Chapter 249 How Much Does She Really Know? (Bug Fix): Oh dear, finally someone who knows what's good for them!

Wang Xiao was completely baffled and subconsciously turned to look at the high-ranking official from the Ministry of Internal Affairs: "What's going on?"

The latter's expression was even more terrifying than that of the Minister of Culture who stormed off. For a moment, Wang Xiao even suspected that the other party would pull out a gun and blow her head off.

Honestly, her intuition told her that this person was definitely a ruthless character with blood on his hands.

However, the Deputy Minister of the Interior simply retorted coldly, "Madam, you've crossed the line. We were supposed to be friends."

Wang Xiao was still confused when the other person left with a gloomy face.

No, these guys are totally overreacting.

She turned to look at the ambassador to Romania: "Is this really necessary?"

The ambassador gave a wry smile: "If you say something bad about another country, how can they be happy?"

Wang Xiao disagreed: "The movie even praised Romania's progress."

Indeed, to prevent viewers from developing nationalistic sentiments, the "Hero" series has consistently focused on exploring the true goodness and beauty of the Romanian people. It frequently praises Romania's history, culture, and natural scenery, and often uses characters to express their understanding of the government's difficulties—during the economic reform period, everyone was feeling their way forward.

She can say without exaggeration that, because of the popularity of "The Great Swordsman," Romania's social image has improved considerably throughout Eastern Europe, the CIS countries, and even Western Europe.

Previously, because Romania, like North Korea, had almost no contact with the outside world, people knew very little about it.

What more could you ask for in a TV series that can achieve this level of quality?

This time, they also chose to commit the crime on an unnamed island in a foreign country.

The ambassador also felt that the Romanian officials' reaction this time was a bit excessive.

To say this exposes the dark side of contemporary Romanian society is a bit of an exaggeration; after all, art has an obligation to do so. If it were all just praise, wouldn't it become nothing more than a propaganda piece?

However, every country has its own system for censoring artistic works, and as foreigners, we should respect that.

He comforted Wang Xiao, saying, "Don't rush, let's see what their opinion is later."

He had barely finished speaking when someone rushed over and handed Wang Xiao a piece of paper: "Miss Wang, we hope you will cooperate."

When Wang Xiao saw the contents of the paper, she thought, "Should I praise them for being so thoughtful? They wrote it in English, but they knew I couldn't read Romanian."

The problem is that the official suggestions for modification are a bit excessive.

Putting aside everything else, the demand to remove the detailed identification numbers of the children on the island is simply impossible.

Because it's 1994 now, a time when even USB flash drives didn't exist, and it wasn't an era where you could edit photos frame by frame.

How can you change the movie scene? You can't change it unless you delete all the scenes that appear.

But if you delete it, the whole storyline will fall apart.

Besides, what's wrong with assigning numbers to the children on the island? It perfectly reflects the fact that the children are not treated as human beings; it's a strong manifestation of objectification.

Names are very important to living beings; having a unique name means that you are an independent individual.

The director and other key members of the production team came over and, after collectively reading through the rectification suggestions on the slip of paper, were equally baffled.

They want to change this and that, they might as well just bury the movie and remake it.

They were quite subtle in their expression, not showing any bloody violence or erotic scenes.

As everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, excited audience members rushed over, eagerly asking, "When will this movie be released? I want to bring my family to see it. God, I haven't been to a movie theater in so long. I'm so glad I came today."

The director said awkwardly, "As soon as possible, we will release it as soon as possible."

Normally, a film will be released on a large scale within one or two days after its premiere.

However, the Minister of Culture and the Minister of the Interior both flew into a rage today, leaving everyone feeling uncertain.

Wang Xiao scratched his head, not intending to bother with this matter.

Yes, she provided the initial story for the film, but her purpose in making the film was simply to warn the authorities about the risks of foreigners adopting Romanian children.

Her main task in coming to Bucharest this time was to raise money for 40 acres of land.

That's right. Although she said she wasn't worried about finding people interested in her shops, her real target was still the Chinese merchants in Bucharest.

The reason is very simple: Romania is the most important link in her Eastern European business empire. If the electronics market needs to export goods to Eastern Europe and then further expand outwards, Romania is an indispensable stop.

Moreover, the Chinese businessmen have been doing business here for more than two years and have money in their pockets.

So Wang Xiao rather irresponsibly stepped aside: "How to make the movie is up to you professionals, I don't know, you figure it out yourselves. I always believe in everyone's abilities. I also look forward to the movie being released soon, shown all over the world, and becoming a world-renowned film."

The director and screenwriter were both speechless.

No, boss, you were the one who provided the story for the script, and now you're just washing your hands of it?

Do you still want your investment back?

But a boss is a boss; if she says she won't care, then she won't care.

Wang Xiao waved his hand and walked away.

The next group of film creators, including the cast and crew, stared at each other in bewilderment.

Because they only receive the first installment during filming, they have to wait until the film is released to receive the remaining balance.

This is standard practice.

After months of hard work, the movie is finally about to be released.

It fell through at the last minute, and the remaining money is gone. Who would accept that?

Everyone looked at each other, and finally the director stepped in to take charge: "Hey, I'll try to find some connections and see if we can get a better deal. Honestly, they say Ceaușescu imprisoned the souls of creators, and things aren't much better now."

Everyone agreed, feeling that the government was meddling too much.

Don't they see how much Romanian cinema has declined? How many people are still willing to go to the cinema?

After finally making a commercially viable film, it has to be censored.

If things continue like this, Romanian cinema might as well just die.

Despite their complaints, under the threat of the final payment, everyone obediently followed orders and took all actions.

After saying goodbye to the crew, Wang Xiao left the theater with her uncle's family and her landlady.

Chen Yidong asked with some concern, "Xiaoxiao, what's wrong? What's going on?"

Everything was fine while the movie was playing, but after it ended, those big leaders stormed off in a huff.

Wang Xiao shook his head: "I don't know either, but it's okay. The director and the others can decide how to change it themselves."

Chen Jingjing, still shaken, asked pitifully, "Sister, is there really such a terrifying island of death?"

Her mother, Qian Xuemei, glared at her: "What do you think? It's a mess outside. Be careful in the future, and don't run around with strangers."

The landlady was even more worried: "Is my child alright?"

"It's alright, it's alright." Wang Xiao urged them to leave. "It's getting late, go back and rest."

As soon as she stepped out of the theater, she was surrounded by Chinese businessmen.

"Mr. Wang, we've been looking for you for ages today."

They couldn't find Wang Xiao at the family-run hotel early in the morning, so they went to look for Ruan Xiaomei instead.

As it turned out, the woman was as slippery as an eel, insisting that she had no say in the Beijing electronics market and that she was only in charge of affairs in Romania.

Tsk, it's as if no one knows she sent people to South Africa to build Huaxia City again.

But the Chinese businessmen couldn't afford to offend Ruan Xiaomei, so they had no choice but to turn back and confront Wang Xiao.

Fortunately, this time they finally got a chance to speak.

Wang Xiao teased with a smile, "We just had dinner together last night, why are you missing me so much today? That's not appropriate."

The Chinese businessman who had spoken waved his hand and smiled wryly: "No, no, Mr. Wang, please don't laugh at us. It's still that shop in the electronics market. Could you give us a discount? It's five years all at once, could you make the time shorter?"

Wang Xiao couldn't believe her ears: "You think five years is too long?"

Brother, remember this: you said it yourself. Five years from now, you'll only regret not signing a ten-year contract!

But businessmen must consider risks when doing business.

It looks so promising now, but who knows if it will actually work out in the future?

Putting everything else aside, let's just talk about houses on Hainan Island.

That guy, this time last year, it was a huge celebration with gongs, drums, and firecrackers going off. It was incredibly lively.

And now? A dilapidated, abandoned building at the ends of the earth. Stuck in their hands, they have nowhere to turn for help.

Wang Xiao nodded: "That's fine, it saves me the trouble. To be honest, when you said you didn't want it yesterday, I immediately notified someone else."

Upon hearing this, everyone became anxious.

Surely not, it's only been one day. You've sold out all the operating rights for such a large electronics market?

"Who is it? Didn't we agree that each person would have a maximum of 50 square meters? How can they book the whole place?"

Ruan Xiaomei also attended the premiere today. She explained on Wang Xiao's behalf, "We originally had some left, but a friend in Romania also wanted to buy a shop, so we bought quite a lot."

In truth, this was an unexpected surprise.

This morning, when the Chinese businessmen went to the container market to confront her, there happened to be Romanian businessmen present as well.

After hearing what had happened, as soon as the Chinese businessmen left, the Romanian businessmen immediately expressed their desire to acquire the operating rights.

Ironically, while the Chinese are full of worries about the Beijing market, the Romanians think that the Chinese capital is a goldmine and that they can make money no matter what.

They had previously considered opening a store in China and then using their advantages to ship goods to Romanians, which would result in larger sales volumes and higher profits.

Unfortunately, whether it's Yabao Road in Beijing or the international trade cities in Jinning and Xiaozhou, there are no shops available anymore.

Now that Miss Wang has finally built a new market, and in the heart of Beijing no less, how could they possibly let such a good opportunity slip by?

So, the Romanian wholesalers pooled their resources and snapped up 1,000 square meters of shops in one go.

As if to prove her point, the Romanian girl, Comrade Elena, who had been traveling between Western and Eastern Europe as a buyer, came running over with her parents and friends.

Upon seeing Wang Xiao, her eyes lit up: "Miss Wang, do you have any shops in Beijing that I can buy?"

“No,” Wang Xiao explained with a smile, “it’s a five-year operating right for the shop, 100 Chinese yuan per square meter.”

As for how many lei it should be, sorry, given that the exchange rate of the lei is not very stable, Wang Xiao really doesn't know the exact number right now.

But Elena, her family, and her friends didn't care.

They made a lot of money from their container market stalls in Bucharest, which was the envy of many.

Now that they have more shops in Beijing, they naturally want to follow suit.

Those who missed out on a container booth last time definitely shouldn't miss out this time.

This group of people, numbering twenty or thirty, took away another 1,000 square meters of shop space in just a few words.

Wang Xiao was quite understanding: "Paying with Ley is also fine."

She smiled broadly, acting as if she were no outsider to the Romanians, and said, "I'm going to buy building materials to build a market in Beijing."

Everyone was even happier.

In Romania, foreign exchange is also highly valued, with particularly strong demand on the black market.

If we could use Lei to secure the shops in Beijing, it would save us a lot of trouble.

Elena has traveled countless times both domestically and internationally, and her family also runs a stall in the container market, demonstrating a keen business sense.

She pressed Wang Xiao, asking, "Is it only five years? Can't we rent it for a few more years?"

Wang Xiao shook his head: "That won't work. If it takes any longer, other people will start arguing with the electronics market."

Other Romanian businessmen followed Elena's lead.

Everyone felt that after five years, the business was running smoothly and it was the perfect time to make big money. Selling it off would be a huge loss.

Wang Xiao had no choice but to reluctantly nod: "Alright, I'll give you priority to renew the lease. Five years from now, if you want to continue renting, then we'll sign a new contract at the original rent. That's all I can do."

The group nodded in agreement, still wanting more.

The Chinese businessmen standing on the sidelines watching the whole scene were dumbfounded.

Hey, are all these guys just rich and stupid? They're so naive, they didn't even try to bargain.

Why aren't you this generous when you're doing business with us normally?

Elena's mother said impatiently, "How can you be compared to Miss Wang? To this day, everyone who listens to Miss Wang has become rich."

Because of their proactive approach, they established positive relationships early on. Now, her relatives, friends, and former colleagues are incredibly envious of her.

Haha, there are two kinds of people. One kind strives to reach the top on their own, and the other kind follows closely behind those in front and is carried to the top.

Regardless of which one, they've reached the pinnacle.

The Romanian merchants, whose blood runs in the veins of optimists, finalized the deal for the shops and left happily.

The remaining Chinese businessmen were collectively bewildered.

When did they fall behind the Russians?

Wang Xiao was still sincerely advising them from the side: "If there's nothing else, go back first. I told you before, don't worry about me regarding the shop, there's really nothing to worry about."

She herself is not worried.

Based on her practical experience in marketing, she was definitely a high-quality customer in the eyes of banks. They would only keep asking her if she wanted a loan, and she never worried about not being able to get a loan.

After she finished speaking, she nodded to the person and waved goodbye with great politeness.

At the end of the street corner, in the shadow of the streetlights, a car, like a lurking beast, quietly parked on the side of the road.

The man in the car put down his military binoculars, his face ashen, and gritted his teeth as he unleashed a barrage of questions: "Are all the people in your Ministry of Culture just sitting around doing nothing? Why did you let the film pass censorship? Is there not a single person with a brain among you, from top to bottom?"

It was none other than the Deputy Minister of the Interior who had just attended the movie premiere.

The Minister of Culture, standing nearby, said expressionlessly, "How would the people who do the work know these things? Those who are capable and willing to work just bury themselves in their work. Do you think you're the ones who want the whole world to know?"

"Didn't The Guardian report on this last year? Don't you cultural figures have even the slightest bit of cultural awareness?"

"The government has clarified that it was a rumor and slander, nothing of the sort," the Minister of Culture said irritably. "Is he wrong to believe the government? Oh God, how much does she even know?"

The Deputy Minister of the Interior said with disgust: "We always have to clean up the messes you make."

Before the Minister of Culture could react, the car started up and sped up in front of Wang Xiao's car like a hunting beast, forcing Wang Xiao's car to stop just as the red light turned on at the intersection.

The driver was about to unleash a torrent of curses when the car stopped, the window rolled down, and the deputy minister of the internal affairs department shouted at Wang Xiao, "Miss Wang, have you finished making the changes?"

Wang Xiao suspected that this guy had been drinking after leaving the theater, otherwise why would he be acting a bit crazy now?

She rolled down the car window helplessly and gave the other person a wry smile: "Mr. Michael, oh, you're here too, Mr. Popescu. As you know, I'm just an investor. I don't understand movies, I can't make movies, and I certainly can't edit them. So, you're really putting me in a difficult position by asking me this."

"Is that so?" The Deputy Minister of the Interior gave a cold laugh, released the clutch, and stepped on the accelerator.

The Minister of Culture had to intervene: "Calm down, don't go crazy."

Michael's face twisted into a grimace: "That damned Chinese woman, I'm going to kill her!"

Popescu pressed him down: "Don't go crazy. Didn't you hear? She's warning us not to act rashly. Don't look at me like that, you don't understand Chinese culture. The characteristic of Chinese people's speech is that there is another meaning behind a sentence."

"She said she was the one who paid for it, and yes, you are the sugar daddy. She has a bunch of people working for her, and she says she can't control them. That's telling us that if something happens to her, everything will be exposed. Her people are uncontrollable."

Michael sniffed nervously and cursed, "She's just trying to intimidate us. This is Bucharest, not Beijing. She can't act tough here."

“She has a backup plan!” Popescu was thoroughly annoyed by this guy who only knew how to fight and kill. “Don’t forget that Soviet guy, Ivanov. Didn’t you notice? He didn’t come to Bucharest. What does that mean? It means that they’ve been planning this all along, one openly and one covertly.”

He then warned the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, "Don't forget, that Soviet has deep connections and a lot of influence. And China too; their ambassador came to the film premiere. That's their way of supporting her."

Michael's hands were trembling. He took out the paper packet, opened it with shaking hands, nervously leaned in, and sucked hard.

Popescu turned his head away in disgust. Good heavens, what a bunch of scum in Romanian politics.

As the newspapers accused, the place was teeming with thieves, lunatics, and addicts.

After the initial euphoria and confusion subsided, Michael seemed to finally be able to speak with his head in his head: "So, what should we do now?"

“Soothe her.” Popescu clenched his fists reluctantly. “We have to put her at ease. She knows everything, otherwise the movie wouldn’t have made it all out.”

Michael gritted his teeth again: "Damn it, who betrayed us?"

As he spoke, he slammed his fist on the car steering wheel.

The clutch, which had been pressed, had somehow come off again, and the car wobbled forward before crashing into a tree amidst Popescu's gasp.

He let out a scream, clutching his bleeding forehead, and cursed, "You madman!"

Michael chuckled maliciously: "You're only just realizing this? Do you think you're a normal person? You're a pervert, you're a pervert too!"

Popescu didn't want to talk to him anymore. Damn it, he couldn't go see that Chinese woman again tonight.

It has to be said that people in this world have very different fates.

Someone was in a car accident late at night and had to walk nearly five kilometers before finding someone to ask for help.

Some people, while the cold wind blows through the window, lie in their warm and cozy beds and sleep soundly until dawn.

In the morning, she got up and had breakfast of milk and bread. As she slowly went downstairs, she was surprised to see a familiar yet disheveled face.

“Mr. Popescu!” she exclaimed, pointing a small finger at his forehead. “My God, what’s wrong with you?”

The Minister of Culture smiled politely: "It was just a minor accident. Hmm, Miss Wang, I think there might be some small misunderstanding between us, which made you mistakenly think that this country is not friendly to you."

Wang Xiao was taken aback, but then smiled and said, "No, no, no, Romania is almost one of my favorite countries. Here, I have felt the warmth, optimism, and humor of the people. No matter when I come, I am always smiling."

The Minister of Culture cursed inwardly, "Damn it, it's because we've been too good to you bastards that you think we're easy targets and can do whatever you want."

He smirked, a smile that held no meaning for her: "Is that so? Miss Wang, then, is there anything else we can do for you?"

Wang Xiao was baffled, and even a little flattered.

This guy was so fierce and aggressive last night, he practically wanted to tear up the film reel, but today he's so enthusiastic. I really don't understand what's wrong with him.

But she wasn't a doctor at a mental hospital, so she didn't bother to investigate further. Taking this opportunity, she made her request without any hesitation: "Well, there is something I'd like to ask you all for help with."

The Minister of Culture sneered inwardly.

Here it comes, how do you say that in Chinese? Hmm, the true colors are revealed when the map is unrolled.

He spread his hands, leaned back on the sofa, and stared at Wang Xiao: "I'm all ears."

Wang Xiao smiled broadly, displaying the enthusiasm of a businessman: "It's like this, Mr. Popescu. I'm currently building a house in China, and I'm planning to import a large quantity of building materials from Romania."

Pay attention, did you hear that? We Chinese don't just sell things in Romania; we also consume and import Romanian goods. While most people import machinery and chemical products, I also deal in niche goods like glass and timber.

We have a give-and-take relationship; I have no ill will towards Romania.

"Well, I'd like to ask you for a favor. Could you please make an exception and allow me to complete the fumigation of the timber as soon as possible? We all know that Romania is not an area affected by pine nematodes, but China requires each batch of imported timber to have a certificate indicating that it has undergone heat treatment."

"It's a certificate proving that the core temperature of the timber reaches 56°C for 30 minutes. But currently, only the port of Constanta has fumigation facilities that meet the standards, and you need to book 30 days in advance. It's too slow, do you understand what I mean? Sea freight is slow to begin with. And right now, I can't rely on trains."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Minister of Culture's expression changed, subtly conveying a warning: "Train? What do you mean?"

Wang Xiao quickly explained, "As you know, theoretically speaking, trains are faster, but they are more troublesome."

In 1994, without the China-Europe Railway Express, goods imported from Romania had to travel by train from Bucharest to Budapest, Hungary, Kyiv, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, the Trans-Siberian Railway, and finally to Manzhouli, China. Theoretically, the entire journey would take about 25-35 days, but in reality, due to gauge changes and border checks, it could take even longer than by sea.

Oh, what's this about changing gauge? It's a legacy of the Soviet era. Romania's standard gauge is 1435mm, but in Ukraine it has to be changed to 1520mm broad gauge, requiring the transfer of carriages or wheelsets at border stations like Chop.

In addition, there was the issue of approvals. The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) system collapsed, but the China-Europe rail transport agreement still followed the planned economy model of the 1970s. Chinese exported goods had to undergo segmented approvals from railway bureaus in various countries, and the speed was indescribable; anyone who saw it would sigh.

The longer the goods are held up, the higher the transportation costs will be.

Furthermore, the types of goods transported between China and Europe are limited. From China to Eastern Europe, light industrial products are transported, making containers vulnerable to break-ins en route. Eastern Europe's exportable products are mainly military waste, which these thieves don't particularly target (due to their large size and weight, they're too troublesome to steal). However, due to international agreements, these materials cannot enter China.

Against this backdrop, the once-popular train transportation industry has become increasingly deserted and neglected.

Most businesses now rely on sea freight. This has led to severe congestion at ports.

“I hope to have priority, well, you understand.” She looked at the Minister of Culture with a smile. “Time is life for us businessmen.”

The Minister of Culture repeated her last word: "Life, good, life."

He suddenly stood up, trying to look down at Wang Xiao.

But Wang Xiao stood up and asked with a smile, "Then, sir, may I get what I want? You know, this isn't a one-off deal for me; we do this all the time."

The minister gave her a deep look and uttered a few words: "As you wish, madam."

After seeing him off, Wang Xiao turned around and asked Liu Ba with a puzzled look, "Don't you think he's a little strange?"

Lyuba shrugged, quite sarcastically: "To be honest, I don't think many of these officials are normal."

The bodyguards all laughed, and Wang Xiao shrugged: "Okay, whatever they're doing, as long as it doesn't stop us from making money."

As for the rest, who cares?

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Wang Xiao: Family, I really don't know anything. Is it my fault for over-analyzing the reading?