Chapter 79: What impact will the breakup have on us? We must retain air rights and flight schedules.

The next second, Wang Xiao started to get nervous.

She feared that if the crowd became agitated and everyone started running, a stampede could really occur.

There are too many people.

She said that if 300,000 people didn't come to line up on either street, it would be considered deserted.

It's not deserted anymore; the shops and streets are full of people.

Last night, the computer terminal showed that the number of visitors to the two commercial streets had exceeded 700,000, and there will be even more today.

Before they ate dinner in the evening, the data they saw on the computer terminal already reached 700,000.

People from the surrounding areas also received the news today, and they came by car or train to buy things.

With so many people and Red Square nearby, if everyone ran over there, even with city government volunteers present, it would be difficult to maintain order.

Loudspeakers, loudspeakers, all loudspeakers ready! If anything seems amiss, immediately tell everyone to stay where they are and not to panic.

Three hundred veterans immediately sprang into action, dispersing to the entrances of various shops.

In case of riots, they can direct the crowd to remain calm.

Ivanov suddenly blurted out, "There aren't enough people, are there?"

Two streets, hundreds of shops, what can three hundred people do?

Wang Xiao replied without hesitation, "It's okay, it's the leader effect. Group organisms tend to follow the leader, and humans are no exception."

Ivanov's expression was somewhat strange: "Are you talking about us?"

"ah?"

However, he had already turned his head away, staring straight at the crowd in line, without saying a word.

Wang Xiao wanted to sigh; she really wanted to sigh.

Regarding the collapse of the Soviet Union, which she has experienced since last year, her biggest feeling is that rather than the common people wanting to break away, it's more accurate to say that the privileged class felt constrained by a framework that prevented them from fully exploiting the Soviet Union, so they were determined to break free from this constraint.

Unfortunately, the Soviet Union's top leader was incredibly incompetent, acting like a spineless coward when he needed to be tough.

Sigh, there's no point in saying all this. Let's hurry up and get people to maintain order.

However, despite their preparations, they were never put to any use.

Whether it was people already queuing up inside the mall watching the large color TV playing the image of the Soviet flag slowly being lowered, or people outside hearing that the Soviet Union had fallen, their reactions were bewildered and calm.

It's probably because it's been announced countless times.

This was probably because on the 7th of this month, in the face of the open provocations from Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, the Soviet leadership completely failed to take any administrative action and did not take any measures, which foreshadowed today's outcome.

So while people all over the world were in shock, the reaction of the people of Moscow was eerily calm.

Russian television announcer Elena Misina declared: "This is a new day in a new country."

Then the TV screen switched to a documentary about baby care.

Wang Xiao didn't know if this was just a coincidence or if there was some special metaphor, symbolizing that the Russian Federation and other independent republics were like this baby, seemingly full of newborn power, but in reality, their actions could only be controlled by the adults whose faces were not visible in the picture.

Someone muttered under their breath, "Why announce it today? They might as well have said it earlier."

The person next to him sneered, "They're really dragging their feet. The Americans are already over Christmas. They should have told us sooner. It's a gift for the Americans, after all."

But those behind them retorted, "How can you say it in advance? Such a big thing happening before the holiday, wouldn't American officials have to give up their holidays? That would really offend the Americans."

Unfortunately, the people around him were uncooperative, and some even mocked him, saying, "What kind of big country are we now? It's not like ten years ago, who cares about how we live now? Whether the Soviet Union lives or dies is no longer important."

The noise grew louder, yet remained within a limited area. Most people remained silent.

The foreign journalists carrying cameras were at a loss, constantly moving back and forth in the crowd.

Some people were muttering under their breath, complaining to their companions, "Shouldn't we celebrate? It's more significant than the fall of the Berlin Wall. The whole German community took to the streets to celebrate that day; it was packed with people."

An elderly woman in drab clothes next to her suddenly turned her head: "It's a reunion of a nation, it's a division of a nation, what's there to celebrate?"

Wang Xiao looked up and saw a dark mass of people at the end of the commercial street, heading towards Red Square.

Tang Yicheng's expression changed instantly, and Wang Xiao also panicked. They both thought of the parade on November 7th.

In just over a month, people's ideologies cannot change that quickly.

Will the angry crowd rush into the shopping street and vandalize and burn things?

Ivanov twitched the corners of his mouth, a smile that seemed to be both a cry and a laugh: "If we had that kind of courage, things wouldn't have turned out like this."

As if to confirm his words, the crowds gathered in Red Square did not head towards the shopping district. Instead, journalists from Western countries came to interview the people queuing in front of the shops, asking them for their opinions on the change of the national flag.

An elderly woman with a headscarf looked impatient: "I don't care what kind of flag it is. I just need enough to eat and wear. I have six grandchildren to support."

Sobyanin, the director of the Moscow city government, came over again. In the dead of winter, he was so tired that white mist was coming out of his forehead.

"Hey friends, my dear friends, we have a great suggestion. Don't close down, stay open all night, until dawn."

“Our staff need rest,” Ivanov refused without hesitation. “They are already working overtime and are extremely exhausted.”

Director Sobyanin gestured to him in a conciliatory manner: "Don't worry, my dear friend. We have volunteers, our volunteers can help with the work..."

Tang Yicheng turned to look at Wang Xiao, his intuition telling him that this wasn't a matter of having enough manpower, but rather a matter of attitude.

The new Moscow government needs a steady stream of supplies to prove that this is a great victory, a celebration.

Ivanov was not happy about it.

At this moment, he has become a Marxist again.

Tang Yicheng asked Wang Xiao in a low voice, "What do we do?"

Without hesitation, Wang Xiao lowered his voice and said, "Quickly organize manpower to transport supplies. I estimate there will be nearly 100,000 people in Red Square, and they may all come to buy things."

Only a madman would refuse 100,000 customers. Even if each of them only bought one bottle of sorghum liquor for 40 rubles, that would still amount to 4 million rubles.

The value of the ruble was artificially driven down to its current level due to panic, but in reality, the large carp in state-run stores still costs one ruble each.

Tang Yicheng's eyes widened, and after a long while, he finally managed to say, "But we don't have enough manpower, and everyone is exhausted."

"Add a bonus, add another 100 rubles." Wang Xiao gritted his teeth. "We can only hold out until about 1 a.m. tonight. This isn't a tavern; no one's going to stay overnight."

Director Sobyanin was still trying to persuade Ivanov, but the latter's mouth was like a clam shell, and he refused to budge.

Left with no other option, he looked to Wang Xiao for help: "My dear friend, this is a beautiful expression of the great friendship between our two countries. The people of Moscow need this wonderful night."

“Two hours.” Wang Xiao looked exhausted. “We can only extend the delivery by two hours at most. We need time to restock. Our people are all very tired. The volunteers can’t help sell the goods; they’ve never done this before, and it’s easy for things to get chaotic.”

She sighed, "My dear friends, this is a surprise attack."

“Yes, two hours at most.” Ivanov also came to his senses. “Our young men and women need to be on duty at 7:30 tomorrow morning, and we’ll open for business promptly at 8:00. Do you want us to close down tomorrow?”

Director Sobyanin finally backed down: "Then it's twelve o'clock. We can only close the door after twelve o'clock."

It will be tomorrow after midnight. The national flag on Red Square will be changed. Tomorrow will be a true rebirth for Russia.

Wang Xiao said a few meaningless words like "You've really worked hard" to Director Sobyanin, and then reached out to pull Ivanov and Tang Yicheng upstairs.

Upstairs is the store's office, which is not large and has a typical Soviet-style decoration.

The floor was covered with brown wooden flooring, the walls were painted a light green, and the velvet curtains emitted a soft glow under the fluorescent lights.

Once the door is closed, the hustle and bustle downstairs is shut out; the office becomes a quiet little world.

"Okay, now let's talk about what to do next. First, let's discuss what impact the end of the Soviet Union will have on us."

“The military may further downsize.” Tang Yicheng, with his veteran’s mindset kicking in, said without hesitation, “The geopolitical pressure on the north has eased.”

Wang Xiao paused for two seconds, then thought, "Okay, maybe they're right."

After all, for a long time, China's policy of universal conscription was indeed to be ready to fight the Soviet Union at any time.

but--

Brother, let's talk about the most pressing matter first.

"My opinion is that China will increase its efforts in reform and opening up, and the policies will be implemented very soon."

With Eastern Europe in the past and the Soviet Union in the future, China was the only remaining force capable of fighting in the socialist camp.

Other places, whether in terms of land area, population size, or economic size, are not up to the task.

What would happen if the intensity of the crackdown were increased? Relaxing controls on non-state-owned and collective economies would lead to a greater outflow of talent from public institutions, including university graduates.

right.

Wang Xiao wrote down the first item in his notebook: Increase the efforts to recruit soldiers.

Honestly, unless you live in this era, you simply can't understand how difficult it is to recruit professional management and technical talent.

The prevailing social ideology is that all jobs other than the "iron rice bowl" (guaranteed job) are inherently looked down upon.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have ended up with only Feng Zhonglin, the only person she could recruit from outside to lead the team.

But things will change once national policies change. More people will enter the business world, and anything is possible.

She looked up at her companion again: "If China intensifies its reform and opening-up efforts, what will be the next step?"

Although Tang Yicheng's business acumen was mediocre, he had worked in a factory and experienced the economic frenzy of 1988 and the subsequent sharp decline. He had also queued at the bank to withdraw money for his mother and later participated in clearing up the triangular debt of a steel mill. Therefore, he quickly found the key: "The banks will loosen their grip."

What does that mean? It means lowering the threshold for loan approval.

What should each unit do after receiving the money?

"Large-scale construction projects."

Since Tang Yicheng had participated in clearing up the steel plant's triangular debt, he naturally knew that the steel plant's predicament stemmed from the state's emergency halt to a large number of infrastructure projects in 1989.

The next three years will focus on maintaining stability.

It seems that action is inevitable next. If nothing is taken, it will most likely become the next Soviet Union.

Wang Xiao called out to Ivanov, who suddenly woke up and looked at her blankly.

It seems to be asking: What's wrong?

"We said that China needs to increase its investment in infrastructure."

In fact, Wang Xiao had wanted to say this a long time ago. She also wanted to ask Ivanov to contact steel suppliers and be ready to haul them back to China to sell.

However, this person is prone to succumbing to Marxism, and his feelings toward the Soviet Union are particularly complex.

To be honest, Wang Xiao didn't dare to provoke him.

If we tell him directly that the Soviet Union is going to collapse, so we should quickly seize Soviet assets, what if it provokes him so much that he becomes an extreme revolutionary?

Don't think this is impossible.

The revolutionaries of the Cold War mostly came from very privileged families; they were fighting not for survival, but purely for their ideals.

Only now, after witnessing the lowering of the Soviet flag, did Ivanov dare to speak directly about the steel.

Seeing that Ivanov remained unmoved, she continued to emphasize: "First, we need to solve the ruble problem. The store's turnover is very large now; yesterday our total revenue was 3.5 billion rubles."

It's scary, isn't it? But almost every customer in line comes with tens of thousands of rubles to spend.

Wang Xiao strongly suspected that they had already emptied their coffers.

However, their current frenzy is justified, because the ruble will fall even further later.

Before she transmigrated into the book, the media had reported on the grudges and feuds between the two countries due to the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war.

What impressed her most was that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the price of the ruble plummeted, turning many people's life savings into worthless paper overnight.

Right now, 3.5 billion rubles can be exchanged for about 30 million US dollars, but in a couple of days, that number might be halved.

According to the Russian Federation Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on September 1 this year, the Russian Federation guarantees that foreign investors, after paying the relevant taxes, can remit foreign exchange earned from their investments abroad without restriction, including investment income (profits), dividends, remuneration, and various compensations.

The problem is that they are now operating a joint venture, and according to the agreed-upon proportions, her share of the profits can be transferred through the foreign exchange market, while Ivanov's share cannot.

This means that companies must bear the risk of a sharp devaluation of the ruble.

If it really comes to that, they'll be the ones who get fleeced.

Wang Xiao reminded Ivanov: "We must exchange the rubles for other physical assets, then transfer them to China and convert them back into money."

Of course, exchanging for US dollars is the fastest way. However, the problem is that Russia's financial situation is currently very chaotic, making such a large exchange difficult, and the potential for significant losses is substantial.

It would be better to directly purchase the supplies needed domestically.

"How can you guarantee that the Chinese yuan won't depreciate?" Ivanov asked gloomily. "The Chinese yuan might be the next currency to depreciate. Two years ago at this time, even on the black market, one dollar could only be exchanged for fifteen rubles."

How much better can China's situation be? First it was Eastern Europe, then the Soviet Union, and now it's China's turn.

Wang Xiao was momentarily speechless.

Has the Chinese yuan depreciated? Absolutely. But at the same time, wage increases have actually outpaced inflation.

Based on her limited life experience in her previous life, most of the resources in society were becoming increasingly abundant, even to the point of overproduction.

But how could she explain this to Ivanov? She couldn't very well say that she had some kind of precognitive ability.

But she had to convince Ivanov that the Russian market was too complex, and without Ivanov's cooperation, the chances of her being cheated if she went to buy steel on her own were very high.

Wang Xiao's mind raced, and suddenly an idea struck him: "Then tell me, Ivanov, why do you think the ruble has depreciated so drastically? In just two years, has the Soviet Union's actual wealth shrunk to only one-tenth of what it used to be?"

That's impossible, of course.

Why has the ruble, which represents the nation's wealth, plummeted so drastically?

It's because there are just too many people eager to exchange their rubles for US dollars.

Why are they in such a hurry?

Is it because you need it to go abroad?

No, no, no, it's panic, it's a lack of faith in the value of the rubles they possess.

Therefore, everyone should hurry up and exchange it for US dollars.

Wang Xiao calmly analyzed, "If we have to find a reason for the ruble's decline, it's that the government has lost the people's trust. The people don't believe the government can guarantee the value of the currency, so they're selling rubles. Do you think the new government has the ability to win back the people's trust?"

Obviously, they don't have that capability.

Even Ivanov couldn't force them to save face.

In fact, he knew very well that although the president had only announced his resignation today, he had actually been a puppet ever since the failed coup in August. He didn't even have time to accept the credentials presented to him by the Chinese ambassador.

Those who truly control this country are the so-called democratic reformers, represented by the Russian president.

What were their results? Did they make this land a better place after they seized power?

Obviously not.

Inflation has reached an unbelievable level, and prices are rising wildly.

The reason people tolerated their rise to power was less about giving themselves hope and more about the fact that things were already bad enough, so it didn't matter if they got any worse.

If we're talking about trust, how can ordinary people trust the government? What has the government actually done to make them worthy of their trust?

Wang Xiao looked at Ivanov: "Then tell me now, do the Chinese people trust the government?"

Ivanov opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

Honestly, if you look at it from all angles, the living conditions of ordinary Chinese people are actually far inferior to those of the Soviet Union before its collapse.

The Soviet Union and former Eastern European countries could easily surpass most countries in the world when it came to housing issues.

Even in the United States, a model of democracy, can it guarantee that all its people have a place to live? No, no, no, their slums have always existed.

Even in wealthy Japan, where wages are so high, ordinary people still complain that they can't afford to buy a house.

Compared to them, ordinary Chinese people have even lower incomes and worse housing conditions. Many rural areas even have mud houses, where people can't afford bricks and tiles.

But the Chinese people he met seemed to be very easily satisfied. A rural child could be overjoyed all day if he ate an egg or a piece of candy.

Adults are the same; they can be just as happy commuting to and from get off work by bicycle.

I really envy them; I bet all government leaders would envy having such people.

They are so easily satisfied and can easily make their lives enjoyable.

“The Chinese people have a very high level of trust in the government,” Wang Xiao sighed. “That’s why I have confidence in the Chinese currency.”

Ivanov was silent for a moment, then suddenly nodded: "Yes, your leaders are capable and strong. Our biggest mistake was choosing a coward. The development of any socialist country always depends on its leaders; we were gambling. Perhaps they are right, that parliament is right."

Wang Xiao touched his nose, not discussing the issue, but instead emphasized again: "We need to spend the money, even if we don't buy steel, we need to exchange it for other assets."

She continued to persuade Ivanov, saying, "That old man outside says the biggest problem with the Soviets is that they are too rich. But if they only spend and don't earn, even the richest people can't sustain themselves. People need to earn money, and products must be sold."

She opened her notebook and wrote, “Helicopters, ships, trucks, tractors, bulldozers, excavators, cameras, watches, optical equipment—these are all high-quality products that the Soviet Union restricted from export by Western countries.”

Tang Yicheng chimed in from the side, "If China resumes infrastructure projects, bulldozers and excavators will definitely be needed. And trucks too, with increased transportation volume, trucks will be indispensable."

As for helicopters, they can't transport much cargo, and they're troublesome to maintain.

As for ships, Russia doesn't even have an ice-free port, so using ships for foreign trade is too limiting.

Besides, where are they going to find someone to operate a seagoing vessel? It's too much trouble, far too much trouble.

Ivanov pointed a few times: "This, this, I know where to get it."

"And cars too," Wang Xiao said seriously. "China needs a lot of taxis, and that can be done too. One hundred thousand wouldn't be a problem."

Tang Yicheng was stunned and subconsciously said, "You just said 30,000 before, no, that's only 60,000 vehicles in total. How come it's 100,000 now? We don't need that many. We really don't need that many."

Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated: "It's not like it has to be our taxi company that uses them. We can sell them to people in other cities. There aren't enough taxis in big cities right now. Beijing has 19,000 taxis, and it's still hard to get a taxi."

Tang Yicheng opened his mouth, and after a long while, he finally managed to say, "The capital is indeed the capital. There are many rich people, and many people take taxis."

Besides Beijing, Wang Xiao also has his sights set on Shanghai as a sales market.

Pudong is undergoing development, and there are too many people coming and going with their briefcases. These days, there's no subway, so how are people supposed to work if they don't take taxis?

She felt that 100,000 cars were simply not enough.

However, be careful when buying; don't inflate the price, or they'll lose out.

Ivanov nodded; he knew what he was doing.

Besides shopping, everyone agreed that further investment was also an option, and shops on busy streets were a great choice.

We need to negotiate with the local governments properly; we can't just buy everything in US dollars.

The Russian people don't receive money in US dollars, so are they not entitled to buy the country's assets?

If that's the case, then it's not privatization at all; it's clearly foreignization, a complete act of treason.

Rubles, you must use rubles to buy things.

“Privatization,” Ivanov suddenly blurted out. “The privatization process in various countries will accelerate rapidly, including those in Eastern Europe.”

He sighed, his eyes fixed straight ahead, "Actually, you're all afraid of us, aren't you? You've always been afraid. Only we ourselves don't know how powerful we are."

Wang Xiao and Tang Yicheng exchanged a glance, neither able to deny the matter.

The latter, in particular, was that his first reaction to the collapse of the Soviet Union was that the military could be downsized and the powerful geopolitical and military pressure would disappear.

Ivanov gave a wry smile, muttering to himself, "Are we really that powerful? How come we don't know we are powerful?"

Wang Xiao really didn't know how to answer his question.

In fact, the reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union were brought up again by various experts thirty years later due to the Russia-Ukraine War, and they conducted various analyses.

In a lecture Wang Xiao once attended, a professor's theory was that the Soviet people were too honest, and the Soviet leadership was too bold to be in the right place.

In fact, after the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in the 1970s, the US dollar was no longer pegged to gold. Global economic development has essentially relied on printing money to drive the economy, with inflation leading economic growth.

What is its essence? It is to plunder national wealth by using the common people as a means of transferring burdens, through the printing of money.

This was something everyone tacitly agreed on, but the Soviets simply didn't keep up. Coupled with the relative shortage of daily necessities caused by the underdeveloped light industry, the Soviets began to doubt themselves, feeling that there was something wrong with their system.

Wang Xiao couldn't explain whether the theory was right or wrong; all she could say was that one shouldn't easily deny oneself.

When you feel like you're failing, others might be even more failing than you.

Those who constantly boast about how wonderful their lives are and how happy they are might just be bragging because they're jealous of you and feel insecure.

The world is a makeshift operation.

Tang Yicheng broke the silence: "Then we should be able to buy quite a few stores."

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, privatization became rampant in various countries, inevitably leading to a massive influx of new products into the market.

This is similar to the situation with a large supply of fruit on the market; it's a buyer choosing the seller. Furthermore, there's competition between different countries, and they will drive down prices to attract buyers.

Wang Xiao was delighted; this was indeed a possibility.

If Moscow hadn't been so eager to privatize, they wouldn't have been able to buy the two most bustling commercial streets next to Red Square for less than a million dollars.

It seems that she might not even need to wait for the real estate market in China to boom to reap the benefits; she could start living the wonderful life of a landlady much sooner.

Oh dear, this is too corrupt; it's very discouraging for people to strive for success.

As for buying large factories, forget it. Running factories is too troublesome, and these countries don't have much of a demographic dividend to speak of, so it's better not to bother.

No one can ever earn money beyond their cognitive abilities.

Ivanov started making phone calls to convert the large sum of rubles they had into the supplies they needed.

This should be the time when Russians rest after dinner, and it doesn't seem appropriate to discuss business here.

But most things in this country are not decided during normal working hours and at normal working places, regardless of what flag is flying over the Kremlin.

Ivanov returned to familiar territory, and the dejection and extreme self-doubt he had felt finally vanished. His tone was kind and sincere, sometimes sighing along with the person on the other end of the line, sometimes echoing their relief, repeatedly emphasizing that tomorrow would be better.

He urged those who wanted to wait and see not to hesitate any longer: "You're the first person I thought of."

The situation is really bad right now. People in all countries are busy raising money, and those cunning businessmen are all watching and waiting, hoping to make us fight each other and drive prices down to the lowest possible level.

If we don't act quickly, the price might not even last until the New Year, let alone Christmas.

Wang Xiao didn't listen any further. She stood up, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtains to look outside.

On Christmas Eve, the weather was freezing cold, but looking up, a large crowd still gathered in Red Square.

But some people had already begun to leave Red Square and head towards the shopping street.

New people kept joining the end of the line, as if the long line would never shorten.

The store manager came upstairs, knocked on the office door, and whispered to Wang Xiao, "A reporter wants to interview us."

Tang Yicheng asked, "What reporter? Where did they come from?"

"There are many, some from the United States, some from the United Kingdom, several countries in total."

They all rushed to Red Square, hoping to capture some exciting moments, such as cheers, celebrations, or even a night of revelry.

However, the indifferent reaction of the people of Moscow left their cameras at a loss, and their lenses unable to find a point of focus.

Compared to the indifference of Red Square, the bustling commercial street next door was clearly more eye-catching, so the reporters moved their focus and began to conduct interviews.

But pointing cameras at customers and shop assistants wasn't enough; they wanted to interview the shop owners.

"I'm busy," Wang Xiao replied directly.

She doesn't consider herself a particularly careful speaker, and casually accepting an interview with a foreign journalist at such a time would be like planting a landmine for herself.

If she is not careful, her words will be amplified or even distorted.

For an internet celebrity who makes a living based on their personal image, personal morality is not that important, but when it comes to things like political stance, those are major events that must be handled with utmost care.

The best way for people not to make mistakes is to avoid them and do nothing.

For example, on this special night, he was interviewed by foreign journalists in the closest place to Red Square.

reject.

Let's leave the stage to the officials of the Moscow city government; they will surely welcome such an opportunity to showcase their abilities.

"We are busy mobilizing supplies to ensure that stores are always in stock, and we don't have time to give any interviews."

This is, of course, an excuse. Yesterday's frenzied shopping spree by Moscow residents has already raised their emergency standards, and even if they sell all night, the shelves won't be empty.

But this is undoubtedly a plausible and respectable reason that can be presented.

The store manager happily accepted and hurriedly ran downstairs.

"So many people!" Tang Yicheng exclaimed, looking out the window, then added confidently, "There will be even more people tomorrow."

On this night, the most attractive thing about Red Square was not the lowered red flags, but the brightly lit shops.

Tonight, Red Square is the focus of the world's attention. Countless journalists will use their cameras to broadcast their shopping streets to audiences around the world.

Perhaps by tomorrow, these two commercial streets will also become must-visit tourist attractions in Red Square.

What will this bring them? Soaring revenue and a sudden awakening of competitors.

Everyone except the Moscow city government understands the immense commercial value of these two streets.

No, the Moscow government also understood that they had no better option at the time.

No, this is the best option for the city government.

What appears to be a clearance sale is actually a clever way to promote the idea that buying state assets can make a lot of money.

I'm sure countless people are kicking themselves tonight, regretting that they missed a golden opportunity to make money.

Next, they will definitely go all out and try every means to grab a piece of the pie.

Russians and businesspeople investing in Russia tend to focus on busy commercial streets.

So what about China? With such a huge sales market, what reason do they have not to get a share?

What will they do?

Taking over these two commercial streets is obviously impossible, since it's not in China, nor is it their territory.

What everyone sees is the turnover; a large number of Chinese goods have been turned into huge sums of money in Moscow.

This track is perfectly competitive.

And what is their biggest advantage right now? A complete industrial chain.

From production to transportation to sales, they offer a complete one-stop service.

But its core competitiveness still lies in transportation.

After all, China has no shortage of goods; there are plenty of factories that can produce the goods that Moscow needs.

The awakened competitors lack aircraft.

No, no, no, we don't lack airplanes.

The Soviet Union left its constituent republics a large number of aircraft. If they could acquire aircraft themselves, why couldn't others do the same? Even without buying or leasing, simply by chartering and cooperating, they could still obtain a large number of aircraft for their own use.

What they really lack is air traffic rights, specifically the right to fly from China to Moscow.

Due to air traffic control and safety considerations, not all aircraft are allowed to take to the skies. The Civil Aviation Administration will regulate this.

So how can this be controlled? Regulations and systems will formulate detailed methods, but as the saying goes, large meetings decide small matters, and small meetings decide big matters. In reality, the only people who can make the final decisions on air rights and flight schedules are a few civil aviation officials and brokers who have close relationships with them.

Previously, the big shots may not have realized that this path was very profitable, so they did not understand that the power they held could be monetized.

But once they're reminded, they quickly realize what's happening, and what follows is a common occurrence of rent-seeking. All the freight forwarders will fawn over them, each using their own unique methods.

Now that things have come to this, what should she do, and what should Wuzhou Shipping Company do?

Are we all going to have a money-spending contest? This isn't a public auction.

Moreover, a prudent official cannot accept benefits from everyone. It's not about giving a lot of money, but about knowing how to give money effectively; that's true skill.

They have their own small circles and close-knit brokers, and it's difficult and troublesome to get in touch with such connections.

Wang Xiao couldn't find a reason to wallow in their misery. Bribery was a crime, and if caught, he would go to jail.

She had no desire to go to jail. She was lazy and knew nothing about farming; she could even prick her hand while sewing a needle and button.

If she were to operate the sewing machine, it would be an absolute disaster.

She hasn't even spent all the money she's earned yet, so she wouldn't be so foolish.

Her gaze shifted to the telephone.

Ivanov had just finished a call and was dialing another number. Seeing her gaze, he asked with gentlemanly politeness, "Would you like to use the phone?"

"No."

Wang Xiao shook his head and glanced at his watch.

Although she is quite wealthy, she wears a domestically produced watch, which can be said to be a practical way of practicing the concept of live-streaming e-commerce.

It's 9:30 PM Moscow time, which is the middle of the night back home.

Do you have an alarm clock?

She set her alarm for 1:30 a.m., then took a wool blanket to the small office next door.

"You go ahead with your work, I'm going to take a nap."

Ivanov continued to make his phone calls.

Tang Yicheng looked left and right. 1:30 a.m. in Moscow is 6:30 a.m. in China.

Is Wang Xiao going to call back to China tomorrow morning?

So who is she planning to call? And what does it want to do?

Tang Yicheng wanted to ask, but Wang Xiao had already entered the office, locked the door, lay down on the recliner in the small office, closed her eyes, and started to sleep.

Although the Soviet Union has ended, the free heating system left behind by this red nation is still functioning normally, so she won't get sick from the cold while sleeping.

Tang Yicheng closed the door, greeted the two bodyguards outside, and went downstairs to check on the store.

Wang Xiao needs sleep because in four hours, she must use her silver tongue to persuade the real big shots to fight for her.

At 1:30 a.m., the alarm clock rang on time, waking Wang Xiao from her sleep.

The heating system was still providing warmth, and the humidifier was emitting plumes of white steam.

When Wang Xiao left the small office, the telephone that Ivanov had been using was quietly placed on the table, and the room was empty.

She opened the office door.

Occasionally, voices could be heard coming up from downstairs. Someone was reminding, "Go to sleep quickly, you'll still have things to do when it's light."

Because they closed so late, not until 12:30 a.m., before seeing off their last customer, the staff didn't go back to their dormitories. Instead, they took their sleeping bags and slept in the store that night.

Wang Xiao drew back the curtains and looked out the window.

Red Square is quiet tonight.

She closed the window, picked up the phone, dialed the number, and immediately greeted him after the call connected: "Good morning, Secretary Cao. I'm so sorry to bother you so early."

Deputy Secretary Cao had already gotten up. In fact, she had even finished her morning exercise and was heating up milk for her middle school children so they could finish breakfast and leave quickly.

She looked at the gas stove in the kitchen while making a phone call: "It's okay, I've been up for a while, what's up?"

"The Soviet Union has collapsed, all the republics have become independent, and last night I saw the Soviet flag being lowered in Red Square."

Deputy Secretary Cao was immediately overcome with sadness. At this moment, most Chinese citizens were still unaware of the collapse of the Soviet Union, but as a high-ranking official in the provincial government, she had received the news last night.

In fact, she didn't sleep well that night either.

Despite the decades-long standoff between the two countries, and even the significant impact of the Soviet Union's existence on China's economic development, the vast majority of Chinese people, like many others, still harbor feelings for the Soviet Union.

The downfall of her elder brother brought her more sadness and loss.

However, Deputy Secretary Cao was not sentimental enough to believe that Wang Xiao's international call to her home in the dead of night in Moscow was to lament the fate of the Soviet Union with her.

"I've already received the message. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"This is a critical matter; we must maintain our course and flight schedules."

Wang Xiao swayed people, saying, "Our company owns two bustling commercial streets next to Red Square in Moscow, with hundreds of shops. Yesterday we served 700,000 customers, with a turnover of billions of rubles. Even more people are coming today. American and European journalists have already come to interview us. All our goods basically come from the provinces east and north of the Yangtze River."

Deputy Secretary Cao couldn't help but gasp. Billions of rubles! Even with the ruble's significant depreciation, it would still amount to tens of millions of US dollars, which is hundreds of millions or even billions of Chinese yuan.

She was practically dizzy.

The province's annual GDP is only a little over 100 billion RMB.

Two commercial streets alone generated the GDP of an entire province.

Compared to such immense wealth, interviews with journalists from major world powers pale in comparison.

"But we are in danger now. The goods sold in the commercial street mainly come from Jiangdong and Jiangbei because we have air routes and enough flights to send goods to Moscow, so we can continuously transport goods here."

Wang Xiao reminded Deputy Secretary Cao, "Once we lose our advantage in aviation, for example, if we need 10 flights to transport goods, but the civil aviation authorities only approve three, then the market demand for the remaining 7 flights will not disappear, and everyone will have to look for goods from other places."

If a plane is approved to take off from Beijing, then everyone will go to Beijing.

It would be the same anywhere else. For the sake of convenient transportation, customers generally choose the nearest source of goods.

My current concern is that the volume of goods shipped from the commercial street is too large. If we cannot guarantee the supply of goods in Jiangdong, then in order to ensure the normal operation of the commercial street, we will have to move the supply location to get goods from Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, and all other places that can be flown to Moscow.

Secretary Cao, our company needs the help of the Jiangdong government; we must ensure timely delivery.

The essence of a merchant is to pursue profit. Even state-owned department stores cannot limit themselves to selling local goods. They stock whatever goods are in high demand, convenient to sell, and profitable.

The same applies to Wang Xiao.

She is seeking help, or perhaps reminding the Jiangdong Provincial Government that we are now a community of shared interests.

Once Wuzhou Transportation Company loses its air rights and flight slots, the next chain reaction will be that many light industrial products in Jiangdong will lose a crucial sales channel.

If things were to escalate to that point, it would be a heavy blow to the local economy.

The old saying goes: "To get rich, build roads first."

Transportation plays a decisive role in local economic development, and in some respects.

Deputy Secretary Cao took a deep breath and stated his position: "Don't worry, your company should do its job well, and we will handle the rest of the coordination work."

Are you kidding me? Why should we make Jiangdong spit out the meat we've already eaten?

They were the ones who first pioneered the market in Jiangdong. They were doing so well that no one could snatch their business away from them.

Wang Xiao thanked him repeatedly and assured him that as long as conditions allowed, the goods could be delivered, and these two commercial streets would still prioritize receiving goods from Jiangdong.

This is only natural.

If she doesn't get her goods from the International Trade City, is she going to give away her money to others to earn?

Lei Feng was a helpful person, not a fool.

Besides, she doesn't have Lei Feng's noble spirit.

After hanging up the phone, Wang Xiao called Vice Mayor Sun again, repeating the same approach, emphasizing the importance of air rights and flight slots to the light industry in Jiangbei, and successfully obtained Vice Mayor Sun's guarantee.

The Xiaozhou Municipal Government and the Jiangbei Provincial Government will do everything in their power to ensure that no place or individual takes away their flight slots.

A company capable of generating the entire province's GDP is not a god of wealth; they would gladly treat it like an ancestor.

Since the government's function is to serve the people and enable them to live in peace and prosperity, they certainly cannot give up their immense wealth.

Anyone who tries to take it from them is an irreconcilable enemy, and even if they have to bang on the table and fight, they will never let go.

Wang Xiao hung up the phone, her heart pounding.

That's right, she doesn't plan to argue with the officials from the Civil Aviation Administration. She doesn't have the time or energy, and she doesn't want to make any mistakes.

Everyone should do what they are good at, especially within their job responsibilities.

When it comes to dealing with government departments, administrative agencies are more suitable than a joint venture.

Interacting with people from the same circle often yields twice the results with half the effort.

Wang Xiao glanced at the time; it was already 2:15 a.m. in Moscow.

She took a sip of water, staggered back to her small office, locked the door again, lay down on the recliner, covered herself with a wool blanket, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep once more.

There's a tough battle to fight tomorrow, she doesn't have the energy to stay up all night.

Wang Xiao slept until the sun rose again.

She drew back the curtains to look outside, and saw that long queues had formed again in front of the shops, but the people's faces showed no joy.

After such a historic night, the people of Moscow remain calm.

She went downstairs, where the young shop assistants, who were preparing to open for business, were busy chatting and laughing.

Several young men and women from Moscow excitedly exclaimed, "This is a brand new country, a brand new day, a day full of hope!"

On the contrary, the salesperson from Huaxia seemed a bit worried and didn't say much.

Their reaction did not dampen the cheerful spirits of the young people in Moscow, and a girl with a voice like a lark began to sing.

Wang Xiao took a deep breath and turned her gaze back to the street.

There are thousands of clients there, all of whom are her big spenders.

She didn't know if tomorrow would be the beginning of a bright future for Moscow.

All she knew was that this was a crucial juncture in her career.

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On the day the Soviet Union collapsed, the calm reaction of the people surprised journalists and foreigners in Moscow. Also, this is only one update today; rushing it would result in too many typos and omissions. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2023-12-08 07:14:30 and 2023-12-09 06:56:52!

Thank you to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Hanhanshangui, Dayouzi (20 bottles); Muhuotongming (14 bottles); Jiuyue (5 bottles); Affirmation (3 bottles); Pangpangxiong, Nie Ningning, Chichichichizhidao, and 206558081 bottles;

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