Chapter 101 The Madmen: Why Don't They Stand Shoulder to Shoulder with the Sun?
Everyone sprang into action, ready to wage a price war.
Wang Xiao personally oversaw the materials and was ready to launch them, but the feedback from the resellers was unexpected.
A friend called from Tianjin, urging his friend not to go.
Why? Because the experience of sourcing goods there is terrible!
Firstly, with the integration with the commercial city, you only need to be responsible for selecting goods when you are loading them; but when you ship goods from Tianjin Airport, you have to supervise the entire process from beginning to end, which will take at least three or four days.
It's not that the resellers and dealers were blinded by Goubuli steamed buns, but rather that they lingered over various folk art performances.
In fact, the products they selected were not even from Tianjin.
Starting from here, the main base for sourcing goods is still in Beijing. The Ritan Hotel, Yabao Road, and Xiushui Street Market are places frequently visited by these middlemen.
After loading the goods in Beijing, they were transported to Tianjin in a vehicle arranged by the agency, ready to depart.
It's unclear whether Tianjin Airport is new to this job and unfamiliar with various aspects, or whether there are genuine issues with its support capabilities, and it's currently unable to keep up with the pace.
Anyway, the middleman, who was complaining bitterly, waited at the airport all night. His goods were piled up, and he didn't dare to leave. He could only endure it.
In Tianjin in March, the nights are hardly warm. He spent the whole night in the cold wind, and before leaving in the morning, he called his friend and repeatedly told him, "Forget it, don't talk about such things."
It wasn't much cheaper.
They said the shipping cost was $80,000, but when we got to the airport, we had to pay another $10,000 for loading and other airport service fees.
Unlike Five Continents Freight Company, which offers everything for $100,000.
All in all, they only saved $10,000 per flight, but wasted two days and even caught a cold.
The middlemen, used to being rich and powerful, felt there was no need to suffer like this.
He particularly liked a pair of pajamas on Yabao Road and wanted to buy 10,000 pieces. However, the seller said that the goods would not be available for another three days.
He simply didn't have time to wait, so he had to leave first.
What's even more infuriating is that when he got to the airport and chatted with his friends, he sadly realized that he had forgotten to bargain properly and had been ripped off, getting overpriced goods.
What a disgrace! He's a veteran in the black market, yet he still managed to slip up in such a ditch.
If his friends not only don't sympathize with him, but also laugh, they're just asking for trouble.
If someone is new to the industry and doesn't have any capital, they might as well try to save $10,000.
Why go to such lengths?
The time that was originally enough for three trips can now only be used for two. The total profit is lower, the capital turnover is slower, and the money lost is actually greater.
In short, if you can perform on a proper stage, don't bother with makeshift troupes; it won't interfere with your own business.
As a result, the whole incident passed by in a muddled way.
Flights from Jiangzhimen to Moscow have not decreased at all; there is absolutely no situation of empty flights.
The speculators only complained that there weren't enough planes; no one mentioned asking them to lower their prices.
Ivanov was bewildered: "So, should we lower the price or not?"
"Let's not do anything for now," Wang Xiao said after thinking for a while. "If we can avoid a price war, we should try to avoid it."
When should a price war begin?
When the market is saturated and supply exceeds demand, at least in the short term, it becomes necessary for companies to compete fiercely and stimulate consumer purchases through low-price strategies.
But in reality, trade between China and Russia is far from reaching that stage.
What are a few dozen planes? Given the scarcity of light industrial products in Russia and the entire CIS countries, even hundreds or thousands of planes cannot meet market demand.
What we really need to do now is not to fight amongst ourselves, but to find ways to expand the market and provide more Chinese goods into the Russian market.
Xiang Dong glanced at his boss silently. "You didn't say that before."
When they talked about waging a price war, you were more excited than anyone else, like you were on steroids.
Wang Xiao had to clear his throat.
Um, isn't this just going too far?
You have no idea that before I transmigrated into this book, my boss worked as a live-streaming e-commerce influencer. "Bringing down the price" was a common saying in our line of work.
Wang Xiao said seriously, "I need to do some self-reflection. We can't let others lead us by the nose; we have to analyze the market."
The market analysis concluded that they really don't need to blindly follow others; they just need to do their own thing.
Tianjin Airport's charter flight model is currently operating in a fragmented manner.
The first issue is the sales market.
Whether it's Ritan Hotel, Yabao Road, or Xiushui Street Market, they all follow a typical front-shop-back-factory model.
Each stall is supported by a corresponding factory.
This business model is extremely common in wholesale markets.
For example, the clothing wholesale markets in Guangzhou and Huaqiangbei in Shenzhen both rely on this model to attract customers.
However, the problem lies in the unique positioning of Beijing itself, which determines that it cannot have so many light industrial enterprises.
The clothes and shoes sold at these stalls are currently mostly from Tianjin and Zhejiang, while the leather jackets come from Xinji, Hebei. In addition, the most popular items are small commodities from the south.
The wide variety of products means that if customers want to do wholesale, they have to wait for the factory to deliver the goods.
The shops and factories are far apart, and what's worse, whether it's Ritan Hotel, Yabao Road or Xiushui Street Market, the property owners basically only do the work of landlords and property management.
For example, we can offer stall rentals, cleaning services, or even, more advanced services like introducing translators to facilitate communication between the two sides.
But more often than not, there's no need to arrange a fleet of vehicles specifically to help with transportation.
The stall owner must contact the factory behind the stall themselves, and then the factory will ship the goods.
This back-and-forth naturally caused a delay.
For those who engage in illegal trading, time is money.
Moreover, in the wholesale market, people can bargain.
This certainly has its advantages; it's a free market, after all, and prices are free.
However, at the same time, bargaining is a skill that really tests a person's abilities.
If you're skilled, you'll naturally be able to negotiate a better price.
If you're not skilled enough, you'll undoubtedly become the sucker.
This leads to people who are used to buying groceries in supermarkets being unwilling to haggle with street vendors.
My mindset is simple: I admit I'm bad, okay? I'm not playing with you guys, so you won't think I'm an idiot.
Anyway, the vegetables I buy at the supermarket aren't expensive. If the vegetables aren't good, I can always go back and settle the score with the person who bought them.
If you buy something from a roadside stall and later realize you've been scammed, can you still find the person responsible?
You find it, but they deny it. What can you do?
Street vendors always do cash transactions and won't give you receipts or anything like that.
Okay, assuming everything goes smoothly and you buy the goods you want at the best price, and the quality is pretty good, then the next step, shipping them to the airport, will be another bunch of troubles.
The goods need to be packed, right? Do you dare not keep an eye on them? What if someone switches them out?
Once the goods are packed and you're waiting to board the plane, you still need to keep a close eye on them.
It was a mentally and physically exhausting process from start to finish, enough to leave you completely drained.
Upon hearing this, Xiang Dong suddenly realized, "It's a matter of belief."
Frankly speaking, in this era, due to limitations, it's often impossible to regulate business even if you want to.
Whether a deal can be made depends heavily on whether the two parties can trust each other.
Their trade city has always emphasized quality assurance, and is willing to spend heavily on recalls and compensation, all in order to gain the trust of customers.
Now, it's finally starting to work.
but--
Xiang Dong remained quite vigilant: "If we also build a good reputation in the northern market, then we're still in danger."
Wang Xiao shook his head and gave a one-word evaluation: "Difficult."
The three major foreign trade wholesale markets in Beijing lack unified management, resulting in inconsistent product quality.
Wholesale markets, freight forwarding companies, and airports are all independent entities, which means that coordination between them is impossible.
"Of course." Wang Xiao didn't rule it out completely. "As they get to know each other better, they'll work together more and more seamlessly."
Ivanov started getting excited again: "Then should we lower the price?"
Actually, when it comes to price wars, they are the most confident.
Why? Because the planes belong to them, and the commercial city also belongs to them, so the profits can be shared equally.
If you push them too far, they might just buy the goods and get free shipping. By squeezing profit margins, you can completely crush your competitors and dominate the entire market.
Other freight companies simply cannot do this.
Just chartering a plane would cost them at least sixty or seventy thousand US dollars.
If it's free, where will they make money?
In fact, the shipping cost of 80,000 yuan is already the result of these freight forwarding companies squeezing their profits to the extreme.
With just a little effort, Wuzhou could easily defeat them.
Wang Xiao shook his head: "No need, we're not really competitors right now. The market is so big, even if we all joined forces, we might not be able to take it all."
But in any case, at least the immediate crisis has been resolved.
It's definitely worth celebrating.
At the very least, the bear paw that Wang Xiao had entrusted to the Jinning Grand Hotel should be made public.
Otherwise, the master chef said that if we put it in any longer, the flavor would be off.
Wang Xiao and Ivanov took the senior executives of the trade city to a restaurant to eat bear paws, which could be considered a small team building activity to warm the hearts of the team.
The boss has recently been cracking down on corruption with great speed, so it's natural that people below him are feeling uneasy.
The saying goes, "If the water is too clear, there will be no fish; if a person is too discerning, he will have no followers." To say that anyone who reaches the top has no flaws whatsoever is truly not in line with human nature.
Wang Xiao didn't dare expect everyone to be completely innocent. She only asked that everyone not go too far, stay within their own little world, and not overstep their bounds.
The boss was going to treat everyone to bear paws, and the heads of each department secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
This at least means that the matter is over and the boss doesn't intend to lay everyone off and replace them with new people.
Someone joked to ease the tension: "I've never actually eaten bear paw before, so I don't know what it tastes like."
One knowledgeable person said, "My grandfather told me it tastes like pork."
One person countered, "That's not right, it tastes like beef to me."
Ivanov scoffed. None of them were right. In fact, bear meat had a strong gamey smell and wasn't tasty at all.
He simply couldn't understand why the Chinese people considered bear paws a delicacy.
In Russia, nobody really wants to eat this stuff.
Even roasted pheasant tastes better.
As soon as the bear paw was served, Ivanov began to doubt again whether what was in front of him was actually a bear paw.
It has absolutely no unpleasant smell, not even a hint of it; on the contrary, the moment it's served, its rich aroma is simply irresistible.
Wang Xiao gestured to him, "You should try it first. This is a bear you hunted yourself."
Ivanov felt a rare moment of guilt; in reality, his so-called hunting was all for show, and he was only responsible for finishing off the enemies.
In fact, whether he fired that shot or not, it probably wouldn't have made much difference.
He wasn't very skilled with chopsticks, so he went straight for the knife and fork, scooped a piece into his bowl, put it in his mouth, and slowly took several bites before giving his assessment: "No gamey taste!"
This is somewhat similar to how Chinese people describe their favorite dessert: "It's not too sweet."
That was truly the highest praise, but to outsiders, it just felt like something was off.
Wang Xiao used chopsticks to pick up a piece and savor it slowly.
She had no room for comparison, because before she transmigrated into the book, she was a law-abiding citizen.
She eats peacocks, swans, and venison—all of which are farmed.
Nobody keeps black bears, so she can't eat them even if she wants to.
This time, upon tasting the bear paw, my first impression was summed up in two words: rich and delicious.
But this rich, sweet flavor isn't actually fat; it's actually a thick layer of gelatinous substance.
The bear paw, steamed and stewed for several hours, is tender and chewy, with a particularly smooth texture.
It tastes a bit like a stewed pork knuckle, but it doesn't have the greasiness of pork. When you bite into it, it has a subtle beefy aroma.
If she had to choose one of the things she had eaten to compare it to, she felt that the texture was closer to that of beef shank.
One by one, everyone picked up their chopsticks, and the large plate of stewed four bear paws was quickly almost empty.
Ivanov was still marveling, "There's absolutely no fishy smell at all."
The head chef came out and greeted everyone.
She hasn't made bear paws for several years and wants to hear everyone's opinions.
Upon hearing Ivanov's assessment, even the seasoned chef was at a loss for words. After a long pause, he finally uttered, "How could it be gamey? This was cooked with chicken, pork knuckle, dried shrimp, licorice root, cooked ham, scallions, and ginger slices. The gamey smell was completely absorbed long ago."
Ivanov was extremely curious: "Where's the chicken? Where's the pork knuckle? I can't see it."
To be honest, braised bear paw does taste pretty good.
Because Ivanov himself had no reverence for bear paws, he saw them as just an ordinary delicacy.
It's impossible to say it's particularly unique.
In his view, chicken and pork are no less important than bear paws.
The head chef was both amused and exasperated: "Those are just for absorbing flavors, not for cooking, so of course they can't be served."
Ivanov gasped, incredulous: "Did they just throw all these things away?"
The head chef remained silent, tacitly agreeing.
Every ingredient has its own use. This kind of food that has absorbed the odor of other ingredients can only be used to feed cats and dogs. It can't be processed into other foods for people to eat.
Otherwise, what would become of the others?
Ivanov sighed, turned to Wang Xiao and said with emotion, "Now I really believe that you need 10 chickens to make a dish of eggplant."
Everyone present laughed; it turned out that the Russian also read "Dream of the Red Chamber".
Ivanov said with feigned seriousness, "I am a cultured man, a Confucian businessman."
Everyone was overjoyed, and some even got sprayed in the face.
Thank goodness he had his head tilted to the side, otherwise the whole meal would have been ruined.
Ivanov was filled with emotion. Pointing to the nearly finished bear paw on the table, he sighed, "Chicken and pork look so precious, but if we come across something as rare as bear paw, we can only throw it away."
Several people exchanged glances, suspecting that the boss was actually implying something.
Finally, it was the finance manager, Chen Yu, who spoke on behalf of everyone: "Boss, don't worry, we will definitely work hard from now on and will absolutely not cause any more trouble."
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "Then I'll say it here too: don't be misled by petty gains."
Really, our business has only just begun. In the future, our business volume will be ten times or even a hundred times what it is now.
I can confidently say here that becoming a millionaire is just basic stuff for us.
If you perform well, you'll get bonuses later, and becoming a millionaire isn't surprising.
The department heads present all gasped in shock.
A multi-millionaire.
This was in 1992, when buying a house in the provincial capital only cost 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.
What does it mean to be a millionaire? It means you can buy a whole street of storefronts.
Ivanov quickly jumped in, playing the good cop: "But if someone doesn't cherish it, they'll have to spend their life in jail. Don't worry, even if they spend their life in jail, we'll get the money back."
Well, I estimate that this operation to arrest two people will take about six months, and everyone is behaving themselves.
As for what happens six months from now, if they reach out again, then we'll catch them again.
It wouldn't matter if everyone were replaced.
In Wang's words, more and more people will take unpaid leave to start their own businesses.
Those professionals who come from government agencies not only understand policies and have their own network of contacts, but also possess professional skills.
In fact, compared to them, the only advantage that the children of big factories have in the commercial city is that they entered the market earlier and have connections.
But once this incense offering is burned out, there will be no more.
The atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly became tense.
Wang Xiao laughed and smoothed things over: "Let's eat, let's eat. Don't forget to eat after eating the bear paw."
Everyone, please start eating!
In addition to the bear paw, there was crystal pork jelly, braised chicken with mushrooms, crab meat lion's head meatballs, and two stir-fried seasonal vegetables on the table.
Even the rice is pineapple eight-treasure rice.
It was undeniably abundant.
At first, everyone was a little reserved, but they relaxed as the meal progressed.
After all, the culinary skills of the chefs at Jinning Grand Hotel are not something that everyone can easily taste at any time.
Even if you come here to eat on your own, the person cooking for you is almost certainly not a professional chef.
When Wang Xiao was halfway through eating her pineapple eight-treasure rice, there was a knock on the door of the private room, and General Manager Huang came in looking for someone.
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Come on, come on, want to sit down and have something to eat together? Don't worry, we definitely won't report you for leaving your post during work hours."
Mr. Huang was both amused and exasperated. He waved his hand and said, "No, no, Mr. Wang, come and take this call."
Wang Xiao glanced at the pager subconsciously, and sure enough, someone called her, but it was only a short while later, about ten minutes later.
She was quite surprised: "Who is it?"
Why are you in such a hurry?
They've already found a restaurant.
After she walked out the door, General Manager Huang whispered, "It's Deputy Secretary Cao."
Wang Xiao hurried toward General Manager Huang's office.
The two bodyguards quickly followed.
In her boss's words, she is now particularly hated, and she is afraid that someone will wash her face with sulfuric acid.
Therefore, bodyguards must always be vigilant and never let their boss be alone.
Before Wang Xiao could even exchange pleasantries, Deputy Secretary Cao on the other end of the line instructed her, "Hurry up and pack your things; you're coming to Beijing with me tonight."
"What's wrong?"
"The flight routes have changed."
What do you mean by that?
In short, the Civil Aviation Administration believes that most of the planes flying from China to Moscow are concentrated in the Jiangdong region.
This is not good; it creates disharmony between the North and the South. Half of the land should be allocated to the North.
To put it simply, Wuzhou Company's Moscow line needs to be cut in half.
A chill ran down Wang Xiao's spine, and only one voice echoed in his mind: Here it comes, here it comes.
Ever since she started her charter flight business seriously last May, she has been terrified of this day coming.
Because it's so profitable, there's never a shortage of business to make money.
No matter how many planes you have, you'll never be short of cargo.
The only thing you need to fear is losing the route contracting rights and not having enough flight slots.
This is such a lucrative business, but the big shots didn't see it or take it seriously before.
If they came to their senses and didn't want to pick the peaches, that would be the strangest thing in the world.
Wang Xiao immediately perked up: "Okay, I'll pack my bags and come over. My Russian partner Ivanov is also there, we'll come together."
She ran into the private room and called to Ivanov, "We're going to the capital; we have a business deal to discuss."
The people in the private room all looked bewildered, wondering what kind of business the boss was going to do in Beijing.
They had heard that the boss had made many trips to Beijing in the early days when he was helping the steel mill resolve its triangular debt problem.
However, after the steel mill's triangular debts were mostly resolved, especially after the opening of the commercial city, the boss never went to Beijing again.
Could it be that some new business opportunity has emerged there?
However, since the boss didn't say anything explicitly, no one felt comfortable asking.
Only Mr. Xiang followed up with, "When are you coming back?"
"It's hard to say right now," Wang Xiao instructed. "Once the goods in Romania are selected, pack them quickly and ship them over immediately."
She was initially quite happy that the route from Xiaozhou to Bucharest was running exceptionally smoothly this time, with the approval process taking much shorter than usual.
In hindsight, it turned out to be just a comforting treat.
Look, we've already given you a lot of convenience, approving so many flight routes in a row.
Taking away half of the flights to Moscow now is really nothing.
However, everyone knows that the route to Moscow is of paramount importance.
It was a huge transportation hub; the cargo handled by this route alone was equivalent to the total cargo handled by all other routes combined.
Ivanov got into the car in a daze, and after hearing what had happened, his first reaction was: "Are they crazy?!"
There's no reason to be so eager to give money to foreigners.
Even the longest-lasting friendships require clear accounting from brothers.
Charter flights departing from Tianjin Airport all use Aeroflot aircraft.
On the one hand, this is because China was already short of airplanes; otherwise, the miracle of trading canned goods for airplanes would not have happened.
On the other hand, it is because it is very troublesome for Chinese planes to pass through Russian customs, which can easily cause delays and is not conducive to the rapid shipment of goods by middlemen.
In this situation, their Wuzhou Company, a joint venture between the two countries, is the most powerful option.
Because the shipping fees earned by both parties are split equally.
China's freight forwarding companies, on the other hand, have to pay $60,000 to $70,000 to lease planes from Aeroflot for each flight.
The agency itself only receives a small amount of money.
After racking his brains for a long time, Ivanov asked Wang Xiao, "Is it because no matter how much money you make, if it doesn't go into the pockets of civil aviation officials, it's not considered money? But if the money you earn is small, it's money if the officials take it?"
Wang Xiao sighed heavily, his mind preoccupied: "It's not that simple."
“Tell me,” Ivanov urged her. “How am I supposed to know how complicated it is if you don’t tell me?”
Wang Xiao thought for a moment and speculated, "I think this involves the issue of uneven development between the North and the South."
Since the reform and opening up, the South has clearly outpaced the North due to its geographical advantages.
First, regarding industrial development in the North and South, the North is dominated by heavy industry, while the South is dominated by light industry.
In the early stages of reform and opening up, when processing imported materials was the main business model for foreign investment, the south clearly had the advantage.
Moreover, whether it was the Pearl River Delta as the forefront of reform and opening up in the 1980s or the Yangtze River Delta as the starting point for the development of Pudong in the 1990s, both were concentrated in the southern region.
In contrast, the north was much quieter.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, trade between China and Russia has surged, which should have been a very good time for the North.
Because both border trade and the two international long-distance trains cover the northern region.
Even before that, the only flights to Moscow were from Beijing.
Yabao Road is known as the Russian Trade Street, and the kiosks only serve foreign merchants and never Chinese merchants (for fear of being copied by their competitors). This is also due to this background.
However, the sudden rise of Jiangdong and the unexpected popularity of Wuzhou Shipping Company meant that a significant portion of this market share was taken by the South.
People from Zhejiang rent stalls on Yabao Road to do business, and people in the north accept that.
People from Zhejiang didn't go to Beijing specifically to engage in Sino-Russian trade.
As early as the mid-1980s, before relations between China and the Soviet Union had eased and before there was any private trade between the two countries, tens of thousands of individual business owners from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, were already operating in Beijing, engaged in garment processing and sales.
The situation in Jiangdong was different. It was only because of doing business with the Soviet Union that a commercial city, a Wuzhou Freight Company, and Jiangzhimen International Airport, which were entirely under their control, suddenly appeared.
Bah! What international stuff? It's clearly just for their own use.
Now that the bigwigs in the north have suddenly realized how lucrative the trade pie with Russia is, they naturally don't want someone they don't like sitting at the table where they're sharing the pie.
Ivanov shook his head, looking worried: "Our country has the same problems, so why does your country have them too?"
They're no good at fighting outside the country, but good at fighting inside the country; they're the most formidable at fighting among themselves.
When it comes to dealing with their own people, they're all ruthless.
Wang Xiao said irritably, "That's how it is all over the world."
Ivanov became melancholy again: "In the end, only our Soviet Union disintegrated."
Well, this topic really can't be continued.
Even thirty years later, no one can say they can give a definitive answer as to why the Soviet Union collapsed.
They arrived at the train station and met with Deputy Secretary Cao.
Wang Xiao's first words were: "Secretary, thank you for your hard work. You've been carrying the burden for us for so long."
Deputy Secretary Cao looked exhausted.
For her, the matter of the Yongnian shoe factory was just a trivial episode.
What exhausted her was the flight route.
If someone had told her around this time two years ago that trade with Russia was of paramount importance.
She would probably just give a perfunctory response, but her mind would still be on trade with Japan, Europe, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and Singapore.
Even by the late 1980s, when relations between the two countries had eased, the Soviet Union was still only China's fifth largest trading partner.
Moreover, at that time, the Soviet Union mainly imported agricultural and sideline products from China, which accounted for about 60% of the total trade volume. The remaining 30% of light industrial and textile products could be consumed by the northern regions themselves.
Even at this time last year, when she heard about the shortage of supplies in the Soviet Union, she did not take trade with the Soviet Union very seriously.
It wasn't until the International Trade City suddenly emerged and the province's total exports soared that she realized this was a promising road ahead.
As more and more traders and buyers came to Jiangzhimen, their purchasing volume increased, making this shipping route increasingly important for the industrial development of the Jiangdong region.
The fact that many township enterprises in Jiangdong and other areas were able to quickly resume production after last year's floods is thanks to a large number of orders from the commercial city.
When their provincial government held an economic conference, they all said that the significance of the commercial city to Jiangdong's industry was equivalent to the US's support for Japan's economy after World War II.
Therefore, they must maintain this route.
The Jiangdong Provincial Government also tried every means to protect him, using connections and acquaintances. They practically wore down the threshold of the old leader's residence.
However, it's fine when the meat is simmering in the pot, but once the aroma of the meat starts to waft out, it's impossible to stop the dogs from smelling it.
Wang Xiao then comforted the leader, saying, "It's already pretty good; at least we've made it this far."
Honestly, she originally thought that once the Southern Tour speeches were published and the focus on economic development was clarified, all the air routes would be snapped up.
The fact that they're still holding on is entirely due to the leadership's stubbornness.
Deputy Secretary Cao reciprocated, saying, "It's also because you guys did a great job."
During the Chinese New Year, when she visited her former boss, some people made sarcastic remarks, and she brought up the Chinatown Commercial Street in Moscow.
This has become a focus of media attention worldwide. Now, everyone in the world knows that there is a Chinese commercial street in Moscow, where business is booming and the goods sold are very popular with the local people.
Look at that line! It's snowing heavily, but people just can't bear to leave.
Wang Xiao even subconsciously wanted to touch his nose.
Actually, the commercial street was just riding the coattails of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Although the Kremlin's red flag was being lowered at that time, and their shopping street was right next to Red Square.
At such an important time, the people of Moscow are busy with Christmas shopping (which is not really the case at all), which is more in line with the needs of Western propaganda.
The so-called international community now basically refers to the Western world.
Fortunately, Ivanov couldn't understand Chinese, and although Deputy Secretary Cao could speak Russian, he still subconsciously spoke Chinese when talking to Wang Xiao.
Otherwise, Wang Xiao wouldn't know how to face Ivanov.
Fortunately, the train had arrived at the station, and everyone quickly boarded.
With so many people, it's impossible for them to stay in the same room.
Deputy Secretary Cao greeted Wang Xiao and went to the next private room.
She needed to leave room for the two businessmen to discuss and decide how much blood to bleed.
The reason she brought Wang Xiao along was for this very reason.
The provincial government does not have a budget for this expenditure.
What these local officials can do is ensure that local merchants choose the right patrons instead of wandering aimlessly around the world.
The result was a bloody head injury, a lot of money wasted, and no effect whatsoever.
Before leaving, Deputy Secretary Cao thanked Wang Xiao again: "The materials you got from Moscow are very good, really very good."
For so many years, relations between China and the Soviet Union were tense, and as outsiders, they took many things for granted.
Only after seeing firsthand information did she truly understand what it meant for one wrong step to lead to another.
The reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union were too complex to be explained in just a few words.
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "After thinking about it, among the leaders I know, only you are so capable that you can understand these things."
Deputy Secretary Cao was both amused and exasperated: "Stop flattering me. I think you have genuine feelings for Xiaozhou."
Wang Xiao said frankly, "No, none of the cadres I know in Xiaozhou understand Russian. They always have to bring a translator with them."
Deputy Secretary Cao laughed uncontrollably: "You little rascal."
It was getting late, so everyone went back to their private rooms to rest.
Ivanov asked Wang Xiao, "How much money do we need?"
To be honest, if they could secure the operating rights, Wuzhou Company would make a profit even if it cost ten million US dollars.
But he feared that his desires would become insatiable.
Perhaps the officials from China Express Airlines only wanted $50,000 at first.
(At their current income level, this is more money than they could earn in a lifetime.)
As a result, because Wuzhou Company was too generous and gave too much money at once, these greedy bloodsuckers suddenly realized that they could squeeze even more money out of them; if this continued, it would be a huge problem.
Wang Xiao rubbed his temples, looking worried: "Let's prepare $50,000 first, and then we'll see how things go."
Giving money is disgusting, as if you've committed some crime and need to buy indulgences.
But what's even more disgusting for business people is that they can't even give away money if they want to.
Because you're not part of their circle, you're not qualified to participate.
Ivanov nodded: "Alright, let's hope they follow the rules."
How ridiculous! Accepting bribes and calling it following the rules.
The harsh truth is that many people take money but don't deliver.
If you want to stay in this industry and don't dare to fight to the death, you can't do anything to them.
The train sped forward, and Wang Xiao looked out the window at the deep night.
For a moment, scattered lights flickered, emitting a faint warmth.
For a moment, the night was boundless, vast stretches of darkness, as if not a single star could be seen in the entire world.
Wang Xiao fell into a deep sleep in the vast darkness of the night.
Could it be that when she opened her eyes, the morning light outside the window was brilliant, and the spring sun burst forth, illuminating the entire earth?
What a beautiful sunrise! A warm and radiant sunrise.
Wang Xiao was stunned for several seconds. Only when the train announced that it was about to arrive at the station did she quickly get up to brush her teeth and wash her face.
Ivanov was truly impressed by her: "Your Majesty, you actually fell asleep."
In fact, he tossed and turned all night and could barely close his eyes until dawn.
He swore he was not jet-lagged; he was not jet-lagged at all.
He slept soundly on his first night in China.
Wang Xiao said expressionlessly, "What else can we do?"
When the train arrived at the station, everyone quickly grabbed their luggage and got off.
The train station was packed with people. As expected of the capital, there were people of all skin colors and hair colors.
Ivanov also ran into many of his fellow countrymen, all of whom looked hurried and were obviously rushing to make purchases.
As they left the train station, they encountered passengers carrying large and small bags, many of whom were discussing in small groups: "Is business really that good over there in Russia?"
The team leader confidently declared, "It's easy. Just close your eyes and collect the money. I wouldn't tell you about such a good deal if we weren't on the same team."
Those with doubts were still hesitant: "But I can't speak a word of Russian."
"What do you need to say? Just have something to sell!" the team leader snapped. "Give me the tickets! Do you know how much effort I put into buying these tickets for you?"
The person who was speaking quickly lowered their head.
Compared to them, the people next to them who were going to Moscow to do business were much more prepared.
The old man with graying temples emphasized to the bespectacled man next to him, "We've got it all figured out. I'll pay you a salary of one thousand yuan a month, and if the deal goes through, I'll give you a 5% commission. You'd better work hard."
The bespectacled translator maintained his smile, but muttered in Russian, "An old farmer, and a whole bunch of trivial matters."
Ivanov, having lost his train of thought, exclaimed in surprise to Wang Xiao, "The farmers are really something, they've even started using translators."
Wang Xiao corrected his misconception: "To be precise, he should be considered a rural entrepreneur. It's just that China's household registration system restricts his status."
Seeing that things were going badly, the translator quickly grabbed his employer and said, "Let's hurry up, or we'll miss the train."
Watching the farmers hurry away, Ivanov sighed with emotion: "I was completely clueless when I started doing business."
Then he asked with great interest, "Your Majesty, why are there so many farmers doing business in China?"
He has now discovered that many of their partners are township enterprises.
The workers in these companies are also farmers.
They work in the fields during the busy farming season and in the factory during the off-season.
Very flexible.
Every time he saw them, he felt they were so happy.
Their happiness is completely different from that of Russian farmers; their faces don't show that kind of sorrowful, hopeless expression.
Deputy Secretary Cao suddenly blurted out, "Is this something that can be suppressed by trying to find ways to do so? Take township and village enterprises, for example; we in the south are doing very well in this area. Township and village enterprises are also an important part of trade with CIS countries. Do they have that?"
Wang Xiao and Ivanov exchanged a glance, and both wisely kept silent.
Deputy Secretary Cao became increasingly angry as he spoke: "In 1975, the annual output value of our township enterprises in Jiangdong reached 2.272 billion yuan, and by 1978, it had reached 6.256 billion yuan."
This can't be attributed to the fact that the reform and opening up opened up the south.
"If your thinking can't keep up, the economy won't develop, and you don't even look for the reasons within yourself."
Wang Xiao nodded quickly, like a chicken pecking at rice: "That's right, that's right. A ship needs a helmsman to sail the seas. If the economy can't develop, it's because their local leaders haven't set a good example."
Deputy Secretary Cao finally felt a bit better and led his team in a grand procession to the Civil Aviation Administration.
And then they'll be dominating the battlefield and laughing at the changing world? Dream on.
The truth is, just sit still and wait.
The leaders of the civil aviation industry are busy and don't have time to see you.
So what if you're just a deputy secretary of the provincial party committee? There are plenty of provincial and ministerial-level officials lining up every day to see civil aviation leaders.
Here, nobody cares to even glance at you.
Deputy Secretary Cao understood that the other party was trying to intimidate them.
But when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. What can you do when faced with something like this? Just keep it to yourself and endure it.
She patted Wang Xiao's hand reassuringly.
Wang Xiao smiled, shook his head, and indicated that he was fine.
Ivanov replied, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "We Russians are least afraid of queuing."
They waited and waited, and as the clock ticked up two steps, it was almost eleven o'clock when the secretary finally came to inform them: "Hurry up, our leader has a meeting later, but he'll make time to see you."
Deputy Secretary Cao was furious, but he had to force a smile: "Then I'm really sorry to trouble you, comrade."
Wang Xiao and Ivanov quickly followed.
The bureau chief, who had taken time out of his busy schedule to meet them, shook hands with Deputy Secretary Cao and then slightly raised his chin: "And who are these two gentlemen?"
Deputy Secretary Cao smiled as he introduced the two sides.
However, the bureau chief suddenly pulled him away: "Comrade, I'm not talking about you, but is this a place where businessmen can just walk in and discuss official business? What about your ideological awareness and your political stance?"
Deputy Secretary Cao was stunned by his rebuttal and didn't know how to respond for a moment.
"Get out! Get out of here right now! This is not a place for you!"
The secretary immediately came over and forcefully "invited" Wang Xiao and Ivanov out of the office.
Ivanov was pushed into the aisle, and faced with the slamming door shut, he couldn't believe his eyes.
He asked Wang Xiao in a low voice, "Are all the leaders in China so incorruptible? They don't even meet with businessmen. Don't they deal with businessmen? How can you carry out economic development and attract investment then?"
"His ancestors for eighteen generations have never been honest and upright," Wang Xiao cursed in Russian.
She usually despises these disgusting hypocrites the most.
He's honest and upright, and he works diligently.
Damn it, do you think anyone's blind and didn't see that?
Do you feel happy playing computer games in your office while making people wait outside?
How did she know?
Because the honor cabinet behind this bureau chief has glass that can be used as a mirror, clearly reflecting the image on his work computer desk, signifying the end of the game.
Ivanov actually let out a long sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, it was a leader he knew.
If the other party is truly upright and incorruptible, then it will be a troublesome matter for them.
As long as there's a gap, it can be pried open.
Wang Xiao, however, frowned and pondered deeply.
Her intuition told her that the outcome of this meeting with Deputy Secretary Cao would not be pleasant.
Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, Deputy Secretary Cao was asked to come out.
The bureau chief, dressed very simply and looking particularly frugal, wore an apologetic smile and kept saying, "I'm so sorry, I have to go to a meeting. Let's talk again another time."
Deputy Secretary Cao persisted: "Director Zhang, we have never opposed other places adding flight routes from beginning to end. We all eat together. Just because there's an extra pair of chopsticks doesn't mean someone has to be kicked off the table."
Director Zhang glared at him coldly: "Comrade, you really have no political awareness whatsoever, and you don't understand your job at all. What is safety? What is air traffic control? How can you let so many planes take to the skies? Wouldn't that create chaos?"
Before Deputy Secretary Cao could refute him further, he had already strode away with his head held high.
Deputy Secretary Cao was so angry that his face turned red and his hands were trembling.
Wang Xiao quickly patted her back gently and whispered, "Don't bother with this kind of person."
Ivanov looked completely bewildered.
Whose rank is higher? Deputy Secretary Cao is already a ministerial-level cadre.
He's just a minor bureau chief in the civil aviation industry, yet he dares to boss her around like that.
Wang Xiao glared at him as if he were killing a chicken and slitting its throat.
Ivanov quickly shut up.
Deputy Secretary Cao's face was ashen, and his voice was low: "I'll look for someone else."
Cutting half of the flight schedules means that Jiangdong's foreign trade exports will decrease by at least 10%.
This is a terrible thing, and it will be a heavy blow to Jiangdong Industry, which is eager to roll up its sleeves and get things done.
It could even directly affect the life and death of a large number of companies.
After they left the civil aviation building, Wang Xiao said softly, "He was deliberately messing with us. I saw it; he was leaving us hanging while he played games inside."
Deputy Secretary Cao smiled wryly: "A small official with great power, that's exactly the kind of person they are."
They went to the Jiangdong Liaison Office in Beijing. After settling in, Deputy Secretary Cao was about to go out to contact his former superiors.
She wanted to go through the proper channels, but the situation didn't allow it. She still had to use personal connections to handle official matters.
Wang Xiao quickly took out the specially prepared deer antler and Korean ginseng as gifts for Deputy Secretary Cao.
It's more convenient, cheaper, and less likely to encounter counterfeit goods in Russia than in China.
"Then I'll call the military and see if they can find a solution from the military."
Deputy Secretary Cao smiled wryly: "This is not under the jurisdiction of the military."
Wang Xiao, however, said seriously, "The problem is that our earliest flight route to Moscow was secured with the help of the military. Many of the people we hire at Wuzhou Company are retired air force veterans."
To be precise, all of them.
However, half of them are retired air force personnel from former Soviet countries, and the other half are from China.
This move saved them a lot of trouble in training pilots.
Deputy Secretary Cao paused for a moment, then said, "So—"
"If half of the flights are cut, it means that at least half of the pilots will lose their jobs."
Wang Xiao said seriously, "Such a big thing, I definitely have to notify the military."
Otherwise, if so many people suddenly lose their jobs, they will all run back to the military and ask their superiors to reassign them to new jobs.
As a result, the military leaders were completely unaware of what was happening and were caught off guard.
Am I just causing trouble for my boss?
As Deputy Secretary Cao listened, his eyes widened, and finally his pupils seemed to bulge.
She stared at Wang Xiao silently for several seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter, slapping the table and exclaiming, "Yes, yes, yes, let's go after them! Zhimen Airport is still theirs. They've made a fortune; how can they stand idly by?"
Since the civil aviation authorities don't take the local government seriously, let's see if the military will give them any face.
They were so arrogant, thinking that just because they managed airplanes, they could also fly up into the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun.
————————
Just a quick aside, in the 1990s, charter flights to Russia were incredibly lucrative for airports. From 1994 to 1996, the minimum cost for a single charter flight at Tianjin Airport was $10,000. Afterwards, while other airports introduced Russian charter flights, although the revenue per flight decreased significantly, the overall income remained substantial. At that time, airport officials would lobby the Civil Aviation Administration of China and charter operators to secure more charter flights. ^O^ Because it was just so profitable.
In addition, corruption in civil aviation has always existed and is exposed every few years.
The article mentions that it's not surprising for a low-ranking official to yell at provincial leaders. Because often, real power is more important than rank.
There was once a director in the Civil Aviation Administration named Kuang, nicknamed "Master Kuang." Once, a deputy provincial-level leader came to see him, but he told the leader to wait outside while he played games on the computer until "Game Over" before coming out. Another deputy governor was reprimanded by him but remained obsequious. There were also provincial and ministerial-level officials who came to his office to see him but stood and spoke the whole time.
However, because he controls the approval authority for airport construction and aircraft procurement, both the airport system and the airline system have to deal with him. So, he's arrogant, and others can only tolerate it.
He has been reported for many years, but he has always been protected by his superiors.
Later, due to a major corruption case that blew up, he was implicated and brought down.
So, you can't say that Ajin is smearing us; these are all publicly reported news items. There's absolutely no need to fabricate anything on this.
It's the last day of 2023. I hope all your misfortunes will leave you behind and that everything will go smoothly in 2024.
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-12-29 23:20:39 and 2023-12-30 20:30:49!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Rongrongrong 30 bottles; Su 20 bottles; Qiushuifeishui 7 bottles; Xiaomei, Yuer 5 bottles; Xingfuyongyuan, 22111804, Xiaoyingxiong Bright, aurora, and Chichichichizhidao 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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