Chapter 344 You're Relying on Me: Tsk, the latecomer has surpassed the former.

But Punonin has no time to worry about the long-term stability of Chechnya; what he needs is to quickly occupy Grozny and even the whole of Chechnya.

Other things can be discussed later.

They won't behave unless we thoroughly defeat the Chechen militants.

To achieve this goal, he even had a wild idea: "I need to recruit a mercenary army composed of veterans who fought in Vietnam."

Because the braised noodles were so flavorful, Wang Xiao drank two mouthfuls of water, which caused him to choke.

She was coughing so hard she was practically dying, and tears streamed down her face. She couldn't believe her ears: "What, what did you say?"

Punonin felt extremely ashamed. As a high-ranking official, he had no faith in the fighting capabilities of the Russian army and had even thought of asking for foreign aid, and foreign aid from China no less.

He stated firmly, "Southern Chechnya is mountainous, and they have experience in fighting in both mountains."

The Sino-Vietnamese War in China and the Afghan War in the Soviet Union had become his nightmares.

Whenever he thinks about it, he imagines the PLA's formidable fighting power over and over again.

After being repeated many times, it had left a deep impression on him.

But Wang Xiao was not surprised by his recognition of the People's Liberation Army.

In 1995, this would have seemed unbelievable to most people.

After all, Russia hadn't yet lost face on the Chechen battlefield, and people still equated it with the Soviet Red Army.

But Wang Xiao is a time traveler, and she naturally acknowledges the People's Liberation Army's formidable strength. Others' praise doesn't make her ecstatic or overwhelmed with gratitude; she only thinks: Oh! You knew that too!

Moreover, hearing this praise at this moment felt like a thunderclap to her ears.

"What are you thinking? Vladimir, where did you get mercenaries? China doesn't have any mercenaries!"

Punonin, however, said seriously, "Chechnya has a lot of mercenaries, so why can't we have mercenaries? Besides, they've all retired, and they have the right to decide their own lives."

“No!” Wang Xiao refused decisively. “Don’t complicate things. Nobody will accept this; it will be seen as an official government action.”

She waved her hand, cutting off the other person's sophistry, "Don't mention that the US also has retired special forces soldiers working as mercenaries in Chechnya. Circumstances are stronger than people! The Soviet Union lost the Cold War; now it's the post-Cold War era, and everyone has to keep a low profile. Modern Russia is not the Soviet Union at its peak."

Punonin crossed his arms and looked intently at her: "Madam, Grozny's situation is not optimistic. We need a breakthrough."

This is a threat—a threat to drag people down with you.

Ivanov said impatiently, "Vlamikil, you seem to have forgotten one thing: we are not officials, we are just businessmen."

“That’s why we’re talking about interests!” Punonin’s gaze remained fixed on Wang Xiao’s face. “The shares in Siberian Oil Company aren’t so easy to get.”

He stood up and looked down at Wang Xiao. "With your intelligence, you must have already figured it out. The president wants to curb the bureaucratic system's control over him by supporting businessmen. In his view, the entire bureaucratic system is a remnant of the Soviet Union."

Wang Xiao remained silent.

It has been proven that all those who rise to high positions are masters of power manipulation.

Even the current head of the Kremlin, who was historically considered an idiot and thought that replacing him with a pig as president would have been better than him, is well-versed in the ways of power.

Just as ancient emperors supported eunuchs to counter the civil service, he chose merchants as his confidants.

In a sense, the oligarchs in this country are not entirely a product of shock therapy and the failure of privatization; they are also mixed with a great deal of the self-interest of the power holders.

He needed the oligarchs to wrest power from the officials, and once that goal was achieved, dealing with these oligarchs proved to be not so difficult, as history has shown.

Oligarchs are like eunuchs; they naturally lack the trust and support of the people.

Wang Xiao raised her chin, looked at him, and remained silent.

Punonin didn't insist further, leaning forward slightly to adopt a more approachable posture: "My dear friends, there are more businessmen who can see this than you think. Everyone is swarming around him, wanting to gain more benefits. And to gain his favor, you need to demonstrate greater usefulness."

Ivanov frowned and warned, "Vlamikil, don't be greedy."

Wang Xiao suddenly stood up and picked up the lighter on the table.

This is a rounded brass lighter, a Zippo made in the USA, which sells for forty dollars on the market. However, a counterfeit from Wenzhou that can be made to look exactly like the real thing only costs fifteen Chinese yuan to produce.

Wang Xiao looked at the lighter over and over again, as if trying to figure out whether it was genuine or a fake.

Her flippant attitude made Punoning feel very uncomfortable, as if he had become a lighter, enduring her critical scrutiny.

Wang Xiao curiously tried out the lighter.

She doesn't smoke, and nowadays few people dare to smoke in front of her. She also doesn't have the habit of collecting lighters and lacks knowledge about them.

So she tried several times, but still couldn't figure out whether it was genuine or a fake.

Finally, she sighed, threw the lighter down, and it made a crisp "bang" on the table.

She clapped her hands lightly and asked a completely unrelated question: "How much is the reward?"

Punoning was still feeling bad about his lighter that had been so easily discarded when he heard her question, and asked inexplicably, "What bounty amount?"

"My God!" Wang Xiao exclaimed, feigning surprise as he covered his mouth. "You're cracking down on organized crime in Chechnya, and you're not even offering a bounty? My God, even bandits are rewarded. You're not really treating this like a real war, are you?"

Punoning was stunned.

In this military operation against Chechnya, the crackdown on organized crime is just a label, a label that can be used to justify one's actions.

In practice, they still adhered to the standards of warfare.

Wang Xiao sighed: "I heard that Dudayev's approval rating was not high at first, and when he was elected as the so-called president, it was only 12%. But since November last year, due to pressure from the federal government's army, the Chechens have had to unite and support their nominal president."

She gave an example: "It's like the War of Resistance against Japan in China. Because of the full-scale Japanese invasion, the warlords who had previously ignored the Nanjing government obediently followed orders. But—were they truly united?"

She shook her head. "No, it's the pressure that unites them. In reality, there are many conflicts between the different factions; they are not a monolithic entity. And ordinary Chechen people may not necessarily want to be dragged into this either."

Whose life isn't a life? Even the most resilient people in the world wouldn't risk their lives for no reason if they could live a good life.

Wang Xiao tapped his fingers lightly on the table, saying each word carefully, "It's unemployment, an unemployment rate as high as 40%, which has forced a large number of young and middle-aged people to join the Chechen armed forces. War is a meat grinder for the poor, but also a fast track for the lower class to rise."

Punonin continued to look down at her, gesturing with his eyes for her to continue.

"Once you understand the underlying logic, you can work with it. And—"

Wang Xiao paused for a moment, "The Chechens are Muslims, and Sharia law explicitly prohibits theft, robbery, fraud, and kidnapping, which are the main sources of funding for Chechen militants. From a religious perspective, we condemn them."

Upon hearing this, Punonin finally shook his head: "Your Majesty, you're thinking too simply. Although the doctrine forbids these things, Dudayev and his group will package their illegal economic activities as war fundraising. By linking their criminal acts with religious unity, they can commit crimes with a clear conscience."

Islam was the most troublesome religion he had ever encountered.

The same was true of Afghanistan back then, and the same is true of Chechnya now.

These heretics are completely unyielding.

Wang Xiao shook his head: "No, I'm not expecting Islamic doctrine to cause Chechens' moral standards to rise rapidly at this time; that's unrealistic. The purpose of spreading the doctrine is to give everyone a reason to report wanted criminals without incurring serious psychological burden."

As she said this, she suddenly made a request, "Looking up makes my neck hurt, and I feel very uncomfortable looking up like this."

Punonin had been looking down at her, frowned slightly at the sound, but eventually sat down.

As soon as he sat down, Wang Xiao stood up and looked down at him.

Punonin frowned even more, but then felt that it was really unnecessary to argue with a lady over this kind of thing.

So, he calmly raised his head and nodded slightly to her: "I'd like to hear the details."

Wang Xiao shook his head, with a hint of emotion: "Chechen society is based on clans and tribes, and family interests often take precedence over the law. Even if they know that members of their family or tribe have committed crimes, they will choose to cover it up because of blood ties or a sense of collective honor. At this time, religious faith can give them courage and tell them that they are reporting criminals in accordance with the teachings of God."

To put it simply, you need a reason to break free from personal emotional constraints and find peace of mind.

Looking at her, Punonin suddenly clapped his hands, praising her highly: "Your Majesty, I told you, you don't need to underestimate yourself. You always bring endless surprises to people."

As he spoke, he stood up and, taking advantage of his height, looked down at him once again, saying, "So, stay in Moscow. I believe you can create even more miracles."

Wang Xiao gritted her teeth inwardly, then suddenly looked up at him and smiled: "Are you sure, Major General? Do you really want me to stay in Moscow?"

Her smile held a seductive edge. "Aren't you starting to trust me now, even a little dependent on me? Because I'm so useful."

The winds in Moscow are still too biting in winter, and it's said that this is why Slavs don't like to smile. After all, in such cold winds, smiles are too easily cracked.

Just like Punoning's complexion now.

Wang Xiao sat back in her chair, leaning against the thick, soft backrest. While playing with her newly done manicure, she slowly said, "I've always drawn a line for myself, telling myself not to cross it. Because I don't know how far I can go if I let loose."

She finally raised her head and smiled at the tax police major general. "Guess who will be the next one to trust me, even rely on me, and think I'm very useful?"

There was no smile on Punonin's face anymore; his cheeks were as stiff as a marble statue in the snow.

Wang Xiao grabbed Ivanov's wrist, glanced at his watch, and let out a soft "Ah": "Oh dear, it's getting late, I have to go to the airport."

Ivanov immediately stood up, put on his coat and hat: "I'll see you off."

Without saying a word, Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao quickly got fully armed and left.

Nonsense! What would they do if they didn't leave? Did they really intend to stay and become military advisors to the Russian government?

Oh my god! This is a huge mess, we can't afford to mess this up.

Although the Russian government is unreliable, they can easily find an American to be their economic reform advisor.

But they're Americans.

The Cold War and World War III are essentially not that different. As the ultimate victor, American experts naturally hold a different position in Russia.

These insignificant people shouldn't get involved in this mess.

The housekeeper bustled around, and finally, she didn't forget to greet the guest: "Mr. Punoning, would you like to come along?"

The poor young man seems to be under too much pressure and is overly anxious.

Punoning put on his hat and gloves, stood in front of Wang Xiao, and without smiling, he did say a blessing: "Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year in advance."

"OK!" Wang Xiao nodded politely. "I also wish you all the best in your decapitation operation."

Punonin's pupils contracted slightly. He reached out and shook hands with her, then hugged Ivanov before heading to his car.

As he opened the car door, Wang Xiao shouted at him again, "Don't bully Ivan, protect his safety."

Punonin finally couldn't hold back: "He's my brother. Anyone who wants to harm him will have to step over my dead body!"

Wang Xiao gave a forced smile: "Don't say such things. I don't want Lydia to become a widow. Tonia and Lena also need a father."

Punoning's face turned ashen, and he said stiffly, "Thank you for your blessing, madam. Have a safe journey."

As he spoke, the car door was closed.

However, the tax police major general was destined to follow behind and check the car exhaust, because the car that was taking Wang Xiao was specially preheated by a driver.

What?

You said that when Punoning came to the door, he had already used his power to order Wang Xiao not to leave. Upon hearing the news, the driver should have immediately stopped preheating, adhering to the principle of saving resources.

Are you kidding me?

His bosses are Miss Wang and Mr. Ivanov. Since neither of them has said that he will not go to the airport today, he has to follow the plan and be prepared at any time.

See, opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared. Now he can release the clutch and direct the car to speed away.

The villa district outside Moscow is covered in white snow in winter.

Cars travel through it like a snowpiercer, with no end in sight.

Wang Xiao looked at the pristine white snow and narrowed his eyes slightly: "What do you think, Siberian Oil Company?"

It was warm in the car. Ivanov had already taken off his gloves and was touching his chin: "He can't shake off Berezovsky. He puts in more effort at the president's house than at the Kremlin."

Strictly speaking, the president of the federal government is a family man. He is outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and values ​​his family very much.

His family's opinions were still quite important to him.

Moreover, everyone knows that Berezovsky has always been vying for the president's attention.

If the president can't give him enough benefits, how can others believe that being driven by the president will bring them the greatest benefits?

Wang Xiao nodded: "That's what I think too."

Therefore, with Siberian Oil Company, they are not competitors, but partners who need to cooperate.

"However, we still need to fight for more shares."

The rising sun finally broke free from the shackles of the gloom, casting a ring of orange-yellow light at the edge of the forest, showcasing a warm and indomitable spirit.

Wang Xiao laughed as he read, "I'm sure our competition will make the president even more satisfied."

Ivanov scoffed, "He's drinking poison to quench his thirst."

If bureaucrats left over from the Soviet system still have a set of tacit rules, then businessmen have absolutely no rules.

Russia's legal system is so chaotic and haphazard, and its enforcement is so flexible. Hoping to rely on the law to restrain rapidly expanding businessmen is nothing short of wishful thinking.

Wang Xiao exhaled and sighed softly: "But he can also achieve his goal and completely destroy everything left over from the Soviet Union."

Destroy everything, good or bad, without a second thought.

In the end, for him, it was a victory in itself.

Because it is very likely that in his view, only the wasteland could grow into his ideal garden.

The car arrived at the airport, Wang Xiao hugged Ivanov goodbye, waved, and went straight through security to board the plane.

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao exchanged a furtive glance, sensing that something was amiss.

Is there something going on between the two bosses that they don't know about? They seem to be getting closer and more ambiguous.

But they were absolutely certain that the two bosses had never slept together.

Could it be that they've both gotten tired of playing around and are too lazy to bother anymore, so they've started dating seriously?

That doesn't seem right either.

Even the most generous couples shouldn't act so carefree.

But even if Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare to ask. Especially since they had just fallen for Punoning's trick today.

Lyuba noticed their furtive glances but pretended not to see them.

Is this really something they need to ponder for so long?

What's so strange about that?

In Russia, society generally accepts that a wife is part of the husband's family, and everything she owns belongs to the family she has joined.

Miss Wang is a foreigner, a foreigner with a sensitive identity.

However, when this foreigner becomes a Russian wife, this sensitivity is greatly reduced, or even ignored.

Even if she isn't yet, just showing that tendency can save her a lot of trouble.

How could a boss who is always pragmatic and focused on maximizing profits not actively cultivate a persona?

Lyuba shook her head slightly and boarded the plane.

Wang Xiao slept through the rest of the journey. Fortunately, although the plane at Wuzhou was basic, the boss herself didn't mind and slept until the plane landed before opening her eyes.

The familiar liveliness, like the warm winter in Jinning, came rushing in.

Along with the fragrance of flowers, a rich aroma also wafts towards those who set foot on this land.

The wintersweet is in bloom, and little girls on winter vacation are selling it on the street. Just like described in the Chinese textbook, each blossom is cold and elegant, exuding a delicate fragrance, yet blooming so brilliantly and passionately.

One costs only one cent.

Wang Xiao didn't have any change, so she used two milk chocolates to exchange for a plum blossom, which she tucked into her hair, so that she smelled sweet as she walked.

In 1995, it wasn't fashionable for Jin Ning to wear flowers in her hair, but so what? She just wanted to wear this winter plum blossom.

No one around them gave it a second glance.

Everyone was busy. Locals were buying New Year's goods, and middlemen were buying goods and looking for women. Everyone was in a hurry. Who had the mind to care what was stuck in her hair?

Even Wang Xiao himself couldn't take care of it.

She was hungry, really hungry.

I slept for eight hours the whole way and didn't eat anything. How could I not be hungry?

The bodyguards were hungry too.

Without saying a word, everyone went straight to a Northeastern restaurant, ordered braised pork with sauerkraut and vermicelli, and sweet and sour pork, and showed off with rice.

Halfway through our meal, another group of customers arrived at the restaurant.

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao glanced at each other and felt that although these Russians were also white, they seemed different from the Russians who frequented the trade city.

Lyuba recognized them: "They must be Germans."

Wang Xiao looked over curiously, having heard that Germans' tastes were quite similar to those of people from Northeast China.

Hey! It seems that's really the case. They also ordered the classic braised pork with sauerkraut and glass noodles. Although they don't know how to use chopsticks, they relied on spoons and forks, and they seemed quite satisfied with their meal.

Xiao Gao asked curiously, "Did Secretary Fang successfully recruit people?"

When they returned to China last October, Secretary Fang was still furious because Vice Mayor Huang of Xiaozhou City in Jiangbei lacked martial ethics and had gone to Germany ahead of time to recruit laid-off engineers and technicians from the former East German Zeiss company.

In the end, it was the boss who gave her the idea, saying that Xiaozhou was giving Jiangdong Province free advertising, which would make it easier for Jiangdong to recruit people later.

Hey! Looks like the boss was right. See, they've brought people here.

When Wang Xiao returned home for dinner that evening, he brought up the matter at the dinner table.

As a result, her mother, Ms. Chen Yanqiu, shook her head directly: "I don't think so. I heard that the people recruited from Zeiss all went to Qu County, which specializes in making lenses."

Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow: "And what about them?"

If East and West Germany hadn't reunified, it would have been quite normal for East German traders to come and buy goods.

The key point is that their things have been merged for several years. Germany is a traditional manufacturing powerhouse and doesn't lack resources.

“Foreign businessmen, it should be foreign businessmen.” Chen Yanqiu served her daughter a bowl of pork lung soup.

This thing is too much trouble to clean. If she weren't my own daughter, I would never make pig lung soup.

After putting down her soup bowl, she continued, "Jiangdong organized a formal inspection team to recruit people in Germany. The German businessmen saw this and thought, 'Wow, you guys seem pretty professional,' so they came along to inspect the place. I guess they'll build an industrial park here later and set up factories specifically for them."

Why did Chen Yanqiu know so much? Because she, as the chairperson of the steel plant's trade union, went to a meeting in the provincial capital and happened to overhear people talking about it.

As for why they came to the trade city again? It's probably because the province wanted to show that socialist countries are not as closed off as they imagine, and that Jinning is also an open and international city.

Wang Xiao laughed when he heard this: "It seems that there are advantages to being a regular army."

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao exclaimed in unison, "The leaders in Jiangbei must be kicking themselves!"

Jiangdong surprisingly caught up and even attracted German investors.

It was as if they had forcibly taken the food from their bowls.

Hey yo!

Everyone at the table was laughing heartily; there was going to be some excitement to come.

If we don't compete and fight, that's not the style of Jiangbei.

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[Let me see] Good morning.