Chapter 330 Autumn and Winter: How could they be so cruel?

Many years later, when Director Cao had retired from his position as a leader in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which he had once looked down upon, he still couldn't help but use the word "shocking" to describe the Michael Jackson concert held in front of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in Pudong, Shanghai on National Day in 1994.

Truly, before and after this, none of the countless concerts he personally participated in and organized in Shanghai, including the later concerts in the even larger 80,000-seat stadium, could have had as profound an impact on him as this one.

For the first time, he realized that an international superstar could truly have such a huge influence.

A sea of ​​people, with crowds surging in from all directions.

Before the concert even started, binoculars outside the venue were selling like hotcakes.

The vendors' carts came one after another, and they could sell as many binoculars as they carried.

At the time, Director Cao was inexperienced and could only stare in disbelief at the scene, marveling at the fans' generosity.

Wang Xiao, being more experienced, immediately realized something was wrong and began searching the surrounding area.

Wow, everyone says Shanghainese are shrewd, and it's true!

Surprisingly, some residents around the venue started renting out their houses for a spot as early as September 29th, when Michael Jackson first rehearsed on location.

It costs 20 yuan per person to stand by the window and in the corridor, looking towards the venue with binoculars.

Good heavens, thankfully they discovered it early and stopped them.

Otherwise, on the night of the concert, the entire venue would have felt like an earthquake; those watching the concert from their apartment buildings would have felt like the buildings were collapsing.

Although Director Cao has a liberal arts background, he at least studied physics in junior high school and understands the principle of resonance!

That night at the concert, everyone went crazy, crying, shouting, yelling, and making a scene.

Even ambulances were dispatched; some people were so excited they became dizzy and had to be carried out for emergency treatment.

On a small hill not far away, there was also a crowd of people with binoculars.

The government can manage the residential buildings, but it can't very well take control of this small hill.

What did they do in the end? They sent armed police to maintain order and prevent the fans from getting too excited and rolling down the mountain.

On the day of the concert, in addition to deploying armed police officers to maintain order, all leaders and cadres in Pudong, including school teachers, were mobilized to act as local guides, leading fans into the venue and promoting Shanghai's tourist attractions.

We've come all this way, we can't just go to a concert, can we? We should eat and do some shopping.

Director Cao remembers that his voice was hoarse that day, and his shirt kept getting wet and then drying. He had never felt that October in Shanghai was so hot.

When he got home late at night, he suddenly realized that his shirt was covered in salt stains.

But if you ask him if he's tired?

Years later, Director Cao, who had already retired from a high position, told the reporter who interviewed him with unwavering certainty: "Not tired!"

He didn't feel tired at all.

I was so busy on National Day that I couldn't relax and felt exhausted.

When fatigue set in the next day, the good news that arrived at the same time immediately dispelled the weariness.

On October 2, 1994, less than twelve hours after the concert ended.

Foreign companies that had previously been observing the situation began to visit the development companies in various districts of Pudong one after another, and decided to sign contracts and enter the market.

Director Cao was utterly dumbfounded; this was just too outrageous.

Despite the government's extensive policy promotion and numerous site visits, they remained hesitant.

Once I organized a concert, they made the decision.

It's clear that people aren't listening to what you say, but rather watching what you do.

Michael Jackson's trip to Shanghai made Director Cao grin from ear to ear.

Wherever he went, that place would become a hotspot, and for the next few months, a steady stream of tourists would flock from all over the world just to catch a glimpse of the same place where Michael Jackson had been.

Wait, how do they know where Michael Jackson went?

There was no online live streaming in 1994.

But there was a documentary in 1994.

Michael Jackson did not have an easy year.

His team desperately needs positive events to help him salvage his public image, which has been tarnished by tabloids.

So during their trip to Shanghai, they filmed a documentary, which can be considered a free promotion for Shanghai.

So much so that when the Ministry of Culture was later reorganized into the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Director Cao felt that the reorganization was too late and that the functions should have been merged long ago.

Michael Jackson spent a total of one week in Shanghai.

But the butterfly effect he triggered has only just begun.

Next, he set another record in China: the record for movie box office.

Michael Jackson's concert film was rushed out and released in late October.

Then, continuing until the end of December, the film swept the box office of 120 million yuan from cities to villages, with tickets costing only five yuan each.

It is said that the last movie to achieve such a glorious success was called "Shaolin Temple".

Over the next few decades, countless films were released in China, naturally breaking this box office record.

However, in the realm of concert films, "Michael Jackson 1994 Shanghai Concert" has always been unparalleled and unmatched.

Wow, the business owners who can build such large businesses are all incredibly smart.

Take this Michael Jackson concert for example. Although all the proceeds were donated, it became a golden brand for Wuzhou Culture Company.

Moreover, the guest performer who sang with Michael Jackson at the concert was a singer signed with Wuzhou Company.

He became famous worldwide as Michael Jackson's concert films were shown, and while he may not have become a global superstar, he certainly gained national recognition.

It will be a money tree in the future.

Furthermore, those singers from Hong Kong and Taiwan, seeing how successful and popular Michael Jackson's Shanghai concert was, naturally sought cooperation with Wuzhou Company, wanting to follow suit.

Of course, that's a story for another time.

The concert in Shanghai in 1994 really made Wang Xiao feel like something suddenly clicked – it was the lithography machine project.

Previously, Mr. Hu, the general manager of Pudong Science and Technology Park Development Company, asked Wang Xiao to free up 50 mu of land from the 3,000 mu of land in order to complete the relocation of Factory 700, Factory 709, Factory 767, and Institute 45.

Later, Wang Xiao, understanding the bigger picture and with the intention of contributing to the country's semiconductor industry, allocated 50 mu of land to others as shares.

She also provided an alternative: if the relocation of the Third Institute was difficult, she could pay them to send people to work for her through a labor dispatch agency.

But from early summer to autumn, and soon it will be winter, several months have passed, and no one has come to work on the 50 mu of land. The Third Factory and the First Institute have no interest in organizing a labor dispatch team to work for her, this private boss.

Coincidentally, Wang Xiao's dream of overtaking others with immersion lithography machines has been shattered after Mr. Zheng, a genuine lithography machine expert in Wuhan, explained the technology to him.

So she watched the matter from the sidelines, waiting to take the land back next year and do her own thing.

The Michael Jackson concert movie had just been released when General Manager Hu informed her: "Get ready, 45 people who voluntarily took unpaid leave will be coming over next month."

Wang Xiao was completely bewildered. It took him a moment to realize what Institute 45 was all about.

Oh, you study lithography machines.

Wang Xiao was astonished: "Why is the 45th Institute willing to make a move?"

“Vice Premier Hong has already spoken out, specifically inquiring about this matter and asking why nothing has been done yet?”

President Hu exclaimed, "Mr. Wang, you're amazing! Even the Premier spoke up for you."

Wang Xiao quickly shook his head in denial: "Please don't joke around, what merit do I have?"

Mr. Hu smiled but remained silent, his heart filled with emotion.

Look at their capabilities; they clearly flew to Beijing to resolve obstacles to their concert.

And now? Not only have the concert been held and the movie been released, but even the lithography machine project, which has nothing to do with this, is about to fail and is still not coming to fruition.

Because she was keeping an eye on things, she caught the leader's eye again, and things could take a turn for the better.

Even the relocation of 45 schools was delayed internally, so Vice Premier Hong directly said: "Those who are unwilling to leave can stay, and those who are willing to leave can leave, but leave without pay is fine."

But Wang Xiao was never satisfied and was still not content: "Only 45 institutes? Are the remaining three factories not going to be touched?"

"Oh dear, the institutions have all been reformed. It's already good enough that they can move one of the 45th Institutes."

Mr. Hu comforted her, "Besides, you don't lack electronics factories."

Then he sighed, "Be content, Mr. Wang. Based on my years of experience dealing with them, it's a miracle that they were able to get things moving so quickly."

Wang Xiao nodded and accepted the leader's kindness with a smile: "Alright, alright, thank you for your concern and care, leader."

The immersion lithography machine project, which aimed to overtake competitors by taking a shortcut, has failed. Where will she place the people?

Just pack everything up and give it to Mr. Zheng, and let him be in charge of arranging the work.

She wasn't worried about a group of people who would just eat and not work.

To put it simply, these days, people who have a secure job and still dare to take a leave of absence without pay are all confident in their skills.

Like a Sunday engineer, if your skills are subpar, you'd be too embarrassed to go out and make a fool of yourself.

We'll just hand them over to Old Zheng, so he won't keep complaining about not having anyone to help with the work.

As for the equipment and materials they need for their research, that's easy to arrange.

If we can get something through connections with Russian and Ukrainian technicians, we'll just do it.

If we can't get them, we'll expand our search and use Tang Yicheng's channels in Hong Kong to smuggle the goods over under different names.

If all else fails, smuggling is an option.

It is now 1994. The Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM) has finally been dissolved, and the Wassenaar Arrangement has not yet been signed.

Why not take advantage of this break and get to work instead of just sitting there waiting?

That's the good thing about being a boss. She can just make a phone call, wave her hand, and everyone gets back to their places, and that's it.

Unfortunately, Wang Xiao only had time to go to the cinema to watch the concert once and discuss with Xiang Dong what to pay attention to when making a concert movie like this next time; then she ended her autumn trip to Shanghai and went straight back to the cold winter in Moscow.

Because Ivanov called her, sounding like he was about to break: "Your Majesty, can you come back? I need you."

Startled, Wang Xiao asked, "What happened? What's wrong? What did they do to you?"

If we're talking about hardships, the setbacks she experienced after returning home this autumn were nothing compared to the truly pitiful one: the unlucky Ivanov.

On October 11, "Black Tuesday" broke out almost without warning, with the ruble plummeting by 27%, and Russia instantly plunged into despair.

Well, to be fair, "Black Tuesday" was good news for Wang Xiao and Ivanov, those two capitalists.

They have banks, and they're shorting the ruble.

But a butterfly flapping its wings in South America caused a hurricane in Texas.

The hurricane of ruble devaluation also swept through Ivanov, who was sitting at home when trouble came out of nowhere.

Because someone has to take responsibility for the ruble's plunge, right?

The president himself was unwilling to take responsibility, and the prime minister was also unwilling to blame himself for the incident.

The Kremlin believes that the mayor of Moscow and the financiers surrounding him should be held responsible.

The deputy prime minister in charge of financial reforms made a very simple accusation: it was Luzhkov's obstruction of privatization, turning Moscow into his own private kingdom, that made the country's economic reforms so difficult.

If it's just some harmless accusation, then it's not a big problem.

But in Moscow, politics always reigns supreme when it comes to the economy.

Soon, a political manhunt targeting the mayor began.

On the morning of November 19, 1994, readers of Rossiyskaya Gazeta were surprised to find an article titled "It's Snowing" published in this state-run newspaper that supports the Kremlin.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't an essay describing the snowy scenery of Moscow.

Frankly, Muscovites probably aren't that interested in snow.

What they would be interested in is the inside information revealed in the article, which claims that Moscow financier Gusinsky is doing everything in his power to secretly plot for Luzhkov to replace the current president and become the monarch of Russia from the king of Moscow.

I don't know if this news is true or false.

However, anyone with even a modicum of political acumen could easily realize that Luzhkov had lost the president's trust.

Otherwise, Rossiyskaya Gazeta would never have written such a thing in black and white.

This was a warning to Luzhkov.

As a political newcomer introduced to the president by Luzhkov, Ivanov's situation naturally became awkward.

He couldn't simply distance himself from Luzhkov because of this, otherwise the latter would definitely hold a grudge.

However, he couldn't offer Luzhkov any special treatment or help, otherwise the paranoid president in the Kremlin would definitely label him a Luzhkov faction.

Left with no other option, Ivanov simply chose to remain neutral.

He sent wine to both the mayor and the president of Moscow. It was wine they made together in a suburban vineyard in September, when Wang Xiao was still in Moscow.

On the other hand, he simply plunged into the factory, burying himself in restoring the production line, displaying a typical attitude of ignoring everything else.

Wang Xiao believes that this approach is acceptable.

He demonstrated his attitude through his actions: I am a person who runs a real business. How you make money is your business, I will not interfere.

Why did Ivanov suddenly become so depressed, even making an international call to Wang Xiao, asking her to go back?

It wasn't convenient to discuss over the phone, and Wang Xiao didn't pry, simply replying with one word: "Okay!"

She immediately gave instructions while riding in the car, and after arriving at the airport, she flew back to Moscow.

To be honest, Moscow in late November 1994 was hardly charming.

The feeling was even more pronounced for Wang Xiao and his group, who had just flown in from vibrant Shanghai.

As soon as I got off the plane, the sub-zero wind, carrying diesel exhaust and the smell of sludge from the snow, hit me. Everything felt tired and worn out, and the leaden sky was filled with gloom.

Wang Xiao couldn't help but sigh and called to his subordinates, "Let's go."

The car bumped along the dilapidated road, and Ivan, who had come to pick him up, muttered to himself, "Maybe he'll be a good president."

Who is he? Given Ivan's political stance, he is definitely not the one currently sitting in the Kremlin.

So he probably supports the mayor.

Wang Xiao immediately changed the subject: "How is Ivanov now?"

Ivan shrugged. The short lifespan of the Slavs had turned the once charming boy, as lovely as a daffodil, into a middle-aged man who was hard to describe.

Now, the man's face was full of worry: "I don't know what to say, Miss Wang, I've never seen Mr. Ivanov like this before."

How should I describe it?

When Wang Xiao got out of the car and arrived at the villa, it was already dark.

Even when it was daylight, no light could reach the room because the curtains were drawn tightly, and Ivanov had locked himself inside.

The housekeeper said worriedly, "Poor child, he's going to drown himself in wine."

He didn't eat anything after he came back yesterday, not even his favorite apple pie.

Wang Xiao knocked on the door and called his name softly: "Ivan, it's me, open the door."

The door opened, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted out. Then, a strong force dragged Wang Xiao inside.

She had to reach out and slap him: "Hey! God, how can anyone stay here? Come out with me."

She couldn't drag Ivanov, who was as big as a bear.

But there are bodyguards and assistants there.

With everyone using their two hands, they carried the dissolute male boss to the female boss's room.

As for why it's not a meeting room or something? Are you kidding me? The meeting room is downstairs.

Wang Xiao didn't care. He first asked someone to bring over a hot towel to wipe Ivanov's face, whose eyes were staring blankly.

After finally managing to get the person back to a presentable appearance, she asked, "What happened?"

Ivanov was as if possessed; his eyes were fixed straight ahead, unfocused, and he remained silent.

Wang Xiao didn't urge him, and gently patted his back: "Okay, okay, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't. How about we have some rice wine?"

His stomach is full of alcohol right now, so he probably can't eat anything else. It would be better if each of them had a bowl of sweet fermented rice soup with meatballs, which would make his stomach feel better.

This time, Ivanov didn't refuse and drank the fermented rice balls one sip at a time.

Don't ask where the fermented rice wine or the glutinous rice balls came from in Moscow.

Are you kidding me? The container market has everything.

After finishing his soup, Ivanov remained silent, slumped on the sofa in a daze.

Wang Xiao was tired and sleepy. Seeing that he didn't say anything, she simply took off her coat and lay down on the bed to sleep.

What else could she do? Train the hawks.

If he doesn't want to talk, then he shouldn't. He'll naturally speak when he wants to.

The others looked at each other, seemingly unable to find any better solutions.

Without saying a word, everyone closed the door and simply left the male boss to the female boss.

Wang Xiao was quite carefree; he slept soundly until midnight before waking up.

She was startled when she opened her eyes.

Imagine this: you're working hard at your computer, and when you look up, an owl is perched above your monitor, staring at you. How would that feel?

That's exactly how Wang Xiao feels right now.

Ivanov actually moved the sofa chair to the bedside and just stared at her longingly.

Wang Xiao was speechless. He had no choice but to sit up, wrapped in the blanket, yawn, and try to perk himself up: "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

She was so sleepy that tears were about to fall.

Ivanov's voice choked instantly: "How could they do this? They're sending people to their deaths."

Wang Xiao couldn't keep up with his pace: "Who? Who sent someone to their death?"

“The Kremlin,” Ivanov exclaimed excitedly. “Those were all new recruits, they knew nothing, they hadn’t received any training, and they were sent to Rogovny.”

What is Rogözny? It's the capital of Chechnya.

Wang Xiao's sleepiness vanished instantly, his eyes widening: "They attacked Chechnya?"

Good heavens, they've been talking about this since last year, and the Kremlin has finally taken action.

But what about the recruits who know nothing?

"They secretly arranged for 47 tank crewmen to attack Dudayev in Rogovny. These soldiers were all new recruits who went to the battlefield without knowing what was going on, and were hit by rocket artillery. Some died, and some were taken prisoner."

Ivanov became increasingly agitated as he spoke, “They just carelessly threw people onto the battlefield like that, they didn’t value human life at all!”

Because he had drunk too much and hadn't rested properly, his eyes were bloodshot under the lamplight. "Tell me, besides the devil, who would do such a cruel thing? Only the devil would send recruits to the battlefield!"

As he continued, tears streamed down Ivanov's face.

He has always been a kind and soft-hearted person, and he cannot accept such indifference that disregards life.

Wang Xiao sighed, and only after his sobs subsided did he speak: "Do you know about the war between China and Vietnam?"

Ivanov took the paper she handed him and nodded.

He knew this, of course, because at the time Vietnam was being looked after by the Soviet Union, but China attacked without warning, putting the Soviet Union in a rather awkward position.

"Many of those who went to the battlefield at that time were new recruits who had only been trained for a few months."

Ivanov suddenly looked up, his eyes wide, making him look almost ten years younger than his actual age: "Why?"

Given the size of the armies of China and Vietnam, there is absolutely no need for such measures.

"One theory is that before 1978, recruitment for jobs, education, and military service were considered equal. It was the best, and only three, way for urban residents to escape the 'Down to the Countryside Movement' and for farmers to escape the backbreaking labor of farming. Therefore, those who could join the army were people with connections in their families."

Ivanov became agitated: "So when the real battle starts, those with connections will stay in safe places, while the unconnected recruits will go to war?"

Good heavens, those privileged people are shameless!

That film, "Wreath at the Foot of the Mountain," was too understated.

Wang Xiao shook his head, staring into his eyes: "Do you think so? What do you think China was most worried about when it was at war with Vietnam?"

Ivanov paused for a moment before hesitatingly asking, "The Soviet Union is involved?"

Wang Xiao nodded: "Yes, although the United States intervened at that time and contained the Soviet Union, the Chinese people have a habit of never placing all their hopes on others. Therefore, the deployment of the army at that time was actually focused on the northern defense line."

"Tell me, when facing the Soviet and Vietnamese armies, who should be the veterans and who should be the new recruits?"

The answer is obvious: no one on this planet dares to underestimate the Soviet army.

Ivanov rubbed his face, his tense nerves relaxed, and fatigue crept onto his face.

"You mean the Kremlin has even more powerful enemies?"

Wang Xiao shook his head and gave a wry smile: "I suspect that they may be doing this simply because the Kremlin has been silenced and has no idea of ​​Chechnya's true strength."

This is not surprising, as the Kremlin probably never intended to get involved.

It continues the Soviet-era mindset of not taking direct action but instead waging proxy wars.

The Kremlin has been supporting opposition factions within Chechnya to counter Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev, but this has not been effective.

This time, they took matters into their own hands, choosing to mobilize hastily assembled recruits instead of regular troops, presumably to control the impact.

To put it bluntly, using new recruits to disguise themselves as Chechen opposition figures and then targeting Dudayev can be categorized as internal Chechen strife, regardless of the outcome.

But if it were the regular Russian army taking action, that would be a real war, the war waged by the Russian Federation government against Chechnya.

This is clearly something the Kremlin does not want to happen.

Ivanov cursed, "A bunch of idiots! Do they think Dudayev is as stupid as they are? The intelligence service is already riddled with holes, and they still dare to carry out secret operations."

Now look what happened. The secret operation has completely failed, the prisoners have been captured and publicly displayed on television, and the Russian government has lost face and been thoroughly humiliated.

Wang Xiao calmly said, "So, our prediction is about to become a reality. The Kremlin will officially attack Chechnya."

The strong not only failed to ambush the weak but also suffered a great loss. Where can they save face? How are they going to clean up this mess?

Regardless, the Kremlin is going to launch an attack.

Therefore, their industrial layout must be adjusted as soon as possible.

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First, I felt the previous chapter wasn't right, so I rewrote it. Then it seemed even worse, so I gave up. This chapter also had two versions; after thinking it over, this version seems more suitable. So, I didn't play the game that day, but I spent a long time fiddling with it. [Melted]