Chapter 318 Three-wheeled vehicle: Just because he doesn't want to do it doesn't mean he can't.

But the Party Secretary of Jiangdong Province is still the Party Secretary of Jiangdong Province. No matter how high her position or how powerful she is, she cannot solve the current predicament of the profiteers in Moscow.

After all, even if everyone invests in Jiangdong, it doesn't mean they will give up their business in Moscow.

Are you kidding me? Fortune favors the bold.

If making money in Moscow were as easy as closing your eyes and taking no risks, then it wouldn't be a chance for these grass-roots who crawled out of the mud.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket; only a fool would give up the eggs in Moscow.

They can't rely on Secretary Fang from afar; they have to solve the predicament in Moscow themselves.

Faced with a choice between force and circumstance, how can they save the Jill Truck Factory from this conflict?

Everyone racked their brains, thinking about how to keep the truck factory alive whenever they had a spare moment during the day while doing business. At night, when they went to the canteen for dinner and had a bottle of beer, they stopped chatting and started discussing how to keep the factory alive.

Wow, how come this factory is so big?

How many people does Russia have in total? Yet one factory can employ 100,000 people.

No wonder the Russian mayor wanted to revive the factory. Otherwise, 100,000 people would lose their jobs, and that would turn Moscow upside down.

Tsk tsk, why did China crack down so hard back then? Wasn't it because too many people were unemployed and things were going to get messy?

After downing two beers and eating some salted peanuts, the middleman complained, "Hey, why don't these Russians buy cars anymore? If they were willing to buy cars, would the factory be struggling to survive? A car factory isn't a clothing factory; you can't just move a few sewing machines around and start one."

The state-owned enterprises in his hometown couldn't survive because of the influx of township and village enterprises.

Russia doesn't have any township or village enterprises whatsoever.

The man sitting across from him raised his beer glass: "Isn't that the impact of imported cars? The Russians are all buying imported cars, who would still buy cars produced in their own factories?"

"What the hell!" At the next table, a person spit out the edamame shells from his mouth, pointed at the television with his chopsticks, and said, "If the Russians don't like their domestically produced cars, why would they advertise giving away Nikko cars?"

The television was playing an investment advertisement. It claimed that investing 10,000 rubles would give you a chance to win a free Žigli car in a lucky draw.

There are far too many advertisements like this in Moscow, making all sorts of promises and daring to make any kind of boast.

The fact that they were willing to use a Nikko sedan as bait clearly shows that the Russians still like their domestically produced cars.

Why don't they buy cars from the Gill factory?

I don't have money!

With factories shutting down so severely and the ruble depreciating so drastically, how much money do ordinary people have left?

The old woman who ate liangpi (cold skin noodles) concluded: "It was all because of poverty."

That's a problem that none of us can really solve.

If they had that kind of ability, they wouldn't be working as middlemen in Moscow; wouldn't it be better for them to go back to China and become officials?

People began to sigh. Some drank beer, some drank mung bean soup, and some stared blankly at the television while sipping kvass, a traditional Russian beverage.

"Oh, if only the car could be half the price!" The old woman pointed at the TV. "If the car were half the price, so many people would want it!"

The television no longer broadcasts commercials; instead, it shows news reports about how even officials from the Ministry of Finance are trying to get a half-price car from this investment.

Wang Xiao had slept for a few hours in his office at the container market at noon, and was still in good spirits. Hearing this, he shook his head and said, "There's no way to offer a discount; the production costs are what they are."

In fact, the production cost of the trucks manufactured by the Gill Trucks factory is actually higher than the government-guided price, and the factory relies on government subsidies.

One dealer didn't seem to care: "It's better to use less material. We're not making military vehicles anymore, so why would we need so much good material?"

"You dare?" someone retorted. "You'd buy a car that's shortchanged? Why buy a sedan then? You might as well just buy a three-wheeled motorcycle. That's a real bargain!"

The people in the cafeteria burst into laughter, and the person being mocked blushed.

Amidst a sea of ​​joy, Wang Xiao suddenly raised his hand: "What were you guys talking about just now?"

"You're talking about three-wheeled vehicles," the second sister said, turning her head and laughing. "Why buy a car? Why not just buy a three-wheeled vehicle? It can still be driven, can carry people and goods, and it's cheaper."

Wang Xiao exclaimed in admiration, slamming his hand on the table and standing up: "That's right, it's a three-wheeled vehicle!"

Before she time-traveled, three-wheeled vehicles suddenly became popular in Europe and America.

Although it is popular, it is more due to the network effect of short video dissemination and its social currency attribute of "if others have it, I'll show it off".

But the fact that it was chosen by the traffic sources means that the three-wheeled vehicle must have its advantages.

Wang Xiao counted on his fingers: "Three-wheeled vehicles can carry people and goods, and can also be modified into special vehicles such as water sprinklers and garbage trucks according to different needs, which can meet the needs of various scenarios such as supermarket warehousing and procurement, short-distance transportation, and farm transportation."

Everyone was stunned, trying hard to recall the three-wheeled vehicles they had seen in the country.

The domestically produced three-wheeled vehicles from 1994 all used gasoline, not electricity, so their main purpose was not agricultural vehicles and they had not yet replaced tractors.

Its main strength now lies in being an ultra-cheap alternative to taxis, vans, and cars, primarily used for transporting people.

But after Ms. Wang said that, everyone thought about it carefully and realized that it seemed like all the uses she mentioned could be achieved.

Wang Xiao started counting on her fingers again, recalling a series of short videos she had watched: "Three-wheeled vehicles are easy to operate and learn, have a small turning radius, are flexible to drive, and can be easily mastered by men, women, young and old. Moreover, they are small in size, so they can drive through narrow roads and traffic jams."

Of course, the most important point, as the middlemen have already mentioned, is that three-wheeled vehicles are cheap.

Its cost is less than one-tenth that of a pickup truck.

At this price, it has all the basic functions, what more could you ask for?

Wang Xiao clapped his hands and made a decision immediately: "This is it."

It can meet basic transportation needs, is faster than a tractor, and is highly practical.

In this situation, if the Russians don't like riding three-wheeled vehicles, it just means they have no taste!

The middlemen and women exchanged bewildered glances, their first reaction being that it was somewhat absurd.

The reason why three-wheeled vehicles have become popular in China is because there are few cars.

With so many cars in Moscow, why would the Russians care about those old-fashioned three-wheeled vehicles?

But we're desperate, so we might as well give it a shot. We don't have any other good ideas right now, so let's just go for it.

Anyway, you have to start doing it first, and think about it as you go. Otherwise, you'll feel lost and empty all day, and the more you think about it, the more anxious you'll become.

Besides, these Russians are all acting like they're on steroids right now, desperately hoping for a windfall, what more could they possibly want?

It's good enough that they have a car to use.

Wang Xiao acted immediately, packing up the jelly and heading to Ivanov.

Don't ask why it's jelly noodles. That's just what he likes now.

Ivanov had just woken up and was sitting by the window, staring blankly at the bustling commercial street. The grand theater in the distance was brightly lit, and closer still, the music from the nightclubs drifted to his ears on the evening breeze.

Wang Xiao handed him some cold noodles, and he mechanically ate two bites without tasting anything.

On the contrary, his ears came online earlier than his mouth. As the sound entered his ears and then his brain, his eyes widened and widened until they finally settled into a (⊙o⊙) pose.

Is this all you've said today?

Wang Xiao nodded, sincerely praising the middlemen: "They have to be people who deal with customers every day, who know what customers want, and who know how to simplify things."

Back then, Sharp of Japan reduced the price of its solar-powered calculator to $4 by streamlining components to the maximum extent and retaining only the core functions, thus directly monopolizing the entire market.

Later, Wenzhou merchants in China also demonstrated the same spirit, managing to drive down the price of expensive lighters to less than one yuan, and they sold them all over the world.

Now, they're going to pull off a three-wheeled vehicle miracle in Russia.

Ivanov's eyes were wide open and he couldn't close them at all.

No, Wang, aren't you focusing on the wrong thing? We're currently in an awkward situation, caught between a rock and a hard place.

We don't want to be anyone's money bag, but they all want to be our money bag.

Wang Xiao didn't eat the cold noodles, but instead opened a cantaloupe and ate it with her mouth full of juice.

Her voice, like that of a cantaloupe, carried the coolness and sweetness of a summer night: "Don't overthink it. When you can't figure out what to do next, just focus on doing what you're doing. Maybe as you keep doing it, the problem you're facing will be solved."

Ivanov let out a long sigh of relief, took the remaining half of the melon, and began to eat it.

He had actually made up his mind, but he just hadn't made up his mind yet.

Is power truly unattainable? Not necessarily.

Why were Punonin and Luzhkov able to wield such power? Simply put, they were merely junior tsars under the Great Tsar, who had gained the president's support.

Are they the only ones who can do it? Of course not.

Long ago, he and Wang had already discussed how the president could win the support of voters and be re-elected if financial reforms continued to fail.

That is, controlling public opinion.

They control television stations, newspapers, and radio, and incidentally bribe journalists. They ensure everyone hears praise for the president and acknowledges his hardships.

Therefore, even the wisest citizen can be swayed by public opinion and doubt whether their dissatisfaction stems from their own excessive demands.

As for how to bribe the reporter?

What do you do when you encounter a reporter who is particularly principled and unwilling to relinquish their crown as an uncrowned king?

There's no need for blatant bribery; simply offering them well-intentioned benefits will suffice.

For example, since rent is expensive in Moscow, he can provide rental housing for journalists at a low price.

As for where to get those houses? Moscow has far too many dilapidated and vacant houses.

He could get the right to use the road from Luzhkov as payment for his roadworks and taking over the mess that was the ZIL truck factory.

After renovation, it was rented out cheaply to the city's impoverished intellectuals.

He who takes a bribe is bound to be subservient to another; even if they don't follow his orders as readily as he would, they are unlikely to stand against him in the future.

While eating cantaloupe, Ivanov pondered the implementation details one by one.

Furthermore, some things he doesn't do simply because he doesn't want to, not because he can't.

If you push him too far, he'll do anything, he's capable of anything.

Why be someone else's knife? They can be their own knives.

Politicians are always self-righteous, thinking they are the masters of the country, and they always look down on businessmen and any other group.

Since you can't treat me as an equal, why should I treat you as an equal?

I can be a king too.

Ivanov finished the melon in his hand, wiped his hands with a wet wipe, and nodded: "Okay, let's make a three-wheeled vehicle."

The military vehicle orders are uncertain when they will be placed, and the civilian truck production line they obtained from the Japanese still needs to be transported, installed, and tested. They might as well try to make money on their own first.

The summer of 1994 in Moscow was unusually hot, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, and the asphalt roads were so hot they softened.

On the first day of August, Wang Xiao, as a representative of Chinese businessmen in Moscow, was greeted by Secretary Fang at the airport. The latter shook hands with her, expressing the leader's concern, and his first words were: "Why have you lost weight again? Are you suffering from the summer heat in Moscow?"

Wang Xiao nodded quite naturally and told her in a serious tone, "Yes, people in the market have suffered from heatstroke."

The deputy mayor of the Moscow city government personally went to the airport to welcome the delegation from Jiangdong, China, and exclaimed, "Moscow is unusually hot this year. I haven't experienced a summer like this for many years."

Secretary Fang complimented the other party, saying, "This just shows how hot the reforms are in Moscow, and everyone can feel the vibrant energy of Moscow."

The deputy mayor accepted her praise with a smile and invited her into the car.

According to the original plan, Wang Xiao should have taken the car behind.

But Secretary Fang held her hand and didn't let go, so she naturally got into the VIP's car.

What could the deputy mayor do? Of course, he had to respect the guest's wishes, act as if nothing had happened, and naturally get into the passenger seat.

He guessed that this Chinese businessman, Miss Wang, also had a strong network of connections in their country.

Look how warmly Secretary Fang from Jiangdong treated her; he spoke to her softly as soon as they got in the car.

That's true, isn't that how it is in socialist countries? If businessmen don't cultivate good relationships with the government and don't have powerful officials behind them, what kind of business can they do?

Of course, the same is true for Moscow today.

If you really want to differentiate them, there are still some differences.

For example, if the roles were reversed and the mayor of Moscow visited Jiangdong Province, the streets would most likely be quiet.

The current situation will absolutely not happen—

What a chaotic scene this is!

Countless people, countless heads jostling together on the street, like an army of ants rushing to move before a storm.

There were elderly people holding signs that read "Give me back my pension" looking around in bewilderment. The edges of the signs were frayed, as if they had been torn from old newspapers.

A middle-aged woman sat on the curb, weeping, clutching a tin box tightly to her chest. The box had been overturned in the collision, scattering faded stock certificates all over the ground, but no one bothered to pick them up.

Just three days ago, these stock certificates were seen as a wealth code by Russians, a code they were willing to mortgage their apartments for to buy.

Riot police were trying to hold back the agitated crowd; their shields formed a silver-gray wall, but the eyes of young soldiers peeked out from between the shields, looking more bewildered than the muzzles of guns.

The sound of the crowd crashed against the car windows, and through the bulletproof glass, you could also hear muffled Russian words, such as "scammer" and "stocks and securities."

Secretary Fang looked surprised and glanced at the vice mayor in the rearview mirror.

The unfortunate deputy mayor directed the driver to change lanes while cursing under his breath, "These damned guys, they had to make things this bad."

Faced with the VIP's surprise and confusion, instead of pretending not to see it, he could only awkwardly explain, "It's an investment company, MMM Company, that can't fulfill its investment promises."

This matter started on July 28th.

He had thought that after the commotion over the weekend, it was Monday and everyone would be going to work, so there wouldn't be anyone crowding the streets of Warsaw anymore.

Unexpectedly, even more investors came today demanding answers.

This caused the Moscow government to lose face in front of foreign guests.

Secretary Fang was quite understanding and immediately showed an understanding smile: "In the process of transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy, all sorts of problems will inevitably occur, and it's unavoidable to stumble into pitfalls. It's better to expose them early so that more people won't be deceived."

MMM Company is a very famous company. It has been reported by Chinese newspapers and is comparable to the Great Wall Securities case that caused a great uproar in China last year.

The deputy mayor sighed, "That's right. If this continues, who knows what kind of mess it will get into."

This little incident actually made the atmosphere in the car much more harmonious.

Later, when everyone saw the three-wheeled vehicles near the container market, the deputy mayor took the initiative to introduce them: "These were conceived by Chinese businessmen who invested in our Jier Truck Factory. Look how flexible they are!"

The city government's cars welcoming the VIPs were still stuck in traffic, but the three-wheeled vehicles that were originally following behind them had already nimbly swerved onto the side road and continued to chug forward, looking incredibly dashing and carefree.

Many pedestrians on the sidewalk looked on curiously, and some even showed envious expressions.

Secretary Fang was genuinely surprised. He glanced at Wang Xiao subconsciously before smiling and responding to the Moscow Deputy Mayor's words: "The ZIL Truck Factory is truly seeking innovation and change. Back then, it assisted in the construction of FAW in China, laying the foundation for China's automobile industry. Now, it has transitioned from military to civilian production, taking the lead again and producing what the people need most."

The deputy mayor, not wanting to take credit, gestured to Wang Xiao, saying, "It was Miss Wang and her business associates who came up with this idea."

Even though he didn't have much affection for these Chinese black marketeers, he had to admit that they were incredibly skilled at doing business.

By attaching a motorcycle engine to a pedicab and making some minor modifications, it becomes a small truck, priced at the equivalent of only two hundred and fifty US dollars.

After shuttle merchants started renting three-wheeled vehicles to transport goods from the container market to the station, Muscovites began to follow suit.

The first to take action were the farmers in the suburbs.

According to Moscow's road traffic laws, tractors are not allowed in the city, but there are no laws regulating this type of vehicle, known as a "sanbengzi".

Farmers used it to haul large quantities of vegetables and fruits from their land, which was much more convenient than taking trains or buses.

Their meager pensions and retirement funds are insufficient to buy expensive cars or afford long-distance vacations.

Riding a three-wheeled motorcycle with one's spouse to the Sparrow Hills, the banks of the Mos River, or to a suburban cottage to escape the summer heat has become a common sight in Moscow this summer.

The deputy mayor even cracked a joke: "Miss Wang, you should start producing three-wheeled vehicles sooner. That way, MMM Company's smooth talk won't be able to fool everyone anymore. People can directly use their investment money to buy three-wheeled vehicles instead of expecting luxury cars in their fantasies."

Wang Xiao laughed, with a hint of teasing: "You can't blame us for that. The mayor only asked us to donate money to build churches, hospitals, and roads, but he didn't ask us to manage the Jill Truck Factory."

The deputy mayor sighed, "This is a mistake by our Moscow city government, a mistake by society. Everyone only saw the wealth in the businessmen's pockets, but not the wealth in their minds. Without the latter, there would be no former."

Wang Xiao smiled meaningfully, making a double entendre: "That's why smart housewives never have the heart to kill a hen; a hen is a housewife's little bank."

The deputy mayor was clearly a rare cheerful and talkative person among the Russians. He let out a loud laugh: "Yes, yes, yes, that's what you call the concept of sustainable development, Secretary Fang, don't you think?"

Secretary Fang nodded, speaking in a serious tone: "Of course, the fuel consumption of a three-wheeled vehicle is much lower than that of a sedan."

The deputy mayor was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

That's brilliant! In 1992, the United Nations Rio Conference on Environment and Development adopted Agenda 21, which listed sustainable development as a global action plan.

The Chinese are truly tactful; they deftly steered the conversation back to the three-wheeled vehicle itself.

The car drove to the hotel arranged by the Moscow authorities, where the Jiangdong delegation would stay for a short rest before attending the welcome banquet that evening.

Punonin proactively sought the opportunity to participate in security, reasoning that Chinese businessmen in Moscow had become a force to be reckoned with, and he hoped to gain a deeper understanding of the situation in order to address the problem of Moscow's massive tax revenue losses.

But at this moment, watching Wang Xiao get out of the car behind that Chinese provincial secretary, Punonin, who didn't need to greet him, didn't hold back in teasing Ivanov: "Looks like you're planning to become a son-in-law of China."

He had been keeping a close eye on Ivanov's movements ever since their unpleasant encounter at the concentration camp gate.

But to his surprise, aside from attending business gatherings and keeping up with business trends, this guy spent almost all his time in the workshop of the Jill Trucks factory.

He was busy setting up the Suzuki 50 production line and working on that three-wheeled vehicle, showing no intention of getting close to any officials.

Even after Luzhkov returned from his overseas vacation, he didn't visit him immediately, but instead stayed in the workshop, getting covered in machine oil every day.

Ivanov glanced at him and said seriously, "Are you jealous of me?"

Punonin thought he was crazy: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Ivanov had already turned and left, leaving behind only one sentence: "Since you're not jealous, why do you care what I do?"

He still had to greet important guests.

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[Let me see] Good morning!