Chapter 356 Instant Karma: Manufacturing Isn't That Easy to Develop

After finishing the CPPCC meeting, Wang Xiao did not stay in Jinning City for long.

Are you kidding me?! Anyone who's experienced being pressured to get married and have children knows how ambitious she is now, and how strong her fighting spirit as a mother is.

The Party and the State have both told us that when facing a battle, it is necessary to avoid direct confrontation when necessary. This is because many problems will naturally fade or disappear with the passage of time.

There's no need to confront her directly. This is her mother, a mother who genuinely cares about her, not her mortal enemy.

So Wang Xiao lost another kitten, claiming it was to catch mice for the house, and then simply ran away.

Enraged, Ms. Chen Yanqiu threw the feather duster out the window into the yard.

How come this girl experiences such extremes of hot and cold?

When I was 21 and had just graduated, I didn't think about building a career or working hard; all I wanted to do was get married and have children.

When she turned 26, she had achieved success in her career and was ready to settle down and start a family. Not only did she not want to find a man, but she also didn't want to have children. It was incredibly worrying.

In the end, it all comes down to that guy surnamed Ruan.

It was so terrible and horrible that it scared Xiaoxiao to the other extreme.

No, next time she goes to the temple to burn incense, she must pray to the Bodhisattva.

Wang Xiao has always believed in sacrificing his own friends rather than himself; he is incredibly cold-hearted.

While others were heartbroken, she remained unmoved and happily flew to Xiaozhou to reunite with Ivanov.

Upon seeing him, she noticed that he looked distressed, clearly having suffered greatly.

She laughed: "What happened? Who bullied you?"

Ivanov's face was filled with indescribable emotion, and he sighed deeply: "Nobody bullied me."

He's a boss, after all. Even the most clueless person wouldn't offend the person who pays their salary to their face.

That's him, isn't it? Frustrated!

How frustrating was it? Even Wang Xiao, an outsider, could feel it when they went to eat in the cafeteria.

Honestly, this was the first time she understood why Russians don't smile at everyone they meet.

Because of that smile, right? Have you seen the smile on the Russian Chief of Staff's face when Turkey threatened to use force against Russia?

To be honest, it does have a certain... something-or-other vibe, enough to ignite the other person's anger.

Now, even the distance between the two dining tables cannot stop the anger of the Ukrainian experts.

The Russian expert comforted him with a smile, saying that it was alright and that no matter who dared to bully Ukraine, Russia would beat them to a pulp.

The Ukrainian expert then exploded: "Idiots! I've never seen an idiot like Russia!"

He slammed his hand on the table, splashing the borscht in his plate high into the air.

"The Budapest Memorandum? It's nothing but a noose around our necks put by the US! You Russians actually think you're the chess players? You're nothing but accountants counting money for the US!"

He grabbed a napkin and slammed it on the table. "The day we gave up nuclear weapons, we were like meat on a chopping board! And what about you? You're still gloating over suppressing your brothers!"

"Do you think you've overshadowed the other brothers? Are you proud and smug?"

"Fools! You're pushing your own brothers toward Europe, the real Europe, a Europe that doesn't recognize you Russians!"

The Russian expert, who had been all smiles, was completely stunned by his furious outburst, and stared at him with a red face and bulging neck.

This only enraged the Ukrainian expert further, who slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed, "What does Europe need? Cheap labor and untapped markets! Ukraine has fertile black soil, skilled workers, and ports adjacent to Western Europe! We can absorb industrial transfers like Poland and become the factory of Europe!"

He suddenly sneered, "Wait until European production lines are up and running in Kyiv, and until Ukrainian cars and appliances fill Moscow's shelves, then you'll know what it means to shoot yourself in the foot!"

At this moment, Ivanov, who had been cautiously observing, instantly forgot his melancholy and became worried.

"Wang, what will we do if Ukraine's manufacturing industry develops?"

The core reason why their business is thriving now is the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe. The manufacturing industries in all these countries were in a state of collapse, which gave them the opportunity to engage in private trade.

If Ukraine were to become a major manufacturing country, given its geographical and historical advantages, it could truly become the factory of Europe and the CIS countries.

The market is only so big. If another person comes along to compete with it, it will seriously affect Wuzhou's business.

Wang Xiao stroked her chin and suddenly realized something: was Ukraine really a bug? Sigh, she couldn't quite put her finger on what words to use to describe Pavel Korchagin's hometown.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, the international community generally had high hopes for Ukraine's future development.

If you unfold a world map and look at Ukraine's location and geographical conditions, everyone who looks at it will feel that it has hope.

Moreover, as the second son, the Soviet Union left it with a considerable legacy.

It has over 3,500 military industrial enterprises, a complete workforce, and a remarkably comprehensive range of products. It can manufacture everything from armored vehicles and warships to large transport aircraft and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

At the same time, Ukraine is also known as the breadbasket of Europe.

This is a classic case of having both guns and food in hand. Anyone with this kind of start can confidently say they have nothing to fear.

As the old saying goes, even the greatest family fortune can't withstand a spendthrift son.

Like Da Mao, Er Mao never encountered a national leader with a clear head, and was led into the trap step by step.

Before Wang Xiao transmigrated, even without the Russia-Ukraine war, a country known as the "European uterus" where surrogacy was legal was a place that would leave anyone feeling hopeless.

Alas, it really proves the saying that the key decisive factor is always people.

Seeing her lost in thought, Ivanov called out worriedly, "Your Majesty?"

Wang Xiao shook his head: "Don't worry, it won't develop in the short term. Because Ukraine is also pursuing privatization, it can't develop its manufacturing industry."

The bodyguards ate at the same table as the boss, and Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao subconsciously looked up at their boss.

How can privatization prevent the development of the manufacturing industry?

They couldn't ask directly, but a man carrying a tray looking for an empty seat sat down and said, "Mr. Wang, I don't agree with what you're saying."

Ivanov was taken aback.

Even after dealing with Chinese people for several years, he was still amazed by their culture of sharing tables. They could really join in at any time and participate in the conversation.

Take this guy, for example. He's a Chinese engineer who speaks Russian haltingly, but that doesn't stop him from passionately launching into his speech: "I believe privatization can effectively promote the development of productivity. The collective model easily breeds laziness. For example, the household contract responsibility system was implemented, and soon after, there was a bumper harvest. The state couldn't even keep all the grain, so they had to find ways to sell it for the farmers."

The Sun Chaoren he mentioned was a prominent figure in the 1980s, known as the number one private trader in China. Strictly speaking, he was Wang Xiao's senior.

Wang Xiao didn't find it offensive that the engineer had approached him to talk, and simply nodded: "Okay, then let's talk about the household contract responsibility system. Its success is largely due to the full utilization of farmers' initiative. But—"

She tapped the table with her hand, "The role played by rural water conservancy and road construction cannot be ignored. And these two projects were completed precisely during the era of the rural collective economy."

She sighed, "Given our country's impoverished foundation, if it weren't for the collective economy, and farmers had to do all the manual labor to dig irrigation canals, reservoirs, and roads, these projects simply couldn't have been completed. Not to mention, who would pay the wages? That's no small sum."

She further emphasized, "Even now, during the flood season, a large number of farmers still make straw bales and reinforce the dikes in rural areas. This is all voluntary work. It's a tradition left over from the era of the collective economy. We are still enjoying the benefits of it."

As she finished speaking, she suddenly realized that the surroundings seemed a little too quiet.

Actually, she wasn't speaking loudly just now. The cafeteria was noisy, and her voice was barely noticeable.

But sometimes things are just that weird. Suddenly a place becomes quiet, and any movement from anywhere becomes particularly noticeable.

Wang Xiao was caught off guard and quickly and strategically drank the soup, pretending that he hadn't said anything.

Hey, this chicken soup is actually pretty good.

Unfortunately, scientists seem to have extremely keen ears. The Ukrainian expert, who was just arguing with his Russian counterpart, immediately focused on Wang Xiao: "You're talking about agriculture. Agriculture is different from industry."

With someone right in front of her, Wang Xiao couldn't just pretend she didn't hear them.

"Actually, it's the same thing. Both require infrastructure, especially large-scale infrastructure. The development of the manufacturing industry depends on infrastructure such as transportation and energy. Insufficient investment in infrastructure will seriously restrict its development."

She gave an example: "For instance, what if we want to build a factory but there isn't enough electricity? I can't just build a power plant myself, can I?"

Someone nearby laughed because a textile company had actually built its own power plant.

Wang Xiao laughed along, "Okay, I'll build a power plant. On the bright side, if I don't use all the electricity I generate, I can sell it to others. But what about transportation? There are no roads, no docks, so my raw materials can't be brought in, and my products can't be shipped out. Do I have to build that too? Am I still building a factory? I'm building a city."

Another burst of laughter erupted from the side.

Wang Xiao sighed: "The fundamental purpose of privatization is to turn state property into personal property. The direct consequence of doing so is a sharp decline in the state's capabilities. And large-scale infrastructure projects can only be led by the state; it is very difficult for individuals to do so."

Before the Ukrainian experts could speak, the Chinese experts raised a question: "This doesn't seem quite right. Isn't American manufacturing underdeveloped? Isn't Japanese manufacturing underdeveloped? Capitalist countries practice private ownership."

Wang Xiao explained, "What you're saying about the take-off of manufacturing in the US and Japan is actually quite interesting and worth discussing."

"First, there is the United States. After the Great Depression in the early 20th century, its economy was able to recover quickly and return to prosperity, which was directly attributed to the New Deal of Roosevelt."

She laughed as she spoke, "Although President Roosevelt's fundamental purpose in implementing the New Deal was to alleviate the contradictions of capitalist society and promote the development of productivity, he also set minimum wage standards and maximum working hours. Moreover, the most talked-about aspect of the New Deal was that the government took the lead in large-scale infrastructure construction."

"Only after that did the American manufacturing industry take off rapidly. During World War II, many countries relied on the United States for supplies. In the early stages, Japan and Germany, and later after the United States entered the war, the Allied countries all relied on the supply of American military and civilian products."

If she were a teacher giving lessons to students, or brainwashing subordinates—or rather, shaping their way of thinking—she would at least need to explain why the United States took different sides before and after World War II.

But now, those sitting in the cafeteria listening to her are all experts and engineers, so she skipped directly to part 2.

"As for Japan, after World War II, Japan implemented Marxist economics, and the postwar economic reconstruction was led by the state. Even Japan's most advanced semiconductor industry today was developed with the full support of the nation."

She then brought up South Korea, saying, "South Korea is also investing heavily in the semiconductor industry, with the entire nation's resources being mobilized."

The Ukrainian expert finally couldn't sit still any longer: "Miss Wang, according to your logic, capitalism should have disappeared by now, because they can't even do it right."

But what is the reality? All countries with economic development today are capitalist countries.

Wang Xiao dared not argue with them about whether capitalism or socialism was better.

To put it simply, in countries where the red flag has fallen, many people are extremely radical.

Even if someone calls them "comrade," they will be greeted with a fist.

Wang Xiao had no desire to experience that feeling at all.

She waved her hand: "Let's not talk about ideologies, let's just talk about how a country should carry out large-scale infrastructure construction."

"In fact, developed capitalist countries generally share a common characteristic: a few large conglomerates control the country's economic lifeline. This is something that people all over the world criticize because it leads to monopolies and undermines free competition in the market economy. Do you agree with this view?"

The Ukrainian expert nodded.

In fact, it's not just developed capitalist countries; even in Ukraine, which he considers no longer to be developed, there are a large number of oligarchs.

Instead of distributing the nation's wealth fairly to the people, they stole it.

This filled him and countless honest Ukrainians with immense hatred and anguish, yet they were powerless to do anything about it.

However, he remained very vigilant and emphasized: "But this does not mean that socialism is better."

“I said I wouldn’t talk about ideologies.” Wang Xiao waved his hand. “What I’m trying to say is that this kind of large-capital monopoly, to some extent, is beneficial to the country’s infrastructure development.”

She explained, "A characteristic of large-scale infrastructure projects is that the investment cycle is particularly long. In the short term, it's all about throwing money at the problem, and you can't see the returns."

“Under these circumstances, unless a person considers the country as their own little plot of land, their own backyard, they will not be willing to pour money into it. Because they are the master of this country.”

"It's not that other small business owners lack patriotic awareness, but rather that objective conditions don't allow it."

"Firstly, small business owners have limited financial resources and weak risk resistance. They may continuously invest capital in construction over a long period of time. Secondly, small business owners also have limited influence and no ability to influence policy. This means that their current investment in this project is in accordance with national regulations. However, it is very likely that after a period of time, when they have already invested a lot of time, energy, and economic costs, the policy will suddenly change, and they will no longer be allowed to continue."

Wang Xiao shook his head. "To put it simply, if investors in large-scale infrastructure projects don't have the ability to influence the direction of national policies, then they are walking a tightrope and could be crushed at any time."

Everyone was stunned.

So, the monopolistic big capitalists, whom both believers in socialism and capitalism hate, have become the cornerstone of their country?

The Chinese engineer who had come over to share the table suddenly spoke up: "Wait a minute, Mr. Wang, you're contradicting yourself. If that's the case, Ukraine now has oligarchs, so they should be able to improve their infrastructure and then rapidly develop their manufacturing sector."

The others nodded in agreement.

That's really true.

Following this logic, for Ukraine, there is no more suitable entity than an oligarch.

Wang Xiao smiled, without mentioning the country's name: "Only those who consider themselves the masters of their country and are proud of their motherland are capable of doing this."

That's a very subtle statement.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the elite class was eager to immigrate to developed Western countries.

Even those who haven't immigrated will try every means to set up overseas accounts in order to transfer their assets abroad.

If we must discuss the impact of the collapse of the Soviet Union on its citizens, then national pride must be one of the most significant aspects.

Few Soviets spoke English, because the powerful Soviet Union led them to believe that everyone should speak Russian.

That era has vanished, and their pride has been torn apart by the cold wind.

What remains is self-doubt.

Wang Xiao sighed again: "If it were those who suddenly acquired a lot of wealth, they would likely feel apprehensive, worried that for some unknown reason, this wealth would suddenly no longer belong to them."

"In this situation, they may choose to liquidate their wealth as quickly as possible and transfer it to foreign accounts so they can make a quick getaway."

"These people are unlikely to invest in large-scale infrastructure projects. Such a long time, such a large investment, and such a high risk are not worthwhile."

"They are also unlikely to be willing to seriously engage in manufacturing, because manufacturing requires long-term technological investment to ensure that the technology does not become outdated or eliminated, and it also requires the integration of the industrial chain to ensure production. Earning this money is very hard. Moreover, they may not believe that the company will always belong to them."

She didn't continue speaking.

Moscow's mayor, Luzhkov, calls the oligarchs "one-hour managers."

The reason given is that they will use this hour to dismantle businesses and sell equipment.

This situation is common in Russia, Ukraine, and other CIS countries.

Humans are always inclined to seek advantage and avoid harm.

The Ukrainian expert's grey-blue eyes closed slightly, then quickly opened again: "Miss, I think your understanding of capitalism is biased."

Wang Xiao smiled politely: "Like I said, I'm just a businessman, I don't understand any 'isms'."

"Regardless of what ideology—"

Vice Mayor Huang strode in, greeting everyone with a smile, "Everyone should do their job. Our basic requirements for attracting investment are 'five connections and one leveling' (water, electricity, gas, and land leveling). Please help spread the word and encourage people to invest and set up factories in Xiaozhou. We'll take care of transportation and electricity."

He had been listening outside for quite some time, but because it seemed to involve international political issues, it wasn't convenient for him, a Chinese government official, to show his face, so he hadn't come in.

He was deeply moved as he listened.

To be honest, since the reform and opening up in the late 1970s, many talented people have emerged from all over China.

These talented individuals are indeed very capable, driving the development of their businesses and even the local economy.

Just as a coin has two sides, strong-willed and capable people can also have inflated egos.

Their achievements and the adulation from those around them led them to the illusion that all their success was solely due to their own abilities, completely ignoring the support from the national and local governments.

There are very few entrepreneurs like Wang Xiao who can maintain a clear head despite building such a large business.

Vice Mayor Huang thought to himself, "We can push it on again."

They had taken the lead and appointed Wang Xiao as a member of the Xiaozhou Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

As a result, Secretary Fang used his position as the top official in the provincial party committee to directly arrange for someone to become a member of the provincial political consultative conference in Jiangdong Province.

Xiao Zhou has fallen behind in this aspect. He has to step up his game. At the very least, he should get Wang Xiao a national model worker award.

Cultivating model workers takes time, requires a step-by-step approach, and follows strict procedures.

They in Xiaozhou need to start doing this now, beginning with advanced workers and outstanding entrepreneurs.

After Vice Mayor Huang greeted everyone, he nodded to Wang Xiao and said, "Mr. Wang, come and fill out an application form when you have time."

Before Wang Xiao could even ask what form to fill out, another angry roar erupted from the nearby dining table: "Rely on you? What's so great about you that we can rely on you?"

It turns out that the Russian experts were seeing their Ukrainian counterparts suffer a blow—it was clear that Ukraine would not be able to develop its manufacturing industry so easily.

He emphasized to the Ukrainians, in what he considered a very heartwarming way, that it was okay, and that even if Ukraine could not become Europe's factory, Russia would not abandon it and would continue to protect it.

Good heavens! Wang Xiao was about to facepalm.

What kind of thought process is this?

It's perfectly normal for him to be yelled at by Ukrainian experts!

The Ukrainian expert, his face flushed with anger, retorted, "You can't even resolve Chechnya? Who do you think you can protect?"

ah!

This made everyone present feel awkward.

As the eldest son of the Soviet Union, which has only been dissolved for a few years, any military action by Russia will be watched by the world.

So even though they were in China, they learned about the situation in Chechnya through the news.

It was indeed a bit embarrassing.

The Belarusian expert next to him pounded on the table and complained, "We told you from the beginning not to break up, but you insisted on doing it anyway. In the end, nobody is doing well, and things are getting worse and worse!"

The Russians and Ukrainians all turned their heads away without saying a word.

Just as everyone was feeling awkward, the news on the cafeteria's color TV suddenly started broadcasting: Recently, Russian police announced that a special police task force killed Masdorf, one of the leaders of the Chechen Mafia, in a village near Grozny.

The group of people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Wow! After months of this, has the Russian government finally achieved some results?

Unexpectedly, the massacre in early March was just the beginning.

After that, the Russian military finally entered a "feel-good" mode.

One after another, Chechen militant leaders—or, according to the Russian federal government, they were all old men from the mafia—were killed by special police operations teams.

Some of them were killed by bombs dropped from airplanes.

Don't ask why the police have airplanes. The answer is that Russia has plenty of airplanes, so what's so special about the police having airplanes?

Speaking of this, we have to commend the Russian government's strategy.

Because at the very beginning of their operation, they bombed the airports in Chechnya. All the planes the Soviet Union had left for Chechnya were completely destroyed.

This resulted in Chechnya lacking air power, leaving them vulnerable to being easily defeated in this region.

In May, the bombshell news finally broke. The Chechen president—or rather, the Russian government, which doesn't recognize him as such, but officially calls him a mafia leader and former Soviet Air Force Major General Dzhokhar Dudayev—had been killed in a bombing.

It is said that he was making a satellite phone call when he was targeted by a Russian electronic system, which then launched a missile that killed him.

Ivanov's first reaction upon hearing this was, "This guy is really bold. How dare he use a satellite phone for communication? He's a Soviet Air Force Major General, doesn't he know the risks involved?"

Wang Xiao silently touched his nose, feeling that it could be summed up in two words: "Hehe."

If she remembers correctly, it was during the Beijing Olympics, when Russia was at war with some country. Because the quality of the military communication equipment was so poor, the highest-ranking commander on the front line used a satellite phone belonging to a war correspondent to direct the battle, and as a result, the target was locked and the unit was bombed.

So don't laugh at it for being too early.

Who knows, there might be even more outrageous things to come.

However outrageous it may seem, now that the top leader of Chechnya has been beheaded, they should return to Moscow.

After all, June is just around the corner, and both Jinning and Xiaozhou are scorching hot, nowhere near as enchanting as spring in Moscow.

As a result, early in the morning of May 28th, Wang Xiao and the others had just gotten up and hadn't even had breakfast yet.

Then came the devastating news: an earthquake had struck Sakhalin Island.

Wang Xiao's mind went blank for a moment, and her first thought was, "I'm going to die!" Her oil and gas field and refinery!

My second reaction was, "Damn it! The 327 Treasury bond is too damn weird. How come she's still so unlucky even though she donated all the money?"

Indeed, that richest man back then, the one who established the highest scholarship at the university, still couldn't escape being executed.

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Note: To emphasize, Wang Xiaozhen does not possess the superpower to trigger earthquakes. On May 27, 1995, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, causing severe loss of life and property. This was the most devastating earthquake in Russian history. This is a true story.

Furthermore, the Russian military commander mentioned in the article refers to Lieutenant General Anatoly Khrulev, deputy commander of the 58th Army, who, during the Russian-Georgian War on August 9, 2008, was unable to find any communication facilities while commanding frontline operations due to a lack of modern communication equipment. Ultimately, he had to borrow a civilian satellite phone from a war correspondent to issue orders to the front lines.

As a result, the unencrypted communication signal was instantly intercepted by the Georgian army. The Georgian army immediately ordered rocket artillery units to conduct a barrage of fire on its coordinates. In less than three minutes, the Georgian artillery fire covered the Russian army's front-line command post, resulting in Lieutenant General Khrulev being seriously wounded and his entourage and guards suffering heavy losses.

Furthermore, Yuan Baojing, the founder of Jianhao Group, was once known as "Beijing's Li Ka-shing." Due to a feud with Sichuan businessman Liu Han, he instigated the murder of Liu Han's bodyguard and was involved in other murder cases, ultimately leading to his arrest and conviction by the police. In 2013, Yuan Baojing was sentenced to death for intentional homicide. It is said that before his execution, he offered to donate 50 billion yuan to secure a reduced sentence, but this was not supported by law.

The "China University Students' Trans-Century Development Fund - Jianhao Scholarship" was jointly established in 1996 by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, the All-China Students' Federation, and Beijing Jianhao Group. The total award fund is 10 million RMB, with plans to use its proceeds to recognize and reward outstanding university students for 10 consecutive years. The scholarship aims to establish role models among young students, create guidance and incentive mechanisms, and encourage young students to be positive, self-reliant, and strive for success. This scholarship is the highest-level and highest-amount scholarship program offered by the Communist Youth League's school system to university students nationwide, and it is also one of the largest scholarship programs donated by domestic enterprises to universities in China.