Chapter 96 Sex and Violence: Human Instincts: Returning Home
In front of everyone, Wang Xiao made a phone call to Tokyo.
Almost as soon as the phone rang, the other end answered: "Hello, this is Wu Haoyu."
Normally, Wang Xiao would flirt with the young man, say some cheesy pickup lines, and chat a bit.
But now, under the watchful eyes of everyone, she could only obediently play the role of a respectable person and say concisely: "I am Wang Xiao, and we have regained our freedom."
She looked out the window and described the situation: "The government forces seem to have the situation under control."
There are still tanks parked downstairs at the hotel.
She turned her head and saw that the embassy staff had also come over. She then said, "I'll go back to Bucharest with the embassy staff right away."
The person on the other end of the phone visibly breathed a sigh of relief, saying "Okay, okay" several times.
In fact, Wu Haoyu already knew that the situation was under control.
By accompanying a Japanese reporter on a telephone interview, he has learned the entire course of events.
But anything can happen. In front of a group of armed thugs, even if they have no intention of harming the hostages, what if a gun accidentally goes off?
Only now, hearing her voice, could he be sure that she was indeed safe.
His voice was so hoarse he could barely speak. He coughed twice before continuing, "I've applied to the embassy to see if I can accompany the Japanese businessmen to Jiangdong this time."
Wang Xiao smiled broadly: "OK, I'll go back as soon as I've finished dealing with things in Romania."
After hanging up the phone, she turned her head and met Ivanov's winking.
Ha, he still has the mind to gossip, which shows that he has not suffered much mental stimulation and is still considered normal.
Everyone quickly packed their luggage and went downstairs; they really didn't want to stay in this lousy hotel for another minute.
It's outrageous that after such a human tragedy, the hotel showed absolutely no awareness of crisis management. Not only did they not offer free meals, they didn't even give anyone a discount.
Of course, it's also possible that the hotel is simply too poor, having been completely robbed last night, so they can't be generous even if they wanted to.
When they were checking out, some foreigners nearby greeted them, asking, "Are you Chinese?"
Wang Xiao nodded: "Yes, where are you from?"
The light blond-haired foreigner immediately perked up: "I know China, I've sold your goods before. I'm from Serbia."
Fearing Wang Xiao might not understand, he added, "Yugoslavia, do you know that?"
"I know, I know." Wang Xiao nodded repeatedly, half-jokingly saying, "You guys are veterans in the business world."
The profession of international middleman can be said to have been pioneered by the Yugoslavs.
Then came the Hungarians, Czechoslovaks, and Poles, with the Soviets being relatively late to react.
Interestingly, the economic conditions of these countries also follow the order of the start of the "speculative trading" business.
The Serbian businessman became smug: "I started by selling Chinese watches in Romania."
Of course, it's unclear where the watch actually came from.
Because Chinese goods had a good reputation, they were the most popular Chinese goods among Romanians at the time.
Just like how people nowadays like Italian goods, the jeans he sells all have Italian labels on them.
Wang Xiao chuckled and asked with great interest, "So what kind of business are you in now?"
"Just sell whatever you have, whatever you want," the Serbian businessman retorted. "What kind of business do you do?"
He asked this question because most of the foreigners who go to Moldova now are international middlemen.
This hotel can also be described as exclusively for resellers.
However, he vowed that he would never stay in that shabby hotel again.
Wang Xiao cursed the damn hotel along with him a couple of times before explaining with a smile, "I'm in the wholesale business. I acquired a piece of land in Bucharest specifically for containerized cargo wholesale, shipping directly from China."
Many people around her became interested and surrounded her, asking, "What kind of goods do you sell?"
They do business in Moldova by sourcing goods from Moscow or Kyiv and then reselling them to smaller vendors to earn a profit.
Bucharest is closer to Moldova, and the locals have a higher level of acceptance of Romania, so it would definitely be more convenient to source goods from there.
In addition, Serbia itself borders Romania.
Currently, all six republics of Yugoslavia are seeking independence, and there is a shortage of light industrial products in the country.
Everyone was asking about business information, one after another.
There's nothing particularly special about the international reselling industry; the most important thing is finding good sources of goods.
Currently, in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, the most popular high-end goods definitely come from Europe and the United States, but the next best are Turkish and Chinese goods.
Turkish goods have a geographical advantage, while Chinese goods have the advantage of a wide variety; there is almost nothing they don't sell.
Even if they didn't have a product at the beginning, they could immediately produce it as soon as the market demanded it; it's truly amazing.
Wang Xiao handed out price quotes to everyone one by one; it was the same quote for the garrison representatives.
“We have all of the items listed above in stock. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, just tell us your name and we’ll get it from you.”
The middlemen and women immediately became interested, and they started talking all at once.
Some people wanted Golden Deer cigarettes. I don't know why, but although this brand of cigarettes isn't very well-known in China, it's quite popular in Eastern Europe.
The best-selling cigarettes in Hungary and Romania are Golden Deer brand.
There are many similar products; they are a typical example of something that is more popular abroad than at home.
If they can make good use of their existing advantages, they might actually grow into a giant in the future.
Reporter Zhang stared dumbfounded at the group of speculators.
He clearly remembered that just a few hours earlier, they had been frozen in fear, trembling under the guns of the rioters.
But now, a group of people are talking enthusiastically, and some are even taking out calculators to calculate the bill, making quite a scene of bargaining.
It was as if everything from last night was just a dream.
Reporter Zhang couldn't help but sigh: "These people are too carefree."
He now truly believed what Wang Xiao had said: that even though Yugoslavia was currently in a state of chaos, it couldn't stop businessmen from going there to make money.
Look at them now. They barely escaped death. Normal people should run as far away as possible to get rid of the nightmare.
None of the businesspeople staying at the hotel said they would never come back to this godforsaken place again.
On the contrary, they were all beaming with joy and thinking about how to make more money.
As more and more people gathered around, Wang Xiao had to raise his voice: "March, the container wholesale market will definitely open in March. Everyone, please leave me your contact information. When the latest shipment list comes out, I'll send it to you all, fax is fine too."
The crowd then dispersed.
They don't necessarily have to buy goods from this container market; it's just that having another source of goods means having another way to make money, so what's the harm in it?
You won't get ripped off if you compare prices from different vendors.
Wang Xiao came out and greeted the embassy staff: "Shall we leave now?"
She looked refreshed and radiant, showing no signs of the terrifying night she had endured, which had kept her awake all night.
It was a pleasant surprise to run into so many traders and speculators operating in the Moldova region.
Although the country has only three million people, it is comparable to Bucharest, and the market is not small.
The embassy staff nodded: "You can leave now."
Ivanov, however, looked distressed: "Can I go back with you? Our passports have been torn to shreds."
The embassy staff were stunned and didn't know what to do for a moment.
Without a passport, he definitely can't travel around; he absolutely has to find a way to get a replacement.
But given the current situation, where can people in Moldova apply for passport replacements?
The embassy staff were truly overworked, having to exercise their international humanitarian spirit to help this poor international friend by asking around about how to replace his passport.
Just then, a voice called out from afar: "Hey, my old buddy, Ivanov, how are you?"
Ivanov was not feeling well at all; he saw that his friend's eyes were red.
I was so angry.
He slammed his fist into the other man's shoulder, uttering a curse that seemed to resonate deep within him: "Didn't you say this place was great?"
Damn it, I almost lost my life yesterday.
If I hadn't clung to someone's coattails, I would have been shot dead!
When Ivanov's captain friend listened to his angry outburst, instead of expressing any regret or offering comfort, he actually laughed out loud: "Isn't this great?"
He narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice, "Without war, where would the casualties come from?"
The aircraft they were trying to sell had already been officially destroyed in battle last night.
How wonderful, we don't even need to go through the scrapping process.
Ivanov glared at him and muttered, "No wonder you're spending $40 billion on military spending in Afghanistan."
The captain raised his hands, looking utterly innocent: "I've never been to Afghanistan."
He didn't get a single penny of that enormous wealth or the huge military expenditures worth one to two hundred billion US dollars.
However, they perfectly inherited the great achievements of their predecessors.
Now everyone is self-taught and can skillfully manage battle damage.
What's wrong with Moldova? Countless colleagues envy them.
Because of the conflicts between Moldovans, Russians, and Ukrainians, the authorities tacitly allowed them to provide weapons to the latter to prevent the former from actually merging with Romania.
As for how much to provide? Only the heavens, the earth, you, and I know.
As for who it is specifically provided to, that's up to whoever pays for it.
Back then, our predecessors dared to sell goods to the armed forces in Afghanistan, so what do they have to be afraid of now?
Ivanov was furious when he saw his friend winking at him.
Finally, all he could do was complain bitterly, "My passport, all our passports have been shredded."
The captain chimed in dismissively, "Oh, those damn guys. But it's alright—"
He patted Ivanov on the shoulder. “Perfect timing. Come back with us on this plane. Our poor Russian citizen has been horribly kidnapped abroad, and we have to escort you home.”
As for what to use for escort, it was naturally that Il-62.
After it was refitted and returned, who could still say that it had ever served in Moldova?
Ivanov turned to look at Wang Xiao.
Wang Xiao had to resist his pitiful gaze and get down to business: "I have to go back to Romania first to take care of our work."
Are you kidding me? Comrade Wang doesn't speak a word of foreign language. Are you expecting him to fly all the way back to Moscow from Romania alone? He's getting on in years; there's really no need for him to undergo such a test.
Ivanov could only insist, with a hint of grievance, "You'd better hurry, we have a lot of work to do in Moscow too."
Wang Xiao quickly nodded perfunctorily, "Okay, okay, I'll go over as soon as I finish what I'm doing."
Even so, when Ivanov saw Wang Xiao off to the embassy, he reluctantly instructed the others, "I'm so sorry to trouble you all, please take good care of Wang."
If it weren't for the fact that he didn't have a passport and was afraid of being deported from Romania, he would have liked to get on the bus and go with them.
Reporter Zhang felt something was very strange.
Hello--
Dude, get this straight, we're the ones who are Wang Xiao's compatriots.
After the car door closed and the car had driven quite a distance, reporter Zhang looked back and found that Ivanov was still standing there waving.
He couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Ms. Wang, your boyfriend is really quite attached to you."
Wang Xiao immediately denied it: "Don't misunderstand, we are just business partners."
She wasn't surprised that reporter Zhang misunderstood; after all, from a man's perspective, a man's attachment to a woman is already considered true love, a commitment to spend his life with her.
Because when a man marries a wife, it's called "marrying a bride." If the kind of attachment a man has to his mother isn't love, then what is?
But unless a woman is completely misled, she probably won't be interested in becoming a mother painlessly and will instead find herself a good son.
Reporter Zhang smiled but didn't say whether she believed it or not.
Young people these days are very fashionable. Some are childless by choice, some don't want to get married, and some have open relationships. There's nothing they can't do.
Wang Xiao changed the subject: "I still don't know what happened last night or who they are."
"They're not anyone special, just a student organization," reporter Zhang sighed. "And yet they've caused such a huge mess."
I reckon the Moldovan Front must hate these kids now.
Because once the incident is exposed, the whole world will think they are a group of thugs.
Even the "Japanese Red Army" has lost its appeal now, let alone them.
It's normal for them to want to merge with Romania. Historically, they were one family, and culturally they share the same origins.
Moreover, from a practical point of view, since Moldova has already broken away from Ukraine, it must rely on Romania to have a future.
Because this country has no access to the sea; it is a typical landlocked country.
In the Soviet era, this was nothing, since everything was arranged perfectly by the state.
But now that the Soviet Union has collapsed, how can a country with no access to the sea and an agricultural economy survive?
It's normal to have ideas, the key is how to implement them.
Small countries that exist in the cracks between large countries must possess extraordinary survival wisdom.
According to reporter Zhang, Moldova was too slow. It should have acted before the formal collapse of the Soviet Union, around the time of the upheavals in Eastern Europe.
That way, it might even gain American support and achieve its goal.
Now that the Soviet Union has collapsed, neither Ukraine nor Russia would want it to actually merge with Romania.
Because nobody needs a powerful neighbor.
For the United States right now, neither Romania nor Moldova are likely of enough importance to warrant its intervention.
After all, the real intention behind the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe was to dismantle the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) and weaken the influence of the Soviet Union.
Now that the Soviet Union is dead, why bother making a fuss over a tiny Moldova?
Reporter Zhang shook his head: "If this happens again, things will be even more complicated."
Young people are impulsive; they get used as pawns without even realizing it.
Wang Xiao sighed and muttered to himself, "It's terrifying. They can create such a huge commotion just because they acted impulsively. Last night, there was a sea of gun barrels pointed at us. It's really scary that their weapons have been leaked."
Reporter Zhang laughed out loud: "I think you have a very strong mentality. I didn't see any fear on your part."
Neither he nor the embassy staff reacted much to the loss of weapons.
Why? Because they were all born in the 1950s. Their adolescence was an era of universal conscription. Fighting for weapons arsenals was commonplace; even the village militia were armed.
It's quite unusual if you've never handled a gun barrel before.
In fact, this is not uncommon in Eastern European countries.
For example, Albania received so much aid back then, but what did they do with it? They built bunkers.
Their bunkers are everywhere in the country, so much so that they are so solidly built that now, even if you want to blow them up to clear the space, you just can't blow them up.
When the topic of Albania came up, reporter Zhang subconsciously switched to English and began discussing it with the reporter from Pravda.
They both agreed that perhaps Albania could change its approach, find a different path, and instead of dismantling the bunkers, simply turn them into a unique tourist attraction.
Anyway, this country isn't very big and doesn't have a large population, so developing tourism first might be a promising approach.
As for its unique tourist attractions? They use bunkers for military exercises, of course.
As the conversation deepened, reporter Zhang brought up a clan feud in his hometown, in which more than a thousand people joined the fray.
Infantry and artillery worked together, with able-bodied men on the battlefield and women and children providing logistical support. The fighting was fierce.
A reporter from Pravda, who was listening nearby, was stunned and exclaimed, "This isn't a brawl, it's war! My God, your farmers can fight?"
Realizing the negative impact, reporter Zhang quickly tried to salvage the situation: "That's all in the past. Things are more strictly regulated now, so it's impossible."
However, the reporter from Pravda remained curious: "They'll go to war?"
"Of course they can fight." Reporter Zhang didn't hide anything. "The old folks in the village fought against the Japanese devils back then, and the young men served in the army. They've all received proper military training and know how to fight. Really, you can't tell from their appearance normally; they're all honest, simple farmers. But when it comes to a real fight, they're all incredibly capable fighters."
A reporter from Pravda exclaimed, "So it turns out that the real skill of you Chinese is in warfare."
He joked, "I have to tell the Romanians in the newspapers, don't mess with them. If you piss them off, they won't send you vegetables, they'll send you cannonballs."
The embassy staff laughed out loud: "Where are you going to find artillery shells on your Romanian territory?"
The conversation grew increasingly lively, and a reporter from Pravda even shared a script he had conceived himself.
He is a part-time playwright and has previously written screenplays.
"I have a story that was inspired by watching Chinese martial arts films. There was a Romanian child who was adopted by a Chinese father when he was young. It turned out that the adoptive father was just a small merchant on the surface, but he was actually a kung fu master."
The car drove forward, the cabin swaying, and Wang Xiao was already dozing off.
She only heard a few scattered points.
For example, the adoptive father often said "love and peace" to prevent the little boy from fighting.
But in reality, it's always himself who eventually loses his temper and gives himself a beating.
In his words, love and peace apply to humans, not animals.
Another of his famous quotes is: "I originally thought you were all no good, but I never imagined you were no good at all."
Simply put, this is a story about a chivalrous hero who hides in the city, fights against evil, and maintains order in the city.
Yeah, a modified version of Spider-Man.
Just as Wang Xiao was about to fall asleep, her name was suddenly mentioned. Reporter Zhang asked her, "Ms. Wang, would you like to invest?"
Huh? Invest in what?
Invest in film and television.
Reporter Zhang and his colleagues at the embassy found the story told by the Pravda reporter very interesting and encouraged him to find a way to submit it for filming.
The problem is that Romanian film studios are basically shut down right now, and they can't even pay salaries, let alone produce new films.
So the people on the bus set their sights on Wang Xiao.
Since she is interested in cultural dissemination, she must also be interested in producing films.
Wang Xiao thought to himself, "Guys, you guys are really overthinking things."
My sister's real purpose was to use the TV series for advertising.
However, producing films is not out of the question.
Although the story is simple, the grudges and favors are clearly defined, the plot is not complicated, and the addition of a touch of humor makes it more likely to be popular.
However, Wang Xiao had a condition: "It has to be a TV series, not a movie. There are too few moviegoers in Romania right now. The same goes for China."
Currently, audiences don't have high demands for visual effects, and movie theaters don't have much of a social aspect.
Being able to watch TV at home without spending any money is the most cost-effective way to pass the time.
The Pravda reporter was surprised to find such a wealthy investor willing to invest, and immediately responded flexibly: "No problem, it's a film series anyway, turning it into a TV series isn't difficult."
Wang Xiao made another request: "I want to see the script."
Although short dramas had already started to emerge and even became hits before she transmigrated into the book, she had never been involved in this field.
However, there's always a first time for everything. How can you know if you can do it or not if you don't try?
What truly touched her about this story was the identity of the Chinese knight-errant: a small merchant.
Wang Xiao decided to turn their living and working place into a wholesale market.
By describing his daily work, one can introduce a variety of fresh and interesting products.
The length of time a TV series airs is equivalent to the length of time it's been used for advertising.
If the TV show is well-received, the wholesale market will become a popular spot for TV viewers.
This way, customers can be continuously attracted.
As Wang Xiao made more and more demands, Reporter Zhang and the others stared in astonishment.
It seems she's serious; the one picking out the goods is the one who actually wants to buy them.
Reporter Zhang laughed out loud: "It seems that our first collaboration between China and Romania on a TV series will soon become a reality. This is a milestone in the history of cultural exchange between our two countries!"
Although Romanian films were quite popular in China during the 1960s, 70s and 80s, for some unknown reason, Romanian television dramas were never imported into China.
If this film is well-made, it could be shown in China, allowing people to gain a new understanding of modern Romania.
The two got more and more into talking, and eventually Wang Xiao couldn't participate anymore.
She simply closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep against the car seat.
When she opened her eyes again, the car was already driving on the streets of Bucharest.
When the car door opened, she was greeted by leaders from the municipal government.
Without hesitation, Wang Xiao immediately entered negotiation mode: "Sir, look how miserable we are. I don't think I'll ever dare to pass through Moldova again. So, I need a direct flight. A flight directly from China to Romania."
Reporter Zhang and others exchanged bewildered glances, while the reporter from Pravda almost burst out laughing.
He truly admired Chinese businessmen. No matter what happened, they could immediately switch to making money and try every means to maximize their own interests.
This gave him an idea, and he felt that a similar character could be added to the script.
In this way, it can form a stark contrast with the male protagonist who is complacent and only wants to get by.
This strong female character plays a crucial role in the development of the plot at key moments.
Wang Xiao was unaware that he had become the prototype for someone else's character.
After complaining to the city leaders, she received their assurance that the flight route issue would definitely be finalized in Romania this week.
Wang Xiao was still not satisfied: "Tomorrow, at most tomorrow. My mother is already terrified and is urging my father and me to go back immediately."
The city leaders were forced to back down again and finally had to promise that they would give a reply tomorrow.
Then Wang Xiao, barely alive, weakly waved goodbye, saying she needed to go back and rest.
But as soon as the car started moving, she gave a different story, begging reporter Zhang and the embassy staff not to tell Comrade Wang Tiejun about this.
"My dad will be terrified."
Everyone expressed their understanding, as children always report good news and not bad when they are out in the world.
When a child realizes they need to do this, it means they've grown up.
Reporter Zhang also comforted Wang Xiao: "Don't worry, your dad won't know, and I doubt the news here will mention it either."
Why?
It has a bad influence.
Moldova's desire to merge with Romania is naturally a major positive development for Romania.
However, in order to merge, they directly occupied hotels catering to foreigners with guns, kidnapped foreigners, and caused chaos, which was not a good thing for Romania.
Now, international public opinion can force Romania to admit that they orchestrated this.
The Romanian government is so eager to turn back the clock that it doesn't even want the media to report on this matter extensively.
And if the media doesn't talk about it, how would ordinary people know about things happening in neighboring cities, let alone across the border?
Wang Xiao thought about it and realized that it made perfect sense.
Sure enough, when she returned to the guesthouse, Ruan Xiaomei and the others, who had just flown back from France, were excitedly discussing Parisian street fashion.
Wow, this trip has really broadened everyone's horizons.
Paris truly lives up to its reputation as the fashion capital; everyone on the streets is dressed in a stylish and beautiful way.
Whether it was Ruan Xiaomei, Elena, or her friends, they all chose the most fashionable outfits to go with them.
As a result, once they arrived at the other side's territory, everyone couldn't help but feel ashamed of themselves.
Seriously, they don't even need to open their mouths to reveal their accents. As soon as they stand on someone else's turf, outsiders know they're country bumpkins.
Everyone felt like they couldn't walk anymore, because with every step they took, they felt as if someone was watching and laughing at them.
The group wandered around awkwardly all day, feeling like they couldn't see enough of the sights.
Ruan Xiaomei was in a better position, since she had dealt with many Western European guests in Budapest before.
Elena and the others couldn't help but lament, "There wasn't enough time! We saw everyone on the street dressed so uniquely, and every single piece was so beautiful."
So much so that if you asked them to describe what's most fashionable in Paris now, they wouldn't know what to say.
One day is definitely not enough; you'd need to live in Paris for at least a month to even get a glimpse of Parisian fashion.
However, they were too embarrassed to bring it up.
They stayed in Paris for a month, spending a fortune. How shameless do they have to make such a request?
Wang Xiao seriously considered the feasibility of this matter.
First, send out handsome men and beautiful women to observe Parisian fashion and take promotional photos to create advertising posters for their clothes.
This achieves two goals at once, making spending more efficient.
Secondly, if they want to reference other people's styles for a long time, they will definitely have to travel abroad frequently. It's quite normal for them to live abroad for a period of time.
Wang Xiao has already started thinking about how to rent an apartment in Paris, or even buy one.
Staying in hotels is too expensive and inconvenient.
Comrade Wang Tiejun listened with great interest for a long time, then suddenly asked in confusion, "Xiaoxiao, don't foreign shopping malls keep accounts?"
ah?
Wang Xiao didn't understand what you meant.
“Look at the self-service clothing supermarket in our factory area. They have to do the accounting every day to see how the clothes sold. Which clothes sold well and which clothes sold poorly? Just a few keystrokes and it’s all clear at a glance.”
Wang Tiejun was puzzled. "Isn't this the case in other countries?"
Of course not.
Fashion trends in developed capitalist countries change rapidly, so the retail industry naturally has to react even faster.
They've been using computerized POS systems for a long time; they constantly monitor sales and then decide whether to quickly offer discounts to clear out inventory.
Wang Xiaochong gave his father a thumbs up, full of admiration: "Dad, you're really amazing, your words have woken me up from my dream."
Wang Tiejun waved his hand sheepishly, saying modestly, "I was just saying it casually."
In fact, his mouth was practically hanging down to his ears as he grinned from ear to ear, and he was secretly delighted.
See, he can actually help his daughter too.
Wang Xiao then translated the idea into English and shared it with the university students, which immediately created a lively atmosphere.
That's right, sales figures don't lie. Whether a product is truly popular or just pretending to be popular can be seen clearly from its sales figures.
But how can they know the actual sales figures for the shopping mall?
If I simply say, "I want to buy your most popular clothes," will the salesperson take advantage of them because they are foreigners and try to sell them clothes that can't be sold?
It's very likely.
Ha, they grew up receiving socialist education, and even now, what they say is: "Capital comes into the world dripping with blood and filth from head to toe, from every pore."
It was Marx who said that.
Well, this is a bit out of place now.
However, it cannot be said that it is entirely unreasonable.
After all, even the employees of their state-owned stores would try to keep the good stuff and sell it to their acquaintances or simply sell it at a high price elsewhere.
Therefore, it's still necessary to have your own people in the business world.
The college students began to brainstorm ideas, leverage their networks, and recruit people who could be of use.
Although Wang Xiao suggested that Romanian municipal government officials could organize labor export.
But in reality, it's not uncommon for people from Bucharest to go abroad to work.
After Romania relaxed its travel restrictions in 1990, some quick-thinking individuals immediately took action and went abroad to earn foreign currency.
Among their classmates, some had family members or relatives working abroad.
After some digging, I found that there are indeed people working in shopping malls, but it seems to be in Germany.
Wang Xiao nodded: "Germany is fine too."
Although Germany sounds quite serious and doesn't seem to be associated with fashion or trends.
However, Germany borders Poland and the Czech Republic, so it's estimated that these two countries are quite influenced by the German culture.
You can refer to the popular trends in Germany.
The college students received recognition, and the discussion became even more heated.
They felt that if they continued their efforts, they would definitely be able to uncover more useful connections.
Ruan Xiaomei frowned slightly and asked, "Mr. Wang, when it comes to clothing styles learned from Western Europe, which should we prioritize: our own Chinese designs or those from Western Europe?"
She feels a bit confused right now, always feeling that the wholesale market's positioning is unclear and it's more like a hodgepodge.
Wang Xiao laughed: "It's a hodgepodge. The Western European style is positioned as high-end, and the price is half of theirs. Our Chinese style is mid-to-low-end, and the price is even cheaper. This way, we can attract more customers."
She thought for a moment and then shared her plan: "I'm going to set up a clothing factory in Bucharest to produce clothes."
Ruan Xiaomei was taken aback: "You want to set up a factory?"
Setting up a factory is a very troublesome thing. Finding a factory site is troublesome, finding workers is troublesome, and managing it is even more troublesome.
It's better to just buy directly from domestic suppliers; it's faster and more efficient.
Wang Xiao shook his head: "If the factory is here, we can react much faster."
She comforted Ruan Xiaomei, "Don't worry, we can prepare the materials in China and then ship them to Bucharest, where we can assemble them directly. This will be much more efficient."
What she didn't say was that doing this could save on tariffs.
Romania's tariff on ready-made clothing is 25%, which is not low at all.
Speculators can save on customs duties by carrying goods in by hand.
But now that he's starting a container wholesale business, he has to go through customs.
She discovered the policy loophole when she received the English version of the customs declaration documents from her lawyer.
If you cut out all the parts of a garment but don't sew the sleeves, collar, and buttons together, it's still considered raw clothing material.
Foreign companies import clothing fabrics at zero tariffs.
By saving that 25% tariff, they have much more room to negotiate the price of their clothes.
Correspondingly, their competitive advantage is also significant.
As for how to find workers in Romania, she was considering cooperating with Ren Ge.
Didn't he want to recruit everyone from his village to grow mushrooms?
You don't actually need to watch over mushrooms and vegetables all day long.
Just like the farmers in Zhouzhen, everyone works while farming.
If the couple comes to Romania together, the woman can definitely get a job in a garment factory.
It's just piecing together the different parts of the clothes; it's not difficult for them at all, as long as they know how to use a sewing machine to sew buttons.
After hearing her plan, Ruan Xiaomei thought it seemed feasible.
Then we'll have to find a factory.
Wang Xiao nodded: "You keep an eye on things first. I'll take Elena and the others to China to act as buyers and prepare the first batch of goods for the wholesale market."
Ruan Xiaomei was taken aback. She thought that, given Wang Xiao's personality, he would finalize the clothing factory matter completely before leaving Bucharest.
Wang Xiao laughed: "That's not realistic. Finding popular Western European styles takes time, and making patterns takes time too. We can't just wait around while the wholesale market stays closed. Let's sell our stock first, and once we've built up our reputation, we can attract more merchants and then replenish our Western European styles."
Since the boss has spoken, the employees naturally have to cooperate.
Elena and the others immediately cheered and ran back happily, preparing to leave the country.
Wang Xiao watched their departing figures and took a deep breath.
It's okay now. Get a good night's sleep tonight, and you can go home tomorrow.
Fly to Moscow, then fly to Jiangzhimen.
The hotel owner's wife was very reluctant to leave, repeatedly saying that the Wang family father and daughter were the best guests she had ever hosted.
Even for their sake, she felt that Ivanov and the others weren't so bad after all.
"Damn Soviet revisionism, damn revisionism!" The elderly woman sighed deeply. "If it weren't for that damned revisionism, we wouldn't be where we are today."
Wang Xiao didn't know how to comfort her.
However, the old lady became overjoyed again after receiving a box of cooling balm as a gift.
She loved the gift so much; the Tiger Balm and cooling ointment were treasures. Whenever her head felt throbbing, she would apply a little and immediately feel refreshed.
In Bucharest, they are very popular and sell for a dollar each.
Wang Xiao then extended an invitation with a smile: "I hope you can find the time to visit China next time."
The old lady looked wistful: "I hope I'll have this opportunity in my lifetime."
Wang Xiao assured her, "Yes, there will definitely be an opportunity."
Once direct flights are available, there will be plenty of opportunities.
This time, Wang Xiao acted swiftly and decisively.
She had just finalized the flight route when she met briefly with a local Bucharest construction company to discuss the market development plan before boarding the plane and leaving.
She handed over all the follow-up work to Ruan Xiaomei.
Elena adored her; that decisive and ruthless attitude was exactly the kind of urban woman she admired.
She wants to be like that someday.
Sigh, I should first try to emulate Miss Ruan, at least to become someone Miss Wang can trust.
Unfortunately, Wang Xiao seemed too tired to even listen to the compliments from handsome men and beautiful women.
Even when praised by the director of the Romanian television station, she maintained a smile and only humbly replied, "You flatter me."
This time, she also brought along the people from the TV station so they could go to Beijing to discuss with the television association which Chinese drama to import.
Invitations and such are minor matters; if her sponsor says it's okay, the Romanian television delegation can naturally follow along at any time.
So their team became a huge, impressive group, almost like a private jet.
Fortunately, the flight attendants of Air Luo were experienced and knowledgeable, and they still served them politely.
The flight attendants weren't young and beautiful women, but rather generally older. However, they had friendly smiles, and even though their English had an accent, their service was very attentive.
It makes people feel quite comfortable.
They served everyone airplane meals with smiles on their faces, using internationally accepted cold box packaging.
It's filled with flavorful, juicy beef, a typical Romanian dish, served with white bread.
In addition, the flight attendants also brought them chocolates, cookies, and desserts.
In Romania, where people have to queue at shopping malls to buy bread and milk, airplane meals can truly be described as plentiful.
Several college students gasped in surprise. No wonder it's an airplane; trains don't offer such good treatment.
One male college student even wanted another serving after finishing his meal, and the flight attendant smiled and handed it to him without saying a word more.
My God, this delicious beef, wonderful chocolate chip cookies and desserts are simply heaven.
The TV station director turned to them and smiled, "You're lucky to be born in such a good era. The last time I flew, it wasn't like this. There was only a piece of dark bread and a dessert. The beef was so tough that it was impossible to eat. I ate the bread by spreading jam on it."
Wang Xiao casually complimented, "It's clear that Romania is getting better and better."
The flight from Bucharest to Moscow takes only three hours.
Wang Xiao kept his eyes closed for at least two and a half hours.
However, she wasn't exactly asleep; at least after the plane landed, she waved goodbye to the group from the Romanian television station.
The next leg of their journey was for the television crew to travel to Beijing.
She then led her team to fly to Jiangzhimen.
After boarding the Wuzhou Company's plane, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
This time she seemed to be asleep; in fact, Wang Tiejun had to remind her when she got off the plane.
Elena and the others dared not utter a sound.
Because they all believed that she was not sleeping, but thinking, because she kept her eyes closed and remained silent throughout the flight.
They dared not disturb her.
Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated. She called out to them, "Let's go, put your luggage down first."
The accommodation she arranged for this group of young men and women was a resort.
That's right, after the New Year, part of the resort can finally be opened to the public.
The accommodation is quite good, much better than the village houses; the price is moderate, and half the price of the hotels catering to foreigners in the city; most importantly, it is right next to the International Trade City, which is convenient for both shopping and taking a plane back.
Therefore, the resort became an instant hit as soon as it opened.
If it weren't for the boss, Wang Xiao, speaking up, Romanian university students really wouldn't be able to book rooms right now.
As everyone entered the resort, they could hardly believe they were in China.
Because most of the people coming in and out are foreigners like them.
If it weren't for the uniformed staff with black hair and black eyes, they would have really wondered where the plane had landed.
Most of the guests looked hurried, carrying large and small bags as they came in and out.
As they passed the front desk, some of them were stopped by the staff, and then they were given oil paper packages that were still steaming.
The guests thanked them, opened the oil paper package, and ate as they walked out, not wanting to waste a single minute.
The oil paper package contained hamburgers and pies whose names they couldn't recall.
But no matter which one it was, everyone ate with relish, and it smelled delicious too.
Wang Xiao glanced at them and smiled at the college students, "If you want to eat, you can try it later. There are plenty of snacks here, and they taste pretty good."
After everyone got their keys and went to their rooms to put down their luggage.
The room was better than they had imagined, more than twenty square meters in size, with a large bed, a sofa and a coffee table by the window, all covered with cushions.
The windows were open for ventilation, and the white gauze curtains fluttered in the breeze, creating an ethereal atmosphere.
If she weren't in a rush, Elena would have loved to lie down on the bed and roll around in bed for a good while.
That's great, they're staying here for five days.
Someone was shouting outside, so Elena and her friends quickly ran out.
Wang Xiao stood in the aisle with a stack of loose change in his hand. When he saw the college students come out, he handed them money, fifty yuan each.
Given the current price levels in China, this is enough for them to buy snacks for their daily lives.
The college students were overjoyed. Clutching their spare change, they followed her to the food street at the entrance of the commercial city, where they started buying sesame cakes and fried dough sticks in twos and threes to try them out.
The stall owners were used to foreigners and would take money, give change, and hand out food directly, each one more efficient than the last.
Xiang Dong had already received the news and rushed out. He was surprised to see Wang Xiao: "Oh dear, what happened? Didn't you sleep well? You don't look well."
Wang Xiao rubbed his forehead: "It's nothing, just a bit of jet lag. Um, I'll leave them to you. I need to order 300 containers of goods, you can handle the allocation."
Xiang Dong raised his eyebrows in surprise. Three hundred containers, that's quite a lot. It's quite a large operation.
Wang Xiao said seriously, "I asked you to train a deputy, I wonder how your training is going. And how's your foreign language learning going? You need to be prepared at all times, you can't just stay in this small area of Jiangzhimen. I'm counting on you to be sent abroad later, to find a country to take charge of the overall situation there."
If you were to say this thirty years from now, it would be tantamount to exile.
But times have changed. Going abroad is now a very fashionable thing, and being able to go abroad to take charge of a major situation is definitely a great perk.
Xiang Dong's eyes immediately lit up, and he repeatedly assured him, "I'm studying, I'm studying English."
Although the Russian-speaking environment here is relatively good, he finds Russian too convoluted and finds it difficult to speak it smoothly.
Since there were many Russian speakers in the trade city, it wasn't anything special, so he simply changed course and started learning English.
At least he can write the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, so he's not a complete beginner.
As for how he learned it? He learned it from TV. They're showing "Follow Me" all the time these days, so if you want to learn it, you can always find a way.
Wang Xiao nodded: "Alright, I'll send you out when there's an opportunity."
Xiang Dong felt his blood getting warmer.
He felt that he had studied for so long, and it was indeed time for him to go out and make his own way in the world. Otherwise, always following the same old rules and living the same life day after day would be too boring.
He immediately assured him, "Sure, just say the word and I'll be there anytime."
Wang Xiao didn't stay long at the commercial city; she still had to take Comrade Wang Tiejun home.
Just then, a car from the factory arrived, and Wang Tiejun called to his daughter, "Let's go home."
Wang Xiao was taken aback when he saw the bus from the steel plant.
She wasn't surprised by the cars; there were countless cars at the steel plant.
She was surprised by the attire of the steelworkers. Good heavens, it's March, even if it's the beginning of March, it's still March.
Ladies, are you all dressed in fur coats? Doesn't it look appropriate? Aren't you hot?
Look at the blazing sun overhead! You guys are really brave.
As a result, the aunt leading the group emphasized very seriously: "What's so hot about it? It's a cold snap in early spring."
Wang Xiao almost burst out laughing.
The temperature is definitely going up to 10 degrees Celsius now, probably almost 20 degrees Celsius, and there's still a cold snap in spring.
The meaning of "late spring cold snap" is a bit too broad.
She nodded hastily, "Oh, I see. Dad, you should go home first. I still have some things to take care of here."
Wang Tiejun readily agreed: "Okay, you go ahead and do your thing. Are you coming home for dinner tonight?"
"I probably can't go back. Maybe tomorrow. I'll see if I have time to go back tomorrow."
The factory workers started gossiping again, one after another flattering Wang Tiejun: "Oh, Director Wang! Look at your Xiaoxiao, she's always so energetic, never resting. That's what a person who can do great things is like."
Wang Tiejun never feigned modesty, only nodding proudly: "That's right, my Xiaoxiao has been outstanding since she was little."
Wang Xiao almost burst out laughing, because several people were clearly choked.
There are such unhumble people in the world!
Isn't it standard practice for Chinese parents to belittle their own children while praising other people's children?
Sure enough, since they keep going abroad, they've picked up the habit of foreigners and started praising their own children.
Wang Xiao pretended not to see it, waved his hand, and turned to leave.
Xiang Dong laughed uncontrollably from the side: "You don't know, now the trend in the provincial capital is to wear fur coats."
Where did this trend start? It has to be in the big companies.
Later, something quite interesting happened. People in the city center originally thought that although Dachang was rich, it was still very unsophisticated at heart.
Even though the clothing self-service supermarket opened in Dachang and became a fashion trendsetter in the city, it couldn't change people's opinions.
It wasn't until the beginning of the year, when more and more employees of the large factory started wearing mink coats and their clothes sparkled on the streets, that the people of the provincial capital suddenly realized that the people of the large factory had actually led the fashion trend.
In an instant, mink fur, which looks incredibly luxurious, became a hit.
The shrewd middlemen also keenly grasped the business opportunity. Starting before the Lunar New Year, they carried large and small bags of mink coats to Jiangzhimen to sell, exchanged the money for Chinese goods, and made money from both ends.
Wang Xiao chuckled twice, nodded perfunctorily, then went to his private lounge, took a shower, changed into new clothes, and then called a car to head straight to the Jinning Grand Hotel.
She took the key from the front desk, but when she got to the room door, she knocked and politely asked, "Sir, would you like room service?"
A polite voice came from inside saying, "No, thank you."
No, I think you need it.
Footsteps sounded from inside the room, the door opened, and Wang Xiao pounced on the man, her voice as sweet as honey: "Sir, do you need anything now?"
Caught off guard, Wu Haoyu could only carry her inside.
He was trying to close the door, but he was also worried she might fall. He was flustered and had to deal with her kisses. He didn't know how to respond.
Without saying a word, Wang Xiao pushed the person down onto the bed and pounced on him.
Wu Haoyu said helplessly, "Did you just get off the plane? Have you eaten? Do you want to eat something and rest for a while?"
"No." Wang Xiao simply took action. "I only want to indulge in debauchery during the day."
A ferocious beast dwells within her, roaring and howling.
From that night in Moldova, her emotions teetered on the brink of collapse, and she needed to vent.
What she hates most is being threatened with violence, and if she encounters it, she only wants to retaliate a thousandfold.
However, she couldn't, because the person in question was holding a gun.
Her intense emotions, finding no outlet, swelled rapidly, threatening to tear her apart.
Sex and violence are human instincts.
She needs a satisfying sexual encounter right now.
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Wang Xiao: Absorbing Yang energy to replenish Yin energy.
Sigh, don't expect anything from her integrity. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2023-12-25 01:27:34 and 2023-12-26 01:26:05!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the plants with nutrient solution: My wife updates 30,000 words a day, 40 bottles; Minghe, 30 bottles; 945, kkmay, 20 bottles; Did you update today, author?, 10 bottles; Yihao, 3 bottles; Ou'an, 1 bottle;
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