Chapter 81 The Troubles of a Billionaire (Bug Fix): Oh dear, how am I going to spend so much money?
real.
Whether before or after transmigrating into the book, Wang Xiao discovered for the first time that spending money was a major problem.
No matter which unit or person Ivanov asked to buy something, they readily agreed without any problem, and never asked for barter.
but--
Turning around, they started their car without hesitation and drove straight to the streets of Moscow to deliver goods.
Even those units that were originally going to barter with companies from other countries gave up and instead took the initiative to ask Ivanov through connections whether they wanted to buy his goods directly.
Because if they buy directly with rubles, it appears on the surface that they are selling at a lower price.
However, considering that the Volga River is currently frozen and there are no ice-free ports in the entire Russian Federation, relying solely on international trains would be too inefficient, and who knows when the supplies will be able to be transported over.
After all, everyone now understands one thing: international trains are currently exclusively for resellers.
Trying to steal train cars from them? Ha! Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake.
By the time the supplies to be exchanged arrive, having traveled thousands of miles, they might have already disappeared into the cold winter.
Instead of doing that, it's better to just take the rubles and buy whatever you want, without being restricted by the types of goods that can be traded in barter.
If this were done in China, they would likely face the problem of a lack of transportation options.
However, Russian households have a very high car ownership rate; almost every family owns a car. Factories can easily organize a large transport fleet simply by having their employees drive to transport supplies.
It's even safer than shipping by train.
With such a large and powerful presence, even the Mafia wouldn't dare to mess with them.
When they encounter organizations that are far away and inconvenient to drive, they are incredibly resourceful and simply assemble a team to charter a train to come over.
They walked with large and small bags, carrying them on their vehicles, just like a complete army, and were the kind of people that highwaymen and bandits wouldn't dare to mess with.
Some companies simply treat weekend shopping trips to Huaxia Commercial Street as New Year's gifts prepared by the factory for its employees.
Seeing so many employees come happily, shopping from morning till night, visiting every shop on both streets, and finally leaving satisfied.
Wang Xiao felt only one thing: mentally exhausted.
She was truly grateful for everyone's deep affection for Huaxia Commercial Street.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of the customers, she and Ivanov ran around for almost half a month, but in the end they didn't spend a single ruble.
On the contrary, their rubles are increasing.
Even though they exchanged all the rubles that could be converted into US dollars as soon as possible, they still have 15 billion rubles stuck with them.
Upon seeing this number, Wang Xiao couldn't help but feel flustered and her hands trembled.
She suspected that if things continued this way, they would have more rubles than the total savings in Russian banks.
If that day comes, they're definitely doomed.
Ivanov was immediately caught in a dilemma.
What does this mean? It means that nobody wants to hold onto their rubles.
He even suspected that it was a mistake for them to open a shop and sell goods. At least the goods had value in their own hands, but if they were converted into rubles, they would be doomed.
Seeing Russian federal government officials boasting on television again made him want to smash the TV.
Fuck you, you bunch of sons of bitches, what can you do besides brag?
All fucking garbage.
We expect the people to trust you, but the people vote with their feet. If they don't even trust the banknotes you issue, how can they trust you?
Wang Xiao watched him pace back and forth in the office like a headless fly, making the floorboards creak.
She believed he was genuinely anxious because from December 22nd until now, the Orthodox Christmas was over, and he hadn't gone out to have fun with any girls. He even accepted a masturbation device from her to relax.
Ivanov walked faster and faster, muttering to himself, "What can we buy? They'll buy everything we buy."
The more rubles one has, the less dollars one can take out.
Unfortunately, the commercial street is currently experiencing a surge in sales volume. Even three days after the grand opening ceremony, there are still long queues outside hundreds of shops every day. And almost everyone is operating on a wholesale model.
These goods cannot be transported from China using rubles.
He suddenly turned to Wang Xiao and asked, "What else do you think we can buy?"
A fur coat? A wool suit?
They've already bought them, and are shipping them back to China to sell. But given the unit price of the clothes, buying more is just a drop in the ocean.
Deer antler or rhinoceros horn?
These were also purchased, but their unique characteristics meant they couldn't be shipped in large quantities.
For example, regarding deer antlers, the main deer-raising base in the Russian Federation is the Altai region. There are 17 deer farms there, raising more than 20,000 red deer and more than 9,000 sika deer. They can produce 18 tons of deer antlers a year.
Deer antlers aren't cheap; a kilogram of them can cost around five or six thousand Hong Kong dollars. Eighteen tons would likely consume a considerable amount of rubles.
However, Russia's deer antlers are mainly distributed through Singapore, and sold in North Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. This means they already have ample sales channels, and their goal is to export and generate foreign exchange.
Moreover, the time for harvesting deer antlers in the Altai region is from late May to late September each year.
By the time they act, it's too late.
The situation is similar with rhinoceros horns.
If you're not a professional in this field, you won't even be able to get started if you want to throw money around.
Therefore, they want to buy high-value items that are easy to obtain and can be quickly sold.
Wang Xiao, with a sudden burst of inspiration, asked him very seriously, "Are you selling the land?"
ah?
Ivanov looked bewildered: "You mean buying land and building houses? Didn't you say you weren't optimistic about the Russian real estate market? Who are we going to sell the houses to?"
Nowadays, wealthy people in Moscow hire their own designers and then build their own villas.
"No, no, no, I mean territory. Just like the United States bought Nevada, Utah, and California from Mexico."
Ha, 15 billion rubles! The US bought half of Mexico for only 15 million US dollars.
Ivanov flew into a rage, his hands trembling: "You, you, you! This is our land!"
Wang Xiao retorted without mincing words: "Stop with the 'I-I-I'. For the sake of our friendship, we'd better not dredge up history. I did well in high school history, and I remember modern history very clearly. Just how much territory did Tsarist Russia force China to cede?"
Ivanov turned his head away angrily and remained silent, but still muttered to himself, "That's absolutely impossible."
Well, it seems like things aren't going to work out.
After all, Japan is currently the most extravagant spender in the world, having bought one-tenth of all real estate in the United States.
If Russia were willing to sell, Japan would have already seized the Northern Territories that it so desperately wanted.
Ivanov was still angry, his face was red, and he was breathing heavily through his nostrils.
Wang Xiao put down her pen, stood up and called to him, "Come on, let's go out and clear our heads."
As a tragic figure who got stuck with losses in the stock market, her financial knowledge was actually quite limited.
She's completely baffled by this surreal situation where she can't spend her money.
She can't exactly buy an aircraft carrier, can she? Even if she did, she wouldn't be able to cash it out.
Besides, they wouldn't let it buy it anyway.
So, go buy a plane? Buy one of those high-end, top-of-the-line fighter jets?
Well, she might be hunted down before she even gets the plane.
It's best to keep a low profile and focus on surviving first.
If the country can afford to be complacent when it needs to, why can't she?
Ivanov muttered something, changed into a down jacket, and looked dejected, showing no trace of the demeanor of a billionaire.
Wang Xiao was much more glamorous than him, because she was wearing a mink coat.
Yes, it's a must-have for the super-rich: a shiny mink coat.
She genuinely thought the mink coat was quite nice; it was very warm (she thought it was warmer than a down jacket) and held its value well. Wearing it gave off an air of extravagance.
However, in Moscow right now, mink coats are much cheaper than down jackets.
It is clear that whether something is noble or lowly, good or bad, is sometimes simply a matter of human choice.
They went downstairs, and the store was bustling with activity.
It's currently winter break, and I don't know if the college students didn't go home or came back early, but they're all arguing about it heatedly.
Some say that Ukraine is a drag on Russia, and without these burdens, the Russian Federation will surely be able to take off.
Some people say that Russia has sucked Ukraine's blood; if it weren't for all the good things being sent to Russia, the Ukrainian people would have been living a happy and fulfilling life long ago.
Others are worried: "Then which country do I belong to? Will my family have to be separated?"
During the Soviet era, intermarriage between people from different republics was very common, much like marriage between people from two provinces in China.
Moreover, due to the high level of industrialization in the Soviet Union, there were many people working across republics, which naturally led to a high number of such marriages.
Now it's a tragedy; they've inexplicably become a transnational couple, and there will be all sorts of troubles to come.
A Central Asian boy with black hair and black eyes looked worried: "Do I have to go back to work? The country paid for my university education, I should go back to serve the country."
His friends laughed and said, "No need, no need. You studied Marxism, but they don't need Marxism anymore."
Ivanov, impatient with the children's nonsense, strode out the door.
Moscow in January is colder than in December, but the cold here is more like a dry cold, so it's fine as long as you block the wind.
It didn't snow today; the sky was blue with white clouds, showcasing the unique beauty of high-latitude regions.
On the green dome of the presidential building behind the Kremlin, the white, blue, and red Russian tricolor flag flutters in the wind, replacing the hammer and sickle flag of the former Soviet Union.
On Red Square, paved with small black granite stones, people come and go, seemingly unaffected by the changing of the national flag.
There were no flowers laid at Lenin's Mausoleum; only a few people lingered there. There were more foreigners than Russians inside.
How did she figure that out? Language. None of those people spoke Russian, and judging from their clothes and appearance, they must have come from Western Europe.
A veteran, his chest adorned with medals, threw something forcefully toward Lenin's Mausoleum, shouting, "It's useless, it's useless, it's all useless."
Wang Xiao peeked out and saw that it was a Soviet ID card, which was indeed no longer valid.
The police rushed over and helped him into the car from both sides.
Wang Xiao was worried that Ivanov would become agitated, but he didn't react at all until the police car drove away.
The two bodyguards were extremely nervous, fearing that Ivanov would burst into tears again.
He's a man, after all. How can he cry in public again and again?
They're the ones who should be crying; he's already living a very good life.
Ivanov's eyes were a little red, perhaps from the wind, but he didn't sniffle.
Wang Xiao simply led him away: "Come on, let's go to the municipal government."
The national flag has been changed, so what's the point of mourning anymore? People have to look forward.
Ivanov did not refuse, but simply asked, "What for?"
Good, the voice sounds relatively calm.
"Buy shops, all the shops on every street in Moscow, as many as there are, this is quick."
Ivanov's eyes widened, and his voice involuntarily rose: "Buying from the store again?"
He thought about it again and made a decision: "I'll buy it and use it as a warehouse."
It's perfect for wholesale to those middlemen who want US dollars, absolutely not rubles.
Wang Xiao shook his head: "No, no, no, let's use it as a shop."
"Then what about our rubles?"
Ivanov was getting anxious.
He never imagined that becoming a billionaire would be such a terrifying thing.
Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously: "Let's buy the store first, otherwise how are we going to use up the rubles we have? Everyone except the government is trying to find ways to get rid of rubles."
Ivanov objected: "The government is the one that most wants to exchange rubles for goods; they only want US dollars right now."
He had previously contacted the Moscow city government to mention his desire to continue purchasing the store, but was informed that only US dollars could be used.
Wang Xiao could understand the government's thinking: they lacked foreign exchange but wanted to repay foreign debt.
Ironically, when the Soviet government was hoping to balance its accounts by selling gold, the United States reportedly intervened and drove down international gold prices, leaving the Soviet Union with nothing to show for its efforts and its gold reserves dwindling significantly.
Upon hearing this, Ivanov began to mock again: "If they're so capable, why don't they try to recover the gold that was smuggled out? Converting so much gold into foreign exchange would be far better than messing around like this."
He was referring to the assets of the Soviet Communist Party, which reportedly smuggled large amounts of gold out of the country using heavy military transport planes before the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The new government was furious about this.
However, he felt these people were just putting on an act, because the vast majority of officials in the new government came from the old government. It was just a change in name only; they were all parasites.
They might have been involved quite a bit and already gotten a share of the profits.
Now these troublemakers are trying to get the ruble to crash into their Chinese commercial street.
“Ignore them.” Wang Xiao said ambitiously, “Unless the Russian Federation government abolishes the ruble, we have to buy the shopping street with rubles today.”
They've made countless trips to the municipal government, and the security guards at the gate all nod and smile when they see them.
The two men, accompanied by bodyguards, went upstairs with practiced ease. The people in the office seemed to be arguing about whether or not to move Lenin's body out of Lenin's Mausoleum.
Ivanov was so angry that his face turned red.
Wang Xiao rolled his eyes at the ceiling. How guilty must he be? Even the dead can't find peace.
She knocked on the office door and interrupted rather rudely, "I think I just heard you talking about moving Lenin's body. I object, I strongly object."
Her voice rose with emotion, “No matter how you evaluate it, for the people of the world, it is a part of history, and it has created an important chapter in history.”
Visiting Lenin's remains in Red Square is an important activity for tourists.
If you move Lenin's body away, the tourists will follow, which will have an irreversible and negative impact on the popularity of our commercial street around Red Square.
I oppose it, I strongly oppose it.
Her voice grew louder and louder until it was almost a roar.
Director Sobyanin seemed to be taken aback by her, his mouth agape as if he couldn't find his tongue.
The chubby-faced girl who had been emphasizing the need to move Lenin's body as soon as possible stared wide-eyed in astonishment: "Tourists...popularity?"
Wang Xiao looked at her with a puzzled expression: "What do you think Lenin's Mausoleum is to you? As your foreign friend, I have to tell you honestly, it's just a tourist attraction."
I organized over a thousand Chinese people to visit Moscow, and each of them requested to pay their respects to Lenin's remains.
Today, the people visiting Lenin's Mausoleum are also foreigners. We just saw them in Red Square; they were tourists from Western Europe.
What does this mean? Let me give you an analogy: it's like everyone who comes to our country's capital has to climb the Great Wall.
That was built by Qin Shi Huang, a relic of a feudal dynasty. Are we going to destroy the Great Wall to express our attitude? Isn't that just asking for trouble?
And then there's the Forbidden City, which was left behind by the emperor. It's also a famous tourist attraction, and we can't just close it down.
Moscow is a beautiful tourist city, and you have abundant tourism resources.
Budapest, Hungary, earns a lot of foreign exchange through tourism, which also drives economic development. Why can't you do the same?
Is Moscow really less famous and less historically significant than Budapest? Is your urban development inferior as well?
That's impossible.
Regardless of the current situation, for the past few decades, Eastern Europe was the Soviet Union's little brother.
Whether the officials of the new Moscow government admit it or not, they still enjoy the pride that the glory of the Soviet Union brought them.
Wang Xiao looked heartbroken: "I really can't understand why you don't try to improve the tourism environment, but instead try to take away your own selling points."
She said with a serious expression, "I saw the Russian Federation government's declaration on economic reform on television. Now everyone's task is to focus on economic development, not to engage in ideological struggle."
Why erase something that once existed? It's part of the city's history.
She reiterated, "I object. We've invested so much effort and capital in the commercial street. If foot traffic declines, who will we blame for the losses?"
Director Sobyanin finally found his voice: "I was just discussing it; nothing has been decided yet."
"This is a stupid topic, and there's no point in discussing it at all."
Wang Xiao frowned. "Back then, the Prime Minister of Singapore suggested that since China wanted to carry out reform and opening up and develop its economy, it had to give up exporting revolution."
The Russian Federation should now focus on economic development, and other matters should be put on hold. They should stop creating trouble out of nothing.
Frankly, I think a major reason for the failure of the Soviet economic reforms was that there were too many people arguing and too few people doing the work.
If all our energy is focused on debating the right and wrong of this or that ideology, who will be left to get things done? Empty talk harms the country, while hard work builds it!
Her rapid-fire delivery left everyone in the office at a loss for words.
Ivanov chimed in, "That's right, I also oppose this. Let's stop doing pointless things like stirring up public sentiment. If this is a war, then the Russian Federation has already won. What we need to do next is stabilize the situation and build up the nation, not provoke further conflict."
“Alright, alright,” Director Sobyanin promised, “I will report your opinions.”
He changed the subject, "What brings you two here today?"
"Buy stores, we need to buy more stores."
Everyone in the office beamed with joy.
Since the opening of the Huaxia Commercial Street next to Red Square caused a sensation, many people have indeed started to inquire about buying small businesses such as shops and restaurants.
But when it comes to being extravagant and generous with money, no one can compare to these two.
Because when they buy, they don't pick and choose shops one by one, but rather they shop like Japanese people shopping in department stores in Paris, buying up an entire street at once, completely sweeping away everything in their path.
Soon someone produced informational materials and began promoting them.
Wang Xiao glanced at it, his brows furrowing deeply: "I don't understand, why aren't you accepting rubles? Is the Russian Federation going to stop using the ruble and issue a new currency instead?"
Upon hearing this, the faces of everyone in the office changed, and several young people vehemently denied it: "That's not true, absolutely impossible. The ruble is our and the Federation's legal tender."
There are so many rumors circulating outside these days. I don't even know where these rumors came from, but they say the new government will issue a new currency.
This has created widespread panic, and more and more people are wanting to throw away all the rubles they have.
Sigh, in the end it's all the fault of the Soviet government.
If it weren't for that foolish president's order on January 22, 1991, to recall the 1961 50-ruble and 100-ruble banknotes within three days, would the people be so easily frightened?
Moreover, his choice to issue the order during a televised address at 9 p.m. was utterly infuriatingly stupid.
Now that the Soviet Union is gone, they can disappear, but the Russian Federation is the one that continues to suffer.
Wang Xiao looked at them suspiciously: "If you want to eliminate the rumors, you should take concrete actions. In fact, what we should be accepting is rubles, not dollars."
She held up her finger to emphasize, "The reason why repaying foreign debt is so difficult is because the ruble has been depreciating and becoming less and less valuable, which is why the debt is getting heavier and heavier."
Why did the ruble depreciate? Essentially, it's due to inflation; there are too many rubles circulating in the market.
If the government holds a large amount of rubles and less rubles are circulating, prices will naturally not be inflated, and the market will tend to stabilize.
Conversely, without rubles, the government lacks confidence. Prices will continue to rise, and the market economy will descend into chaos.
The look of suspicion on her face grew deeper. "You're not planning to let the rubles remain in our hands and then issue a decree abolishing the ruble, causing us to go bankrupt overnight, are you?"
Ivanov suddenly looked up; he genuinely suspected that the Russian federal government intended to do so.
Once all the citizens of the Russian Federation have exchanged their rubles for goods, the government will wield its sickle and harvest these merchants, turning the ruble into worthless paper.
What if the people run out of rubles? They can barter, and they can survive.
Besides, the government can also issue new currency.
The thought sent chills down his spine; he felt they had fallen into a huge trap.
This is terrifying. Is this his homeland?
Why has his homeland become like this?
The city government officials were alarmed.
What a horrifying fantasy! The new government is trying every means to attract investment and vigorously promote privatization. If the successor is the Russian Federation trying to swindle money from businessmen, how can their new economic reforms possibly continue?
Both Wang Xiao and Ivanov refused to listen to the explanation.
Her eyes darted around, demanding an answer on the spot: "Tell me now, is the government still going to accept rubles or not?"
Yes, of course we'll accept it.
Their own salaries are paid in rubles. Although prices have risen so much that wages are practically worthless, they are still legally binding documents.
After discussing it for a while, the city government officials finally officially informed Wang Xiao and Ivanov, who were having coffee in the lounge, that they could purchase it with rubles.
As for the amount, it will naturally be based on the current exchange rate; one million US dollars is equivalent to one hundred million rubles.
In fact, the actual market price has already exceeded this figure, but the government cannot use the market price.
If they all stop acknowledging the prices they've quoted, it will certainly cause further panic, and the ruble will fall even further.
How are the people of the Russian Federation supposed to survive?
Therefore, in a sense, Wang Xiao and Ivanov actually gained tens of millions of rubles this time.
The young official who helped them with the paperwork complimented them, saying, "You're really good at business; you're rolling in money."
The two absolutely refused to admit it and immediately began to plead poverty: "Rubles can only be used domestically. The dollars we can exchange for are barely enough to cover our imports."
Then they started talking at length, saying they hoped that Russian-made goods could be displayed in shopping malls in the future, which would save them a lot of trouble.
The young official glanced at them, probably not believing them, but in the end he said nothing.
Wang Xiao and Ivanov exchanged a glance and stopped talking.
Director Sobyanin came over to wish them good business in their new shop and asked them what they planned to sell next.
They dodged my hand again.
Both of them stated that they must continue to conduct market research in the future, striving to sell only what the people of Moscow truly need.
After receiving a stack of brand-new property certificates, Wang Xiao smiled and thanked everyone. He then invited the people in the office, "Would you like to have dinner together? Our little restaurant has opened, and we'd like to invite you to try some Chinese food. It's just the simplest fast food."
Several young people were eager to try, but they turned their attention to Director Sobyanin's face, waiting for his decision.
The leader didn't put on airs; instead, he nodded and smiled, saying, "Then you'll have to go to all that trouble."
Wang Xiao smiled, her eyes crinkling: "It's really simple, just don't think it's too basic."
The restaurant she was referring to was the one in the two buildings next to the Free Market, which she had just purchased shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Not long after she bought the restaurant, before she even had time to renovate it, someone approached her through an acquaintance, wanting to take over the business.
The person who came was originally a chef, and the kind of chef who was a teacher at a technical school in China. He was quite skilled.
After Hungary granted visa-free access to Chinese citizens, he heard that he could make a lot of money in Eastern Europe, so he found a way to go to Hungary and even opened a Chinese restaurant there, which did quite well.
Unfortunately, a person who can cook may not be good at business. His partner ran off with his money, and the Hungarian government began deporting illegal immigrants, so he ended up in Moscow, where he set up a stall in a free market.
However, his personality made running a stall really difficult, and his goods were always being stolen, so he wanted to go back to his old profession.
His original intention was to take over the business, but after being asked a few questions by Wang Xiao, he obediently became the store manager.
Why? Because even a skilled cook can't cook without rice.
If you're opening a restaurant, you'll need to buy ingredients, right? The shelves in state-run stores in Moscow are often empty. Do you think it's that easy for an outsider like you to buy ingredients?
Without Ivanov's help, the store wouldn't be able to get potatoes grown by farmers in the suburbs, let alone rice.
With these basic guarantees in place, the store manager, who also serves as the chef, can finally make good use of his expertise.
For example, the carp on the table.
Russian carp has tender and juicy flesh.
The fish body is grilled with the restaurant owner's secret spices and sauces, making it a perfect dish to eat with rice.
The large fish head was cooked into a soup with pickled cucumbers, which was quite comforting to drink in the dead of winter.
She was actually quite curious whether a large carp could be sliced into fillets, and if so, she would try making a sauerkraut fish dish next time.
Well, if you don't have sauerkraut, you can use pickled cucumbers instead.
There are really not many vegetables available in Moscow during the winter, and the few available in the market are ridiculously expensive, which doesn't quite fit the image of a fast food restaurant.
Therefore, the only vegetable dish in the restaurant is stir-fried bean sprouts, which are sprouted by the restaurant itself. The same goes for the tofu, which is ground by the restaurant itself.
The middlemen and women in the market all really like Mapo Tofu; it's not just referring to Chinese people.
Because of its proximity to the free market, this shop has become the first choice for local vendors to solve their meal problems.
On the table was a cold lettuce salad, made with dried lettuce that had been soaked. It was seasoned with a little salt and sesame oil, simply tossed together, and tasted crisp and delicious.
This dish wasn't easy to come by. The dried lettuce was air-shipped from Jiangdong, just like the dried mustard greens in braised pork with preserved mustard greens.
Tonight's standard takeout meal at the restaurant consists of cold lettuce salad, stir-fried bean sprouts with vinegar, stir-fried shredded potatoes, Mapo tofu, braised pork with preserved mustard greens, and two or three ounces of rice, priced at one dollar.
If you want grilled fish and fish head soup, you'll have to order those separately.
Since carp is currently available in the Moscow market and is quite cheap, a grilled carp, enough for two or three people, plus a fish head soup with pickled cucumbers, costs the same one dollar, with unlimited rice.
This arrangement makes the choices for customers visiting this store quite interesting.
The Chinese street vendors, who insist on having stir-fried dishes, often get together to choose a grilled fish set meal.
However, local traders in Eastern Europe and Russia tend to choose Chinese fast food.
They generally don't like to eat rice, and usually replace it with roasted potatoes or steamed buns.
Interestingly, the most popular breakfast set meal on the market now is steamed buns, eggs, and a cup of soy milk, while fewer people choose to drink milk than soy milk.
However, because the shop only accepts US dollars, it mainly does resale business. Ordinary Moscow residents wouldn't be able to afford to eat like that.
It was lunchtime, and the shop was busy pushing carts out to deliver food. Only Wang Xiao and her invited guests sat down to eat.
The guests were very supportive, praising the food for its delicious taste, and some even enjoyed eating Mapo Tofu with rice.
Director Sobyanin praised, "I knew you would run the business well once the shop was in your hands. I look forward to the opening of more restaurants."
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Next time, I'll invite you to another shop to try the chef's cooking. His specialty is fried rice."
The round-faced girl, Natalie, sighed with emotion, "Miss Wang, I never imagined that your opposition to removing Lenin's body from Red Square was for the sake of the shop's business."
"Otherwise what?" Wang Xiao chuckled. "You don't think I'm exporting revolution, do you?"
She shook her head, laughing even harder. "I think I understand what you mean. But as the saying goes, gentlemen seek harmony but not uniformity. In reality, our closest partner in Hungary is from Taiwan. We've never reached an agreement on whether we should be a republic or a republic. But business is business, and this doesn't affect our business dealings."
Ivanov chimed in, "Actually, we never discuss these issues. We only care about how to attract more customers and get them to willingly open their wallets."
The people at the table laughed.
Wang Xiao seized the opportunity to state: "So, as businessmen, we don't really care what color the national flag is. What we really care about is whether the government can provide us with a good political and business environment, and whether there is room for development in this market."
"So what do you want us to do?"
“Let’s stop dwelling on the past,” Wang Xiao said earnestly. “Our biggest requirement for the government is that it never changes its policies frequently and that it promptly notifies us of any new policy changes.”
She spoke sincerely, “Because we intend to invest here long-term. As you can see, we have been actively responding to the government’s privatization policy, and we will buy as long as conditions permit.”
Director Sobyanin then launched into his pitch: "Our privatization efforts are about to accelerate; the next step is the privatization of large enterprises. I wonder if you'd be interested in joining?"
Wang Xiao asked with particular sincerity, "Is it a large shopping mall?"
"No, it's a large factory."
Haha, thank you.
These small individual shops are fine, but large state-owned enterprises are just prey for oligarchs; what business is it of outsiders?
To put it bluntly, the business environment in the Russian Federation is notoriously bad, and a lot of foreign investors have been cheated.
She had no interest in stepping on that landmine.
Ivanov couldn't help but feel melancholy again. They couldn't buy the factory, so how were they going to spend their rubles?
Those mountains of banknotes, if they fell over, they could be crushed into mincemeat.
Another group of customers arrived at the restaurant. The middlemen, who had already sold out their goods, came in arm in arm to eat. While eating grilled fish and drinking local liquor made from rye bread, they complained, "Damn it, they cut the exchange rate too much. I don't even earn enough to cover their cuts."
"Well, there's no other way. If we don't exchange it for US dollars, we'll lose even more. Hey, I see some people are exchanging for Japanese yen. Why don't we exchange ours for yen and spend it on Japanese territory?"
"You're dreaming. Japanese things are ridiculously expensive. We can't even buy a damn thing with our meager savings."
...
Wang Xiao blinked twice.
Foreign exchange brokers, middlemen, that's right. Besides powerful officials, the most important group of people exchanging foreign currency is the army of middlemen.
Hey! Their rubles are saved.
Officials from the Moscow city government, who couldn't understand Chinese, only expressed their envy: "You Chinese are really good at doing business; you always sell the fastest."
Wang Xiao's mind raced, and he already had an idea. A broad smile spread across his face: "Because we genuinely hope to join the economic process of the Russian Federation. For example, we—"
She pointed to herself and Ivanov, "After discussing it, we came up with the best solution: to fully leverage our respective networks in our countries to help businesses in both countries better conduct commercial exchanges."
The words were a bit awkward, but the meaning was clear to all the young officials present.
They wanted to act as intermediaries, facilitating business between the two countries.
Ivanov blinked, maintaining his smile, but his mind was in a whirl: Discuss? When did they discuss it?
He was certain that since the commercial street opened, he had been so busy that he hadn't even had time to drink, let alone get drunk. It was impossible for him to be talking nonsense while drunk and completely forgetting it after waking up.
However, as a partner, he was quite cooperative, never saying a word to undermine him, only expressing his support through silence.
Wang Xiao continued speaking at length: "Because we don't know much about the actual operation of the factory, we would like to ask for your help. Could you provide us with detailed information on relevant leading companies in Moscow and even the Russian Federation?"
For example, what are their flagship products, what is their production volume, what is their target price, and in what areas can these products be applied? And if they want to barter, what goods would they need?
With this information, we can find suitable buyers in China. This mutually beneficial exchange can promote the common economic development of both countries.
Director Sobyanin was quite direct: "So how much commission do you want?"
Since business is business, it's impossible for Chinese businessmen to emulate Lei Feng's good example.
Wang Xiao smiled: "Three to five percent, depending on the actual situation."
Director Sobyanin nodded: "Okay, we will compile some information as soon as possible."
He knew just how tempting this was for the company.
Before the sale of products through COMECON, many of Russia's key products were consumed within COMECON. Because the Soviet Union centrally managed these products, factories were primarily responsible for production, and sales were not a concern for them.
Now the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) is gone, and the Soviet Union has also disappeared.
At the same time, the complete industrial chain, raw material import channels, and sales channels also vanished.
If you want to import raw materials, you first need to sell the goods and raise enough funds.
Finding new sales markets is difficult.
Bartering is even more difficult.
Just figuring out how to connect buyers and sellers is a huge global challenge.
If there is a reliable person to act as a go-between, it can save a lot of trouble.
Director Sobyanin had previously worked in large state-owned enterprises, so he knew the characteristics of these types of companies all too well.
Letting them focus on production is fine, but asking them to develop sales markets or anything like that is just making things difficult for them.
For the Chinese side, finding suitable goods in unfamiliar Russia is equally difficult. They might even encounter scammers.
Instead of wasting time and effort with no guarantee of a good outcome, it's better to find a reliable middleman.
When Miss Wang was interviewed last time, she said that she grew up in a large state-owned enterprise in China, so she probably does have her own connections.
Director Sobyanin reiterated, "I hope that more companies from our two countries can successfully cooperate."
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "Then I have one more request: we need to participate in the quality inspection. If the goods fail our inspection, we will tell the buyer frankly, otherwise it would be unfair to the five percent commission we charge the buyer."
Director Sobyanin asked curiously, "You're in quality control, how do you do the testing?"
"Look at the quality inspection report," Wang Xiao smiled. "We'll have experts carefully review the quality inspection report."
Although the meal was simple, both hosts and guests enjoyed themselves immensely, fully embodying the "Clean Plate Campaign".
As everyone said goodbye and left, Director Sobyanin repeatedly assured them that he would compile the data for them as soon as possible.
Wang Xiao thanked them repeatedly, expressing her gratitude for their continued support and assistance.
As everyone was waving goodbye, Natalie suddenly asked, "Actually, what I wanted to ask before was, how do I think our country's reforms should proceed?"
As dusk fell, the streetlights were already lit along the wide, straight road.
Looking into the young woman's clear blue eyes under the light, which resembled the waters of Lake Baikal, Wang Xiao felt embarrassed to treat the girl casually.
She could only honestly tell the other person, "I don't know."
She genuinely didn't know.
If she really had that ability, she wouldn't have been a product-selling influencer before she transmigrated into the book; she would have been a knowledge-monetizing influencer.
"And what about your experience?"
Wang Xiao shook his head: "You can't apply our experience. China's reform and opening up in the 1980s was in the Pearl River Delta, but now it has shifted to the Yangtze River Delta region."
Both regions have abundant port resources, making foreign trade transportation very convenient. Another advantage is China's large population, which is suitable for labor-intensive processing trade.
Both of these are characteristics of China, unlike the Russian Federation.
If I had to give some advice, it would be to be realistic and never copy other people's methods.
When China was carrying out its revolution, it was a typical agricultural country with a weak industrial base and a small workforce, so it couldn't simply copy the workers' movement model from Marxist-Leninist works. Instead, it took the path of encircling the cities from the countryside.
We call this the Sinicization of Marxism.
When we talk about reform and opening up, we are also talking about taking the socialist path with Chinese characteristics.
In the words of our leaders, it's called opposing bookishness; we must never be dogmatic.
Although the Russian Federation is now said to have the rise of the democratic faction, the actual decision-making power for the country still rests with its top leaders.
As an ordinary government employee, what could Natalie do even if she knew what to do?
Besides, she didn't know that yet.
The sky outside was already turning gray, and it was getting colder. Everyone parted ways and said goodbye.
Ivanov had no idea what Wang Xiao was up to.
He believed they could handle this role well.
They are all talented at integrating resources.
Moreover, the reason why humans invented money is because bartering is too troublesome, and it is much simpler and more convenient to settle transactions directly with money.
The biggest characteristic of large state-owned enterprises is that they hate trouble; their leaders wish they could just sign a document.
but--
Huaxia Commercial Street doesn't need this now; what they need is to consume rubles, large amounts of rubles.
They can directly give rubles to manufacturers in the Russian Federation, purchase their products, and then distribute them to Chinese buyers, receiving Chinese yuan in return.
However, Russian manufacturers will continue to use these rubles to buy goods in their shopping districts.
After going around in circles, the rubles they spend will always return to them.
It's unrealistic to expect to deplete rubles solely by buying real estate. Once property is purchased, the money is essentially dead, at least for the short term, and cannot be reinvested in business.
They need a large amount of capital to purchase the goods.
The thought of this made Ivanov feel that his future was as gloomy as the sky.
No wonder the Chinese say that a little wealth is enough.
Since his net worth increased dramatically, he hasn't even had time to enjoy himself; he's constantly worrying and going bald.
"Don't worry," Wang Xiao smiled. "Once the manufacturers receive the rubles, they don't necessarily have to buy directly from us."
Ivanov was skeptical: "Is there a better option than us? Who can offer better quality at a lower price?"
“Yes, there are.” Wang Xiao pointed in the direction of the airport. “They’re just like us, middlemen who get their goods from the International Trade City. And their goods are cheaper.”
It is well known that primary wholesalers typically sell at double the price.
For example, a down jacket that costs $15 will cost $30 when the plane lands at an airport in Moscow.
The second and third-tier wholesalers then double the shipment based on the actual situation, and by the time it reaches the final buyer, the goods have often passed through several hands.
In Moscow, the most cost-effective way to get goods is actually to pick them up at the airport.
However, large-scale resellers have their own sales channels and generally do not directly face consumers. The time wasted on small-scale sales could be used to restock many more times.
Ivanov suddenly realized: "You mean to introduce the manufacturer to the primary wholesaler?"
Wang Xiao nodded.
Every industry has its own rules, and no one will casually disrupt market prices. Otherwise, if you offend your peers and are collectively ostracized, no one can survive in the industry.
We've already made an agreement with a familiar first-tier wholesaler to supply the factory with goods at a 90% discount from Huaxia Commercial Street, so everyone can make a profit.
They can get a commission from the primary wholesalers and also consume a large amount of rubles, so why not?
Besides, the primary wholesalers also get their goods from the trade city, so we're essentially giving them US dollars and Chinese yuan in the same way!
Hey! As for how the primary wholesalers will spend their rubles, that's their own problem, and has nothing to do with Huaxia Commercial Street.
Haha, Ivanov was getting happier and happier as he thought about it.
If he didn't know that Chinese people don't like any intimate physical contact with the opposite sex, he really wanted to pick up Wang Xiao and spin her around in the street.
Hahaha.
What is this called?
In Chinese terms, it's a classic case of shifting the blame eastward.
They can even have manufacturers come directly to the commercial street to pick up the goods, and then settle accounts with the primary wholesalers in rubles, which is equivalent to the latter helping them carry the goods.
Ha! In this way, they won't lose the resources of the resellers they have just started trading because they've been using too many cargo planes lately.
"Wang, my dear friend, why didn't you tell me sooner that this was such a wonderful idea?"
Wang Xiao looked at Ivanov and smiled as if he had received a windfall of 10 billion. Well, that's certainly a fair assessment.
She shrugged and said, "I only remembered this when I got to the free market and saw the speculators."
Driven by business needs and the desire to preserve value, speculators are the mainstream in the foreign exchange trading market.
Once she understood this, she naturally knew what to do.
Their Wuzhou Transportation Company and International Trade City have been operating for so long that, to say the least, they have more than enough resources of middlemen and traders at their disposal.
If not now, when?
Wang Xiao urged his partner, "Let's go back quickly and sort out our network of relationships again, and try to find more factories that we can cooperate with."
After all, billions of rubles are coming in every day. If this intermediary isn't big enough, it simply can't consume that much money.
Sigh, life must be tough being a billionaire.
However, as the cars merged into the sea of vehicles and drove merrily towards the suburbs, Wang Xiao couldn't help but smile as she watched the taillights of the cars ahead trace red arcs in the dark twilight, like the glow of fairy wands.
Look, the red, yellow, and green traffic lights are flashing, shining brightly alongside the stars in the sky and the neon lights on the streets, illuminating the entire Moscow night sky.
What a beautiful night!
————————
Wang Xiao: Do you understand the troubles of a billionaire? ⊙﹏⊙ So worrying, so worrying.
In addition, the huge amount of gold that Ivanov complained about in the article, which is known as the number one of the ten unsolved mysteries of the Soviet Union.
According to a 2002 investigation report by Sergei Shashurin, a member of the Anti-Corruption Committee of the Russian Duma, 786 tons of gold were illegally smuggled out of the country before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and this was an "open secret" within the Soviet upper echelons, with the government failing to take effective measures to stop this undercurrent.
Ivanov is a second-generation official and has dealt with the powerful and wealthy for many years, so it's not surprising that he knows about gold. ^O^ Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2023-12-10 07:00:10 and 2023-12-10 23:21:59!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Qingxiaocaiwei 76 bottles; Zhuixun Shaonv, snowyi 3 bottles; 20655808, lenfen123, Qiushuifeishui, aurora 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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