Chapter 216 This is truly a sad story (bug fix): Her oil...

Who is causing trouble?

That construction foreman, originally from China, finally got Japanese citizenship, and instantly felt superior, calling that guy "that pig" all the time.

The police took him and the construction crew to the police station because he was fined 2 million yen for illegally hiring undocumented workers.

This was already the result his lawyer had fought for, since according to Japanese law, he could still face up to three years in prison.

Even though he escaped imprisonment, he was severely weakened after this incident.

The financial losses caused by the fine were just the beginning. What was more serious was that his small company was blacklisted from then on, making it extremely difficult to hire foreign workers.

His company is able to operate and make money because of the low wages of undocumented workers.

To put it simply, one trip to the police station severed his financial lifeline, sending him plummeting to rock bottom.

How could he not hate?

What can he do if he hates it?

We must get back to them.

But Wang Xiao, who had slapped him three times, loosening his teeth, had already left Japan. He couldn't find anyone to retaliate against.

The construction team that hired him, Ito Sachiko, was a genuine Japanese. Well, in the eyes of pro-Japanese individuals, he was like a dog, and he certainly couldn't bare his teeth at his master, so he wasn't someone he could retaliate against.

He was so frustrated that he finally decided to take revenge on the Yi No Yu clothing store.

In his view, this was not just retribution, but also acting on behalf of Heaven.

A bunch of damned pigs, daring to pretend to be noble Japanese; they are clearly cheap and inferior goods, yet they dare to pretend to be excellent Japanese products to make money off the Japanese people. They are simply unforgivable.

These weren't just things Wang Xiao imagined; they were his heartfelt confession at the police station.

After hearing his outrageous remarks, Saori Yamada believed that the Japanese government should raise the standards for naturalization applicants.

After all, as a Japanese person, she didn't want someone of her own nationality to be so mentally challenged. She had genuinely never seen such a strange person before.

Wang Xiao, being the boss, was well-informed and had encountered all sorts of "spirits" before his transmigration, such as pro-Japanese, pro-American, pro-Australian, and so on. He fully witnessed the diversity of the human species and also realized that there was no necessary connection between academic qualifications and cognitive ability.

Therefore, she was not surprised by the behavior of this pro-Japan guy.

But her lack of surprise doesn't mean she'll be lenient and let the other party off the hook.

Are you kidding me? Is Ms. Wang the kind of person who's magnanimous? She's vindictive.

The enemy not only refused to surrender, but also dared to fight back. They must have had a death wish!

How can she turn back?

Cough cough, what's there to fight about? Mr. Wang is a law-abiding citizen and a truly civilized person. He wouldn't even dare to kill a chicken, so how could he possibly be fighting and killing?

The saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." In Japan, you definitely have to abide by Japanese laws. Right?

Under Japanese law, employing undocumented workers is illegal and can result in either a fine of up to 3 million yen or imprisonment for up to three years, with the possibility of both penalties.

Then let's punish him using Japanese law.

He got caught hiring unlicensed workers the first time, but won't he fall into the same trap again next time?

That's impossible.

Once a person experiences something beyond their normal capabilities, it's hard for them to stop; unless they have a very strong sense of self.

Clearly, this pro-Japanese individual most likely does not possess this ability.

Well then, let's just wait and see. Luckily, Japan has private detectives.

Mr. Wang has always been extravagant with his money, and now he's willing to spend it to have a good time.

But just as Wang Xiao had figured everything out and was about to make a call to get more people, he hesitated again.

The reason was simple: I was afraid of damaging the jade bottle while catching a mouse.

The prerequisite for hiring undocumented workers is that there are undocumented workers available.

Those who risk their lives (many die every year from illegal immigration) to do backbreaking work in Japan that locals refuse to do, frankly speaking, are driven by poverty. Those with money and power can live comfortably abroad and wouldn't need to work illegally.

It's not right to drag down other people who are trying to improve their lives through their own hard work just to catch this one rat.

Wang Xiao was troubled.

People become hesitant and restrained when they act with too much sentimentality.

For example, she suddenly doesn't know how to have a big one.

She looked left and right, seeking advice from her bodyguards.

How can we give this piece of trash a good beating without affecting others?

Ivanov, always eager for drama, chimed in, "Isn't it simple? Just..."

"Shut up," Wang Xiao interrupted him directly. "You can't break the law."

Oh well, what can we do? She's living in a novel.

According to the regulations governing novels, if she wants to survive until the finale, she can't commit any crimes. Otherwise, a single report might send her to her death for no apparent reason.

She just made a billion dollars in one deal, she would hate it to death if she were to lose it now.

Although Ivanov didn't understand her rambling obsession, as a Marxist who constantly talked about God, he fully respected his friend and enthusiastically offered his advice: "Have a private investigator follow him, and if he goes to a brothel, call the police and have him arrested immediately."

Ha, although he didn't understand that original Chinese man, he understood men.

Wang Xiao glanced at him silently, as if to say, "You still think you're so proud?"

Nikolai decided it was necessary to maintain the collective image of men, not all of them liked prostitutes, and besides, was it really necessary to go through all that trouble?

He confidently declared, "No need to hire a private investigator, Miss Wang. Leave it to me, it'll be easy to solve."

Wang Xiao looked at him suspiciously, and preemptively warned him: "My dear Nikolai, I know you want to help me, but I don't want to get you into trouble."

"No, Miss Wang, there won't be any trouble. Just have him receive a letter every day saying that I know your biggest secret."

Ivanov immediately became interested and asked eagerly, "Yes, yes, what's his biggest secret?"

Wang Xiao laughed: "The biggest secret is the biggest secret. Fear comes from the unknown, from imagination. Because we don't know what cards the other side has up their sleeve, we are even more afraid."

Unfortunately, everyone has secrets, and the more vulnerable a person is, the more easily they are frightened.

Ivanov opened his mouth and burst into laughter, nodding frantically: "Yay, yay, yay, the biggest secret!"

But he insisted on hiring another private investigator to keep an eye on the guy, hoping for some unexpected surprises.

Wang Xiao didn't care: "OK, let's do both."

She's definitely not going to let anyone who crosses her get away with it.

Ivanov chuckled. Sure enough, the feeling of tricking someone together is the best way to bring people closer.

Unfortunately, his happiness didn't last long. Soon, his smile vanished with a phone call.

Who was making the call? The bank's business manager.

What was the purpose of the call? To ask him to repay the loan early.

Why would banks do this? Is it because the ruble is plummeting?

No, not really. From August until now, almost three months have passed, and the ruble has never fallen below 1:1100, remaining basically at 1:1000.

Even Wang Xiao had to call out "God!"

If you've experienced the collapse of the ruble before and after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, you'll understand just how rare it is to see the price remain stable at this level.

In this situation, the bank went crazy, hoping that Huaxia Commercial Street could repay the loan in advance, and even negotiate the interest rate.

Ivanov was naturally unhappy; the loan still had three months to go. Why should he repay it early? He was willing to pay interest to the bank, which should have been a welcome prospect.

The manager was quite anxious: "My dear friend, you know we have our own difficulties."

“No, you’re overthinking it,” Ivanov insisted. “You should have confidence in the government and in the trajectory of the Russian economy. After all, we have a president with an iron will, don’t we?”

He wasn't lying.

The president's tough stance has shocked the world.

After bombarding the White House, causing thousands of casualties, the president didn't rest.

He accused communist avengers and fascists of being responsible for the bloodshed in Moscow.

The government banned various opposition parties, shut down left-wing newspapers sympathetic to the opposition such as Pravda, Openness, and Soviet Russia, arrested a large number of opposition figures involved in armed struggle—or, in official terms, rebellion—and detained and punished tens of thousands of citizens accused of violating martial law.

In addition, a large number of outsiders, including Russians, were either detained or expelled unless they were from Moscow.

The investigations and crackdowns on these rebels and outsiders were not superficial; they went deep into government agencies, businesses, schools, and residential areas.

Russians thought that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, they would no longer feel the watchful eyes of the KGB lurking in the shadows.

As a result, their self-proclaimed president, who calls himself a free and democratic leader, has given them a taste of the omnipresence of whistleblowers.

Of course, as operators in the container market, he and Wang should be grateful for the president's tough stance. It was precisely because of Moscow's repressive attitude that a large number of merchants were forced to seek refuge in the container market.

So, not only were the container houses successfully rented, but their first phase of market stalls were also rented out smoothly.

Because the vendors dare not leave the container market area; they only dare to do business within the market.

As for where their goods come from?

Well, the boss who invested in the container market also happens to own a freight company.

Therefore, although the unrest in Moscow in early October made Ivanov feel the fear of having his life threatened and the humiliation of being forcibly searched, he benefited greatly from a financial perspective.

Even so, he was still unwilling to pay off the loan early.

He'll lose even more money if he can't wait for the ruble to fall.

Therefore, he would rather waste time chatting idly with the bank manager than show any leniency.

Wang Xiao, impatient with their endless rambling, gestured for Ivanov to take the phone: "I understand what you mean, my dear friend. You're afraid the ruble will fall and the banks will suffer serious losses."

"I understand your fears very well. After all, His Excellency the President is being too tough, making Western countries feel uncomfortable."

"However, it is precisely because of His Excellency the President's strong leadership that the petty thieves have been deterred. We all know that the ruble's plunge is abnormal, and Russia's wealth cannot shrink to the level of the ruble's exchange rate. These petty thieves have been deterred and dare not reach out again, so the ruble has naturally stabilized."

"So please rest assured and wait for the large sum of interest. I can bet you that if the ruble stabilizes, we can pay more interest. If the ruble depreciates, then please reduce our interest rates."

She dares to say such things, but the bank manager wouldn't dare to respond.

He doesn't own the bank, so why would he take on this job?

Moreover, Miss Wang's words had already shaken him.

Yes, the ruble's current decline is precisely the result of the opposition's obstruction, which has hindered economic reforms.

Now that the Speaker and Vice President are both in jail, and no one in the country can stop the President anymore, his promised economic reforms should finally take effect.

If that doesn't work, which hand is the president prepared to chop off?

After all, when he ran for president, he vowed that if the Russian economy didn't improve within two years, he could cut off one of his hands.

The call ended.

Ivanov's happiness, however, did not turn back.

God, He firmly believed that he and the King were right in their assessment of the ruble.

However, madness can always kill all rational judgment.

Who would have thought the president would dare to directly shell the White House? During the August 19 Incident, the Red Army refused to fire on civilians.

Now that the Red Army is dead, they can use airplanes and artillery without hesitation.

God, what has the army become? Anyone can shoot if there's a benefit to be had. How terrifying.

Ha, that's great news! The iron-fisted approach has indeed silenced everyone, and even those shorting the ruble are hesitant to act for the time being.

The ruble has miraculously stabilized, and it's very likely to continue doing so.

At least until the December 12 election, the ruble will not plummet.

Who would dare to act rashly under the threat of guns and cannons? Anyone who embarrasses the president will be killed by him.

In the dead of winter, Ivanov felt a fire burning in his heart, and was inexplicably irritable.

Because the changing situation means that they will have to make a new assessment of the future economic trend.

It's really too brain-draining.

Wang Xiao was calmer than him. She couldn't let her time travel be in vain. She was aware of the general trend and could stay composed.

She picked up the newspaper on the table and started reading. Because left-wing media had been banned, the newspapers were now truly one-sided.

The document on the left emphasizes that equipment, tools, raw materials, and working capital are all capital; they are objective, tangible things. What bloody essence could they possibly have? Capital, like labor, is simply a factor of production. Both are indispensable; without either, wealth cannot be created.

Well, this is a rebuttal to the most famous view in "Capital": from the day it was born, capital dripped with blood and filth from every pore.

The newspaper on the right is calling for investors who are willing to take risks, have business acumen, and are innovative.

Yes, this is a call for talent like her.

It is clear that she is needed by the Moscow market.

Ivanov went outside to find ice cream, but was scolded by the housekeeper.

Since receiving acupuncture from Dr. Chen, the housekeeper's wife has become a fan of traditional Chinese medicine.

She firmly believes that in the dead of winter, if one's heart is burning with internal heat, what one needs is definitely not ice cream, but a bowl of well-cooked white fungus, pear, and goji berry soup.

Ivanov thought it was too bland and wanted to add sugar, but was refused.

The landlady believed that sugar would ruin the soup's effects.

Poor Ivanov carried the white fungus soup back to his room, looking aggrieved, and complained to Wang Xiao. The latter didn't even look up and continued reading the newspaper: "You can add some honey. You can add honey. Honey is also a medicinal ingredient."

Ivanov immediately and without hesitation scooped in a spoonful of honey. Ah, this is how you make delicious pear soup.

The assistant stood by, quietly keeping his eyes down, just trying to keep the boss from yelling when he stepped on the scale.

Ivanov happily drank the white fungus, pear, and goji berry soup, feeling much better.

Curious, he moved closer to Wang Xiao and started reading the newspaper with her, then curled his lip without any sign of disgust: "It's the same old thing again."

The current mainstream view is to criticize "Capital," emphasizing the opposing concepts of capital and labor, but only in a logical sense.

The German philosophy inherited from Hegel, which imbues the economic concepts of capital and labor with human emotions and sets them in a good-versus-evil dichotomy, is extremely foolish.

What is truly terrifying is never capital, just as it is never land, forests, or lakes; what is truly terrifying is always uncontrolled power.

This is also the most terrifying aspect of communism and socialism.

Capital cannot turn people into slaves, but uncontrolled power can.

This made Ivanov feel as if his throat was coated with honey, and he wanted to curse, but it seemed that what the other person wrote wasn't entirely unreasonable.

Out-of-control power, aha, he even suspected the author of the article was alluding to their president.

Ivanov finished his bowl of white fungus and pear soup and muttered, "Ha, how interesting. Your Majesty, we need to see how things go next year."

All businessmen are benefiting from the era's dividends; no one can go against the tide.

“It will get worse,” Wang Xiao sighed. “Because the president has already defeated Congress, if the economic reforms fail again next year, he won’t have a scapegoat. But unfortunately, the economic reform policies he is currently implementing are not fundamentally different from those in the past. After the election on December 12th, the people’s trust in him will probably only last for six months. If things don’t improve after six months, the economy may collapse further.”

Ivanov scoffed, "So why is he in such a hurry to destroy the parliament? Is he eager to expose his weakness?"

Wang Xiao, however, found it rare to understand the Russian people's choice: "Even if someone else were to do it now, they might not be able to do it any better."

The current Russian president is basically living in a scenario where the world is collapsing.

As is well known, this land has suffered three severe economic blows since 1990 – the collapse of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the abolition of the old ruble.

These three factors repeatedly attacked Russia's industrial system, turning a massive war machine into a jumbled mess of parts.

Each impact causes the parts to scatter even more.

As Wang Xiao reviewed this period of history, he analyzed: "In this situation, the only way for a head of state to gain the support of the people is to rebuild a more complete and stronger industrial system than that of the Soviet era. Yes, even reaching the same standard won't work. Because people supported the collapse of the Soviet Union not to maintain their existing standard of living, but to live better."

"The president is indeed incompetent, but can this goal be achieved by replacing him with someone else? Who can do it?"

Ivanov fell silent.

The Russian bodyguards and assistants present also fell silent.

Yes, building is much harder than destroying. They themselves would be equally powerless in the face of a crumbling industrial system.

The only person who could have done it has already been killed.

Only a strong Soviet could create such a miracle.

Ivanov sighed: "So, Russia's way out is to export raw materials such as oil and natural gas?"

He had discussed this topic with Wang right after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now, almost two years later, the answer remains unchanged.

“Yes.” Wang Xiao nodded, emphasizing, “At least for one generation, I think we will have to rely on this to accumulate wealth.”

"It is said that the Red Army was able to purchase Western materials and equipment during the first Five-Year Plan of the Soviet Union because it received gold from the Tsar and raised funds through agricultural collectivization and the price scissors between industry and agriculture. This enabled the Soviet Union to quickly become one of the world's leading industrial powers within ten years."

"Of course, this was also possible because from 1929 to 1933, around the time the First Five-Year Plan was implemented, all the major capitalist countries in the world were experiencing economic crises, and everyone was worried about the problem of overcapacity."

"Lenin once gave socialism a formula: Soviet power + Prussian railway administration + American technology and trusts + American national education, etc. = sum = socialism."

"Stalin also said that if the Soviet Union did not use its own raw materials to exchange for Western machinery and equipment, it would be difficult to develop industry and electrify urban and rural industries. He said that about two-thirds of all the major industries in the Soviet Union were built with the help or technical assistance of the United States."

"This is a successful experience, and I can't find a better way than this for the time being."

Including the current president's successor, that famous tough guy who claims that if given 20 years, he can give the people a strong Russia.

To be honest, Wang Xiao didn't really think he had created a very powerful Russia.

Let's leave aside the industrial sector.

If he truly possessed a powerful industrial base, he wouldn't have needed to endorse the country's famous Lada car as president, and in front of so many media cameras, he would have simply pulled down the door handle of a military vehicle.

Military matters are probably just so-so.

With Wang Xiao's limited political acumen, she couldn't possibly guess what kind of grand strategy Russia was employing to delay resolving the Russia-Ukraine war. After all, to replenish its troop strength, Russia was even sending serious criminals from prisons to the battlefield in exchange for reduced sentences through military merit.

Of course, she doesn't rule out the possibility that she is short-sighted and lacks international political acumen, which is why she can't understand the master's ingenious tactics.

In any case, she believes that Russia's economy has gradually improved in the 21st century for several reasons. One is the new government's crackdown on oligarchs (which can also be interpreted as the Red Army confiscating the property of the Tsar and nobles), another is Russia's abundant oil and gas resources, and yet another is that after the torment of the terrible previous government, the Russian people's expectations of the new government are much lower than in the early 1990s. Therefore, as long as there is progress, no matter how big the progress is, the people's confidence will rise.

Upon realizing this, Wang Xiao was startled.

Good heavens! This is such a familiar tactic: fatten the pig up before slaughtering it, and use anti-corruption campaigns to win over the public.

She felt like she was a pig in a pigsty.

Ivanov was also lost in thought, so he didn't notice that Wang Xiao was daydreaming.

Lyuba couldn't help but ask, "Now, are we just supposed to watch it plummet down?"

No normal person would want their country to get worse day by day.

Wang Xiao casually replied, "It's difficult unless the price of oil and natural gas skyrockets and remains high. Only then can government finances be guaranteed."

As soon as she said it, she suddenly realized something very frightening: it was very likely that oil and gas prices would not rise throughout the entire 1990s.

That's why the Russian government in the 1990s, like the Soviet government in the mid-to-late 1980s, was constantly hated by the people because it was unable to solve the fiscal crisis caused by the drop in oil prices.

Wang Xiao's eyes widened immediately, staring in horror at his partner who was still deep in thought: "Ivanov, what's the price of oil and gas again? Has it dropped again?"

The assistant whispered a report from the side: "It's fallen. It was $19 in June, and now it's down to $16. It's been on a downward trend since 1991."

Oh, No!

Wang Xiao clutched his chest, wondering how long he was going to fall like this.

They can't extract any oil or gas, yet they're burning through nearly $300,000 a day.

Dig it up, with this price of gas—

She just wants some peace and quiet right now.

The thought that the Sakhalin oil and gas field project might not break even by the turn of the millennium made her feel like the world was going to never get any better.