Chapter 394 No Way Back: The Higher You Go, the More Comfortable It Gets

No matter how lazy Wang Xiao is, she still has to pack her own personal clothes and important luggage.

She was busy in the room, and Chen Yanqiu was going in and out beside her, bringing her this and that.

Wang Xiao was speechless: "Mom, Moscow really has everything."

To be fair, its variety of goods far exceeds that of Jinning.

Unexpectedly, Chen Yanqiu plopped down in the wicker chair next to her, looking at her daughter expectantly, and stammered, "Xiaoxiao, do you really have to go to Moscow?"

Wang Xiao asked curiously, "What's wrong? Is something the matter at home?"

She just took her parents to the hospital for a check-up after the New Year, and they are both in good health.

The steel plant is also doing well. After bringing in experts from Russian fast steel, breakthroughs have been made in cold-rolled steel technology. At least it can maintain production now, which is already quite good.

Chen Yanqiu's facial expressions were so complex that Wang Xiao couldn't decipher them; at the very least, a micro-expression expert would need to conduct a professional analysis.

However, she had to catch a flight and didn't have time to find a micro-expression expert, so she could only pick up her luggage and prepare to go downstairs.

Once they reached the door, Chen Yanqiu couldn't hold back any longer: "You have so much money now, you could spend it all you want, and you'd never run out in your lifetime."

It's just eating air-freighted fruit, having clothes custom-made, or ordering face masks and creams—it's all small change. Xiaoxiao doesn't have any bad habits.

Do we really have to go to Moscow?

She only learned about the container market when it was almost the end of August last year.

She couldn't catch her breath at that moment, and it was an old colleague from the factory's medical department who gave her an injection.

Everyone comforted her, saying it was all alright. If something really happened in June, Xiaoxiao wouldn't be able to call home every few days to let her know she was safe.

But that's fate. Humans aren't cats; they only have one life.

This life is gone forever.

When people feel they can't survive, it's normal for them to fight desperately.

Why risk your life amidst gunfire when you can live a peaceful and safe life?

Chen Yanqiu tried to reach out and grab her daughter, pleading with her earnestly, "Let's stay home and not go to Moscow."

She thought she had long forgotten about the container market, after all, more than half a year had passed.

As soon as her daughter said she was going back to Moscow—yes, she used the word "go back"—Chen Yanqiu's heart skipped a beat, and she completely lost her composure.

Why go? The world is so big, can't we just stay in a peaceful place?

Wang Xiao turned around, looked at her mother's anxious expression, and couldn't help but sigh: "Mom, don't be a survivor bias."

Is everything peaceful in China now? Are you kidding me? In the 1990s, social order was notoriously chaotic.

The fact that taxi drivers and passengers are robbed, and that the police chief is a mob boss, is hardly news in this day and age.

She shook her head, firmly refusing: "Mom, I can't stop, because the higher you go, the fewer people there are, and the safer it is. There are also fewer people who can control me."

Wealth and power are always the best shield.

Otherwise, why would people with money and power feel more secure than those without money or power?

She looked into Chen Yanqiu's eyes: "If I stop now, I'll be a piece of ready-made fat meat, meat that everyone wants to swallow. If I don't stop, I won't just be eating Jin Ning's rice bowl. Then, if Jin Ning's officials want to control me, they'll have to think twice. Even if a short-sighted person really wants to put me on the table, they won't be able to do it."

A deputy director of the public security bureau in a prefecture-level city can indeed directly destroy Prince Milk.

But do you expect the deputy director of the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau to tell Alibaba directly?

Even if he/she wants to do it, the higher-ups won't let him/her do it recklessly.

This is the advantage of a large company: the higher you stand, the farther you see, the wider your reach, and the greater your influence, the less likely you are to make any moves.

The structure of society as a whole determines that the higher up one's social standing, the greater the limits of tolerance one can receive.

This applies not only to individuals, but also to countries.

Does a wealthy country living a peaceful and law-abiding life behind closed doors guarantee world peace? What a pipe dream!

Did the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion of China and the signing of the Boxer Protocol mean that China was not law-abiding at the time?

No, if you are not strong enough to sit at the table, then you will only be served at the table.

Chen Yanqiu opened his mouth, anxiously saying, "Does it have to be Moscow? The world is so big, there are many places to do business."

“Those places are dangerous too,” Wang Xiao complained. “Do you think there aren’t many shootings in the US? It’s chaotic, extremely chaotic. Besides, why is our country so actively involved in the WTO accession negotiations? Because we haven’t been integrated into the mainstream global economic system. Apart from Moscow, a major hub, and Eastern Europe, our goods have very few international markets to enter.”

Wang Xiao patted her mother's shoulder, "Don't overthink it. The son of Hong Kong's richest man was kidnapped in Hong Kong. Does that mean his whole family has moved away from Hong Kong and stopped making money there?"

Chen Yanqiu became increasingly flustered, and glared at her resentfully: "You just won't have a child!"

Wang Xiao doesn't consider herself stupid, but she still can't keep up with Ms. Chen's thought process.

How come everything gets dragged into having children?

Chen Yanqiu argued vehemently: "If you had a child, you would have something to worry about, you wouldn't be so reckless, and you wouldn't only have money in your eyes."

Wang Xiao turned around without hesitation and said, "Then what you're describing is called a weakness. Everyone has weaknesses, and the fewer the better."

She still had some conscience, and fearing she might upset her mother, she quickly hugged her tightly. "You and Dad are my Achilles' heel. I can disregard everyone else, but you two are the only ones I can't let go of. So take good care of yourselves, and don't find the bodyguards bothersome."

She glanced at the clock on the wall, then quickly let go of him. "Okay, Mom, I'm leaving. I'll go home as soon as I'm done."

She pushed open the door, and Ivanov was already waiting outside.

Alright, enough talk, let's hurry up and catch our flight.

March is truly a time of blooming flowers and verdant willows, especially this year with the weather warming up early.

All sorts of flowers, both famous and unknown, eagerly bloomed and smiled under the warm warmth of the heating system.

Willows also possess a soft and charming appearance, with tender buds and new willow branches swaying in the wind.

In the distant fields, children are flying kites, shouting and laughing. Colorful patterns dance in the wind, accompanied by birds.

Wang Xiao thought of the lyrics to "Spring in March": Birds circle the kite, their calls echoing.

She reached out and pulled Ivanov's arm, wanting to tell him how wonderful the lyrics were.

Ivanov's voice was muffled as he replied, "Without me? Can you let me go? Aren't I your weakness?"

He overheard her conversation with her mother from her bedroom doorway.

Although he couldn't understand Chinese, his bodyguards could.

Wang Xiao looked at him, both amused and exasperated: "Do you know what a weakness is? Are you sure a grown man like you wants to be a weakness? My parents are just getting old."

Ivanov ignored him and offered his own sophistry: "A weakness is someone you're soft-hearted about and can't let go of. Aren't I that you?"

Seeing his confident argument, Wang Xiao could only nod with a wry smile: "If that's how you interpret it, then of course it is."

She added, "You are my armor."

Ivanov became pleased and nodded vigorously in affirmation: "You are both my weakness and my strong armor."

They all like strength.

Wang Xiao smiled and reached out to straighten his coat collar: "Let's go, get out of the car."

We've arrived at the airport.

Of course, she couldn't let him go.

In this world, the only people she knew who would risk their lives for her were her parents and Ivanov.

Wang Tiejun and Chen Yanqiu's love for her was genuine, but this love was largely based on their roles as parents.

Even if she were the original owner now, they would still risk their lives for her.

Because they are my parents.

Ivanov was different; Ivanov did it purely for her.

How could she possibly let him go?

Once on the plane, the two of them couldn't just sit down, close their eyes, and start resting.

Because they were flying on their own airline, while the route from Jiangzhimen to Moscow was dominated by scalpers. Passenger planes were converted into cargo planes, with overhead bins and aisles full of cargo. The seats were so narrow that only one person could barely squeeze in. There was no such thing as first class or business class.

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao also had to tiptoe in the limited space to reduce their chances of getting economy class syndrome—lower limb venous thrombosis.

They were truly impressed by their boss.

Even with such terrible cabin conditions, it didn't stop the boss from getting things done.

A thick stack of documents lay on the small table, and were flipped through one by one.

Ivanov leaned on her shoulder and watched with her, shaking his head as he watched, muttering under his breath, "They really held a denunciation meeting."

After the Communist Party of the Russian Federation established a branch at the Jiaozhou chip factory, in addition to re-studying "The Communist Manifesto," they also launched a major discussion campaign.

Since the Spring Festival is the most important festival in China, factory production slows down, giving members of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation more time to participate in the discussion. As a result, everyone expressed their opinions and conducted a comprehensive discussion on Zyuganov, who was actively participating in the election.

They were holding a stack of copies of the discussion records, which contained all sorts of things said on the papers.

As Wang Xiao looked through the exhibits, he categorized them and took notes. He then remarked meaningfully, "Perhaps this is our breakthrough."

They spoke in hushed tones, and even the bodyguards surrounding them, straining their ears, could only catch a few scattered words.

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao exchanged a glance, completely baffled as to what breakthrough could possibly come from the discussion records of those old Russian party members at the Xiaozhou chip factory?

To put it bluntly, they both felt that the spiritual comfort provided by the Party branch of Da Mao and Er Mao was far greater than anything else.

As for expecting them to return to Russia and Ukraine to launch a revolution and regain power, I doubt they even considered that.

As the plane flew its long route and came to a stop in Moscow, dusk had already quietly fallen.

By March, the daylight hours in Moscow had increased significantly, reaching nearly 10 hours a day, but the weather remained cold, and traces of ice and snow could still be seen on the streets.

Muscovites, dressed in overcoats and down jackets, hurried along the streets, trying to get home as the last rays of the setting sun shone through.

Some people stayed on the street and refused to leave because someone was giving a speech, waving a red flag; it was the Communist Party.

The entire Communist Party of the Russian Federation is mobilized to campaign for the upcoming presidential election.

The flyers, like fluttering butterflies, flew one by one into the arms of passersby.

Or to put it more coldly, they are like paper money burned in advance for the Kremlin president.

Wang Xiao and Ivanov did not return to the villa, but went directly to the commercial street to drop off their luggage, tidied up briefly, and then went straight to the Kremlin.

As usual, security check is required upon entry.

But they had only gone through half of the security check when a Kremlin official who was familiar with Ivanov came running over like he was on fire, grabbed his hand and said, "Quick, come with me."

The security personnel glanced at him and didn't insist further, only telling the others, "You can't run now."

However, Ivanov didn't care. He immediately grabbed Wang Xiao's hand and pulled her inside.

The thick carpet acted like a built-in sound absorber, absorbing all the noise, so that all they could hear as they ran was each other's heavy breathing and their heartbeats that seemed to leap out of their throats.

It wasn't until Wang Xiao ran all the way to the entrance of the presidential office that he understood why the Kremlin officials were in such a hurry.

A heated argument had clearly broken out in the office.

She heard NTV's Gusinsky roar: "Boris Nikolayevich, you acted so foolishly because you believed their lies!"

The room fell into a deathly silence.

The Kremlin officials were left wondering whether they should knock or just push the door open.

The sky before a storm is sometimes eerily calm.

Ivanov made the choice for him, simply turning the doorknob open the office door.

God! He should be grateful for his recklessness just a second ago.

As the door opened, he saw the president, his face flushed and panting, holding a large plate high in his hand, rushing towards Gusinski.

Without hesitation, Ivanov rushed forward and hugged the president from behind: "Sir, please stop, please calm down!"

If this large fruit platter were to fall on Gusinski's head, then their alliance in Davos would come to an end.

The man they painstakingly persuaded, Luzhkov, might very well abandon his covert support and turn against the Kremlin.

After all, everyone knows that Gusinsky is a man of Moscow Mayor Luzhkov.

Wang Xiao hurriedly stepped in front of the president, spreading his arms to try to stop him: "Sir, please calm down and don't scare me."

The president, panting, exclaimed, "Garbage! It's all garbage! I'm going to find the people who made this garbage! Everything you've said is garbage!"

Hurried footsteps sounded at the door. Korzhakov rushed in and, upon seeing the scene, flew into a rage: "What are you doing?"

Good heavens, are all the security guards in the room idiots?

He is the president's security chief.

Wang Xiao yelled back, “What are we doing? Can’t you see? We’re doing everything we can to prevent a tragedy from happening to the Kremlin and Russia. Sir, what are you standing there for? Come here right now!”

Korzhakov was nominally just the head of the presidential guard, but in reality, he was like a half-leader, just like a leader's driver. He wielded immense power in the Kremlin, and the scope of his influence extended far beyond the Kremlin.

Berezovsky was able to establish the Siberian Oil Company because of Berezovsky's strong support.

Moreover, in October of last year, the president suffered a heart attack after hosting a banquet for Ivanov. The Kremlin blocked the news, and even Punonin had to rely on Wang Xiao's deduction to get to the Kremlin in time, which was also Wang Xiao's doing.

Startled by the shout, Korzhakov stepped forward to comfort the president while directly expressing his dissatisfaction with Wang Xiao: "Madam, I think you are not suitable to be here."

As the head of security, he was quite certain that Miss Wang was not on the president's guest list today.

He really disliked this Eastern woman. The fact that the Siberian Oil Company had been taken away made him feel like he had been slapped in the face without his knowledge, and he lost a lot of face.

Wang Xiao's eyes widened as he glanced at Yura, who stood in the corner looking utterly terrified and at a loss for what to do. Then, he gritted his teeth and said, "Who was it that begged me to go back to Moscow, saying that election PR needed me? God, I must be such an idiot!"

As she spoke, she decisively lowered her raised arm. She wouldn't stop her anymore; let her smash and hit as she pleased.

Then she grabbed Ivanov and said, "Come on, what are we doing here after taking a seven or eight-hour flight? Didn't you hear me? We're outsiders!"

Ivanov was almost in tears, his face flushed red.

The president was an athlete in his youth and is still quite large in stature. In his anger, he became very strong, and it was quite difficult for Ivanov to hold him and try to stop him from hitting people.

He pleaded, sobbing, "Sir, please calm down. You can't get angry. Russia needs you, we all need you. You must take care of yourself."

Wang Xiao, with an expression of utter exasperation, retorted to the president without any politeness: "Alright, sir, when are you going to stop tormenting my man? You all take advantage of his kind and soft heart, you all gang up on him."

It's said that one woman is equivalent to 500 ducks. The politicians and bankers in the room felt like she had single-handedly moved the entire duck farm to the Kremlin.

The noise made them dizzy.

The president's lips moved twice, whether out of anger or simply out of exasperation, he actually nodded: "Alright, I won't bully our soft-hearted young man."

Without saying a word, Wang Xiao jumped up and snatched the large fruit platter from his hands.

There was nothing she could do; she was short, and she wasn't wearing high heels today. Unless she jumped, she couldn't reach the plate that was being held high.

His comical act amused the president, who was furious enough to set the entire Kremlin ablaze, but was instead amused.

After he finished laughing, he even went back behind his large desk and asked Wang Xiao with a gentle expression, "I would like to invite you to be my election public relations consultant."

Wang Xiao pursed her lips, her tone still unfriendly: "Sir, I know I'm an idiot, I've been tricked, please don't mention this again."

As she spoke, her eyes pierced Yura again.

Yura was truly speechless; the foundation they formed intended for her to serve as the media relations officer for this election committee.

How could she misunderstand something so obvious?

But now Yura can't explain himself, because no one is giving him a chance to explain.

The president chuckled and even nodded: "Alright then, Miss PR, are you going to apply for this job?"

Wang Xiao frowned but remained silent.

Berezovsky couldn't help himself; he had arranged today's meeting.

If they can't persuade the president, they're all doomed.

He pleaded, "Sir, there is no one more suitable for public relations than Miss Wang. She is a professional, and we need the support of a professional."

Good heavens, the entire Kremlin can't even muster a usable election team.

These people are still living in the Soviet era and have no idea what elections are.

Perhaps because the president had calmed down and felt he should give Berezovsky some face in public, he nodded and looked at Wang Xiao: "Well then, ma'am, do you have anything to say?"

Wang Xiao nodded and said seriously, "Sir, what I want to say is that the Communist Party of the Russian Federation will thank you. If Zyuganov heard that you were going to postpone the presidential election, he would definitely be laughing in his sleep. Thank God."

Her words, spoken with utmost seriousness, carried a mocking tone as they reached the ears of the crowd.

The president neither denied nor refuted, but simply looked at him with his eyes.

Grandma Tian and Wang Xiao both sighed inwardly. What an old pair of eyes! Her eye bags were as big as Garfield's.

This evoked in her a subtle feeling of pity, a pity for a frail and aged life.

She sighed before continuing, "After all, the ones who need the most time to develop right now are the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and Zyugalov."

The sun had already set into the Moscow River. Sometime during the day, all the lights in the office were on, casting a pale white light that made the president, who was already ill and frail, look even worse.

Wang Xiao stared at his face and said, "They say death is the best beautifying agent. When a person dies, the people around him can easily forget his or her bad deeds and only remember his or her good deeds."

Everyone in the room understood that the "everyone" she was referring to was the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union, and the Communist Party.

Korzhakov scoffed, "Madam, only a fool who doesn't know right from wrong would think that way. Normal people can distinguish right from wrong, and hatred lasts forever. Please don't be so self-righteous."

Wang Xiao nodded, not intending to refute at all: "I consulted a psychologist. If a person can so easily forget the evil of the deceased, or even if they don't forget it, and no longer hate them when they think of it, but only remember the good of the deceased, even if those good things are scattered, they will feel extremely sad when they think of them; is that because this person does not love themselves, and tacitly approves of the harm others have done to them, as if it doesn't matter whether others are good to them or not?"

She looked up at the crowd and asked, "Do you all know how the psychologist answered me?"

Most of the people present were from STEM backgrounds and knew very little about social sciences, so they couldn't answer her question and were too lazy to answer it.

Fortunately, Wang Xiao didn't actually intend to ask them for answers. She continued speaking to herself: "The psychologist told me that the answer is quite the opposite. Because we love ourselves, our instinct for self-preservation makes us subconsciously forget the bad things others have done and only remember the good things. Because the good things others have done for us prove that we are worthy of being loved and treated kindly. We need this kind of affirmation from the outside world."

She then changed the subject, returning to the point that "the people's attitude towards the Communist Party is the same. More than four years have passed since December 1991. The long-standing hatred has exhausted everyone. People have forgotten the evils of the Soviet Union. As one thing has faded and another has risen, what they remember is the good of the Soviet Union."

She held up one finger. "Two years. Two more years will be enough for the Russian people to remember the good things about the Communist Party. After all, during the Soviet era, the Soviet Union was a powerful country that even the United States dared not provoke."

What she said was already quite harsh.

But given that the president had just been scolded by banker Gusinski, he was acting erratically.

In comparison, Wang Xiao's words weren't too outrageous, so she continued without restraint: "Besides, Zyuganov's biggest disadvantage right now is that the public knows very little about him. In two years, and another two years, all of Russia will know the chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. Moreover, because the government postponed the presidential election, it has caused public dissatisfaction, which will be transformed into support for non-governmental forces. They will think that those who stand up to challenge the government and the president at this time are fighters, true warriors."

She looked at the president and emphasized earnestly, "Sir, no one welcomes the postponement of the election more than the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and Zyuganov. If you make such a decision, it will be a godsend for them."

The bankers in the room immediately chimed in, "Yes, sir, the longer we delay, the worse things will get."

Are you kidding me? Do you think they're idiots?

If it drags on for another two years, when will they get the second set of keys to the treasure they obtained?

The president will definitely postpone the opening of the treasure vault to ensure they will still be on his side in the presidential election two years later.

It's been too long. Two years is far too long. Time is always the biggest variable, and no newly rich is willing to wait any longer.

Looking at the silent president, Wang Xiao continued, "Sir, the battle has begun, and we have no way out."

The essence of war is to escalate the conflict; until it's a fight to the death, no one can truly stop.

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It's true that Gusinsky publicly berated Ye, and Ye really did try to throw a plate at him. However, historically, this scene took place in a restaurant. [Melted]