Chapter 380 Unexpected Changes (Bug Fixing): Airlines and Power Companies

Wang Xiao and Ivanov stared at each other for a long time.

In the end, Wang Xiao gritted his teeth and stomped his foot, deciding to sacrifice—or rather, to send Ivanov to the president's banquet.

Her idea was quite simple.

If the president really wanted to make an example of someone, there was no need to invite Ivanov to dinner.

To put it simply, the most criticized aspect of Russia by the Western world is its lack of democracy and the excessive power of its president.

Wang Xiao sighed. What could she do? At worst, she would just send the child to get a scolding.

As she picked out clothes for Ivanov, she instructed him, "If he insults you, just bear with it. Try not to insult him back if you can. Think about it, he's old, not in good health, and has heart disease. Just be considerate of the elderly and infirm."

Ivanov nodded confidently: "It's alright, I have experience."

No mediocre student can escape being scolded.

Despite his pleasing appearance and sweet talk, he was scolded and even beaten a lot since childhood because of his poor grades.

As Wang Xiao saw the person out and watched them get into the car, she blurted out, "If he really dares to do anything to you, I'll blow up the Kremlin to get you out."

Ivanov laughed out loud, then turned around and hugged her: "Okay!"

He believed that if it really came to that, she could really do it.

It's just bombing the Kremlin, no big deal. The White House can be bombarded, why can't the Kremlin be?

As for the latter being cultural relics or historical sites, well, Moscow has been burned before.

So, with a thick skin and the attitude of ignoring criticism, he marched confidently and arrogantly to the Kremlin.

They went there unarmed and took him down.

Once it's on the dinner table, it has nothing to do with the Feast at Hongmen.

At the very least, the Feast at Hongmen featured Xiang Zhuang's sword dance, Fan Kuai's eyes wide with fury, Xiang Bo's attempt to smooth things over, and the angry outburst from the "Uncle" (Ya Fu) who declared, "This brat is not worth discussing anything with."

At the Kremlin dining table, only he and the president were seated.

Perhaps it was the effect of the lighting, but Ivanov couldn't tell how unpleasant the president's expression was.

Yes, his face was indeed a little puffy.

To be fair, as an elderly man who had been an alcoholic for many years, Ivanov felt that his face was always a little swollen.

The president laughed, like an elder patronizing a child: "What are you looking at?"

Ivanov was slightly embarrassed and stammered, "I thought you went on vacation to the suburbs. It's the weekend."

This pleased the president, whose smile deepened and whose words took on a teasing tone: "Oh, so you knew it was the weekend? Then why did you come here this morning?"

Ivanov blushed and awkwardly touched his nose: "They went too far. We held a grudge and forgot it was the weekend."

If the president were to ask again, "How exactly is this going too far?"

Ivanov, whether high or low, had no choice but to take the opportunity to complain.

Filing a complaint is certainly not a sophisticated tactic that can be widely publicized, but the method doesn't have to be sophisticated as long as it works.

Otherwise, why would he abandon the delicious braised pork ribs at home—he could already smell the aroma coming from the kitchen—and go to the Kremlin to eat strangely flavored pickled herring?

However, the president was getting on in years and wasn't as curious as a young person; nor did he follow the young person's train of thought, instead jumping straight to a different topic: "I heard you didn't fire the alcoholics at the factory?"

His eyes were a little cloudy, but his gaze was gentle. "It must be quite popular to fire alcoholics these days."

The new generation of entrepreneurs deeply resented the Soviet factory management model, and their first action upon taking office was generally to implement sweeping reforms.

They despise the idle, lazy workers who just drink tea and dawdle at work; they hate the drunkards even more, and simply kick them out of the house.

"And what about you?" the president asked, looking at him with interest. "Why don't you fire the alcoholic?"

Ivanov's adrenaline surged, and his heart leaped into his throat.

A thousand words welled up in his mind, but what he blurted out was: "Because it's unfair to do this; social problems shouldn't be borne solely by individuals."

He was saying that, just like during the Vietnam War, in order to keep soldiers alert and enable them to continue fighting even when they were extremely tired and fearful, the military used large amounts of drugs on them.

As a result, after the war, a large number of veterans became addicts, tormented by drug addiction for the rest of their lives.

Does this mean that they brought this upon themselves?

The country called them to the battlefield, and refusing military service would result in imprisonment; the country also gave them drugs.

However, considering that the president himself is a heavy alcoholic, Ivanov guessed that the president would feel uncomfortable using the analogy of the US military's drug addiction.

So he put it another way: "Russians' fondness for alcohol has deep historical and social roots. Yeserin's poetry celebrates drunkenness; people see heavy drinking as a symbol of valor. It's too cold, the winters are too long, people are too lonely, and alcohol becomes a form of comfort. Most importantly—"

He emphasized, "The Soviet Union encouraged drinking. I have seen some data showing that for a long time, alcohol taxes accounted for 12% to 15% of the Soviet Union's fiscal revenue, making it an important source of income. For the sake of money, the Soviet Union intentionally or unintentionally ignored the harm of alcoholism, tacitly condoned, and even actually encouraged, everyone to drink heavily."

He swallowed hard to calm himself down. "After all, it can't solve people's problems in their work and life. It knows that people who are extremely repressed need an outlet, and alcohol is the best choice for that. On the one hand, selling alcohol can increase government revenue; on the other hand, it can numb the people and make them forget to resist."

The president did not comment, but listened attentively to him with a slight smile on his face.

If the lights could illuminate a person's brain, then everyone in the restaurant would be able to see clearly that the president's guest's brain is spinning like a rocket.

Ivanov carefully chose his words: "In addition, when the unit is about to launch a surprise operation, they will also make everyone drink alcohol, believing that this will give the employees courage and enthusiasm, enabling them to work hard."

He held up four fingers. “The country, the government, workplaces, and social culture all encourage drinking. As a result, over time, drinkers become dependent on it, but then we blame it all on the drinkers and try to eradicate them. Isn’t that very unfair?”

When he finished speaking, he gave a thumbs-up and hooked his finger.

This gesture clearly pleased the president, who smiled.

But the president didn't laugh out loud, and Ivanov finished speaking, so the silence at the table became somewhat awkward.

Fortunately, the president sighed again: "Then what are you going to do? Your factory needs to produce, how can an alcoholic be competent for the job? Aren't you the one who values ​​efficiency the most? Don't you care about production efficiency anymore?"

Like a child at a loss in front of an adult, Ivanov subconsciously scratched his chin before explaining, "We use the old methods for the old and the new methods for the new. The older employees are reassigned; those who can't control themselves are placed in positions that are less likely to cause danger, and then we try to correct their behavior as much as possible. The new employees strictly follow the rules to prevent them from developing alcohol dependence."

The president seemed quite interested in the topic: "How are you going to correct them? Send them to a sobering-up clinic? Well, that would be a good income for the sobering-up clinic."

The Soviet Union had issued a prohibition order on alcohol, and it was very common at the time to send alcoholics to sobering-up clinics.

However, by then the president had already assumed leadership, and he knew perfectly well that it was useless. The end result was that the alcoholic paid his bill, stayed for a while, and was then released.

“Correct it, start by correcting your lifestyle habits,” Ivanov said earnestly. “At first, I thought that the oppressive work and living environment in the Soviet Union made people unable to see the future and hope, so they turned to alcohol. But later I realized I was wrong, because China is also a socialist country and has implemented a planned economy for many years. In terms of oppression, the people have also long been unable to see hope for improvement in their lives, but very few of them are addicted to alcohol.”

Before he could finish speaking, the president impatiently interrupted him: "Why?"

As a former high-ranking Soviet official and a member of the reformists, the president never said it aloud, but deep down he couldn't help but wonder why the Soviet Union failed while China's reforms proceeded smoothly.

Is it because Chinese people don't like to drink alcohol?

"Because they couldn't buy alcohol," Ivanov answered honestly. "China didn't abolish grain coupons until 1993. For a long time, China didn't have enough grain to eat and could only supply it in rations. There simply wasn't enough grain to brew alcohol. They also needed alcohol coupons to buy alcohol, and the quantity was very limited. Due to these conditions, they couldn't afford to drink alcohol."

The president's eyes widened. He knew about China's food ration coupons, but he had never really considered this issue in conjunction with the problem of alcoholism.

So, upon hearing Ivanov's words, his reaction was to chuckle: "Poverty has its advantages, too."

Yes, the Soviet Union was definitely richer than China, and as a result, it developed its own affluence-related diseases.

But in any case, wealth and prosperity always bring joy, and the president even sighed, "Then they should be careful, China is not short of food now."

Is alcoholism a problem unique to Russia? No, it's a global issue. The United States also faces a serious alcohol problem.

Ivanov shook his head: "They probably won't be fixated on the wine."

"Why?" the president teased him as if chatting with a younger man. "Is it because they are determined? God, my dear young man, you can't assume everyone is the same just because your girlfriend is tough and strong. I think they can hold their liquor pretty well too."

Ivanov blushed and stammered, "No, it's not that, it's that they have too many choices."

He explained, "We've analyzed why Russians like to drink. Aside from other social and psychological factors, the most important reason is that our palates are too monotonous and need stimulation."

He gave a thumbs-up and said seriously, "When we're thirsty, water tastes bland, but alcohol feels much better."

Then he raised his right thumb as a contrast, saying, "Chinese people find water tasteless, so they choose to drink tea. Tea, like coffee, can invigorate people and has flavor."

Then he raised his left index finger and said, “The food we eat is too monotonous. There are only a few dishes that are served over and over again, and the seasoning is pitifully scarce.”

At this point, he felt that even his right index finger couldn't represent the comparison. "There are so many delicious foods in China, especially after food became plentiful. People were well-fed and pursued better food, which led to all sorts of different cuisines. In China, the busiest places on the street are always restaurants. They are very willing to spend money on food. Their food gives their mouths a full stimulation, far surpassing the stimulation that alcohol can provide."

As he spoke, he gave an example: "Hot pot. When I eat hot pot with my friends, we chat while we eat, and we work up a sweat. It feels more enjoyable than drinking alcohol."

The president was stunned, and after a long while he finally laughed: "This is what you came up with?"

Ivanov nodded seriously: "Yes, the problem of heavy drinking definitely needs to be addressed. Psychological and socio-cultural issues are difficult for us to solve; we'll start with the physiological aspects."

He counted on his fingers, “For those working in hot environments, we provide tea; for those working in cold environments, we provide flavorful hot soup. The canteen offers a wide variety of food with diverse and stimulating flavors to satisfy everyone’s taste buds as much as possible. For those who are really heavy drinkers, we replace vodka with beer.”

He quickly retracted his statement, saying that it was like using methadone to treat an addict—choosing the lesser of two evils.

The president, curious, pressed on, "Is it effective?"

Ivanov was a little embarrassed: "We've only been trying it out for a year, so we can't say for sure whether it's good or bad. But so far, we haven't seen any tendency towards alcoholism among employees who didn't have a drinking habit before."

Ultimately, alcohol dependence is not so easy to solve. If it were easy, it wouldn't be a global problem.

The president then wondered, "Would people who drink vodka be happy to drink beer instead?"

“Let them eat hot pot,” Ivanov said seriously. “Spicy hot pot will make your mouth hurt, and then drinking beer at that time will feel very comfortable.”

The president burst out laughing: "You really are something, how did you even come up with that?"

Ivanov strategically touched his nose again, saying embarrassedly, "It was Wang who came up with this idea; she understands hot pot."

The president then seemed to remember something: "Why didn't you bring your girlfriend with you?"

Ivanov thought to himself: Didn't you say so? Besides, your motives are unclear. If we come together, wouldn't we be able to wipe us all out?

He touched his nose and gave a dry laugh.

Fortunately, the president had already come up with a reason. Looking at the plates on the table, he nodded and said, "I understand. She doesn't like eating dinner at the Kremlin either."

Ivanov quickly explained, "No, she went to Lydia for help."

Fearing the president might find the story abrupt, he began to recount the events leading up to it: "Actually, we ran into Vladimir at the Kremlin gate this morning. He thought we were being too noisy and promised to help us talk to Mr. Chubais and explain the situation."

Perhaps because the food on the table wasn't very appealing, or perhaps the president had no appetite, his attention wasn't on dinner, but rather on Ivanov's words: "Oh, so what was the result?"

“No result.” Ivanov smiled bitterly, looking very unfortunate. “Vlamikl was too serious. The king felt that he was bullying me, so we had a fight, and Vlamikl left.”

The president laughed and nodded in agreement: "He is indeed a very meticulous young man."

Although Punonin is over 40, he can certainly be considered a young man by presidential standards.

Ivanov looked helpless: "We dare not provoke him, so the king has no choice but to go to Lydia. Lydia is a kind-hearted lady."

The president laughed: "Women are always easily swayed."

Ivanov agreed with this.

The reasons he previously gave to the president regarding why Russians are prone to alcoholism were also analyzed by Wang and the others.

The catalyst for this incident was Yura.

When Yura went to the container hospital to try massage, she happened to witness a patient struggling with his alcohol cravings and secretly drinking disinfectant alcohol. He was caught by the doctors and nurses.

Yura was particularly angry at the time, complaining that these alcoholics were hopeless, just a lump of mud with no willpower whatsoever.

Then the tragic thing happened: Yura was directly rebuked by the king.

Wang said he was like a child who didn't eat meat porridge, having eaten all sorts of delicious special foods since childhood, his mouth was never lonely, so of course he couldn't understand the lack of food in the mouths of ordinary people who ate nothing but bread and potatoes for every meal.

Looking back now, Ivanov still nods: "They were always more tolerant and would consider things from other people's perspectives."

The president wiped his mouth and exclaimed, "This is exactly the kind of inclusiveness that Russia needs right now."

He put down his handkerchief and said meaningfully, "Struggle, endless struggle, incessant struggle will only lead Russia to disintegration."

Ivanov blushed again; he felt the president was implying something, but he still had to press on: "Regarding Yukos Oil Company..."

The president had already stood up: "Alright, this is Mr. Chubais's job, we won't discuss this topic."

Ivanov had no choice but to get up and prepare to leave.

The quick-thinking staff had already stepped forward and removed the main course that hadn't been touched.

The president glanced back and sighed softly, "Russia always seems to be catching a cold opportunity..."

Ivanov was instantly embarrassed and racked his brains for a way to respond.

However, the president did not stop. He took a step forward and said, "Come with me."

Perhaps due to exhaustion, he walked with a slight sway. But the light cast his shadow on the Kremlin floor and marble surfaces, and it remained a majestic mountain.

The president walked into his office, sat down, and took a slow breath before asking, "Which auction do you want to participate in, the power company or the airline?"

From a theoretical standpoint, Russian International Airlines is definitely a hot commodity, but due to its aging fleet that has not been updated for a long time and its heavy debt burden, although it was one of the 16 companies that the government put up for auction, no businessman has expressed interest in it even after the auction date has passed.

The situation was similar for power companies; their heavy debt burden directly crushed the "power tycoon."

Its employees also held signs in front of the State Property Management Committee building to protest the auction.

The embarrassing thing is that it can't be sold even if it wants to.

Ivanov shook his head without hesitation, like a stubborn little boy fixated on his toy: "No, I'll participate in the Yusco auction."

“Ivan, my lad.” The president’s expression turned serious. “The skies belong to the brave. The airline pilots need brave lads to be their bosses and replace the broken engines of their Tu-154s.”

Before Ivanov could refuse again, he had already buried his head in signing, and even while signing, he didn't stop talking, saying, "Our residents and factories also need a reliable power supply."

Ivanov stared in disbelief at the presidential decree he had already signed: "Sir, you shouldn't treat me like this. You just asked me which one I wanted, and now you're pushing both burdens onto me at the same time?"

Good heavens, if airlines and power companies are really so appealing, how could shrewd bankers possibly let them go and fight tooth and nail for other projects?

An airline alone, not counting unpaid employee wages, has a debt of 270 billion rubles. Moreover, the interests involved are complex and intertwined; it's common for tickets to be sold but not paid, which is a major headache just thinking about it.

Ivanov was on the verge of a breakdown: "How am I supposed to pay the salaries of so many employees?"

The president was amused by his reaction: "I believe you have a way to solve this."

For a president, transferring heavily indebted state-owned enterprises to private companies to shift the government's financial burden and achieve short-term political balance is a very simple political maneuver.

But he believes his choice was right, and not simply a case of drinking poison to quench his thirst.

After all, the young man's first reaction upon learning that he was to take over the company was that he was worried he wouldn't be able to pay the employees' wages.

This is such a rare quality. Too many people are thinking about whether they can find another generous buyer after taking over the factory so they can resell it and make a profit.

The president nodded again, not giving him a chance to refuse: "You can do it, Ivan. I believe you can get them out of this predicament."

Fearing the young man might have an emotional breakdown, he comforted him, saying, "Look, it's not like you can't earn a single kopek. The 20-year franchise of the airport duty-free shop can be used as a subsidy."

But Ivanov still looked utterly devastated and crushed: "Sir, you've really put me in a difficult position."

He couldn't help but complain, "If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have come to eat this dinner."

The president laughed out loud, walked over from behind his desk, and patted him on the shoulder: "My lad, you have to have confidence in yourself. I'd love to see how many alcoholics you can save?"

Ivanov wore a bitter expression, unable to manage a smile.

He found it all utterly absurd; everything was so absurd.

Strictly speaking, airlines and power companies are not such bad choices.

Good heavens, I doubt anyone in any country in the world could consider these two things to be a real burden.

However, compared to oil fields and mineral resources, which can quickly obtain large sums of money, they require more investment.

Bankers today simply don't have the time or resources to make long-term investments in them.

That's why it's absurd.

Such an important asset, just because it failed to sell at auction, they couldn't wait to organize another auction.

In the time it takes to eat a meal, the president decided to transfer the assets directly to him, only requiring him to assume the debts and commit to investment.

The decision of what happens to national property is not made at the auction table, but under the table, in the Kremlin’s restaurants and offices.

Ivanov was still struggling to process his turbulent emotions when suddenly, the president's hand that had been on his shoulder disappeared.

Just as he was about to return to his desk after the president had released his grip, he suddenly heard a dull thud.

He instinctively turned his head to look in the direction of the sound, his pupils dilating instantly.

Because he saw the president lying on the ground, clutching his chest, his face pale, and motionless.

Many years later, when Ivanov recalled this scene, he still felt a chill run down his spine.

Yes, on this night in October 1995, he stood in the presidential office in the Kremlin, and his only feeling was cold.

The Kremlin, which already has heating on, is surprisingly cold at night.

He felt as if he were immersed in ice water, and the screams around him and the wind generated by his running back and forth were violently blowing at him, frantically draining his body's energy.

He saw people in white coats, people in military uniforms, and people in suits.

They ran back and forth, screaming and roaring from time to time, as if trying to tear through time.

It's unclear how much time passed, but the president had already disappeared from his office.

Then a White House official came over and grabbed Ivanov haphazardly, saying, "Sir, please come with me."

Then he was roughly shoved into an empty room, which looked like a small conference room.

"Sir, please stay here and don't leave."

Ivanov didn't react at all. He slumped on the sofa like a zombie, not even in the mood to tease the other person. Where could I go?

Yes, where can he go now? And what can he do?

His mind went blank.

It wasn't until the pressure in his bladder reminded him that he needed to go to the bathroom that he suddenly stood up and ran out to find someone.

As a result, a guard was already standing at the door, rudely blocking his way: "Sir, you cannot leave."

Ivanov swallowed hard: "I need to use the toilet. You can watch me use the toilet."

The guard glanced at him and actually followed him into the restroom.

Fortunately, Ivanov did not intend to run away. He only made a second request: "I need to make a phone call home. My fiancée is waiting for me. I have to tell her that I have a business dinner tonight and won't be coming home."

The guard glanced at him again, but this time didn't react.

The same supervisor came over again, reluctantly nodded in agreement, and then warned, "Sir, please don't say things you shouldn't say."

Ivanov nodded: "Of course."

Then he dialed the phone number of the suburban villa in Punonin. When Wang Xiao answered, he heard his anxious voice: "Honey, I ran into some friends. We need to talk about Yusco Oil Company. They might be able to help. I might not be able to make it home tonight."

Then the supervisor heard the cursing on the phone: "You better behave yourself. If you dare to mess around outside, see how I deal with you!"

Good heavens, even as the supervisor was on the verge of a breakdown, he couldn't help but think to himself: This is truly a fierce and terrifying woman.

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Finally updated! [Let me see] I couldn't log in.