Chapter 551 Let's Set Off Now (Bug Fix): The Impossible Will Eventually Become Reality

As they were going to bed that night, Ivan suddenly said, "I want to give subsidies to the families."

Actually, he could have done it himself, because Wang never interfered with his spending.

But he wanted to tell Wang.

Wang Xiao was applying lotion to him when she casually replied, "Doesn't the government provide a pension?"

That doesn't make sense.

The matter has escalated to such a huge extent that Russia will be left humiliated from beginning to end. If Russia can't even handle the compensation work properly, it's as if they have a ball on their head that they should just twist off and kick away.

Regarding the fiscal issue, oil prices have remained above $30 per barrel from last year to this year. As a typical energy-exporting country, Russia cannot be so short of money as to be unable to pay the pensions for 118 people.

Ivan shook his head: "It was given to me."

Deputy Prime Minister Soskowitz led a special committee to coordinate the handling of this matter, bringing together resources from the government, military, insurance, and charitable organizations. Each family of the victims is expected to receive approximately $32,000 to $35,000 in compensation, which will be finalized in August.

He looked up: "But I want to give more."

Wang Xiao lowered her head, kissed him, and sighed, "Baby, I love you even more now."

Honestly, she never thought that Ivan's crying, breakdown, and even ASD symptoms because of the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster were signs of weakness or incompetence.

On the contrary, she always believed that it was a rare and precious quality for a person to maintain a sense of awe for life and treat human life as human life even when in a high position.

After all, too many people, once they reach a high position, start to think too highly of themselves and not regard others as human beings.

Wang Xiao's fingertips brushed against his hair roots, kissing him again and again, then she looked up and said, "No."

Ivan felt comfortable as she stroked his scalp, and he closed his eyes. Hearing her words, he raised his eyelids in surprise: "Why?"

He didn't believe the king was trying to save money. The king was very generous in these matters.

Wang Xiao sighed, stared into his eyes, and said seriously, "Because the family members also need to be buried."

"The state's compensation is entirely a state action. The family can gradually accept this."

What else can you do? Hate the country? No, such feelings are inherently against the mainstream, and once they emerge, they will be suppressed. Over time, even if the initial feeling was hatred, it will gradually be forgotten.

“But if it’s an individual who provides compensation, it’s easy for conspiracy theories to emerge. The family members will wonder if there’s some kind of conspiracy involved. Once they have this idea, they will start to investigate and keep focusing on this matter, making it the center of their lives, and gradually losing their own lives.”

She sighed, "This is a future no one wants to see, but those who are alive must continue to live."

That's the nature of life; no matter how important or great a person is, once they leave, they disappear from life. Those who are alive have their own lives to live.

Ivan remained silent.

Wang Xiao patted his head and added, "We'll keep an eye on it. If the regular allowance for survivors isn't enough, we'll find a way to supplement it."

In fact, receiving tens of thousands of US dollars at once is not a good thing in a sense. Like those who receive compensation for demolished properties, the family members are easily targeted.

Why is making a fortune described as a windfall? Money isn't something everyone can handle. Being unable to manage money can easily lead to disaster.

Ivan nodded slightly, his voice muffled: "Let's leave it at that for now."

The shovels were raised, the sand fell, burying everything.

Wang Xiao touched his face, then lay down on the bed and gently patted his back: "Go to sleep."

October's dry weather makes it a perfect season for sleeping in places like Dujiangyan.

The king patted him gently, as if the river was lapping against the shore, and he slowly fell asleep in a daze, as if he were in a cradle.

He slept soundly that night.

Then the next morning, he saw Wang get up angrily, gritting his teeth and saying, "I'm not giving you the shares in the power company."

Ivan was stunned for a moment before he realized what she meant.

Don't they hold a majority stake in Rostec? Previously, with the idea of ​​cultivating good relations with the new government, and given that the Russian economy was indeed gradually stabilizing, and considering that the government would eventually relinquish control of electricity as an energy source, they figured they might as well donate a portion as a token of goodwill.

To put it bluntly, when they took over the power company, they basically didn't spend any money; the government forced it on them.

But now Mr. Wang has decided to change his mind.

She managed to coax Ivan to sleep last night, but she herself didn't get a good night's sleep.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She had given Moscow so much face, cooperated with them in every way, never caused any trouble, and even took the initiative to make things happen, thinking that everyone would be happy and peaceful.

So what happened? Just because I'm not showing my teeth doesn't mean I'm innocent! The new president is bullying me.

Oh no, I'm even giving you shares in the power company for free, what are you thinking?

Do you really think you're the king of the universe?

Sorry, so what? If I transmigrate to the Qing Dynasty, I'll be a rebel.

Yes, yes, yes, it's possible she's overthinking things and misunderstood; the new president didn't actually mean that at all.

But so what? Her life principle is to focus on external threats and never engage in internal strife.

"That's all." Boss Wang gritted his teeth. "Want shares? Buy them at market price. Don't say I'm being disrespectful. I'm not saying I won't sell, but you have to pay."

Ivan was amused by her and nodded vigorously: "Yes, we have to pay!"

Mr. Wang felt morally superior: "I didn't pay extra; it would be too much of a loss for me."

She pressed her back teeth together and said bitterly, "Does he only feel happy when we cause trouble? Does he think his position is secure? Emperors take turns, next year it'll be my turn."

Ivan was taken aback: "You mean?"

Seriously? Wang really wants him to be president? That's impossible.

Wang Xiao reached out and touched his face, very satisfied with the result of his deep sleep. Look, his little face is rosy and he's so cute.

She said casually, "What's wrong with that? Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

Ivan was completely stunned, and after a long while, he weakly blurted out, "But what will you do if I really become president?"

He instantly jumped, his eyes widening. "You're not thinking of using this as an excuse to dump me, are you?"

Wang Xiao was shocked. "No, bro, are you serious? The internet economy bubble has burst these days, and you still dare to inflate the breakup fee to this extent?"

The Russian president, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, is a truly global leader.

Ivan, however, still stared at her suspiciously.

See, people with a strong sense of worthiness are so confident. They are full of confidence in their own charm and in the other person's ability and conscience.

Wang Xiao gave him a helpless kiss on the cheek, immediately dispelling his wishful thinking: "Don't dream about it, I won't let you go. You're a high-ranking official, it'd be so exciting to play with you."

Ivan stared at her for a long time before finally uttering, "Your Majesty, you are the sun."

Aside from having reverence for life, the king was fearless, burning like an inextinguishable flame.

Wang Xiao stated confidently, "Human rights are inherent, and all people are born equal."

She tempted him, "Do you want to?"

Isn't life all about experiences?

However, the reason why Ivan lived to the age of 36 and had a smooth life was partly because he was indeed born into a good family, and partly because he had self-awareness.

He shook his head firmly: "I don't want to."

A person's nature is innate; unless they suffer a devastating blow or undergo a drastic change, their nature will remain unchanged.

Things you can't do can be learned, and skills you lack can be developed. But this one thing, under normal circumstances, is almost impossible to change.

If he were to actually become president and head of state, he would likely encounter countless "Kursk moments" during his term in office.

That would be immense torment for him. He wasn't sure if he could withstand it. Therefore, he decided not to be irresponsible to himself and those who trusted him.

Wang Xiao felt a little regretful, similar to the regret of not being able to travel to ancient times and successfully rebel.

So she clicked her tongue and nodded: "Alright, let's just do our own thing then."

What's up?

Of course, it's a whole mess.

First, Russia's strategic landscape needs further adjustment.

Since 1991, they have been reaping the benefits of chartering planes and cargo for almost ten years.

More than 90% of the cargo planes used by Wuzhou Airlines are old Soviet aircraft, the oldest of which have been in service for over 30 years. Even if the owners cherish them and maintain them meticulously, they will naturally be retired in the coming years.

Moreover, present-day Russia is not the same Russia that existed immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union; the supply of goods has changed.

In addition, power is a very real thing. When Ivan was the deputy prime minister, everyone gave him face, and even his usual extortion in the market became extremely restrained.

But now that he has left his position, how long can he maintain his prestige? That remains a big question mark.

Therefore, the Moscow market needs to gradually transform in order to mitigate risks and further expand its reach.

Wang Xiao envisions a transformation model that involves increasing online sales efforts and expanding the scope of online shopping.

However, this requires a lot of infrastructure, so we can only proceed step by step.

Ivan provided her with some background information. According to the plan, over the next four years, the new government would take advantage of the relatively stable international oil and gas prices to increase infrastructure construction, especially transportation.

Firstly, infrastructure development can provide a large number of jobs, effectively reducing the domestic unemployment rate and thus improving the security environment.

Secondly, with strengthened infrastructure, industrial and agricultural development has found a foothold. Last year, Russia achieved food self-sufficiency and began exporting, and this year exports are expected to increase further, raising the demands on transportation.

Thirdly, because the United States has remained silent, Europe is unable to withstand Russia's pressure, and the Kosovo crisis remains unresolved, like a wound that never heals, severely impacting relations between Europe and Russia. Under these circumstances, Russia must expand eastward, naturally requiring strengthened infrastructure in Siberia and the Far East to mitigate population migration.

The plan was indeed good, but Wang Xiao wasn't very enthusiastic about it.

Because her thinking is so leapfrog, she has already jumped to drone delivery.

When the two went to a restaurant for breakfast, she vividly described to Ivan the scene of them taking a boat trip on the river and having takeout delivered by drone.

Ivan was stunned: "On the ship?"

Wang Xiao nodded firmly: "It's on the ship."

Before she traveled through time, the drone team she knew had already started working on this. It's estimated that it will be fully realized in less than three to five years.

So she dared to guarantee, "In at most 20 years, we will definitely be able to eat takeout on the ship."

The bodyguard and assistant secretly breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the two chattering away.

Okay, this is normal now.

That's right. Normally, the boss makes grand promises, and the husband listens attentively from the sidelines.

Forget about whether the pie in the sky can actually be realized; focus on providing ample emotional value.

Exactly, you two are such big bosses with such substantial wealth, can't you be a little more ambitious?

If you're already on a cruise ship, why not go on a luxury yacht and have a chef cook on board? Why do you have to use a drone to order takeout?

But the two of them could talk about it enthusiastically, and it seemed like a lot of fun.

So much so that when they went to the Happiness Restaurant in Dujiangyan for lunch at the suggestion of local officials, their assistants were a little worried that it would tarnish the reputation of their two bosses.

Oh dear, we've already arrived at the most famous restaurant in Dujiangyan. It wouldn't be appropriate to be so reluctant to order takeout now.

This restaurant has hosted the President before, as well as the King of Nepal and the US Secretary of State.

Fortunately, the boss's attention shifted in a leapfrog manner; she had already begun to care about how the dishes on the table were prepared.

She was particularly impressed by the dish of shredded pork with wild kiwifruit. After learning that it was made by stir-frying wild kiwifruit with shredded pork, she whispered to Ivan that she would make him a delicious dish later, such as pork ribs stewed in orange juice.

Xiao Gao, who was listening nearby, felt dizzy and disoriented. What kind of nonsense was this?

The only saving grace is that, apart from returning to their home in Jinning, they always stay in hotels in China, so they probably don't have many opportunities to go into the kitchen and waste food.

As for returning to the villa in Jinning, there's no need to worry. The boss's mother, Chairman Chen, will definitely stop her.

Otherwise, you'd end up with a pot of pork ribs soaked in orange juice. Didn't you see Mr. Ivan nodding wildly, completely lacking any kitchen knowledge, while simultaneously picking fish bones out of his hands?

That makes sense. Russians can eat dumplings filled with blueberries and strawberries, so orange-flavored pork rib stew is probably normal too.

The officials in Dujiangyan who were in charge of receiving them were secretly amazed; it was rare to see foreign dignitaries use chopsticks so skillfully.

Moreover, he even dared to eat river fish, carefully removing the bones before giving it to his fiancée.

Xiao Gao and his colleagues were used to it, because their boss was easily distracted outside of work hours, especially during meals. She thought of something, her mind wandering away—it wasn't unheard of for someone to choke on fish and end up in the emergency room.

Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that the boss made these kinds of mistakes all the time, he would sometimes think that the boss was almost supernatural.

Even the local officials accompanying them were asking the boss how to develop the economy of Dujiangyan.

Mr. Wang just smiled and kept emphasizing how great Dujiangyan is. He said that with Qingcheng Mountain, where Bai Suzhen (a legendary heroine of the White Snake) was born, Dujiangyan, which has been flowing for thousands of years, and giant pandas, tourists come from all directions, and the economy will definitely improve.

As it turned out, the officials in Dujiangyan were very ambitious and emphasized to her that she couldn't just rely on living off the mountains and rivers.

When it comes to tourism resources, Yangzhou is truly unique, a place famous for its beautiful scenery in March. However, the main driver of Yangzhou's GDP has never been tourism, but rather manufacturing.

In fact, Dujiangyan's tourism resources are not as famous as Yangzhou's.

Ultimately, urban development still requires industry.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Wang guessed that he was about to be persuaded to invest, so he quickly changed the subject: "The Maldives basically relies on tourism. Every place has its own way of doing things. There are 1.2 billion people in China. Even if they only come once in a row, Dujiangyan can't accommodate them all."

The officials in charge of receiving them all sighed, "If that day really comes, we'll laugh ourselves to death."

Wang Xiao looked at him seriously and said with great certainty, "In less than 20 years, Dujiangyan will be worried about having too many guests and being unable to accommodate them all."

The reason why tourism in Dujiangyan is not taking off now is because everyone is poor. Once everyone has money and real estate prices are no longer so high, people will start traveling everywhere.

The official smiled and offered her a toast: "I really have to accept your kind words."

They didn't actively seek investment.

It is evident that the people of Sichuan are inherently quite easygoing.

In Wuhan or the Yangtze River Delta region, officials will definitely try their best to steer the conversation back to attracting investment.

After lunch, Wang Xiao insisted on paying the bill.

Ivan has already stepped down from his post, and their trip to Dujiangyan was purely a private affair. The local authorities' expenditure of manpower and resources to host them was a favor, but they had to bear the expenses themselves. They absolutely could not let Dujiangyan treat them, otherwise, it would raise suspicions of bribery.

The hosts had no choice but to take them to see the giant pandas again, at least doing their job properly.

On the way there, she joked with Ivan again: "Actually, the restaurant should have paid to treat you."

Ivan asked curiously, "Why?"

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Because the hotel is using you like a celebrity."

This state-owned restaurant used to be very famous, and it was the first choice for official receptions. Locals also considered it an honor to dine there.

However, under the impact of the market economy, private restaurants sprang up one after another, each with its own innovations. The old state-owned restaurants lost their luster, business declined day by day, and they struggled to survive.

If a foreign dignitary comes to dine here now, it will elevate the restaurant's prestige.

Upon hearing this, Ivan suddenly realized what was going on and whispered to Wang Xiao, jokingly saying, "So, you should still be president. Even if you step down, going out to dinner and giving people free publicity is still a good idea."

Wang Xiao nodded earnestly, filled with emotion: "That's right, she can even write a memoir."

Look at the former Russian presidents. They wrote a book when they came to power, another while in office, and now that they've stepped down, they're writing yet another. Didn't they get paid for each one?

Ivan sighed, guessing that his memoir, written by the now-former deputy prime minister, would probably not sell.

Wang Xiao sighed as well, touching his arm with a worried expression: "What can we do? We can't count on him anymore. Let's find a way to make money."

Ivan leaned his head on her shoulder and began to whine, "Then you'll take care of me."

Wang Xiao didn't give him any room for fantasy, directly dispelling his daydreams: "Stop thinking about it, get back to work."

Ivan laughed. He knew it; he was the queen's partner, the one she would spend her life with. How could she treat him like a pet? She would only make him better and stronger.

It's a bit unfair to say that the officials in Dujiangyan were so enthusiastic in inviting them to see the giant pandas, but to be honest, they both had the mindset of pandas and didn't really appreciate it. In fact, they both agreed that the baby pandas they kept at their villa in Moscow were the cutest.

Yes, that's how willful they are; they love their own cubs dearly. Even though they might only spend a few days a year with the red pandas, their stance as parents is unwavering.

So after a quick look at the giant pandas, and having no intention of investing in the area, the two repeatedly declined invitations to stay in Dujiangyan and left without hesitation.

It was rare for Mr. Wang to feel uneasy about other people's enthusiasm. As he left, he comforted himself by muttering in the car, "Really, if more people come to Dujiangyan to visit, Dujiangyan's tertiary industry will definitely take off."

Before she traveled through time, she had visited the popular Hongshan Zoo, which was incredibly crowded. You could see ten people and not a single animal in sight.

The street opposite Hongshan Zoo is mostly lined with restaurants, and their business thrives entirely thanks to the constant flow of visitors to Hongshan Zoo, which has no off-season.

It's said that before Hongshan Zoo became popular nationwide, the restaurants on this street were almost all going out of business due to the pandemic. But once Hongshan Zoo gained popularity, the entire street was revitalized.

The same goes for Dujiangyan. The Happiness Restaurant, where they ate before, could have thrived in the 2020s, a time of tourism boom, even though it was an old state-owned restaurant that was out of step with the market economy. It was supported by the huge number of tourists.

Xiao Gao suddenly remembered what his boss had said before: "Hey, boss, that's not right. Didn't you say before that without secondary industry, tertiary industry is just a castle in the air, a source without water?"

Wang Xiao laughed: "As long as other places have developed manufacturing industries, that's fine. Everyone needs to find places to spend money."

Xiao Gao had his own ideas: "Well, that'll have to do. If we can't be first-rate, we'll be second-rate. If we can't develop manufacturing, we'll do tourism."

What else can be done? If we really want to develop manufacturing, given Dujiangyan's geographical location and overall economic development level, it can only accommodate industries that are already economically developed and not those that are heavily polluting.

Just like developing countries accepting industries transferred from developed countries.

If everything is good, why would anyone want to move out? If the United States hadn't been influenced by the environmental philosophy of "Silent Spring," it wouldn't have been so eager to relocate a large number of heavily polluting industries to the Third World.

However, the characteristics of Dujiangyan dictate that it cannot accommodate these industries. Therefore, the manufacturing industries it can engage in are very limited.

Xiao Gao lamented, "If the manufacturing industry doesn't take off, you can't make a fortune. Only by having many factories can you make money."

Wang Xiao laughed out loud: "That's not necessarily true. Just you wait and see, the richest people in the country in the future will definitely not be those in production or manufacturing."

The assistant asked curiously, "Is he/she in finance?"

It seems like the richest people in the world are all in finance.

Wang Xiao thought for a moment and said, "To put it this way, if everyone around you is engaged in production to make money, then if you engage in consumption and get people to spend their money, you will make money."

Oh, I can understand that. In the early days, state-owned factories were thriving. In those days, people who could swallow their pride and set up small stalls might have lost face, but they could make money very quickly.

The assistant pondered for a moment: "So, those who work in production can't make big money?"

I feel like I'm losing out; the cost of production is much higher.

Wang Xiao laughed and played with Ivan's hand again, casually replying, "Not really. If everyone in a place is consuming, then if you're in production, you'll make a lot of money."

Before she transmigrated, there was a voice in society saying that China's high-end manufacturing industry could never catch up with the United States. Look at who makes money in China, and what do the richest people in the United States do? Your thinking and social wealth rules are problematic.

Their economics teacher at the time scoffed, saying that people who talked like that lacked the most basic economic principles. Why do people in the US who are in production get rich? Because American manufacturing has shrunk so much that scarcity drives up prices.

After thinking about it for a while, everyone felt that this was indeed the case. No matter what the job is, if there are too many people, it will be difficult to make a living in that industry; it's a cutthroat world.

But it is precisely because of this that the industry has been able to develop so rapidly.

The driver turned on the car radio, played some light music, and then started reporting the news.

The US presidential election is in full swing, and during the televised debates, both sides are attacking each other's policies and integrity.

Ivan laughed.

What is the process of a presidential election campaign? It's basically blatant lying, making up a bunch of grandiose statements in front of the public that you know will never come true.

But people never tire of it and want to do it again every four years.

He recalled a sentence he'd read in a magazine that struck him as particularly insightful: People always complain that women are foolish, that men's words are clearly nonsense, yet women still naively believe them. But people seem to have forgotten that when they vote for president, don't they also believe those same lies time and time again?

He said it aloud, and everyone laughed.

This shows that human nature is universal, and everyone can encounter their own "pig butchering scam".

The radio then switched to other news, discussing the Nasdaq market downturn and the tech stock crash. Meanwhile, the global economy is performing well, with the US economy growing by a remarkable 5.3% in the first half of the year. Therefore, the market is worried that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates further to prevent the economy from overheating.

This concern is reflected in the Nasdaq market by the near-complete halt of financing and accelerated exits by investment funds, leading to a further decline in market confidence.

In other words, because of the drop in stock price, Mr. Wang's net worth has shrunk again.

She pouted, slightly annoyed.

See, she's so hypocritical. On the one hand, she's bearish on the Nasdaq, but on the other hand, she's gnashing her teeth over the devaluation of her own stock.

A classic case of wanting both.

Ivan soothingly rubbed his chin against her head, saying, "That's just how the market is; just accept the status quo."

Unexpectedly, the very next second, he found himself eating his own melon.

Because the following news was about him, or rather, about him as described by others.

The new team at the Russian White House has been assembled, and he, as a former senior official, has been praised and showered with compliments.

Even the president who took office this summer praised him highly, calling him a staunch patriot, a powerful warrior, a genius architect of economic reforms, and so on, as if he were composing a series of parallel sentences.

Wang Xiao commented with an air of seriousness: "Who wrote this manuscript for him? The writing is quite good, just like writing poetry."

Ivan pursed his lips, thinking of that saying: "Late-blooming affection is like an autumn fan—useless and annoying."

However, he will continue to serve as the Kremlin's senior economic advisor; he must maintain basic ties with the political establishment so that the business can transition smoothly.

After listening to the radio for a while, everyone started listening to music.

It really is the year 2000; this year's songs are all more upbeat than ever.

Amidst cheerful singing, they went to the airport and then flew all the way to Xiaozhou.

What are we doing? Of course, we're looking at the waste-to-energy incineration project that Wang Xiao initially planned.

Back then, didn't she suggest that the people in the waste incineration power generation project team at Jiangbei University use straw and rice husks instead of coal powder to aid the combustion of household waste?

It's October now, the harvest season, and she wants to see how the harvest went.

Otherwise, what would she do?

The photovoltaic industry relies on national policies. Right now, it's already quite good that it can barely keep operating by selling sheep and ducks and taking the opportunity to collect data. For anything bigger, it's impossible to get started by going it alone.

As for the semiconductor business, to which she has devoted countless efforts, it is not something that can be rushed.

Building a lithography machine requires time and technological accumulation.

Building a chip factory isn't something Rome wasn't built in a day.

Why not watch garbage incineration? It's quite interesting.

They excitedly ran to the village.

It has to be said, a developed economy is indeed a good thing. There isn't much farmland in Jiangbei to begin with, and even less when it's distributed to each household, but that doesn't hinder mechanized farming.

Every household is busy with harvesters. After mopping the fields, the straw is spread out on the ground to dry. Only when the moisture has evaporated will the garbage incineration plant come and take it away.

Wang Xiao was quite curious. Why would the farmers be so cooperative? They were even willing to dry the rice straw themselves.

The graduate students from the university project team who accompanied them explained, "If they don't cooperate, the factory won't accept them, and they can't just set fires themselves. If they're caught, they'll be fined 3,000 yuan."

Goodness gracious, these days, after deducting all expenses, you might not even make 100 yuan a month from planting one acre of grain. A 3,000 yuan fine means that the land was practically wasted.

The graduate student laughed and said, "It can't be left unchecked. Last time, a village burned down its power lines, and the power outage and repairs took several days. Two factories in the village had to stop production because of this, suffering heavy losses, and everyone hated it. So the higher-ups issued an official document and started imposing fines."

Wang Xiao watched as the landfill shredded the straw, mixed it with processed household waste, and then used a blower to burn it.

The heat generated from the combustion is used partly to supply a bathhouse in the village and partly to generate electricity for the factory's own use. This electricity is used for the factory's operation and an incubator invested in by the factory itself.

Yes, it's the kind that hatches chicks and ducklings.

As for why these two businesses are connected, only God knows.

The feeling is that the power generation efficiency of waste incineration plants is still too low, and the cost is too high. Otherwise, if the power generated by the plant could supply the needs of factories in the village and town, it would be a very good project.

After all, in the year 2000, there was a widespread power shortage, and factories were most afraid of power outages. Township and village enterprises were naturally at a disadvantage compared to large factories in terms of energy supply.

However, it is precisely because of this that waste incineration plants are highly motivated to improve their technology and hope to capture this market share.

If successful, the profits will be substantial.

Ivan listened with great interest. He didn't know if they could succeed, but as long as the company had its own goals and could see the potential for profit, it could move forward on its own.

Internal motivation is always more powerful than external drive.

After visiting the waste incineration plant, everyone also toured the hatchery. In the end, if Wang Xiao hadn't had a change of heart at the crucial moment, she almost bought the chicks and ducklings.

It's fluffy and pinkish-yellow, so cute!

But where will she put it after she buys it? Will she take it around in the car? Have some decency, stop messing with those chicks and ducklings.

After leaving the waste incineration plant, they went to the Xiaozhou Commercial City.

Compared to Jinning, Xiaozhou's commercial city was forced to transform earlier. This is because it initially mainly did business with Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

After the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe, apart from the turmoil in the first few years, the economy developed quite rapidly, and the legislation was improved quickly, so the window of opportunity was naturally shorter.

This has forced Xiaozhou Commercial City to further expand its foreign trade partners and explore the domestic market.

Many of the people carrying large and small bags of goods from Xiaozhou now are selling them domestically.

Jiangbei has the most and most proactive e-commerce businesses, with almost all merchants actively requesting to sell online, even for the smallest orders.

Everyone felt that the land truly shapes its people. Having little land has its advantages; with no other options, the desire to do business becomes stronger.

Wang Xiao didn't dare stay in Xiaozhou any longer, fearing he would be dragged along to build another factory.

As a result, she couldn't slip away before Mayor Huang, whose nose could act as a gas detector, came running here after smelling the odor from who knows where.

Wang Xiao had no choice but to reluctantly agree, promising that when she started making mobile phones herself, she would definitely invest in building a factory in Xiaozhou.

As for a second 12-inch chip factory, Xiao Zhou should forget about it. She wants to be a foundry, and she needs to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

Everyone was overjoyed at finally managing to escape from Xiaozhou.

Ivan asked Wang Xiao, "So when are you planning to make a mobile phone?"

Wang Xiao scratched his head, quite nonchalantly: "I don't know."

If she's going to do it, she'll definitely go all the way and make smartphones.

Therefore, she needs to design and recruit sales talent in advance.

After all, the core functions of smartphones are actually quite similar. Once they enter the market, the key competition lies in design performance and sales capabilities.

See, once any industry takes off, whoever can sell the goods becomes the boss.

After leaving Xiaozhou, where did they go?

Wang Xiao originally planned to go to Shanghai, where there are many industries she wanted to visit.

The first thing to be affected is the project of refining waste cooking oil to be used as fuel to power the incineration of municipal solid waste. It's unclear how far along that project is.

But before she could even buy her plane ticket, Ms. Chen Yanqiu called her.

My mother has been enduring this for a long time.

You left Moscow in August and have been wandering around for a few months now? Don't you even know which way your front door faces?

Wang Xiao was no match for her mother; her fighting power was far inferior to her mother's. She had no choice but to slink back to Jinning with her nose in her mouth.

Once they got home and sat down at the dinner table, she and Ivan were given a lecture, so they buried their heads in their food and didn't dare to utter a sound.

Her father, Comrade Wang Tiejun, was equally obedient. After all, anyone who dared to speak up at this time would be considered an old man who had hanged himself—wanting to die too long.

Aside from the cats and dogs in the house who run rampant, all other living creatures have no status.

After dinner, Wang Xiao and Ivanov, who originally wanted to go upstairs and stay there, didn't dare to anymore.

I had no choice but to sit obediently on the sofa in the living room, draw back the curtains, and bask in the sun.

The afternoon sun in autumn is so lovely; it's so warm and soft, shining gently on you.

In the courtyard, the osmanthus flowers are in full bloom. When you open the window, the wind blows in, filling the room with their rich fragrance.

I don't know when the orange trees were planted, but they've started bearing fruit. The leaves are a mix of green and yellow, and I don't know if they're so sour that they're inedible or if they have a hint of sweetness.

Under the flowering tree, the kitten and puppy were running around. On the shelf hanging in the corridor, the parrot, which had been pretending to be dead when they came in, was now extremely anxious, flapping its wings and pleading, "Don't fight, don't fight!"

Wang Xiao couldn't help but chuckle. Oh dear, what a troublesome life!

Ivan smiled and watched the parrot with her.

That's when my phone rang.

Lin Benjian's voice sounded quite calm: "Boss, if you have time, come and take a look at the factory."

Wang Xiao asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Dr. Lin remained calm: "We've built a prototype of the immersion lithography machine. We need to get to it..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Xiao suddenly stood up, his voice rising eight octaves: "You guys made it?"

Not only was Ivan startled, but the parrot flapped its wings and pretended to clutch its chest, screeching in protest: "Frightening! Frightening!"

It's as if it has become a spirit and taken on human form.

Lin Benjian had to remind her, "There's still a long way to go from prototype to stable commercial production. Chip manufacturers need to continuously provide feedback on usage data, and then adjustments need to be made..."

Unfortunately, Boss Wang had no patience to listen to him anymore and simply pulled Ivan to his feet: "Okay, we'll be right there."

Chen Yanqiu had just brought out some fruit from the kitchen—no matter how much she complained, he was still her child, and she had to feed him properly.

She was startled by her daughter's hurried manner: "What are you doing?"

"Let's go to Shanghai." Wang Xiao hurriedly changed his shoes. "Our lithography machine is finished."

Chen Yanqiu didn't have much of a concept of these things. Nowadays, if even one out of 100 people in the country knows what a lithography machine is, that would be considered extraordinary.

She was startled: "Leaving now? You just got back? Can't you go tomorrow?"

Wang Xiao shook his head: "No, I can't wait until tomorrow."

Let's go now.

If you want to do something, start doing it now.

In 1994, when she said she wanted to make a lithography machine, everyone shook their heads and said she was dreaming.

But she persisted, and after six years, she achieved results.

Let's go now.

Start doing everything now, even if you encounter countless difficulties later, it doesn't matter.

If you don't do it, there will never be any hope. If you do it, you will gradually get closer to your goal.

Those things that we thought were impossible will one day become reality.

————————!!————————

[Starry-eyed] Parting is inevitable, and this novel has finally come to an end. I've been procrastinating, writing until today, with both gains and regrets. I'm grateful for my love for this story, and grateful for Mr. Wang's incredible dedication; otherwise, it would have been finished before reaching 2 million words. Along the way, due to illness and other reasons, I wanted to give up countless times, but the formidable Mr. Wang wouldn't allow it. So I gritted my teeth and wrote all the way to this point.

Mr. Wang's work continued; immersion lithography machines achieved commercial mass production at the end of 2002. The 12-inch chip factory was also built in early 2002. Business was slow for the first six months, but the market gradually began to boom in the second half of the year.

Regarding her life, she will not get married because she is indeed a staunch non-marriage advocate. As for whether she will have children? That's quite possible; she might just decide to have one one day on a whim. Life is an experience for her. What she used to fear was stable intimate relationships, but as that fear gradually disappears, she might very well have a child for fun.

Yes, she could never be a good mother in the traditional sense. Because her nature is to always prioritize herself above all others. All emotions combined in her life only account for 10%; she can't possibly have much love.

But is it a tragedy for her to have children? Not necessarily. She is very generous and will support her children.

Whether her child is happy or not is a matter of opinion.

Okay, it's finally over after all this time. I should rest now; I'm so tired and keep getting sick. I need to rest for a while.

So, goodbye. I wish everyone could have the same strong vitality as Wang Xiao, and be able to forge ahead no matter what circumstances you are in.