Chapter 536 Time to Leave (Bug Fix): Davos Forum
Like Mr. Wang, there was also Punoning who was delusional.
The tax police major general—or rather, the governor—took the opportunity of celebrating Orthodox Christmas to return to Moscow.
To be honest, anyone who seriously tries to govern a piece of land will eventually see it collapse.
Nemtsov sat on the sofa in Ivanov's office, looking at the weathered face of Punonin, and said with schadenfreude, "Back then, they were always saying how well I was doing in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. Vlamikil, you have to help me smear them. Anyone who's been governor knows what that means."
Look at this poor guy, he looks at least ten years older than when he left Moscow.
Despite the beautiful scenery of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, it didn't benefit him at all.
While gloating, Nemtsov quickly scooped up a spoonful of stir-fried pickled mustard greens with edamame and diced dried tofu and put it into his thermos.
Edamame is made by stir-frying fresh, tender edamame in oil in the summer, then sealing it and freezing it. When it's taken out to cook in the winter, it tastes almost the same as fresh edamame.
Good heavens! He had to say, this was a perfect match for oatmeal porridge; the dry, hard rye bread soaked in the porridge, with this addition, became delicious.
Ivanov was already used to his unsolicited taking and simply pretended not to see it.
Punoning, however, seemed quite dismissive, quickly glancing at the person before turning his gaze back to Ivan's face: "If you're going to convert the chip factory in Hong Kong into an electronics R&D center, where do you plan to build the factory?"
Before Ivan could answer, he gave his own answer: "Let's put it in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast."
The two people who were eating looked up in surprise, and Nemtsov blurted out, "Build a factory in Russia?"
Punonin nodded and asked him in return, "Don't you think Nizhny Novgorod Oblast is a good choice?"
“Oh no!” Nemtsov put down his spoon, frowning. “Of course it’s not a good choice. Nizhny Novgorod Oblast is beautiful and wonderful, I love it, but it also has no market.”
He lifted his buttocks, leaned forward, and flicked the globe on Ivan's table with his finger, gesturing for Punonin to look. "This is the Yangtze River Delta, this is the Pearl River Delta. Currently, the Pearl River Delta is one of the world's largest production and export bases for electronics and consumer goods. Dongguan alone manufactures one out of every five computers in the world, claiming that no matter where you order, it will be made in Dongguan. In addition, the Yangtze River Delta itself is also an important production base for consumer electronics. Because of them, the chips produced naturally have a place to be used."
He withdrew his finger and shook his head at Punoning. "We can't do it, not because we can't produce them, but because we don't have a large enough consumer market to use these chips."
Punonin looked at him: "Do we really have absolutely no market?"
Ivanov, who had been engrossed in his meal, stuffed the last bite of his steamed bun into his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it before finally speaking: "Are you talking about our home appliances and toys?"
Nemtsov immediately realized: "Oh! Our production capacity is not even on the same level as theirs. There is no need to build a new chip factory. We still have Mikron and Angerström. Feeding them and keeping their machines running non-stop is our biggest task."
Punoning frowned: "They are all military factories. We need a completely civilian chip factory so that we can introduce more advanced technologies."
"What technology can we import?" Ivanov had already wiped his mouth clean and looked at his former best friend. "The 0.35-micron process is the most advanced technology we currently possess. Where can we import more advanced technology?"
Prononing's brow furrowed even more: "We can cooperate with Europe. If the mature 0.18-micron process isn't feasible, at least the mature 0.25-micron process will do..."
Before he could finish speaking, Ivan, who was sitting on the sofa, laughed. His smile seemed to carry a sense of relief, a relief that comes with the passage of time.
“Vlamikl, are you asking why Wang didn’t transfer any mature 0.25-micron process technology to Russia? I can tell you the answer: because the lithography machines couldn’t keep up.”
His eyes gleamed with a gentle light, so gentle it could almost be described as kind and approachable. "I must ensure that Russian chip factories possess complete and integrated technologies. Because for both Mikron and Angerstrom, a significant source of orders is the Ministry of Defense. With complete and integrated technologies, even if unforeseen circumstances arise and all import channels are shut down, we will still have the technology to get the entire production chain up and running again."
Nemtsov finished his rye bread and oatmeal porridge and smoothly picked up where Ivan left off: "So we don't need the most advanced processes at all. What we need more is stable production than advanced processes."
He spread his hands and gave Punonin a wry smile. "I used to hope that we could make rapid progress, but I later realized that our more important task is to restore production. Yes, restore production capacity to the Soviet era, and then add more. Otherwise, all our plans are just castles in the air and can't be implemented at all."
God knows how he's managed to be the Minister of Industry for the past few years.
Truman said that being the president of the United States is not a job for a human being.
He also thought that Russia's industry ministers were all equally silent.
Punonin remained unconvinced and finally looked at Nemtsov with a disapproving expression: "I thought you would support the development of the Nizhny Novgorod region."
"Alright!" Nemtsov was clearly more impatient than Ivanov, his brow furrowed. "This isn't a question of support or not, it's a question of why it can't be pushed forward at all. Cooperation is about win-win situations. I can earn $10,000, and the other party can earn $10,000, or even less or more. You can't expect me to earn $10,000 while the other party doesn't make any money or even loses money. Such cooperation can't last."
He had a vague feeling that Punonin was complaining, and that the guy seemed to be dissatisfied with Miss Wang.
God, let's be realistic!
As Russia's Minister of Industry, Nemtsov was very satisfied with Miss Wang, and his only regret was that there were no more Miss Wangs.
She was a businesswoman who could turn every business plan into reality, and whose promises she always kept.
Yes, she made a lot of money from Russia, but she also created a great deal of wealth for Russia, and she taught people how to fish rather than give them fish.
She's capable of this, so why should Punonin be dissatisfied?
Stop aiming too high and be more realistic about what you're doing.
Nemtsov shook his head firmly: "I don't agree with building another chip factory, whether in Nizhny Novgorod or Moscow. It won't be able to recoup the investment. Instead, let Mikron and Angerström run at full capacity. That way, they will have the incentive to expand their factories and add production lines."
He had already stood up when he remembered something else and emphasized to Prononing, "Dual-stage lithography machines are used only by us and Wuzhou Chip Factory in the world. They can increase production capacity by 35% and improve accuracy by 10%!"
That's good enough.
Nemtsov felt he shouldn't make any more demands on the king.
Many people use Russian and Soviet technology, but how much of it has actually benefited Russia and the former Soviet Union?
Why do research institutions all like Wang and want to collaborate with her? Because she genuinely helps them turn their research findings into reality and provides funding for further research and development.
He shook his head, picked up his thermos, and walked towards the office door.
He needs a short rest to give his brain a break before he can get back to work in the afternoon.
God, this lousy job is something you have to experience to understand!
The office door closed, and Ivan took a small box out of the drawer, opened the lid, and inside was a custard lava pastry.
He laughed and pushed it in front of Punoning: "I wouldn't dare take it out if he didn't leave."
The elaborately made pastry clearly pleased the governor, whose expression softened considerably, and he even reached for a piece of lava pastry and put it in his mouth.
It's really delicious; the more complicated the process of making a dessert, the more delicious it is.
After he finished eating a piece of pastry, he stared at Ivanov again.
The latter subconsciously touched his face and laughed: "Don't look, I just ate, I won't eat snacks now."
Punonin's gaze wouldn't leave him, even as he shook his head, his eyes remained fixed on him: "No, I'm looking, Ivan, have you changed?"
Ivanov, who still had a pile of documents to review, raised his hands in surrender: "Alright, my dear Vladimir, what do you want to say? Please hurry up and say it. I want to go to bed early tonight; I don't want to work overtime until late at night anymore."
The governor said meaningfully, "You know what I'm trying to say? I'm asking whether I should sign up?"
What am I registering for? Presidential election, of course.
The presidential election is this year, a major event of the new millennium.
In some ways, the Russian presidential election attracts more global attention than the US presidential election.
Because the latter already has a complete and stable political system, whether or not the president is changed will not have a significant impact on the overall situation.
Russia is different. In a transitional phase, the choice of president can directly reverse the course of a country and even affect the global landscape.
Ivanov was holding a cup of tea, a tangerine peel and poria cocos tea, which is said to be good for the stomach.
He didn't drink it, but instead asked Punoning, "So, do you want to sign up?"
Punonin kicked the ball back: "I'd like to hear your opinion."
Ivanov shook his head: "No, when you feel you need someone else's opinion, you already have the answer in your heart. You should follow your heart, not someone else's opinion."
Punonin raised his eyebrows, as if in a defiant manner: "What if I don't intend to give up?"
Ivan shrugged, completely unconcerned: "Then, the next opinion poll results will probably have to be re-ranked again."
This year's election is really competitive. In addition to the former frontrunner, the chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, there are also the mayors of Russia and the governors of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.
That was indeed very lively.
Punonin made a special trip back to Moscow to meet with Ivanov, and of course he wouldn't leave him out of the picture.
"And what about you, Ivan? Will you and the King still stand by my side?"
If you look closely, you can see that Punonin's eyes are bloodshot; he is actually very tired.
Ivanov paused for a moment before speaking: "Do you dare? Do you dare rely on the King?"
His voice wasn't loud, it could even be described as light, but it still struck Punoning's heart like a heavy blow.
Because the governor remembered when he was still a tax police major general, standing at the dining table in the villa, Wang looking down at him and saying: "Vlamikil, you are relying on me."
What was his reaction at the time? He was stunned.
He originally intended to force the king to remain in Moscow, because at that time the Chechen militants were causing headaches for all of Russia. He needed a strategist, someone who could advise him.
But when Wang pointed out that he was dependent on her, he immediately let her leave.
The consequence of relying on him too much is that he will become a puppet.
Ivanov sighed: "No head of state can rely on another person. Mr. Truman said that there is no job in the world that can compare to the presidency—the power gathered at this desk, as well as the responsibility and difficulty of the decisions it makes, are unparalleled. Oh, and he also said: If you're afraid of the heat, don't go into the kitchen."
Why would he let Wang get involved in Vlamikil's mess?
If the king really did become president—though it sounds unbelievable, the king always seems to be able to create miracles.
So, how will Vladimir treat the king after he becomes president?
A great kindness is like an enemy.
He will be fearful, he will be angry, and all the important ministers in the world who support a monarch to the throne will not have a good end.
Because no one knew their own weakness better than these monarchs—they did not rise to power through their own abilities.
Yet they are unable to face this weakness.
Vladimir is so young; if he wants to be president, he certainly won't just want to serve one term.
Therefore, the fear of being replaced halfway through would drive him to do all sorts of foolish and cruel things.
Sometimes, given the chance, the weak can be a thousand times more ruthless than the strong.
Ivanov smiled at Punonin and sighed, "I'm afraid of the heat, I don't go into the kitchen, I eat whatever the chef makes."
If the chef's skills are too bad, then just change chefs. Why insist on cooking yourself?
When did Punonin leave? Ivanov wasn't sure either.
Because reviewing documents only requires writing a few words, and sometimes even just signing your name and stamping your seal.
But once it's issued, it gets enforced, and often it's even more effective than the law—oh dear, that's the reality in Russia.
Therefore, he had no choice but to concentrate fully.
It wasn't until Nicola came over and poured him a cup of tea that he looked up and realized the sofa was empty.
In the small lunchbox on the coffee table, only a few crumbs of custard lava pastry remained.
Just then, the phone rang. Ivan stretched, picked up the receiver, and upon hearing Wang Xiao's voice, he immediately complained, "That Vlamikl guy didn't even leave me a single lava pastry!"
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "Then let's have some mashed yam snacks, they're delicious too."
Ivan became happy again.
Look, even his daily menu is known to the king.
How much she loved him!
Just thinking about Punonin, he couldn't help but sigh: "Vlamikil wants to attract investment, hoping to build a chip factory in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast."
Wang Xiao laughed: "He wouldn't ask Boris to be his mouthpiece, would he?"
"Boris rejected him."
Ivan walked around holding the telephone, which he considered an activity as well.
He sits at his desk all day and worries about getting hemorrhoids every day.
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "It seems our Flamikil accidentally got the order wrong."
Ivan fell silent for a moment.
Yes, Punonin has been governor for several years, so he can't be completely clueless about what chip manufacturing plants need.
He knew that Wang would not choose Nizhny Novgorod as the location for the chip factory, and he was waiting for both himself and Wang to refuse.
Therefore, when he makes a second request, out of consideration for not wanting to strain the relationship or to save face for the other party, you will most likely agree to his second request after following through with him.
Wang Xiao sighed: "The only way to increase the chances of success is to ask someone for 5,000 at the beginning, and then ask for 500 after being rejected. It's not about asking for 5,000 after being rejected for 500."
Sometimes she really doesn't know how to evaluate Punoning.
They don't even know how to use moral blackmail.
Take today's situation for example. If Ivan had refused to help him run for president, he could have easily gone along with it and said, "Since you've already refused to let me be president, shouldn't you support me in being the governor of Nizhny Novgorod?"
Support me, but you can't just talk the talk; you have to take concrete actions and provide policies and projects.
What exactly made him think that a chip factory was worth $5,000 and the presidency was only worth $500?
Just because the former requires her to spend real money, while the latter only requires her time and energy.
Did he think her time was as worthless as his?
Ivanov fell silent again, and after a long while, he finally said, "Vlamikl has aged so much. Seeing him makes me so afraid that I will suddenly grow old too."
He was just talking about it, but now he's scared of himself and is pacing around looking for a mirror.
Nikolai knew his boss all too well.
Good heavens! He pays more attention to his appearance than the famously elegant Russian ladies and wives.
Wang Xiao laughed: "A Ferrari is still a Ferrari even when it's old. And don't you know? You're even more handsome now than when I first met you."
Ivan was overjoyed; his initial slight melancholy vanished instantly.
Yes, it's just a little bit of sadness.
When he was a child, his world was too small; one person was half of his world.
But as he grew up, his world expanded, and the number of people in it increased. The once vital half of the world didn't disappear; however, as the world expanded, that half only occupied a small corner.
He lightly lifted his foot and stepped over it.
Ivan returned the compliment: "You look better than ever, more and more beautiful. Really, you're more beautiful at 30 than at 20. You don't need to stay young forever, because you're beautiful at every stage."
Wang Xiao really has no intention of staying young forever.
After all, for someone like her who has traveled through time, remaining young forever would most likely mean she has traveled through time again.
That's unnecessary. She just finished manipulating Lin Benjian, and he hasn't even built the immersion lithography machine yet.
If she were to wear it now, upon arriving in the new world, she would definitely be scratching her head, incredibly curious as to whether it had actually been created.
It's like traveling through ten years. Occasionally, she'll think back and ask, "Has the Russia-Ukraine war ever ended?"
The two of them happily showered each other with compliments, each feeling incredibly pleased with themselves.
Then Wang Xiao took the opportunity to announce some bad news: "I'm busy here, so I won't be going to Moscow for the Chinese New Year this year."
Like a bolt from the blue, Ivan felt completely overwhelmed.
But he couldn't whine or beg Wang to come over.
Because it's really not suitable for Wang to come to Moscow right now.
Why did Punonin travel from Nizhny Novgorod Oblast to Moscow? It wasn't for a chip factory; what he always wanted was the presidential throne.
Like him, countless others were eyeing the location of the Kremlin.
And the help they all hoped for was from the king.
She created a miracle in 1996, almost single-handedly turning the tide of the election.
Humans are experience-based beings and will always be path-dependent.
It's easy to imagine that if Wang were to go to Moscow at this time, everyone would want to see her, try to win her over, and attempt to turn her into their ally.
Ivan sighed, pitifully accepting the unfortunate reality: "Fine, let me spend the New Year alone."
Wang Xiao was speechless. It was as if Russia had a Spring Festival.
But his tone was so aggrieved, what could Boss Wang do? Of course, he had to coax him! After all, he was handsome.
"Okay, okay, I've already booked my flight. I'll be going to Davos."
What are we going to Davos for? To attend the World Economic Forum, of course.
The annual World Forum in Davos will be held from January 27 to February 1.
This year's forum was extraordinary. First, it was the 30th session, a number that is always worth remembering. Second, 2000 was the millennium year, a truly once-in-a-millennium event.
From any perspective, it is a forum that builds on the past and paves the way for the future.
Of course, Mr. Wang will go.
I'm not just joining in the fun.
Now that she's involved in the semiconductor industry, which is notoriously a money pit, she naturally needs to understand the international economic situation.
Otherwise, if the late emperor had died before completing his great undertaking, she would have been penniless and heavily in debt. And since she wasn't the kind of person who felt at ease owing debts, she would have been depressed to death.
Davos in January 2000 did not become any warmer just because four years had passed; it was still as cold as when Wang Xiaotou returned in 1996.
When she met Ivan at the airport, it was like Big Bear meeting Little Bear – both of them were bundled up and round.
Chubais couldn't help but express his disdain for Ivan: "Remember, my dear friend, we are Russians!"
How can the Russians, known for their fighting spirit, appear so afraid of the cold?
Ivan rolled his eyes at him: "Humans invented clothes so that we could better understand what it means to be cold and what it means to be warm."
Mom is right, you need to keep warm when you're young. Otherwise, your legs will get frostbite and hurt later. You won't know why it hurts, and you'll just have to take painkillers. How pitiful!
Chubais made a pleading gesture: "Alright, alright, I won't be an unwelcome person, I won't ride in the same car as you."
He was pleased to see Miss Wang now, because Ivan had told him that Miss Wang would not be coming to Moscow during the Spring Festival.
This means that she has no intention of getting involved in the Russian election.
When a person is powerful enough, her non-participation and neutrality are a form of silent support for those in power.
It is obvious that the current president of the Kremlin has the upper hand, and the successor he wants to support will naturally also have the upper hand.
Miss Wang's absence from Moscow is perfect for the Kremlin.
Chubais was also very satisfied with Ivanov.
Despite his efforts to persuade him, the guy refused to take on the main responsibility. But just now on the plane, they were discussing the future of the Russian automotive industry, and Ivan was planning to build special-purpose vehicles—Russia's extreme climate, with its icy landscapes and raging winds, is itself an endorsement of the quality of special-purpose vehicles.
Chubais believes it has great potential for development.
Russia is not the Soviet Union. Reality limits its industrial capacity to be large and comprehensive. If it can achieve a smaller but more refined industry, that would be a victory in itself.
The car door closed, and Ivan looked at Wang Xiao and smiled. He didn't know why he was smiling, but he just couldn't help it.
Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated. She pulled off his mask and applied skin cream to him.
The weather in Davos is perfect for freeze-drying; any living thing gets frozen and dried here.
Wang Xiao was only satisfied after making the person smell nice, and then she happily began to share her shameful deeds, or rather, her glorious achievements.
Now she doesn't even need to say anything; everyone is spinning like a top, so busy they barely have time to breathe.
Dr. Lin hasn't gone to church for several Sundays in a row—that's more like it; God obviously prefers to see you work hard rather than nag you.
Dr. Zhang was constantly flying between Shanghai and Hong Kong. The project in Hong Kong couldn't be neglected, and construction in Shanghai needed to start as well—he couldn't afford to waste time; he had to do both things well.
Mr. Kawanishi also fulfilled his promise and found an engineer for him to go to the factory in South Korea.
Oh my, you know what? It really proves that the decline of Japan's semiconductor industry is a strange and inexplicable situation, and it can't be blamed on the engineers.
They are really skilled. After several rounds of testing, the yield of 0.18 micrometers immediately improved. If they continue to test it, they might be able to take on a major role in a few months.
Ivan listened to him chatter happily, occasionally kissing her hair, feeling very pleased with himself.
Unfortunately, they couldn't stay together at the Davos Forum. Everyone had their own tasks and had to get to work.
Wang Xiao visited several main venues and attended several lectures. Her biggest impression was that this year's theme was really unified.
What was supposed to be a seminar to discuss corporate development strategies turned into a special session on e-commerce.
The economy is really hot; everyone's talking about e-commerce.
It's as if if you don't pursue e-commerce or discuss this topic, you'll be completely left behind by the times.
Interestingly, while Bill Gates and the CEO of Dell were present this year, no IT giants from China attended. Instead, Zhang Ruimin, the head of Haier, the leader in the home appliance industry, was the one who came.
Wang Xiao immediately went over to talk business with people and try to secure orders.
Home appliances need chips. We have companies that can design chips, and we also have foundries that can specialize in making chips.
Chairman Zhang was stunned, and said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "I thought you wanted me to join WoBuy.com, Mr. Wang."
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "I would like to, but I'm afraid Haier Group is planning to set up its own internet company to be in charge of online sales."
The economy is so hot right now that many companies want to do everything themselves.
"But to be honest, Haier should just go directly to MyBuy.com. Since our company won't build a shopping mall just to sell refrigerators and TVs, there's no need to set up its own online sales company either. Haier can definitely reach a higher level on the MyBuy.com platform."
Obviously, listing products on my website is simpler and safer than placing design orders with external companies.
So Chairman Zhang immediately agreed to set up a specialty store on mybuy.com, but he would not accept any chip design orders at all.
Wang Xiao was relentless in achieving his goal, circling around the person, determined to close this deal.
Finally, after much pleading, Chairman Zhang finally revealed the truth: "We are preparing to establish our own integrated circuit design company and to develop chip technology."
Wang Xiao didn't know what to say. The semiconductor industry is really hot; everyone is starting to develop their own semiconductors.
But is it really necessary for home appliances to make their own chips? She highly doubts it.
Chairman Zhang nodded to her, then picked up his wine glass and went to greet the other business tycoons.
Wang Xiao turned around, staring blankly at the snow-covered landscape outside the window.
Lyuba asked her, "What's wrong?"
Wang Xiao took a sip of wine, leaving his chaotic thoughts behind, and focused on the important point: "I'm thinking I need to sell my stocks as soon as possible."
Lyuba was stunned for a moment. Although she knew that the US stock market bubble was serious, she didn't know what had happened to make her boss suddenly bring it up.
Wang Xiao raised his chin, gesturing to the well-dressed businesspeople present, and sighed, "When everyone is discussing a project, it's time to leave."
Everyone's talking about e-commerce. If you keep holding onto your stocks, what can you do besides being a sucker?
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Actually, I think ending this story on Millennium Night would have been the most appropriate [starry-eyed emoji].
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