Chapter 69 The Trip to Budapest: I can certainly guarantee they won't overstay their welcome.

Currently, Hungary is the only country that offers visa-free entry to Chinese citizens, hence the large number of Chinese passengers on the bus.

Throughout the journey, Wang Xiao observed the Chinese passengers from beginning to end and discovered that, in addition to those planning to go to Hungary to work as traders, some were also planning to use Hungary as a springboard to smuggle themselves into other European countries to make a lot of money.

As for how she knew they were planning to smuggle themselves into the country, how did they know? Surely they wouldn't just tell her everything without any guile after only meeting her by chance.

Well, that's too easy to guess. Take the mother and daughter in the picture above, for example; their destination is Italy.

However, Italy currently does not welcome Chinese immigrants at all.

So even if they spent a lot of money to buy invitation letters and successfully obtained passports in China, they would still be refused visas by the Italian authorities.

The only way to get there is to smuggle yourself across.

How did Wang Xiao know that their real destination was Italy?

This is thanks to her strong language skills; although she can't speak them, she can understand many local dialects.

Fortunately, the language system of this mother and daughter, whose Mandarin was very poor, was within her comprehension range.

Moreover, Wang Xiao speaks both English and Russian, allowing her to converse with the train staff and other passengers at any time on the train. She also seems to know a little about everything and can talk about a little bit about everything.

She's also very generous; when she has a big meal in the car (which is actually quite cheap), she'll invite other people to eat with her.

So, to her compatriots, her Eastern face was both approachable and powerful. Several people traveling abroad for the first time asked her about their destinations.

Can you believe it? They really couldn't speak a single foreign language, and could only understand Mandarin but couldn't speak it, yet they bravely embarked on their journey abroad.

Of course, Wang Xiao didn't know the answers to their questions, but since Ruan Xiaomei was in their group, she could still help answer some of their questions.

If they still had questions, they could ask the train conductor. A cigarette or some other small gift was enough to keep them chatting in the carriage for half a day.

Tang Yicheng is quite amusing. He actually came up with a brilliant idea: if Chinese people in Budapest can't make a living or don't have any capital, they can take this train and set up an information desk on board, charging for answering questions. He's guaranteed to be very popular.

In a foreign land where you know no one, having a reliable source of information is like a godsend. Many people are willing to pay five or ten dollars at a time.

Ivanov was amused and joked, "You Chinese really know how to make money."

Believe it or not, he really thought this business would have a market and would be a sure thing.

Amidst the laughter, Ruan Xiaomei sighed.

Going to Hungary to work as a middleman is manageable. But finding a job is very difficult.

The number of unemployed people in Hungary is increasing. If even they can't find jobs, how many jobs will be available for foreigners?

In particular, the Chinese people who used to look for work generally had low levels of education, and many were even illiterate, let alone able to speak Hungarian, the common language.

If you can't even communicate properly, what boss would hire you?

Besides, they let foreigners in hoping they would come to visit or invest money.

Hungary's main source of foreign exchange is tourism. It has over $20 billion in foreign debt, the most of any Eastern European country, putting it under significant pressure.

You come here without spending any money, only wanting to work, earn money, and then take it away. No wonder people are unhappy.

Even if you work at a relative's Chinese restaurant or shop, you have to be careful not to not get paid a single penny. It's not uncommon for people to cheat their own family members.

As for those who smuggle themselves into other countries, there has never been a shortage of undocumented immigrants who are mistaken for drug traffickers and shot dead at the border every year.

She's only been abroad for six months, but she's already heard about several similar situations.

If she had to choose, she would definitely prefer to stay in Eastern Europe, even if it meant setting up a stall in the free market, rather than crossing the Alps.

But as the saying goes, everyone has their own ambitions, and fortune is found in danger. If someone is willing to take the risk, then all we can do is wish them good luck.

The train rattled into Hungary, and customs and border control personnel boarded the train together.

This time, unlike the border checks Wang Xiao had experienced in the Soviet Union, where they were stared at and scrutinized for their candy, they directly asked Ivanov for cigarettes.

After receiving the cigarettes, the border inspection officers routinely checked the passports of Wang Xiao and his group. After looking at them, they stamped two seals on each passport: one for entry and one for departure, with a 30-day interval between them.

Perhaps because they had so little luggage, the customs officers only glanced at it briefly and did not conduct a thorough search as if facing a major threat before turning around and leaving.

Wang Xiao quickly shouted, "Where's the customs declaration? Don't we need to declare it?"

The man mumbled something, which was neither English, Russian, nor German; it was probably Hungarian.

Given that Hungarian is also notoriously difficult to learn, even Ruan Xiaomei couldn't understand it.

Finally, the customs officer asked in a lukewarm tone in English, "Are you here to declare goods?"

“Of course.” Wang Xiao said, puzzled. “Doesn’t Hungary require customs declaration? I have to declare customs when I go to the US, the UK, or France. Doesn’t Hungary require it?”

The customs officers then became a little warmer: "Of course, ma'am, since you didn't say so, we assumed you didn't need it."

shit!

Wang Xiao rolled her eyes inwardly. This is your job? You should be the ones to proactively provide customs declarations and assist foreigners entering the country in completing customs procedures.

She stepped out of the carriage and shouted in Mandarin, "Customs declaration! Everyone who hasn't declared their goods, come and line up to declare them. Otherwise, the money you brought to Hungary will be confiscated when you leave."

Besides the locals, almost half of the passengers on this bus who eventually arrived in Hungary were Chinese.

And more than half of them were going abroad for the first time.

Many people were bewildered, looking around blankly: "Hey, we need to go through customs? What does that mean? And why haven't we been paid yet? This is unreasonable!"

Wang Xiao said succinctly: "You have to declare everything. How will they know where your money came from if you don't declare it? Hurry up and do it, don't dawdle, don't try to be clever. If you hide your money in your underwear, they'll find it when you leave. A whole bunch of people, men and women, will stand there and watch you strip naked. I'm not kidding you, don't think that just because you're women, they'll treat you like gentlemen."

Someone muttered, "Nobody said anything, not even the foreign officials."

Customs and border control officials, of course, denied it, insisting that they had mentioned it, but these people pretended not to hear it.

Ruan Xiaomei's face turned pale, and she whispered, "They did it on purpose; they're just trying to bully us."

Why do I say that? Because Chinese people are accustomed to using cash, not traveler's checks.

If you don't remind yourself to declare your goods when you enter the country, your cash might be confiscated when you leave.

Moreover, they specifically targeted Chinese people when they left the country!

Previously, Ruan Xiaomei was bringing goods to Budapest, and she had no money on her, so whether or not she declared them to customs was irrelevant.

When she left Budapest and arrived in Jiangdong, she truly witnessed what it meant to be treated differently based on social status. Even though they were both foreigners, the Hungarian customs officials only checked Chinese people.

However, when traveling abroad, people believe in keeping their wealth hidden, and many compatriots are reluctant to take out cash to declare at customs.

After all, what if the money gets stolen once it's in someone's sights?

Someone muttered under their breath, "What do you mean you don't know where the money comes from? I'm making a lot of money in Hungary, aren't I?"

"No way!" Ruan Xiaomei said, a little annoyed. "They accept US dollars and all foreign currency when you leave the country. What are you holding your head high for? Who do you think you are? Who the hell cares about you? Do you think you're still in China? Hurry up and fill out the customs declaration. Who's going to help you fill it out later?"

Those who were frightened quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, hurry up! Luckily, they were willing to help."

The customs officers were either annoyed by the fact that it was too much trouble for so many people who didn't speak the language to go through the customs process, or they were unhappy that they had lost a way to make money. They were very unfriendly during the customs declaration.

But Wang Xiao wasn't afraid at all. If the other party tried to act tough, she would go to the Chinese Embassy.

Those who completed their applications with their assistance repeatedly thanked Wang Xiao and the others, and even inquired where she was going after getting off the bus so they could look for her later.

Wang Xiao declined, saying, "We're only staying for a few days to discuss some matters, and we'll be going back soon. If you have any problems, contact the embassy. Don't worry, the embassy won't fine you, detain you, or forcibly send you back to your country."

When she got to the third point, several people chuckled secretly.

The Hungarian customs and border control staff, however, did not smile and were muttering something under their breath.

The train conductor, who had been chatting with Wang Xiao, suddenly said in Russian, "What do you think? Back then, China refused to allow Soviet troops to be stationed there and confronted the Soviet Union head-on."

Well, after she said that, the customs and border control officials' expressions softened.

Tang Yicheng felt that even opera singers couldn't match their ability to change faces so quickly.

Wang Xiao handed out slips of paper to everyone: "Keep this safe. This is the address and phone number of the Chinese Embassy in Hungary. It's written in German, Russian, and English. If you run into any trouble, contact the embassy."

There was no photocopier on the train, so these notes were all handwritten by the group of them with great effort, and their arms were really sore from the effort.

With this little incident on the bus, time seemed to fly by, and everyone felt that they would be getting off soon.

Many people were leaving, and I wanted to say goodbye to Wang Xiao and the others, but there wasn't enough time. So I just shouted at the top of my lungs, "Come visit my house when you come back, I'll definitely treat you well!"

Mr. Fang, a Taiwanese businessman, was already waiting at the train station. When he saw Wang Xiao and his entourage arrive, surrounded by a group of people greeting them, he couldn't help but exclaim in amazement: "My goodness, Wang Xiao, you really are President Wang! Wherever you go, you are surrounded by admirers and everyone is chasing after you."

He wouldn't be surprised at all if she wanted to hold another investment promotion meeting on the train and gather a bunch of people!

The daughter of the mother and daughter who wanted to smuggle themselves into Italy whispered, "Because she's a good person!"

Everyone around agreed, "Yes, yes, yes!"

Seriously, there were quite a few other Chinese people on the train, including some old-timers who were buying goods in Moscow to resell in Budapest, but none of them reminded them to declare them through customs.

Only this young girl and her friend stood up for them, unafraid of anyone, and even foreign officials had to obey and do as they were told.

Wang Xiao waved his hand: "Not at all, I'm just a chatterbox."

In fact, she could understand other people's indifference.

When traveling, it's best to avoid trouble. What if they remind someone to declare customs, and that person gets robbed or has their money stolen, and then blames them?

We met by chance, and no one owes anyone anything. Why should people learn from Lei Feng's good example? What benefit does it bring them?

They probably didn't realize that in a foreign country, such self-preservation can be deadly.

If the minority group is not united, when others want to bully someone, you will be the first target to be chosen.

Often, the reason you get bullied the most isn't because you made a mistake, but because the cost of bullying you is the lowest.

Everyone has their own destination.

The crowd dispersed, and Wang Xiao and Mr. Fang began to speak seriously. Wang Xiao couldn't help but ask curiously, "Are you too tired? You've lost weight."

She remembered that when he stayed at the Jinning Grand Hotel, he was quite well-fed and healthy, with a double chin and a growing belly.

Now he stands next to the towering Da Chun, thin and small, perfectly embodying the saying "good things come in small packages."

Mr. Fang gave a helpless look: "I'm much better now; I was even thinner before."

Why? Because Hungarians don't eat stir-fried dishes.

It's outrageous! They don't even know how to appreciate such a top-notch delicacy as stir-fry.

Moreover, the apartment he previously rented in the city center did not allow him to cook for himself; if he did, he would be fined.

This caused Mr. Fang, who was unlucky, to lose his appetite for a long time.

Later, he moved to a villa on the mountainside of Buda Mountain and invited Ruan Xiaomei to join him, finally allowing him to eat stir-fried dishes.

Tang Yicheng suddenly blurted out, "Then our woks for cooking won't sell here either; they'll be even harder to sell than silk quilts."

Before Mr. Fang could get the point, Wang Xiao and Ruan Xiaomei started laughing.

Hey, that's pretty good, you've got a quick head.

Tang Yicheng analyzed in a serious tone: "Chinese people might buy silk quilt covers, since they're building their own. But as for cooking pots, most of them live in rented houses, so they definitely can't cook there, and there's no market for them."

Mr. Fang finally realized what was going on and nodded in agreement with a smile: "That's true. Apart from Chinese restaurants, I doubt many people need a pot."

He drove over to pick them up, but didn't rush to take them back to his villa. Instead, everyone gathered at a Chinese restaurant to welcome them back.

Budapest is known as the "Paris of Eastern Europe" and the "Pearl of the Danube," and its nighttime scenery is quite enchanting.

The Danube River under the lights has a dreamlike beauty.

Unlike the bustling night markets in China, the nights here are truly quiet.

Wang Xiao felt that it would be a waste of such a good resource not to shoot a fashion spread here.

The car stopped, and Mr. Fang led them into a restaurant called Hong Kong Restaurant.

Wang Xiao thought she was going to eat Hong Kong cuisine and was quite curious about what Hong Kong dishes, modified by Chinese restaurants, would taste like.

As a result, Mr. Fang couldn't help but complain: "The restaurants in Hong Kong and Taiwan are all owned by you mainlanders. It's gotten to the point where we've come to terms with it; you've already stolen our names."

Wang Xiao didn't take it to heart: "Aren't we all one family in China? Why distinguish between us?"

She also emphasized in a serious tone, "You should be proud. The fact that people are using your name fully demonstrates that they recognize your good development. For example, in mainland China, if we buy something and it's said to be from Shanghai, it's a synonym for high-end goods."

Mr. Fang rolled his eyes at her: "Thank you so much."

Da Chun suddenly blurted out, "Oh, no wonder they named the shoe and hat wholesale market the Shanghai Market. I thought everyone there was from Shanghai."

Everyone laughed.

Da Chun was especially happy because his younger sister had secretly visited his parents. They were doing well, and they had even left money for the elderly.

The Hong Kong restaurant wasn't large, but its interior was decorated with a strong Chinese flair, reminiscent of Chinatown.

It's lunchtime now, and the restaurant is doing good business; I didn't see any empty tables as I walked in.

Unlike Chinatown restaurants in many countries and regions, which are synonymous with low-end roadside stalls, Chinese restaurants in Eastern Europe are considered upscale establishments.

Why?

Because it's expensive.

The high price was a key factor set by the Chinese restaurant jointly operated by the two countries in the late 1980s.

It wasn't that the price was exorbitant without reason; rather, according to the regulations at the time, the salary standards for Chinese chefs abroad were already high.

For example, it's two thousand US dollars in Japan and five hundred US dollars in Russia, the latter being equivalent to more than ten times the salary of the Russian president.

Moreover, Chinese restaurants have to import their ingredients and seasonings from abroad, resulting in high shipping costs and loss rates.

The combined cost of these two factors is considerable. Naturally, Chinese restaurants have become high-end establishments.

Whether the business is good or not is one thing, but it's quite another that not just anyone can come in and enjoy it. In previous years, being able to enter a Chinese restaurant here was a status symbol.

In contrast, non-government-run restaurants in Hong Kong operate much more flexibly, and their business is naturally booming.

It is now considered the base of Chinese businesses in Budapest and even throughout Hungary.

A group of guests, led by Mr. Fang, were seated in a private room, where seven or eight Chinese businessmen were already seated.

A middle-aged man, around fifty years old, sighed, "I really shouldn't have chosen sea freight. Now I'm doomed. I don't know how long I'll be adrift at sea."

"You really are something!" The woman with curly hair sitting next to him kept shaking her head. "It takes at least two and a half months at sea, sometimes even longer. It's already November, and if it keeps drifting like this, Christmas will be over. Don't say we didn't warn you, don't even think about doing business after Christmas. From September to Christmas, two-thirds of the year's goods have to be sold in these few months."

The middle-aged man was very anxious: "Oh, stop talking about it, I can't even eat if you keep talking about it."

The curly-haired woman chuckled, "I say you might as well have gone by land transport; at least it's much faster than sea transport."

"Don't even mention it. My suitcase was broken into last time, and I've been arguing with the insurance company ever since, and there's still no resolution. They're very enthusiastic when it comes to collecting money, but when it comes to making a claim, they start pretending to be deaf and dumb and playing dead."

The others at the table chimed in, essentially saying that doing business in Hungary is becoming increasingly difficult. The laws are a mess, and they're only written in Hungarian, with no official foreign language version.

The worst part is that the law is like a piece of paper; what's acceptable today may not be acceptable tomorrow.

If you think you can expand your investment based on last month's regulations, you're doomed this month. Because they've issued new regulations, and a law in the process has been repealed.

"If this keeps up, I'm quitting. I'm leaving right now. This is unbearable. My goods are still at sea."

Mr. Fang stepped forward: "No, no, no, didn't I invite the God of Wealth and Goddess of Wealth back for you? Now that there are flights, we can just use air freight from now on."

Tang Yicheng thought it was strange to talk about the God of Wealth and the Goddess of Wealth together.

But then again, the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West aren't husband and wife, they're just colleagues; so it doesn't seem so strange.

Mr. Fang warmly introduced them: "This is Mr. Ivanov, and this is Ms. Wang Xiao. You two are the general managers of the renowned Wuzhou Air Transport Company. Please, please have seats of honor."

Wang Xiao didn't presume to be presumptuous. He made an excuse that he was too young to accept such a privilege and gave the seat of honor to the oldest uncle and aunt.

We had just finished greeting each other and hadn't even had a chance to hand out business cards when the door to the private room opened and four or five more guests arrived. Among them were two blond-haired men with high noses, who were probably locals from Hungary.

Mr. Fang quickly introduced them: "Mr. Wang, Mr. Ivanov, and these two are Mr. Stroki and Mr. Kertész."

Who are they? Hungarian officials. To be more specific, they are the parties being lobbyed to open the air route.

Due to historical reasons, many Hungarians speak Russian. Perhaps considering Ivanov's feelings, both officials chose to greet him in Russian, and then switched to German to express their gratitude: "Thank you for your hospitality, otherwise we would not have had the opportunity to enjoy such delicious Chinese food."

Everyone sat down again and began the meal and social interactions.

Let's all have a toast to this wonderful night.

Then they discussed the recent weather, major social events, the worsening security situation, and the economic difficulties that were frustrating everyone.

In the end, it turned into a collective effort by Chinese businesspeople to reassure the officials, expressing their confidence in Hungary's future.

Even though the government is facing financial difficulties and severe inflation, these are temporary, and Hungary will surely achieve great things in the future.

These words were spoken in various languages, including English, German, and Chinese. Everyone helped translate for each other.

Tang Yicheng heard most of it and couldn't help but feel secretly amused.

It's true that countries that have shared the same ideology for a long time tend to have similar ways of speaking.

After a few rounds of drinks, the two officials began to lament their difficult lives, and their conversation then turned to economic investment.

At this point, the head of the local Chinese Chamber of Commerce, who was also the oldest gentleman, spoke up: "So we want to open air routes to further expand our business. That's why we invited Ms. Wang Xiao and Mr. Ivanov all the way here, hoping that they can invest in Budapest, and that we can work together to prosper the Hungarian commodity market and promote normal trade between China and Hungary."

But Mr. Stroke suddenly changed his tune, shaking his head repeatedly and saying, "No, no, no!"

This left everyone at the table completely bewildered. They had already agreed on something privately, and now you're suddenly asking for trouble? Where were you earlier?

Strokhi's attitude was very firm: "Hungary can't accommodate any more Chinese people, there are too many, far too many. Visa-free entry was a mistake; there are Chinese people everywhere now."

The atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly turned cold.

The Chamber of Commerce president tried to smooth things over: "We just have Asian faces, which makes us stand out among Europeans. To be fair, Mr. Stroký, aren't Chinese considered a minority among foreigners in Hungary? Visa-free access applies to more than a dozen countries, not just China. According to data released by your government, more than two million workers from Turkey and other Arab countries transit through Hungary every year. Yet, only a little over ten thousand Chinese came to Hungary in the first half of this year."

Strokhi didn't say anything.

His companion, Kertész, who was probably the middleman, also spoke up: "The Chinese are very hardworking. They are always out working, which is why you can always see them on buses and subways."

Strokhi, however, remained adamant: "No, the trains have already brought too many Chinese people. If planes come too, we're doomed. Hungary is just a small country; it can't handle it. We only have eleven million people."

The atmosphere at the dinner table fell silent once again.

Stroki further emphasized: "We will expel anyone who is illegally staying. Whether they are Romanians, Bulgarians, Poles, Soviets, Turks, Albanians, Ghanaians, Pakistanis, or Nigerians, including Chinese. We are not choosing among different ethnic groups; we oppose all illegal stays."

Wang Xiao suddenly laughed and said slowly, "Mr. Strokhi, are you worried that the Chinese people who get off the plane will overstay their visas in Hungary?"

“Too many,” Stroki emphasized, switching back to Russian. “They’re everywhere.”

Several Chinese businessmen at the table looked unhappy. How could they all be considered illegal overstayers? They clearly met the requirements to apply for yellow cards, but the government kept blocking them.

Honestly, you always get bullied when you're away from home.

Wang Xiao shook his head: "You misunderstood. The purpose of our application for this route is to transport goods, such as precious raw materials like high-grade silk, for industrial production in Budapest and the surrounding area, so that they can be exported to Western Europe."

The gray-haired woman chimed in, "That's right. The clothing factory I invested in received an order for high-end silk pajamas. I can only import silk fabric from China."

Others chimed in, expressing that they did indeed have a need for imported raw materials for production.

However, Strokhi showed no sign of backing down.

Wang Xiao continued in that leisurely tone: "Actually, the situation of illegal residents is pretty much the same in every country; they are unemployed and have no fixed jobs. But they are not our customers. To be honest, the reason we want to open this route is to facilitate government officials to come to Hungary for inspections."

Hungary's reforms began in the 1960s and have been remarkably successful, offering many valuable lessons for China. Many people in China are now very interested in Hungary's economic achievements.

We have also witnessed the efficiency of the Hungarian government. It has a good business environment and is a hotbed for investment.

Please believe that the officials and entrepreneurs who are able to travel abroad for inspections have all achieved considerable success in China. They have their own businesses and should have little interest in illegally staying in other countries.

Stroghi didn't react, so Kertész quickly followed up: "Dear lady, do you mean you are an agent of Chinese officials?"

Wang Xiao smiled and shook his head: "You can't say that. I'm just helping out with a small favor. There are some things that government officials can't easily do themselves, so it's more appropriate for us businessmen to handle them."

"Then can you prove it?" Strokky said bluntly, "Can you prove that those flying over are all your government officials and businesspeople?"

Several people subconsciously turned their gaze to the president of the chamber of commerce.

What's the meaning of this Strocky thing? He didn't seem to take less money than promised, so why is he pretending to be a patriot now?

Besides, Chinese people are all focused on working and earning money.

Why don't the Hungarian government have such a strong stance against those thieves, swindlers, and Gypsies?

They really pick on the weak, specifically targeting honest people.

How can I prove that?

Unexpectedly, Wang Xiao actually produced proof: "Mr. Stroke, I'm afraid you're not familiar with China's policies. In China, it's not like you can just buy a plane ticket with money. You need a certificate issued by a county or regimental level official. This is the case for domestic flights, and it's even stricter for international flights. This is an official certificate; it's not something you can buy with money."

Everyone present was stunned.

No one expected that she would produce such evidence.

That's absolutely amazing.

Ironically, this is precisely the policy that China is currently implementing.

Strowker was speechless, unable to find a reply. After a long pause, he blurted out, "And how can you guarantee they won't overstay their visas?"

Wang Xiao smiled, staring at the other person: "It's winter in 1991, not summer in 1989."

How many so-called political persecution victims do you think are still fleeing?

Those who use this as an excuse are almost all unemployed and do not fall within the scope of cadres at the county or regimental level or above.

Kertész laughed at the opportune moment and nodded vigorously: "That's right, that's right. If we were going to run, we would have run long ago. If we don't run in two and a half years, we won't be able to run at all in the future."

There was nothing funny about it, but everyone still laughed along.

Just then, the restaurant owner personally served the main dishes, and the president of the chamber of commerce quickly called out to everyone: "Come on, come on, try these, the owner's specialty dishes."

It has to be said that the food on this table tasted pretty good. It wasn't one of those weirdly modified Chinese dishes, and Wang Xiao thoroughly enjoyed it.

Especially the roast suckling pig, the skin was golden and crispy, and the meat inside was tender and juicy, truly a testament to the chef's skill.

And that hot pot was amazing, really, the soup was incredible!

Eating together can definitely help ease the tension.

Even Strokhi sighed, "But the reforms were successful decades ago, and now we're in trouble too."

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "Our national leaders have a saying: 'Reform is always about feeling your way across the river; no one learns as they go.' Actually, Hungary's reforms have been very successful, and there are many things we can learn from them. For example, urban construction and transportation facilities. It's not easy for such a large city to be so well-organized."

The middle-aged man who had previously regretted shipping by sea chimed in, "I really think, what did you gain by driving away the previous government? The social order and everything here used to be quite good."

Realizing his mistake after speaking, he quickly emphasized, "I didn't mean anything by it. I fully respect the choice of the Hungarian people. Our consistent principle as Chinese people is to coexist equally and not interfere with each other. I only hope that Hungary will get better and better."

My goodness, he was genuinely a little scared of these people; they were all like they'd taken a gunpowder.

Last time, he encountered a Romanian vendor at the Four Tigers Market. A hotheaded Chinese guy tried to talk to him about "Davanish," and ended up getting punched.

The Romanians felt that the name "Davanisi" was an insult to him.

Stroki remained silent, while Kertész touched his nose before speaking: "They have no respect for the feelings of the people at all, actually allowing the Soviet Union to station troops here. What's the difference between them and puppets?"

Well, that makes things a bit complicated.

And is it appropriate for you to say that now?

There was also a wealthy businessman from Moscow sitting at the table.

Their Wuzhou Company owns fifty cargo planes and fifteen passenger planes, making it a large air transport company that is certainly worth mentioning on a global scale.

You want to attract foreign investment, right? You want to slap these incredibly wealthy businessmen in the face? What are you all thinking?

Didn't we agree to focus on economic development and avoid ideological attacks?

The way you're acting is so unlike Hungarian, huh?

The Chinese businessmen present could only laugh it off: "Well, there are historical reasons for that."

Ivanov simply stared at the Chinese food on the table, as if his attention had been completely drawn to the dazzling array of delicacies.

What could he say? This was indeed something the Soviet Union had done.

Besides, isn't this kind of thing quite normal? The United States has stationed troops in many other countries as well.

There are still a bunch of overseas military bases, and I haven't seen you guys complaining about them.

Why is it that when they station troops, it's like the Statue of Liberty shining a halo over the earth, but when we station troops, it's considered an invasion?

It's blatant double standards.

Alas, in the end, fortunes change every thirty years; the Soviet Union is already in its twilight.

A group of henchmen ran faster than anyone else.

Ivanov was once again plunged into a quiet sadness, and even the roasted meat didn't taste good.

He didn't respond, and peace wasn't restored at the dinner table.

Because Stroki seemed to be holding a grudge, staring at the Chinese man opposite him: "Your country refused, so why can you refuse but they can't? This is surrender! We cannot allow the surrender faction to be in charge."

His gaze then turned to Wang Xiao. "Tell me, why can't they do it?"

Wang Xiao's only thought right now is, why drink alcohol when we're just eating? Is he pretending to be crazy because he's drunk?

She was too lazy to keep giving evasive answers: "Do you know how much our country has paid to refuse?"

Have you ever heard of China's Third Front construction and the "Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside" movement? It involved relocating large factories, workers, and urban youth from big cities to smaller, remote areas, or even deep mountains.

Because we were already prepared for a nuclear war at that time.

However, everyone knows a basic principle: remote mountainous areas are very unfavorable for industrial development, as both the transportation of raw materials and the sale of goods require a lot of costs.

In some ways, it is even impossible for it to generate a profit.

The sole purpose of this was to prevent the major cities from being completely destroyed, so that we could preserve the industrial base, wage guerrilla warfare, and encircle the cities from the countryside.

In addition to the Third Front construction, our country also conscripted a large number of soldiers at that time, stationing a million troops on the border, ready to go to war at any time.

A large number of young and middle-aged men left labor production and became professional soldiers.

Not only are they unable to engage in production and generate economic benefits, but they also require the entire nation to support them.

It is well known that maintaining an army is very expensive.

We refused, and we paid a heavy price for it.

Objectively speaking, could Hungary at that time afford the cost of waging war? The two sides differed greatly in terms of land area and population.

I believe that a government with the courage to begin reforms in the 1960s, focusing on people's livelihoods and having the ability to improve their living standards must have made its choice after comprehensive consideration.

Wake up, bro, face the facts!

Who doesn't want to stand tall and proud? But if you can be tough, be tough. If you can't be tough anymore, are you just going to die?

When it's time to play it safe, you have to play it safe.

"Developing in a sneaky way" doesn't sound good, but at least you've developed.

This is what guerrilla spirit is.

Finally, adhering to the principles of love and peace, she reiterated: "I have always respected the choices of the Hungarian people, and I also believe in their wisdom. They are a hardworking, pragmatic, rational, and intelligent nation."

Thank goodness, this human ECT Strokky finally stopped acting crazy in the latter half of the welcome banquet, allowing Wang Xiao to eat his fill in peace.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the atmosphere at the dinner table was relaxed and lively.

The two Hungarian government officials started chatting again, from Christmas next month to the princes and grandsons of emperors emerging in Eastern European countries, such as Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, Emperor Simon II of Bulgaria, and King Michel of Romania.

Oh, and there seems to be a Russian Grand Duke as well.

These people are very active now, all preparing to recreate the glory of their ancestors.

Moreover, several of them were indeed popular with the public.

Hearing this, Wang Xiao couldn't help but think of an old Hong Kong movie called "The Heroic Trio," in which there was a famous line from an old eunuch: "China cannot be without an emperor."

It's enough to make you feel schizophrenic. How did they all become so eccentric, wanting to welcome back the king? Are they crazy?

They're probably just acting crazy now; once everyone realizes what's happening, nobody will care about them anymore.

Amidst the lively and bustling conversation, no one brought up the topic of flight routes again.

But everyone present knew in their hearts that the matter was likely settled.

As expected, when the two new government officials left, they each took their own envelopes.

The Chamber of Commerce president sighed, "The previous Hungarian government was much more honest than the current one. They even said the previous government was corrupt, so they kicked them out. But now an even more corrupt one has come along."

Others chimed in, "That's right, anyone with a little money wants to make more. And they all have the nerve to keep talking about the country and the people."

The president turned to look at Wang Xiao and praised him, "Indeed, the student surpasses the teacher; today's young people are truly remarkable."

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "I am fearless because I am ignorant."

Then she started handing out business cards to everyone, saying, "I have 273 long-term cooperative OEM factories in the two provinces of Jiangdong and Jiangbei. Their products have been verified and affirmed by countless middlemen, and so far there have been no disputes caused by quality issues."

As for those things from before, weren't they resolved? What disputes are there when all the problems have already been resolved?

As she spoke, she took out beautifully produced product catalogs from her bag and handed them out one by one to the Chinese businesspeople present: "These are all products that we distribute. If you have any needs, please feel free to contact us anytime. We also accept product customization and can provide corresponding customized products according to different needs."

For example, we also make Christmas gifts and decorations.

Tang Yicheng and Ruan Xiaomei then realized that the reason she hadn't handed out product catalogs on the Moscow-Budapest train was because she wanted to keep them for now.

Indeed, those who can sit at this table for a meal are all Chinese businessmen who have made a name for themselves in Budapest.

When they need to purchase goods, they start with hundreds of containers. That's a much larger scale than the average middleman.

Wang Xiao then offered another tempting offer: "For any goods shipped from our International Trade City that have quality issues, we will provide a full refund, return, or replacement."

Don't be fooled by the fact that most of the Chinese businessmen doing big business in Hungary are agents for large state-owned enterprises in China, ensuring a sufficient supply of goods.

However, in actual operation, in order to meet the needs of their clients, they often have to temporarily organize domestic manufacturers to produce the goods.

In order to expedite shipments, they often need to select goods from sources outside of authorized distributors. Therefore, they must control the quality of these goods themselves.

In this era of China, it's not that we look down on ourselves, but if you ask a manufacturer for a hundred items and twenty-five of them are of poor quality, it's really not a strange thing.

Wang Xiao then reminded them, "This year, there were major floods in East China, and many factories were submerged, including their warehouses. If you don't personally inspect the goods on-site, it's easy for mistakes to happen. Freight rates are high now, so if the goods arrive and the quality is poor, the losses will be significant."

The Chinese businessmen present all accepted her product catalogs and browsed through them with great interest.

The chamber of commerce president glanced at the time and said to everyone, "Oh dear, it's already this late. Our distinguished guests must be tired from their journey, so let's call it a day and meet again next time."

Everyone stood up, shook hands, and said goodbye one by one.

The elderly woman with gray hair sitting at the head of the table hugged Wang Xiao and said, "I'll call you anytime if I need anything."

Wang Xiao smiled and hugged back: "I look forward to our collaboration, and I believe we will not be disappointed."

The woman with curly hair also hugged Wang Xiao: "I'm looking forward to the plane coming soon. If it's not too urgent this year, I'll definitely order Christmas goods from you next year."

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Actually, there's a business opportunity we can do right now."

Hungary is a rather unique country. It stands out from the rest of the socialist countries, and its style is quite different from that of the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries. It is known for its unconventional approach.

Do you know when it started its economic reforms? The Qatari government began implementing comprehensive economic reforms nationwide in 1968.

Yes, that was in 1968.

1968 was a year in which the entire motherland of China was ablaze with red, a year in which the global fervor for Che Guevara reached its peak, a year in which the May 1968 events erupted in France, a year in which the United States was in an anti-war movement, a year in which even Japanese students and citizens clashed with riot police on campuses and in the streets, a year in which revolutions were taking place almost all over the world.

Hungary shifted its focus from revolution to economic reform.

And this reform has been very effective.

Almost all socialist countries around the world were surprised to discover that socialism could also provide abundant material supplies.

The reason it changed its national flag colors in 1990 was not because of economic hardship, public discontent, or the overthrow of the existing regime; rather, it was due to international trends.

Of course, it is also likely related to the death of leader Qadar in 1989.

Unfortunately, since the policy shift last year, the country's economy has only gotten worse.

However, given its inherent advantages and superior geographical environment, it is not impossible for it to succeed in shifting from a focus on heavy industry to a focus on light industry for people's livelihood.

This has led to a shortage of its light industrial products and daily necessities, which is likely only temporary. Perhaps it won't be long before it is able to achieve self-sufficiency.

All of the above is great good news for this country.

But for those who engage in the reselling business, it's a tragedy.

Therefore, Wang Xiao decided to take a different approach. She had to create a flagship product to stand out from the other suppliers and make herself irreplaceable by anyone, at least in the short term.

What product? Lingerie, I guess.

Currently, the International Trade City has a large volume of women's underwear shipments, with the four shipping routes carrying away tens of thousands of pieces of women's underwear every day.

But across the country and in Türkiye, women's underwear is not a rare commodity.

Moreover, the material of this product is obvious at a glance, unlike the filling of down jackets which can be misrepresented; it's difficult for her to win by quality, the only thing she can do is offer extra-large sizes.

But instead of fighting with others in this arena, she might as well step out and conquer another territory.

Before transmigrating into the book, selling sexy lingerie was her original profession.

Back then, she was a pro at selling sexy lingerie all over the world via the internet.

Now that she's back in her old ways, she refuses to believe she can't conquer this land.

Seriously, she even came up with a name for her lingerie brand: The Temptation of Eden, which fits the religious background of European countries.

As for its country name, it's simply called Yiyou, cough cough, the allure of a beautiful woman.

Just because it's having trouble opening up the domestic market right now doesn't mean it won't have a future.

Always prepare well in advance!

Moreover, a major characteristic of sexy lingerie is that it uses less material but is more expensive. It is high-quality and lightweight, making it perfect for air freight.

She refused to believe that exporting sexy lingerie wouldn't be enough to fill the cargo volume of a freighter!

————————

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, China and Hungary had a mutual visa-free agreement. The lyrics about Beijing's "scalpers shaking Eastern Europe" mainly referred to Hungary. (Of course, this agreement ended in 1992.)

Between 1990 and 1993, Hungary's economy experienced consecutive years of recession. Although the economy recovered somewhat after 1994, its GDP in 1997 was only 90.4% of that in 1989.

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-11-26 12:48:23 and 2023-11-27 22:46:04!

Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: I'll take a look (1);

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Bo Nie 80 bottles; Ao Bing Why is So Handsome 40 bottles; Mu He Yi Zhi 30 bottles; Qu Qu Yan Ting Ting, 35296556 10 bottles; Joy ​​7 bottles; Qian Niao Fei Jue, Affirmation, Bie Mo Wo Wei Ba 5 bottles; Pang Pang Xiong 4 bottles; Lin Xi Ci 3 bottles; A Hai 2 bottles; 20655808, Gua 1 bottle;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!