Chapter 268 Our Ivan is the Most Capable: She Never Lies
Wang Xiao has owned a dog, an Alaskan Malamute.
It's quite big. When it goes out to fight with other dogs, it always loses. After losing, it runs home and cuddles on her lap, whimpering all the time.
Ivanov looks like that Alaskan Malamute right now, like he could burst into tears at any moment.
It is said that people need an outlet for their emotions, and Wang Xiao's patience with small animals is clearly greater than his patience with people.
She couldn't help but pat the over-aged boy's head, her voice softening as she asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"
Uh, as soon as she finished speaking, she belatedly realized that she seemed to have hung up on someone's phone last night.
Moreover, when Punonin came to his door, he was simply left alone to face the wind and snow.
Hmm, it does seem a bit scummy.
Wang Xiao felt a rare pang of guilt, as if a victim had come knocking on his door, and immediately tactically patted Ivanov's head.
Oh no! Let me see what that bastard is doing to my Ivan! Once my leg is better, I'll beat him up for you.
She patted the dog's head a couple of times, then suddenly realized something was wrong, because Ivanov didn't take the opportunity to complain, but instead muttered, "So he's nothing special after all."
These words came out of nowhere, and Wang Xiao blurted out instinctively, "Who?"
"Punonine".
After he said it, he thought the king would be surprised.
After all, Punonin had always appeared quite shrewd. Otherwise, Wang wouldn't have chosen him as a partner in the Romanian affair without a second thought.
Wang Xiao's reaction was: "Oh, you finally figured it out?"
"What?" Ivanov's eyes widened at this moment, becoming wet and giving off a kind of invincible puppy-dog eye vibe.
Wang Xiao affectionately touched his eyes again: "You're clever but not wise. Your brain is, well, muddled. Unlike our Ivanov, who has always had great wisdom."
Ivanov was instantly shocked, looking at him incredulously: "You think I have great wisdom?"
"Of course," Wang Xiao nodded firmly. "Otherwise, why would I want you to be my partner?"
Ivanov stared blankly, muttering to himself, "I thought it was because I'm not smart enough."
See, intelligent people fight when they get together, like the king and Punonin—no, Punonin is no match for the king at all.
“Wrong. How could someone who always knows who truly represents the national interest not be smart?” Wang Xiao said seriously. “I have a phobia of stupidity. I never waste any time on idiots, for fear of catching it. So, you see, I don’t even like talking to Punoning.”
Ivanov finally cheered up and even chatted with Wang Xiao: "You know what? Punonin is actually thinking of selling Soviet technology to the West in a package, thinking that he can get a good price that way."
"How stupid!" Wang Xiao echoed him. "He's just as stupid as his boss. Why would anyone buy it? Wouldn't it be more convenient to destroy it and not need it?"
"Destroy them?" Ivanov's eyes widened again. "Let them rust in a safe, until they become obsolete?"
Wang Xiao shook his head: "More than that, waiting is too long, there are too many uncontrollable factors, it's too dangerous. We can take the initiative. For example—"
She gave a real historical example: "The Black Sea Shipyard has an aircraft carrier that hasn't been finished yet. If I don't want to see the aircraft carrier continue to be built, I can place an order with the shipyard and say that I need several large ships, and I need them very urgently. Because the ships are too big, the shipyard only has the dock that the aircraft carrier occupies. It's called a dock, I guess. Anyway, it's like a workshop that can be used."
Nikolai had no choice but to remind his boss, who lacked military knowledge, "It's a slipway."
"Oh, the slipway."
Wang Xiao, completely unconcerned, changed his tune immediately, "The previous aircraft carrier project had no buyers and still owed the shipyard a mountain of debt. The next one, however, has already been paid for with a deposit; it's a huge order. If we take it, at least the entire factory's wages for the next three years will be secured. So, as the factory manager, do you take it or not?"
"If you take it, you'll have to scrap the aircraft carrier and tow it away. If you don't take it, all the workers are waiting for their rice to cook. You can't let everyone carry the burden together..."
Ivanov suddenly chirped, "Punonin wants everyone at the Academy of Sciences to go hungry."
"Hmm, that's normal." Wang Xiao said dismissively, "Officials who have enjoyed the benefits of socialist governance all fall into this trap. They don't want to shoulder the responsibilities of socialism and provide for people's livelihoods, yet they demand that people make contributions according to the spirit of collectivism. So, being neither here nor there is the worst kind of ideology."
Ivanov nodded vigorously: "Exactly! By the way, what happened to that aircraft carrier?"
“Even normal managers would not stand by and watch their subordinates take the blame. In addition, even if they insist on building the aircraft carrier, given the current environment, the Ukrainian government is likely to be neither able to afford it nor dare to pay for it.”
Why? Because Ukraine is destroying its weapons on a large scale. This is something the whole world, including China, welcomes as it moves away from nuclear weapons.
"If the government doesn't foot the bill and you have to pay out of your own pocket to build the aircraft carrier, it will likely remain idle. Under such pressure, wouldn't it be a wise choice to dismantle it and use the space on the slipway to build civilian merchant ships?"
Ivanov, his businessman instincts kicking in, asked in bewilderment, "What about the manpower and material costs incurred in building this aircraft carrier? Who's footing the bill? It's such a rip-off!"
Wang Xiao laughed: "At this moment, another foreign company came over and said, 'Hey, the steel used to build the aircraft carrier is special steel, right? It's high-quality. We're willing to pay three times the price.' Wow! Selling the steel will make a lot of money. So, are you going to dismantle it or not?"
Ivanov's business acumen helped him make a rational choice: "Demolish!"
But as soon as he finished speaking, he immediately came to his senses. "But if they demolish it, they'll be in breach of contract. Both companies are in breach of contract. Shipyards grew up during the planned economy era; they're not good at business, and they're not shrewd enough."
"What's a deposit? Paying $100,000 or at most $1 million is still a deposit. After breaching the contract, you can dismantle an aircraft carrier for $1 million. What a profitable deal. It's the same with the steel company. They were willing to pay a high price before because the special steel was part of the aircraft carrier. Once the aircraft carrier is gone, it will be worthless."
Ivanov began to sigh, "My God, it's practically a victory without a fight."
Xiao Gao, Xiao Zhao, and Yang Tao all felt like they couldn't hear anything.
What kind of nonsense is this? How can the idea of subduing the enemy without fighting be applied here?
However, their boss doted on Ivanov so much that he could lie through his teeth: "Yes, that's exactly it."
Lyuba said softly, "That's how they dismantled the Ulyanovsk aircraft carrier in 1992."
Wang Xiao let out a soft "Ah," as if to say, "It's already been demolished."
Although this event is recorded in world military history, she, who experienced 1992 firsthand, felt nothing about it.
Because so many heavy weapons were destroyed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, they were so numerous that newspapers didn't even bother to make a special mention of them.
Even when she went to Ukraine to buy steel in early 1992, she didn't recall anyone mentioning it.
Is it regrettable? To be honest, it is.
If she had known, she should have at least gone to the shipyard to take a look at this legendary supercarrier.
Seeing her undisguised expression, Ivanov asked in surprise, "You want an aircraft carrier?"
Wang Xiao was even more surprised than him: "Are you crazy? What would I need an aircraft carrier for?"
Ivanov asked suspiciously, "Then why are you making that face?"
They're all clutching their chests!
"Special steel!" Wang Xiao was truly heartbroken. "Think about it, when the second company defaulted, didn't they drive down the price of the special steel from the aircraft carrier to an extremely low level? The Black Sea Shipyard still had to sell it."
Because at that time, a large number of tanks, armored vehicles and the like were sold as scrap metal, and no one cared if you drove a tank away with just two bottles of vodka.
Therefore, at that time, the entire scrap steel market in Ukraine was in a state of oversupply, and since ordinary people did not need special steel, it was really difficult to sell the dismantled aircraft carrier at the price of special steel.
Wang Xiao clutched his chest and let out a painful groan: "How many tons of special steel does an aircraft carrier need?"
Ivanov thought that the high-ranking officers of the Chinese military had specifically sought out Wang to buy titanium alloy, so he guessed that this special steel for aircraft carriers was also a treasure they wanted.
His heart ached.
Of course they'd be heartbroken if they didn't make the money they were supposed to earn.
Besides, with so many connections made over special steel for aircraft carriers, hasn't their relationship with the Chinese military taken another step forward?
In China, connections are the door, skills are the key, and the key to unlocking the door is always the times.
Having missed this great opportunity, they had no choice but to find another way.
Ivanov expressed his sadness weakly: "Alas, if we had known about this earlier, we might as well have just towed the aircraft carrier away."
"Are you crazy? How are we going to tow it? It's such a huge thing." Wang Xiao was equally listless. "Besides, if we really tow away the aircraft carrier, we can forget about doing business in Moscow and Kiev in the future."
She was in a position to do her job, but she wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue.
If the military can rebuild the aircraft carrier from the scrap metal, that's their capability, and it has nothing to do with her.
If they can't do it, that's their own business, and none of your concern.
Wang Xiao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the sadness of missing out on the treasure, and spread his hands: "So, I especially can't understand why, when the Ulianovsk incident was so obvious, and these people had already realized they were being deceived, they not only didn't wake up, but also went out of their way to be deceived a second and a third time. That's the impression these officials give me—blind and brainless."
She thought for a moment and gave an analogy, "It's like those fools who are treated like bloodsuckers by their whole family, getting tricked and ripped off every time. Then, with a flick of their wrist, they eagerly rush over to be sucked dry and have their flesh cut off. Honestly, I can't sympathize with these people at all. Because they've willingly degraded themselves and don't deserve to be treated kindly. Moreover, they've been led astray, assuming that anyone who's kind to them is their bloodsucker. Whoever shows them kindness will become unhappy."
Xiao Gao, Xiao Zhao, and Yang Tao all looked at the car window, their knees, and their fingers.
Hmm, the sky is so blue, the snow is so white, the main roads in Beijing are so wide, and the boss's cursing is so filthy.
Even Yang Tao felt obligated to change the subject, otherwise it wouldn't be good during the Lunar New Year.
The male boss even flew in from Moscow overnight.
So the hardworking workers racked their brains and finally came up with a friendly and harmonious topic: "Boss, is there anything else you want to tell the workers who are going abroad?"
See how well she knows how to choose her words? Manager Zhao Qing was in charge of the state-owned factory employees' overseas trips, but she also actively offered suggestions and assisted in the work.
Manager Zhao is currently staying at the night school to focus on the training courses and hasn't come out yet, but she still doesn't forget to speak up for others in front of the boss. That's the kind of responsibility a leader should have.
But she immediately regretted bringing up the topic, because the boss said without hesitation, "Tell the workers to bring their sex toys so they don't go out and mess around."
She didn't care whether these state-owned factory workers on unpaid leave would have affairs.
Nonsense, the law doesn't consider infidelity to be a breakdown of the marital relationship, so why is she meddling in other people's business?
What she was really worried about was that these people would get sick, or that the complicated relationships between men and women/men and men/women and women would lead to serious crimes or even murder.
It will be so troublesome to find the company then, it'll be a real pain.
Honestly, after this experience, she realized that she probably wouldn't expand her overseas study agency business in the future, because it's too troublesome.
While the boss was complaining, Yangtao over there was practically dying on the spot.
But this woman, who had never even had a boyfriend, now had to bite the bullet and pretend to be nonchalant as she continued to ask the boss, "Should we bring the inflatable dolls for them too?"
Wang Xiao refused outright: "No need. The dolls are too expensive for them; they're not necessities."
Yang Tao wanted to try again: "But it can be used as a form of promotion, like advertising abroad."
The owner refused a second time: "No need, they will share the dolls and won't clean or disinfect them properly."
What are you thinking? Do you expect to have a single room in a dormitory abroad, where your personal privacy is well protected?
There's no such thing as a free lunch. As low-skilled manual laborers, they all live in dormitories.
It is common for Romanians to work as seasonal harvesters in Germany and live in dormitories converted from warehouses by farm owners, typically twenty people to a room.
"Going out is difficult in every way," is not just a saying.
Wang Xiao then remembered something else: "Right, we can screen them again and see if anyone wants to work in Japan? They need to have a good image, at least a high school education, and the number shouldn't be too large, keep it to 10 people, to work as trainees in a clothing store in Japan."
Yang Tao immediately realized: "Will they open a clothing store in the electronics market later?"
“Hmm.” Wang Xiao nodded. “There are quite a few people from Beijing going to Tokyo, and later, Inoyu will be opening a train station back in Beijing. Shanghai, yes, I need to talk to Zhang Junfei and find about 10 people to go there as trainees.”
She wanted to make domestic consumers believe that it was a homegrown Japanese popular brand during the height of Japanese culture.
Once the "Guochao" (national trend) takes off, the true identity of its investors will be widely revealed, making it a shining example of Chinese products.
Yes, capitalists always profit from both ends.
Wang Xiao then remembered something else: "Isn't there a TV series called 'Shanghai People in Tokyo'? Has it been filmed yet? If it's not finished, we'll sponsor it and let the crew film on location at Enoyu. 'A Native of Beijing in New York' is a hit now, and I guess there are quite a few companies that want to sponsor 'Shanghai People in Tokyo,' but we're not going to compete with them. We'll focus on filming on locations in Japan."
Who should we entrust this task to?
Heading east? Yes, once she gets back to Jinning, she'll have to ask about seeing the Michael Jackson concert.
She's been so busy lately that she hasn't had time to pay attention.
Yang Tao immediately agreed: "Okay, I'll talk to Manager Zhao about it later."
We chattered on and on until we got back to the hotel.
Wang Xiao immediately booked a room for Ivanov and his bodyguard: "Forget about jet lag, just get some sleep. After you wake up and have some food, if you feel energetic, go shopping; if you don't, just sleep."
The poor child, how heartbroken he must have been on his flight from Moscow.
Wang Xiao has never seriously followed any celebrities, or rather, her love is very shallow. She can just sit back and watch the gossip when someone's scandal breaks, without feeling sad at all.
But before she transmigrated, she had fans of celebrities around her, and to be honest, they were all truly heartbroken.
She may not be very empathetic, but she has absolute respect.
For Ivanov, Punonin meant far more than just an idol.
It's normal for him to be sad and want to get better.
Although Ivanov was extremely tired, he couldn't afford to sleep: "Your Majesty, I have something for you."
Lyuba couldn't help but wonder, after Natsume Soseki and Eileen Chang, which writer does the boss plan to learn from next?
God, he'd better stop saying those strange things.
Although she sees herself as invisible as a bodyguard, she feels incredibly awkward being Russian.
This time, the boss didn't say anything strange. Instead, he showed Wang Xiao two documents: "This one."
Wang Xiao's eyes widened as she flipped through the pages, and she almost cried out "God!"
"Ivanov, haven't you had a break these past two days? How did you get them to agree? Data from liquid crystal molecule orientation research in the 1980s, my god! They even agreed to the parallel computing protocol for the open Elybus supercomputer. It's incredible, you're practically a god."
The Elybrus supercomputer was independently developed by the Soviet Union and was considered a flagship project. Moreover, it was competitive in the field of supercomputing.
She flipped through the Elybrus supercomputing protocol, the Cyrillic letters on the blueprints making her temples throb. This thing could calculate missile trajectories in 0.3 seconds during the Soviet era, and now it was being used to design LCD screens. Frankly, she felt like using an intercontinental ballistic missile to shoot a sparrow.
Ivanov said proudly, "Because I told them that we've poached a lot of Japanese engineers and are preparing to work on the current mainstream STN-LCD technology. The Russian Academy of Sciences can send young scholars to participate in the research and development. In fact, they can take this opportunity to learn about Japan's process management experience. So, they are very interested."
In the 1970s and 80s, Japan was already quite advanced in fields such as semiconductors, optical fibers, and intelligent machinery, even surpassing the United States. The Soviet Union was also very interested in these technologies, and its clandestine import of Toshiba 9-axis CNC machine tools from Japan led to increased tariffs imposed on Japan by the United States.
Now that the Soviet Union is gone, the Russian Academy of Sciences is struggling to even pay its researchers' salaries. Trying to operate like it did in the 1980s is basically impossible.
Faced with harsh reality, they could only resort to indirect methods to achieve their goal.
"What the Russian Academy of Sciences wants is not money, but a ticket to return to the world stage of science and technology—and we happen to have that stage."
In return, the Russian Academy of Sciences would open up Soviet electrochromic display technology (ECM).
Wang Xiao was confused: "What kind of technology is this?"
Even Ivanov, a poor student, couldn't explain it clearly. After scratching his head for a long time, he gave a stammering answer: "It seems to be the window material of the spacecraft. Electrochromic materials can be used to regulate light and temperature, which can improve the stability of the internal environment of the spacecraft."
Wang Xiao blinked twice. What use is this to them? They don't make spacecraft for civilian use.
Oh, wait a minute, photochromic glass, which adjusts light and temperature, could be used for car rearview mirrors. Adjusting the tint of the mirror could reduce eye strain and improve driving safety.
Yes, it can also be used for architectural glass, reducing the amount of light and heat entering in summer and lowering the temperature; in winter, it maintains light transmittance, utilizing natural light for heating and reducing the need for central heating.
That's a good option.
This type of glass can be used in mid- to high-end buildings in the future. It is energy-saving and environmentally friendly, which is in line with the major trend.
Wang Xiao spared no effort in praising the key contributor: "To be able to negotiate the Elysium supercomputing protocol and electrochromic technology as a package deal, you won't find anyone else on Wall Street with that kind of skill."
The latter, however, seemed a bit lost in thought, pausing for a full second before replying, "Your Majesty, will we share technology with the Academy of Sciences?"
"Nonsense!" Wang Xiao slapped the document in his hand. "Without them, our commercialization can't proceed. So, we must keep them on our side. We need to prevent them from being fickle, constantly looking for something better while they're still employed. They should cooperate with us steadily; we definitely won't let them suffer losses."
She couldn't help but complain, "Our principle is to make more friends. Are you and I the kind of people who would betray someone easily? Tell me, unless someone wrongs us first, when have we ever taken the initiative to hurt someone?"
Ivanov was happy again, because the king had always tied himself to her.
Wang Xiao patted his shoulder: "Go to sleep, get some rest and refresh yourself."
Ivanov started to whine again: "Your Majesty, I don't want to go back to Moscow. I don't want to see those people at all right now."
Wang Xiaoqi was puzzled: "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, why are you going back to Moscow? Come back to Jinning with me. My uncle and his family are also going back to China this year, our family will definitely have a lively New Year. Let me tell you, there are still so many delicious things you didn't get to eat last time."
Ivanov chuckled: "So, what did you tell your mother about your leg?"
"What are you talking about? Both Moscow and Beijing are covered in snow and ice; it's normal to slip and fall anywhere."
Just as she finished speaking, the phone rang. It was Yang Tao: "Boss, why don't you call home? Um, your parents called the office looking for you. It seems they're asking about your injury."
As for why not call Wang Xiao's mobile phone directly? Because currently, China has not yet connected to the GSM digital network, so Jin Ning's phone cannot call a mobile phone in Beijing.
Sigh, this era is really inconvenient.
However, Wang Xiao now wishes it were even less convenient.
Good heavens! Why is it that she has projects and offices in Beijing, so that Comrade Chen Yanqiu's phone call could reach Beijing?
Ivanov nearly burst out laughing upon hearing the translation: "Your Majesty, so you haven't said it yet!"
"You have no shame!" Wang Xiao glared at him. "You're such a jinx."
Ivanov, always eager for a good show, didn't mind being scolded and craned his neck to wait for Wang Xiao to suffer a setback.
Wang Xiao took a deep breath, composed herself, and dialed her home number, saying, "Oh, Mom, how did you know I was injured? I wanted to keep a low profile."
Chairman Chen was furious: "You're still trying to keep a low profile? Such a big thing as a plane crash, and you didn't even tell your family."
"Huh?" Wang Xiao looked particularly surprised. "Jin Ning is spreading this rumor?"
Chen Yanqiu was stunned: "What? No?"
"No, no, no," Wang Xiao denied again. "Of course it is. Mom, remember this, tell everyone the same thing. I was trying to get orders so everyone could have a good New Year, even though the weather was bad, I still rushed to catch the plane, and then this happened. It was terrible, I waited in the Greek snow mountains for three whole days and three nights before Ivanov finally found someone to rescue me."
She described it vividly, but the more she talked, the more Chen Yanqiu felt something was off, and she couldn't help but ask again, "Xiaoxiao, did your plane crash?"
"Of course!" Wang Xiao emphasized seriously, "Mom, please don't get this wrong. My leg is broken and in a cast. If the plane hadn't crashed, would I be like this?"
Chen Yanqiu, still somewhat skeptical, covered the phone receiver and asked her husband, "What exactly is going on with this girl?"
Wang Tiejun shook his head at his wife, guessing it wasn't a plane crash, but probably just a slippery road accident.
Ha, she's saying the plane crashed so she can claim credit and show her superiors how much she sacrificed.
Having served as deputy factory director for so long, he's gotten quite familiar with the ways of those who know how to be officials.
They all exaggerate one point into ten.
Chen Yanqiu thought so too.
If the plane had really crashed, given her daughter's personality, she would have kept it a secret. Why would she have made such a big fuss about it?
So, the mother lost patience with her rambling: "Alright, tomorrow is New Year's Eve, you should come back soon."
"Okay!" Wang Xiao readily agreed and hung up the phone.
Everyone in the room was stunned.
Ivanov gave her a thumbs up: "Your Majesty, amazing!"
He has now witnessed what it means to make the real appear illusory and the illusory appear real.
Wang Xiao looked completely innocent: "I told my parents, but they didn't believe me, and there was nothing I could do."
Look how honest she is; she never lies.
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Note: Beijing's GSM network coverage of the Second Ring Road began after October 1994.
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