Chapter 58: Mobilize all available forces: You should have said it was free earlier.

Wang Xiao didn't know whether he should curse Ivanov for his bad luck.

The moment this guy finished expressing his deepest fears, the warehouse inventory was running low.

It wasn't that the light industrial products from Jiangdong and neighboring provinces were cleared out so quickly, but rather that the roads were cut off, and East China was hit by massive floods, affecting such a wide area that even the provincial capital was turned into a swamp, and the surrounding areas were unimaginable.

The trains have been shut down for a long time, but they are still desperately trying to keep the railway line running.

As for highways, even aerial photography from airplanes makes it difficult to see where the roads are.

It's not like what children might think: "The road is blocked, cars can't get through, so just take a boat. Anyway, you're welcome to come to XX to see the sea every year." In many places, once flooded, it's a situation where neither cars nor boats can pass.

If the water flow were calm, that would be fine. Back then, there were people who crossed the river in bathtubs. At worst, we could mobilize a large army of bathtubs for transportation.

But the problem is that it's flood season now, the current is rapid, and the water level changes quickly. Even small boats can easily capsize, let alone something like a bathtub.

Another critical issue was that in 1991, people had no way of getting real-time traffic information.

Without navigation or electronic maps, you won't know the road conditions until you actually get there.

It's possible that the road was fine when you set off, but suddenly, halfway through, water came rushing in.

There was no village or shop in sight, and all around was white, murky water; it could truly be deadly.

Wang Xiao didn't dare to urge anyone to ship the goods anymore.

Her life is her life, but other people's lives are also their lives.

Television, radio, and newspapers are reporting on the floods every day.

What does it mean to receive 1600 millimeters of rainfall in 15 days? It's equivalent to a typical year's rainfall.

But Wang Xiao had no energy left to lament for the disaster-stricken people.

She has already donated the 20 million yuan in the name of the International Trade City.

She did everything she could.

As for personally handing over the donations to the disaster victims, that's impossible.

First, she doesn't have the time or energy.

Secondly, everyone should just do their job. Those in positions of authority should fulfill their responsibilities. Businessmen should never presume to perform the duties of the government, or they will suffer a terrible fate.

Third, if she were to actually go to the scene to deliver the money, she would most likely be hated, and she might even lose her life.

After all, if given a choice, none of the flood victims in the flood-prone areas would want two thousand yuan in compensation.

There's no place like home, and even if you're poor and your business is failing, it's still your own property.

People, don't act innocent after getting a good deal.

There are plenty of smart people in the world; the air force has already notified people to evacuate from the Jiangzhimen area. Presumably, many people also know that the flood control command's first choice for the flood discharge area is Jiangzhimen.

Oh, now you've brought peace to the world, and we've become the unlucky ones.

Do you expect us to bow ninety degrees, listen to me, and say thank you?

Then I really have to thank your ancestors for eighteen generations!

Wang Xiao simply abandoned the matter.

She's so stressed she's about to explode, and all she can do is keep calling factories in the city to ask for supplies.

We can't worry about many things now, as long as we have goods to make up the difference.

However, the provincial capital was also severely flooded. Low-lying areas of the city were submerged, and even several well-known factories, such as optical instrument factories and pharmaceutical factories, were submerged.

Previously, due to its geographical advantage, many manufacturers in the provincial capital shipped the most goods from Zhimen Airport. Now, with the increase in demand, their inventory is running low.

To make matters worse, the torrential rains and floods also caused power outages.

In some places, utility poles have fallen, power stations have been flooded, and some factories still have power, but have to stop production for the safety of workers going to and from get off work.

Honestly, Wang Xiao had never been so frantically searching for goods all over the world.

Even in early 2020, when the whole world was searching for masks, she stayed indoors and didn't go crazy for masks.

Even when running an online store, if the OEM manufacturer refuses to ship the goods, she can simply turn around and find another one without saying a word. It's not like she's not paying; how could she possibly be out of stock?

But now, she really doubts the lies told to her by the factories in the provincial capital that they were crying poverty and saying they had excess inventory.

How long has it been, and you're already emptying your inventory? You're kidding me!

But perhaps because the news that there was a large, all-you-can-eat, cheap wine available in Zhimen, with unlimited supply, spread among the resellers in Moscow, during this period, every passenger plane that could fly from Moscow was packed with people.

The problem is that almost everyone did drink a bottle of alcohol as soon as they got off the plane, and they drank it while walking.

The problem is, they need to buy drinks while they're drinking, and they keep buying more and more.

Wang Xiaozhen really wished they would just bring a bunch of empty wine jugs, then each of them could fill a ton of wine and fly back to Moscow.

Unfortunately, that's impossible.

This kind of bulk wine is inconvenient to transport, and it is dangerous to put large quantities on airplanes.

The shopping needs of resellers remain diverse and varied.

Ivanov makes an international call every day to check the supply volume with Wang Xiao.

He needs to ensure a stable supply of goods on his end so he can sell plane tickets to middlemen and resellers.

Otherwise, if someone goes through all that trouble and spends thousands of dollars to make a trip to Jiangdong, only to end up with nothing, it could really lead to a murder.

Wang Xiao racked his brains, wishing he could grab every factory that came his way and shake it up to sweep up the scraps and corners, at least to make ends meet for another two days.

Feng Zhonglin, the newly appointed vice president, made full use of his connections from his long career in the department store industry. He made a series of phone calls and managed to mobilize almost all the available inventory in the large and small shopping malls in the provincial capital.

Finally, the urgent problem was solved.

A few minor frictions occurred during this process.

We source our goods from the International Trade City in large quantities, and since we're selling them wholesale, we naturally hope for discounts from the mall.

As it turned out, some shopping malls were quite agreeable. They were already under a lot of pressure to reduce their inventory, so now everyone compromised. Earning a little less was better than not being able to turn over their cash.

However, some shopping malls were unhappy and insisted on wholesaling at retail prices. Among them, the People's Department Store, because of the presence of Xiang Dong and Feng Zhonglin, was seen by its leaders as a way to retaliate, and they even tried to raise prices.

Without saying a word, Feng Zhonglin immediately contacted the suppliers of the People's Department Store.

Just kidding, he was the former top executive in the business world, he has a lot of connections.

As a result, the supplier put pressure on the People's Department Store, demanding that the payment be settled on schedule according to the contract.

In reality, due to overcapacity in light industrial products, it is normal for goods to be unsold in shopping malls and end up gathering dust in warehouses.

In some cases, when shopping malls want to return goods to manufacturers to save space, the manufacturers will beg the malls not to return them.

If they don't sell in shopping malls, they can't find any other sales channels.

Now the manufacturers are rebelling, and the People's Department Store is completely bewildered.

This is terrible! Does this mean they don't want to continue working here?

But the manufacturer ignored it and directly asked the distributor to move the goods to Jiangzhimen.

Honestly, the distributors didn't want to offend People's Department Store, since it's a large platform.

But now even the landlords have no surplus grain. In everyone's eyes, the most important thing is the funds that can be quickly recovered; everything else is a minor matter.

While the People's Department Store was furious, the manufacturer was also complaining to Feng Zhonglin on the phone: "President Wang, we've really offended people. From now on, we can only rely on you to help us ship goods and earn foreign exchange."

Feng Zhonglin replied dismissively, "Definitely, definitely. As long as your products are good, there won't be any problem."

Tang Yicheng is a really honest person. Listening from the side, he couldn't help but sigh, "They've taken sides, and they're going to suffer a lot."

Xiang Dong couldn't stand it anymore and burst out laughing, shaking his head repeatedly: "You actually believe his nonsense!"

This is no longer the era of ration coupons where everyone had to buy whatever the store had and couldn't even think about anything else.

Nowadays, shopping malls and manufacturers have long had a mutually beneficial relationship.

If a factory's goods are good enough and popular, then shopping malls will be lining up to beg them to supply them.

When a product is in high demand, even a simple delivery slip at the factory gate can fetch thousands of yuan.

Conversely, if the factory's goods have no market, even if the store keeps them on the counter, they will most likely just gather dust in the warehouse.

If People's Department Store were to really fall out with the manufacturer over such a trivial matter, that would be truly foolish. They wouldn't understand the situation and would think that it's still the era when they had absolute power.

In business, making money is the top priority.

Tang Yicheng blinked several times, secretly thinking to himself: No wonder the old saying goes, "No merchant is honest." These businessmen, they really don't have enough cunning to handle.

The two were chatting animatedly when they suddenly realized that Wang Xiao was silent. They turned their heads at the same time and saw that she was indeed frowning.

Tang Yicheng asked in surprise, "Haven't all the goods from the mall arrived yet? What are you still worried about?"

Wang Xiao, his eyes fixed on the newspaper, suddenly looked up at the two of them and asked, "How long do you think this flood will last?"

That's hard to say; who can really say for sure about matters concerning His Majesty the Weather?

Wang Xiao was also confused; before she transmigrated into the book, she hadn't even been born in 1991.

She had absolutely no recollection of the flood.

She originally thought that there was only a major flood in 1998.

The television was turned on, and it was broadcasting the news.

She saw the face of the national leader and suddenly remembered the reports about his life that she had read when he passed away.

One of the photos appears to show him wearing a life jacket and sitting on a speedboat inspecting the disaster situation.

That seems to have happened in 1991.

What does this mean?

The fact that a national leader was able to personally visit the disaster site means that the flood was far more severe than she had imagined.

It can even take a long time.

Wang Xiao suddenly stood up, looking intently at her team members: "If the flood continues and we clear out all the mall's inventory, what will we do? By the way, with the flood and transportation disrupted, will everyone be worried about not being able to buy things later and immediately try to stock up on goods?"

If that happens, the mall's inventory probably won't be able to be delivered.

Xiang Dong and Tang Yicheng looked at each other, then shook their heads in unison, their voices firm: "Impossible!"

Why?

Because every household has stockpiled a lot of things.

Don't forget the price reform of 1988.

Tang Yicheng's mother still hasn't finished using the toilet paper she bought that year.

He and his brother both believe that toilet paper will still be in high demand even when their children grow up.

Even if the flood lasts for three months, it won't be enough for every household to clear their inventory.

Right now, the only thing people are probably stockpiling is rice.

After all, if the floods last a long time, this year's rice will definitely not be able to be planted, and the price of rice may rise then.

Wang Xiao's eyes lit up instantly, and he slammed his hand on the table, making his hand ache from the impact: "That's right, we still have the inventory from every household."

She immediately called the steel factory and went directly to Dr. Chen, asking, "Mom, what did our family buy in 1988?"

Chen Yanqiu has a lot to say about this.

In 1988, we bought so many things that we brought them home in huge quantities.

She bought an entire wardrobe full of things like bed sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases.

Like salt and matches, it was piled up under the bed.

There was also yarn and soap. Because there was really no place to put the things, Wang Xiao was forced to go to the school dormitory early before the summer vacation was over.

Anyway, Dr. Chen and Comrade Wang Tiejun basically bought up all the savings they had accumulated over the years in that one sale.

Wang Xiao was speechless. Goodness, that's no small sum.

Chen Yanqiu emphasized: "At that time, the government also said that prices would rise, so who in our factory wouldn't buy? We would suffer if we bought late."

It's not like she's the only one acting crazy.

But who knew that the price control reform would be abandoned halfway through?

The bed sheets, duvet covers, and yarn were piled up like a mountain, giving her a headache just looking at them.

She doesn't like knitting at all anymore.

Wang Xiao immediately transformed into a sweet and caring daughter: "Mom, then I'll sell all these things for you. We'll buy more fashionable ones later."

Chen Yanqiu asked blankly, "Sold?"

"Of course! The things that are popular now can't compare to what they were three years ago. We need to sell them so we can buy new ones," Wang Xiao coaxed patiently. "Mom, I buy back things at high prices. I need bed sheets, duvet covers, and even large-sized clothes. They have to be new and unused. I can raise the price by five percent on top of the original price."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Dong instinctively tried to stop her: "That would be a huge loss, the price had risen sharply back then."

How crazy was it back then? Pork was five yuan a pound, and tomatoes could sell for as much as eight yuan a pound at their peak.

If they had purchased the goods at the prices they were at then, they would have made virtually no profit by wholesaling them to international middlemen.

Wang Xiao gritted his teeth: "We can't worry about that now. The priority is to maintain our market share."

She has to supply as much cargo as possible, otherwise the advantage brought by the charter flights will be quickly exhausted.

On the other end of the phone, Chen Yanqiu said confidently, "Don't worry, your mother knows what price they bought it for, and she won't let them ask for an exorbitant price."

In large factories, everyone knows each other; there are no secrets between them.

She wouldn't let her daughter be taken advantage of.

Those who want to take advantage of the situation to extort money should go somewhere cool and stay away.

Don't blame her for not warning you beforehand; this opportunity won't come again.

If you don't sell now, you can keep your matches, towels, sheets, and yarn forever.

Chen Yanqiu was very proactive and mobilized the entire factory area, digging out truckloads of goods from every household to send to Jiangzhimen.

It's fortunate that the steel mill's trucks have high chassis; otherwise, if it were a regular bus, given the current road conditions in the provincial capital, it would definitely break down halfway there.

Seriously, just how powerful is the water now? Standing on the dam, you'll find that the river water outside is much higher than the road surface inside the dam.

Some government agencies and public institutions require staff to be on duty, as buses cannot pass and bicycles cannot be ridden. They even set up bamboo rafts on the road.

Yes, it's like the one in the song: a small bamboo raft drifting on the river.

It's really going to turn into Venice on the water.

At first, Xiang Dong felt relieved as truckloads of goods kept arriving.

But as the warnings on the radio came one after another, no one could laugh anymore.

After all, three years have passed since 1988, and the number of goods that the people of the provincial capital still have intact is really limited.

If the floodwaters do not recede soon, the supply of goods in their international trade city will definitely not be able to continue.

Tang Yicheng had a brilliant idea: "Why don't we use airplanes to transport color TVs? The Red Star Color TV Factory still has quite a lot of inventory."

Xiang Dong was about to roll his eyes at him. A color TV weighs as much as 40 kilograms, and a cargo plane can carry up to 2,500 color TVs in one trip.

How much can you earn with that?

Compared to selling clothes, this is practically losing money to gain publicity.

However, after discussing it with Ivanov, Wang Xiao thought that color TVs could also be transported to Moscow mixed in with profitable commodities such as clothes and bed sheets.

This can appease the international middlemen and make them believe that Jiangdong can supply goods continuously.

It's a good opportunity for everyone to bring a color TV home, improving their quality of life.

To Wang Xiao's surprise, when the Red Star color TVs arrived at the warehouse in Jiangzhimen, domestic sales actually exceeded exports.

Why?

According to current domestic policies, each color TV is subject to a special consumption tax of 600 yuan and a localization fund of 300 yuan.

However, since the target market for color TVs in Zhimen is international resellers, and the business is export-oriented to generate foreign exchange, the extra 900 yuan expense will not be collected.

Chinese middlemen like Xiao Mao, who frequented the International Trade City for a long time, buying Soviet goods at low prices and reselling them at higher prices, quickly discovered a business opportunity.

They directly approached international middlemen and dealers, asking them to buy color TVs in bulk. Then, they would sell each TV to Chinese merchants at a markup of 100 yuan, who would then distribute the TVs through their own channels at the same markup of 100 yuan.

In this way, consumers can get the goods at a price that is at least five or six hundred yuan lower than in stores, which is naturally welcome.

At the same time, the news that the commercial city was acquiring the inventory of various light industrial products spread quickly throughout the city through word of mouth, from the factory workers to their relatives and friends.

When these two things are combined, they strangely become "Go to Jiangzhimen and you can exchange those unused things at home for a color TV!"

The drivers and conductors on the Jiangzhimen bus, which had finally resumed operation after much difficulty, were confused as to why their route had suddenly become so popular.

People from all over the provincial capital came with their whole families, carrying large and small bags full of anticipation, and left happily holding color TVs.

The feeling was just like someone who, during a period of high housing prices, unexpectedly managed to get a big house by trading their old, broken-down belongings for a new one.

Seriously, some people even carried their own stockpiled salt all the way here, hundreds of kilograms! It was astonishing.

The commercial city couldn't very well refuse to accept it, right? In the end, they could only keep it and prepare to donate it to the disaster area.

People sweat a lot in the summer, so people in disaster areas definitely need to replenish their salt intake.

Thus, through the power of rumors, color TVs were miraculously exported and then re-imported domestically.

All four parties involved were delighted.

The factory manager of Hongxing TV Factory grinned so hard he couldn't hide his teeth, repeatedly emphasizing to Wang Xiao, "President Wang, I knew you were capable. Following you, I'm sure to make a living."

Look how long it's been! Ten thousand color TVs have already sold out, so twenty thousand won't be a problem.

If this continues, the Red Star Factory will not be worried about clearing inventory, but about how to expand production.

Haha, who would have thought that such good days would one day fall on him?

International traders are also happy. They haven't even left Jiangdong yet, but they've already successfully increased their assets. It's truly something to celebrate.

They can use the money they earn in their current location to buy more Chinese goods and then return to their own territory to earn even more money.

Wang Xiao knew perfectly well that this behavior was absolutely against the rules. If the whole city wasn't busy with disaster relief, the Industry and Commerce Bureau would probably come and arrest him.

But she pretended not to see it.

She can only keep the middlemen and traders if they are happy and convinced that this international trade city can make them money.

The only person who was unhappy was probably Tang Yicheng, because his strong sense of pride couldn't stand it.

Those middlemen and dealers made money while wondering why Chinese goods were cheaper to them but more expensive to their own people.

It is clear that China's reforms are not thorough enough, and the interests of its people should be protected.

Tang Yicheng was speechless and could only grit his teeth.

During this period, he basically stayed in Jiangzhimen, dealing with black marketeers and black marketeers every day. His Russian level improved dramatically, and he even understood what they were saying.

Ugh! It's better not to understand at all; it's too hurtful to one's self-esteem.

What's worse, he had no ability to refute or find any words to say, so he could only look at Wang Xiao pitifully with his eyes sparkling.

Feng Zhonglin's eyes hurt from watching it. How could a grown man like him expect a girl to stand up for him when he gets into trouble?

Wang Xiao didn't care. As the leader, protecting her subordinates from being bullied by outsiders was her duty.

She simply chuckled and retorted calmly, "Reform is about constantly eliminating unreasonable things. For example, in the Soviet Union, I heard that farmers now buy bread to feed their pigs, which is a distortion caused by unreasonable subsidy policies."

Why? Can you believe it? Because of government subsidies, bread in Soviet stores was currently priced far lower than grain.

Farmers discovered that buying bread to feed pigs was the cheapest option, so they bought up all the bread in the stores.

Then the pigs they raise are sold to the government at a higher price than pork and pork products sold in stores.

Surprised? Unexpected? Amazing?

Compared to your amazing feats, ours are utterly insignificant and not worth mentioning at all.

Come on, let's hurt each other and see who can outlast whom.

As a result, the Soviet traders had no fighting spirit at all. They actually drank bulk liquor and declared arrogantly, "So the Soviets are doomed."

Well, since they've already said that, how can I argue with them?

Everyone present burst into cheerful laughter.

Seriously, even though it rained non-stop and everyone was worried that the provincial capital would be flooded, the atmosphere in Zhimen was not bad at all during this period; on the contrary, it was quite lively.

Why are things taking such a bizarre turn? Comrades, have you forgotten that we're surrounded by floodwaters?

Ahem, sorry, but nobody really took this matter seriously.

Aren't there People's Liberation Army soldiers on the dam? They will definitely protect everyone's safety.

The general public is now very happy.

When they came to exchange their color TVs, they were surprised to find that this simple international trade city was actually a hidden treasure!

Here you can find imported goods, genuine imported goods, imported goods brought over by the Russians.

They had Soviet-made cameras, military binoculars, and mechanical watches. Oh my, they even had electric shavers and meat grinders. Their portable flasks, cutlery for Western meals, and roller skates were really quite impressive.

Contrary to Wang Xiao's expectations, the most popular items were not cameras or binoculars, but rather Western-style cutlery and roller skates.

Almost every housewife will buy a set of Western-style cutlery, and almost every child and young person's eyes will light up when they see roller skates.

One child traded a flashlight from home for a pair of roller skates and was overjoyed.

As a result, his father saw that someone next to him had traded a flashlight for an electric shaver, and he was so angry that he was about to beat his spendthrift son on the spot.

However, Wang Xiao and her friends all agreed that it was really hard to say who lost out and who benefited.

Sigh, anything you need is good.

Compared to the Soviets who carried large bags and bundles, the traders in Eastern Europe were much more discreet.

They brought mostly chocolates and candies.

Wang Xiao admired them; they weren't afraid of sugar crystallization in such hot weather.

Surprisingly, these European sugars and chocolates turned out to be the most popular foreign products on the entire market.

Almost every person who comes to the provincial capital to shop will buy some foreign candies and chocolates.

These are not usually available; they're out of stock in department stores unless you go to Friendship Store and pay a high price.

Wang Xiao had no problem with the middlemen and middle-aged people setting up stalls to sell their goods, as long as they paid the stall fee.

She put all the stall fees into her donations, hoping to accumulate them to a round number so she could donate them all at once.

She believes these donations will be of extraordinary significance.

The gate was bustling with activity, but Ivanov couldn't laugh. He was deeply worried: "Your Majesty, when will we be able to return to normal?"

He simply couldn't bear the thought that the wonderful time he had finally gotten to earn a lot of US dollars would be gone forever.

That would be too terrible.

Wang Xiao also wanted to know the answer.

She figured that the Chinese people all wanted to know the answer to this question.

Now she hears all the time that a dam has been blown up so that floodwaters can be released and the water level in the channel can be lowered.

Honestly, every time she hears news like this, she feels that the 20 million donation was well worth it.

This flood affected the Huaihe River and Taihu Lake areas, and the area affected by the flood discharge was much larger than she had imagined.

Even entire counties were flooded, and hundreds of thousands of people had to be evacuated.

Compared to them, after careful consideration, there may not be a compelling reason to save Zhimen Airport.

Despite the prolonged flood discharge, the crisis remains unresolved, with the entire East China region still appearing as if submerged in a vast ocean, a sight that truly causes panic.

Wang Xiao and her team mobilized all their connections, desperately searching for sources of goods and transportation channels.

They actually found it; there was even a train coming from the direction of Qiqihar.

Everyone was overjoyed.

Now, no matter which direction a vehicle comes from, as long as it can enter the provincial capital, it means it can transport goods.

Trains can carry far more cargo than trucks and cars.

Without saying a word, Wang Xiao slammed his hand on the table and stood up: "We have to get this train car."

No one else objected; this was their best chance.

If you miss your train, who knows where your next lifeline will be?

Unfortunately, when she called the provincial capital's train station to inquire about the situation, the person who answered was hoarse and knew nothing. In the end, he just impatiently told her, "Are you ever going to stop? What time is it now? The only task right now is disaster relief!"

Wang Xiao was speechless after being rebuked, and then she heard a snap as the phone was hung up.

When I called back, the line was either busy or no one answered.

Judging from this situation, it seems she'll have no choice but to make the trip to the train station herself.

However, the flooding in the provincial capital is now truly severe.

She set off with the steel factory's large trucks, but when she reached Zhongshan Road, she was saddened to find that the trucks couldn't get through.

The driver confirmed with her that the destination was the train station, then patted the steering wheel and said, "How about this, you go to Xiaoying Train Station, take the train there, and then come over."

This method seems rather foolish, but she doesn't have any other good options right now.

Tang Yicheng nodded in affirmation: "Xiaoying Station should be closed."

The driver assured them, "It's okay. If we really don't stop, I'll just bring you back."

Thank goodness, it seems even God took pity on Wang Xiao's difficult situation, because the train from Harbin Railway Bureau actually stopped at Xiaoying Station.

The floodwaters on the road were already higher than the railway tracks, and sandbags were piled up on both sides of the tracks, effectively creating a train passage.

The train conductor found it strange that she knew her destination was the provincial capital when she boarded the train.

Because the train stops were set decades ago, since the bridge was built, taking the train from Xiaoying Station to the provincial capital has become slower, and the journey involves a detour.

Wang Xiao could only offer a vague explanation: "It's flooded. The city is severely flooded, and even large trucks can't get through."

There weren't many people on the train, and the train attendant had the leisure to chat with her, expressing considerable sympathy: "The flooding here is terrifying. The whole way here, it's all water outside, it's like walking in water."

As if to verify her words, the train started moving, and sure enough, everything outside the window was a vast expanse of white.

Water, boundless water, all water.

The train travels very slowly, probably less than 10 kilometers per hour.

Wang Xiao and Tang Yicheng then clearly saw that the houses on both sides of the railway were flooded, and some people were sitting on the roof waiting for rescue.

Someone on the bus waved at them and shouted, "How are you doing?"

The people on the roof shouted back, "It's alright! The People's Liberation Army has arrived. We're waiting for the next batch to take us away."

The people on the bus were finally relieved.

Honestly, Wang Xiao felt relieved for them after hearing that.

The floodwaters were terrifying; she had never experienced such a flood before.

Tang Yicheng comforted her, "It's okay. Our discipline is to definitely move everyone away, even if we have to carry them."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding passengers became interested: "Are you a soldier?"

"He's retired from the military, he's been retired for a long time."

"You must have had a tough time fighting the floods."

"Thank goodness. What I feared most was that some people would refuse to leave no matter what.

Tang Yicheng talked on and on about his experience participating in flood relief. The worst thing was that he always encountered people who could swim, so he had to stay at home and guard his furniture.

They don't even consider that when a flood comes, some people can swim, and even a lifebuoy won't help them.

Floating on the water, surrounded by water, with no edge in sight.

Over time, even a god couldn't withstand it.

"Hey, is it like them?"

Wang Xiao looked out the window following the passenger's outstretched finger and indeed saw black dots floating on the water.

As the train drew closer, the people around began to mock the man who had spoken earlier: "Yes, it's huge, can't you see it? That's clearly a kayak, and the soldiers on it are in there. Hey, what are they doing?"

Tang Yicheng observed carefully: "They're guarding the bridge."

Before anyone could ask why they were guarding the bridge, they heard an appeal over the train's loudspeaker: "Passengers, if you have any food, please throw some to our People's Liberation Army soldiers. They have been hungry for a long time because of insufficient supplies."

The people on the bus looked at each other in bewilderment and hurriedly rummaged through their belongings for food.

In this era, most people are reluctant to buy food on trains and bring their own rations.

Wang Xiao joined the others, wrapping bread in plastic bags and throwing them forcefully into the kayak.

Then something unbelievable happened.

After receiving the bread, the PLA soldiers actually swallowed it with river water.

There was no bottled mineral water, nor any other drinkable water, only murky river water.

Dead chickens and pigs were floating on the river. When the car windows were opened, everyone smelled a foul odor.

How can anyone drink this water?

But they were so thirsty and hungry that this was the only supply they could get.

How could this be?

The girls around couldn't take it anymore, and some of them started crying.

Wang Xiao sniffed and realized that her eyes were already wet.

Tang Yicheng patted her shoulder and comforted her, saying, "It's okay."

How could nothing be wrong?

It's no wonder people get sick from drinking water like that.

But Tang Yicheng didn't think much of it. As a veteran from the grassroots level, he felt that such things were normal when surviving in the wild.

For the next half hour, Wang Xiao didn't utter a sound.

She didn't straighten up until the train arrived at the provincial capital's railway station.

I have to be alert; she's here today to discuss train cars.

She absolutely has to win.

Unfortunately, the train station leaders looked at her as if she were a fool when they heard what she said.

What nonsense are you spouting? Chartering train cars? Haven't you seen how bad the flooding is?!

Oh, you mean this train is still running normally?

Good heavens, you still know what happened?

This bus was supposed to be cancelled, but it was sent from Qiqihar because of a wrong weather forecast. It will return tonight.

This is the only bus that goes north this week.

There were no other cars, not a single one.

The train service has been suspended.

When will operations resume? We don't know, we're waiting for notification.

Trains don't have wings. If it's flooded like this, what can you do besides fly over it?

Because train services were suspended, the station also redeployed staff to participate in flood relief and rescue efforts.

The station is packed with people, mostly college students eager to get home. They've been stuck here for so long and are on the verge of a breakdown.

The stationmaster who stayed behind had to personally use a loudspeaker to shout: "You can board the train, but no large luggage is allowed. Each person can only bring one backpack at most."

The waiting hall immediately erupted in chaos, with luggage scattered all over the floor.

Students rushed onto the bus. Wang Xiao remembered that the bus had a capacity of 118 people, but judging from the situation, at least five or six hundred people were desperately trying to squeeze onto the bus.

Tang Yicheng stared in disbelief at the luggage scattered all over the floor. After a long while, he finally managed to say, "These students really don't know what's good for them. They just throw their things away like that."

He couldn't even understand why they had to rush home.

I might as well stay at school during the summer vacation. I'm really wasteful to not even pack my luggage just to go home.

Wang Xiao could understand.

Because transportation was extremely inconvenient in those days, many college students who lived far from home did not go home for winter break. The winter break was too short, and the long journey would be too much for them, making a round trip uneconomical.

So summer vacation is their only chance to go home.

Moreover, humans are creatures particularly prone to falling into mass panic.

Some people may not have wanted to throw away their luggage at all, but if everyone around them does it, they will subconsciously follow suit.

It was as if this train was Noah's Ark, a refuge from a flood, and you couldn't get a ticket to board without losing your luggage.

Tang Yicheng stared at the luggage on the ground, still feeling distressed: "So many clothes."

They're now resorting to any means necessary to get the clothes to sell.

Unfortunately, these have all been worn.

Wang Xiao glanced at it and said, "Take it back. I'll call a truck."

On the train, they overheard a local train conductor from the provincial capital rambling on and realized they had indeed taken a very roundabout route.

Taking Hongshan Road, which is at a higher elevation, means the area is definitely not flooded, so there's no need to take the train from Xiaoying.

After making the call to request a car, she made an international call to Ivanov while waiting.

Thank goodness, the train station's telephones are high-level and have the authority to make international calls.

This time, she didn't even wait for the other party to call back, and started firing off like a machine gun: "I have a way to guarantee the delivery of 11 planeloads of goods to Moscow every day. But our profits might decrease by two-thirds. Do you want to give it a try?"

Ivanov was overjoyed and quickly put down his wine glass, repeatedly saying into the microphone, "OK: No problem, as long as this line can be maintained. I fully support all your actions."

He didn't even ask Wang Xiao what he planned to do.

He believed in his partner's abilities.

Moreover, compared to him, she undoubtedly understands better how to achieve her goals in China.

When the truck arrived, the stationmaster watched them carry their luggage away and frowned, wanting to stop them.

When the station chief heard that they were going to the military base and were going to transport the luggage there to donate to disaster victims, he stopped saying anything.

The truck driver asked curiously, "How are you planning to donate?"

Wang Xiao said meaningfully, "Donate by airplane."

That's right, cars can't drive across, and boats can't cross easily either, but she has an airplane.

Airplanes can fly over mountains and valleys, and they can also fly across oceans.

Airplanes can do many things.

The political commissar of the Zhimen Air Force Unit was leading a team out to relieve his teammates, patrolling the dike 24 hours a day to prevent and control any potential dangers.

In just one week, he looked like he had lost a full ten pounds since the last time Wang Xiao saw him; he was both dark-skinned and thin.

Because he had been constantly on the move these past few days, either leading troops to the dam for emergency repairs or organizing the evacuation of residents, his lips had become so dry and cracked, even in the sweltering summer heat.

Wang Xiao stopped them and got straight to the point: "I can lend you a plane to deliver supplies."

The political commissar was taken aback, but his mouth ran faster than his brain: "We have no money."

With supplies running out, didn't he ever consider targeting the large aircraft that was right in front of him?

How could that be? They're an air force unit! They can take off in their planes anytime.

But when the political commissar learned that a chartered flight would cost at least $100,000, he wisely kept quiet.

The total value of supplies airdropped by plane is estimated to be less than $100,000.

Besides, their troops were dirt poor, so how could they possibly ask someone else to use their planes to transport goods for export and generate foreign exchange?

Wang Xiao earnestly emphasized, "I don't want the money, but I have one request. I request another short-haul route to fly from Jiangdong to Jiangbei. The route we previously approved was a direct flight from Moscow to the provincial capital. I'm worried that my plane won't be able to go there to airdrop supplies."

Since Jiangdong Province is currently mostly submerged in water and goods cannot be transported to the provincial capital, she decided to take a roundabout approach and source goods from Jiangbei Province, which has been less affected by the floods.

With railways shut down, highways blocked, and waterways unable to operate, she still had airplanes.

Airplanes can fly across national borders and also across provinces.

She could borrow half of the 22 cargo planes to airdrop supplies, and use the remaining 11 to collect goods and sell them to middlemen.

Otherwise, where would she find the 10% profit to donate for disaster relief?

Upon hearing that it was free, the political commissar immediately perked up and readily agreed: "No problem, I'll go and ask right away."

That's great! These are 11 planes, proper cargo planes, each capable of transporting 500,000 tons of goods.

With these aircraft providing support, his comrades no longer had to endure hunger and rainwater.

————————

There will be no extra update today because Ah Jin had to go out.

Ajin asked many of his colleagues born in the 1990s and found that almost none of them knew about the 1991 flood, but almost all of them knew about the 1998 flood. Ajin also found a lot of information about the 1998 flood when he was researching.

Therefore, it's inaccurate to say that Wang Xiao was stupid or lacked common sense because she had no concept of the 1991 floods.

The article mentions the price reform of 1988, a time when prices skyrocketed. Here's some background information.

On April 5, the government decided to deregulate the retail prices of four major non-staple foods: pork, common vegetables, soy products, and sugar. Subsidies for employees in large and medium-sized cities were changed from implicit to explicit.

Starting in May, pork and other meat prices in major cities across the country immediately surged by 70%! Prices of other small commodities followed suit quickly.

Taking Beijing as an example, after the prices of four major non-staple foods were raised, the increase quickly exceeded the limits stipulated in the document.

Pork prices rose from 2.5 yuan per jin to 4.9 yuan, eggs from 1.5 yuan per jin to 2.7 yuan, and tomatoes even reached a peak price of 8 yuan per jin!

The article's claim that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) suffered from insufficient supplies and that train passengers threw them food, which they ate with river water, is true.

At that time, airplanes were indeed in short supply.

On July 27, 1991, a working group from the three headquarters of the Central Military Commission held a meeting in Nanjing to express their condolences to the troops engaged in flood relief and disaster relief. Since mid-June, troops stationed in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, and Shanghai had mobilized a total of 120,000 personnel, 30,000 vehicles, 650 boats, and 12 aircraft. The Nanjing Military Region alone rescued and evacuated 190,000 people, transported 350,000 tons of supplies, and reinforced 517 kilometers of dikes.

Some information about this flood:

In the summer of 1991, the Huai River, the Chu River (a tributary of the Yangtze River), the Li River (part of Dongting Lake), and the Shuiyang River in Anhui Province all experienced severe flooding. The water level of Taihu Lake exceeded the historical high recorded in 1954. By the end of June, 18 provinces and municipalities across the country had suffered from floods, affecting 130 million mu (approximately 8 million hectares) of farmland, collapsing 650,000 houses, and causing total economic losses of 16 billion yuan.

This catastrophic flood had the following main characteristics:

I. The rainy season arrived early, with heavy and concentrated rainfall, resulting in rapid and prolonged flooding. From late May to mid-July, the Huai River basin and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River experienced prolonged and widespread torrential rains, with some areas receiving 2-5 times more rainfall than usual. This caused a sharp rise in the water levels of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, leading to floods and widespread urban waterlogging. The Huai River experienced its second-largest flood since the founding of the People's Republic of China, second only to the one in 1954. In mid-July, the water level of Taihu Lake was 0.14 meters higher than the highest level recorded in 1954. The Chu River experienced two consecutive floods, the largest on record, and the Songhua River also experienced its second-largest flood since the founding of the People's Republic of China, second only to the one in 1957.

Second, the floods occurred during the summer grain harvest and autumn grain sowing seasons, resulting in reduced yields for both crops.

Third, the hardest-hit areas are excessively concentrated. The affected population in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces accounts for 70% of the total population of the two provinces; the affected area of ​​crops accounts for more than 60% of the sown area; and industry, especially township enterprises, suffers severe losses.

Fourth, from a national perspective, no major floods occurred in the main streams of the Yangtze River, Yellow River, Pearl River, Haihe River, and Liaohe River, so the disasters were localized. However, because the floods occurred in densely populated and economically developed areas, they caused severe damage.

Following the floods, the State Council allocated 2.2 billion yuan and 1.4 billion kilograms of grain for disaster relief and formulated preferential policies for the people in the disaster area.

The floods left more than 2 million people homeless in the Jianghuai region, and tents stretched as far as the eye could see on the Huaihe River embankment.

Following the disaster, the Chinese government urgently appealed to relevant UN agencies, international organizations, and governments of other countries to provide humanitarian assistance to Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.

Subsequently, donations of money and supplies from both within and outside China were delivered to the disaster area.

From July 11 to December 31, 1991, China received a total of 2.3 billion RMB in various forms of aid, equivalent to 2.3 times the national disaster relief funds for normal years. Nearly 40,000 of these aid came from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities. By July 1992, donations had increased to 2.83 billion RMB.

It is heartening that, although Hong Kong had not yet returned to China at that time, the people of Hong Kong cared about the mainland and held a large-scale concert called "Selfless Grand Performance" to raise funds for the disaster area.

Following this, the organizing committee made emergency plans and filmed the movie "The Banquet" in just four days and four nights. More than 200 stars acted in the film without receiving any payment, and all proceeds of more than HK$20 million were donated to the disaster area.

The Hong Kong British government urgently allocated HK$50 million to aid the disaster area. A wave of donations swept across Hong Kong for the flood relief efforts in East China, raising HK$470 million in just ten days.

Meanwhile, Taiwan donated over US$3 million to the disaster-stricken areas in East China. Television stations and media outlets also raised funds through various channels. By July 29, over NT$40 million had been raised.

Donations from Macau also reached more than 20 million patacas.

From July 11 to December 31, 1991, China received a total of RMB 2.3 billion in donations from both domestic and foreign sources, equivalent to 2.3 times the national disaster relief funds in a normal year. Nearly 40% of these donations came from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities. By July 1992, the total amount of donations had increased to RMB 2.83 billion.

my country has always advocated self-reliance and not asking others for money or goods; the Tangshan earthquake is a case in point.

However, after the 1991 floods, China completely changed its previous mindset and appealed to the international community for assistance for the first time. This demonstrated both an open-minded approach and China's commitment to protecting the lives and property of its people, its determination to mitigate disasters by leveraging all available resources, and its proactive attitude towards international cooperation and integration into the international community.

According to the data Akin found, as of August 31, 1991, Cuba had donated $17 million worth of supplies, the most of any country.

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