Chapter 485 Little Tang is Mighty: Truly a Great General Who Expands Territory

From the scandal breaking in January to the court's final verdict in December, the US president's sex scandal finally came to an end with the ringing of the New Year's bells on New Year's Day 1999.

No wonder they're a global superstar! They've been making headlines all year round.

If he ever starts selling goods in the future, he'll have plenty of talking points.

Even after New Year's Eve, Moscow was still in winter, with snow layer upon layer thicker than ever before, and Wang Xiao also stayed indoors during the winter.

It was so cold, she really didn't want to go out for a stroll.

But no one dared to let her stay there, because if she stayed there, she would start thinking, and when she was thinking, she would inevitably want to eat chili peppers, the super spicy kind, and she would think while eating spicy food.

So the bodyguards started pulling her around to exercise.

Lyuba's theory sounds quite convincing: because her body was idle, she focused all her attention on her mind.

If her body is busy, her attention will definitely be diverted, and she will naturally forget about eating spicy food.

Wang Xiao thought it made a lot of sense, so he actively started exercising.

However, the campaign got off to a bad start.

On her first day at the badminton court, she hadn't played many shots when a shuttlecock hit her eye, nearly ruining it.

Then she switched to playing tennis, and to be fair, tennis is quite popular in Russia. However, tennis is such a physically demanding sport. This time she wasn't hit by a tennis ball, but after a day of playing, she was so sore all over that she couldn't get out of bed.

As it turns out, this kind of high-intensity exercise is not suitable for a useless person like her.

Finally, having run out of ideas, she wandered back to playing ping-pong. It turned out that ball sports suited her quite well. Because her eyes were constantly following the ball, she didn't have time to lose focus and actually had a lot of fun.

Moreover, you can set up a folding pool table at home and start playing immediately.

Unfortunately, her reaction time and coordination were far inferior to those of bodyguards who made their living through physical combat. The match ended in a maximum of 20 minutes, after three rounds, and she went straight off the stage to get a drink of water.

Ivanov wasn't much better off; he soon followed along with the sugarcane and water chestnut drink.

They were watching the bodyguard's movements, trying to learn from him. As they watched, Ivanov noticed the snow falling outside the window, and his thoughts drifted away.

There's nothing we can do about it. Although everyone says that public and private matters should be kept separate, and that you shouldn't think about work when you're resting.

But in reality, once you reach a certain level, it becomes very difficult to clearly separate your working hours from your non-working hours.

For example, right now, when he sees snow, he thinks about how the snow will melt and it will be time for spring plowing.

Seeing him lost in thought, Wang Xiao asked curiously, "What are you thinking about?"

"I think we need to make a decision this week about attracting foreign investment to expand agricultural production."

Ivanov used a spoon to scoop out the boiled water chestnuts and shared them with the king and himself. They had a different flavor than eating them raw.

This year's once-in-50-year drought proves that his previous strategy of attracting foreign investment to Siberia and the Far East to invest in agricultural production was correct.

Despite a 30% reduction in production, even with an overall increase in output, the net harvest was still significantly better than originally predicted.

However, at the same time, the White House also discovered that simply relying on national investment in water conservancy projects and attracting rural residents to cultivate the land in the countryside still could not solve the problem of large tracts of land being abandoned.

Because the vast expanse of Siberia and the Far East is simply too cold and too desolate. Aside from industrial workers in sectors like oil and coal, it's impossible to retain people there.

Moreover, the government has limited financial resources and is simply unable to invest more in improving agricultural infrastructure.

Therefore, the White House has turned its attention to foreign investment.

Among them, Huaxia is widely recognized as the most suitable investor.

Why? Because the Chinese people are incredibly resilient and hardworking.

During the autumn harvest, they can work in two shifts, rotating personnel 24 hours a day without changing machines, and they are busy harvesting soybeans late at night.

The same applies to the rush to plant spring crops. People from three miles away would set up tents and rest directly at the edge of the fields, just to gain a little more time.

Compared to them, farmers in Japan and South Korea don't work as hard.

Russia has a short frost-free period, which is precisely what makes it necessary to seize the opportune time.

Of course, besides being able to endure hardship, Chinese people have another very strong advantage: they are numerous, and their wage levels are lower than those in Japan and South Korea.

My God, how can there be so many people in China?

During World War II, 35 million of China's 400 million compatriots, both soldiers and civilians, sacrificed their lives, most of whom were young and middle-aged men. Yet, after the war, their population grew rapidly, to the point that the country had to actively implement family planning to curb the runaway population growth.

And what about Russia? After 27 million people died in the Great Patriotic War, even though the Soviet Union took a series of measures to stimulate population growth, the results were still unsatisfactory.

So now, Russia doesn't even have enough people to farm, and it has to ask for foreign aid.

Of course, rules still need to be established. For example, private land leasing should be prohibited to prevent agricultural enclaves; another example is that Sino-Russian joint ventures must be established, employing at least 30% Russians to ensure local employment.

It is obvious that these two restrictions are aimed at foreign businesses, enough to scare away a lot of people.

Therefore, Moscow must offer sufficient incentives to entice more people to try it.

So what is this temptation? It's the relaxation of export restrictions.

How should I put it?

Globally, the basic necessity of food is a universal consensus. Therefore, governments generally protect their domestic agricultural products, imposing export quotas to prevent situations where they grow abundant crops only to find themselves without enough to eat. Imports are also subject to quotas; otherwise, low-priced foreign food flooding the domestic market could potentially cripple domestic agriculture.

One of Ivanov's main strategies for attracting foreign investment in Russian agriculture was to try to secure more export quotas for them.

But that alone is no longer enough. Russia, recovering from the severe drought, needs more stimulus to attract people and capital to this black soil.

Therefore, Ivan is lobbying his colleagues to open up grain exports, which would provide investors with a stable and secure sales channel and a way to realize profits, greatly reducing policy risks.

At the same time, Russia can utilize foreign investment to revitalize idle land, create jobs, increase tax revenue, and drive economic development in remote Siberia and the Far East. Moreover, through joint ventures and employment agreements, Russia can ensure that it maintains control over development.

Ivan was in such a hurry because he was afraid of missing the window of opportunity.

1998 was a year of hardship for both Russia and China.

China has experienced devastating floods that have swept across numerous river basins, making reduced grain production inevitable. Under these circumstances, food security will undoubtedly attract the attention of the central government.

At this moment, acquiring a stable, adjacent overseas grain production base would help enrich the sources of grain imports and ensure national food security, which is quite attractive to China.

In addition, the abundant young and middle-aged labor force flooding the market was also something that appealed to Ivan.

Last year, or rather, the year before last, in September 1997, China State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission launched a comprehensive reform of state-owned enterprises, with the goal of encouraging mergers, standardizing bankruptcies, laying off and reassigning employees, reducing staff and increasing efficiency, and achieving re-employment.

The financial crisis that erupted in the summer of 1997 greatly accelerated this process.

In 1998, China truly began a massive wave of layoffs. Large numbers of workers lost their jobs, and finding new employment proved far more difficult than imagined.

Ivanov wasn't really after them. After all, there were quite a few unemployed workers in Russia, and they were more familiar with and adapted to Russia than he was; there was no need for him to go to such lengths.

He was looking for a perfect fit, and with a large influx of urban workers into the market, employers naturally had more options.

Hiring local urban workers means greater security in terms of management—they can run away, but they can't escape; unless they are involved in organized crime, criminals tend to behave better at home.

This means that labor costs are likely to decrease – local workers will not need to be provided with accommodation by newly hired private companies.

This means more hidden resources—locals have their own networks, which may be able to secure more orders for the company.

In this situation, the market competitiveness of Chinese migrant workers will inevitably decline. This will force some to seek alternative employment in cities.

Ivan hopes that farming in Russia is one of their ways out.

He is currently pondering two things: how to persuade his colleagues to lift restrictions on grain exports; and how to manage so many people coming to farm.

He hopes to significantly increase the scale of farming, as cooperation with the state-owned agricultural group alone is not enough.

But he doesn't want to hire a private person because they are too difficult to manage and too troublesome.

Wang Xiao didn't say a word about the grain export plan; it wasn't his place to interfere.

However, what about who will farm the land and how it will be managed?

She smiled and offered advice: "It's very simple. Every place has a dedicated department that serves as a service center for migrant workers. Contact them and have them send people over directly so they can manage it themselves. If any problems arise, we can contact their service center directly."

Customs vary from place to place, and local governments are best at managing local communities. Therefore, it's crucial to use resources wisely.

Wang Xiao explained, "We arrange for laid-off workers from Beijing to work as fruit pickers in Germany, as skilled workers in Singapore, or as laborers in Africa, all through the service center."

Ivanov suddenly realized that this was indeed the case.

Then he started to complain: "Look, I've forgotten everything. I feel like I'm getting really old, I'm starting to forget things."

Wang Xiao smiled and cupped his face in her hands, looking at him from left to right, and then kissed the wrinkles around his eyes.

How can one not grow old? No one can truly stay young forever.

For celebrities whose faces are an important tool for production, they go to great lengths to maintain their appearance. Unless fans blindly praise them, no one can honestly say that their idol looks exactly the same as they did ten years ago.

Every age has its own charm. You can live freely at 20, so why should you be on your deathbed at 30?

After she finished kissing him, she let go of him, smiled, and whispered in his ear, "You're so sexy, I want to devour you."

Nikola hit a beautiful spin shot, and just as he turned around to receive screams and applause from everyone, he saw his boss blushing and grinning shyly.

May God bless us!

The bodyguard coldly withdrew his gaze.

There was a knock on the door, and the housekeeper came in, holding a letter.

When Wang Xiao glanced at the name on the envelope, he couldn't help but gasp: "Vlamik, that guy, he really did become a literary giant."

Ivanov took the letter, began to snort and grumble, saying sarcastically, "Now I can only receive letters from him."

Wang Xiao instinctively wanted to retort: ​​"Aren't you being ridiculous? How many people write letters these days? They either call or email."

The words were on the tip of her tongue when she suddenly realized, oh, it seems she had written him a letter before.

So Wang Xiao twisted his tongue and said in a serious tone, "I want to tell you everything."

Ivanov looked at her resentfully, silently accusing her: Only puppies lie.

After she left Moscow, she traveled around a lot, and he didn't know where to send his letters.

Wang Xiao had no choice but to back down: "Alright, alright, I'll write it for you. I'll write it for you again next time."

How come I didn't realize this was a high-needs baby? There's so much going on.

Ivan then became happy and began to open the letters in front of her.

Wang Xiao curiously peeked over to look. Punonin had been in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast for more than two months, and she wanted to know what changes had occurred in him.

As she looked at the screen, she couldn't help but frown: "Why does it seem like he hasn't given up yet?"

Ivan looked at the words on the letter and sighed, "God! This guy."

Yes, following the political crisis in the US presidency, he has completely abandoned his support for Punonin's candidacy for the next president.

Because Punonin lacks the necessary temperament.

He certainly had a desire for power and ambition, but he lacked the mindset to see the country and himself as one; his vision was too narrow and his perspective too limited.

Ivan himself didn't want to be president, but he deeply loved his country. How could he put an unsuitable person in power, only to ruin his own country?

He sighed, "God, it's probably as cold as winter in Nizhny Novgorod, which is why his mind is so slow now."

Hopefully, by the time spring arrives and flowers bloom, Vladimir will fully realize that he is truly unsuitable.

Wang Xiao found it amazing. He was clearly a smart person, so how could he be so slow-witted?

She felt he was like a broken Soviet Union, a Soviet Union that couldn't keep up with the times.

Yes, not Soviet revisionism.

One should speak from the heart.

Although she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sight of Punonin, she had to admit that the latter wasn't a bad person.

In his position, it would be easy for anyone who wanted to make a fortune to do so; there were plenty of people eager to bribe him.

Although his family lived a comfortable life, it was by no means extravagant or decadent.

This alone is enough for him to defeat more than half of the world's officials of the same rank.

Then can he be defined as good?

Wang Xiao, looking at his conscience, felt he really couldn't close his eyes and nod.

The definition of "good" often depends on ability.

In her eyes, Punonin's abilities, especially his governing abilities, were seriously lacking.

Let me give you a simple example, like the presidential election.

Many people believe that Wang Xiao was instrumental in the president's re-election in 1996.

Well, as a capitalist, she certainly had the audacity to shamelessly claim credit for it.

But her real value lies in concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks, integrating all of her own resources, and using them where they are most needed.

In other words, the clever cook has rice to cook.

And what is this rice? It is the oligarchs, the money and resources they possess.

It is no exaggeration to say that the power of the oligarchs has lifted the president, whose approval rating was almost at the bottom, back to the Kremlin.

But things are different now.

After the president entered the Kremlin, he tacitly approved the White House team and Chubais, among others, to find ways to suppress the power of the oligarchs. Punonin was one of those crackdown leaders. He never hesitated to take drastic measures when it came to forcing the oligarchs to pay taxes.

Therefore, the oligarchs' real influence in Russia today is far less than it was in 1996.

Even Berezovsky, who was known as the godfather of the Kremlin, was a government official and was widely recognized as a smooth operator, but he was never able to enter the inner circle of power.

Whether it was the financial reforms that devalued the ruble or the later policies toward the United States, he was not even qualified to attend meetings, let alone speak at the table.

The remaining members of the infamous "seven oligarchs"—Smolensk of the Capital Bank and Vinogradov of the Reform Bank—went bankrupt one after the other due to dollar futures contracts, while Potanin and Khodorkovsky were also severely damaged.

Malkin and Friedman, the other officers at Russian Credit Commercial Bank, are also having a tough time.

Given all this, why insist on forcing them to meet 1996 standards? Isn't that just pure nonsense?

Besides, in 1996, even Gusinsky, a traitor to the Kremlin, had to reluctantly support the president, simply because there were no other suitable options.

If we don't vote the president into office and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation comes to power, what if the Red Army makes a comeback and hangs everyone from the streetlights?

What about now? What about in the new millennium? Why should anyone choose Pronunil when there are plenty of other options?

Wang Xiao couldn't help but grimace. She was truly impressed by Punoning; this man really lacked flexibility and political acumen.

He hated the Soviet Union so much, yet he was the one who inherited the most rigid aspects of the Soviet Union.

Ivanov sighed heavily.

What could he say?

As an old friend, he truly gave the other person a chance.

Why did he seek help from Prononin when he was shorting US stocks? He could have directly contacted the National Security Agency. Ultimately, besides wanting to avoid further trouble, the most important reason was that he hoped to use this opportunity to broaden Prononin's horizons and open his mind.

Back then, with someone guiding him, Punoning didn't falter. But when he was alone again, he couldn't handle it.

Wang Xiao slowly sipped the sugarcane and water chestnut juice.

God bless! I hope Punoning can come to terms with himself soon. If he lacks self-awareness, she wouldn't mind helping him.

As for the candidate she favored for the next presidential election, who was eliminated just like that, was she heartbroken?

It's actually not so bad.

After all, when she took the initiative to ask Punoning if he had any ambitions, she didn't have any good intentions; she just wanted to find a powerful backer.

As for why he didn't give up for so long, he also had to ask others to cooperate with him quite a bit.

Otherwise, how could a financial reform that devalues ​​the ruble by 15% have been so easily implemented? Otherwise, where did Ivan's farm reform plan get its funding? Otherwise, how could they have shorted US stocks so smoothly?

Everyone is simply getting what they need, and we're walking together for the common good. There's really no question of who has wronged whom.

The atmosphere became somewhat subdued for a moment, with only the sounds of ping-pong balls hitting the paddle, the table, and landing on the floor filling the room.

Fortunately, busy people always have something to bother them.

For example, Wang Xiao's assistant had to come over and remind her boss, "Miss Wang, it's time to go to the airport."

The boss has a really good attitude; she didn't even miss playing ping-pong before heading to the airport.

Ivanov's face immediately fell again, looking pitiful: "Will you come back to spend the New Year with me?"

"Okay, okay, I'll spend the New Year with you." Wang Xiao was puzzled. What's a Russian doing celebrating the Spring Festival? Just joining in the fun.

Forget about him, let's not talk about him anymore, let's hurry up and head to the airport.

Their luggage was already packed, so Lyuba and the others put down their ping-pong balls, picked up their luggage, and set off.

Everyone was a little excited about flying this time.

Why?

First, thank goodness, they weren't on their own Flying General Zhimen plane.

Good heavens, you know, all the smugglers and smugglers on that plane brought their own diapers.

Secondly, the little river meanders south, flowing to Hong Kong for a visit. Hehehe, this time they went to Hong Kong.

Thanks to Hong Kong dramas, even the well-informed Lyuba is now full of curiosity about Hong Kong.

When everyone boarded the plane, apart from Mr. Ivanov, who was seeing them off and was genuinely sad, everyone else was desperately trying to suppress their smiles, afraid that their smiles would be seen and trigger his Russian sad literature.

Once the plane took off, everyone completely relaxed, eating, drinking, and sleeping as usual.

Even Wang Xiao stopped looking at the documents, closed his eyes, put on his headphones, and fell asleep listening to soft music.

Thank God, Lyuba helped her put on another blanket. Boss, being able to relax is a good thing for them.

Everyone enjoyed the entire trip. The plane crossed five time zones and took ten hours and fifteen minutes before finally landing in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is quiet at this moment, as it is only 7 a.m.

The airport was still packed with people, with signs held high everywhere, and tourists carrying large bags looking around frantically, searching for their names.

Wang Xiao didn't do that, because her eyesight was neither as good as the bodyguards' nor as good as the assistants'. All she had to do was be surrounded by people and walk out.

Tang Yicheng got up before dawn today and personally drove to pick up his boss.

Just kidding, he wants to launch a big project in Hong Kong, which requires a steady stream of money; wouldn't it be appropriate not to be attentive to his boss?

When he picked them up, he immediately offered them milk tea and pineapple buns, saying, "I reckon you haven't had a chance to eat yet."

Wang Xiao chuckled and teased, "Wow, our little Tang is something else! So thoughtful and considerate. Confess, is your love life about to take off?"

Tang Yicheng waved his hand, shaking his head like a rattle drum: "No, no, absolutely not! I just wish I were Nezha, that I didn't have three heads and six arms, so I wouldn't be able to handle it all."

Speaking of this, he felt particularly regretful and couldn't help but complain to Wang Xiao: "I now doubt that the South Korean economy will recover soon."

Why do I say that? Because the influx of foreign investment into South Korea now seems even stronger than before the financial crisis.

Thanks to the overwhelming military deterrence of the US president, many relatively conservative investors have begun to cautiously seek new and safe investment opportunities.

Hong Kong is their first choice, but South Korea is also favored by many.

Although the latter failed to win the battle to defend the Korean won and the country went bankrupt, it did not default on its debts.

Moreover, the Blue House's attitude is quite different from that of the heads of state of Southeast Asian countries. The former is very cooperative with the IMF in carrying out comprehensive reforms. Regardless of whether these reforms are effective or not, this attitude alone is quite appealing to Western investors.

In addition, as one of only two industrialized nations in Asia, South Korea possesses numerous assets that are considered sunrise industries by the international community. Especially in today's era of the internet boom, its thriving semiconductor industry is highly valued by international investors.

Therefore, it is only natural that South Korea would rebound from its lowest point.

Honestly, Tang Yicheng doesn't dislike South Korea.

He spent almost a year in South Korea and he genuinely admired the patriotism of the South Koreans.

But that doesn't stop him from not wanting South Korea to recover too quickly. If it were to take off again so easily, how would he retain talent to develop his semiconductor business in Hong Kong?

That's right, this is the new career goal that Mr. Tang has set for himself after real estate.

So what if he doesn't understand semiconductors? Micron's boss only knows how to grow potatoes and raise pigs and cattle, but that doesn't stop Micron from being the shining star of the semiconductor industry.

Wang Xiao is a hands-off boss. Most of the time, she lets her senior executives do things on their own, and she only speaks up to give guidance when she can't stand it anymore.

Now, with Tang Yicheng's semiconductor project, she has the same attitude: "Oh, go ahead and do it if you want."

Her only question was: "What are you planning to do? Set up a research and development center, a design company, or something else?"

“Build a factory.” Tang Yicheng said seriously, “Hong Kong’s semiconductor industry has declined too much, wasting all the resources we’ve accumulated. We need to build a large-scale foundry.”

Wang Xiao touched his nose, deciding not to dampen the enthusiasm of his senior executives: "Then who will you ask to help you build the factory? Let me make this clear from the start: you are not allowed to have designs on anyone else's factory in Xiaozhou."

She bought so many assets all at once, and each one needs to be integrated.

Tang Yicheng tricked her into going to Hong Kong, and the factory manager in Xiaozhou was actually able to cry in front of her.

Oh my god! She doesn't want a headache and burning eyes.

Tang Yicheng winked mysteriously, with a hint of arrogance: "I'm not interested in Xiaozhou's factory. I'll look for someone else."

Wang Xiao's curiosity was truly piqued: "Where did you find such a clever trick? Let me tell you, there are plenty of scammers in the semiconductor industry. Don't get ripped off and end up losing everything. Otherwise, people will laugh at you, Little Tang, for playing with eagles your whole life, only to have your eyes pecked out by the eagle in the end."

Tang Yicheng said in a serious tone, "You know what, I really did find a big shot this time, a real big shot. A factory construction expert from Texas Instruments."

Even now, hearing "Texas Instruments" still makes Wang Xiao grit his teeth.

If it weren't for the interference of the US government, she would have already successfully acquired Texas Instruments' semiconductor business for $800 million.

"Oh? A real expert?"

“It’s true.” Tang Yicheng said confidently, “I had Zhou Liang check for me in the US. He’s been working at Texas Instruments since 1977, and has successfully overseen the construction and operation of 10 semiconductor factories for Texas Instruments in the US, Japan, Singapore, Italy, and Taiwan. He’s a well-known factory construction expert. Last year, no, the year before last, he went to Taiwan to lead the establishment of World Semiconductor Manufacturing Company…”

As Wang Xiao listened to the endless stream of resumes, something seemed vaguely familiar.

She couldn't help but interrupt Tang Yicheng: "Wait, what's his name?"

Without hesitation, Tang Yicheng said, "Zhang Rujing? Really, boss, go check him out. He's definitely a person with a name and a surname."

Wang Xiao's mind exploded. "Wow, Brother Tang is amazing!"

The renowned Richard Chang, the phoenix of the semiconductor industry, who, along with Morris Chang of TSMC, was known as the "Two Changs," has somehow managed to be brought into this mess by you.

Brother Tang, you truly deserve to be called a great general who expands the territory!

————————!!————————

The cold has progressed to the point where the nasal congestion is gone and the fever has subsided, but the cough is still lingering. [crack] I'll just wait for the cough to clear up.

Additionally, in 1998, I found two direct flights from Moscow to Hong Kong. One was Aeroflot flight SU593, departing from Sheremetyevo Airport at 16:39 local time in Moscow. The other was Cathay Pacific flight CX206, launched on July 13, 1998, departing at 17:45 and arriving in Hong Kong at 07:00 the following day.

Yes, I often get hung up on these kinds of details. [emoji]