Chapter 36 Trouble Comes Knocking: That's it?
Wang Xiao left the train station full of confidence, boarded the chemical research institute's car, and returned to her unit to report on her work. The sooner she finished, the sooner she could get more goods.
Chen Yanqiu noticed that she was still carrying a bag and called out, "Give it to Mom, Mom will be home soon."
Wang Xiao closed the car door: "It's okay. I still have my notebook and documents inside. It's too much trouble to take them back and forth. I'll bring them back after get off work."
The director felt embarrassed and said, "It's nothing, you've been working hard for so long. Xiao Wang, go home and rest. We can talk about it tomorrow."
Wang Xiao said seriously, "No, we must finish today's work today. There are other plans for tomorrow."
Chen Yanqiu quickly added, "Yes, yes, she's so young, what's there to be tired about? Work is important, work should come first."
No wonder they are a family of advanced workers; listen to their noble character!
That's obviously a lie.
After she entered the director's office and gave a brief report, Wang Xiao unzipped her travel bag, took out a military overcoat, and respectfully handed it to the director: "Director, this is a gift from Professor Butrenov to express his gratitude for our hospitality."
Professor Butrenov was the leader of the Soviet university students' group. Since the Soviets organized the trip, they needed a teacher to accompany them so that everyone would feel at ease.
The director's eyes lit up. He had been eyeing this military overcoat ever since he met the Soviets and had wanted to buy it then. But at the time, he was busy entertaining foreign guests and didn't have time for it. In addition, he planned to wait until the end of the month when he received his allowance to save up 1,000 yuan before buying the clothes, so he didn't rush to do so.
As it turned out, before the allowance even arrived, the military overcoats were sold out, leaving him filled with regret, wishing he could turn back time. He was especially heartbroken when he heard that the Soviets wouldn't be bringing overcoats next time.
Unexpectedly, the coat he had been longing for was now placed in front of him.
However, the director must be some kind of idiot to have risen to that position. He'd be a fool to believe any nonsense about a gift from a Soviet chemistry professor.
If it was a gift from someone, why didn't you take it out before you left?
Holding a gift-giving ceremony and taking photos to commemorate the occasion would have elevated the meaning of the event.
Besides, Professor Butrenov himself is quite poor; where would he get an expired military overcoat worth a thousand?
The director hesitated for a moment, then decided to remain impartial and honest. He reached for his wallet and said, "Xiao Wang, please thank Professor Butrenov for his kindness and convey my and our Chemical Engineering Institute's gratitude and sincere greetings to the Soviet Union. But this coat costs 1,000 yuan in the department store, so I'll definitely have to pay the original price. You take it and give it to him for me later."
Wang Xiao quickly backed down, refusing three times in a row: "No, no, no, Director, if you give this to me, where am I supposed to find someone to return it? You're just making things difficult for me."
"That won't do. If I don't make things difficult for you, I'll be making things difficult for myself."
"How about this?" Wang Xiao took a step back, feigning a troubled expression. "Next time, when our institute's leaders and teachers go to Moscow for a study tour, how about you personally give the money to Professor Butrenov? Or you could simply choose a similar gift to bring along; exchanging gifts is a token of goodwill."
The director had no time to think about gifts; the military overcoat he had been longing for and had finally obtained was completely forgotten.
His eyes widened in disbelief, his glasses nearly slipping off his nose: "Go...go to Moscow?"
Seriously, despite the craze for going abroad in the 1980s, very few Chinese people actually actually stepped outside the country.
It's really sad to say, Chen Huansheng went to the city and then abroad to broaden his horizons, while he, the director of a provincial chemical research institute, still hasn't gotten a passport to this day.
Does he want to go to the Soviet Union? Of course he does, he dreams of it.
Even setting aside the nights outside Moscow, he'd be happy just strolling through the streets of Moscow. Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral, the Bolshoi Theatre and the circus—even just walking in Gorky Park and breathing in the Moscow air would be refreshing.
Is my long-cherished dream finally about to come true?
“Yes.” Wang Xiao nodded, his face full of composure. “Didn’t Professor Butrenov say that he looks forward to meeting his colleagues from our Chemical Engineering Institute in Moscow soon?”
The director was immediately disappointed. Anyone could say such nice things. The Russians were just being polite. How were they going to reimburse their travel expenses for so many people going to Moscow for a study tour?
The chemical institute can barely pay salaries now, and it's all thanks to him shamelessly chasing after his superiors every day, pleading poverty, that he managed to get a pittance.
They're so poor, yet they still want to go abroad to have some fancy food?
Ha, even if he's the boss, he'll still slap him across the face!
Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously: "We can find sponsors. We can find a soap factory to sponsor Soviet university teachers and students to visit and learn from our chemical institute, and we can naturally find similar sponsors in the Soviet Union."
The director was so shocked he almost jumped out of his chair, blurting out, "How is this possible?"
Wang Xiao was utterly speechless. He wondered if the century of humiliation had such a profound impact on the older generation that it made it seem as if Chinese people were inherently inferior to foreigners.
The director could easily accept the soap factory's sponsorship of Soviet guests to visit and exchange ideas in China, but he found it unbelievable that a Soviet manufacturer would sponsor Chinese experts to go there for exchange and learning.
She said decisively, "Of course it's possible. Professor Butrenov took the lead on this matter when he went back this time. It's already in the works, and it's bound to succeed."
How could it not work out? Each person carried two large bags to Moscow, spending tens of thousands of rubles at a time. Her partners in the Soviet Union were too busy welcoming her to care about the travel expenses.
She can guarantee that the institute won't have to spend a single penny, and she can also guarantee to "get" the institute a sponsorship fee.
The director's face immediately lit up with a smile. Then, embarrassed, he subconsciously rubbed his hands together and said, "Well, when will that be? Look, it's already past New Year's Day. If we don't hurry, we might not be able to make it back for the New Year. I heard it's quite far, and a round trip takes at least half a month."
Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated, thinking to himself, "You're really impatient."
She shook her head regretfully: "I'm afraid it won't work this year. Moscow is too cold. If we go there in this weather, we'll freeze to death. We can't take it. Let's wait until spring, when it's warmer, and then we can explore Moscow more."
Ahem, the truth is, she doesn't really care whether the people in the institute will have their ears frozen off.
But she also planned to take Dr. Chen Yanqiu and Comrade Wang Tiejun with her, and do some sightseeing along the way.
It definitely has to be springtime when the weather is warm and the flowers are in bloom, otherwise if she catches a cold and gets sick, then she won't be fulfilling her filial duty, but rather being unfilial.
Although the director was disappointed, he knew how severe the Siberian cold wave was, so he could only say, "Then you should hurry up and take care of this matter, don't forget about it in your busy schedule."
He patted his overcoat again, making a meaningful statement, "Xiao Wang, your work ability is evident to everyone in the institute. Don't worry, your efforts are seen by everyone. The other leaders and I still have high hopes for you. How about this, after the New Year, when the soap factory is back on track, you can come back."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiao was so frightened that his soul almost flew out of his body.
No, no, no, please don't! I've only just begun to earn a fortune, please don't ruin my incredible wealth.
"Chief, actually I..."
Before she could finish speaking, a roar came from downstairs: "Wang Xiao, you filthy bitch, come out here!"
Wang Xiao ran to the corridor and looked down. When she recognized the face, for some reason, she suddenly thought of a film review she had read before, which was about why female-oriented novels generally flopped when adapted into film and television works from the male protagonist's perspective.
Aside from all other influencing factors, the most important point is that gender is an inherent obstacle for women who want to pursue careers. This process of overcoming this obstacle is precisely what makes female-centric novels so appealing.
From the male protagonist's perspective, there wouldn't be any such problems. Forcing the highlight onto the male protagonist is ridiculously incongruous.
For example, how many mothers-in-law, like the one downstairs, genuinely support their daughters-in-law's careers? And how many sons-in-law achieve great success by following the father-in-law's path?
Therefore, in a patriarchal society, it is difficult for women not to compete with each other, while men will naturally form alliances.
She wasn't in a hurry, and even had the leisure to think about these trivial matters, because she had no intention of going downstairs to deal with the furious mother-in-law.
What was she doing downstairs?
Are you going to have a fight with Ruan Rui's mother?
Do they even deserve it?
Only weaklings fight each other.
She couldn't be bothered to waste her time on someone like that.
After all, she's a woman who earns a fortune every day; she's very expensive!
Wang Xiao turned his head and frowned: "Director, how come just anyone can run around our chemical institute like this? What if some madman runs in, sets a fire, and blows up our institute?"
The director was speechless.
The research institute is an important scientific research unit with strict daily management; ordinary people really can't get in.
Although he didn't know Ruan Rui's mother, he could tell who she was from the way she was cursing.
It's normal for employees' family members to come in looking for someone.
The chemical engineering department is not, after all, some important classified organization.
Wang Xiao, however, said seriously, "Therefore, these people who claim to be family members cannot just be registered; the employees themselves must personally come to claim them. Otherwise, saboteurs can just make up an identity and come in, and since no one is with them, who knows what bad things they might do?"
The director tried to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, Xiao Wang, go and deal with your family matters first. This is making a mess of things."
Listen to what that old woman is spewing out; her spittle is covered in excrement.
Wang Xiao's expression remained unchanged: "It's not a family matter. Chief, I understand what you mean. But my marriage with Ruan Rui is invalid. He and his ex-wife never divorced. I've already called the police, and the law has cleared my name."
The director was stunned, and just then, someone from above came to get the director's signature. Sister Miao was also stunned.
Sister Miao was furious: "Are the people at Chengnan High School dead? They don't even know if we're divorced or not? And they still dare to issue a certificate?"
There are no secrets in this circle.
Previously, Wang Xiao was going to divorce Ruan Rui, and her colleagues at the research institute had vaguely heard about it. However, she was first busy contacting Soviet guests to visit the institute, and then she was busy with reception work, so she hardly ever went near the institute's gate. No one had a chance to gossip with her.
Who knew there would be this twist?
Wang Xiao had to speak up for Chengnan High School: "They were also misled by bad elements. That fraudster is no longer working at Chengnan High School."
Downstairs, Ruan's mother was being dragged away by security guards, furious: "Wang Xiao, you filthy bitch, you ruined my son! I'll tear your cunt apart today, you'll see..."
Ruan Rui was arrested by the police almost a month ago. Why is it that this great mother of her eldest son is only now coming to cause trouble for Wang Xiao?
Well, this is all thanks to the good work of the public security officers in keeping things confidential.
They never mentioned Wang Xiao's report, only emphasizing that the investigation found Ruan Rui had committed bigamy and that his marriage to Wang Xiao should be annulled.
So the Nguyen family misunderstood, thinking that Nguyen Thuy's ex-wife had returned to the country and was resentful that Nguyen Thuy had remarried, which was why she was up to no good.
Because this family, from the oldest to the youngest, were just like Ruan Rui, they all looked down on Wang Xiao, and by extension, on his parents. In their eyes, the Wang family was just a bunch of respectable people in the provincial capital; how could they possibly have the ability to go to Beijing to conduct some kind of investigation?
What kind of place is the capital? It's right under the emperor's nose. In the eyes of the Ruan family elders, it's a place only their top-ranking son can go.
Thanks to their bizarre thinking, they wasted several hundred yuan and a week of their time, ultimately gaining nothing.
Later, it was only through connections that Old Man Ruan was able to see Ruan Rui, who was being held captive, and thus the suspicion shifted to Wang Xiao.
But at that time, Wang Xiao had long since stopped coming to the gate of the chemical plant and was busy with investment promotion meetings at the Jinning Grand Hotel, so the Ruan family elders could not see him at all.
What? You mean they went to the steel factory's residential area to ambush people? That's quite an idea.
Hey, you really underestimate steel mills these days; they're like a microcosm of society.
Chen Yanqiu had been spreading rumors at the factory since early morning that Ruan Rui had committed marriage fraud and bigamy, which was why her family was adamant about not holding a wedding ceremony and that the marriage had been annulled long ago. She also spoke to the gatekeeper, who, of course, wouldn't let the Ruan family elders in.
As for Wang Xiao, he hasn't been home much lately, often staying in the office at the Jinning Hotel, where he can spend the whole night lying on a cot, so the Ruan couple haven't had a chance to catch him.
So today, with the foreign guests gone and the security guards at the Chemical Engineering Institute relaxing their vigilance, this ridiculous drama unfolded.
Wang Xiao, impatient to waste time on this kind of person, urged again: "Director, with all this noise, what kind of place is our Chemical Engineering Institute?"
Just as the director was about to speak and order the security personnel to quickly pull Ruan's mother away, a dark shadow suddenly flashed past.
It turned out that Ruan's mother, enraged by the lack of response after scolding for so long, had taken off her leather cotton shoes and smashed them forcefully towards Wang Xiao.
Wang Xiao was completely stunned and didn't come to her senses.
Just as the cotton-padded shoe was about to smash into her face, a foot suddenly flew from the side, and Sister Miao let out a loud shout, kicking the shoe back with a "bang".
With a loud thud, Ruan's mother was knocked off balance and fell to the ground.
Taking advantage of the situation, her colleagues from the security department grabbed her from both sides, dragged her to the main gate, and threw her out.
Wang Xiao turned her head and looked at Sister Miao in disbelief. After a long while, she finally managed to say, "Teacher Miao, you're so handsome!"
Wow! So cool! So amazing! That footwork, that penalty kick, could beat the Chinese national football team in seconds.
Sister Miao proudly raised her chin. "What's so special about this? Back when she was working in the countryside in Yunnan, she was the captain of the women's soccer team and was selected for the sports team. She only briefly took the college entrance exam in 1972, passed, and returned to the provincial capital, where she just played soccer at school."
Sister Miao cried out in disgust as she was hugged, pushing the woman away without showing any sign of being pleased. Instead, she said coldly, "You should be focusing on your research. You're too young to be doing anything productive, which is why you're constantly in trouble!"
The director quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, Xiao Wang, that's perfect! You should come back and learn from your teacher, Teacher Miao. You're a promising talent; the whole institute has high hopes for you."
As for that Xiao Gao, well, go cool off somewhere else.
The AC foaming agent project has already mentioned his name once, what more could he want? He's useless at everything, but he's number one at causing trouble, and he's never contributed anything to the institute.
Xiao Wang is different. Look at this comrade. Not only did he offer advice and suggestions for the AC foaming agent project, but he also solved the sales problem for the soap factory. Now he's even taking all his colleagues to Moscow for a taste of the West, or rather, for international academic exchange.
We need a dozen more of these good comrades; the Chemical Engineering Institute wouldn't have too many!
Wang Xiao felt a cold sweat break out on his back and quickly called for a stop: "Um, leader, Teacher Miao, I have always been very grateful to the Institute of Chemical Engineering for cultivating me, and I have always wanted to repay the institute for its cultivation."
Sister Miao's expression softened slightly, and she reluctantly accepted her repentance: "Just work hard in the future and don't make the same mistake again. The reason why the country advocates late marriage and late childbirth is to prevent young girls like you from making foolish decisions when they're confused."
Wang Xiao laughed. "That's right, a woman only gets married when she's out of her mind."
But she dared not laugh now, and had to maintain a deeply emotional demeanor: "That's precisely why I can't go back to work at the institute right now. — Don't be angry, let me finish. What does our chemical engineering institute lack most right now? Funding. I see that many instruments in our lab need to be replaced. That chromatography column alone has been used for so many years, its sensitivity is no longer sufficient, but we haven't been able to replace it. As the saying goes, 'A skilled craftsman must first sharpen his tools.' If we want to improve efficiency, replacing the equipment is urgently needed!"
That's what they say, but the Chemical Engineering Institute doesn't have the money. Even if they did, they would know to upgrade their equipment.
Wang Xiao said with deep emotion: "So I think the key now is to make money. I know it's not respectable to try to earn extra money, but our institute is short of money. I want to take advantage of the opportunity to do sales for them at the soap factory and earn some commission, at least ten thousand yuan, so I can at least buy a couple of useful instruments."
Listen to that, what noble character!
They're all using their positions for personal gain and exploiting public resources.
But when it came to her, she was trying every possible way to earn money to spend on the chemical plant.
This is comparable to the underground Communist Party members of yesteryear.
Even Sister Miao opened her mouth several times, but she just couldn't bring herself to say that she didn't need to earn money.
Back then, they could barely manage to conduct research using makeshift methods, but that's no longer possible. Without the right hardware, even the best software is useless without the right resources.
The director couldn't possibly refuse.
To be honest, their chemical engineering institute has quite a few engineers, but surprisingly few who can make money. Actually, they did try their hand at tertiary industries before; which company in the country doesn't? They even produced their own liquid soap. But their business only lasted less than six months before they couldn't compete with the factories.
So in the end, Sister Miao, though seemingly stern, reminded him: "Don't be so restless out there all the time. Come back soon. If you don't practice for three days, your hands will become clumsy."
Wang Xiao repeatedly assured him, "Definitely, definitely," and then quickly made his escape.
As she turned the corner after going downstairs, she bumped into Director Xiao and Gao Weimin, his uncle and nephew.
Director Xiao was alright, but Gao Weimin looked at her as if he had seen a ghost.
Wang Xiao sneered inwardly.
Feeling guilty now? Unworthy of your position, you can only live in constant fear.
It's a pity she wasn't interested in the chemical industry, otherwise she would have definitely found a way to kick her out.
Let's put it aside for now.
If it were the original owner, she probably wouldn't be willing to accept it.
But what can you do? You gave up on your own life, so there's no reason for it to stay and wait for you to turn back.
She didn't even have the right to criticize Gao Weimin and Director Xiao, because if she were in their position, she would also do her best to fight for them.
If you don't fight for something yourself, why would you expect someone to hand it to you? How dare you! She wouldn't dare.
So the first thing she did after leaving home wasn't to head straight to the Jinning Grand Hotel, but to run to the police station to report the case.
What kind of case are you reporting?
Reports indicate that someone has been causing trouble.
Ruan Rui's parents chased her to her workplace, verbally abused her, and spread rumors about her, causing extremely negative impacts. She demanded that the police take strong measures to stop this vicious and terrible behavior.
Undoubtedly, Wang Xiao earned the frowns and indifferent expressions of the police officers.
With too few people and too much to do, the police are too busy catching thieves, robbers, and murderers to have time for such domestic matters.
Wang Xiao solemnly emphasized: "This is not a family matter; we are not married. This is a serious criminal act that undermines stability and unity, and they have severely tarnished our image in front of our international friends."
She held up a city newspaper report about Soviet university professors and students conducting research at the chemical institute and soap factory, her face full of anger. "I begged them repeatedly not to cause trouble, but they deliberately chose the crucial time when I was receiving Soviet guests to come out and make a scene, causing a very bad international impact and bringing shame to the entire foreign affairs reception."
The young police officer then withdrew his impatient expression, glanced at the newspaper, frowned, and asked, "Did they really go and cause trouble?"
“That’s right.” Wang Xiao said seriously, “They’re such show-offs. The more they know the occasion is important and the guests are high-class, the more they want to cause trouble. We’re all being tossed around like crazy, and it has a really bad influence.”
The police officer frowned even more: "Then why didn't you report it sooner? The foreign guests have all left now."
“I can’t leave. I’m working as a translator for foreign guests, and I simply can’t leave,” Wang Xiao emphasized. “I’m rushing to report this to the police because I’m about to go to the Jinning Grand Hotel to handle foreign affairs reception work. There will be foreign guests from all over the world. It’s a crucial time for cooperation. I can’t even imagine what terrible consequences it would cause if they went there to cause trouble again.”
With tears welling up in her eyes, she said, “Comrade, I brought this upon myself by being deceived, and I dare not complain. However, this has seriously tarnished the image of our country, and I cannot tolerate it no matter what.”
By the time Wang Xiao got off the bus after leaving the police station, the tears in her eyes had dried.
No wonder the most expensive eye drops are always artificial tears; when your eyes are so dry and uncomfortable, it's quite soothing to have some tears.
She believed in the capabilities of the police officers; at least for the time being, the Ruan family shouldn't be able to keep bothering her.
When Tang Yicheng saw Wang Xiao run to the conference hall of the Jinning Hotel, he didn't know how to express his feelings.
Wasn't this person supposed to go back to the chemical research institute to report on their work? After finishing the report, they could have gone home after work. Why did they have to run back to the restaurant?
They had already been in contact with the local governments and foreign investors who came to the investment promotion event today, and they were very familiar with the process.
Besides, he's already here and promises to page her anytime if there are any problems, so she doesn't need to make the trip herself.
Wang Xiao naturally wanted to express her trust in the team members, as she was there because she had other tasks to complete.
What task? Selling recipes.
So many local governments and their leading enterprises have come to the Jinning Grand Hotel to attract investment. It's good to have a meal at the dinner table.
After the meal, she sold roast duck, chicken feet, Sichuan pepper chicken, and glutinous rice lotus root to the big restaurants. Did the customers get to eat them?
How did you feel after eating? Weren't you amazed? Did you think it was amazing? Would you like the same recipe so you can enjoy it anytime you go back home?
If you want it, then pay up.
It doesn't matter if you're not in the restaurant business. If you were to ask who had the closest relationship with restaurants in the early 1990s, it would definitely be entrepreneurs and local governments.
Haven't you seen that after the Eight-Point Regulation was introduced, more than half of the high-end restaurants have gone out of business?
With them around, Wang Xiao no longer has to worry about not being able to contact restaurants she's interested in.
From the moment she spearheaded the organization of this investment promotion conference, she was already planning to take the opportunity to sell recipes.
This would save her time traveling all over the world; secondly, it would be equivalent to local government bigwigs endorsing her, so she wouldn't be afraid of being robbed instead of selling recipes and making money in other people's territories.
What? You're saying that if she keeps selling her recipes all over the world, how can she build her braised food empire?
Sorry, but the defining characteristic of internet celebrities is that they never put all their eggs in one basket and never hesitate to switch tracks when it's time to do so.
If she didn't have this awareness, she would still be struggling to become a beauty blogger before she transmigrated into the book. How could she have earned millions in assets?
Right now, she's making a fortune doing business with the Soviets, so why doesn't she seize this opportunity to make money quickly?
Earning over 10,000 a day, my dear! At the intersection of 1990 and 1991, in just one week, she earned a total of 176,000 yuan by trading soap, toothpaste, and toothbrushes for military coats and binoculars, after deducting her share for Xiang Dong, other principal, and expenses for Soviet teachers and students.
Oh, and there were also commissions from Soviet university students who modeled for Xiang Dong and sold leather jackets and woolen coats. All in all, she earned 188,000 yuan.
Oh, and there are those antiques and replicas she bought from the Friendship Store for 50,000 foreign exchange certificates; their value is yet to be determined.
Haha, it's quite a miracle that a profitable braised food shop can earn 188,000 yuan a year these days.
Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, she naturally had to be a good middleman first.
Of course, the recipes couldn't be wasted either. Even a small amount is still money, and when she could earn 188,000 yuan, she would never consider 8,000 yuan a negligible amount.
What was the Jinning Grand Hotel's reaction to this? No reaction. They didn't buy out the menu.
Besides, there are plenty of competitors who want to replicate their restaurant's signature dishes.
They have always been imitated, but they have never been surpassed.
Wang Xiao was a regular at the hotel, selling recipes like hotcakes, and she even managed to sell Basque cake and air cake recipes to the Jinning Grand Hotel on the side. Don't ask why, the answer is simply that she wanted to eat them.
If you want to eat something, why not cook it yourself? It's better to be fat together than to be fat alone.
Even though it's the well-known season for gaining weight, only by everyone gaining weight together can she offset her guilt about eating sweets.
Just as Wang Xiao was enjoying the Basque cheesecake, Tang Yicheng nervously found her, pulled her to a coffee shop, and kept winking at her, gesturing for her to look at the people at the table diagonally opposite.
Basque cake is quite sweet, so pairing it with a black coffee is a good way to balance it out.
Wang Xiao slowly forked a small piece of cake and put it in her mouth, feeling the delicate and silky texture of the cheese melting in her mouth.
Wow, the chef at Jinning Grand Hotel truly lives up to his reputation; he can replicate it just by listening to her describe it. Seriously, of all the Basque cakes she's ever eaten, this one is definitely in the top five.
Hmm, next time you could have someone make a taro Basque cake, that would be absolutely amazing.
Tang Yicheng was getting impatient watching her engrossed in eating cake, and couldn't help but lower his voice and lean closer to remind her, "There's something wrong with that Mr. Fang."
What kind of problem is it?
Mr. Fang is from Taiwan and came to the provincial capital as a technician. Although his salary is not low compared to mainlanders, and can even be considered very high, he is still a wage earner and certainly not a boss.
Where would someone like him get the resources to invest in a state-owned factory in a prefecture-level city?
It's not that Tang Yicheng is looking at people with prejudice, but Mr. Fang is only in his early twenties and has been working for less than two years. Where would he find $100,000 to invest?
His family isn't rich either.
Tang Yicheng suspected that the leaders of these investment promotion teams were truly contemptible, unable to see even such a simple thing.
They're practically begging to be scammed.
Seeing his anxious and agitated state, Wang Xiao chuckled and beckoned to the waiter to bring him a bowl of white fungus, lotus seed, water chestnut, and lotus soup to help him cool down.
Fearing he might get angrier the more he drank, she kindly whispered a reminder: "Don't worry, they know exactly what's going on."
Tang Yicheng's eyes widened: "This is supposed to be clear? I think they've all lost their minds."
This isn't the way to attract investment. What if there's no money coming in? It's all just for show and to make it look good.
Wang Xiao shook his head, lowered his voice, and said meaningfully, "You underestimate them too much. They have much bigger ambitions."
Tang Yicheng wanted to ask more questions, but Wang Xiao just shook his head and remained silent.
Only after that group of people left did she speak softly: "I'm asking you, Mr. Fang, did you ever pretend to be a wealthy businessman in the restaurant?"
Of course not.
If he were really faking it, Tang Yicheng wouldn't know he was a technician sent by a Taiwanese company on business.
"That settles it then," Wang Xiao said with a smile. "If we all know this, how could the investment promotion team not know it?"
Tang Yicheng couldn't understand: "Then what are they doing?"
There's no reason to dig a pit for yourself to jump into.
“What they’re after is Mr. Fang’s identity,” Wang Xiao sighed softly. “His identity as a Taiwanese compatriot. According to current national policies, joint ventures can enjoy significant tax benefits.”
This policy will continue for many years to come. Therefore, many Chinese companies are registered in the Neman Islands.
The essence of businessmen is to pursue profit. They will rack their brains to pay as little tax as possible.
No matter how much they earn, it will still be the same.
"If I'm not mistaken, the machinery factory will also pay for the $100,000 investment itself."
Tang Yicheng said incredulously, "Their factory is so rich, why would they cheat themselves like this? They're just giving money away for free."
"Don't worry, don't worry," Wang Xiao reassured him. "The money is just going through the motions in the account. It's all coming from the sheep, and in the end, it all comes back to the sheep."
Tang Yicheng dared not share her optimism: "Once the money is out, it's someone else's money. What will they do if they run away with it? Besides, an investment is an investment. All the formalities are completed. When they want to make a profit later, can you say they didn't put in any money?"
Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated: "He has to be bold, or he might earn the money but not live to spend it."
Are you kidding me? When you're on someone else's turf, even a powerful outsider has to behave properly.
You dare to take the money and run? You'll be gone before you even get out of there.
You still want to cause trouble? Haha, even real investors can be ruined, let alone someone like you who didn't put in a single penny.
Have you been reading too many fairy tales and thinking too highly of life?
You're not really so naive as to think that you're being given a second glance because your passport is particularly prestigious, are you?
Tang Yicheng stared in disbelief, and it took him a while to find his tongue: "Wouldn't that be reckless?"
No wonder people are talking about whether something is capitalist or socialist; there weren't so many messy things before.
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Everything has two sides. Reform and opening up is just like opening the door and letting in fresh air, but flies and mosquitoes also get in."
"Then—" Tang Yicheng hesitated, "Should we report this?"
"Report my ass." Wang Xiao glared at him. "Focus on yourself. This is none of our business."
She merely spearheaded an investment promotion conference; does she expect to become an inspector? That's just creating trouble for herself, deliberately working herself to death—what benefit would she gain from that?
Tang Yicheng was speechless and could only obediently continue drinking his cooling sugar water.
Wang Xiao has some new customers; a legitimate Taiwanese businessman has come to consult her.
He's in the food business. Last time we had dinner together, Wang Xiao mentioned local specialties, and he took note of it. But there were too many people then, so it wasn't appropriate to discuss it in detail. Now he wants to have a proper chat.
Wang Xiao was overjoyed and immediately began to paint a rosy picture: "In my opinion, this has great potential. Look how fast transportation has developed in mainland China over the past few decades. There are already 53,000 kilometers of railways. Look how fast the population is growing. Every train is packed with people. The development of transportation means greater population mobility, and there will naturally be a market for convenient food. Otherwise, instant noodles wouldn't be so popular."
The Taiwanese businessman nodded in agreement. He saw the potential in the large population and huge consumer market of mainland China. Convenience foods certainly had great potential.
"I think so too. It seems that the canned food industry does have a promising future."
Wang Xiao was stunned: "It wasn't me, I didn't do it, don't talk nonsense."
Canned food is not popular with mainland Chinese people at all, and its market will be very limited in the future.
During the pandemic, some media outlets even analyzed why canned foods, which are very popular abroad, are largely ignored in China.
Regardless of the reason, the fact is that people don't care about canned food.
So Wang Xiao directly rejected the idea: "My thinking may be a little different from yours. Canned food is mainly for convenient storage. Fresh food spoils easily, but canned food can be stored for a long time. And in the past few decades, canned food was indeed very popular in mainland China."
But there are objective reasons for their popularity.
On the one hand, there was a shortage of supplies at the time, and sugar was a commodity with limited supply, so canned sugar water was naturally a rare commodity, and other items such as canned sturgeon were in a similar situation.
On the other hand, due to underdeveloped transportation, fresh produce is difficult to store. Fruits often spoil by the time they reach their destination after a long journey, making the cost too high and uneconomical.
But those two conditions no longer exist. In most parts of mainland China, there is absolutely no problem with having enough to eat and wear. Sugar can be bought whenever you want, and there is no longer a need for ration coupons.
The development of transportation has made it possible to transport fresh fruits over long distances. For example, we can now enjoy bananas in the provincial capital even in the dead of winter.
Why do people eat canned food when they can eat fresh food?
Seriously, people from mainland China don't really love sweets that much.
From now on, the highest praise for desserts in many people's minds will be: not too sweet.
Taiwanese businessmen were skeptical: "Is canned food really not good?"
Wang Xiao maintained his smile: "This is just my personal, somewhat superficial understanding, and I'm not a professional. But I have to remind you of one thing: you need to have a correct understanding of the mainland market. It's developing very rapidly, so you absolutely can't look at things with the perspective of a few years ago, or you'll really suffer."
She genuinely hoped their investment would be profitable, so that a positive feedback loop could be created.
It's not that canning food is impossible, but it's best to rely on exports. After all, the domestic market is already saturated, and a bunch of canneries are struggling to clear their inventory.
After hearing this, the Taiwanese businessman began to hesitate again. Maybe he could get his hands on that dried tea?
Wang Xiao stopped participating, finished the last piece of cake, and said goodbye and left.
Tang Yicheng gave her a thumbs up in admiration. "She's really amazing. She even knows how many kilometers the train is currently traveling."
"Basic skills, this is the most fundamental."
When she's selling products, she always makes sure she knows the products inside and out.
The two parted ways at the stairwell and went back to rest.
Just as Wang Xiao was about to open the door, Manager Huang approached her with a serious expression and handed her a newspaper: "Wang Xiao, take a look, what's going on here?"
When Wang Xiao arrived at the column titled "Letters from Readers," his eyes widened in surprise at the printed words.
Oh dear, she really overestimated the Ruan family. She thought they'd be smart enough not to get involved in any more suicide attempts. Turns out, they were holding back a big move, waiting for her here.
Wow, really wow, they've even figured out how to manipulate public opinion.
Clever, truly clever. By using reader letters, they can both allow the public to form preconceived notions and avoid the fundamental principle that news must include statements from both parties involved.
They really are people with brains.
Look at the contents of this letter, tsk tsk, she's a snob, after receiving the "Advanced Individual in Righteous and Courageous Acts" moral exemplar award, she despises her husband's family and frames them. She's promiscuous, still having affairs with young men even though she's married, which is why she's so desperate to get a divorce.
Spreading false rumors is indeed the best way to ruin a woman.
Simple, convenient, and vicious.
And it is effective.
————————
Come on, my darlings, help Xiaoxiao think of a new title for her story:
1. Start with ten million.
2. Becoming a billionaire instead of a stepmother
3. The richest woman born in the 1990s
4. This is three times the price [90s]
5. This is an article about making money.
6. The master of historical fiction himself
7. A female supporting character making money is truly desirable [90s generation]
8. Raising kids is nothing compared to making money [90s generation]
9. You can tell, right? I'm really bad at naming things.
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