Chapter 473 Life is Full of Ups and Downs: It Feels So Fresh

The fastest way to take over SsangYong Motors is to bring down Daewoo Group.

The method was quite simple: it severely deteriorated Daewoo Group's liquidity, making it unable to maintain operations in a short period of time, thus forcing it to sell core assets, such as SsangYong Motors, to survive.

Wang Xiao could even immediately visualize the specific operational steps using a mind map.

First, they will utilize financial channels to massively sell off Daewoo Commercial Paper, which they acquired through agents, at a discount in the market. Given the current circumstances, this will quickly trigger panic, leading to a large-scale sell-off with no one willing to continue buying.

As a result, Daewoo was unable to repay its maturing old bonds by issuing new commercial paper, and its short-term financing chain broke instantly.

Secondly, following the principle of assigning blame and finding the right creditors, they approached the creditor banks, emphasizing the extremely high risks of Daewoo's "Too Big to Save" scheme. They then induced these banks to refuse to extend the loans when they matured and demanded that Daewoo immediately repay the principal.

Wait a minute, didn't the US, Japan, and European countries all launch strong aid programs for South Korea, postponing the repayment deadlines for loans from South Korean banks?

If you turn your back on them at this point and demand that they repay the money on time, isn't that inappropriate?

Pshaw! What's inappropriate about it?

The reason we, the creditors, agreed to a temporary reprieve was primarily because South Korea had signed an aid agreement with the IMF, agreeing to comply with the IMF's policies of tightening monetary policy, adjusting the financial structure, regulating the financial market, halting large-scale disorderly expansion, and finding ways to reduce debt.

But look at what Daewoo is doing. Instead of cutting costs, it continues to buy, buy, buy.

So, while we're tightening our belts and forcing ourselves to extend the repayment period, you're living a more comfortable life than us, continuing to spend lavishly?

Softstar Entertainment, do you really want to buy the entire universe? Keep dreaming!

You must repay the money immediately.

Other South Korean conglomerates, open your eyes wide and see clearly: whether it's Samsung, Hyundai, or LG, if any of you dare to act like Daewoo and be so irresponsible, then you'd better spit out what you've taken from me and return what you've spent on me right now. Don't think you can take advantage of me.

Wang Xiao was even certain that as long as there was the slightest hint of trouble, the creditor banks would be willing to use Daewoo as a tool for sharpening their knives.

After all, neither the IMF nor the banks are going to South Korea to do charity. All their actions are aimed at ensuring that South Korea can repay its debts and prevent the previously issued loans from going down the drain.

Besides triggering Daewoo's Minsk moment by exploiting its debt, Wang Xiao could also attack its production and operations.

Daewoo is a true manufacturing giant, which means that raw materials account for a large proportion of its expenses.

If suppliers are forced to demand a higher percentage of upfront payments from Daewoo in transactions, or to accept only irrevocable letters of credit, this would drastically increase Daewoo's prepayment burden and make it difficult to obtain raw materials, potentially disrupting production.

While it was unethical for suppliers to make such a demand at the beginning of 1998, they also needed to protect their own interests.

You were already heavily in debt, and then you took on another 2 trillion won in debt to acquire SsangYong Motors.

Do you really have that much money? Your actions are tantamount to using our payment to pretend to be rich. When you can't keep up the act anymore, won't we just give you our money back?

Instead of taking the risk of showing off to you, let's get our money first.

As a result, Daewoo's credit went bankrupt, its trade lifeline was destroyed, and its daily operations were paralyzed.

Double kill wasn't enough; Wang Xiao had a third layer of strangulation.

She could fund influential international financial media and credit rating agencies to publish in-depth reports questioning Daewoo—such as "Daewoo: The Next Fallen Giant?" and "Dissecting Daewoo's Debt Black Hole," etc.

Completely isolate Daewoo.

Uh, isn't that pretty unethical? It's okay, capitalists who have been around for a long time naturally become unethical, and they're experienced and adept at it.

Wang Xiao spoke with great enthusiasm, and couldn't help but applaud himself.

Upon hearing this, Ivanov couldn't resist leaning in to kiss her, but she pushed him away, saying, "What are you doing? Talk to me properly."

Ivanov laughed, hugged her tightly, rubbed his chin against the top of her head, and said with a smile, "Okay, what do you need me to do?"

He now truly believes that when Chubais said he was domineering and unreasonable, he was actually praising him.

Every leader needs these basic qualities.

Good heavens, in fact, these constitute the most charming qualities of a leader.

He's now completely infatuated with Wang; Da Yu is nothing to him.

Unfortunately, while he was full of high spirits, Wang Xiao was not cooperating.

She sighed heavily, shook her head, and said with a face full of regret, "We can't do it this way."

Ivanov was taken aback: "Why? I think I've thought of everything very thoroughly, and it's very practical. It's not that complicated either. Don't worry, I'll do it."

Wang Xiao shook his head vigorously: "No way. I was rejected when I tried to acquire SsangYong Motors, and then Daewoo Group was targeted by so many people. The South Korean government isn't stupid; they'll definitely suspect me."

Ever since her last trip to South Korea, she has been a key focus of the South Korean government's attention.

She never dared to underestimate the power of the state apparatus; once they set their sights on someone, almost no one could truly escape unscathed.

"Daewoo is, after all, the Daewoo Group of South Korea. Even if the government has opinions about its business strategy, that's all it has to do. The government is willing to give it a warning, but it will never allow it to really collapse in such a turbulent time."

Wang Xiao sighed, "After all, South Korean companies and people are like frightened birds right now. If Daewoo collapses at this point, it will trigger a domino effect, causing a whole bunch of companies to fall at once, and everyone will be finished. This is something the South Korean government is trying its best to avoid."

Ivanov dismissed it: "It's not like there's no way to strike precisely."

“No way.” Wang Xiao moved over, reached out and touched his face, and said seriously, “You just forced the South Koreans to agree to convert GKO into long-term oil and gas bonds, and then you scheme against Daewoo Group. The South Korean government will absolutely not swallow this insult.”

“In the face of a national crisis, national sentiment can swell rapidly. When Daewoo Group becomes a symbol of national dignity, the government will do everything in its power to protect it, and South Korea, feeling humiliated, will permanently blacklist us.”

She sighed, "Why bother? All I want is a SsangYong car. There's no need to make a mountain out of a molehill over a bottle of vinegar."

Previously, they used a three-pronged approach to scheme against the United States, triggering a sharp drop in US stocks, which forced OPEC to abandon its plan to increase oil production and wage a price war with Venezuela in order to maintain the stability of international crude oil prices. There was really no other way.

Who can blame them when their opponent is too powerful—the United States?

Daewoo Group hasn't reached that point, and SsangYong Motors is even less of a possibility.

Ivanov looked at her, and suddenly his voice trembled slightly: "You've been wronged, you've been wronged so much."

Wang Xiao couldn't keep up with his pace for a moment, and was stunned when she saw his reddened eyes.

Feeling wronged? What's there to feel wronged about?

Why does she seem to have some difficulty understanding what he's saying?

Ivanov felt terribly sorry for her: "You've planned everything out, and now you're giving it all up? Aren't you upset?"

He followed her words and went through the whole process without finding any flaws. It was clear that she had conceived the plan a thousand times in her mind, repeatedly refining the details, before finally arriving at a foolproof solution.

Wang Xiao scratched his head, thinking, "This can't be that serious, can it?"

She was on the plane back to Moscow, unable to sleep, and tired from reading documents, so she casually came up with a little idea for herself, like a lighthearted fantasy story.

After conceiving the idea, she considered the limitations of reality and gave up without any hesitation.

The reason I brought it up earlier was just to reminisce about a satisfying novel and enjoy it for a while longer.

It's like watching a live stream; you don't eat it yourself, but just watching the streamer eat it is like experiencing it.

This is true.

Even doctors have come forward to explain that during the process of seeing a doctor, various digestive juices and hormones are being secreted in your body.

Otherwise, simply looking at plums to quench thirst won't be effective.

She rambled on and on, offering various explanations.

The explanation only made Ivanov more upset: "You want me to just watch others eat? That won't do! No way, you wait, I'll definitely take over SsangYong Motors."

Seeing his red eyes, Wang Xiao quickly hugged him and coaxed him, "Okay, okay, who said you wouldn't take it? You'll take it, you'll definitely take it. Oh, listen to me, I've already planned it all out."

Ivanov asked doubtfully, "Really? You're not kidding me, are you?"

Wang Xiao nodded: "Of course it's true, listen to me. I want SsangYong Motors, but to put it bluntly, I don't want its brand or factory. It has a low market share, a mediocre reputation, and high debt. Only Daewoo, which takes money from the government so easily, doesn't know how to be stingy and is willing to spend everyone's money to take over. No normal businessman would do such a stupid thing."

Ivanov wanted to speak again, but he didn't want Wang to say that. It was like looking at ice cream but not being able to buy it, and then comforting yourself by saying that eating ice cream would make you fat and was bad for your health.

Eat what you want, why should you feel so wronged?

Wang Xiaochong made a "shh" gesture to him, warning him: "Let me finish. Its real value lies in its team of engineers who have digested, absorbed, and improved Mercedes-Benz technology, especially their experience in diesel engines and SUV chassis platforms."

She clapped her hands. "Isn't that the solution? The valuable asset is the people, not the factory. Just poach them. Daewoo is notorious for its tense labor relations. To cut costs, they use their people to the maximum extent and refuse to pay them more. Among the big conglomerates in South Korea, Daewoo Group is the one that has labor disputes every now and then."

She said enthusiastically, "SsangYong Motors has just been merged into Daewoo Group, and there's been a lot of personnel turmoil. It's a time of great anxiety. At this time, we can give them a subtle hint, reminding them that Daewoo Group has a very serious debt crisis and is disliked by the government, and that it might go bankrupt at any time. When that happens, everyone will have to go out and find a job. And Daewoo Motors has a much higher reputation than SsangYong Motors. If they're competing with you, will they choose a Daewoo engineer or yours?"

She spoke vividly, "You have to find a job as early as possible. When the competition is less intense, high school students can do the jobs. But when everyone is looking for jobs, college students can't do them anymore."

She had everything planned out: "We hired headhunters to poach people and established a brand-new, well-equipped R&D center in Russia, allowing them to escape the chaotic environment of Daewoo, focus on new projects, realize their career aspirations, and ensure their technology continues to thrive in Russian cars."

She became more and more excited as she spoke, "Moreover, we can also help SsangYong Motors' technology take root in China. The taxi companies in Liangjiang Province also need to replace their vehicles, and they will use the new cars we produce."

She had a well-thought-out plan, aiming to do both things well. She had also clearly considered the issue of technology licensing: "We will spend ten to twenty million US dollars to purchase the license for SsangYong's older generation engine and chassis technology."

She smiled smugly, like a little mouse that had stolen some lamp oil. "With the technology license, the engineers we recruit can improve and innovate on this basis, which can minimize intellectual property disputes."

She clapped her hands together, feeling she could give herself a perfect score. "Look, this way, we can accomplish the most with the least amount of money. We don't have to challenge South Korea's national dignity or touch the government's sensitive nerves. This is just normal talent mobility and technology licensing, and even if Daewoo Group is dissatisfied, they can't stop it."

She cursed viciously, "We'll only take what we need most, and let that idiot Daewoo continue to carry the burden of debt, labor disputes, and brand maintenance!"

Da Yu was being unreasonable; he forced her into a one-sided defeat when it could have been a win-win situation.

Then let it suffer the consequences of being solo killed!

After she finished speaking, she looked at Ivanov with a radiant expression. “How about that? Achieving great things with little money. When the acquisition price of a gold mine far exceeds its value and comes with countless pitfalls, the right thing to do is not to bite the bullet and become a sucker, but to directly poach the most capable gold mine engineers with high salaries and then open a new mine yourself.”

She thinks she's awesome plus.

However, Ivanov looked at her and felt even more saddened, a sentiment that could be described as Russian tragic literature: "But you still prefer the first option."

Otherwise, your first reaction wouldn't be to say it.

Any other solution, no matter how perfect, is a second-best alternative.

Aren't you wronged? You're so wronged.

Wang Xiao didn't know how to respond to his comment.

In life, who doesn't weigh the pros and cons before making a decision? Even ancient emperors, the rulers of the world, had to consider the bigger picture and couldn't truly do whatever they wanted.

This applies not only to humans, but to all living things: you have to give up something to gain something.

Moreover, if this is considered being wronged, then wouldn't Daewoo Group be spitting out a mouthful of blood?

Are you kidding me? For my peanuts! For my peanuts!

Wang Xiao was about to burst out laughing.

However, she found it quite surprising that someone would feel wronged on her behalf over such a trivial matter.

Wang Xiao touched his nose, feeling that he could take advantage of the opportunity to make some profit.

She looked at Ivanov seriously and said, "You know I'm wronged, right? Then don't stop me from eating ice cream."

Ivanov immediately widened his eyes, even sitting up 10 degrees, and said decisively, "No way! You caught a cold in Korea."

She was actually eating ice cream in the dead of winter while standing in the cold wind on the streets of Seoul. It would be a miracle if she didn't catch a cold!

Wang Xiao felt a little guilty; it was her own body, and she knew this wasn't right.

But that's how she is; the more extreme the situation, the more active her mind becomes. Cold actually brings pain, and pain can stimulate a person's nerves.

“It’s ready already!” Wang Xiao negotiated with him. “If I don’t eat it now, my mom will be here soon, and I won’t be able to touch it for the rest of the New Year holiday.”

She didn't need to guess; she knew her mother would be thinking, "Oh dear, Chen Yanqiu, what hope do you have for the rest of your life? You only have one child, and she's so disobedient. I don't even want to think about her getting married, and now you want her to have a child, but she refuses."

Eating ice cream in the dead of winter!

Wang Xiao felt a chill run down his spine just thinking about it.

Ivanov glared at her fiercely: "Get Mom here right now, come with Dad and watch over you, so you won't dare to eat anymore?"

Just as Wang Xiao was about to glare back, he hugged her tightly again, as if letting out a sigh from deep within his chest, "Wang, don't get sick, please don't get sick."

He was too busy, had too many things to do, and he could never be by his side, which made him feel guilty.

"You must take good care of yourself, and always be well."

Wang Xiao smiled and touched his face: "You must take good care of yourself, always take good care of yourself."

The premise for peace and tranquility is that she absolutely must eat ice cream today.

Then she ate two bites and was forced to take a hot bath.

Sometimes, she quite liked it when Ivanov was in charge; it gave her a subtle sense of novelty and was quite fun.

After taking a hot bath, I actually fell asleep, the kind of sleep where I closed my eyes and slept until dawn.

After opening her eyes again, Wang Xiao quickly got up, brushed her teeth, washed her face, ate breakfast, and then wrapped herself up like a bear before obediently going to the airport to greet Ms. Chen Yanqiu and Mr. Wang Tiejun.

These two elderly comrades traveled thousands of miles and took early leave just to see their unfilial daughter.

What could they do? Their daughter wouldn't come home for the Lunar New Year, so they had no choice but to go to Moscow in the dead of winter.

Not only the elderly couple, but also Chen Yidong's family of three flew from Bucharest to Metevo Airport to spend the Spring Festival together.

Compared to his parents, Wang Xiao was even more excited to reunite with his uncle's family after a long separation. They hadn't seen each other since his uncle's family went back to their hometown for the Chinese New Year three years ago.

And she has to admit that she is indeed emotionally deprived.

Although everyone got along quite well, and she knew that her uncle's family missed her a lot, she couldn't lie to herself and say things like "I miss you all so much".

Because she really hadn't thought about it at all.

She rarely even thinks about her parents. That's just the kind of person she is; she can't generate much emotion.

However, this did not stop Wang Xiao from happily hugging one after another, and even praised Chen Jingjing: "You've grown so tall, you're a standard urban woman now."

After graduating from high school, Chen Jingjing didn't return to China to attend university. Instead, she went to Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in the UK to study fashion design. She realized that she truly loved designing clothes.

That's a bit of a Versailles statement, because Central Saint Martins is a world-class design school.

It can only be said that, through genetic inheritance, the Chen family has a strong foundation of academic excellence.

Chen Jingjing was so nervous that she couldn't help but tremble when she hugged her cousin.

It wasn't that she was intimidated by Wang Xiao's domineering aura. In fact, anyone wrapped up like a bear would just be a rolling ball. Being able to walk entirely on their feet, not relying on their body, is already quite impressive. So where does the domineering aura come from?

The female college student was nervous upon seeing Mr. Ivanov.

Good heavens! The world is truly amazing; her cousin-in-law is actually the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.

She was eager to see how Mr. Ivanov, who was always smiling, had no temper, and seemed more like a child than she did, became the Deputy Prime Minister—and a Deputy Prime Minister with real power at that!

As a result, she glanced at it and didn't dare to go up and say hello, only daring to watch secretly from the side.

Ms. Chen Yanqiu was also a little nervous, which was unusual as she didn't slay the entire audience.

Ivanov apologized to her: "Mom, I'm sorry I couldn't go to Kinning to wish you and Dad a Happy New Year."

He simply couldn't leave.

With the agreement to swap GKOs with South Korea for Russian oil and gas long-term bonds just signed, he needs to press on and get more European banks to follow the template of this agreement.

The more short-term debt Russia resolves, the higher its chances of economic recovery.

He had to take the lead in this matter; Chubais could only assist him.

Although he couldn't explain these things to Chen Yanqiu at the airport, she didn't care about that anymore.

Chen Yanqiu was nervous, extremely nervous, and only managed to reply haphazardly, "It's nothing, work comes first."

She hurriedly got into the car with her husband, Wang Tiejun.

Once in the car, when Ivanov showered her with concern and care, she felt extremely uncomfortable, only able to mumble "uh-huh" repeatedly.

Fortunately, Ivanov thought the elderly couple were just tired from the long flight!

So he wisely kept quiet and didn't disturb his parents' rest.

Chen Yanqiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed her tense body slightly.

When the car arrived at the villa, she didn't even bother with the little panda waiting for guests behind the door, and just gave it a quick, random pat.

When Wang Xiao led her to the room, she put down her luggage and took off her coat—the room was very warm, and if she put on her coat again, she would be covered in sweat.

Chen Yanqiu suddenly sighed: "Ivan is really different, he's grown up."

If it were anyone else, Wang Xiao would have misinterpreted those words and retorted, "He's over 30, where did he grow up?"

But this was her mother, Chen Yanqiu, so she could only turn around, her face full of confusion: "Mom, what are you talking about?"

Chen Yanqiu sighed again: "I mean, he's already an adult, a real adult."

Although she already knew that Ivan was actually five years older than Xiaoxiao, the way the two children got along, coupled with Ivan's personality, made her feel that he was a child who never grew up, a child who needed to be watched by adults all the time, and a child who didn't have much of a backbone.

It's been two years since I last saw you, and you're so different. You look like a grown-up, even your mannerisms are different.

This even gave her the feeling that she couldn't see herself getting old, but only that her children were growing up.

Just like when Xiaoxiao publicly canceled her wedding with Ruan Rui in the autumn of 1990, children seem to grow up in an instant.

Wang Xiao couldn't help but laugh: "That's how the media is. Kennedy became president at 43, and they still called him the 'baby president.' Let alone Ivan, the 'baby vice prime minister' is just a title; he couldn't possibly actually be a baby."

Even if he were, after serving as vice premier for a year and a half, he absolutely could not still be one.

The river of time flows relentlessly forward, and no one can stay in one place and wait forever while wandering in this river.

Forward, forward! We must forge ahead relentlessly, forever moving forward.

Looking at her relaxed and carefree daughter, Chen Yanqiu swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

She couldn't help but feel worried, worried about Xiaoxiao and Ivan.

Xiaoxiao has a very strong personality; she's a woman of her word, and deep down she's domineering and assertive, demanding that others cooperate with her.

It used to be fine. Ivan had a good temper, didn't have much of his own opinion, and was willing to go along with anything.

But now Ivan has grown up, he's an adult, a man of his own mind, equally imposing, and a man of his word.

If both people have such strong personalities, when they argue later, it will be a head-to-head battle, and who will give in?

The thought of chaos and potential breakups made Comrade Chen Yanqiu feel that he wouldn't be able to have a pleasant New Year.

Ugh, why raise kids for no reason? They're all just troublemakers.

Once you become a mother, you're destined to worry for the rest of your life.

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It's a bit short, but I'm going out to play now, haha.