Chapter 192 I was wrong: We Russians don't like to laugh

“No!” Ivanov exclaimed anxiously. “A will won’t solve anything. You don’t understand them. You need to know that my family has been powerful and wealthy from the Soviet era until now. Do you understand? Greed, Tsarist-like greed, is the reason our family has survived through two eras. Honest Bolsheviks can’t even support themselves. They won’t listen to a will; they’ll take you to court. In Russia, you can’t beat them even if you hire the best lawyer. Because they themselves are the judges.”

Wang Xiao was utterly speechless: "If they don't recognize the will and insist on arguing with me, what use is a marriage certificate?"

“No, no, no, you don’t understand,” Ivanov emphasized seriously. “In our family, marriage is a very serious matter. You are my wife, which means you are a member of the family, one of our own. It is not allowed to harm one’s own family.”

If the atmosphere hadn't been so tense, Wang Xiao could have just chuckled and said, "Then you can just write your will and say that I'm your soulmate. But because of a conflict of faith, members of the Chinese Communist Party are not allowed to practice religion, so we didn't get married."

Ivanov was dumbfounded: "You can do that?"

“If we don’t do it this way, they’ll still question the legality of our marriage later.” Wang Xiao urged enthusiastically, “Alright, let’s do it this way. Now you can write a will, now can we get a marriage certificate?”

Ivanov felt something was off, but he still took out his notebook and started writing his will.

I have to write this; not only is the earth trembling, but the waves are also crashing violently against the shore, making a terrifying howling sound.

Because it was pitch black and they couldn't tell which way to go or what the road conditions were, they didn't even know which way to escape the impending tsunami.

All they could do was try to comfort themselves, thinking that everything should be alright, after all, they had built a breakwater several hundred meters long. They had watched the sunset from the breakwater that evening.

As Ivanov wrote, he urged Wang Xiao, "Wang, will you write it the same way?"

“I don’t need it.” Wang Xiao wrote furiously in the dim light of the flashlight. “I don’t have a family. But you can’t handle the businesses in China by yourself. I plan to let Feng Zhonglin, Tang Yicheng, and Xiang Dong take over. You will have half of the shares I leave behind, and you will still have a veto right.”

She had considered handing it over to the country.

However, it's not that she's prejudiced, but rather that no matter what industry it is, unless it's a monopoly, once it's in the hands of the government, it can bankrupt you.

If you don't believe me, just look at how many state-owned enterprises claimed to be bankrupt during the mass layoffs of 1998. The amazing thing is that once the factory directors and other leaders bought them back, hey! The enterprises immediately came back to life.

Wang Xiao has a limited vision and has no intention of contributing to the ranks of these tycoons who were among the first to appear on the China Wealth List.

The bodyguards watched as the two bosses scribbled their wills, finding it both absurd and incredibly realistic.

They are exceptionally skilled, but in the face of natural disasters, humanity is ridiculously small and weak.

A fierce wind raged, whipping up waves that crashed violently against the shore, the air thick with the salty smell of the sea. Under the night sky, the monsters resembled lurking behemoths, the kind from the Japanese anime "Ultraman," capable of destroying entire cities.

Unfortunately, they were all made of flesh and blood, and none of them could transform into Ultraman to save the city.

Wang Xiao also instructed Ivanov: "As for my parents, they have salaries, so don't worry about them for now. Just give them some money as a subsidy during holidays. If the steel plant goes under later, you can give them money at the average wage level in Jinning. If they get sick and are hospitalized without reimbursement, remember to help them settle their medical expenses."

It's not that she's cold-hearted, but rather that less than one in ten people in this world can handle a windfall.

The vast majority of villages that are demolished end up in a miserable state, with many becoming gamblers, addicted to drugs, or losing their families.

Wang Tiejun and Chen Yanqiu have lived a peaceful and honest life. I hope that in their old age, their daughter will be gone, and that because they have a large sum of money, they will be targeted by evil spirits who will set a trap for them and ruin them.

Besides, the elderly couple already have a two-bedroom apartment allocated by the steel mill, so they can save a major expense like buying a new house.

The remaining major expense is daily food. Thanks to the effective "vegetable basket project" in China, if it weren't for the fact that Chinese people love to eat, China's Engel coefficient could actually be quite low.

When it comes to buying clothes, the older generation's mindset is that as long as they have enough clothes, that's enough. It's normal for them not to add a big coat for three to five years.

Fortunately, the elderly couple had bought a lot of clothes and shoes in the past two years, enough for them to wear for several years.

Ivanov, listening to her incessant admonitions, suddenly broke down: "Your Majesty, I don't want to die at all."

He had never felt such fear, not even when under the guns of the KGB.

Because he knew that wherever human effort was involved, there was always room for negotiation.

But fate is unpredictable; God won't let him off the hook just because he gave him a lot of money.

Wang Xiao was speechless: "Who wants to die? It's just that I'm worried about what might happen. See, I'm telling you this because I hope you'll live well. Ah—"

Oh my god! Why did the ground shake again?

Ivanov hugged her tightly, murmuring, "I regret it, Your Majesty, I really regret it. We should have gotten married sooner. Why did I have to worry so much? People can choke to death while eating. Should we just stop eating because of that? I can't accept dying like this!"

He spoke quickly and urgently, and subconsciously searched for Wang Xiao's lips.

At first, Wang Xiao didn't realize what he was trying to do. But when she did, she felt a chill on her lips—well, the wind chilled everyone to the bone. She immediately flew into a rage and unleashed three slaps at the pervert: "Shut up, or I'll kill you first!"

In a daze, Ivanov let out a scream, howling, "Your Majesty!"

I felt extremely wronged.

"Shut up!"

Wang Xiao felt like she was freezing to death; she had never missed the warmth of summer as much as she did now.

She doesn't want to go to any more summer retreats; it's too cold!

Every movement of air felt like it was taking her life away.

Even though Lyuba clung to her tightly, trying to keep warm together, it was no use.

Even though everyone was freezing, they didn't dare run back to the hotel, fearing the building would collapse and they would be crushed to death.

Ivanov, shivering from the cold, was held between two bodyguards and continued to complain: "Your Majesty, aren't you disappointed? Aren't you afraid?"

Wang Xiao paused for a moment. She didn't seem to be that scared after all. Her biggest resentment stemmed from regret.

She even had a wild idea: she had transmigrated into the book, and she had rewritten the plot. Did that mean she was living as another book?

As a result, because she rewrote the plot, she ruined a perfectly good bestseller, causing the book to perform poorly and receive a bad response. The author got annoyed and simply cut the outline.

The simplest way to cut the outline is to kill off the main character.

It just so happens that Japan is a country prone to earthquakes. He died on his way back to Sakhalin Island after doing business in Japan, which is like the late emperor passing away before his great undertaking was half completed. This is the normal course of events.

Honestly, as a businesswoman who prioritizes profit, Wang Xiao would wholeheartedly support the author's decision if she didn't live in this book.

But she doesn't want to die now, even if it means dying and going back in time.

She was even willing to give the author money so that the unfortunate guy could keep going.

Anyway, she has money.

She earns more now than she did in her previous life, and her business is much bigger. She's shallow, vain, and loves fame and fortune, especially the latter.

So let's just calm down, play it safe, and live our lives peacefully.

A voice called out from afar, "Mr. Wang, where are you?"

Because of the fierce howling wind, the sound was intermittent, making one wonder if it was a hallucination.

Xiao Gao and his friends shone their flashlights around until they finally spotted a figure.

"Um, Xiao Hei, right?"

A figure stumbled and ran over.

It wasn't one person, it was two people, and they were carrying a stove.

Xiao Hei's hair was blown into a mess, and he stammered, "I...I've finally found you."

Wang Xiao had originally intended to invite him to stay at a hotel tonight, but he said he still needed to help out at his fellow villager's barbecue stall and would be sleeping at his villager's place, so he didn't come over.

Summer is the peak tourist season in the area, and tourists from other places often go stargazing on the beach.

So when the earth began to tremble, Xiao Hei and his fellow villagers did not pack up their stalls.

At first, the two of them stayed put.

As the waves grew larger, they realized they were in trouble and quickly ran back.

Later, with the wind so strong and the temperature dropping sharply, Xiao Hei realized that Wang Xiao and the others must have also run out of the hotel.

"I reckon you won't have time to put on warm clothes."

In fact, there weren't many warm clothes available. Who would wear a padded jacket when going out in July?

"Come, come, warm yourselves by the fire. If we can't find you soon, we'll freeze to death."

The group quickly huddled together, clinging to the meager warmth from the stove to stay alive.

Ivanov let out a satisfied sigh, sincerely thanked Shohei and his fellow villagers, and solemnly promised: "As long as we get out of here alive this time, I will arrange jobs for you."

As a result, Xiao Hei and his fellow villagers didn't react much, only saying "You're welcome."

Wang Xiao couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You're wrong, they just want to be bosses."

She turned to Xiao Hei and assured him, "If you open a restaurant in Tokyo, my employees will order boxed lunches from your restaurant. Hey, make sure it's clean and hygienic."

Xiao Hei's eyes lit up, and he repeatedly assured her, "Definitely. Don't worry! The Heavenly Empress will protect us."

Ivanov was puzzled: "Isn't your goddess the sea goddess? There's an earthquake right now!"

Xiao Hei didn't seem to care: "They're all by the sea, right? The Empress Dowager will take care of them anyway. I asked the Empress Dowager before I came, and she gave me permission to come to Japan."

Ivanov then made the sign of the cross again, sincerely praying: "May your God and our God bless us."

The translator was about to curse. If this dark-skinned guy hadn't suddenly appeared and said to stay in the local area, they would have already gone to Okushiri Island, instead of living in such fear.

But he dared not curse, for fear that the employer would not pay the final payment, so he could only silently endure it.

Some passengers tried to get closer to warm up, but the bodyguards were all tall and burly, and clearly not to be trifled with, so after being glared at, they quietly backed away.

The wind finally subsided a bit in the latter half of the night.

The hotel owner somehow managed to procure tree branches and charcoal, and started a campfire.

A group of people huddled around the fire, finally able to survive.

Even around 3 a.m., Wang Xiao was still half asleep when he finally drifted off.

I couldn't help it, I was so sleepy, and sitting by the fire was so comfortable, who wouldn't doze off?

When the sun peeked over the sea at dawn, the long night was finally over.

Wang Xiao opened his eyes and saw the rising sun, and involuntarily sneezed.

Ivanov exclaimed, "Your Majesty, you must have caught a chill. Quick, get the garlic water ready in the kitchen!"

This was a folk remedy he learned in the steel factory's residential area. When he had a cold, headache, fever, or sneezing, a bowl of strong garlic water would wash him down, and hey, he felt so much better!

Wang Xiao waved his hand: "No, this is 'sneezing towards the sun,' a Taoist health-preserving exercise."

Although Ivanov didn't understand what was going on, he immediately became respectful upon hearing the word "Taoism".

The main reason is that he watched a lot of Hong Kong movie videotapes.

A commotion arose at the hotel entrance as a chef wearing a white hat pushed out large buckets to distribute milk and bread to everyone.

Everyone who received it received a message: "I'm sorry to have troubled you, thank you for your hard work."

Although no one understood why it was the hot spring hotel that apologized, they didn't refuse.

The only regret was that the bread was cold and the milk was cold; Wang Xiao really wanted a bowl of steaming hot rice porridge.

She ate her bread with milk without any appetite.

The surroundings were a mess. Although the tremors last night did not cause a landslide or tsunami, the strong winds broke tree branches and left the whole town in a mess, with garbage everywhere.

The sirens wailed incessantly as everyone wolfed down their breakfast while trying to find out what was going on.

Finally, a loudspeaker blared out a string of gibberish Japanese.

Ivanov urged the translator, "What are you saying?"

The translator's face showed an expression that was both crying and laughing, and his lips trembled as he couldn't speak.

Ivanov was extremely anxious, but Xiao Hei's fellow countryman, who had been in Japan for a longer time and could understand some Japanese, managed to find out: "It's said that there was an earthquake on the seabed, followed by a tsunami, which washed away a place called Okushiri Island at night."

Wang Xiao felt that the name sounded somewhat familiar.

The translator was kneeling on the ground, with both hands raised, shouting something.

Xiao Hei ordered another free glass of milk and asked curiously, "Hey, were you guys going to that Okushiri Island hot spring yesterday?"

Wang Xiao then remembered: "Yes, yes, that seems to be it."

At first, everyone was guessing and not sure, but now, judging from the translator's reaction, it's definitely true.

Ivanov made a decision on the spot: "Sho, my dear friend, whatever business you want to do, I will invest in you. No, no, no, $100,000, I'll give you $100,000, you can do whatever business you want. Oh, my dear friend, I'm equally grateful to you. Do you want to set up a shop here and do business permanently? Is $50,000 enough? You can rent a shop."

Good heavens! If it weren't for the fact that giving them too much money could easily get them into trouble, he wouldn't mind adding another zero to the end of the number.

"King, King, King, you are my queen, my goddess!"

Because it was Wang who saved Xiao Hei on Sakhalin Island, this good relationship came about.

Wang Xiao felt like her mind was completely blank.

Oh my god! She really had a close call with death.

Tsunami, well, she'd only seen documentaries about the Indonesian tsunami.

Her only feeling was that in the face of natural disasters, humans are as fragile and insignificant as a piece of rotten paper. No matter how hard you struggle, it's all in vain.

Ivanov grabbed Wang Xiao and started spinning her around, saying, "Wang, Wang, Wang, you are my angel, my salvation, you are my life!"

Wang Xiao was so dizzy from being shaken that she kicked him and said, "Shut up! Destroy your will and change all the passwords right now."

"No!" Ivanov put her down, but didn't let go, and said solemnly, "This is my will. I want it notarized and put in a safe."

"Wang Xiao! Wang Xiao! Where are you?"

She had just turned her head when she was hugged tightly, her nostrils filled with the salty smell of sweat.

Wu Haoyu pressed his face against hers, hugging her tightly, and murmured repeatedly, "I was wrong, it's all my fault, as long as you're still here, that's enough."

Japan is prone to earthquakes. He couldn't sleep in the middle of the night, so he got up to watch TV to pass the time, and that's when he learned about the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that had struck Hokkaido.

He didn't take it seriously at the time because he felt it had little to do with him.

However, when he went to the restroom, he overheard his colleagues talking and learned that Wang Xiao had not left Japan on July 12 because the ferry was not running that day.

How did their colleague find out? The embassy found the translator for them!

Wu Haoyu's mind went blank for a second, and he cried out, "They didn't leave?"

My colleagues were extremely worried.

Both Mr. Wang and Mr. Ivanov are carrying huge projects on their shoulders.

If anything were to happen to them, how could the LCD panel business continue? Who could afford to spend that much money? The whole thing would fall through.

As for Wu Haoyu's strong reaction, his colleagues at the embassy thought it was normal.

This project was the first major project personally overseen by his mother, Secretary Fang, after she took charge of Jiangdong Province.

It's no exaggeration to say that if this project succeeds, it will be able to influence the economic trajectory of the entire region.

If it fails, that would be a disaster.

Because the current star economic project in Jiangdong—the International Trade City—is also owned by Mr. Wang and a Russian.

Don't assume just anyone can be a boss.

The development of various domestic enterprises proves one thing: a ship needs a helmsman to sail the seas, and the economy of capable people is of paramount importance.

The same company can be turned upside down completely if you change the leader.

Wu Haoyu didn't have time to think about all that, nor did he care to consider these things. He made a decision on the spot: "I'm going there. I'm going to find them."

His colleagues quickly stopped him: "Calm down. The situation in Hokkaido is still unclear. You can't go there right now."

Wu Haoyu insisted, "I'll drive there."

The leader came over and pinned him down.

Are you kidding me? Setting off in the middle of the night, when you can't even see the road. Driving from Tokyo to Hokkaido would take forever.

So he could only wait until the earliest flight on the 13th to catch up.

Chen Bin was numb.

He was sent by the embassy to Hokkaido with Wu Haoyu.

Even if he was deaf and couldn't hear what his colleague was saying, just by seeing Wu Haoyu hugging the female boss, he could tell that the relationship was a bit complicated.

Even if you're glad the boss you invested in is still alive, you should at least hug him.

What shocking gossip has he stumbled upon?

No wonder Wu Haoyu was so anxious last night.

Tsk, I didn't realize, you're such a good actor.

Before, in Tokyo, they acted as if they didn't know each other at all.

The neglected boss, Ivanov, regretted his actions once again.

God, why didn't he listen to the king? They should have just flown back to Sakhalin yesterday when they found out the ferry was out of service.

Although it's a bit troublesome and requires a transfer, it's better than this whole mess.

Wang Xiao was truly moved, she vowed.

A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. Regardless of the other party's motives, their concern and worry are genuine. They traveled all the way from Tokyo, sweating profusely in the cold weather, which is also true.

She patted Wu Haoyu on the back to reassure him, "It's okay, I'm fine."

Wu Haoyu refused to let go, his voice low and trembling: "I don't want to be separated from you."

Ivanov, standing next to him, rolled his eyes and turned to the translator impatiently, asking, "When exactly does the ferry depart?"

Ha! They almost lost their lives in Japan because of this ferry trip. They absolutely have to make the most of it!

The translator ran out to ask and returned nervously to tell the boss, "I'm sorry, but because it was an undersea earthquake that triggered a tsunami, and there are still aftershocks and rough seas, today's ferry service has been cancelled for safety reasons."

The radio broadcast stated that the Japan Meteorological Agency believes that the possibility of an aftershock of M7.0 occurring in an area 200 kilometers north-south and 100 kilometers east-west, centered about 70 kilometers west of the epicenter in the coastal waters of Sutsu, Hokkaido, cannot be ruled out.

Ivanov's expression changed instantly, and he anxiously urged Wang Xiao, "Wang, we have to leave quickly. We're too close to Sakhalin Island; I'm afraid something might happen there too."

Wang Xiao suddenly snapped back to reality: "An oil and gas field!"

Good heavens! She'd like to pray to every god she could think of, as long as they could save their oil and gas fields.

Wang Xiao pushed Wu Haoyu away: "Sorry, I have to go back to Sakhalin Island. This project cannot afford any losses."

Before Wu Haoyu could even react, she saw Wang Xiao rushing away, and she had to quickly pack her luggage.

He followed the people to the airport and subconsciously said, "I want to resign."

What he originally wanted to say was, "I'll go back with you."

But as the words were about to come out, he realized that he couldn't leave because he wasn't a free man.

Wang Xiao's mind was completely focused on the oil and gas field project, a massive undertaking worth tens of billions of US dollars. It would be strange if she wasn't panicking.

But these days, resigning is a big deal, and she couldn't just stand by and do nothing. At the very least, she had to ask, "So what do you plan to do next?"

"Doing business offers flexible hours."

Wang Xiao almost burst out laughing.

Flexible hours for doing business? What nonsense!

Doing business is the least free thing.

Small businesses operate 365 days a year, without a break.

Big business operates 24 hours a day, with not a single minute completely belonging to oneself.

Ivanov switched to his sarcastic mode, forcing a smile: "That's a great idea, my dear Wu. Trust me, with your family involved, you'll definitely have a lot of business to do."

Wu Haoyu was fed up with this smiling, treacherous foreigner and retorted directly, "I run my own business."

Ivanov's smile grew even more sinister: "Oh, oh, oh, that's fantastic, Wu. I can't do that; without family support, I can't run a business."

Stop showing off, you're all sons of officials, living off your family's wealth. You just spout nonsense; I'm all self-made. I don't think I have that kind of thick skin.

Under his ambiguous smile, Wu Haoyu's face grew increasingly red, whether from anger or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

Wang Xiao quickly stopped him: "Alright, it's unrealistic to seek freedom in business. I'm not free for a single day. People without fixed holidays are the least free. You should carefully consider your future career plan. Your current job still has great prospects."

Ivanov waved to Wu Haoyu: "Excuse me, we have to go now."

Despite his nonchalant smile, he was actually quite anxious inside.

They've been following the Sakhalin Island oil and gas field project all the way to today, and it's finally started. If it gets affected by an undersea earthquake, they'll suffer huge losses.

Because the ferry service was suspended, they had to take the earliest flight back to Tokyo, then transfer in Vladivostok before finally flying to Sakhalin Island.

Yes, it's that troublesome. Even though there are airports here and Sakhalin Island, and international ferries, there are no direct flights, I don't know if it's because the cost is too high.

While waiting for his flight, Ivanov had already called the staff left behind on Sakhalin Island and Douglas, who was in charge of the oil and gas field development. However, how could the boss feel at ease without seeing it for himself?

When the plane departed from Narita Airport, there was one more person in the group—Wu Haoyu.

He reported to the embassy that he would accompany important investors to Sakhalin Island to investigate whether the development of oil and gas fields on the island had been affected, and then further assess whether the LCD panel project could continue.

In addition, people from China Petroleum Corporation have also arrived on Sakhalin Island. The plan is to build an oil and gas pipeline from Sakhalin Island to Northeast China.

Because Sakhalin Island is very close to Japan, there might be some coordination issues that involve Japan, and he wanted to take this opportunity to learn more about the situation.

The reason given was quite impressive, but why the leader actually approved his itinerary is another matter entirely.

Anyway, he managed to buy a plane ticket and insisted on boarding the plane with them.

Ivanov curled his lip, "Look how capable he is."

Would I let him have it so easily? Absolutely not!

So what if they're on the same flight? First class and economy are worlds apart. He just couldn't believe that Wu Haoyu, on a business trip paid for by the company, would dare to switch to first class.

If he dares to do that, he won't be able to get reimbursed!

Wang Xiao rolled her eyes and upgraded Wu Haoyu to first class herself. She flew frequently and could get upgrades for free.

After all, she barely slept a wink all night on the 13th because of her. She couldn't be so heartless.

Ivanov wanted to protest, but he hadn't slept all night either, and was so tired he was practically dying.

The flight attendant brought him a small blanket and draped it over him, and he slept soundly all the way to Vladivostok, where he then transferred to a flight to Sakhalin Island.

Wang Xiao was also fast asleep, too tired to sleep; last night had been incredibly agonizing.

When Douglas went to pick them up at the airport, the two were still half asleep.

Hearing the American's repeated assurances, "It's fine, apart from the slightly rough seas, there's no problem at all."

Ivanov remained expressionless; well, he didn't show any positive or negative emotions, typical of Russians who don't like to smile.

"Let's go take a look."