Chapter 432 One Fish, Three Ways: You're More Suitable for Roses

Nemtsov quickly forgot about the rudimentary nature of the Five Continents Airlines plane.

Because the plane was in the air, after the TV broadcast of Jackie Chan's movie "Rumble in the Bronx," Wang Xiao actually took the initiative to help promote Nemtsov.

Oh no, to be precise, it was about promoting Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, helping Nemtsov attract investment from traders on the plane, and encouraging people to visit Nizhny Novgorod Oblast if they had the time and interest.

Then she asked Nemtsov for a box of business cards and had the flight attendants hand them out from the first row to the last, ensuring that everyone had one.

Even Nemtsov, who is widely recognized as a shrewd and capable figure in Russian politics, especially skilled in economics, was bewildered by her move.

Wang Xiao added with a smile, "If you have any questions, you can call Governor Nemtsov's mobile phone anytime, as shown on his business card."

Nemtsov, who was being dumped like this, even felt a sense of despair, and he seriously suspected that his phone would be bombarded with calls.

But he couldn't undermine Wang Xiao, so he could only smile and agree, "Yes, you can call me anytime."

But after standing up, saying those nice words, and then sitting down again, the look in his eyes when he looked at Wang Xiao was a clear, "Madam, please give me a straight answer. What exactly did I do to offend you?"

Wang Xiao, however, dismissed it lightly with a smile: "Indeed, you live up to your reputation. I heard you gave your phone number to reporters so everyone could call you anytime. You truly are Mr. Nemtsov!"

Nemtsov was slightly taken aback, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

The term "scalper" is a Chinese expression.

In Russia, they are known as shuttle merchants.

Although they make up half of Russia's retail industry, their social status is actually not high.

Many practitioners are unwilling to even mention their own identity.

This is a subtle social atmosphere created by mainstream society.

Even Nemtsov, who considered himself dashing, couldn't escape the mold.

He took a deep breath, nodded to Wang Xiao, and tried to make his voice sound more sincere: "You're right, yes, I should be available to answer everyone's calls at any time."

Wang Xiao smiled but didn't say anything, just kept her eyes on the television.

The movie "Rumble in the Bronx" has finished playing, and now it's time for the music video segment, where young men and women on the screen are singing and dancing.

Following the debut of the boy band "Polaris," MTV's talent show has launched another girl group, featuring a singing and dancing duo, and they are now beginning to make their mark.

Playing their album video on Wuzhou Airlines' planes is also a way to promote them and increase their popularity.

Xiang Dong has already gotten them into the Spring Festival Gala rehearsals, but she can't guarantee whether they'll make it to the final round.

Looking at the vibrant young women, Wang Xiao silently prayed for them, hoping for their good fortune.

These days, the Spring Festival Gala is still quite effective at creating stars.

The "Polaris Boys" now charge 300,000 yuan per performance when they participate in commercial shows in China, which is comparable to that of top stars in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Think about it, how long have they been in the industry? They've only released two albums in total. And how long did it take the "Four Heavenly Kings" and other top stars from Hong Kong and Taiwan to finally make it big?

But thinking about it again, the Little Tigers also became an instant sensation. You could even say they became famous faster, more widely, and with greater influence than them.

See, the same thing can lead to completely different conclusions depending on the comparison object.

Wang Xiao found it increasingly interesting, and as he watched the television, the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

Two music videos played on the TV in a row, which served as a break. Uncle Long, or rather, Brother Long, was back on stage.

He brought with him last year's Hong Kong box office champion, "Police Story".

Nemtsov followed Wang Xiao's gaze to the television screen and recognized Jackie Chan.

Since "Rumble in the Bronx", he has become a new generation of international martial arts superstar.

This installment of "Police Story" even expands its setting to Ukraine and Australia, featuring submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Undoubtedly, its background is international arms smuggling.

Nemtsov was in a very complicated mood. He wondered if he should be grateful that the film wasn't shot in Russia, otherwise he would have really lost face.

After all, when it comes to international arms smuggling crimes, he believes that Russia's situation is no less serious than Ukraine's.

My God, his homeland has truly endured an unseen war and is now devastated.

The movie featured comedic interludes that made many passengers laugh.

Wang Xiao sighed softly, as if talking to himself: "I wonder if Ukraine will regret choosing to destroy its weapons in the future?"

Nemtsov quickly grasped the meaning behind her words: it was precisely because Ukraine had signed an international agreement to destroy weapons that a large number of weapons flowed into the black market, which was both logical and easier for the world to accept.

The film was naturally shot in Ukraine, not Russia.

Nemtsov chuckled to himself, realizing he was indeed being a bit overly sensitive.

Feeling slightly apologetic, he took the initiative to start a conversation when the flight attendants served everyone drinks and tea, smiling as he said to Wang Xiao, "I thought Wuzhou Airlines' standard drink was jasmine tea."

The flight attendant who was pouring them Coke replied in a serious tone, "Sir, would you like some tea? Please wait a moment, I'll bring it over on the next flight, it might be too hot."

What could Nemtsov say? He could only force himself to nod and say, "Okay, please give me a drink."

When he picked up the cup to drink the tea, he said with great seriousness, "It tastes pretty good, it has a nice aroma."

Good heavens, even he regretted that Wang Xiao only stayed in Moscow for one night and couldn't witness firsthand how Ivanov single-handedly made jasmine tea a new fashion among Moscow's upper class.

So now, when Nemtsov tries to make a witty remark, it feels like he's punching cotton.

He said listlessly, "Looks like I should drink more jasmine tea from now on."

Wang Xiao laughed and said meaningfully, "Sir, are you sure? I guess you might need to drink more rose tea in the future."

Her eyes were so bright, her smile so captivating, and the word "rose" that came from her lips so fragrant.

Nemtsov was instantly distracted. The playboy was always confident in his charm, and he smiled ambiguously: "Perhaps you are right, Miss Wang, roses are more suitable for us."

Wang Xiao's smile deepened, almost bursting into laughter: "No, no, no, sir, jasmine tea is good for clearing the liver, improving eyesight, reducing internal heat, and relieving stress, so it's perfect for me. Rose tea, on the other hand, is good for soothing the liver and relieving depression, so you might have to drink a lot of it later."

Nemtsov paused for a moment, then blurted out, "Why?"

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "By developing farm enterprises, you are just competing with big companies for their orders. Do you think they will be willing to do that? If they are not, what will you do next? You'll be in for a lot of trouble."

Whenever the redistribution of interests is involved, it is a war without gunpowder. Even if you are in a high position and are theoretically their superior, you cannot easily make them listen to you or obey your orders.

Let's not talk about anything far away, just take the issue of plane tickets.

Since the president forced Wang Xiao to join All-Russian Airlines last year, even someone as capable as him has been unable to earn income from selling airline tickets within Russia.

Even after Ivanov became deputy prime minister, his attempt to investigate how the cash disappeared ultimately came to nothing.

Profit will bind everyone in this chain together tightly, not allowing outsiders to even extend a tiny finger into it.

Moreover, you can't simply fire these people, because it would cause turmoil throughout the company. It involves too many aspects, and if you fire so many people, the company would be paralyzed.

Nemtsov became interested when she used the airline example: "So how do you get the money? Do you subsidize it with money from other places?"

Why did he vigorously develop small and medium-sized enterprises in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast? It was because those large enterprises were too powerful to control, so he had to start from scratch.

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "We're starting from scratch, generating revenue by expanding our overseas ticket sales and utilizing airport duty-free shops. Then we set aside a portion of that for aircraft maintenance and upgrades to runways and other airport facilities."

Nemtsov, being a politician, immediately understood what she meant: "You are trying to divide the airborne and ground-based logistics."

Who cares about airplane maintenance? The flight crew, the people who fly the plane, because it concerns their lives.

When interest groups within the company siphon off ticket sales revenue, it's quite possible that money will be shared with them, as it's a matter of mutual benefit.

But this interest group would absolutely not be willing to spend money on aircraft maintenance. In their eyes, it's a waste, since aircraft, equipment, and other infrastructure can't speak, can't voice objections, and can't go against them.

Why would they bother with these inanimate objects?

Only those who deal with these devices every day know the importance of maintaining them; their lives are intertwined.

Unfortunately, during the Soviet era, Russian aircraft experienced numerous flight accidents, which compels modern pilots to take aircraft accidents seriously.

When it comes to their lives, even if they don't speak out loudly, they won't object to their boss making money through overseas sales.

As a result, the higher the share of overseas sales, the less money domestic airlines can receive.

People who come together because of money will naturally fall apart when they can no longer make money.

Nemtsov found it increasingly interesting and nodded to Wang Xiao in admiration: "Miss Wang, you used the strategy of dividing and conquering to your advantage, it was truly brilliant."

In the previous presidential election, she split the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, forcing Zyuganov, who had previously been able to play both sides, to openly take sides, losing a large number of supporters. As a result, his decline became more and more apparent, and he ultimately lost the election.

Wang Xiao chuckled softly, as if sighing: "There's nothing we can do. Our opponents are too strong. We can only find weaknesses and defeat them one by one."

She glanced at Nemtsov, her words carrying a hidden meaning, "Sir, you'd better think it over soon: who should you ally with? And who should you defeat?"

The situation will become more complicated. The rise of the seven oligopolies is just the beginning. All the heads of large companies will follow suit and turn their companies into their own little territory.

Even if Moscow shifts its economic reforms, starting in rural areas and supporting small and micro farms, it may not infringe on the interests of large business owners.

But once they realize this is a potential threat, they will try every means to nip the White House's plan in the bud.

Nemtsov wanted to ask her opinion again. Well, although everyone was unwilling to admit it, at least they couldn't admit it verbally, in reality, many people already regarded Wang Xiao as the godmother of Moscow, the political godmother.

This included Nemtsov, who was eager to get some political and economic advice from Wang Xiao.

Unfortunately, Wang Xiao, in order to avoid suspicion, did not even stay in Moscow for long; so how could he be willing to serve as Nemtsov's advisor?

After reminding Nemtsov to get to the side quickly, she closed her eyes to rest.

For the remaining nearly four hours, she slept, except for waking up once to eat a steamed bun with tomato and potato stewed beef brisket.

Even though the conditions on Wuzhou Airlines' planes were so poor that there wasn't even a business class seat, and the seats were so cramped that you couldn't even stretch your legs out, it didn't stop her from sleeping soundly.

If the time and setting were different, Nemtsov would inevitably have wild speculations, wondering if she had gone too far last night.

But now, this rising star in Russian politics is preoccupied with how to demonstrate his abilities and how to convince Miss Wang that he is a promising talent and willing to invest in him.

Time flies when you have something to do.

As the plane was about to land at Zhimen Airport, the flight attendants reminded passengers to fasten their seatbelts. It was then that Nemtsov suddenly realized that the long flight of more than seven hours was already coming to an end.

The bad thing is, he still hasn't figured out how to take his relationship with Wang Xiao to the next level.

This frustrated him, as he had hoped to get more from her.

Therefore, even though Secretary Fang, the top official of Jiangdong Province, personally came to Jiangzhimen Airport to welcome him, he couldn't be overjoyed or beam with pride at receiving such high-level attention.

He shook hands with Secretary Fang with his usual bright smile, expressing his gratitude that the other party had taken time out of his busy schedule to pick him up at the airport. He felt the power of the great friendship between China and Russia and hoped that everyone could carry out deeper and broader cooperation in more fields in the future.

Secretary Fang's writing was also in the same bureaucratic style, fully demonstrating the lively scene of people carrying each other in a sedan chair.

The music store outside the airport is playing "My 1997". This new urban folk song sung by Ai Jing was popular when it was first released in 1992. Now, with the return of Hong Kong approaching, the old song has become popular again and is sweeping across the country.

The cheerful singing is incredibly uplifting.

Secretary Fang arranged for Wang Xiao and Nemtsov to ride in the same car so that the former could share more information about Jiangdong with the latter.

As soon as the car door closed, Wang Xiao smiled and reminded Nemtsov, "You'd better be prepared to suffer later."

Nemtsov was busy looking out the car window, trying to understand as quickly and thoroughly as possible that he had set foot on this land.

He subconsciously said, "Everyone says that Chinese people are humble, and it's true. Miss Wang, the environment in your hometown is hardly a place where people suffer."

Look how lively it is outside! The main streets and alleys are lined with shops one after another, and every shop is full of customers. Everyone is busy and their faces are full of the joy of working hard.

It seems that the further south you go on Earth, the brighter the sunshine becomes, and people who have been exposed to the sun for a long time also seem to carry the sunshine with them.

My God, this is the template for his ideal small and medium-sized towns, teeming with life and full of lively atmosphere.

Well, Jinning City is indeed quite large; it's considered a major city in China. But his ideal model of a major city is a modern metropolis like New York, and that won't change for now, at least not for now.

Seeing the way his eyes were glued to the spot, Wang Xiao couldn't help but laugh and cry: "Sir, you misunderstood me. I meant that the Jiangdong Provincial Government has now recognized you as someone who can endure hardship, and they will probably take you to see some truly challenging environments, the most basic township enterprises."

Every year, all relatively economically developed regions receive a large number of inspection teams from other parts of the country and even from abroad.

If these people are just here to make a show of things and find an excuse for a free, publicly funded trip, then the receiving unit will naturally not bother wasting its time on them.

Ultimately, learning is the student's responsibility. No matter how capable a teacher is, they cannot learn for the students. Why waste their energy and offend others?

Only when a delegation is truly willing to learn, unafraid of hard work, and eager to gain a deeper understanding will the receiving unit be willing to share its genuine expertise, experiences that are difficult to put on paper, and teach them real skills.

Nemtsov was stunned again, subconsciously looking at his own, his assistant's, and his secretary's attire. Well, not bad, quite presentable, not shabby at all.

How did the Jiangdong Provincial Government come to the conclusion that they were capable of enduring hardship?

When he lifted his sleeve to check again, he smelled the aroma of beef and potatoes and suddenly realized: "You mean, because we flew on Wuzhou Airlines?"

Yes, they could certainly enjoy a more comfortable way of traveling, flying from Moscow to Beijing first, and then from Beijing to Jinning.

Moreover, given his administrative rank, he is entitled to travel in first class, as this is an official business trip.

Of course, the cost would be several times higher, and he would also have to stay overnight in Beijing before transferring to Jinning.

Therefore, his act of flying directly from Moscow to Zhimen and taking a Wuzhou Airlines flight was seen by the leaders of the Jiangdong Provincial Government as a typical example of hard work, efficiency, and time-saving.

Everyone admires officials who are proactive, efficient, and don't just put on a show, especially when these people are also proactive and efficient local government officials.

They will feel a sense of kinship immediately: You are my kind, a young and energetic kind.

This was the best first impression for his subsequent investigation.

Nemtsov understood all of this and was at a loss for words.

He looked at Wang Xiao and said earnestly, "Thank you, Miss Wang."

She even considered every detail of the trip, designing the best plan for him.

How could he not be moved?

He suddenly felt his shoulders grow heavy.

Ivanov knew which plane to take to Kinning, and it was even very likely that this was the result of his discussion and agreement with Miss Wang.

Without his approval as the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, this plan would most likely be rejected, as it does not conform to the usual practice for high-ranking officials to travel.

Nemtsov's feelings were truly complex. He wouldn't say it in public, but he originally thought very little of Ivanov, the deputy prime minister who was several years younger than him, and considered him nothing more than a political newbie.

Unexpectedly, not only did they support him and give him a chance to succeed, but they also considered the details of his work so clearly.

He certainly wasn't narcissistic enough to think that Ivanov was captivated by his charm, and the latter wasn't a woman.

He was thinking about how eagerly his young deputy prime minister hoped that Russia's rural reform program could be implemented smoothly and successfully.

Nemtsov developed a feeling akin to that of a close friend.

He thought he should be able to become a good working partner with Ivanov because they were both pragmatists and were working toward the same goal.

Wang Xiao smiled and spoke again: "There's one more thing I need to remind you. You absolutely mustn't cause any scandals here. It would completely ruin your image."

Nemtsov's face flushed instantly: "My God! What are you saying? No, I absolutely wouldn't."

Wang Xiao simply replied with a "heh," and said without any politeness, "I hope so!"

She didn't want to clean up this mess for others.

The delegation first went to the provincial party committee guesthouse to get their room key cards and put down their luggage.

Nemtsov held the key card in his hand and looked at it. To this day, most hotels in Russia still use keys instead of these convenient key cards.

He suspected that he could learn more than just the production and development experience of township enterprises here; perhaps its urban construction also had something commendable about it.

Wang Xiao glanced at the access card and felt quite happy because the chip used in the access card was made by her chip factory.

Step by step, starting with the simplest chips with the lowest technical difficulty, they gradually gained market share and were able to upgrade generation after generation, eventually establishing a firm foothold.

As Nemtsov and his entourage were packing their luggage, Secretary Fang, who had personally accompanied them, took the opportunity to tease Wang Xiao: "President Wang, do you know that someone has already filed a complaint against me?"

Wang Xiao thought about it and realized that he must have offended quite a few people—anyone who does business and makes money is bound to offend someone.

She was all smiles, not nervous at all, and even blatantly tried to sow discord among the others: "Who is so ignorant? Don't they know that our Secretary Fang is extremely busy? Why bother our leader with such trivial matters?"

Secretary Fang burst out laughing at her antics, shaking his head repeatedly: "You rascal, you're getting the benefit and still acting innocent!"

Who came to complain? A Taiwanese businessman, of course!

In a moment of excitement, someone in South Africa sold the factory.

Once he came to his senses, he regretted it and wanted to buy the factory back.

As a result, Wang Xiao refused to sell no matter what, which infuriated him. Afterwards, he even recommended that Wang Xiao set up a business in Jiangdong and personally wrote him a note telling him to just go directly to Secretary Fang.

He did indeed go to Secretary Fang and complain to the leaders.

Wang Xiao stomped her foot angrily: "Oh dear, boss, look how difficult this person is to deal with. He was the one who wanted to sell the factory, but I took it over voluntarily so he wouldn't be stuck with it. He should be grateful to me, not complaining!"

Secretary Fang couldn't stop laughing and couldn't help but reach out and poke her forehead, repeatedly saying, "You! You!"

She acquired a Taiwanese business and, as a member of the Jiangdong Provincial Political Consultative Conference, helped the province attract investment and arranged for people to come to Jiangdong, effectively making the most of both opportunities.

Secretary Sun laughed from the side: "Boss, you forgot to mention one thing, she cooks one fish in three ways."

What did she do? She even introduced white South Africans to Jiangdong to be English teachers. Goodness, all the well-known primary and secondary schools in the province went crazy. They all wanted to bring a foreigner to their schools to show off their international style and make it easier for students to practice their spoken English.

Wang Xiao chuckled and said, "This is just a side thing. Don't worry, most of these white teachers are education majors, and even the few who aren't have received higher education."

It is well known that when a country or region faces economic difficulties, liberal arts students are most likely to lose their jobs.

Unfortunately, the job market for liberal arts graduates has an incredibly high ceiling and an unpredictable floor. The exceptionally talented can dominate vast territories, commanding the obedience of six states. Those who fare poorly simply can't find work.

Wasn't Wang Xiao recruiting white engineers and technicians in South Africa? Many white clerical workers also wanted to apply.

At the time, she thought that these people were not needed in her factory in South Africa, and she couldn't let the resources go to waste. Fortunately, their English was fluent and they had no accent, so she decided to bring them back to China to work as foreign teachers.

English is currently very popular in China, and foreign teachers are in high demand.

We should cultivate more English-speaking talents so that China can better adapt to the requirements of international economic activities after joining the WTO.

She happens to have connections in South Africa, so it would be a waste not to use them.

Moreover, theoretically speaking, the best candidates for English-speaking foreign teachers should come from the UK and the US.

In reality, it's practically impossible to find British or American teachers willing to come and teach in mainland China now.

There's no other reason, I'm just poor.

In 1997, when people went to Asia, they would either go to Japan, the Four Asian Tigers, or at the very least the Four Asian Dragons. Why would they come to mainland China? This was a developing country with a weak economy.

In contrast, highly educated white South Africans are currently the best choice for English-speaking teachers in China. They have little accent, and their salaries are lower than those in the UK and the US.

Faced with the pressure of not being able to find work in South Africa, they were willing to try their luck in China.

Secretary Fang laughed heartily: "You really know how to make three dishes out of one fish. Once it's passed through your hands, there's no way you'll let it go."

Wang Xiao just smiled.

Of course! Even a small mosquito bite is still meat. If you get involved in any industry when it's just starting out, you might reap unexpected rewards later.

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Sorry, I worked overtime until 10 pm last night preparing materials [I'm exhausted]. I also feel that many inspections are meaningless, but that's just how formalism is.