Chapter 114 A Plane Delivered to Our Doorstep: A Win-Win Choice
From a theoretical point of view, Wuzhou Company didn't need to fight so hard for the 224 flight team when it came to leasing aircraft.
Even though heavy cargo planes are relatively precious, it doesn't mean other Russian airlines don't have them. Airlines like Volga-Dnieper, Bolle, and Antonov also use them.
But Ivanov still supported Wang Xiao's decision to fight the 224th Flight Team to the death without hesitation.
Firstly, they had offended a villain and indeed needed to curry favor with the military to reduce the likelihood of the Ministry of Internal Affairs causing them trouble.
Secondly, business people understand the advantages of using someone else's name to gain influence.
The same business can be handled very differently depending on the partner's background.
To put it simply, the speed at which goods pass through customs varies.
My goods can pass through customs immediately upon arrival.
Your goods can be stuck in customs for months or more, and even after the peak sales season has passed, they still can't get through customs.
The difference can't simply be due to the different types of goods passing through customs.
Besides, there are countless other conveniences that aren't openly discussed.
Therefore, Squadron 224 is their best option at present.
The problem is that the current 224th Flight Squadron has not established a dedicated company to handle commercial operations like the Chinese Air Force has.
It is currently still in the process of being arranged by administrative orders.
Wuzhou Company was operating well until it was suddenly kicked out. According to Major Suvinokin's music, it was simply because a certain leader thought that Turkish and South Korean goods were better.
Whether he genuinely believed the product was good or was influenced by public relations, that's something Suvinokin couldn't possibly figure out.
What Suvinokin could secure for them was the opportunity to have dinner with his superior.
Once at the table, everyone toasted to a bright future, then after enjoying the delicious caviar (which Wang Xiao really didn't like), and after rambling on about wine for a while, they finally managed to get to the point.
Unfortunately, the general cut Wang Xiao off as soon as he opened his mouth: "Don't tell me how good Chinese goods are. In fact, we all know that Turkish and South Korean goods are more reliable. At least—their leather jackets won't fade after two days of wear, and their zippers won't come undone easily."
Wang Xiao cursed inwardly, but maintained a smile on his face: "No, you misunderstand, General. What I want to discuss with you is the Chinese market."
Her eyes crinkled with a smile as she looked directly at the other person. "China has a population of 1 billion. The Chinese market is so vast—well, to paraphrase the head of Pierre Cardin, the first Western brand to enter China—that even if we were selling buttons, if every Chinese person bought one button from me, that would be 1 billion buttons. The same applies to other goods. No one can resist China's enormous consumer market, and I believe that includes Russia."
Ivanov chimed in, echoing her sentiment: "In fact, we've already shipped seafood from Vladivostok to the Chinese capital, where it's been very well received."
“In addition, Romanian cherries, grapes, plums, and apricots also enter the Chinese market through our Wuzhou Freight Company,” Wang Xiao added. “Next, we will take even more goods. China’s large population base determines that it has huge consumption potential. I think that in this respect, neither Turkey nor South Korea can compare. It’s a difference of 10 times or 20 times.”
Ivanov began to report data and state facts: "The Chinese market needs more Soviet products, whether it's cars or machinery. They are willing to import them. Other countries don't have such a large demand."
This is a very embarrassing thing.
In industry, Soviet standards often differed greatly from Western standards.
Apart from countries that initially developed their industries based on Soviet technology, very few countries now need Russian-made machinery and equipment.
Even more critically, Eastern Europe, heavily influenced by the Soviet Union, also lagged behind in the development of light industry, just like the Soviet Union itself.
Moreover, even if they continue to develop heavy industry, they still prefer to import production lines from the West.
Besides China, a country with a large population, rapidly developing light industry, and deeply influenced by the Soviet Union yet having severed ties with it for over two decades, they could not find a more suitable trading partner for barter.
Ivanov presented the list to the general: "Sir, please take a look. Despite the many difficulties we face, we have been working hard to maintain our industrial production. Orders, only orders, can save Russia's industry. And we need help from the military and the government."
He revealed his own dirty laundry, saying, "To be honest, foreign countries are no longer willing to do barter trade with us because the fulfillment rate of our importers has dropped too much."
The general, who looked somewhat like a bear, finally spoke up and asked, "Why? We are an honest and trustworthy people. Neither the Soviet Union nor Russia has ever experienced anything like this."
Several people present rolled their eyes inwardly. You dare to brag like that? We don't dare to listen.
However, both Wang Xiao and Ivanov had to adopt an attitude of "you're right".
Wang Xiao chimed in: "Yes, we were very happy to trade goods with the Soviet Union before. It's no exaggeration to say that even at this time last year, Soviet officials and state-owned enterprise executives with export and import rights were highly sought after. As soon as they entered Chinese territory, thousands of suppliers emerged, all vying for their attention."
Her description was so exaggerated that even the general showed a smug expression.
But Wang Xiao didn't let his pride last three seconds before cruelly shattering his beautiful memories: "But it's not possible now. Now everyone is chasing after Russian leaders and manufacturers mainly to collect debts. The fulfillment rate is too low. The same goods can be promised to three or five companies at the same time, which is very chaotic."
Ivanov, working seamlessly with her partner, immediately explained, "I specifically had someone investigate 10 similar disputes and found that the problems generally fall into two categories: First, manufacturers were cheated by agents who signed contracts with multiple companies simultaneously, swallowing up large quantities of goods, but ultimately had no corresponding goods to offset them. The greed of those government officials is beyond imagination. Second, the mafia is rampant; they steal large amounts of goods, resulting in a far shortfall in the quantity of goods arriving at their destination."
He emphasized, "Therefore we need your help, Your Excellency General. We must complete multiple barter trades flawlessly in order to rebuild the confidence of Chinese merchants in trade with Russia."
“In fact,” Wang Xiao continued, “our intermediary business in China has seen our partner companies begin to shift their focus to Ukraine, Belarus, and Central Asia. They are very interested in the Chinese market. Previously, transportation was inconvenient due to frozen seaports, but now it’s much more convenient via the Black Sea. Also, an international railway is being built between China and Central Asia. You know, once something is on the agenda, it can be pushed forward very quickly.”
“They can’t possibly have that kind of stuff,” the general interrupted Wang Xiao quickly. “The Russian stuff is the best.”
Wang Xiao closed her mouth, leaned back slightly, and maintained a smiling posture.
Ivanov leaned forward, his voice urgent: "But their contract fulfillment rate is higher, and Chinese merchants trust them more. General, I must emphasize to you again that losing the trust of our partners will be a heavy blow to us. The Soviet Union is gone, and we are in a period of serious difficulty. Our current industrial situation cannot meet domestic demand, and domestic demand cannot drive our economy. We need foreign trade to promote economic development."
At the height of his emotions, he even stood up abruptly, his face flushed, "We don't have much time left, very little time at all. If we don't take decisive action, we're really doomed!"
Suvinokin was startled and quickly jumped up, pressing down on Ivanov's shoulder: "Hey, buddy, sit down, don't get excited."
Ivanov, panting heavily and looking heartbroken, exclaimed, "Why aren't you all worried? Why aren't you worried at all? The collective farms are being abandoned, the factories are shutting down. Money won't fall from the sky, and gold won't grow on the ground. We need to save ourselves! Politicians don't care about the lives of the people. Everyone should stand up and fight for ourselves!"
The general remained silent, then suddenly turned to look at Wang Xiao, changing the subject with interest: "I've heard that the way you Chinese farm is different from ours?"
"Actually, it's about the same." Wang Xiao paused for two seconds before replying.
“It’s different.” Ivanov interrupted her rudely again. “I didn’t find out until May of this year that in Siberia, farming is just about scattering seeds on the ground and letting them grow. If we don’t bring in farmers from China, the farms simply can’t survive. Everyone has run away.”
Silence fell over the table again. Suddenly, Wang Xiao spoke slowly and deliberately: "General, you previously told me not to boast about Chinese goods anymore. But I still want to say one thing: Chinese products are more suitable for the Russian people."
It offers a complete range of goods; Chinese goods can supply all the daily necessities that ordinary people need. This is something that neither Turkish nor South Korean merchants can do.
Wang Xiao held up a finger, "Because this involves the issue of market size."
Türkiye has a population of just over 60 million, while South Korea has a population of 50 million.
Their large population means they cannot provide such a wide variety and large quantity of goods to the 150 million people of Russia.
Because businesspeople have to consider the return on investment. They go all in, opening so many production lines and producing so much goods, but what if the Russian market can't handle it all?
Who will they sell their goods to then? No businessman would dare to invest so recklessly.
Suvinokin picked up where she left off: "You mean China can?"
"Yes."
Wang Xiao nodded firmly, not caring at all about exposing her family's dirty laundry.
"Because of the uneven development between urban and rural areas in China, and the large gap between the east and west. Light industry is concentrated in towns and cities and the surrounding areas of large cities in the east and central regions."
If goods cannot be sold through foreign trade routes, they can still be sold in rural areas and economically underdeveloped regions.
To date, the principal contradiction in Chinese society remains the contradiction between the people's ever-growing material and cultural needs and the backward productive forces.
In other words, at least half of the Chinese population still live in a state of material scarcity.
That's a population of over 500 million.
With a potential consumer market of 500 million, no, more accurately 600 million or even 700 million as a foundation, why don't Chinese manufacturers dare to go all out to produce to meet the demand of the Moscow market?
If I remember correctly, the total population of the Soviet Union was less than 300 million.
Wang Xiao's gaze shifted from Suvinokin to the person with the highest status at the table. "No market other than China has this kind of confidence."
She looked directly into his eyes. "Besides that, Chinese goods have another major advantage: price."
Suvinokin couldn't help but blurt out, "There are no cheap things now, everything is expensive."
“But Chinese goods are still relatively cheap,” Wang Xiao emphasized. “The price of leather jackets is only half or even a third of that of Italian goods.”
Because labor is cheap in China. As we all know, more than half of the cost of goods in labor-intensive industries comes from labor.
In this respect, China has an absolute advantage.
Therefore, Chinese goods are most suitable for Moscow.
We are not asking to drive out our competitors; we just want a fair chance to compete.
In fact, I believe that Flight 224 can find enough aircraft to meet all our needs.
The meal was over, and until the very end, the tall and strong general made no promises.
However, he still gladly accepted the gift from Wuzhou Company.
An antique-style plum vase, purchased from Friendship Store, the invoice shows a price of 350 RMB.
A silk scarf, produced by the Yunjin Research Institute, has an official price of 150 Huaxia coins.
The gifts, totaling 500 yuan, were all handicrafts rich in cultural connotations, clearly very subtle and not intended as bribery.
Even after Suvinokin accompanied them to see the general off, he couldn't help but sigh, "My dear friend, I thought you would pave the way with US dollars."
It's no longer fashionable to give rubles these days.
To my surprise, after rambling on for so long, they actually shared a lot of useful information.
This was the first time he had realized that engaging in trade and economic exchanges with China was Russia's best option at present.
Wang Xiao said in a serious tone, "I believe the general is an upright person. In fact, the vast majority of soldiers are very upright and have a great sense of the big picture."
Suvinokin was momentarily speechless.
The public image of the military is now not much better than that of the government.
Or to be more specific, all symbols of power are currently very hated by the people.
Wang Xiao emphasized earnestly: "I think you have been severely stigmatized."
Including the February 7th air disaster in 1981, some voices say that they had only themselves to blame because the generals forced luxury items such as high-end imported furniture into the plane.
However, after reading the relevant reports, I learned that these were only a small part of the problem. The real danger came from three rolls of printing paper weighing 1.5 tons.
Is this considered a luxury item? It's clearly meant to replenish office supplies.
They work diligently, yet they are slandered; this is extremely unfair.
Suvinokin's eyes reddened, and he subconsciously echoed, "The people's eyes are discerning; they will always know the truth."
Outsiders are not aware that he had a very close relative from his childhood who died in that plane crash.
What angered him was that the uncle, who should have been considered a martyr, had been subjected to numerous slanders.
Those damned tabloids have been churning out one sensational story after another, throwing all sorts of filthy and disgusting things at them.
Ivanov then complained, "This is the consequence of you all keeping things to yourselves and refusing to tell the truth. What wrong did the pilot do? It's so unfair to make him a scapegoat."
Suvinokin sighed: "This is the kind of thing the Soviet Union would do."
He asked sadly, "You said that all the people have run away from the collective farms in Siberia, is that true? Is our country no longer able to retain its people?"
Ivanov said irritably, "Why would I lie to you? At least six out of ten ran away. It's perfectly normal. If I were them, I would have run away too. The land I just rented was originally cultivated by people from the Baltic states. Unless they've gone mad, they're bound to run away."
Siberia is so desolate, it has nothing at all.
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are so prosperous and bustling.
The Soviet Union has collapsed, and no one can control them anymore. They will definitely return to their homeland.
Suvinokin couldn't help but complain: "It really went too far back then, it was too ruthless. There were only five million people in total, and they managed to send six hundred thousand of them to Siberia."
So it's normal for people to hate them.
Ivanov suddenly turned his head and looked at Wang Xiao seriously: "Do you think if we weren't constituent republics, but rather like your provinces, would they have stayed to continue building Siberia?"
Wang Xiao didn't answer him, but directly translated the question to his Chinese bodyguard.
Xiao Gao tried hard to restrain himself and not look at his boss like he was an idiot.
He answered decisively: "Of course not!"
This practice of sending people to remote and underdeveloped border regions to carry out construction also exists in China.
Wasn't that what the "sent-down youth" movement was all about back then?
And what was the result? The result was that the educated youth were willing to lie on the tracks to block the train, trying every means to return to the city.
People strive for higher positions, while water flows downhill.
If you just talk to people about dedication and greatness, you're just fooling them. Not many people will actually be fooled by you.
Ivanov's expression became subtle, and he muttered to himself, "That's just how it is."
Suvinokin offered a few words of comfort: "Don't worry about it, the plane shouldn't be a big problem. The fact that the general listened to you all means he took it to heart."
Ivanov thought to himself, "Of course."
The vase contained an envelope with five thousand US dollars inside.
Since the general didn't immediately return the plum vase upon first glance, it means there's hope for this.
That's right. From the very beginning, neither he nor Wang Xiao intended to be completely righteous and honorable.
Wang Xiao gave him an example: Qi Jiguang, a famous general who fought against Japanese pirates during the Ming Dynasty.
While fighting Japanese pirates, he also accepted money from his subordinates and gave gifts to his superiors.
If he didn't do that, his team simply wouldn't be able to survive.
Therefore, Ivanov felt no psychological pressure at all when giving away money.
He considered himself a figure like Qi Jiguang.
Wang Xiao regretted giving that example.
What's with this guy putting on airs?
It's as if he never bribed anyone before he knew who Qi Jiguang was.
Cough cough, then why don't they just throw money at it directly, instead of going through this roundabout way?
Isn't it because the higher the position, the more hypocritical and pretentious they become?
Truly, there is no group in the world more self-righteous and hypocritical than officials.
On the one hand, they accept large sums of bribes, and on the other hand, they look down on those who give them money.
Sometimes, when they get really crazy, they'll deliberately make things difficult for those who try to bribe them.
Therefore, giving money is a very particular matter, and there is a lot of knowledge involved.
It should slip into the night with the wind, silently nourishing all things.
The recipient should feel that they have put in real thought, rather than being simply showered with money.
When someone takes money to do something, you need to provide them with a reason that they can readily use to convince their superiors and colleagues.
Now that the message has been conveyed and the US dollars have been successfully sent, all Wang Xiao and his team need to do is wait patiently.
A group of people got into a military jeep, the driver released the clutch, and the vehicle roared onto the road.
The streetlights shone just in time, illuminating the faces of the people inside the carriage.
The person coming out of the restaurant happened to look up and see them. He immediately frowned and asked his companion, "What? How many recycling companies did you find? What do they want to buy?"
His companion glanced at them, recognized Wang Xiao and Ivanov's faces, and immediately dismissed it: "Oh, they don't do arms business."
The man with the mustache who asked the question asked suspiciously, "Are you sure?"
“Of course,” his uniformed companion explained, “that lady is Miss Wang, you know, the Eastern Queen of Moscow Department Stores, she owns several shopping streets.”
"Oh, oh—" The man with the mustache realized what was going on and began reciting the press release, "The reason our products are cheap is because we get them directly from the manufacturers, and we don't have to pay shop rent."
His companion looked at him and burst into laughter.
Direct sourcing from manufacturers, eliminating middlemen and their markups? Who would believe that?
The man with the mustache muttered, "Easterners, businessmen from the East, don't do arms business?"
"She's not Taiwanese, Japanese, or South Korean," her fellow soldier said casually. "She doesn't need nuclear weapons. Besides, their business is so big, I reckon they make more money than selling arms."
The man with the mustache raised an eyebrow, quite skeptical: "That powerful?"
His companion repeated "of course" again, this time with a particularly exaggerated expression.
Then his companion explained, "Those commercial streets make more money than banks. The Pravda newspaper has now become the backyard of the Chinese commercial streets; her family is the newspaper's biggest benefactor."
"Really?" The man with the mustache shook his head. "I seem to remember that Pravda refused to sell itself. Otherwise, the Americans would probably be happy to buy it."
“Advertisements, huge advertising fees,” the soldier emphasized. “They gave the newspapers huge advertising fees. If the newspapers weren’t going to speak for them, who would they speak for? The price of newsprint in Moscow increased fivefold. Newspapers were suspended in March, but the printing presses kept running thanks to the advertising fees.”
"How cunning!" the mustachioed man exclaimed. "But what good is it? Who would buy a newspaper now? A newspaper without readers is nothing but death."
On his trip back to Moscow, he noticed that there were far fewer people reading newspapers on the subway.
My retired father even dug out his radio and started listening to the broadcast.
His companion shook his head: "No, no, no, Pravda still maintains a circulation of 1.5 million copies. Every customer who goes shopping in the shopping district receives a free copy of the newspaper."
The Chinese who did business in the free market and ran restaurants followed suit. They either gave away newspapers for free or provided newspapers to their customers for free.
And those wholesalers would ensure the newspapers were delivered to every corner of Russia along with the goods.
The man with the mustache muttered to himself, "How cunning, how cunning the Orientals."
With newspaper prices rising sharply, ordinary people are reluctant to spend any extra money on newspapers, as they want to spend all their money on food and clothing.
However, compared to more expensive clothes and shoes, the price of a newspaper is negligible.
This small gift touched the customers' hearts, and they naturally welcomed it.
His companion laughed: "Otherwise, how could their business be so good? Alas, when it comes to doing business, we Russians are no match for the Turks, nor can we beat the Chinese."
The man with the mustache didn't continue the topic. Instead, he asked curiously, "So what are they doing here?"
“They want to get planes, huh?” his companion said dismissively. “They’re airlifting goods from China to sell, so they need a lot of planes. Ivanov, the guy in the suit and tie, has been looking for planes everywhere.”
The man with the mustache asked with great interest, "So how many planes did they get their hands on?"
"Sixty, is it seventy?" His companion shook his head. "Sorry, I don't remember. They were mostly large cargo planes, some Il-76s, and some helicopters."
The man with the mustache immediately pressed, "A helicopter? What do they need a helicopter for?"
"We're transporting goods, seafood, and fresh fruits and vegetables," my companion exclaimed. "I saw them in Vladivostok last month. The watermelons were huge and so cheap. Compared to them, what kind of junk are we eating?"
The man with the mustache chuckled: "Using helicopters to transport fresh produce?"
Only a fool would believe that.
His companion, oblivious to the sarcasm in his words, nodded to himself, then added with a hint of schadenfreude, "But they probably won't be able to get their hands on any planes anymore."
"Why?"
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs, huh?" His companion sneered. "How could the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs not be envious of such a big piece of meat? These hyenas, now that there's no purge for them to show their skills, are naturally sniffing around everywhere."
The man with the mustache mumbled "oh, oh," and absentmindedly asked, "I see? — Are they reliable in business?"
"Not bad." His companion thought for a moment and decided not to slander them. "Although they're not as exaggerated as they claim, they're basically honest businessmen."
He looked at the man with the mustache with a puzzled expression. "Why are you so interested in them?"
The man with the mustache said seriously, "I'm just worried they'll steal my arms business, so of course I have to ask them clearly."
His companion burst out laughing: "Arms? You don't need to worry about that, they're known for not wanting arms. Whether it's tanks, armored vehicles, or rockets, they don't want any of them, they just want to make money by transporting goods by plane."
"Delivering goods—" the man with the mustache muttered under his breath, "Delivering goods is good."
The next morning, he drove to Moscow.
As the car passed the train station, he saw people with Asian features selling handfuls of coins to others.
Those were 15-kopek coins.
According to Pravda in May of this year, it currently costs the mint 41 kopeks to produce a 1-kopek coin.
How absurd! As a result, there are fewer and fewer coins on the market.
However, people cannot completely abandon the kopek, because only 15 kopek are needed to make local calls.
Unfortunately, when people are in a hurry to make a phone call, they often don't have a 15-kopek coin on hand.
They could only pay a high price, three to five rubles, to buy 15 kopeks worth of coins from these resellers.
Where did these Easterners get their large quantities of kopeks from?
It turns out that large post offices used to keep the automatic long-distance telephones, but now that long-distance call rates have increased, people have to toss coins several times a minute to make calls.
To make things easier for customers, the post office stipulated that each person could exchange kopeks five times a day, at 6 rubles each time, for a total of 200 15-kopek coins.
In this way, these people only need to go to the post office once a day and then resell the goods to earn 2,000 rubles from an initial investment of 30 rubles.
Good heavens, the average monthly wage in Russia this second quarter was only 3,986 rubles.
They can earn a month's salary for an average Russian in just two days.
There's truly a way to make money.
The man with the mustache continued driving forward. As he passed Red Square, he saw a newspaper stand at the end of the adjacent shopping street, with a crowd of people reading newspapers in front of it.
Or to be more specific, most of it was information copied from newspapers.
Newspapers nowadays dedicate at least an entire page to publishing job postings and job seekers.
The number of job seekers far exceeds the number of hires.
These job postings are mostly placed by foreign companies.
"Little Mustache" scanned the area from afar with his exceptional eyesight honed from his time as a pilot, but he didn't see a single job advertisement from a Russian company or factory.
This is really bad.
It just doesn't have much to do with him.
On the contrary, seeing this scene made him quite happy.
Because the business partners he sought out were clearly intelligent people.
They know all too well how to win the most social favor at the lowest cost.
Working with someone like that is very worry-free.
He walked into the commercial street, went straight to the manager of the largest shop, and got straight to the point: "I want to see your boss."
The store manager maintained a polite smile: "Is there anything we can help you with?"
“I need to see your boss.” The man with the mustache had no patience to waste time on unimportant people and repeated, “I need to talk to your boss about purchasing an aircraft.”
The store manager originally wanted to politely decline.
Does that mean if just anyone pops up and says they want to see their boss, the boss will personally come to meet them?
Are you kidding me? The boss wouldn't be able to do anything else all day, he'd be too busy meeting people to keep up.
But when someone comes to the store to sell airplanes, the store manager can't just brush them off.
Although he was only responsible for the store's sales and didn't understand the specific operations of Wuzhou Company, the fact that there were more and more customers made him realize one thing: they needed more goods.
Where do the goods come from? They fly over from China, of course.
Of course, we'd need an airplane.
The store manager's smile remained unchanged: "Okay, sir, please wait a moment. I'll go and report to my supervisor to see if the boss can spare some time to see you."
He added, "As you probably know, our boss has been busy clearing land and planting crops lately, so he may not have much time."
He said this because they found that customers had a particularly high level of positive feelings towards this matter.
Some schools even said they would organize students to do voluntary labor on farms, so that everyone could work together to contribute to Russia's food supply.
Of course, the students had absolutely no intention of cooperating. Everyone was looking forward to earning money during the summer vacation; who had time to cooperate with the school's voluntary labor?
These children would rather carry buckets and rags to the street to wipe cars and earn a few rubles in tips from car owners than waste their precious time on things that don't earn them money.
The store manager spoke while expressing his regret.
However, the man with the mustache showed no interest whatsoever and even urged him, "My schedule is tight, and I won't be in Moscow for long. Please hurry."
The store manager had no choice but to make a phone call immediately.
Wang Xiao and Ivanov are interviewing new people.
They now need a stronger legal team to ensure they are well-versed in all legal loopholes and pitfalls, and are not afraid to sue the government at any time.
Relying on just one long-term lawyer is definitely not enough; you need at least a team.
In addition to legal counsel, they also need to hire more finance staff. This is necessary to build a complete audit team.
The ruble's unstable exchange rate creates numerous loopholes in financial operations.
If they don't increase their auditing efforts, they are condoning internal corruption.
Wang Xiao and Ivanov discussed it for a while and finally decided on the final candidate.
Honestly, she envied Ivanov.
It's so easy to hire people in Moscow these days.
No matter how high-end the talent is, those who wouldn't have dared to dream of working for joint ventures before, they are now all willing to come and work for these companies.
In contrast, things are far worse in China. Mainstream society still prefers stable jobs.
Even in May of this year, the mayor of Suifenhe made a shocking move by setting up a street stall in the market, which stunned the entire nation.
However, those who have the courage to take a leave of absence without pay and temporarily leave their secure jobs are still in the minority.
Therefore, their commercial city can only increase its recruitment efforts in universities to retain more college students and then train them.
Ivanov laughed out loud when he heard her complaints: "This shows that chaos is actually a good thing for businessmen, as it means more opportunities."
The phone rang, and Ivanov answered it.
His first reaction to someone who comes to his door to sell airplanes is not: "I've run into a scammer."
Because Russia is currently in a state of disorder and chaos, especially in business activities.
Seriously, you definitely can't buy those expensive, rare metals from legitimate manufacturers.
But perhaps the small vendor who randomly stops you at the door actually has the rare metal you want.
Only God knows how they came to be.
Buyers won't care.
"Yes," Ivanov said decisively. "Ask him to wait a moment, we'll be right there."
Wang Xiao couldn't help but get excited too.
Having another channel to acquire aircraft is certainly a good thing.
Even if this might be a trap set by the Ministry of the Interior, listening to it won't hurt you.
After quickly tidying up, the two arrived at Huaxia Commercial Street and went straight upstairs to the meeting room.
A man of medium height and build stood by the window. His mustache was neatly trimmed, and he looked like a refined and respectable person.
Wang Xiao couldn't determine the man's age, but Ivanov thought he was probably no more than 30.
Judging from his posture, he must have received extensive military training.
However, this proves nothing to Soviet men.
Too many people are currently serving in the military, or have served in the past.
“Hello—” Ivanov nodded and smiled at him, took two steps forward surrounded by bodyguards, and made an inviting gesture, “Please sit down, sir, may I ask what brings you here?”
The man with the mustache got straight to the point: "I am Mikhail Ilyich Budyonny, and I fought in Afghanistan. My unit at the time was..."
He recited his resume at length and offered, "Perhaps you could call your friend to verify my identity."
Ivanov, without any hesitation, made the phone call right in front of him.
He actually had a friend who knew Mikhail and was quite curious: "How did he get in touch with you? Did he come back from Africa? Hey, this guy."
Ivanov exchanged a few pleasantries with the person, then hung up the phone. He then smiled and tried to get closer to Mikhail, saying, "We almost became classmates. I was also supposed to go to the military academy for further studies. Unfortunately, I fell ill and missed the exam."
Mikhail shrugged dismissively, clearly not very sincere: "That's a real shame."
Then, he abruptly cut to the chase, "What kind of aircraft do you need? Armed helicopters?"
Ivanov cleared his throat and emphasized seriously, "Actually, we need more cargo planes. We are foreign trade merchants, and we transport a large amount of goods every day."
"MiG series, I can get you MiG helicopters."
Mikhail didn't give him a chance to continue, "We'll give you a discount on the MiG series attack helicopters. How about the Mi-23, $80,000? The prices for other helicopters are also negotiable."
Wang Xiao asked calmly, "What do you want us to do?"
If it were just a door-to-door vending machine, that would be one thing, but the former Soviet Union left its constituent republics with a large number of aircraft.
Currently, many of them remain idle.
It all depends on whether you have the ability to get them moving.
However, going door-to-door to sell armed helicopters is a bit too subtle.
Mihail finally smiled: "That's why I prefer dealing with ladies, because you're more direct."
He deliberately emphasized in a relaxed tone, "Don't worry, it's nothing serious. It's a piece of cake for you."
Wang Xiao instantly became alert.
People who say this are often the ones who are about to face a major disaster.
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The air disaster mentioned in the article occurred on February 7, 1981, when a Tu-104 passenger plane crashed suddenly a few seconds after taking off from Leningrad Airport, killing all 50 people on board. Among them were 16 generals, including the commander and political commissar of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, the commander and chief of staff of the fleet's air force, and almost the entire top leadership of the Soviet Pacific Fleet was wiped out.
The information is from the internet.
The investigation into this serious accident was shrouded in mystery and even sparked conspiracy theories.
Initially, suspicions were placed on Western spies. Later, the sole survivor, Vice Admiral Gorosov, Chief of Staff of the Pacific Fleet, was also suspected, but all evidence pointed to unfounded suspicions. Finally, the official investigation team focused on the Tu-104 airliner, unanimously concluding that the old aircraft had "major technical problems."
After a series of investigations and analyses, especially the strange rolling phenomenon before the passenger plane crashed, the cause of the accident was finally confirmed to be "a sudden change in the aircraft's center of gravity." Simply put, the checked baggage inside the Tu-104 slid after takeoff, causing the aircraft to lose balance and roll to one side.
It should be noted that the Pacific Fleet leadership's trip to Leningrad was also a "shopping trip." Due to the scarcity of supplies in the Far East, Soviet officers and their families could take advantage of this rare opportunity to visit a major city to purchase some goods.
It is understood that the officers and their families purchased so much merchandise that the Tu-104 was almost completely filled, including several sets of furniture, a television, various small commodities, and even a considerable amount of boxed oranges. This became the focus of later media hype in the West – “Soviet generals’ purchase of large quantities of luxury goods led to the aircraft being overloaded.”
Lieutenant Colonel Ying Youxin, the captain of the Tu-104 that perished, had previously experienced many similar "shopping trips," and he had always complained that the plane often took off overloaded with "refrigerators and washing machines." However, this fact actually proves that the Tu-104 and its pilots were very experienced in this type of "overloaded flight," and that there had been no accidents caused by this reason before.
However, prior to the crash, the Pacific Fleet Command purchased an unusual item—three rolls of printing paper, something unprecedented. Unlike personal items such as televisions and washing machines, printing paper is office supplies and falls under the category of legitimate baggage.
However, this led to a hidden danger: the heaviest items in the air baggage were these three rolls of white paper, each roll of printing paper weighing a staggering 0.5 tons! This is actually a cold, hard fact: paper may seem insignificant, but when it comes to large items, a box or a roll of paper can often be fatal.
The Tu-104 aircraft clearly lacked experience in handling large pieces of paper when securing baggage. While furniture, washing machines, televisions, and other cargo typically weigh only tens to hundreds of kilograms, half a ton of paper could not be secured securely enough. When the Tu-104 took off, the printed paper quickly broke free of its straps and left the racks. Three rolls of white paper weigh 1.5 tons, and the movement of that mass was enough to completely disrupt the balance of the passenger aircraft (maximum takeoff weight 78 tons).
This explains why the Tu-104 crashed just seconds after takeoff—something no amount of overloaded furniture or appliances could have caused. Such an accident is unavoidable even for veteran pilots with over 8,000 hours of experience.
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