Chapter 431 You Are the Sun: Back to Moscow
Unfortunately, even though Ivanov longed for Wang Xiao's return with all his might, his gaze could have punched two holes in the wall, but Wang Xiao's return was repeatedly postponed, even past New Year's Day, and directly into the new year.
Well, actually, it wasn't just after New Year's Day; in fact, Wang Xiao flew to Moscow in mid-January, even after Orthodox Christmas.
So Ivanov had every reason to be unhappy. He didn't even prepare roses, ice cream, or chocolates when picking people up at the airport. Instead, he expressed his accusations with a stern face.
However, his will was so fragile that the moment he saw Wang Xiao, his tense face cracked, and the corners of his lips involuntarily turned up, almost reaching his ears.
Especially when Wang Xiao walked towards him with a smile, and even ran towards his embrace, his grievances and resentment were instantly shattered.
She rushed towards him, bringing with her the South African sunshine, illuminating his world.
He spontaneously started running, opened his arms, and pulled her into a tight embrace.
He had a thousand words to say, but at this moment, he felt that if he made a sound, it would be a disturbance.
Everything in the airport seemed to be behind a thick layer of frosted glass, and all the sounds seemed to sink to the bottom of a deep pool.
A muffled female voice on the loudspeaker announced flight information in alternating Russian and English. A final call to board sounded at a gate. The wheels of suitcases rolled across the mirror-like floor, emitting a continuous, dull hum. The laughter of reunions, the words of farewell, the impatient crying of children, the raised volume of travelers on the phone—all of these became indistinct background noise, losing their specific shape and meaning.
Even his own breathing after running sounded like it came from someone else.
The world was muted; all colors and movements faded and slowed down, becoming a blurred backdrop.
Only through his thick winter clothes could he hear the equally rapid and powerful thumping sound from another person, pressed tightly against his chest, resonating violently with his own heartbeat, pounding against his ribs, deafeningly loud.
Then he finally heard clear laughter.
Wang Xiao leaned against his chest and gestured to the passengers who came off the same flight: "Hey, ladies and gentlemen! Let me introduce you, this is my fiancé, Mr. Ivanov."
Ivanov was initially somewhat dissatisfied, unhappy that the peaceful and beautiful time had been forcibly interrupted.
However, Wang Xiao's introduction made him involuntarily raise all the muscles in his cheeks, making it impossible for him to press them down.
He nodded to everyone and listened to Wang Xiao's introduction: "If you have any problems in Russia, you can go directly to Mr. Ivanov."
He then stepped forward, shook hands with everyone, and spoke in English: "I am Ivanov. Welcome to Russia. Please feel free to ask if you need anything."
The group of businessmen who had traveled all the way from South Africa felt flattered.
They have certainly met national leaders. In this era, probably more than 90% of the countries in the world are busy attracting investment. In South Africa, there were even presidents who personally led delegations to attract investment.
But those were all small and poor countries, while Russia, though weakened, was still a formidable nation and the eldest son of the Soviet Union. The fact that the Deputy Prime Minister personally went to the airport to welcome them was quite impressive.
Especially with layers of guards surrounding him, his appearance was visually striking, immediately conveying the meaning of power.
Of course, it's possible that the Russian Deputy Prime Minister was simply picking up his fiancée at the airport and giving them a ride along.
But this is good news for businessmen; it at least proves that Miss Wang holds a high position in the eyes of this young deputy prime minister.
One of the Taiwanese businessmen took the lead in greeting him with a smile and said, "Then we'll have to trouble Mr. Ivanov more often in the future."
This group of businessmen includes both white and Asian people; they are all withdrawing from the South African market or looking to broaden their investment channels.
The former, needless to say, is because the policies of the new South African government made them uneasy, fearing being purged, and hoping to invest in countries and regions that are more friendly to white people.
However, they felt they didn't have enough capital and no competitive advantage if they went to Europe and America, so they decided to try their luck in Russia instead.
Despite repeated warnings from the media that Russia's investment environment is poor and that international businesspeople should think twice before investing.
However, this land is, after all, a disordered East, and it is very likely to become a gold rush. Moreover, Russia, like South Africa, is a typical resource-exporting country with a large number of mines that need to be exploited. In this regard, South African white businessmen also have an advantage in experience.
As for the Taiwanese businessmen, Wang Xiao told them that what was lacking in the South African market was also lacking in Russia and all the CIS countries, so they came to take a look.
Look, that's what businessmen are like; they have no irreconcilable hatred for each other.
Even if you buy out my life's work, as long as we still have the opportunity to cooperate and sit at the same table for a meal, we can still laugh and talk and shake hands to discuss business.
Having successfully picked them up from the airport, the next step is naturally to go to the White House.
As we exited the airport terminal, a Taiwanese businessman exclaimed softly, "Wow, it's changed."
This wasn't his first time in Moscow.
Right after the collapse of the Soviet Union, all the businessmen were flocking to Moscow, hoping to find an opportunity to make a fortune from this once largest socialist country.
Some people stayed, and some people left.
This Taiwanese businessman was among those who left because he simply couldn't stand the dilapidation and decay of Moscow.
What was Moscow like back then?
The roads are full of potholes and the steps are cracked. What's outrageous is that even the traffic lights have been broken for a long time and haven't been repaired, even though the traffic is already a complete mess.
Its residential buildings are even more terrifying, with dark, gaping entrances that resemble a giant, open mouth, as if they could swallow you whole and never let you go.
Five years later, he set foot on this land again and felt that everything had changed.
The roads were paved, and cars no longer bumped along them. The buildings were renovated; one bank building he remembered looked brand new. There were also more residential buildings on both sides of the road, along with many newly built office buildings.
The existence of office buildings itself signifies active commercial activities.
Because if there isn't a vibrant business environment, no one would pay exorbitant rents for office space.
The businessmen traveled in a separate bus, so they didn't have a chance to express their opinions until they got off at the White House: "Moscow looks pretty good now."
It's not that it has truly reached the standards of a world-class metropolis, but rather that it is improving.
Getting better means hope, it means moving upwards, which naturally strengthens people's confidence in it.
Wang Xiao smiled and nodded: "It's much better now than before. Russia still has many pragmatic officials who don't talk much but focus on their work."
Unfortunately, the sky suddenly darkened as soon as she finished speaking.
It's not that it's going to rain, but that's just how winter is in Moscow—the days are very short, and a single cloud can cover the entire sky.
Many businessmen looked up in surprise at the gray sky, wondering if it was about to snow.
Wang Xiao smiled and readily added points for Russia: "Russia has long winters, and they are very beautiful, with a serene and undisturbed beauty."
All of humanity lives in walled cities, where the moon always seems bigger and rounder over the wall.
People living in cold regions cannot resist the tropical sun, while those who bask in the sun every day find the sun's fragrance insignificant and instead harbor a longing for tranquility and solitude.
So some people nodded in agreement: "I think the further north you go, the more beautiful the winter becomes."
That's what winter should be like.
Winters like those in South Africa don't feel like winter at all.
Wang Xiao chuckled inwardly, secretly thinking: I hope you'll still think this way in a few years.
Ivanov led everyone into a conference room, then left his senior assistant behind and nodded to everyone: "Ladies and gentlemen! Do you have any questions now? You can ask Alexander anything."
One of the white farmers raised his hand first: "Sir, I want to ask you, if I lease land here to farm, will you take the land back after I've farmed it for two years?"
He's been a farmer his whole life, and he wouldn't know how to switch to anything else. But the hardest part of farming is the initial clearing stage. Once you've finally mastered it and it's on a large scale, if you suddenly turn back, all your previous efforts will be wasted.
Ivanov shook his head, his tone resolute: "Of course not. If you're worried, you can just lease the farm from me. If you encounter any problems later, including issues with the local government, you can come directly to me."
This was a forced move by his push to lease wasteland in the Far East.
Most businesspeople familiar with the Russian market have been frightened by the government's unpredictable policies.
Many people have doubts, fearing that after finally clearing the land and cultivating it for two years, something unexpected will happen, either with a crazy increase in rent or various policies saying that you are not good enough.
In addition, many people within the government believe that the country's decision to lease land to foreigners is a breach of national dignity and is suspected of being a betrayal of the country.
Ivanov simply didn't have the energy to continue arguing with them. Once they started, it would never end, and they wouldn't be able to get any work done. Russia had already wasted so much time; how many more windows of opportunity could they afford to waste?
So he made a quick decision: Okay, we can stop letting foreigners rent it, I'll rent it myself, alright? As for what to do after the long-term lease is over? That's my business.
In fact, the officials who opposed him knew perfectly well that even if he continued to run farms in order to realize his ideal of feeding all Russians, his business empire simply couldn't support so many farms; he simply couldn't manage it all.
The end result will definitely be that he rents it out again; it's just going in circles.
It's better to see through things but not say anything. In officialdom, it's all about mutual support and understanding. No one will easily tear down the facade.
Thus, the proposal was finally approved, and he had already leased large tracts of land to Chinese state-owned agricultural reclamation groups, as well as conglomerates in Japan and South Korea.
Now, South African businessmen are coming, but they're just copying the same process; they've long been familiar with it.
Upon hearing this, the farmer's eyes lit up instantly.
Those who have experienced government turmoil know one thing best: in the blink of an eye, a hen can turn into a duck.
Yesterday's high-ranking official may be unemployed today. His promises from yesterday are naturally just empty words today.
If a specific person is put in charge, even if he is no longer the vice premier, they can still demand an explanation from him.
Ivanov spoke with the group for half an hour, gaining a general understanding of their needs. He then glanced at his watch and apologized, "I'm sorry, I have other matters to attend to. You can continue talking; Alexander will convey all your requests to me."
He nodded to Wang Xiao, signaling him to leave with him.
Wang Xiao was a little confused. What was wrong? Had something happened?
When they got to his office, as soon as the door was locked, he glared at her fiercely and said, "What could be wrong? Of course, I'm going home. You probably don't even know which way to open the door."
Wang Xiao smiled, touched his face, softened her voice, and kissed his chin: "Okay, let's go home."
Since there's no sun outside the window, Moscow's winters are so mild that you feel so weak you don't even want to move a finger.
When Ivanov woke up the next morning, he was still grumbling, "You haven't seen the red pandas yet. Aren't you going to see your darlings?"
Yes, yes, Wang Xiao has a cold heart.
She flew back to Moscow from Cape Town, her main task being to bring businessmen with investment intentions to Ivanov.
As for herself, according to the itinerary, she will only stay in Moscow for a short day, no, to be precise, an afternoon and a night. She has to fly back to China this morning.
She didn't see any of her friends; she just spent one night in Moscow.
Wang Xiao smiled and kissed the corner of his mouth, looking at him with eyes that shimmered like the summer sun in South Africa.
Her voice was sweet and soft: "I have already seen my biggest and most important treasure, all the other treasures are not important anymore."
Ivanov pulled her back into his arms with all his might, wishing he could merge her into his own flesh and blood.
He then thought of that Chinese poem: Take a lump of clay, mold it into you, sculpt it into me; break us both apart, mix us with water; mold you again, sculpt me again. In my clay is you, in your clay is me. (Note ①)
Unfortunately, he couldn't do it. All he could say was resentfully, "Are you really not going to see the red pandas?"
Wang Xiao never hesitates to shower sweet words on others, especially this night when she was having a great time, so she naturally uttered compliments: "The whole world combined is not as important as you. Seeing you is like seeing the whole world."
Ivanov, panting heavily, finally got out of bed angrily and forcefully opened the door: "You said it yourself, so don't regret it."
But the next second, Wang Xiao changed his mind without hesitation.
Are you kidding me? A fluffy, round little panda just runs into your room and climbs onto your bed. No one could resist that!
Besides, why should she resist? These are her darlings, her precious babies.
Seeing her surrounded by two women, Ivanov was truly grateful that he couldn't understand a few words of Chinese.
No need to ask, just by looking at the queen's expression, you can tell that she only has eyes for the red panda right now!
As if she had a telepathic connection, Wang Xiao actually remembered to look up at this moment, hugged a panda in each arm and went over to kiss him: "You're so good, my Ivan, how can you be so good?"
Red pandas are naturally afraid of people.
When she left Moscow last August, the two red pandas only dared to eat apples from her hand.
Don't even think about petting cats.
But now they let you cuddle and pet them, and even snuggle into your arms, which shows that the zookeepers have put in a lot of effort over the past six months.
And to achieve this, Ivanov's supervision and attention were indispensable.
Otherwise, it's just a job, so why would zookeepers increase their workload?
Ivanov, still whimpering as she kissed him, said, "No matter how good I am, you won't stay."
Her skin was darker and she had more muscle than when they last separated. Beneath her skin and flesh lay a vibrant life force, and her hair seemed to exude the fresh scent of sunshine.
Ivanov complained, "I only had the sun for a short time."
With her gone, how would he endure Moscow's long, endless winter? His world would once again plunge into darkness from which no dawn could break.
Wang Xiao released the little panda, reached out and hugged his neck, forehead to forehead, looking at him earnestly: "But you are the sun, the sun that illuminates my whole world."
Lyuba went upstairs to remind the boss that it was time to come down for lunch, as they had to catch a flight today.
Hearing her boss's words, she could only chuckle to herself. She stopped knocking and simply looked up at the ceiling instead.
Sure enough, ten minutes later, Mr. Ivanov came out with a big smile on his face, accompanied by the boss.
They happily ate breakfast together, then happily went to the airport together, and only when they saw Nemtsov did Ivanov's smile begin to fade.
He shook hands politely with the person, then formally offered his blessings: "My dear Boris, I wish you all the best and hope you can truly acquire the knowledge that can help the farm business develop."
It's truly heartbreaking to think about, but in fact, he was the one who personally escorted the king back to China.
Because Nemtsov, as the governor of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, was to visit China at the beginning of 1997 to study the development history of township and village enterprises.
We can bring other people's successful experiences to Russia and guide the development of small and micro-sized enterprises derived from farms.
Honestly, Ivanov didn't want him to go to China, especially not with Wang.
He sifted through the list of local government officials, but couldn't find anyone more suitable.
At least Nemtsov has experience in reform, and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast is unique in Russia in its support for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
So he took the initiative to call Nemtsov, told him his idea, and asked if he was willing to go. If he was, he could arrange all the details.
Nemtsov felt quite uneasy when he received the call.
But he was a typical liberal reformer, and how could someone who, at such a young age, became governor and achieved success without family backing, not be ambitious?
This ambition is not merely a desire for power, but also a pursuit of personal ideals and a career.
He desperately hopes that Russia's economy will improve and yearns for the country to return to its peak and achieve even greater glory.
Therefore, he is willing to try and find more ways to give Russians the opportunity to live better lives.
Nemtsov hesitated for only one day before calling back, indicating that he was willing to go and investigate China's township and village enterprises, those enterprises that thrived in the countryside and on the edge of farmland, to see how they survived and grew so large.
When it comes to understanding China's township and village enterprises, if Wang claims to be second, then no one in Moscow would dare to claim to be first.
Wang Xiao naturally became the best guide and intermediary.
Now, Nemtsov saw the couple at the airport, and his feelings were truly mixed.
Look at poor Ivanov, he aged at least five years in just five months as deputy prime minister.
But as soon as Miss Wang returned to Moscow, he was rejuvenated overnight. No, he looked ten years younger, his eyes were frighteningly bright.
See? See? How amazing! How can a man live without a woman? If he were without a woman, it would be like food without salt; life would have no flavor at all.
It's time to go through security and board the plane.
Even as the owner of the airport, Ivanov could not enjoy any special privileges; he could only wave to them and watch them leave.
He couldn't even stay at the airport for long; he had to return to the White House, where he had a group of guests to receive and a ton of work to do.
After passing through security and while waiting to board the plane, Nemtsov smiled slightly and took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Wang Xiao, saying meaningfully, "Miss Wang, you've really gone to great lengths."
In Moscow, or rather throughout Russia, the upper echelons of politics are well aware of just how formidable this Miss Wang from East Asia truly is.
So after placing Ivanov in the position of deputy prime minister, in order to diminish her own presence, she disappeared for five months, allowing time to fade people's impression of her and giving Ivanov room to maneuver.
Even after inspecting the South African market and returning to Moscow, she didn't stay long and immediately flew to China with me.
Nemtsov felt that she was a powerful eagle, forcefully pushing the eaglet out of the nest, forcing it to flap its wings and learn to fly.
How strong must her heart be to not be afraid of the various problems that separation might bring?
Wang Xiao picked up where he left off, nodding earnestly: "You're right. The reason we chose to have you investigate township enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta region, rather than the more famous Shenzhen and Pearl River Delta regions, is because the township enterprises in the two regions follow two completely different development paths."
Nemtsov was taken aback; that wasn't what he meant at all.
But at this moment, facing Wang Xiao's serious gaze, it would be very inappropriate for him to make fun of her private life; he himself would be embarrassed to say it.
So he changed his words and followed her lead: "Mr. Ivanov told me that the rise of the Pearl River Delta is inseparable from processing imported materials, while the Yangtze River Delta is a different model. They made their fortunes by snatching orders from state-owned enterprises."
Wang Xiao smiled and nodded: "That's fine too. The Pearl River Delta initially developed within the national plan. The township and village enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta were entirely unplanned products. The central government's initial rural reforms focused on the household contract responsibility system for land, and it never expected that township and village enterprises would also flourish along with the liberation of rural labor."
The reason for emphasizing the difference between the two now is that if Russia wants to develop township and village enterprises—well, the current plan refers to farm enterprises—they simply cannot copy the practices of the Pearl River Delta.
What does the processing trade model represent? It means that what investors really value is your cheap land and relatively cheap labor, and they are looking at production costs. They don't even care about your market at all.
Because the boss has his own sales channels, he or she can sell at a higher price using his or her sales channels, and doesn't need to spend time and effort opening up your sales market.
Is this possible in Russia? No, it's impossible.
No matter how cheap the land you offer to investors for factories, it's useless. You don't have an ice-free port, your transportation is inconvenient, you don't have a sufficient surplus labor force, and you are subject to import and export quotas from Europe and the United States.
Which investor would be so foolish as to do processing trade with you?
The limitations of objective conditions cut off Russia's hopes of developing its own light industry supply chain and system through the processing trade model.
It can only take another path, which is to maintain its production by selling domestically and grabbing orders from large enterprises in big cities, thereby forcing large enterprises to reform internally and improve their competitiveness.
Obviously, doing so would prevent Russia's light industry from ever standing out in the world. But so what? It's still better than having no light industry at all.
Only by leaving behind sparks and seeds of hope can we talk about the future.
An announcement came over the loudspeaker reminding passengers to board, and Nemtsov and his secretary lined up to board the plane.
Good heavens, he was dumbfounded as soon as he entered the cabin.
What kind of plane is this? It can hardly even be called a passenger plane.
Nemtsov himself was an engineer, and in his view, the cabin had been modified into a mess.
Is he really going to sit in such a cramped seat for seven hours? That would be pure torture.
He subconsciously turned to look at Wang Xiao, who had already sat down without any hesitation, and had to remind her, "Miss Wang, we didn't get on the wrong plane, did we?"
Wang Xiao nodded, quite certain: "Yes, the only planes from Wuzhou that fly from Moscow to Jiangzhimen Airport are from our Wuzhou."
Seeing the complicated look on her face, she suddenly realized: "You mean the conditions on the plane are terrible, right? That's right, they're awful. We conducted a poll, and the speculators unanimously demanded that the cabin environment not be upgraded. They want to remind themselves through the relatively harsh conditions that every ruble is hard-earned and shouldn't be easily given away to the casino."
Of course, this is only part of the reason, and not the main one. No matter how hard they work to earn money, it can't stop them from sending money to casinos.
The real reason why everyone opposes the upgrade and prefers to grit their teeth and persevere is that they are afraid that if the upgrade is carried out, there will not be enough planes, which will affect their ability to charter planes and transport cargo to Russia for business.
What's a little hardship compared to making money?
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Note ①: Guan Daosheng was a famous female poet of the Yuan Dynasty. In her poem "Wo Nong Ci", she wrote, "Take a lump of clay, mold it into a you, and sculpt a me", using the image of clay figures to express the deep affection between husband and wife. This poem was written by Guan Daosheng to prevent her husband from taking a concubine. Through the vow of "sharing the same quilt in life and the same coffin in death", she finally dispelled her husband's idea.
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