let out a soft "hmm."

She knew almost all the Chinese people in Bucharest, including those who had just arrived.

We had a get-together last night to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival; but I didn't see these people.

Wang Xiao looked over and instantly understood: "Japanese."

As soon as the words were spoken, the two subconsciously exchanged a glance, both quite curious.

Are these people from the Japanese embassy?

Perhaps because Romania's previous isolationist policies were too strict, unlike Hungary's World Expo model, there are really not many Japanese people to be seen on the streets of Bucharest these days.

Ruan Xiaomei took the initiative to go out and greet people.

Why would Japanese people come all the way to their container market? Are they trying to buy goods? That seems like going to great lengths to find something they can't get close to.

When she returned, Wang Xiao, who was checking the ledgers, noticed her subtle expression and couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's wrong? What are they here for? Do they want to start a wholesale market too?"

It's unlikely; that doesn't fit the characteristics of Japanese industry.

Ruan Xiaomei's face was full of unspeakable emotions: "They are the resident representatives of the Japanese company here."

Wang Xiao pressed on, asking, "What company is it? What does it produce?"

She needs to examine her own situation and see if she has a competitive advantage compared to others.

“Investing in the future.” Ruan Xiaomei’s expression became even stranger. “They are investing in the European market 20, 30 years, or even half a century from now.”

Wang Xiao was also taken aback for a moment before speaking: "That's great, they really are rich and powerful."

Ruan Xiaomei came to her senses and sighed, "Indeed, that's quite a generous gesture."

So many people, earning a few thousand US dollars a month, are only tasked with writing reports to the Japanese headquarters every week.

Where would a typical Chinese company get such confidence?

It's still twenty or thirty years, half a century away. By then, it'll be questionable whether the company will even still exist.

Everyone knows that conducting market research in advance and then making a plan is a more prudent approach.

The problem is that China has already fallen behind and simply doesn't have time to wait.

They are now only able to act quickly and do whatever they can, without worrying about anything else.

Wang Xiaoping felt a surge of irritation. He grabbed an advertising flyer, fanned himself with it, and asked, "Over at the newly built market, are the air conditioners installed yet?"

Ruan Xiaomei immediately shook her head: "People here don't need air conditioning."

Wang Xiao blurted out, "Isn't it hot?"

Oh, it doesn't seem too hot.

Romania has a temperate continental climate, with cold winters and mild summers, somewhat similar to northwestern China, but warmer and more humid.

According to what Ruan Xiaomei knows, they mainly rely on heating in winter, and don't even need electric fans in summer.

Wang Xiao asked doubtfully, "Isn't it hot?"

Ruan Xiaomei shook her head: "It's probably still hot, but it won't stay hot for very long."

Wang Xiao pondered, "Then we should prepare some electric fans. Maybe when it gets even hotter, someone will buy them."

Sigh, we still need air conditioning.

It's hard to say about other places, but if a garment factory doesn't have air conditioning, the workers would probably be sweating profusely sitting together in the middle of summer.

If all else fails, just airfreight the air conditioner over and install it.

She spoke a few more words to Ruan Xiaomei, checked the time, and hurried off to the tractor factory.

Romanian tractors were once renowned among COMECON countries, considered a top-brand export product.

At its peak in the 1980s, it could produce 70,000 tractors a year, and it still maintains an annual production of 10,000 tractors.

As for the quality? According to the feedback from farmers in Huaxia, it's alright.

Therefore, Ivanov made a large purchase of 500 agricultural tractors.

What was he doing? Because he acquired another 10,000 hectares of land.

Of course, it's already June, and the land has just been acquired; it needs to be prepared. By the time it's all prepared, there certainly won't be time to plant potatoes and wheat.

But it doesn't matter, we can grow vegetables, raise chickens and ducks, and still have a harvest before the weather gets too cold.

With an abundance of non-staple foods, people will need to eat much less grain.

After showing the tractors to his bodyguards, Wang Xiao even tried driving one himself.

Seriously, whether before or after transmigrating into the book, this was the first time she had ever driven a tractor, and it felt so exhilarating!

The factory salesperson accompanying them suddenly looked disappointed and muttered under his breath, "I really hope we never export a single tractor."

Nicola's Romanian was the best among them, and he instinctively asked, "Why?"

"Because Romanian farmland also needs to replace a large number of tractors."

The salesperson sighed and replied in English, "Unfortunately, no one has the money."

this--

Wang Xiao didn't know how to respond.

Fortunately, Romanians are very good at self-regulation; their emotions come and go quickly. He soon smiled and said, "It's okay, the difficult days will pass soon, and I believe everything will get better soon."

Everyone quickly chimed in, "That's right, that's right, it will be alright."

The two Chinese bodyguards genuinely believed this, because Romania's previous achievements in construction were evident to all.

They followed General Manager Wang around and felt that the development of small towns in Romania was much better than that in China at present.

But Sergei and Nikolai chuckled to themselves, not really optimistic.

The flag, which also changed to red at the end of 1989, has now weathered the economic crisis in Poland, and people's lives are improving day by day.

But Romania, on the other hand, continues to decline to this day.

It's hard to say when the good days will come.

However, as disliked "Soviets," they wisely refrained from contradicting each other.

After all, neither of them knew when the good times for their motherland would come.

What right do they have to criticize others?

Watching the tractors and other agricultural machinery being loaded onto the ship and depart from the port, Wang Xiao and his group could finally set off for Lithuania.

To save time, they flew directly from Bucharest to Moscow.

Ivanov was already waiting at the airport.

He was quite ceremonial in preparing a special gift for Wang Xiao—an ice cream scoop.

On the streets of Moscow, Italian brand ice cream scoops, with a single chocolate scoop costing several US dollars, are undeniably luxurious.

Despite Moscow's dire economic situation, long queues still formed in front of their doors.

As the saying goes, the worse the economic situation, the greater the market demand for luxury goods.

Wang Xiao accepted the gift with a smile and reciprocated by giving him large cherries, which she had picked in Bucharest.

"Try it, how does it taste?"

Ivanov would never say anything good about Romania, and instinctively rejected the idea, saying, "Russian cherries are better."

Wang Xiao just chuckled, munching on her ice cream scoop and ignoring him.

The car traveled from one airport to another, where they would board a military plane to fly to Lithuania.

Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia are collectively known as the Baltic states.

They were the first republics of the Soviet Union to gain independence.

How early? They were already independent after the August 19 Incident, before the Soviet Union collapsed.

This is important to note: this independence was not something they claimed themselves, but rather something that was recognized by the Soviet Union and the international community.

Last September, the 16th UN General Assembly admitted the three countries as new member states. China also established ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations with them that same month.

Lithuania was historically renowned, and at its peak, it was larger than the three northeastern provinces combined. However, its current area is smaller than that of Ningxia Province, and its population is even smaller, with only a little over three million.

Even so, they formed their own forces and demanded that the former Soviet Northwest Group be expelled.

Ivanov's friend was serving in the Northwest Group and was already a lieutenant colonel at a young age; he looked like a promising young man.

However, Ivanov complained to Wang Xiao in private that it was only because his father held a high position.

Back in Afghanistan, he didn't actually do anything; he was just accumulating seniority and only got promoted to this position by luck.

But now, his lieutenant colonel title is worthless.

What does it mean that all the troops scattered in Europe and former Soviet countries have returned to the Russian Federation?

This means a significant downsizing of the military.

You were originally a commander, but now there are too many commanders, so your new position is probably only equivalent to a brigade commander at best.

As for the lower-ranking officers, well, the situation is only going to be worse.

This is one of the reasons why everyone is eager to convert their weapons into cash.

Having the power but not using it is a waste of it.

When your status plummets, it will be too late for you to make money for yourself.

With that in mind, Lieutenant Colonel Vasily's enthusiasm for Ivanov was perfectly understandable.

He waited at the airport early and hugged his friend tightly. After that, he wanted to hug Wang Xiao as well.

Wang Xiao declined.

There's no special reason; it's just that the other person doesn't fit her aesthetic preferences. She's just that much of a looks-obsessed person.

Ivanov stopped him from the side: "Hehehe, look, this is an Eastern lady, they don't like hugging. Come on, come on, where's the Mi-24 you mentioned?"

However, Vasily was more interested in promoting his seafood and insisted on treating them to a meal first.

"Seriously, our salmon is absolutely the best."

Ivanov, at a loss, said, "Alright, alright, let's eat first. My dear friend, how's the situation here now?"

Vasily was full of confidence: "Everything is fine here. You absolutely don't need to worry about the salmon supply."

Unfortunately, he spoke too soon; his car was stopped shortly after it hit the street.

Wang Xiao was admiring the beautiful scenery of the capital's main street. Lithuania truly lived up to its reputation as the richest republic among the former Soviet republics; the streets were clean and tidy, and the buildings on both sides had a strong Western flavor.

Although there weren't many pedestrians on the street, everyone was dressed in their finest attire.

Honestly, if no one points it out, you could easily mistake it for a typical European country.

Suddenly, their car stopped.

What stopped them was not armed forces, but roadblocks made of irregularly shaped concrete blocks, which cut Vilnius’ central avenue in two.

Vasily immediately flew into a rage and complained to the driver, "Why did you take this road? Take another one."

The driver muttered, "It's all the same, there are concrete roadblocks everywhere, preventing cars from driving through."

Ivanov exchanged a glance with Wang Xiao and tried to smooth things over, saying, "It's alright, is it far? If it's not far, we can walk there."

Vasily had no choice but to awkwardly ask his friend to get out of the car and use the pedestrian crossing.

Thank goodness, the roadblocks were meant to stop cars, but the pedestrian walkway on the side was still usable.

Wang Xiao's gaze fell on the cement block, where slogans of varying lengths were painted, neither in English nor Russian.

Sergei translated to her in a low voice: "This is Lithuanian. The Russian army should get out of Lithuania."

While translating, he remained expressionless, making it impossible to discern his true feelings.

Wang Xiao felt awkward and cleared his throat, then casually pointed ahead: "What's this side?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt even more embarrassed, because the place she was pointing to was a square.

In front of a tall building on one side of the square, there is a row of cement slabs with a statue of the Virgin Mary, a cross nailed to it, and slogans posted on it.

This time, Wang Xiao didn't ask about the content of the slogan, because her gaze was drawn to the photos on the triangular wooden frame.

She was a young woman.

Sergei then explained softly from the side, "These are the victims of the February events. Last February, the people here took to the streets, and our troops' tanks also took to the streets."

Compared to the restraint shown by the troops during the August 19 Incident, what happened in February of that year was clearly much bloodier.

It is said that more than 700 people were killed or injured at the time.

“That’s a blessing for Iceland,” Sergei said, pointing to the letters painted on the cement slab. “Because Iceland was the first country in the world to recognize Lithuania’s independence.”

Vasily didn't say a word, and strode forward with a gloomy expression.

Ivanov, completely disregarding his feelings, retorted without hesitation: "So everything you're saying is fine?"

“What’s wrong with that?” Vasily shrugged nonchalantly. “What does that even mean?”

“That means you’ll be out of here soon,” Ivanov said bluntly. “They hate us so much.”

Perhaps because he changed his pronouns and acknowledged that he was one of them, Vasily swallowed back the roar that was on the tip of his tongue.

He said dismissively, "That's not something they can decide."

Ivanov left him no room for illusion: "Do you think we're still the Soviet Union? Besides, even when the Soviet Union existed, we were driven out of Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and all the countries of Eastern Europe. What's more, now?"

He looked saddened. "The Soviet Union is gone, and Lithuania is now an independent country."

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and a Lithuanian woman walking past them gave him a disdainful look: "At least you have some self-awareness."

Vasily flew into a rage: "Hey! What are you saying, lady?"

The young woman, dressed in a high-waisted short leather jacket and a pencil skirt, retorted sharply, "What, do you want to drive tanks on the street again? So what? We're not afraid."

She pointed to the photo on the cross, "At worst, we can be like her. We will never back down, we will never be afraid."

Ivanov quickly stopped Vasily: "Alright, alright, let's go."

A group of young soldiers in camouflage uniforms, carrying batons, approached from a distance and asked, "What's going on?"

His English accent was extremely heavy, and Wang Xiao suspected that his Russian was much more fluent than his English, but he insisted on repeating it in English again: "What happened?"

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "It's nothing, we're just about to leave."

The young woman was blunt: "You should have left long ago."

Ivanov dragged Vasily along forcefully: "Let's go, let's go."

Others quickly followed, crowding around to prevent a violent clash in the street.

They walked all the way to the military club before Ivanov dared to let go of his hand and had the courage to confront him again: "Is this what you call everything being good? Forget it, I doubt you'll be able to stay for more than a few days before you have to go back to Moscow."

Vasily scoffed: "The Baltic Sea has important strategic significance, and Moscow will not give it up easily."

Ivanov sneered: "The Russian Federation doesn't want to assume the obligations of the Soviet Union, yet it wants to enjoy the powers of the Soviet Union. What kind of dream is that in broad daylight?"

Vasily said impatiently, "They are irrelevant; the strategic base will be preserved."

Just then, the waiter came over with the menu, and he regained his relaxed expression, smiling as he recommended, "The Baltic salmon will definitely not disappoint you."

Ivanov and Wang Xiao exchanged a glance and ordered their food first.

After the waiter left, Wang Xiao spoke first: "But we find it hard to believe. Lithuania is indeed a small country, but Russia has no grounds to continue stationing troops here. As long as Lithuania insists, the troops must withdraw unconditionally."

Vasily blurted out, "They're dreaming."

Luckily, they were sitting in the restaurant of a military club; if it had been a regular Lithuanian restaurant, he probably would have been beaten up by now.

Vasily continued his tirade: "The state? It has no capacity to defend itself, none of them do."

Ivanov retorted irritably, "Then they could also choose Germany, which is very close to East Prussia."

This is also the tragedy of small countries, which are easily used as bargaining chips by large countries and sold off or taken back.

Wang Xiao thought to himself that it seemed like they needed to add more German-style products.

The Baltic states and the Czech Republic were more influenced by German trends.

But at this moment, she remained expressionless, playing the good cop: "However, we must assess the risk level of this project. It's very difficult for seafood to enter the Chinese market. I need to smooth things over with countless connections."

If I've gone through so much trouble and spent so much money to finally get this done, and then you all leave, who am I supposed to get the seafood from? And how am I supposed to explain this to my bosses?

I can't let money go to waste; I also have a responsibility to our entire team.

Vasily became anxious: "There is no risk, you don't need to worry, I can guarantee the supply of seafood."

Wang Xiao smiled, but his words were incredibly sarcastic: "Even the Russian Federation can't guarantee you'll be able to stay."

Ivanov sighed beside him, “My dear friend, the situation seems more serious than we thought. Like I said, rights and obligations are equal. Russia is not the Soviet Union. Think positively; perhaps you should be thinking more about what will happen after you go back.”

Vasily's face turned bright red, and he suddenly stood up.

Just then, the waiter brought the tray to the table, and he almost knocked it over.

Wang Xiao quickly reached out to help the waiter up and apologized on his behalf: "I'm so sorry."

The waiter complained, "Can't you appreciate the food? There are just too many people who can't get enough to eat these days."

With that, she slammed down her plate and walked away irritably.

Ivanov forcefully pressed Vasily down: "Sit down, sit down. We are discussing this matter properly. We must consider the risks involved."

Vasily, panting heavily, said with a grim expression, "Two, two Mi-24s."

Ivanov and Wang Xiao exchanged a glance and said to him, "My dear Vasily, we are thinking of you. If you go back to Moscow soon, then everything you've done here will have been meaningless."

“Three.” Vasily first held up three fingers, then reduced them to two. “Two Mi-24s and one Mi-29.”

Well, Ivanov felt he shouldn't try to persuade him any further, otherwise it would be like forcing his friend to keep raising the price.

He made a gesture that resembled pleading and surrendering, maintaining his carefully constructed persona: "My dear Vasily, we must consider this matter very carefully."

"The total price is three million US dollars."

“Alright, alright, you win,” Ivanov pleaded. “You’re challenging our friendship. I just wanted to tell you that you need to take more measures to protect your interests. For example, what if Moscow assigns you another task, like going to Moscow to become an official?”

His expression was sincere. "I originally thought you had a company here, a company that existed independently of the military. But it seems it's not what I expected."

Vasily retorted irritably, "Who said we don't have a company? We have a fishing company in Latvia that specializes in catching seafood."

Of the three Baltic states, Latvia has the richest seafood resources.

Ivanov finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled sincerely: "It's good that you have a plan."

Whether Vasily could continue doing seafood business in the Baltic Sea was of no importance to them.

The important thing is that this line has been opened. Even if Vasily has to leave later, it won't stop them from continuing to take on this business.

Before they came, they had already decided to register a company in the Baltic Sea to specialize in seafood export.

After all, Russia and Lithuania signed a troop withdrawal agreement in January of this year and even held a press conference. By March, 109 people had been withdrawn.

Even if Russia is unwilling, given the current trend, as long as Lithuania firmly says no, Russia will have no way to maintain a strategic base there.

It's important to understand that even during the Soviet era, the Europeanized Baltic states struggled to maintain harmonious relations with the other Slavic republics.

Local nationalism has never disappeared and has always been tenacious.

Most importantly, since the Soviet Union announced the accession of three countries in 1940, Western countries have never recognized the legitimacy of this event.

Now that we are independent, do you really think the Russian army can still station troops here? That's wishful thinking.

Even the Soviet Union at the time acknowledged that the Baltic states' demand for the withdrawal of Soviet troops was a legitimate request.

There is no doubt that Ivanov's previous feigned ignorance and sudden attack were aimed at getting more from Vasily.

After analyzing the situation with Wang Xiao, they both agreed that the Russian army could not hold out for long and would soon have to withdraw from the Baltic region.

By then, there probably won't be much good stuff left.

As for whether Ivanov would feel guilty about putting on an act in front of his friends.

Of course not. When making money, his capitalist nature will naturally prevail over his Marxist tendencies.

For the sake of profit, it's just a simple act, far from reaching the level of committing heinous crimes.

Ivanov and Wang Xiao each tasted a large piece of typical Russian-style butter-fried salmon and felt that the meat was indeed quite good.

They nodded and made their request directly: "Where's the plane? We need to see the plane."

Unfortunately, Vasily only showed them the Mi-24; the Mi-29 helicopter, which Wang Xiao was more looking forward to, was nowhere to be seen.

“In Moldova,” Vasily stated bluntly, “We can only see the Mi-29 if we get to Moldova.”

Ivanov was taken aback: "Mikhail has a Mi-29? Hey, that guy is so ungrateful, he didn't even tell me."

Vasily replied meaningfully, "If it's not in his hands, you'll have to go find Alexander."

Ivanov was a little confused: "How could Alexander have a Mi-29?"

Vasily shrugged, looking relaxed and at ease: "God bless him."

He is still serving in the military and cannot leave his post at will.

Ivanov had to go alone.

He wasn't afraid that Vasily was lying to him, because Vasily still needed them to import salmon.

Moreover, he had just as many friends in Moldova as Vasily.

Wang Xiao set off with him, and after finishing their business in Moldova, they could return directly to Romania.

The production line for Longhua color TVs is coming over. After installation and debugging are completed, it can be put into production.

By then, the commercials filmed for Tang Jianguo will also be able to be broadcast on television.

Ahem, we didn't play it immediately after filming because we were afraid the color TV supply would run out.

Currently, those buying Longhua color TVs at the container market include not only Romanians, but also merchants from neighboring Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.

Why is it so popular? Ultimately, it's because it's cheap; it's much cheaper than color TVs in Western Europe.

This prevented Wang Xiao and his team from selling the TVs on a large scale, because the TVs were heavy and had to be shipped to Romania by sea.

It will take at least a month to get there.

They can only sell cautiously for the time being.

On the afternoon of their arrival in Moldova, Wang Xiao and Ivanov spotted the Mi-29.

The helicopter is relatively new, and according to Alexander, it will receive $1.2 million out of the $3 million package price.

That's alright.

After finalizing the deal with both sides, Wang Xiao also purchased a batch of scrapped armored vehicles and tanks to be transported back to China as scrap metal.

Practice makes perfect, and now she truly feels no psychological pressure about such things.

Because she truly discovered that the former Soviet troops didn't take this kind of thing seriously.

For local residents, spending a small amount of money to drive a real tank home is no longer a fantasy, but a common occurrence.

It's not that these military units don't want to get a good price or insist on a close relationship between the military and the people.

The conditions simply don't allow it.

The arms trade looks very profitable, which is especially attractive.

However, in practice, there are various difficulties.

Buyers don't find it easy to find sellers, and sellers don't know how to attract buyers.

They can't very well advertise on TV and in newspapers in a big way.

This is not a normal arms deal.

Therefore, as long as someone comes to them, they sell almost everything they can.

The entire transaction process was essentially no different from the free market in Suifenhe.

Both are, Comrades owe each other (exchange).

Compared to these people, Wang Xiao, who only buys old tanks and armored vehicles, is a true law-abiding citizen.

So late at night, she was in bed at the InterContinental Hotel in Moldova when she was woken up by knocking on the door and then asked to cooperate with an investigation by someone claiming to be from the Ministry of the Interior.

Her head just exploded.

What did she do? Why is the Ministry of Internal Affairs police coming to her door?

————————

Regarding the Pacific Fleet in the early 1990s, the relevant information is the record of the first friendly visit to Vladivostok, Russia, by a Chinese naval fleet led by Vice Admiral Wang Jiying, Deputy Commander of the Jinan Military Region and Commander of the North Sea Fleet, in mid-May 1994.

Before the trip, the reporter read an article titled "A Sorrow for a Great Power" published in the November 1993 issue of the Russian journal *Naval Journal* by Russian military journalist Kurshov. The journalist, who had visited Qingdao, China and Busan, South Korea with a Pacific Fleet fleet in August and September 1993, wrote an article about his impressions of the current state of the Russian Navy. The article revealed that Russian ships were unable to go to sea due to fuel shortages; ship repairs were difficult, and sending ships to the factory was practically a death sentence; and when ships were to visit China and South Korea, the fuel supplied was adulterated with water, causing the destroyer "Swift" to suffer a main engine failure and lose power at sea. This article offered a glimpse into the current state of the Russian military.

As if to add a footnote to this article, when my fleet was about to enter Vladivostok with the Russian ships welcoming us, the Russian ship leading the way suddenly broke down and stopped on the side of the road. After emergency repairs, it caught up with us.

On May 14th, while the Chinese naval fleet was en route to Vladivostok, a massive explosion occurred at an ammunition depot of the Russian Pacific Fleet, approximately 100 kilometers from the city. Local news reports indicated that 1,600 tons of missiles, bombs, and artillery shells in storage detonated continuously for several hours, with shrapnel flying two to three kilometers away. The explosion also caused a large fire. Then, on May 17th, the same day the Chinese fleet arrived in Vladivostok, Admiral Gurinov, commander of the Pacific Fleet who had served for a year, was dismissed. Everything seemed sudden, but it was not accidental. In recent years, political instability and economic downturn in Russia have presented the military with numerous difficulties, impacting training and management to varying degrees.

In addition, it was very common for CIS countries to lose weapons at that time.

After 1991, many republics stopped funding their local troops. To maintain the troops' basic living conditions, some commanders were forced to sell off military supplies they could control. Local residents could buy so-called "scrapped" armored vehicles for a small fee. With the complete withdrawal of troops from Eastern Europe and the CIS countries and the massive reduction of the armed forces, military depots and storage bases in Russia reached overcapacity and were simply unable to accommodate millions of weapons and equipment.

Many of the withdrawn weapons and equipment had to be stored in the open in temporary warehouses very close to residential areas, which provided an opportunity for criminals.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the situation in Russia became increasingly tense, and the loss of weapons and equipment became more and more serious. Between January and August 1992, criminals committed 621 thefts of weapons and equipment. In the first half of 1992 alone, the Russian army lost 14,000 rifles, and more than 2,300 rifles were stolen from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

About the Baltic states.

Before being ruled by Tsarist Russia, the Baltic states were ruled by Sweden and Poland. In the 18th century, Tsarist Russia defeated Sweden and Poland, bringing the Baltic states into its territory.

During the reign of Tsar Alexander II (1855-1881), Russia underwent comprehensive reforms, ushering in a new era. The Baltic states experienced significant economic growth during this period, becoming the most industrialized and urbanized region in the Russian Empire.

During the later stages of World War I, the October Revolution broke out in Russia. In an effort to give the Red regime a respite, Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany, ceding large swathes of western territory, including the Baltic states. This marked the first time in modern history that the Baltic states had been used as bargaining chips by a powerful nation.

Germany designated the occupied Baltic territories as the "Opolostigma," which was administered by Field Marshal Hindenburg. Germany's strategic objective was to establish a cluster of small states in western Russia as a buffer against Russian expansion into Europe. To sustain the war effort, Germany levied large quantities of industrial and agricultural goods from the Baltic states.

But Germany was soon defeated, and Soviet Russia declared the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk null and void, sending the Red Army into the Baltic states and establishing Soviet power. With the help of the Germans and the Allied Powers, the Baltic armies defeated the Red Army, forcing the Soviet government, which was embroiled in civil war, to recognize the independence of the three Baltic states in 1920.

The Baltic states, geographically situated between Germany and Russia, could not have achieved complete independence on their own. It was only after the collapse of Germany and Russia following World War I that they seized the opportunity to gain independence.

After Soviet Russia recognized the independence of the three Baltic states, the three countries enjoyed a rare 20 years of freedom.

During this period, the Baltic states experienced significant political, economic, and cultural development, and patriotism and nationalism took root in their hearts, shaping their national psyche. Even after fifty years of Soviet rule, this shared historical memory could not be erased and remained deep within their national consciousness.

To avoid being drawn back into the conflicts between powerful nations, and amidst the increasingly tense situation in Europe, the three Baltic states hastily signed an alliance treaty. At the same time, they also pinned their hopes on Britain, attempting to obtain its protection, but this was rejected. The British Foreign Office believed that the Baltic states were too weak and would eventually be annexed by the Soviet Union again.

Great powers only talk about interests; it is wishful thinking for small countries to expect great powers to stand up for them.

With the arrival of the Soviet army, the three Baltic states quickly established Soviet power and joined the Soviet Union. The Soviet government officially declared that the people of the three Baltic states had "voluntarily" agreed to join the Soviet Union.

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