Chapter 97 The Quick-Take Investment Method: The best is not necessarily the most suitable.

At eight o'clock in the evening, Wang Xiao finally came out of the room.

She's going to have dinner.

In fact, the Jinning Grand Hotel offers room service, so she could have chosen to stay in her room or even eat directly on her bed.

However, she is now a female demon who has only eaten Tang Sanzang's flesh. She has absorbed enough energy, feels refreshed, and wants to dress up beautifully and go out to show off.

Eating at a restaurant is so much more enjoyable!

She changed into her new battle robes. Because her face was rosy and she looked happy, she didn't put on much makeup. She just put her hair up in a bun and then looked in the mirror to find the place to put on the hairpin.

She should wear a hairpin with her outfit today.

"Let me do it," Wu Haoyu offered his help.

Wang Xiao adjusted her eyebrows in the mirror, but didn't stop him.

After he carefully placed the hairpin in the right spot, she turned her head, hooked her arms around his neck, and smiled sweetly: "My lips are too dark, what should I do?"

Wu Haoyu was momentarily confused, and tentatively asked, "Applying lipstick?"

In ancient times, husbands would draw their wives' eyebrows. Should we now help them apply lipstick?

“No, I don’t want to eat lipstick.” She pulled his neck down and kissed him. “Help me make my lips look nicer.”

As a result, they were so busy that they almost couldn't get out of the room.

Finally, Wang Xiao's stomach rumbled, breaking the romantic atmosphere in the room.

She was laughing so hard that her whole body was shaking.

Wu Haoyu was left with nothing but an awkward pat on the bottom, saying helplessly, "Alright, stop fooling around, let's go eat, you'll get hungry."

Wang Xiao chuckled as she watched Wu Haoyu reluctantly put on his trench coat. She herself, however, acted as if nothing had happened, wrapped herself in a large shawl, and headed straight for the restaurant.

She's starving, starving! She's been reincarnated as a starving ghost.

As soon as the braised pork and bamboo shoot soup was served, she immediately began to enjoy it with rice.

Wu Haoyu originally had no interest in salted meat, and he considered pickled foods to be unhealthy.

But Wang Xiao was eating so deliciously that he couldn't resist the temptation and started eating large chunks of meat as well.

Just like in bed, he could never help but succumb to her charms.

They ate as if no one else was around. Not far away, a man in a suit and tie shook his head and frowned: "Oh dear, this woman is really uncouth. She's eating chunks of fat, as if she's never eaten meat in her life. She's a disgrace to us Chinese."

As he spoke, he looked around nervously, as if afraid the foreign businessmen would notice.

He had long heard that only the poor considered meat a delicacy, while the superior and refined ate fresh seafood and the freshest specially supplied fruits and vegetables.

The man who came out of the private room with him, Director Wu of the Longhua TV Factory, looked over upon hearing the noise and immediately slapped the man in the suit on the shoulder, hissing in a low voice: "Shut up, don't talk nonsense. Do you know who this is? Boss Wang, Boss Wang of the International Trade City. If your goods can be displayed in the Trade City, you can make money lying down."

The man in the suit suddenly widened his eyes. This is President Wang? So young?

He thought she was a mistress kept by a foreign businessman.

There are more and more mistresses like this now. They live in hotels all day long and do nothing but wait for foreign businessmen to come and serve them well.

That's true, mistresses don't have that kind of boldness.

The man in the suit immediately switched to a praising tone: "Judging from the way she eats the meat, she is indeed a heroine among women, unpretentious and free-spirited!"

The people around him chimed in, "That's right, that's right, Mr. Wang is very generous. Let's go over and say hello."

Among this group of people, Director Wu, who had just reprimanded the man in the suit, was the most familiar with Wang Xiao, so he naturally led the way forward.

Even though there were still two tables between them, Factory Director Wu greeted him warmly: "Oh my, Mr. Wang, you're a rare guest these days. I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year, but I couldn't find anyone to talk to."

Wang Xiao looked up, swallowed the food in his mouth, and replied with a smile, "There's no way around it. Things are changing rapidly in Moscow. The ruble's price changes every day. If you don't keep an eye on it, you'll lose money and cry your eyes out."

"What?" Several people looked surprised. "The situation in Moscow isn't good? We heard you're just sitting around making money."

Wang Xiao shook his head: "It's not that easy. You only see the thief eating meat, but you don't see the thief getting beaten. There are demonstrations and strikes in Moscow every few days. Every time the procession passes by our store, my heart trembles. I'm afraid they'll suddenly run in and start smashing and looting."

Factory Director Wu gasped, "Oh my, the Russians are in such a state?"

Wang Xiao nodded: "That's right, their government is also having a lot of headaches."

Factory Director Wu's gaze fell on Wu Haoyu, and he took the initiative to smile at Wang Xiao: "Oh, this is the first time I've met this gentleman. What brings you here?"

“Mr. Wu,” Wang Xiao introduced, “is from the same family as you five hundred years ago, and he worked at the embassy in Tokyo.”

"Oh my!" everyone exclaimed.

Factory Director Wu even shook hands with the man, saying, "This is a diplomat, an ambassador!"

Wu Haoyu quickly denied it: "I'm not an ambassador, I'm just an ordinary secretary."

"The secretary is the number two leader," Factory Director Wu concluded, then asked Wang Xiao curiously, "President Wang, did you make your fortune in Japan?"

"What wealth am I trying to make? I'm just trying to make a living." Wang Xiao shook his head with a smile, not hiding anything. "Several Japanese customers were interested in our Chinese handicrafts, so Mr. Wu helped to connect them and see if they could be exported to Japan."

The crowd pressed, "What kind of handicraft?"

“Yun brocade.” Wang Xiao pulled his shawl closer to show everyone. “This is a shawl woven from Yun brocade.”

Indeed, it was beautiful. The gold foil wrapped around the gold threads and the colorful velvet woven into the auspicious pattern shimmered under the light, truly dazzling.

Everyone praised him enthusiastically.

Then there were only rough, unrefined men present, and expecting them to shower a shawl with compliments was unrealistic.

Fortunately, no one was stupid, so they immediately changed the subject and started praising Wu Haoyu.

Some people even asserted with certainty: This is what a truly good cadre who works for the people should be like.

Wang Xiao left the group of domestic entrepreneurs to them and went about her dinner.

Even so, the crowd did not let her off the hook.

Factory Director Wu repeatedly urged, "Come, come, Mr. Wang, we haven't seen your esteemed presence for so long. Hurry up and come to our private room for a good chat."

As he spoke, he took Wang Xiao's rice bowl in one hand and the large bowl of pickled bamboo shoots and pork belly in the other, and strode towards the private room they had come from.

Wang Xiao was like a scholar encountering a soldier; he couldn't reason with them and had no choice but to follow them, feeling extremely helpless: "At least let me finish my meal! This is my first meal since I got off the plane."

"Oh dear, you're eating too simply. It's almost the Dragon Raising its Head solar term, and we need to eat winter bamboo shoots as soon as winter arrives." Director Wu called out, "Waiter, bring us a mandarin fish. The mandarin fish are plump when the peach blossoms float on the flowing water; now is the time to eat mandarin fish."

People around laughed: "Pufferfish, pufferfish, now is the best time to eat pufferfish."

Amidst the hustle and bustle, Wang Xiao was swept along to the door of the private room. Before she even went in, she immediately expressed her disgust: "Ache, never mind, were you guys smoking in there just now? I feel like you set the house on fire."

Factory Director Wu smiled awkwardly.

The private room was very warm, but even after staying there for a long time, the smell didn't bother you.

Now that he's gone out and then turned back, he also finds the smell a bit unbearable.

Just then, someone came out of the next private room and greeted Wang Xiao warmly: "Come, come, Mr. Wang, please sit with us."

Factory Director Wu and his entourage in the private room became anxious: "Hey, you can't do this! There's no way you can poach someone right in front of them. We're the ones who invited General Manager Wang."

Wang Xiao just smiled and pointed to the bowl that Director Wu was holding: "No, no, my rice bowl is still in their hands."

The people in the next private room immediately laughed: "It's the other way around, Lao Wu's job should be in your hands now."

Factory Director Wu replied without hesitation: "No, no, no, I am wholeheartedly serving General Manager Wang."

The surrounding laughter grew even louder.

In the end, a compromise was reached: Wang Xiao went into the next private room, and Director Wu and the others followed him in.

There was no smell of smoke here, because the most important guest in the private room didn't smoke.

So-called social etiquette is determined by people of high status.

Wang Xiao is amazing. She said she hadn't finished eating dinner yet, but she actually sat down and ate properly.

Because of the long delay, the food got cold, but she didn't mind. She just used the ham and bamboo shoot soup to wash the rice and continued eating.

The people in the private room teased her, "It seems the chefs at our Jinning Grand Hotel are still the best. Look at our General Manager Wang, she's traveled all over the world and tasted all kinds of delicacies. But in the end, she still finds our master chef's cooking the best."

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "I just have a Chinese stomach. I'm so bored and restless when I'm away from home. All I want to do is come back and have a meal that tastes good to me."

"No way." A well-informed person said in disbelief, "Can't Romania make a decent Chinese dish?"

Outsiders might not realize it, but in Jiangdong's business community, Wang Xiao, if not the top business leader, is definitely a big shot in the entire circle.

She arrived at Jiangzhimen around noon today, and within half an hour, those with sharp ears and eyes had already received the news. They also learned that she had returned from Romania with more than a dozen Romanians, indicating that her actions were quite significant.

Wang Xiao shook his head with a smile: "It's very difficult to have a proper meal in Romania now. Their agriculture has declined drastically, and it's hard to buy vegetables in the market."

"No way," someone said doubtfully. "I remember Romanian soil being particularly fertile, all black soil, like the Great Northern Granary."

The friendly relations between China and Romania are truly genuine.

For decades, Ceaușescu, who visited China many times, was arguably the most familiar foreign leader to the Chinese people, so much so that the word "one of" could be removed.

Romania has naturally become one of the few foreign countries that the Chinese people are relatively familiar with.

The person who raised the question recalled that a few years ago, in 1989, they had seen an introduction to Romanian greenhouses in a professional magazine.

Although the area is small, it boasts the second largest greenhouse area in Europe. The vegetables it produces are more than it can consume domestically, so it exports them to earn foreign exchange.

In the first half of 1989, Romania paid off all its foreign debt, thanks in part to its vegetable exports.

Wang Xiao nodded: "It is indeed black soil. People from the Romanian embassy said that the apricot and grape trees in their yard don't need any care and will bear a lot of fruit when the time comes. But now the people who have been allocated land live in the city and can't farm. Those who want to farm don't have land."

She briefly explained the current state of agriculture in Romania, and then specifically pointed out greenhouses: "Very few are being used for normal cultivation now; most are abandoned."

Immediately, someone perked up and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Let's go to Romania and rent someone's greenhouse to grow vegetables! Vegetables are so expensive these days, we can make money selling them."

Wang Xiao shook his head: "Romania doesn't allow foreigners to buy land; you can only rent. Moreover, their property rights are quite complicated, and you might end up losing both your money and your property."

Some people were suspicious: "Oh, are you not optimistic about Romania? Don't you want us to go there and make a fortune?"

Wang Xiao immediately denied it: "You can't wrong me. I'm just speaking from the bottom of my heart out of concern for my compatriots. I wish you all would go and grow vegetables. If I go there next time, I won't have to worry about not having vegetables to eat."

Another burst of laughter erupted in the private room.

Someone asked directly, "Mr. Wang, what are you doing in Romania?"

"I'm going to do retail and wholesale," Wang Xiao said frankly. "I'm planning to set up a wholesale market over there. If anyone is interested, please provide me with supplies."

The atmosphere in the private room reached its peak immediately.

What do mainland entrepreneurs most want to do right now?

One way is to attract foreign investment so that new technologies can be introduced to expand production.

Another option is to engage in foreign trade, expand sales markets, and earn foreign exchange.

Although people still don't know exactly what her wholesale market looks like.

However, with the International Trade City of Jiangzhimen standing there, its reputation for making a fortune every day has long been established.

So everyone reacted very enthusiastically, and everyone wanted to be in a good spot.

Wang Xiao collected the business cards one by one, smiling broadly as he said, "Please send me a copy of your product introductions later, especially those that have exported before and have the relevant qualifications. Please make sure to explain them clearly; this is very important."

Factory Director Wu nodded with a smile: "Would our factory like to give it to you again?"

Wang Xiao nodded: "Here you go, and include your sales figures in Russia as well. These are your strengths."

Others joked with Director Wu, "Old Wu, you're really making a fortune now. Every color TV factory in the country hates you to the core, and General Manager Wang is focused on selling your products."

Factory Director Wu immediately denied it: "That's not true. General Manager Wang even gave Golden Phoenix TVs free advertising."

The laughter in the private room grew even louder.

As everyone knows, this was a series of unfortunate coincidences.

Originally, Mr. Wang advertised for all Huaxia color TVs, but Jin Feng color TVs, due to their location in Liaoning, had a natural geographical advantage and were directly transported by train to the Russian Far East, where they then sold well nationwide.

Wang Xiao said in a serious tone: "This shows how noble and virtuous I am. I wish everyone could get rich."

The laughter inside was so loud it seemed to lift the roof off.

Factory Director Wu pointed at her, laughing so hard he couldn't speak.

Wang Xiao finished the last bite of her rice, holding the red bean milk tea that the waiter had specially brought her, and began to get down to business: "By the way, Director Wu, I genuinely want your Longhua TV company to make a fortune. What do you think? How about investing in and building a factory in Romania? How about a joint venture?"

The smile on Director Wu's face froze.

To build a factory in Romania?

What a joke! Don't be fooled by the fact that their Longhua TV Factory has been doing foreign trade for a long time; they directly export TVs.

If we build factories abroad, wouldn't that be considered overseas investment?

Isn't overseas investment something that foreign businessmen and businessmen from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan do in mainland China?

Every region is emphasizing attracting investment, but nobody is talking about investing outside the region.

Don't talk about setting up a company in Hong Kong; that's all political considerations, not something a legitimate factory can do.

Factory Director Wu finally managed to find his voice and instinctively refused: "What ability do we have to invest? Do we have the technology or the capital? Romania is in Europe. Eastern Europe is no good, but Western Europe is very wealthy. It's not our turn."

Those around him echoed his sentiment, agreeing that it made sense.

People in the country haven't even figured it out yet, and suddenly they've gone abroad.

Those who are completely clueless are not even good enough to be used as a snack.

"No, no, no." Wang Xiao waved his hand and said seriously, "Please don't underestimate yourselves. We have our advantages. Let me put it this way, leaders, please think about it: where do the most profitable foreign businesses in the mainland market come from right now?"

The crowd exchanged glances, the answer obvious: it must be Hong Kong and Taiwanese businessmen. Generally speaking, overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, such as Singaporeans, had to take a step back.

Among them, Hong Kong businessmen are a typical example.

The Pearl River Delta region is dominated by Hong Kong businessmen, and now there are increasingly more Hong Kong businessmen in the Yangtze River Delta region as well.

"In terms of technology and financial strength, isn't the United States stronger? But when it comes to investing in mainland China, they can't compare to Hong Kong businessmen in terms of returns."

Everyone thought about it and realized, "Hey, that seems to be true."

“This is a process of industrial transfer.” Wang Xiao held up five fingers, first pointing to his thumb. “Japan’s postwar economic recovery was thanks to orders from the United States. I think everyone agrees on that.”

Everyone nodded in agreement; years of ideological and political education had given them a profound understanding of this matter.

Initially, the United States only intended to use Japan as a dumping ground for its industrial products.

The US market is saturated; if products can't be sold, of course they have to find somewhere else to sell them.

After World War II, Japan was dirt poor, lacking everything, and the Americans could come and sell their goods there.

Well, actually, Japan should thank China.

Because the Korean War broke out, a multinational force led by the United States went to Korea to fight.

Warfare burns resources.

So many people need food, water, weapons, and transportation. It's not really feasible for the US to ship them all the way from its own borders; the cost would be too high.

After World War II, Japan, which was taken over by the United States, became the most suitable rear base.

Japan's economic recovery began with the Korean War. This was followed by the Vietnam War, where a surge in orders fueled Japan's economic boom.

"Japan's development lagged behind, leading to a sharp rise in land prices and high labor costs. In order to obtain more profits, capital once again shifted industries to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea, the Four Asian Tigers."

Wang Xiao raised his third finger, "After these years of development, the production costs in the Four Asian Tigers region have also increased."

Without her saying it, everyone knew that the fourth finger she raised was pointing to the Chinese mainland.

That is indeed the transfer process.

But why is it that the United States, which stands at the pinnacle, has a lower success rate in investing in mainland China?

That doesn't make sense; it's clearly the strongest.

"In fact, any investment is a process of cooperation between the investor and the investee."

Wang Xiao joked, "It's just like when we're looking for a partner. The most satisfying kind of marriage is one where the other person's family is slightly better off than our own, but not so far removed from our social circle. After all, it's not always the case that two people of equal social standing are a good match. If you jump right into someone's life and can't even understand what they're saying, you'll only feel miserable and eventually, you'll have to break up."

Everyone's interest was piqued, and those who had been unconsciously lost in thought began to listen intently to her analysis.

In the 1970s, a Japanese economics professor proposed a concept called the theory of comparative advantage.

The gist is this: a country finds it more profitable to produce a certain good, like clothes, than to produce another product, like computers. So it abandons clothing production and imports clothes from another country.

The other country, producing and exporting clothing, finds it more profitable. Thus, an exchange occurs between the two sides, benefiting both.

Therefore, it is called comparative advantage.

Seeing the knowing looks on everyone's faces, she continued, "Hong Kong and Taiwan companies have a high success rate in investing because their comparative advantages can easily be combined with those of the mainland."

The economic development of Hong Kong and Taiwan started about one or two decades earlier than that of mainland China. Their market development and consumption patterns are not far apart from those of mainland China.

Therefore, the products it produces are considered fashionable on the mainland, rather than being seen as bizarre or nonsensical.

Laughter erupted from the private room.

Among the entrepreneurs present, one had made a fool of himself by mistaking canned dog food for human food when he went to the United States for business.

Wang Xiao smiled and continued, "But the level of economic development in Europe and America far exceeds that of the mainland, and the consumption concepts and market rules of the two sides are very different."

Therefore, they find it difficult to adapt to the economic environment on the mainland. There are too many things that need to be worked out between the two sides, making cooperation very challenging. As a result, the probability of investment failure is naturally higher.

In economics, there's a concept called "being a step ahead" in investing. Those who are too far ahead rarely succeed. On the contrary, those who are slightly better positioned are more likely to time their investments correctly.

It's like a university professor tutoring elementary school students with their homework—it might not be appropriate. But if a fifth or sixth grader were to teach a first or second grader, it would be a piece of cake.

It was as if a new world had been opened for everyone; it turns out that the best isn't necessarily the most suitable.

only--

Some people are asking: "Are we really better than Eastern Europe?"

Oh dear, family members know their own worth.

Take Romania for example. People who went there a few years ago said that if our country wants to catch up with Romania's development, it will take at least several decades.

Wang Xiao nodded: "That's right. Judging solely from the current state of urban and rural development, they are indeed not bad. Their industrial base is there, and their workers are more educated; many of them have attended university."

After these words were spoken, everyone became even more unsure of themselves.

Look, they have an industrial base and a workforce. What advantages do we have? We're even investing on their turf.

"Our advantage lies in our market economy. By implementing a market economy—"

Wang Xiao made a 10 gesture, "We were 10 years ahead of Romania, and ahead of most Eastern European countries."

She continued, "As we all know, Eastern European countries and former Soviet countries used to complete a cycle through the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON)."

Outside of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), their participation in the global economy is relatively weak, or even nonexistent.

With the dissolution of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), their export capacity declined directly, and their export competitiveness weakened significantly.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

That's something everyone can understand.

When the government first opened up competition and asked them to find their own sales channels, they were completely clueless and had no idea what to do.

Previously, everyone's task was simply to focus on production.

Where did the raw materials come from? They were allocated by the state.

How will the products be sold? The government has already arranged everything for you.

The days when no one was there to take care of me all these years are now just a memory of being covered in bumps and bruises.

but--

Someone suddenly realized: "Then why should we invest in Romania? Is it because their wages are particularly low and raw materials are particularly cheap?"

Why did the businessmen come to the mainland to invest? Wasn't it because the mainland has low prices and cheap labor?

Land prices in mainland China are low now, so people don't need to look for places with even lower land prices.

But if we're talking about cheap labor, well, actually, township enterprises are cheaper. For thirty or forty yuan a month, the workers are happy to do the job.

Wang Xiao shook his head: "No, Romania doesn't have much of an advantage in this regard at the moment. Its real advantage lies in its location, its geographical location, from which products can be sold to various European countries."

Her gaze then shifted to Director Wu's face. "Weren't your Longhua color TVs previously accused of dumping by Europe? With the increase in tariffs and the control over export quotas for Chinese color TVs, your products will lose their price advantage when exported to Western Europe."

However, if you invest in and build a factory in Romania, your products will be considered Romanian exports, and there will be no such restrictions.

Factory Director Wu opened his mouth, as if he really wanted to say that he wasn't that obsessed with exporting products to Europe.

Now that they have the Russian market, and are also selling some to Romania, if the government were to abolish all those messy development funds and taxes related to the color TV monopoly, things should get better for the Longhua TV Factory.

Setting up a factory abroad is not something that can be done with just a few words; there are a lot of things that need to be considered in the factory itself.

The very question of who to send to oversee the overall situation is a major problem.

Wang Xiao was still planning for him: "The core components can be produced domestically and then exported to Romania as raw materials. Only the parts with low value, large volume, and high transportation costs can be produced locally. This way, we can still maintain a competitive price advantage to the greatest extent."

She laughed and said, "Although Romanian wages are not lower than those in China, they have an advantage: more than 80% of the population has an average of more than ten square meters of housing."

Furthermore, their country currently provides education for children and healthcare for its citizens; if you were to establish a school there, you wouldn't need to set up a school or a hospital.

The heads of several state-owned enterprises nodded in agreement.

Don't underestimate these; they're huge money-eaters. More than half, even as much as 70% or 80%, of a company's profits have to be poured into them.

Even so, the dissatisfaction of employees in various units with their housing conditions remains very serious.

Factory Director Wu felt a little embarrassed and refused on the spot.

Moreover, with the people around him saying one thing after another, his heart was indeed swayed.

If their Longhua color TVs can sell well in Europe in the future, that would be a wonderful thing.

Yes, there are quite a lot to consider.

After finishing her milk tea, Wang Xiao started eating red bean cakes, her appetite was excellent.

She advised Director Wu, "You'd better complete your market research before making a decision. I personally think this is a good opportunity. The domestic color TV market is actually quite competitive."

She gulped down a plate of red bean cakes, and when she reached for more snacks, a plate of melon seeds appeared in front of her—the kind of watermelon seeds that are the hardest to peel.

Wu Haoyu moved closer to her and whispered, "Eating too much at night will upset your stomach."

Okay, okay, I can't stay in cold regions for too long, otherwise I'll just keep eating and eating.

Wang Xiao withdrew her hand and, with great restraint, only drank plain water.

Over there, next to Director Wu, someone volunteered: "Old Wu, if you're going abroad to experience the world, take us with you. I've never been abroad before, so I'd love to broaden my horizons."

Wang Xiao finished saying what she wanted to say, and instead of participating in the subsequent discussion, she simply picked up her cup and prepared to leave.

Before she could even get up to greet them, the person sitting diagonally opposite her came over and said, "Miss Wang, if that's the case, I should also invest in Romania."

Wang Xiao looked up and took a closer look before recognizing Mr. Huang, a Hong Kong businessman, who had been eating at the same table.

She hadn't seen him when she came in; he probably arrived later.

But it doesn't matter, she didn't say anything outrageous, so it's not like she couldn't let anyone hear it.

She smiled and shook her head at the Hong Kong businessman: "No, Mr. Huang, I think your comparative advantage is still in the mainland. It's not so obvious in Eastern Europe."

Mr. Huang asked curiously, "Why? Logically speaking, we should have an advantage in Eastern Europe. We have quite a few people doing business there now."

Wang Xiao said earnestly, "Actually, the mainland's comparative advantage in Eastern Europe is ultimately its institutional advantage. Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to emphasize that the socialist system is better than the capitalist system."

Mr. Huang burst out laughing.

If Wang Xiao were to emphasize this at this moment, it would be a complete joke.

If socialism were truly so good, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union wouldn't be what they are today.

People will always make the most appropriate choice with their own feet.

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "What I mean is, it's precisely because they were once a socialist country that the mainland shared the same ideology with them."

There's a saying that comrades are more trustworthy than compatriots. People who share the same ideology have relatively compatible values ​​and can easily understand each other.

Although the social ideology of Eastern Europe has changed, the historical imprint remains deep. They are, in effect, still living in a planned economy era.

This has led to a sense of helplessness when you invest in building factories in the past, with no idea where to start.

Government departments are inefficient; they can take forever to explain who you should contact next.

This is still a minor issue.

The key point is that you may often be unable to understand what the workers and the target consumer group are thinking.

In mainland China, because we share the same cultural background, although such conflicts also exist, they are actually mitigated.

"If we move to Eastern Europe, the cultural backgrounds and ideologies are different. Your comparative advantage will naturally be diminished."

Finally, Wang Xiao tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Of course, I'm only considering this aspect. The actual situation is definitely much more complex. Mr. Fang is doing quite well in Hungary. Everyone has their own strengths; let's all use our unique abilities."

Mr. Huang nodded and smiled, "Interesting. I reckon that the only country in the world that can hold this advantage right now is the mainland."

Why? Countries that changed course are now in a state of economic crisis.

Of the remaining countries that still wave the red flag, only the mainland has the resources to venture overseas and make a comeback.

Most importantly, mainland China is currently in a state of overcapacity.

The root cause of the outbreak of triangular debt is overcapacity. If I can sell my products and the company can receive payments smoothly, then all the problems can be covered up and won't suddenly erupt.

Unfortunately, China's overcapacity projects are mainly concentrated in light industry.

This is exactly what Eastern European and former Soviet countries need most.

At the same time, European and American products lack a price advantage over Chinese products.

All these factors combined made the mainland the chosen one.

That's really interesting.

Fortune changes so quickly.

Wang Xiao tried again: "Actually, you are very strong in the lower half of the value chain. Your information, sales channels, marketing and organizational capabilities are excellent. If a joint venture from the mainland were to invest there, it could combine the strengths of both companies."

Suddenly, someone nearby shouted, "Hey, wait a minute, Mr. Wang. The more I think about it, the more something seems off. If that's the case, Japan has already moved its industries out, so how are the Japanese making a living now? I see that the Americans and Japanese are doing quite well."

“Industrial upgrading,” Wang Xiao said without hesitation. “Leveraging technological advantages. As any country's industries develop, its price advantage will gradually disappear as costs such as labor and land rise.”

However, if the technology continues to upgrade, its irreplaceability can overcome the price advantage.

Whether it's the United States or Japan, this is what they're doing now.

Many of the products we manufacture have core components that we can't produce ourselves, or the quality wouldn't be good enough if we did, making it less cost-effective to import them directly.

In the final product sales, we actually earn a small portion of the profit, while they take the lion's share. They don't lose money either.

Of course, if things develop further, it may not necessarily be about technology, but rather a financial war.

Wang Xiao felt there was no need to elaborate further, and only discussed the issue from a technical perspective: "The same is true in our domestic market now; the best-selling products are not necessarily the cheapest. Consumers will always choose what they want most."

The murmurs inside the private room grew louder.

Wang Xiao raised his hand and glanced at his watch; the hour hand was already pointing to nine o'clock.

She smiled and nodded to everyone: "I'm going back now, I'm still jet-lagged."

Everyone quickly saw her out, saying politely, "You've worked so hard, Mr. Wang. You've really been working non-stop, without a moment's rest."

Wang Xiao also politely laughed and joked with everyone, repeatedly asking them to help support his business.

If you need to import raw materials or machinery and equipment from Eastern Europe or former Soviet countries, let her know.

She'll definitely find a way to get the fairest price.

"Hurry up," Wang Xiao emphasized, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "otherwise, if it gets too late, people might get excited and sell it as scrap metal. Then it will be too late for you to get it back."

Holding a cup of yogurt, she waved to everyone with a smile, left the private room, and went upstairs.

After the elevator stopped, Wang Xiao stepped out of the elevator lobby and turned left.

Wu Haoyu was both amused and exasperated: "Right side, right side."

He had just thought she was incredibly capable, analyzing economic issues with such clarity and insight.

He listened with complete absorption.

But then she got confused again and even went the wrong way.

Wang Xiao smiled and shook her head, gesturing to her key: "No, no, my room is over here."

She moved closer to him, tapping his chest with her key, her voice low, like a midnight whisper, "I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself. You have to control yourself, or you'll break."

Wu Haoyu tensed up, and his throat went dry.

However, Wang Xiao had already turned around and walked away unsteadily.

Now that she's eaten, she should get a good night's sleep.

There are important reception duties tomorrow.

She yawned, opened the door, sat on the sofa, and slowly drank her yogurt.

She swears she wasn't craving anything; she just needed yogurt to help with digestion because she had eaten too much that night.

Whether this is believable or not, as long as she believes it herself, that's fine.

Wang Xiao happily drank her yogurt. Honestly, foreign yogurts are all too sour; she still prefers Chinese yogurt.

After finishing a cup of yogurt, she was about to brush her teeth and wash her face when the phone rang.

Ha, it's so late at night, I hope something's up!

But nothing happened. It was Ivanov who went crazy and called her late at night to complain about why she hadn't informed him when she was passing through Moscow. He could have picked her up at the airport.

What kind of yarn ball are you trying to catch?!

Wang Xiao roared inwardly, "What's there to answer?"

She turned around and boarded a plane back to Jiangdong, without stopping in Moscow at all.

Ivanov was still lamenting, "Your Majesty, I could have met you."

Wang Xiao rolled her eyes at the ceiling. What's so great about seeing someone? It's not like it's an idol meet-and-greet.

However, she still showed some consideration for Ivanov's fragile heart.

After all, no matter who is held at gunpoint and has experienced a terrifying night, it's impossible for them to act like nothing happened.

Moreover, those guys genuinely wanted to shoot Ivanov and his men one after another.

“Weren’t you busy getting land?” Wang Xiao said gently. “Weren’t you going to Siberia? If I call you back to Moscow, wouldn’t that be a waste of time?”

Ivanov was finally happy again because he went hunting in Siberia.

His prey included pheasants and wild boars, and he also hunted a bear.

Wang Xiao was stunned: "Bear hunting? You can hunt bears?"

She thought she couldn't fight anymore. There's a traditional Chinese dish called bear's paw, which the chef at Jinning Grand Hotel can also make.

This dish has probably been removed from the recipe because the ingredients are no longer available.

Ivanov found it strange: "Why can't we hunt? Bear hunting is a Russian tradition. Haven't you read Turgenev's *A Hunter's Sketches*?"

Wang Xiao chuckled: "I thought that was before."

She asked curiously, "How do you handle bears? Do you eat bear paws too?"

Ivanov said disdainfully, "Bear meat doesn't taste good. Some people like bear meat patties, but I hate the taste. The fur, the important thing is its fur, it can be used to make carpets."

He said enthusiastically, "The carpet is yours."

Wang Xiao was actually more curious about what bear paws tasted like.

Ahem, to be blunt, as a carnivore, she genuinely felt that all non-higher intelligent animals were roughly equal in status.

The only criterion for whether or not it can be eaten is whether or not it's a criminal offense.

Since Russia allows bear hunting and they don't care about bear paws, they can let her, who does, enjoy them.

Ivanov was very interested, wishing he could personally airlift it to her.

However, Wang Xiao strongly suspects that it will be confiscated by customs.

"Then come and eat quickly."

Wang Xiao was troubled again: "But I don't know how to do it."

Bear paws? She's always been a law-abiding citizen since she transmigrated into the book, how could she possibly come into contact with food like bear paws?

None of the food bloggers online have taught how to cook bear paws.

Ivanov, being wealthy and powerful, said, "Then you should hire a chef who knows how to cook."

Although he found bear meat unpalatable, perhaps it was because it was prepared incorrectly.

He'd like to try it if someone could make something delicious.

Everyone reached a consensus happily.

Wang Xiao remembered the important matter: "Land, how much land do you have now, and how many farmers do you need?"

“Two hundred thousand hectares.” Ivanov, who had been feeling quite pleased with himself, suddenly became depressed. “Large swathes of land, no one’s here, they’ve all run away.”

These places were originally collective farms, once fertile fields stretching for miles.

Wang Xiao comforted him, saying, "It's alright, we can just plant the land again."

Anyway, the contract price isn't expensive, only 1,000 rubles per hectare, which is less than ten US dollars. And one hectare is 150 acres of land.

It's fair to say that the local state government isn't expecting to make money from leasing out these lands; their main concern is preventing them from being abandoned.

After all, Russia's food crisis is already quite severe.

Even someone like Wang Xiao, who has never worked in the fields, could predict that Russia would likely face a food shortage this year; how much more so would a proper government agricultural official?

They also want to solve the increasingly serious problem of abandoned farmland, but they are struggling because they lack funds and cannot retain workers.

Ivanov was comforted and then said with great enthusiasm, "I plan to take another 200,000 hectares of land, making it 400,000 hectares, and plant half of it with potatoes and the other half with wheat."

Wang Xiao was fine with whatever he said, since potatoes and wheat were pretty much the same to her anyway.

Actually, she wanted to try growing rice in Russia. After all, Wuchang rice is really fragrant, and the geographical conditions in Siberia should be suitable for growing rice. Maybe the rice produced there would be exceptionally fragrant.

But it doesn't matter if she doesn't plant it; she didn't expect to make money by growing rice in Russia and exporting it.

How many farmers would be needed for 400,000 hectares of land?

It's inconvenient not having a calculator on hand.

Wang Xiao chatted with Ivanov for a few more minutes, assuring him that he would send the farmers he needed to Russia in a timely manner, before hanging up the phone.

She was a little sleepy, and subconsciously scratched her head. Then, she immediately decided to pass this difficult problem on to her boss.

Deputy Secretary Cao, I'm serious about organizing labor export.

I already have 400,000 hectares of land here, ready for you to set off at any time.

She glanced at the time; it wasn't even 9:30 yet.

OK, it's alright, this is still Deputy Secretary Cao's working hours.

Sure enough, Deputy Secretary Cao answered the phone as soon as it was dialed.

When she heard that there were 400,000 hectares of land that needed to be cultivated by farmers, the provincial leaders didn't realize it yet; they thought it was 400,000 mu (approximately 66,667 hectares).

Her first reaction was that it wasn't much; large-scale farms cultivate crops on a large scale, producing according to standardized mechanized methods, and one person can manage thousands of acres of land.

Four hundred thousand mu (approximately 66,667 hectares) means only four hundred people, at most a few villages of old farmers.

Wang Xiao sensed something was off. Just a few villages? That seems a bit small.

In her memory, Ivanov had only acquired 400 hectares of land, which seemed to require the people of a whole village.

It's now at least 400,000 hectares, so it should probably be counted as a thousand times 400 hectares.

Deputy Secretary Cao's voice involuntarily rose: "Four hundred thousand hectares?"

"Ah, yes."

Deputy Secretary Cao couldn't help but reach for a calculator. Four hundred thousand hectares, one hectare is roughly 150 mu, that's 60 million mu of land.

For a moment, even the leaders wanted to swear, because the arable land in Jiangdong was about the same amount.

Their scale was so large that they directly contracted farmland in an entire plain province.

Wait a minute, let her think about it. Sixty million mu of land, that means at least sixty thousand people would need to go out and farm it, which is sixty thousand families.

This is truly a grand affair.

But Wang Xiao found it strange: "Why are there 60,000 families instead of 60,000 individuals?"

Deputy Secretary Cao felt that the girl was still young and asked some silly questions.

“Most farmers who go out to work are the male heads of the household, while the elderly, children, and female heads of the household stay at home.”

Wang Xiao thought it was inappropriate: "Wouldn't that mean the family would be separated for a long time? The whole family should go together. Farming is a mechanized industry, so the elderly should be able to do it too. They have a lot of experience."

Deputy Secretary Cao immediately objected: "That won't do. If the adults all run away, what will happen to the children? The children need to go to school."

Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously: "Then let's move the school there too."

Deputy Secretary Cao felt she was talking nonsense; what kind of school relocation was that? Wasn't that just ridiculous?

But Wang Xiao gave her an example: "That's how the Japanese do it. Their overseas factories send people from headquarters, and the employees' wives and children go with them. The children attend Japanese schools, which are the same as in China. This way, when the employees are transferred back to Japan, the children's education is not out of sync with that in China, and they can return to school normally."

Deputy Secretary Cao felt he had learned something new: "You can do that?"

"Of course," Wang Xiao laughed. "The Japanese are incredibly meticulous in this regard. The place we're going to for farming used to be a collective farm, and some of the houses are still habitable."

If that's not enough, Siberia has vast forests where timber is cheap, so you can use local materials to build wooden houses, which they call log cabins, and they have a pretty good insulation effect.

Children attending middle schools in the town or county can temporarily board at the school, and when summer vacation starts, we will send them back to their parents.

The rest of the children will move with the village primary school. And the teacher's salary is also one hundred yuan a month.

She knew that most primary school teachers in the village were privately employed and their income was not high.

After thinking about it, Deputy Secretary Cao felt that the matter could be resolved.

There is currently a widespread surplus of rural labor, and if this is handled well, it would be a very good start.

"Alright, I'll coordinate this." After agreeing, Deputy Secretary Cao started going through the accounts with Wang Xiao again. "I heard you're going to open a route from Romania to Xiaozhou. You've completely forgotten about Jiangdong."

Wang Xiao quickly emphasized, "As long as Jiangdong can guarantee the Moscow route, that's enough. Right now, all other routes combined can't compare to the Moscow route."

It's strange, really. When the Soviet Union was in power, everyone was clamoring for independence and looked down on Moscow.

As a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, people from all the CIS countries flocked to Moscow, wanting to buy goods in the former capital to resell back home.

It seems that at this moment, only Moscow is trustworthy to them.

As a result, Soviet air routes became extremely busy and became the most popular destinations.

Wang Xiao emphasized again: "We absolutely cannot lose this trade route; it is our lifeline. As long as we hold onto this route, our trade volume this year will more than double compared to last year."

She made a very grand and appealing promise, and since she kept yawning, Deputy Secretary Cao knew she had just returned from Romania and was still jet-lagged, so he didn't want to push her too far; he simply let her hang up and go to sleep.

Wang Xiao put down the receiver, yawned again, and staggered off to brush her teeth and wash her face.

Before she could even get into bed, there was a knock on the door.

Who is it?

"Ma'am, would you like room service?"

Wang Xiao was baffled: "No, don't bother me."

As she spoke, she regretted it. If she had known this would happen, she would have been better off putting up the "Do Not Disturb" sign outside.

"But—" the voice outside hesitated for a moment, "I think you probably need it."

Yo—

You're learning pretty fast!

Wang Xiao opened the door and gave the person outside a half-smile: "Sir, what services can you provide?"

He's up so late at night, let's see how she deals with him.

————————

To clarify, land rent in Siberia later became even cheaper, ranging from 25 to 50 rubles per hectare (equivalent to about 5 to 10 yuan). However, the text refers to 1992, when the land abandonment had just begun, which differs from the later situation where the land was abandoned for many years and the Russian government only wanted to restore it, charging only a symbolic fee. Therefore, considering all factors, the price was set at less than $10 per hectare. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-12-26 01:26:05 and 2023-12-27 01:01:53!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Yan Zhen (40 bottles); Yueyueing and Liu Peiqi (20 bottles each); Susie0726 and Minghe (10 bottles each); Affirmation (5 bottles); Wukanwukan (4 bottles); and aurora (1 bottle).

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