Chapter 291 We can only take the third path: You need to consider the bigger picture, how can you be angry?

Wang Xiao didn't want to waste time on Zhao Xiuzhi's matter.

But they just didn't want her to be an outsider, so they kept dragging her into the newspapers to make her presence felt.

The morning mist of Tokyo Bay, carried by the salty sea breeze, wafted the scent of Yomiuri Shimbun ink into the hotel coffee shop.

Wang Xiao couldn't understand Japanese at all, but fortunately, there were a lot of Chinese characters in Japanese, which helped her understand.

The headline of this front-page news article—"The Triangle Relationship Between Overseas Chinese and Elite Students! The Truth About the Oil Thrown at Zhao Family's Young Lady"—is clearly in the style of an 8 PM soap opera.

Wu Haoyu sat opposite her, his expression almost exasperated. He started by complaining uncontrollably, "I told you this could have been resolved privately, we shouldn't have called the police. Otherwise, the press conference would never end. Japanese media is different from domestic media, and different from Russian media!"

"Oh, I was so ignorant, didn't I? I didn't know how formidable Japanese reporters are, did I?" Wang Xiao put down his newspaper, a half-smile on his face. "Isn't this development exactly what you wanted?"

Wu Haoyu could barely control his anger: "Stop being so sarcastic, okay? I came here to resolve the issue. Don't you see what the reporters have said about you?"

"I don't care," Wang Xiao said with a smile. "I'm not a government official, why should I care about this? It's not normal for a young, beautiful, and rich woman not to have some scandals."

Wu Haoyu said with great distress, "It's understandable that you're angry and unhappy. But why are you throwing mud at yourself?"

Are you alright?

Wang Xiao looked at him in disbelief. Sure enough, some people's faces are earned by trading their intelligence.

"Was it myself who was smearing me? It was the Zhao family! This report is clearly the work of the Zhao family."

Wu Haoyu thought he had heard something out of the blue: "What is the Zhao family after? Why are they making such a spectacle of themselves? Are they afraid the Japanese won't laugh at them enough?"

Wang Xiao was too lazy to even look at his face.

She has a phobia of stupidity and refuses to let stupidity taint her eyes.

"What's the motive? Of course, it's to help clear Zhao Xiuzhi's name."

"From the Zhao family's perspective, if they want to get their daughter out of trouble and receive a lighter sentence, the best way is to frame this as a romantic affair between a man and a woman."

"Yes! Pouring hot oil on people is indeed brutal and terrifying."

"But what if the person who spilled the oil was a mistress, someone who stole her fiancé and seduced her?"

"In order to be able to stay with her fiancé for a long time, the young and beautiful heiress applied to study at the place where her fiancé works."

"As a result, her love, which she had devoted to sacrificing her career, was not appreciated. Her fiancé was having an affair with a slut and dining together intimately."

"The young lady, having been betrayed, lost her temper and threw the soup in the bowl at the shameless mistress."

Wang Xiao mimicked the tone of a lawyer defending in court, saying, "She didn't think that much about it. She chose hot oil simply because she had hot oil on hand. If it were a bottle of cola, she would have just used the cola to wash the mistress's hair."

"She was so young, yet she suffered betrayal in love. She was so pitiful; she was the victim in this relationship."

"There was a reason for what happened, shouldn't she be given a lighter punishment?"

Wu Haoyu was stunned; this was completely beyond his comprehension.

So his first instinct was to defend himself: "I have nothing to do with her. When did I become her fiancé? That's utter slander."

Wang Xiao looked at him, almost feeling pity: "Why are you angry? This way, Japanese public opinion will focus on personal matters and love triangles, and no one will dig into the political implications of the Zhao family's corruption. The impact will be much less, and the international repercussions won't be so bad. Besides—"

The burns on the back of her hand had already scabbed over. She gently placed the silver spoon on the bone china plate, making a crisp sound. "Mr. Wu, haven't you ever wondered why Japanese reporters could report on this in such detail, even with photos?"

"Because this also aligns with the interests of those above. Using a love triangle to attract the attention of the Japanese public and divert their curiosity about the political undercurrents behind Beijing's anti-corruption campaign is simply brilliant."

She smiled at the young diplomat opposite her, mimicking Wu Haoyu's tone that night outside the police station, "Mr. Wu, you should have a broader perspective, put the greater good before personal interests, and be mindful of international repercussions."

"Crack!"

A flash of lightning illuminated the dimly lit café, and amidst the deafening roar of thunder, a torrential downpour began in Tokyo.

Even though he was in a coffee shop, and the windows and floors of the luxury hotel were sheltering him from the wind and rain, Wu Haoyu felt as if the wind and rain were whips lashing him all over.

Everyone ran to find shelter from the rain, leaving you all alone in the storm.

Wang Xiao shook her head and gave serious advice, "Call your mom right away. You can't handle this. You should thank your mom; she loves you and doesn't want to give up on you."

She stood up and looked at the man one last time. "You didn't even consider how much trouble you'd cause me by coming here after the newspapers reported it like this."

She turned around and walked towards the coffee shop door.

Outside the door, a group of reporters had already gathered, eager to interview one of the main characters in this melodramatic love triangle.

Wang Xiao remained calm and replied in English, "Mr. Wu came to see me to apologize in person. He doesn't know why the newspapers said that."

"Personal reasons? Of course not. As a Chinese citizen, it's perfectly normal for me to seek help from the Chinese embassy when I encounter trouble in Japan."

“To this day, the murderer still shows no remorse and instead slanders me and slut-shaming me. I am outraged by this and will never forgive her. I believe that Japanese law will give me justice and punish the murderer.”

She nodded to the reporters, "I'm sorry, I don't have time for more interviews. As a professional woman, I have work to do. I trust your impartiality; journalists are the uncrowned kings, they will speak for the victims, not whitewash the murderers."

She bowed slightly and left the coffee shop, escorted by Lyuba, Xiao Gao, and Xiao Zhao.

A draft blew the newspaper off the table and onto the floor. As the reporters stepped back, Wang Xiao's high heels landed on the newspaper.

The sharp heels, sharp enough to be used as weapons, became a mountain, heavily pressing down on the two characters "Zhao Family".

The photo of Zhao Xiuzhi, which was clearly carefully selected by the editor, also bears the black marks of high heels.

Wang Xiao squatted down, picked up the torn newspaper, and threw it into the trash can next to him.

The black footprints in the photo seen from outside the trash can looked like a heavy slap to Zhao Xiuzhi's face.

Wang Xiao didn't stop and continued walking forward without hesitation.

The reporters immediately turned to chase after Wu Haoyu.

A young, handsome diplomat who looked like a Hong Kong movie star cheated on his wife with two women, leading to the oil-splashing tragedy. What a sensational news story!

When Xiao Hei arrived at the restaurant with the takeout Wang Xiao had ordered, he saw Wu Haoyu being surrounded by reporters and looking disheveled.

Tsk, it's so lively, day after day, there's never a moment to rest, just like the endless rain outside.

When will his main event finally arrive?

These past few days, Xiao Hei has been eagerly waiting for the Zhao family to come knocking on his door, so he can teach them a lesson.

But no matter how long he waited, the Zhao family never came to his door.

Undeterred, he went to the police station to inquire and learned that the Zhao family had not shown their faces since the incident.

That's not right.

The patriarch and young master of the Zhao family have been placed under investigation, so it's normal that they can't go to Japan.

But doesn't she also have a Mrs. Zhao in her family? If her son and husband are human, then her daughter isn't? That doesn't make sense.

Xiao Hei took off his raincoat and took the elevator upstairs.

When he met Wang Xiao, he couldn't help but complain: "You all say that people from Fujian are sexist and don't treat their daughters like human beings, but this is unacceptable. Leaving her alone in Japan and not caring about her at all, what kind of mother is that?"

Wang Xiao then slapped his forehead as if he had just remembered something: "Oh, I guess her mother can't come even if she wanted to. According to Party discipline regulations, her father and brother have both been placed under investigation, and her mother, as a family member, is not allowed to leave the country. Otherwise, if she flees abroad and transfers assets overseas, the country won't be able to catch her back."

Xiao Hei instantly deflated like a punctured balloon.

He was also hoping to send Zhao Xiuzhi's mother to jail as well.

Wang Xiao comforted him, "Don't worry, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, and a wrecked ship still has three thousand nails. The Zhao family will definitely find a way to send someone over."

Xiao Hei nodded, then mustered his confidence again: "That's true, after all, they are my own children, I can't just abandon them."

Wang Xiao slowly finished the last slice of melon, wiped her mouth, smiled and nodded, encouraging him: "Then you must stick to your principles and not fall for other people's tricks."

How can we just ignore it?

George Bernard Shaw once said something harsh and cruel: "The poor man's initial investment is his daughters who are popular with men."

The downfall of the Zhao family is a foregone conclusion, and they urgently need to make a comeback.

The reason why nepotism has been talked about for thousands of years is because it is indeed effective.

The Zhao family needs a strong son-in-law to help them get out of their slump.

Given her family's current situation, any man with a brain who wants to pursue a career in government would not marry Zhao Xiuzhi.

However, once the marriage partner is changed to a businessman, the former heiress Zhao Xiuzhi is still highly sought after.

Because the Zhao family is large and wealthy, with many relatives and friends.

Because of Zhao Xiuzhi's upbringing, her friends, her best friends, and her former admirers were mostly children of high-ranking officials.

These are all connections.

There are barriers to entry in any circle. Without someone inside to guide you, you'll wander around aimlessly without ever getting a foothold.

As is widely known, there are some businesses that are particularly lucrative, stable, and prestigious, often described as national strategic ventures. If you're not part of that circle, you simply can't do them.

No matter how miserable Zhao Xiuzhi is, even a down-on-her-luck young lady can still get someone an admission ticket.

In the marriage market, she has the value of marrying someone of higher social standing.

Besides, Consort Qi is foolish, but undeniably beautiful. Zhao Xiuzhi is also a beautiful young woman in the prime of her life.

So what? So Wang Xiao will definitely stick to her and won't let her pay the fine and leave so easily.

Otherwise, why would the Zhao family keep increasing their stakes and gradually revealing their true wealth?

Wang Xiao wiped the melon juice off her hands with a tissue and reminded Xiao Hei with a smile, "You'd better be careful, the Zhao family will definitely try to bribe you."

Xiao Hei immediately patted his chest and assured them, "I won't fall for their tricks. How could I let the Zhao family get away with it so easily?"

The downpour stopped, the windows were opened to let in some fresh air, and the Shinkansen bullet train roared past over the overpass, drowning out his next words.

Wang Xiao's gaze fell on the old Chinese newspaper, which Xiao Hei had used as wrapping paper.

The exposed portion of the newspaper reported that Japanese author Miyuki Miyabe's mystery novel "The Train" had won an award. The report quoted directly from the novel.

There is a saying: "When a person commits evil, he will be reborn in an evil realm. When he is about to die, all the fires of hell will come, and a chariot will surely come to meet him."

There's also the line, "They were like ghosts being dragged by a train, searching for a non-existent platform in the darkness."

Now that Zhao Xiuzhi has fallen to this state, who is the train that dragged her down?

Why did the old society turn people into ghosts? It was because it divided people into different classes!

How can cannibalism not be considered monstrous?

The same applies to any other society.

Wang Xiao bid farewell to Xiao Hei, waved goodbye, and boarded a plane.

Her purpose in coming to Tokyo has always been to establish an LCD screen production line.

Now that her goal has been achieved, of course she has to go back to China.

Otherwise, what can she do if she stays in Tokyo?

She couldn't go and recruit Japanese engineers herself—that was the job of headhunters.

Secondly, she couldn't find locations herself; fortunately, she could open more E-no-Yu stores in Japan—that was Ito Sachiko's job.

Bosses should be pragmatic and avoid showing off their presence unnecessarily, causing trouble for their subordinates, or disrupting their work rhythm.

So when she knew that the engineer recruitment was going smoothly, and the headhunting firm had already successfully poached five people; and that Yi no Yu's business was doing well, with the third store in Tokyo already in the site selection process and plans to open in Osaka next; she was content and said hello.

I'm going back to China.

However, after arriving in Shanghai, she did not return to Jinning.

Why go back? The LCD screen production line has to go through Hong Kong before it can be secretly transported to Jinning.

This process takes time.

Is she heading to Jinning now to watch Secretary Fang's downfall?

Tsk tsk, that's really a bit unethical.

When the love triangle rumors were widely publicized in Japanese news, it wasn't Wang Xiao who was being slapped in the face.

Just kidding. In the circle of big shots, she's a businesswoman, especially a domestic one, who's not even worth mentioning. She's not someone who needs special consideration at all.

As for Wu Haoyu, he's just a kid at the table; the adults can play with him however they want.

The real target of this slap was Secretary Fang.

Even if Wu Haoyu is at the children's table, he is still Secretary Fang's son.

He's not a rich kid; appearing in gossip news is a way for him to indirectly advertise his family's business and raise his own social standing.

He is a cadre, and he is pursuing a career in government.

The system places great importance on the personal lives of officials, after all, the saying goes, "Cultivate oneself, manage one's family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world."

As a party cadre, to be two-timing at such a young age not only demonstrates your despicable character but also proves that you are completely unable to distinguish between what is important and what is not, making you unfit for important responsibilities.

Once this label is attached to Wu Haoyu, his future path will be difficult.

If Secretary Fang swallows her anger and becomes a ninja turtle, she can forget about carrying out her work in the future.

No one will follow her wholeheartedly anymore.

If you, as a mother, can't even protect your own son, how can I believe that you, as a leader, can protect me, your subordinate?

This is a war without gunfire.

Wang Xiao patted his butt and ignored it.

Empress Wu Zetian wouldn't care what the public said about her male favorites, and Empress Catherine the Great wouldn't care how many of her lovers she had.

She won't admit it anyway.

She flew directly from Shanghai to Xiaozhou.

Because the semiconductor scientists and engineers she recruited had already arrived in Xiaozhou from Hong Kong.

The reason why Hong Kong is a stop is, on the one hand, to avoid the ubiquitous sanctions—although COCOM has stepped down from the historical stage, the restrictions led by the United States will not disappear.

Rather than being caught in disputes later and affecting the project's progress, it's better to control this risk from the beginning.

The company that hired these former Soviet scientists was one that Wang Xiao established in Hong Kong.

Their monthly salary is generally between HK$5,000 and HK$6,000, which is not high.

Nowadays, Hong Kong people selling clothes in Causeway Bay can earn a basic salary of HK$5,500, and with sales commissions, it's common to earn over HK$10,000 per month.

However, these people are sent to the mainland on business trips by their Hong Kong companies and receive an additional travel allowance, which is about 5,000 yuan a month.

With basic salary and travel allowance, they can also earn over 10,000 yuan a month.

Given the current standard of living in Russia and Ukraine, even if they leave their families in the country, the money they send back is enough for their families to live on.

With this skill, Wang Xiao built the initial technical team for his chip empire.

On May 20th, she flew to Xiaozhou and met with the key technical personnel.

The streets were bustling with people, and no one seemed to give these scientists and engineers a second glance. There were simply too many Russians in Xiaozhou; they were all used to it.

As the person in charge of Xiaozhou, Feng Zhonglin led everyone to see the chip factory construction site.

The May sun was scorching, making the slogan "Time is money, efficiency is life" reflect light so brightly it hurt people's eyes.

To paraphrase a newspaper editorial, the concrete jungle echoes with the clash between planned and market economies.

Wang Xiao wasn't interested in any of that; she only wanted the project to progress smoothly.

Secretary Sun Chengbin patted his chest and assured him, "Xiaozhou will definitely give the chip factory the green light from the start. As for matters involving the province, I will personally coordinate them."

In life, one can be low-key and indifferent to fame and fortune.

But those in official positions have to compete and fight for power.

If he hadn't competed and fought for it, there wouldn't have been the Xiaozhou International Trade City three years ago, and there wouldn't be the chip factory we have now three years later.

Look at all these Russians, all elites from the semiconductor industry back in the day. One of their brains is worth two of others'.

With enough people, a business can be built.

He should be laughing in his sleep, thanking himself for his shamelessness. The real fear isn't being rejected when trying to attract talent, but being too proud to admit it.

Wang Xiao smiled but didn't respond.

She didn't listen to the officials' sweet talk; their mouths were even more boastful than those of businessmen.

She only looks at the government's actual actions.

So when the German-imported concrete pump truck broke down in the middle of the construction site due to unstable voltage, and the technician wearing Warrior shoes knelt in the mud to repair the circuit, Wang Xiao just turned his head to look at Secretary Sun and slightly curled the corners of his mouth.

During the plum rain season, the sweat on Secretary Sun's forehead was more intense than the damp water that accumulated on the walls.

He immediately turned around and started yelling at his subordinates who were accompanying him.

The latter was so eager to get his head to his crotch that he immediately ran off to take care of the problem.

We have to solve this.

The Russian chief expert earnestly emphasized that stable voltage is crucial for chip manufacturing.

If the voltage is unstable, then there's no point in even considering the yield rate. It will be shockingly low.

Secretary Sun chuckled dryly, "It will be resolved, it will be resolved, it will definitely be resolved. The separate line is already being laid, but the rain in Xiaozhou these past two days has delayed the progress."

He assured Wang Xiao, "Don't worry, we will definitely guarantee the conditions and build a Shougang Electric Vehicle."

When he went to Beijing for a meeting, he made a special trip to visit Shougang Electric.

Good heavens! They don't even need to open their mouths; just looking at their factory buildings is enough to make visitors understand what high technology is.

He was inside, and he only regretted that he wasn't a thousand-eyed monster, so he could remember everything and use it later.

When Wang Xiao heard the words "Shougang Electric Power," her smile deepened, leaving Secretary Sun somewhat bewildered.

Tsk, it seems like she doesn't even consider Japan Telecom worthy of her attention.

This Mr. Wang has a high standard, which is an advantage; he's fearless. But he's genuinely worried that her expectations are too high, unrealistic, and that she might end up making a mess of things.

Therefore, Secretary Sun emphasized, "Shougang's chip manufacturing capabilities are currently at the highest level in China."

It started raining again during the plum rain season.

The construction site was muddy, so everyone quickly retreated back to the bus.

Feng Zhonglin immediately arranged for people to distribute towels to everyone so they could wipe the rain off their faces.

In a white mist, Wang Xiao wiped his head and face clean.

Secretary Sun pressed on, "What? Mr. Wang, you're not interested in Shougang Rizhi and want to build something even higher? Oh dear, did you manage to secure a deal in Japan this time?"

He became excited as he spoke.

Good heavens! If that's the case, then the electronics industry in Xiaozhou could take off!

Wang Xiao shook his head: "No, what I mean is that introducing Japanese technology now is a bit like becoming a puppet army in 1944."

Secretary Sun chuckled and waved his hands repeatedly, "President Wang, you really love to make witty remarks."

Wang Xiao said seriously, "This is not a joke, it's the truth. On the surface, Japan is still the leader in the semiconductor industry, but in reality, its position is already precarious."

She gestured, "Because of politics and economics, politics comes before economics, it can control the economy."

She switched to Russian and greeted the more than forty scientists and engineers on the luxury bus, saying, "Welcome to Xiaozhou, where we will create history for the chip industry together."

Sparse applause broke out.

We're all adults here; everyone knows we have to applaud when the leader speaks.

As for what the leader says, who cares? As long as the leader is happy.

Wang Xiao laughed: "It seems everyone doesn't take my words seriously, thinking I'm just spouting slogans. But I'm not bragging or exaggerating, I'm stating the facts. With the rise of the three powers, the Japanese and American models have now formed a balance of power, and this is the time for us, the third force, to rise."

She raised her left index finger and said, "This is Japan's semiconductor industry. Without a doubt, after a period of dormancy and accumulation in the 1970s, and with the enormous energy of the national system, Japan's semiconductor industry became the global hegemon starting in the 1980s."

"But this also foreshadowed its decline. Because they angered the Americans. The real reason for the American rage during the Toshiba machine tool incident in the 1980s is something that everyone here knows very well."

"The United States took this opportunity to begin its efforts to strangle Japan's semiconductor industry."

"Japan's situation dictates that it cannot cope with the United States' strength and dares not confront it head-on. Therefore, the Japanese semiconductor industry is currently in a state of overall contraction."

She gave an example: "Take PC chips, for instance. With the global development of information technology, everyone knows that the future of PC chips is bright. However, in order not to anger the Americans, Japan's chip industry has not dared to make much progress in this area to this day."

"at the same time--"

She raised her second finger, "The United States has started its own new model. It sets the rules for the semiconductor industry, breaking the entire industry down into four segments: chip materials, chip equipment, chip design, and chip manufacturing, and deploying them in different countries to reduce production costs."

"Back then, the Japanese defeated the American semiconductor industry through a price war. Now the United States is retaliating in kind."

"Moreover, this split means that no country involved in any of the links can be the leader, and they all have to act according to the whims of the Americans."

"In this way, the United States has returned to the center of the world's semiconductor industry."

"It can be said that Japan's defeat was only a matter of time."

Wang Xiao turned to look at Secretary Sun and said seriously, "To put it bluntly, Shougang NEC is just a processing and assembly factory. Japan's semiconductor industry is declining, so how long can Shougang NEC's good days last? This path is not viable, and I certainly cannot repeat the same mistakes."

Secretary Sun, being a politician, frowned, pondered for a moment, and nodded in agreement: "Then we really can't side with Japan."

Even the Japanese themselves dare not confront the United States. Anyone who sides with it at this time is just asking to be taken advantage of.

What if we side with the US and become a link in the international industrial chain based on the American model?

Putting aside other things, if TSMC can build a modern factory, then they can too.

Wang Xiao continued to shake his head: "No, the Americans won't play with us."

Her gaze swept over the former Soviet semiconductor experts. "Otherwise, why has the Russian president repeatedly expressed his desire to join NATO, while the United States has consistently refused?"

She sighed softly, raising her voice, "Because the Americans know better than we do that we're not on their side. So—"

She clenched her fist, raised her arm, and shouted, "We can only take the third path: the path of independence and self-reliance, the path of not depending on anyone!"

“We have the best engineering team, we have a vast civilian market, and we are willing to continuously invest money to nurture its growth.”

"There's no reason why we can't take this third path!"