Chapter 417 She's in Control: I Can't Follow You Anymore

Punoning hadn't been to the Queshan Club much, and this was the first time he'd seen Wang Xiao interacting with other oligarchs there.

Honestly, the tax police major general fully understands the oligarchs' subtle emotions towards Wang Xiao.

Because she's here, everyone has to revolve around her.

This shift doesn't mean that everyone collectively becomes a servant, busy attending to her; rather, it means that everyone's rhythm follows hers.

Because the Chinese people believe in not speaking while eating or sleeping.

Good heavens, this is just a theoretical perspective. In reality, if you've ever been to a Chinese restaurant or the canteen of a container market, you'll find that they definitely talk while eating, and they practically hold back all the things they've been saying all day while they're eating.

But Wang didn't speak, so the only sound at the table was the soft clinking of knives and forks against plates.

Wang Xiao was drinking soup, an egg drop soup made with tomato sauce and chopped cabbage. It seemed to suit her taste quite well, and she ate it spoonful by spoonful with a steamed bun.

In comparison, the scallion oil chicken, a modified version by the chef at the Great Wall Hotel, probably didn't appeal to her, and she ate it with little interest.

Punonin had good reason to suspect that if it weren't for her principle of not wasting food, she probably would have put down her chopsticks after just one bite.

Because she didn't finish eating in the end, Ivanov helped her finish the remaining 1/3.

When he picked up those pieces of scallion chicken, Wang Xiao smiled at him.

After he finished eating, she slowly drank the last sip of soup, then picked up a wet tissue and gently wiped her mouth.

In that instant, Punonin understood Yura's resentment. If he were in Yura's position, he would surely also wish for a partner like that.

As Wang Xiao put down the wet wipe, all the men at the table put down their knives and forks, as if they had just finished eating and could wipe their mouths.

It didn't really matter whether we finished the food or not. In fact, most people didn't even taste the food at this dinner.

The serious mention of Marx's Jewish identity could indeed throw the Russian Communist Party into disarray, and might even cause them to collapse, split again, and lose the election completely.

But if the president wins, will the oligarchs definitely benefit? Not necessarily.

If public opinion continues to escalate and anti-Semitism among the public continues to rise, then their future path will likely be difficult.

The saying goes, "It's not the thief you should fear, but the one who has his eye on you."

If the defeated Communist Party of the Russian Federation vents all its anger on them and keeps watching them like a shadow, how can they possibly live their lives?

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation doesn't even need to worry about exhausting the public by constantly digging up news about them. After all, the wealthy are like celebrities, and their scandals are always popular with the public.

Berezovsky didn't want things to continue like this forever, especially since he had been outmaneuvered by Ivanov in the loan-for-equity auction and hadn't received Siberian Oil Company and Russian Airlines. He was still hoping to get some real benefits from the president after the election.

He stared at Wang Xiao, and only breathed a sigh of relief when the other finally finished rinsing his mouth.

As expected, after the plates on the table were removed and replaced with fruit and desserts, Wang Xiao got straight to the point.

"In the reading room on the second floor, on the second shelf by the left window, there is a copy of 'Travels to the East'. On the right-hand shelf near the door, on the top shelf, there is a copy of 'The Shuttle Merchant'. Please take them down."

Berezovsky's assistant immediately ran upstairs to fetch the book.

The reading room was essentially just for show at the Queshan Club.

It's not that oligarchs are uneducated; on the contrary, they are almost all academic high-achievers, and many of them could even be called scholars.

But they come to the club to socialize, for their own business and for more power. Who would go to the reading room to pretend to be sophisticated and read books?

That is to say, Wang Xiao was not very willing to participate in their social activities, so he spent his time in the reading room.

While waiting for the books to be taken down, Wang Xiao explained the contents of the two books to everyone.

"The Journey to the East is a collection of interview notes by Russian Communist Party writer Andreyeva in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, with the main interviewees being township enterprises in Zhenjiang and Wenzhou."

The oligarchs exchanged glances. Some of them had heard of Wenzhou, where lighters were cheap in Moscow, but Zhenjiang was a completely unfamiliar geographical name to them.

Wang Xiao continued, "Liangjiang Province is a typical representative of the rise of township enterprises in China. Among them, the Southern Jiangsu Model and the Wenzhou Model are recognized as the two major schools. Zhenjiang is a city in the Southern Jiangsu region. The spirit of 'four thousand and four ten thousand' was first proposed by Yangzhong County in Zhenjiang. It means traversing thousands of mountains and rivers, visiting thousands of households, speaking thousands of words, and enduring thousands of hardships."

As she said this, the oligarchs sitting around the dessert table all showed expressions of emotion.

Because they are self-made millionaires, and most of them didn't enjoy many privileges due to their family background, they know all too well how hard it was to earn their first pot of gold.

Just then, Berezovsky's assistant brought down the book, and Wang Xiao opened it, stood it on the table, and gestured for everyone to see: "Yangzhong and Wenzhou share a common characteristic: a lack of sufficient farmland. As an alluvial sandbar in the Yangtze River, Yangzhong has limited arable land, mostly polders, and its agricultural carrying capacity is weak; Wenzhou is mountainous with little arable land, and its per capita arable land area has long been below the national average, making it difficult for traditional agriculture to support the needs of population growth."

She added, “China is different from the Soviet Union. In the 1970s and 80s, China was a typical agricultural country, and the urban-rural divide meant that farmers were almost ineligible to become workers with guaranteed jobs. Under these circumstances, they had to leave agriculture and seek other options such as commerce and handicrafts.”

Upon hearing this, Yura suddenly blurted out, "Then why haven't township enterprises developed in other places? Surely it's not just these two places that lack land?"

All eyes turned to Yura.

In reality, oligarchs don't care how China's township and village enterprises developed. They basically don't engage in manufacturing, and township and village enterprises can't develop finance, so what lessons can they offer them?

The only thing these township enterprises in these two places could be used to explain why the locals became merchants: because of the lack of means of production, they had no choice but to engage in commerce.

Wang Xiao glanced at Yura and said succinctly, "The advantage of the Yangtze River Delta lies in its developed industry and agriculture, so merchants from Wenzhou and Yangzhou have goods to sell. Secondly, water transport is well-developed; Yangzhou can rely on the Yangtze River shipping, while Wenzhou, being a coastal area, has lower transportation costs. Another point is that the Yangtze River Delta region has a long history of commerce, with family traditions and heritage in this area."

As the saying goes, "every profession is like a mountain to climb." You need someone to teach you in any profession, otherwise you'll be completely clueless and won't know anything. How can you possibly continue?

Berezovsky nodded in deep agreement. Yes, this also applies to the Jews. Jews are renowned for their business acumen.

Yura realized her abruptness and didn't press the matter further.

Wang Xiao then returned to the main point: "The reason for using this book as material is that China is currently the only major country that still retains the socialist system, making it a typical representative. Moreover, it is also currently the only socialist country that has successfully implemented economic reforms. Using it as evidence will make it easier to gain the approval of the left-wing group."

In reality, communists and former communists in the CIS countries and Eastern Europe may not particularly like China, but it is already the only remaining hope for socialism.

Therefore, they couldn't help but wonder: if their country had carried out economic reforms like China and succeeded, would the red flag still be flying high?

This sentiment will strengthen their approval of China's economic reforms.

The oligarchs are mostly reformists. Although they dislike socialism, they still agree with China's economic reforms and have little objection to Wang Xiao's statement.

Everyone was just nodding along as they listened.

Just like a teacher in class, Wang Xiao then opened the second book: "The Shuttle Merchant is a new work by social survey writer Yunikov, whose subjects are shuttle merchants who frequent the market. From the content of this book, we can see that nowadays, being a small vendor is not a respectable profession. Most people are forced to take up business to support themselves and their families."

Why does she know so much about these two books? Because their successful publication was partly due to her efforts.

Russia's economic recession is so severe that the best-selling books in bookstores are mostly stories with punches and pillows, and traditional serious writers are hardly getting paid, with few opportunities for their manuscripts to be interviewed.

Wuzhou Group has a foundation specifically for supporting these writers and scholars.

The author of "Journey to the East" was able to successfully interview township enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta region thanks to the help of the Wuzhou Group, and the publication was funded by the foundation.

The situation is similar to that of The Shuttle Merchant.

Their presence in the reading room of the Sparrow Hills Club was also thanks to Berezovsky's care.

Of course, he did this mainly to cultivate a good relationship with Wang Xiao and to cater to her preferences.

But precisely because of this, he had only skimmed through the two books, so he was able to pick up the conversation directly: "That's right, in this land, doing business is a choice made out of necessity."

He pointed at Khodorkovsky, then circled him, his face full of pain. "Don't we want to be respectable party and government officials? That was the most promising career choice in the Soviet era."

Wang Xiao then showed a sympathetic expression and chimed in, "I'm sure everyone has a painful history. Please tell us about it. Why did you go into business in the first place?"

She also pointed at Khodorkovsky, "You're the Komsomol's darling, so why are you going into business? Is it because everyone knows you're capable, but they don't want you to take on more important, core positions, and instead force this hot potato of business onto you?"

The Soviet Union's economic reforms began with the Komsomol (Youth League), and almost all of the earliest wealthy people rose to prominence through this system.

But this did not mean that going into business was a desirable thing at the time. On the contrary, it was full of uncertainty and potential dangers, and it was not a respectable thing in the eyes of the public.

When Khodorkovsky was asked to do this job by the Komsomol in the 1980s, he knew perfectly well what was going on.

Wang Xiao's expression was even more moved than his, her face full of empathy: "The same situation exists in China. In the 1980s, when people did business and set up stalls on the street, they had to lower their heads when they saw acquaintances, and the acquaintances would turn away because they felt it was too shameful. Moreover, they might get arrested by the police and sent to jail for speculation. So, I understand your difficulties very well."

Before Khodorkovsky could react, Bönigsovsky immediately chimed in, "That's right, that's exactly how it is. We started doing business almost entirely because our employers forced us to."

Wang Xiao nodded and sighed, "When ethnic minorities emerge, they are often only given important responsibilities when their organizations are in crisis. These responsibilities are high-risk and prone to failure. That's why you were selected. Otherwise, you wouldn't have had a chance at all."

This is the concept of the glass cliff, which gradually became known to the world before she traveled through time. Like a glass ceiling, it is a typical phenomenon of the dilemma faced by women in the workplace.

They need to turn things around in difficult times, but once the company starts to thrive again, they often face a glass ceiling. The heroes are ousted once more.

Wang Xiao now applies this theory to Jewish oligarchs and immediately gains their approval.

That's right, that's right. They were tragically kicked into the business world as cannon fodder, and they had nowhere to vent their grievances and bitterness.

As for why, out of the thousands of people who went into business, many failed, but they were able to stand out?

Wang Xiao offered his own explanation: "Because you are inherently excellent, you are top students, smart, hardworking, and down-to-earth people. No matter what industry you are in, you are the most likely to succeed. Besides, other smart people are too ashamed to do business, afraid of being looked down upon. You don't have that kind of psychological pressure. From a young age, you have endured a lot of scorn and discrimination because of your lineage. Those hardships that didn't kill you only made you stronger. You can endure hardships that others can't bear, and you can tolerate insults that others can't tolerate. If you don't succeed, who should?"

Berezovsky immediately clapped his hands: "That's right, exactly!"

The other oligarchs followed suit, nodding in agreement.

If we're not talking about the mistreatment they've suffered since childhood, every Jewish person has a history of blood and tears.

Their success and glory today are life's compensation for their past suffering.

Wang Xiao nodded, just like a teacher calling on students to assign homework: "Then, gentlemen, Mr. Berezovsky and Mr. Gusinsky, shouldn't you be able to arrange for someone to compile articles to clear your names?"

Neither media mogul had any objections.

Of all those present, none were more suited to do this job than them.

Wang Xiao said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "The manuscript is finished. Can I take a look at it first? We're in Moscow now, and the fax machine is just a model, so it shouldn't delay the work."

Berezovsky, with his thick skin, showed no embarrassment whatsoever. He simply smiled and nodded, assuring her, "Of course, Miss Wang, there is no better editor-in-chief than you. Even the most talented writer needs your guidance."

Wang Xiao curled the corners of his mouth in a half-smile: "I hope so."

Then she immediately turned her head and fixed her gaze on another guest: "Mr. Nemtsov, I wonder if you would be willing to help everyone?"

Punonin's gaze unconsciously fell on Nemtsov.

If they had only speculated before, he was now almost certain that the president was consciously grooming Nemtsov to be his successor.

Otherwise, as the governor of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, why would he frequently travel to Moscow to mingle with the president's campaign team?

Nemtsov's eyes were like hooks, and his smile was so alluring it could almost be described as tender: "Of course, Miss Wang, it's my honor."

Wang Xiao smiled broadly, but it didn't stop her from distributing orders at all: "Sir, you need to give an interview tomorrow. The interview outline will be provided to you later. Your main task is to refute some people's fallacies. Just because Jewish bankers support the president doesn't mean they are the only ones who support him. Slavs and other ethnic minorities in this country also support the president. No one should try to divide this country."

She also encouraged Nemtsov, saying, "The privatization reform plan you and economist Mr. Yavlinsky developed, and the reforms in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, are considered by Western experts to be a model for the whole of Russia. They all praise you as a prodigy of Russian market reform. So sir, you have been highly regarded and have received much recognition. Please actively exert your social influence."

Nemtsov was almost overwhelmed with gratitude.

He had observed Wang Xiao interacting with the oligarchs several times, and he was either mocking them or directly assigning tasks, clearly showing that he had no hope for them.

When it came to him, he was actually praised and affirmed by her!

Nemtsov's eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed, "Thank you, I will fully cooperate with the interview."

Chubais chewed gum slowly beside him, suppressing his urge to smoke.

Child prodigies are just stories; take them with a grain of salt.

When Gaidar first became First Deputy Prime Minister and spearheaded economic reforms, he was hailed as a child prodigy. Then all the blame was shifted onto him, and he was ousted from politics.

Next, this child prodigy became his Chubais, and he experienced the same downward trajectory.

Now the title of child prodigy has fallen on Nemtsov's head. He is still too young and too successful, and he is so happy about it that he doesn't realize it's practically a curse.

However, Chubais's feelings and heartfelt sentiments lasted only a moment, because Wang Xiao's next target was him.

"Sir, please contact General Lebed. He also needs to stand up and publicly appeal to warn those with ulterior motives not to fabricate ethnic conflict and attempt to split the country."

She explained, "He has high prestige in the military and his image as a soldier is deeply ingrained in people's minds. It is easier for him to warn of the risk of division, since the Chechen war was essentially caused by ethnic conflict."

Punonin felt a chill run down his spine again. Lebed was also a major competitor. His approval rating was rising, and his supporters were even more fervent. One person's publicity had the effect of almost ten people.

Just as he was getting a little distracted, Wang Xiao's crisp clapping sound rang out: "Alright, gentlemen, the appetizers are done, it's time for the main course."

If she wanted to add to the impact, she could have spoken up in advance, coordinating with the waiter's pace of serving the food, and started her setup. For example, she could have said the words mentioned above when the waiter brought in the main course.

But these things are meaningless to her now; she doesn't need them to create momentum for her or serve as props to set the tone for her speeches.

Her very existence is a tremendous force, a force that can influence the thoughts, actions, and thoughts of everyone in the Queshan Club.

Wang Xiao looked at Chubais and slowly analyzed: "If nothing unexpected happens, after suffering these powerful counterattacks, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation will shrink its front and focus its firepower mainly on privatization auctions and loans in exchange for sovereignty."

Chubais felt an invisible hand squeezing his heart.

This was the direct reason for his downfall, the crime that was firmly pinned on him.

He was thrown out to face a storm of criticism from the president, who accused him of selling off the nation's assets at an extremely low price.

He had no way to refute it and could only silently endure it all.

Instead of comforting him, Wang Xiao directly proposed the follow-up arrangements: "You need to find someone to explain to the public why only these gentlemen were able to stand up and participate in the privatization auction? Because those truly wealthy people, those who were the first wave to seize Soviet assets, are all red nobles who couldn't wait to emigrate abroad. They won't spend a single kopek of their money in Russia."

Then, as if remembering something, she reminded Berezovsky and Gusinsky, "By the way, you could write an article asking who drank all the water from the Soviet water pipes? Back then, Jews couldn't get into any important positions in the Soviet Union. The Red Aristocracy drained the Soviet Union's wealth and left, which is how you came to be."

The oligarchs nodded involuntarily.

That statement is an eternal truth: the wealthy people you see are never the truly wealthiest people.

True, immense, and unimaginable wealth is always tied to power.

Berezovsky nodded in agreement: "That's right, they just habitually look for scapegoats to absolve themselves of responsibility."

Wang Xiao nodded and continued to remind Chubais, "Let Mr. Aven speak for you. He's a longtime friend of yours, and he asked you to make an exception and allow Alpha Bank to participate in the Yukos auction, but you refused. As a result, your friendship came to an end. But even so, you still stuck to your principles; you're not the kind of person who breaks the rules for personal reasons. Otherwise, why would the Slavs have won the auction? You should emphasize the difficulty of the auction process, highlighting that four companies even failed to sell. In a sense, it wasn't that these so-called winners were chosen by the auction, but rather that only they stepped forward and participated in the auction."

Berezovsky secretly rejoiced that he hadn't gained any advantage from last year's auction, so he could use it as a pretext for a major counterattack. The revelation that he held Israeli citizenship, putting him in the spotlight, was a godsend for him.

Unfortunately, his relief came too soon, because Wang Xiao called him out again: "Mr. Bie Nie Zovsky, please find a way to resolve your All-Russian Automobile Union stock and securities issue. You need to at least show some commitment and gradually deliver the cars, otherwise the newspapers will be chasing after you and calling you a liar."

Berezovsky looked embarrassed and instinctively defended himself: "Of course, I've been trying to find a solution. I'll announce the start of a new lottery tomorrow."

Wang Xiao nodded, indicating his approval of the solution.

Punonin sighed inwardly. Even at this moment, Wang Xiao did not forget to dig a pit for Berezovsky.

The moment the latter makes a move, the public will be awakened to long-dormant memories that Berezovsky was the culprit behind the infamous All-Auto Union securities scandal.

Public opinion will not allow someone with such a tarnished reputation to enter the upper echelons of the government.

The most powerful political card among the seven oligarchs has been quietly rendered useless.

But Wang Xiao did not intend to stop there. She also wanted to wipe out the other Jewish oligarchs and completely cut off their political lives.

She looked at the crowd: “Gentlemen, if necessary, I suggest you cut your losses. The public’s greatest fear of you is that you will enter the government and become shadow presidents. If you are determined not to go down that path, then these accusations are just baseless mudslinging.”

The oligarchs' faces darkened again. It's only natural for people to want power after they have money. Even those of them who originally had no intention of entering the government will develop strong rebellious feelings if they suddenly realize that you can't—the more forbidden something is, the more I want to do it.

Wang Xiao didn't give them time to wallow in their anger. Instead, he urged them on: "Please think this through as soon as possible. Once the golden period for public relations is over, it will be difficult to make up for it no matter what you do afterward."

Berezovsky spoke up, giving the answer on behalf of everyone: "Miss King, we need to reconsider this matter. Good heavens, we are all overwhelmed with thoughts and really need to calm down and think things through."

That's just a case of someone who's never given up on their thieving ways.

Wang Xiao smiled slightly: "Then please consider it carefully."

Trying to stall? Dream on!

The Wuzhou Group's foundation has funded so many scholars and journalists, isn't it precisely at this time that they should be put to good use?

If the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and its supporters forget about clinging to the issue of the shadow president, then they will exert their influence behind the scenes.

She wouldn't let them escape this ordeal; she would make them give a public guarantee, which would be tantamount to taking over the government, completely cutting off their political careers.

Wang Xiao nodded to everyone: "Alright, gentlemen, it's getting late. Please start taking action immediately. Tomorrow morning, when Russian citizens wake up, they will see your counterattack in the media."

No one made any polite attempts to persuade them to stay.

This night was destined to be a sleepless one; they would have to fight tooth and nail for their future and their financial prospects.

When Wang Xiao and his group left the gate of the Queshan Club, it was already completely dark.

The darkness was so thick that one might doubt the sky would ever light up again.

Fortunately, there were still lights, and the car was able to drive smoothly to the foot of the mountain.

Punoning's car caught up at this moment. He stopped the car, opened the door, and got into Wang Xiao's car.

It's unclear how he explained it to Yura, but she took over the driver's seat, and the two cars continued driving forward, one in front of the other.

Punonin glanced at the two people in the car with a complicated expression, then sighed, nodded, and finally looked at Ivanov: "Go ahead and do it. I will fully support you."

Although he knew perfectly well that inaction was better than action, the rapid rise of Nemtsov and Lebed made it impossible for him to remain truly unmoved.

At this point, Ivan's appointment as Deputy Prime Minister at the White House was like planting a nail in the sand, ensuring that they wouldn't be isolated and helpless within the government if they wanted to get things done later.

Yura is no longer effective. He has not played an active role in the election, nor has he demonstrated outstanding talent. He has been marginalized.

His role in the government needed to be replaced, and Ivan was undoubtedly the best choice.

When Punonin said those words, it seemed as if the entire Sparrow Mountain was weighing on his heart.

His feelings were indescribably complex; after all, that was the Vice Premier. His little brother, who used to follow him around as a child, was now, at least nominally, his superior.

This sense of loss prevented him from truly remaining calm and composed, and he couldn't even offer any more words of encouragement.

Wang Xiao didn't press him, and simply nodded at him: "Okay, thank you, Flamigil, thank you for your advice and support."

Punonin felt as if he had been granted a pardon and emphasized once again, "Ivan, go ahead and do it. I will support you, we will all support you."

It's unclear whether he was saying this to Ivanov or to himself.

Ivanov forced a smile and said a dry farewell: "Take care on the road."

He remained silent for the rest of the journey.

Back at Huaxia Commercial Street, Wang Xiao had already finished showering and came out. He saw Ivanov standing by the window.

The latter remained silent, staring blankly at the red star on the Kremlin.

Wang Xiao stepped forward and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about?"

I'm thinking—

Ivanov turned around, his eyes fixed on her, moist with an almost pleading pain. "I can't go with you anymore. What should I do?"

Wang Xiao asked in surprise, "What do you mean, 'following me'?"

“If I become the deputy prime minister, I will be tied to government work, just like Vladimir, and time will no longer belong to me. I will lose my freedom, and I will be led by the nose by work. When you return to China, I cannot go with you, because foreign affairs discipline does not allow it; when you go to Bucharest, I can only send you to the airport.”

Ivanov became increasingly distraught as he spoke, “Then what am I supposed to do? You won’t stay in Moscow forever, but I don’t want to be separated from you. I can’t bear to be separated from you.”

Wang Xiao patted his back reassuringly, trying to comfort him: "I spend a lot of time in Moscow every year."

“No, there will be fewer and fewer in the future.” Ivanov had not lost his mind. “The chip factory and LCD screen factory are already built. You will spend a lot of time and energy on them in the future.”

Wang Xiao subconsciously touched her ear; she really couldn't deny it.

She has been in Moscow for such a long time since last year, partly because of her previous injury, and partly because of the privatization auction and the presidential election.

Once these two matters are settled, she'll definitely be busy with other work.

Ivanov lowered his head and rubbed his forehead against hers: "I don't want to be separated from you, I want to stay by your side forever."

Wang Xiao couldn't help but feel a headache coming on: Well, this is really troublesome.

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[Let me see] Good morning! When setting the time, I noticed there were three 8s. Well, wishing everyone good fortune! [Hugs]