Chapter 251 One Wave After Another: People Who Appear and People Who Disappear
Capitalists reek of money and have long since lost their morality and conscience.
Especially when it comes to exploiting their subordinates, bosses are willing to set any KPI targets.
Wang Xiao stated directly: "When I wake up, I want to know how Dongfeng Plaza broke the 30-meter height limit, and I also want to see a similar solution."
Then, without a trace of psychological burden, she finished applying the face mask, washed her face, went to bed, snuggled into the warm down comforter, rolled around, and went to sleep.
Yang Tao, who had to get up at five in the morning to report to her boss, didn't even have a chance to take a nap in the cold, dark winter of Beijing. As soon as she opened her eyes, she was working.
Fortunately, this time she learned her lesson and knew how to make flexible use of resources. Instead of getting bogged down in flowery official documents on the periphery, she went straight to the higher-ups and, with Minister Cao's help, finally obtained the internal information.
There is indeed such a project on Chang'an Avenue called Oriental Plaza, but it hasn't been built yet. I heard that its planned width is 80 meters.
Tsk, a 30-meter height limit is like a primary school student altering their exam score; it instantly becomes 80 meters.
The reason they can be so arrogant is that Oriental Plaza is a key project specially approved by the State Council, and its status is extraordinary.
As for exactly what the key points are, that involves the relationship between government and business.
It is said that the developer has close ties with the Beijing municipal government, and that the Tung family, another wealthy family in Hong Kong, acted as intermediaries.
Although time was limited, Yang Tao collected only a few faxed documents.
But Wang Xiao probably understood that it was indeed of great significance.
The significance of this is not that Oriental Plaza has undertaken any major project that could change the fate of the nation, but rather that the significance of the developers is extraordinary.
Can Hong Kong's richest man and the future Chief Executive be compared? He is the brightest star in the night sky.
At a time when Japanese investment is withdrawing and the country urgently needs to retain investment from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese, this joint venture by Hong Kong's wealthy families certainly deserves special treatment.
Then, Wang Xiao was completely convinced?
Dream on, she never felt inferior to anyone.
The boss has a request and immediately passes the pressure on to his subordinates: "So, what's your solution?"
Yang Tao gritted her teeth: "What Hong Kong investors can give, we can give too. They are developing along Chang'an Avenue, while we are just factories on the edge of the Second Ring Road. There is no reason for us to be shorter than them."
Yes, that's very ambitious and spirited.
However, the boss always holds his subordinates to high standards and strict requirements, and Wang Xiao immediately pointed out the problem: "How do we talk about it? There are some things we know, but we can't just bring them up and discuss them directly. Do you understand why?"
The star fruit instantly wilted, like a frostbitten eggplant.
She knew.
Just because something is generally considered impossible to do, making an exception for A doesn't mean that it can be done by B as well.
If B keeps targeting A and relentlessly attacks A, not only will it fail to solve the problem, but it will also offend B and the person with decision-making power.
You can't do business like that. You can't easily make enemies in business, otherwise you're just asking for trouble.
Wang Xiao continued to make demands: "Think again, what should we do? Remember, when you copy someone else's work, you're copying the ladle, not the gourd itself."
She uttered another devilish incantation, "I can understand if others can't think of this. But if you can't think of it, then you really shouldn't be like this."
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao, who were listening nearby, felt suffocated.
Here we go again.
What should Yang Tao be thinking? Anyway, the two of them just stared at each other, completely clueless.
The two also secretly asked Lyuba what exactly the boss wanted. He said he would just copy the solution, but he wouldn't let them directly adopt the solution from Oriental Plaza. What else could they do?
Lyuba shrugged and said, "You two Chinese don't understand, how can you expect me, a Russian, to figure it out?"
The two were completely baffled, and as they looked at each other in bewilderment, the boss came over and added insult to injury, saying to them, "Lyuba has already told you the answer, how come you still don't understand?"
Good heavens! Please let them go.
The song is so superficial. It's not about how you can't guess what a girl is thinking. It's about what kind of codes are in a woman's head. Why do people get more and more confused the more they listen?
The two, who had initially aimed to become Tang Yi's targets, were now gripped by deep self-doubt. Could they possibly lead a team with the mere decorations they carried around their necks?
Will this lead the team into a trap?
Compared to the two who were completely confused, Yang Tao still fully demonstrated the value of being a college student in the early 1990s.
She's not good at finding her own way, but once you give her some direction, her ability to gather information and analyze problems is quite good.
After Wang Xiao finished enjoying a hearty breakfast, before she even left the house, Yang Tao's proposal finally arrived via fax.
She understood; her boss wanted her to learn about the key aspects of national key projects.
How Oriental Plaza became a key project is no longer important.
Importantly, their 40 acres of land must also be developed into a key project.
Yang Tao's idea is to do both things well.
First, the Electronic Plaza can play a significant role because the country is currently promoting the development of the electronic information industry.
This is easy to understand. Once you understand the reasons why the United States is suppressing Japan, you will understand that the semiconductor industry is shifting.
Anyone who has carefully studied international politics can see that this shift is moving towards South Korea and Taiwan.
The fact that the United States decided to sell arms to Taiwan in 1992 and send ministerial-level officials to visit Taiwan shows that after the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States wanted to use the Taiwan card to contain China's development.
That's right, once you lose a common enemy, the value of a friend always drops rapidly.
Yang Tao has her own analysis on this point, namely that Japan is likely to welcome the shift of its semiconductor industry to Taiwan.
Why? Because after the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Taiwan was a Japanese colony for more than half a century.
Don't assume that all people in colonies hated the colonizers; in fact, their feelings were very complex.
Moreover, Japanese investment has played a significant role in the rise of Taiwan's economy.
At a time when South Korea is clearly being supported by the United States and even aspires to replace Japan, Japan's relocation of industries to Taiwan could be seen as a form of retaliation.
However, this puts China, which was already heavily reliant on Japanese electronics products, in a rather awkward position.
They're compatriots, but who knows when they'll stab you in the back?
In this environment, it is imperative for the country to accelerate the development of the electronics industry. Shougang Group is also running an electronics company.
Yang Tao analyzed, "We will focus our efforts on this aspect and directly apply for national approval through the dual-introduction project."
What is the so-called "Double Introduction Project"? It is a project launched by the state in 1992 to introduce scientists and technology from CIS countries.
When Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao heard this, they suddenly realized why the boss said Yang Tao should have thought of it.
really.
Near the Zhimen Commercial City, there is a non-governmental technology exchange center where many Russian scientists come to seek investment and buyers with their research results.
Yes, that's how that smart home system came about.
Yang Tao has worked at Jiangzhimen Commercial City for so long; if she didn't think of this, it's no wonder the boss was angry.
As for why they couldn't think of it, well, they're bodyguards, so it's normal for them to be all brawn and no brains.
Why did Lyuba think of that? Of course, KGBs are not the same as regular bodyguards.
Besides, Lyuba is also a Russian, so it's normal for her to be sensitive about this.
Ah, no wonder the boss said Lyuba had already told them the answer.
They're just stupid; they didn't realize it.
What frustrated the two men even more was yet to come, because Yang Tao's plan had a second aspect: to focus on reforming the factory.
Just as the boss had said, their resettlement plan for the employees of Hongxing Textile Factory could be submitted for national reform pilot program.
With their combined strength, why can't they secure key national projects?
Wang Xiao finally felt a little relieved. Not bad, all that scolding wasn't entirely for nothing.
If she stares at me with those big, innocent eyes, I might not be able to keep even the 40-acre project.
When the boss was in a better mood, his voice sounded pleasant: "Then let's work towards that goal. By the way, how's the employee resettlement going?"
"Two of them speak good English and will go to South Africa once their visas are issued."
Their efficiency was already very high, but Wang Xiao was not satisfied: "Speed up the process, and find more people who already have a basic understanding of English; I can use them."
Although Yang Tao was quite bewildered, she quickly accepted the task.
Honestly, she's not tired at all now, and she doesn't mind having too much work. She absolutely doesn't need her boss to find someone else to take over her job.
That's how workplace nerds unwittingly engage in self-PUA (psychological manipulation).
Compared to the miserable lives of ordinary workers, being a boss is so much more comfortable.
Wang Xiao can even go to see cultural performances today.
What performance? The crew of "Escape from Deadly Island" went to perform for the welfare home.
Previously, the orphanage featured in the film was mistaken by viewers for the real-life St. Mary's Orphanage, which had been accused by The Guardian of sexual abuse of orphans.
To mitigate the negative impact and express the film crew's apology, the production team specially prepared this performance for the children of the St. Mary's Welfare Home.
As a film investor and financial backer, Wang Xiao naturally had to participate in this event.
She didn't go for nothing; she brought donated supplies. She brought everything: baby formula, diapers, blankets, clothes, and shoes.
My uncle's family, representing Chinese businesspeople, also went and donated clothes and hats.
However, these adults are only responsible for paying the money; it is the students who actually do the work.
It's only been less than a month since school started, and Chen Jingjing and her classmates from the international school have already come to the welfare home to volunteer.
Well, to be precise, their tasks, in addition to helping the kitchen prepare food for orphans and guests, also included performing Tai Chi on stage.
Otherwise, since the crew is mostly adults, everyone is worried that the children won't be interested in their performances.
Judging from its name, St. Mary's should be a church-affiliated welfare institution, and naturally it should have a strong religious flavor.
But that's not the case.
Like almost all state-run welfare homes in Romania, it is a uniform matchbox-style concrete building with green paint on the walls.
Unfortunately, what should have been a vibrant green landscape appears as a withered, pale green in the cold winter, likely due to years of neglect.
The paint on the walls was peeling off in large patches due to the dampness, like lesions growing on the skin of a patient who had been suffering from diarrhea for many years.
This sickly, gloomy smell is really unpleasant.
Even though the staff, wearing yellowed and thin white coats, had tried their best to wash the entire welfare home and used a lot of disinfectant, the pungent smell of Lysol still couldn't mask the stench of vomit and excrement that filled the air.
However, all of this is nothing compared to the children in the orphanage.
To be honest, Wang Xiao felt very uncomfortable.
Yes, strictly speaking, she was never the type to be naturally loving and fond of children.
As a de facto orphan, she suffered a lot of bullying from her peers since childhood. She was bullied to the point of having to fight back with her life in elementary school, and she never believed in nonsense like children are born angels.
But this wasn't the main reason she felt uncomfortable.
What truly distressed her was that the children at the St. Mary's Welfare Home were so special.
She had visited orphanages before she time-traveled, and she even had friends whose parents were in charge of caring for children from orphanages.
It's the kind of welfare institution that, in order to let the children experience a normal family atmosphere, finds special families to take the children home and act as their parents and family members.
She and her friends were called "sister" by their younger siblings, and she didn't feel that there was anything strange about them, including the children with physical disabilities, who all behaved quite normally.
But the children at Santa Maria were different; many of them would occasionally shake their heads back and forth, and some even tried to bang their heads against the wall.
Some children clearly exhibit autistic symptoms and seem completely unable to communicate with others.
To be honest, Wang Xiao couldn't bring herself to praise the children for being so cute! What she felt more was the cruelty of life being distorted, and a cruelty tinged with an indescribable despair.
The Minister of Culture sighed softly beside him.
Yes, the Minister of Culture and his nephew also attended this performance and donated supplies.
He asked Wang Xiao, "Miss Wang, what are your thoughts when you see these children?"
Wang Xiao spoke frankly: "I think the staff of the welfare home must work very hard."
Having even one child can be exhausting for a family, let alone having so many. No wonder the expressions on the faces of every employee here are calm and numb.
The Minister of Culture, as if he had found a kindred spirit, sighed softly once more: "Well, child, our country has 100,000. Romania only has a total population of just over 20 million. What a heavy burden Romania bears."
Wang Xiao really didn't know how to respond to this, so she could only say dryly, "Children are the future, they are hope."
The director of the welfare home next door is introducing the situation of the home.
Because of Ceaușescu's forced birth control policies, by the time his regime collapsed, there were at least 100,000 orphans in state-run orphanages across Romania.
Due to the economic downturn since the 1980s and insufficient national funding, these orphans not only lacked food and clothing, but also suffered from severe deficiencies in medical care and emotional support. As a result, these children not only experienced poor physical development, but also suffered severe psychological trauma.
The director is appealing to the government and society to provide more support and assistance to the welfare home.
Wang Xiao remained silent.
No matter how many people try to exonerate Ceaușescu, they have no right to forgive him on behalf of the children who were forced into this world and did not receive enough care.
The Minister of Culture once again let out a sigh that was almost helpless: "Miss Wang, please tell me honestly, do you want this kind of future, this kind of hope?"
Wang Xiao's head was about to explode. He thought to himself: Why is a high-ranking Romanian official asking me, a foreigner, such a question?
But she couldn't pretend not to hear, so she had to bite the bullet and answer, "There's nothing we can do about it. Debts have to be repaid. The consequences of past mistakes can only be paid for by those who come after. We have a Chinese idiom, 'The son pays for the father's debts.' The same applies to the government."
What she didn't say was that, besides, most of the current officials in your Romanian government are remnants from the era of Ceaușescu.
I used to ride in their glory, but now I want to cut all ties completely. Is that realistic?
The Minister of Culture, with a subtle expression, sighed almost in a whisper: "Miss Wang, I thought you could understand our difficulties."
“Of course.” Wang Xiao tried to appear kind. “So everyone is doing their best to help them. Including when we filmed ‘Escape from Deadly Island,’ it was to let more people understand the plight of orphans and reach out to help these poor children.”
It's unclear whether the Minister of Culture believed this or not.
Anyway, Wang Xiao felt that the other person's gaze was strange, as if it carried a condescending sarcasm, as if to say: What do you know?
Wang Xiao wondered if she was overthinking things.
But so what if she really doesn't understand? How can an outsider like her understand other people's family affairs?
So she simply nodded slightly and changed the subject: "Minister, please enjoy the traditional Chinese art performance. I guarantee you won't regret it."
Thank goodness, the welfare home may be dilapidated, but at least it has a room for the visiting troupe to hold indoor performances.
Otherwise, Wang Xiao felt he wouldn't have been able to withstand the cold winds of Bucharest in late January.
The high-ceilinged hall in the northeast corner of the welfare home was originally a patriotic education center for young people during the Ceausescu era.
Honestly, this place is much more impressive than the orphan's room.
The concrete vaulted ceiling of the hall was once inlaid with mosaic murals depicting a collectivist scene of workers, peasants, and Young Pioneers holding Party flags. However, due to its age, the murals have faded, and for some unknown reason, the images of all the intellectuals wearing glasses were chiseled away.
To accommodate these distinguished guests, two additional searchlights made in East Germany were hung in the hall. Unfortunately, perhaps due to a shortage of manpower, the lampshades were covered with too much dust, and the light was dim and yellowish, as if shrouded in a thick fog caused by pollution.
Fortunately, ignoring the dilapidated environment, the performance on stage was nothing short of spectacular, and the audience's hands were practically swollen from clapping.
To be fair, traditional Chinese opera performances have a considerable market overseas.
In the 1930s, when Mr. Mei Lanfang led his troupe to perform in the United States, he gained many overseas fans.
Now, Tang Jianguo also has a large number of die-hard fans in Romania, and they all look at him with shining eyes.
Tang Jianguo didn't take this performance lightly. He dressed up in full costume and brought his students from the Children's Palace to the stage to perform the famous Sichuan opera, "Zhong Kui Marries Off His Sister".
As the gong pierced the air, Tang Jianguo entered the stage with the distinctive short steps of Sichuan opera. His fierce Zhong Kui face was painted with a blazing expression, and his black python robe was adorned with gold cloud patterns. His three-foot-long water sleeves fluttered like ink waves to the beat of the drum.
What a demon king!
Although Wang Xiao couldn't understand the lyrics of the high-pitched singing, he was stunned by the skill of kicking the robe and shaking the sleeves.
With a stomp of his boots, Zhong Kui's footsteps drowned out the sound of the gong.
He suddenly leaned back in a zombie-like motion, the rosin packet in his mouth bursting into flames in the wind. With a whoosh, a blazing flame, like a crimson dragon emerging from the abyss, shot straight up three meters!
The reporters in the front row were forced to lean back involuntarily by the heatwave. Minister of Culture Popescu was a step too slow, and the end of the cigar he was holding caught fire. He hurriedly brushed off the sparks.
This caused everyone to burst into laughter.
Wang Xiao was also overjoyed.
This is what cultural export means.
Wow, that's amazing! Huo Miao only licked the end of the cigar, and didn't even hurt the hand holding the cigar.
As expected of a master, his skills are truly genuine!
Amidst a lively atmosphere, the stage mechanism was activated, and a "Gate of Hell" archway emerged from the crack in the ground. On the dark stage, a ghostly passage was simulated using greenish-blue lasers.
The children from the Children's Palace, dressed as little devils, tumbled onto the stage, with two tall children carrying a prop box covered in talismans.
Those who have seen this play have their eyes glued to the prop box, because according to the plot, once the box is opened, the evil spirit will jump out and fight Zhong Kui.
With a "bang," white smoke exploded, the box opened, and inside sat a girl with messy, unkempt hair. She seemed startled by the noise and struggled to her feet.
Hey, did they change the script? Why is it a female ghost, and why is she dressed like this?
In the dead of winter, she was wearing a light-colored blouse from the orphanage, with the words B-94AB written on her chest in bright red paint.
Under the cold white spotlight, the paint looked like dripping blood.
The drummer seemed startled, forgetting to strike the drumstick, and a trembling voice echoed across the vast stage: "Dormi,dormi, frumos micule,Vntul bate-n ramuri,Mama ta-i departe, micule,Nu te trezi din somn..."
Wang Xiao couldn't understand Romanian, but she instinctively felt that something was wrong.
Because B-94AB is the license plate number of the Minister of Culture's nephew! It's the license plate number that made the news yesterday, causing a huge uproar and forcing her to hold a press conference to clarify and also pay for today's performance!
The girl had a rope hanging from her wrist, suggesting she had been bound!
Who? Who's causing trouble? What's wrong with this girl?
The Minister of Culture's face was even more somber than a Bucharest winter; he practically gritted his teeth: "Miss Wang, what exactly do you mean?"
Wang Xiao hurriedly explained, "I don't know what happened either."
She immediately stood up, but before she could even ask a question, the stage was already in chaos.
The orphanage director rushed over, grabbed the girl, and hurriedly apologized to the distinguished guests: "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, this child is naughty and playing a prank."
The girl in white with blood-written words struggled desperately, shouting, "I didn't make a sound, I want to go home!"
The director forcefully grabbed her arm, trying to pull her off the stage. Amidst the director's roar, two staff members from the orphanage reacted and rushed onto the stage, attempting to take the girl away.
The girl clearly had intellectual disabilities. She was so frightened that she burst into tears and screamed, "I didn't make a sound! Let me go home! Let Anna go home!"
Having just finished her performance and changed out of her costume, Chen Jingjing looked up upon hearing the sound and exclaimed, "Anna!"
She rushed onto the stage and forcefully shoved the director, shouting, "You're talking nonsense! Anna isn't an orphan from your orphanage, she's Anna!"
The dean warned, "Don't cause trouble."
Chen Jingjing shouted anxiously, "Augustine, Florin, Daniela, Laluca, come quick, it's Anna!"
The high school students, who had just changed out of their performance costumes, rushed onto the stage in alarm upon hearing the shouts, blocking the girl in white and confronting the orphanage: "You're talking nonsense! She's not a child from your orphanage! She's our friend, our classmate!"
Chaos erupted on stage, and the audience looked at each other in bewilderment. A familiar reporter even called out to Wang Xiao, "Miss Wang, what's going on?"
Wang Xiao immediately shifted the blame: "You should ask the welfare home about that."
She has no idea.
In fact, she still doesn't know what happened on stage.
Because her cousin Chen Jingjing and the group of children spoke entirely in Romanian, she couldn't understand a single word.
Judging from the current situation, Jingjing shouldn't suffer any major losses. Her aunt and uncle also went over to help.
And then there's Ruan Xiaomei, well done! She took off her fleece coat and wrapped it around the girl in white, gently stroking the girl's back with tenderness.
Excellent, a very good public relations point.
But Wang Xiao doesn't have time to worry about these things right now.
She needs to find a prop master quickly.
The license plates in the movie were handled by the prop master, and the boxes used for the performances are also the work of the prop master.
Having two accidents in a row, how can you say he's without fault? Do you think she's an idiot?
If Wang Xiao catches him, he can twist his head off.
Regardless of his motives, he was just causing her trouble.
She refused to become a part of someone else's play for no reason.
"Where is he?" Wang Xiao asked the director, "We've been searching for him, where is he now?"
The director was equally panicked: "He's gone! That bastard is gone!"
That bastard! He's made such a huge mess, and he dares to disappear.
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This chapter went through seven or eight revisions. Well, I hope the final version won't be confusing.
Descriptions of Romanian welfare institutions in the early 1990s are sourced from the internet. A 1993 UNICEF report stated: "The mortality rate of children in Romanian welfare institutions is 20 times that of children raised at home, and 80% of them suffer from severe developmental delays."
British journalist Caroline Moorehead's on-the-ground account (1990):
“A three-year-old boy repeatedly banged his head against the wall. The caregiver said, ‘He’s been doing this for three years. His brain is already damaged, but his body can still function.’”
While there have been jokes about children being mass-produced in factories in the future, those remain just jokes. Romanian history has already demonstrated just how cruel and horrific factory-raised children truly are.
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