Chapter 393 I'm Crazy for Gold: A Lucky Accident
Before February was even over, Wang Xiao received a new order.
Oh no, to be more precise, I've taken on a new project.
She won the contract for the canal project in the Jinning section.
Logically speaking, such projects should be fiercely contested.
Look, even when building a section of highway, which involves going through five intermediaries and paying a 36% management fee, some people are still willing to grit their teeth and get on the job.
But no company actually came up with a competition to take over the canal project from Wang Xiao.
Why? Because the contract had an additional clause—the 10,000 laid-off workers had to be properly resettled within the project.
On the surface, Secretary Fang made good arrangements for her: "Your group's construction company is busy building houses in the rural areas of Xiaozhou, right? Now that you've taken on projects, you definitely won't have enough workers. With ready-made workers, you don't need to worry."
The director of the Grand Canal Office, who was listening nearby, thought that the person who could be a high-ranking leader must have a strong heart, as he spoke without changing his expression, as if he were speaking from the bottom of his heart.
Are they workers in the literal sense? They're all living ancestors!
In 1996 in China, almost no one regarded laid-off workers as laborers who could create surplus value for themselves.
Looking at the international community, the work attitude and ability of workers under the socialist system are also objects of disdain.
In 1993, Kriel Tedmars, a columnist for London's Time magazine and a correspondent in Moscow, wrote an article titled "The Russian Work Ethics," which bluntly stated that workers under a socialist system need to learn how to work.
After KFC entered Shanghai, the original owner of the chosen store location said that transferring the store was no problem, but the employment issues of the original employees must be resolved.
As a result, KFC would rather let them take the money without doing any work than let them work in the store.
Let's just give those 10,000 laid-off workers to Wang Xiao. They're only willing to go down into the river to work because the dredging project is being kept afloat by Shen Jin's get-rich-quick myth.
But they're about to dig a canal to connect the two waterways, which means they're digging into the land!
We'll see what other excuse she comes up with to get these living ancestors to dig a canal.
Unexpectedly, Wang Xiao was determined to exploit every opportunity.
Why bother finding any other reason but to spread and amplify Shen Jin's rumors, or rather, his legends?
She had barely secured the project when rumors started circulating at the construction site that there was indeed treasure buried in the moat, but the moat itself might not be the same as what was in front of her; it needed to be expanded further.
Why? Because the river was much longer in ancient times. Later, land reclamation around the river caused it to dry up.
Xiaoxi River was originally part of the city moat.
You don't believe me?
Hey! Didn't you see that the experts have already done their research, marked out the entire original river channel, and started digging right away?
The government is in a hurry and needs to recruit more people for the excavation.
Wow! I'm definitely going to make it this time. The government's making such a big fuss is definitely a treasure trove.
During a break in a provincial party committee meeting, a provincial leader brought up the incident as a joke.
He shook his head as he spoke: "It's all a mess now, all sorts of rumors are circulating. They say the stone ox facing the stone drum is worth millions of gold and silver, but whoever can decipher the secret can buy the entire Chengdu Prefecture."
The discipline inspection secretary burst out laughing, almost spitting out his chewing gum.
There was nothing he could do; the top leader didn't smoke, so when his craving hit, he could only chew gum to suppress it.
But these are all trivial details. The key point is: "What kind of misattribution is this? Isn't this Zhang Xianzhong's Shen Yin at Jiangkou? If there really is a treasure, it's in Sichuan. They themselves clearly stated that they bought it in Chengdu Prefecture. Chengdu is in Sichuan! Shu Kingdom, and our Jiangdong Province is Wu Kingdom, which is thousands of miles away. How can they be connected?"
The vice governor laughed beside him: "Secretary, the construction site won't accept your idea. They said that buying Chengdu Prefecture means that someone with so much wealth can buy the entire Chengdu Prefecture. Why bring up Chengdu Prefecture? Sichuan is the Land of Abundance, and it has been prosperous since ancient times."
The discipline inspection secretary almost swallowed the chewing gum in his mouth.
Good heavens! This is being told in such a serious manner.
The official in charge of water conservancy shook his head vigorously: "It doesn't match up at all. Xiaoxi River has never been part of the moat, and their courses are different. The area between the two rivers was originally land, historically it was land."
How can anyone believe that these lands are river channels?
Other cadres chimed in with laughter, "This is just one version. There's another version of the treasure hunt rhyme: 'Southwest of Jiangling City, at the main hall of Tianning Temple, worship the Buddha statue with utmost sincerity, pray to the spirits, and may the Buddha bestow blessings and grant you rebirth in the Pure Land.'"
The discipline inspection secretary wanted to facepalm: "This is a complete hodgepodge! It's a treasure-hunting formula from 'A Deadly Secret,' and they've even dragged in martial arts novels."
He couldn't take it anymore. "Besides, the incantation clearly states that the treasure is hidden in a temple. What does it have to do with rivers or anything like that?"
The official who proposed this version of the treasure-hunting rhyme said in a serious tone: "The world changes, the great river flows eastward, and the land and waterways change naturally. In ancient times, there was the famous Yunmeng Marsh, but who knows where Yunmeng is now? It's gone, only Jingzhou remains. The situation is similar with the ancient canal and the city moat here this year."
The discipline inspection secretary was speechless: "You're making up lies, and you're doing it quite seriously."
It's so realistic it looks real.
Secretary Fang couldn't help but chuckle from the side: "Just tell me, is it effective or not?"
Yes, of course!
The director of the Grand Canal Office is the most qualified to speak on this matter.
The remaining 5,000 laid-off workers have already signed up, and they are all eager to roll up their sleeves and dig for treasure right now.
The discipline inspection secretary shook his head: "You can hide it for a while, but not forever. What will we do if the truth comes out and the workers go on strike?"
The vice governor in charge of science, education, culture and health also shook his head: "Our people are still simple and honest; they can be easily fooled with just a few words."
Secretary Fang smiled faintly and remained silent.
Are ordinary people the only ones who are easily fooled? There are plenty of leading cadres who are blinded by wealth.
Two years ago, when Hainan's real estate market was booming, many local leaders pooled the resources of their entire cities and counties to invest in land speculation in Hainan, only to lose everything in the end.
A few years ago, during the stock market frenzy, you could pick up any piece of paper and not know who printed it or who issued it. Yet, a bunch of people were scrambling to buy it, hoping to make a fortune from a single piece of paper.
Those who cannot understand this situation will be ridiculed: "Country bumpkin, you don't even understand stocks and land."
It can only be said that the desire for money and wealth is enough to blind everyone.
Wang Xiao's trick is nothing new, nor is it particularly clever, but it will always find a market.
The discipline inspection secretary shook his head as he spoke: "Hopefully this nonsense can fool people for a while, at least enough to get the dredging project through."
As soon as he finished speaking, a young comrade tiptoed into the meeting room, leaned close to the director of the Grand Canal Office, and whispered a few words in his ear.
The director of the canal office was still dangling a pen between his fingers, pretending it was a cigarette to comfort himself, when suddenly, with a "clatter," the pen fell to the ground.
He jumped up immediately: "What! We actually found a treasure?"
The entire conference room was stunned.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, everyone eagerly asked, "Treasure? What treasure?"
The young comrade had never seen anything like this before. Stared at by a group of leaders with wolf-like eyes, he stammered, "Dig, dig, dig... we've unearthed treasure in the moat! There's gold and silver."
The meeting room immediately erupted in chaos.
What's this all about? They caught the rumor in the act, and now it's become true?
But when they asked for more specific details, the young comrades couldn't give a clear answer.
He answered the phone and rushed over to find his supervisor to ask for instructions.
Because of the discovery of a treasure, the workers and the troops on duty are now in a standoff.
According to national regulations, these items are all antiques, and the person who unearthed them must hand them over to the state.
Other antiques are easier to sell, but these days, even if ordinary people know that antiques are valuable, they don't have the means to sell them for a high price.
But real gold and silver are different; gold is a natural form of currency.
The workers who unearthed the treasure were reluctant to hand it over, and that's when the conflict arose.
The leaders in the meeting room immediately became restless and couldn't sit still any longer.
Everyone collectively found excuses for themselves: "This won't do, don't make a mess of things, I have to go and check."
Good heavens! Did we really dig up a treasure? I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.
Secretary Fang also doubted the credibility of the treasure.
Upon hearing this, her first reaction was—Wang Xiao went all out, burying a pile of gold and silver all at once.
Secretary Fang had a headache. As soon as he got back to his office, he quickly called Wang Xiao's cell phone: "Oh dear, President Wang, you can't make such a drastic prediction all at once."
If a couple of small gold ingots or a few gold hairpins are buried and actually dug up by workers, the government can pretend not to see them; after all, it's just a minor incident.
If a huge treasure suddenly appears, the government can't just let everyone scramble for it and scatter in all directions.
This could really cause a problem.
Sitting in the car, Wang Xiao was even more confused after hearing what his superior said: "I didn't, I really didn't! If I were to bury someone, I wouldn't bury them in the moat."
The dredging project of the moat was completed very quickly, and there was absolutely no need for continuous high-intensity stimulation.
Secretary Fang was utterly astonished: "You didn't bury it? Then where did the treasure come from?"
Wang Xiao's eyes widened as he and Ivanov stared at each other in disbelief. Could there really be a treasure hidden in the moat?
Oh dear! My cleverness has backfired; I've suffered a huge loss!
They rushed to the construction site where the treasure had been unearthed, in a hurried and anxious manner.
The area has been cordoned off, and a group of people in military uniforms are surrounding it.
There were even more people around, three or four deep, many of them standing on tiptoe, peering inside with binoculars.
This can be considered a unique feature of Jinning. Because of the large amount of trade with CIS countries, a lot of Russian binoculars have flowed into this area, and almost every household has one.
The bodyguards escorted the two bosses all the way to the core area.
The workers surrounded by shovels glared fiercely at their surroundings, clearly ready to fight anyone who dared to touch the treasure they had unearthed.
To be honest, the army wasn't afraid of these workers.
What do you mean by "violent institutions"? Do you think the military and police handle things by inviting you for tea?
What really troubled the troops was the more than 5,000 workers behind these few workers.
Everyone is watching closely. If the army dares to take the treasure that the workers dug up, then the workers will make the army and the government know who is really in charge in this socialist country.
Wang Xiao's eyes fell on the protected jars. One of the jars had its seal broken, and when he stood on tiptoe to look, he could indeed see the shimmering golden light shining from the sun.
She wanted to look further ahead for a better view, but a mud-covered shovel suddenly appeared in front of her. Then a loud shout rang out: "You dare to move?"
Wang Xiao glanced at him expressionlessly: "If I don't look, how am I supposed to know how much money to pay you?"
The scene immediately erupted in chaos.
The workers, who had been holding on and ready to fight to the death, were overjoyed. Many of them asked, "Boss, you want to buy it? This definitely won't be available for less than a million or two!"
The director of the canal office rushed over, and finally arrived.
Upon hearing this commotion, the director, who was over fifty years old, almost fainted.
He shouted angrily, "This can't be sold; it has to be handed over to the state."
Oh dear, businessmen really have no sense of propriety when it comes to doing things!
The workers immediately erupted in anger: "Why should we hand over what we dug up to the state? Doesn't the state's wealth belong to the people? Are you robbers? Trying to get something for nothing!"
The director was sweating profusely with anxiety: "The government will give you a reward, up to 5,000 yuan."
The workers scoffed. "Trying to swindle so much gold and silver for 5,000 yuan? You think you can fool a beggar? What kind of pipe dream are you having?"
Wang Xiao readily agreed: "It's alright, I'll hand it over to the state after I buy it. Since it's a treasure left over from ancient times, it's an antique, so it definitely needs to be handed over to the state. I'd appreciate it if you could invite the museum's experts over; they'll need to give us some guidance on how to transfer it."
People around gasped in astonishment, and someone boldly shouted, "Are you really going to hand it over to the state? You're losing out big time!"
Well, it's hard to say whose house it ended up in after being handed over.
Wang Xiao is not naive; of course she understands the common sense that "if the Forbidden City has one piece, I will have one; if the Forbidden City doesn't have one, I will have one." But she wants to achieve great things with little money.
For her now, the most important thing is to successfully complete this canal project.
Only in this way can the construction company gain a foothold in the government projects in Jiangdong, and then it will be able to undertake more government projects in the future.
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "It's everyone's responsibility to hand over antiques."
She also reassured the workers, "Don't worry, the museum's experts will come to appraise it, and I won't let you suffer any losses."
She started counting heads, "Which comrade dug this out?"
The workers standing around were a little unwilling, but they still had their pride and were too embarrassed to claim the money, nor could they pretend to be the ones to take it.
The crowd pointed to the middle-aged man at the very back: "He's the one Old Chen dug up."
"Alright." Wang Xiao nodded, his tone kind and friendly. "Master Chen, how are your living conditions?"
The latter became wary: "Why are you asking this?"
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "What I mean is, if your family wants to improve their living conditions, the company can directly reward you with a house."
Her eyes crinkled into a smile. "I personally suggest you take the house directly. After all, a comfortable and happy home for the whole family is more important than anything else."
Master Chen snapped out of his daze and licked his lips: "The house can't be small, it has to be at least 100 square meters."
Since he was able to think of mobilizing other workers to support him and directly confront the army, he was obviously a smart person.
The fact that he was still thinking even in middle age meant that he immediately realized that once the money was in his hands, it would cause a lot of trouble.
Countless relatives, friends, and acquaintances will be eyeing this money, wanting a share, and asking to borrow it.
In a society based on personal connections, if you become very wealthy but are still stingy, you'll be drowned in the spittle of others.
It would be better to exchange it for a house, since it's just the right time for my son to get married. If we don't have a house, his wife won't want to come into the house.
After sleeping on bricks and planks in the corridor for decades, with half of my body buried in yellow earth, I can finally sleep soundly in bed for the rest of my life.
He emphasized again, "100 square meters! A small house won't do!"
Wang Xiao nodded and readily agreed: "No problem, I'll allocate you a house."
The buyers had no objections, the sellers had no objections, but the general public had quite a few complaints.
A woman in the crowd shouted, "Are you stupid?! You could sell this for at least a million or two. You're practically giving away a house to a beggar!"
In 1996, the commercial housing market was not yet booming. Ordinary people generally thought of housing as something from another world: waiting for housing to be allocated by their work units and paying for a house out of their own pocket.
Wang Xiao looked over and felt that the other person looked somewhat familiar.
The woman seemed startled and quickly pulled her neck back.
Oh, Wang Xiao only recognized her now. It was Zhang Yan. She hadn't expected that Zhang Yan would actually keep digging in the mud until today. She had earned her own living.
The boss remained silent. Mr. Chen hesitated for a moment, but then became determined: "No, I want a 100-square-meter house. The location can't be remote. They can't send me to the countryside."
He wasn't stupid. Seeing so many troops around, he knew he couldn't ask for too much and should stop there.
Many people work their whole lives and never see their employer allocate them an apartment.
100 square meters! How high-ranking officials would it take to be allocated such a large apartment?
Wang Xiao nodded and readily agreed: "How about the Workers' New Village? The city has a special bus route there, and there's a vegetable market and a supermarket. They're also planning to build a new stadium soon."
Master Chen was overjoyed: "Great, great, great! The house in the Workers' New Village, 100 square meters."
He even grabbed the director of the canal office, saying, "Leader, you're the leader, I trust you, you're the middleman."
While the negotiations were underway, the museum's artifact experts finally arrived, panting heavily.
He examined the wine jar containing the treasure and was quite certain that it was definitely not an antique.
Why?
This jar is from a type of wine produced locally in Jinning. In the 1950s, after the public-private partnership, the winery was merged, so now very few people have heard of this wine.
However, its existence implies that the treasure inside was at least from the Republican era. It was probably used by refugees who were fleeing from war; wealthy people were worried about the inconvenience of carrying it on the road, and feared being robbed if they kept it at home, so they chose to sink it in the moat.
It's likely that the owner made some kind of mark back then, but as time has passed, either the mark disappeared and the owner couldn't find it, or the owner himself never managed to return.
In short, the three jars became ownerless until many years later when they were cleared of silt and brought to light.
The experts examined the treasure meticulously, without mentioning another possibility—that the treasure had only been buried for a few years.
It was during the 1960s, when the Cultural Revolution was at its most intense. People with wealth were worried that having their property confiscated would cause trouble, so they secretly hid their treasures in the moat.
The reason we're not bringing this up is that, in this situation, the owner is most likely still alive and well.
If the owner of the treasure comes and tries to claim ownership, wouldn't that be a huge problem?
The museum expert exuded a scholarly air, not stupidity, and he didn't want to complicate things further.
After inspecting them, he nodded affirmatively: "The gold and silver ingots are mostly from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China period, and the gold and silver jewelry is in similar condition. Our museum has acquired them and will exhibit them to the public soon."
The soldiers took the opportunity to shout, "Did you hear that? The museum exhibition is about to open. Those who didn't see it today, go to the museum. Don't push anymore, it's going to be a never-ending crowd."
Unfortunately, with the crowd so agitated, who would listen to these words anymore?
The previous rumors were all just rumors. What was unearthed were only a few small gold ingots and small gold cakes, which were not considered a lot of money.
This time it's three genuine jars of gold and silver jewelry, which can be exchanged for a 100-square-meter house!
Good heavens! How many treasures are hidden in the moat?
Someone in the crowd shouted, "Dig, dig, dig! There are definitely more than three jars, there must be more!"
Everyone hurriedly picked up their shovels and got back to work.
Only then did Wang Xiao and the others find an opportunity to go out.
Secretary Fang sat in the car and watched the whole thing through binoculars.
As the top leader of the provincial party committee, she cannot easily get off the bus, otherwise she might make things even more complicated.
Now that the matter was settled, she rolled down the car window, beckoned Wang Xiao over, and gestured for him to come over and talk.
Wang Xiao had just looked in her direction when someone came running over with a thud: "Boss, I need your instructions."
Wang Xiao looked at Tao Yafen, whose forehead was covered in sweat, and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Did something happen at the LCD screen factory?"
They should have called, not come out and block people.
Tao Yafen was a little embarrassed. She was on her way to get her boss's signature when she heard that treasure had been unearthed here. She couldn't resist coming over to take a look, but ended up bumping into her boss.
She quickly shook her head: "Nothing happened at the factory, it's Mr. Shi Ze's problem."
Previously, when the factory was being selected and built, the construction expert from Japan, Ishizawa, received a basic salary. He was only given a bonus after the factory was completed.
He refused to accept the money and insisted that the factory use it to build a library so that the workers would have more opportunities to learn.
Such noble character and the spirit of international friends certainly deserve high praise from the factory.
But problems soon arose. When the factory reopened on New Year's Day, the salary standards for all cadres and employees were also set.
As the factory director and the actual person in charge of the factory's production and operation, Shi Zetian's salary must be the highest.
No one will have a problem with this except for him.
He resolutely refused to accept a monthly salary of $20,000, saying that 3,000 RMB a month was enough for him.
However, his noble character also brought a problem: the other Japanese engineers immediately felt awkward and didn't know how to approach their work.
It's important to understand that Japanese culture places great emphasis on seniority and hierarchy. Ishizawa, as their senior and superior, earned less than a tenth of their salary. How were they expected to feel?
However, no matter how Tao Yafen tried to persuade him, Shi Zetian remained stubborn and refused to take his regular salary.
Tao Yafen is completely exasperated. Can't we just have a normal workplace? Why do we have to do this?
Wang Xiao glanced at her and asked, "Is Factory Director Shi Ze divorced?"
Tao Yafen was taken aback and couldn't help but admire her boss's skill.
Whether in Chinese or Japanese culture, divorce is not a respectable thing. In any case, if it weren't for the fact that she needed to deal with some work, she wouldn't have known that Mr. Ishizawa was divorced.
Yes, we divorced last October.
Wang Xiao nodded: "Then you should pay him a salary of 3,000 yuan, and use the rest of the money for benefits, including a car, a house, shopping cards, paid leave, and travel expenses. In short, you have to make sure he gets a salary of 3,000 yuan, but lives like he's on 200,000 yuan."
Tao Yafen blinked hard, then suddenly realized, "I understand, boss, I'll get on it right away."
Secretary Fang's car window was rolled down the whole time. Seeing Tao Yafen run away, the leader couldn't help but ask Wang Xiao, "Why didn't he want the money? Is Mr. Shi Ze unfamiliar with the mainland? Doesn't he know how to spend the money?"
Compared to company benefits, people actually prefer money.
Because of the benefits, whether you like it or not, it's all yours, and you can spend the money however you want, however you feel like.
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "Because his ex-wife is a housewife and has no income. According to Japanese law, Mr. Ishizawa is also required to pay alimony to his ex-wife after the divorce."
During the Spring Festival of 1994, Shi Zetian was even sent by his wife to Jiangdong during the holiday, which shows just how tense their relationship was.
Shi Zetian was unwilling to accept a high salary because he needed to pay his ex-wife alimony according to his income ratio, and he didn't want her to take more money.
But he can't talk about this openly, otherwise, he would be looked down upon in Japanese culture.
Therefore, he could only be noble and virtuous.
With a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan, even if he splits half of it, the remaining 1,500 yuan would be enough for him to live comfortably in Jinning.
That's his ex-wife; she's probably disgusted to death.
Secretary Fang suddenly realized, "So in Japan, you have to pay alimony after a divorce!"
She was quite dismissive of it, feeling that while it appeared to be protecting the rights of lesbians, it was actually counterproductive.
We are all able-bodied people; only through joint labor to create wealth can gender equality be achieved.
Wang Xiao nodded with a smile: "In many countries around the world, there is the issue of alimony after divorce."
So not all men in all countries are keen on marriage; everyone has their own agenda.
Secretary Fang was overjoyed and pointed at her, saying, "I think you're the one who's got the best plan."
Wang Xiao smiled to himself, thinking, "If I hadn't planned this out, I don't know how much I would have lost! Everyone here is shrewd."
The saga of the moat treasure ended there, and the news media stopped bothering to issue any further denials.
They said that Zhang Xianzhong and Shen Wansan's treasure were neither in the moat, but no one listened.
Anyway, nobody cared anymore. All they knew was that three jars of treasure had indeed been unearthed from the moat, and that there was even more treasure waiting for everyone to dig out.
Jinning City, Jinning City, where even the water is made of gold, who knows how much wealth is buried within?
Unfortunately, with the canal project now stable, Wang Xiao could no longer continue to enjoy his leisurely life.
A phone call came from Moscow, and she immediately packed her bags and prepared to leave.
The Kremlin wanted to postpone the presidential election, but Chubais and Berezovsky both felt that this would be disastrous and that the president had to be stopped.
Yura pleaded with Ivanov on the phone: "Ivanov, you and Wang have to come back. We've discussed it and want to hire Wang as a media relations officer to guide public opinion in this election. God, you have to come back, otherwise by summer you'll only be able to come and collect our corpses."
Wang Xiao glanced at the calendar. February was over, and the peach blossoms would be in full bloom in March. It was indeed time to return to Russia.
Otherwise, if she doesn't have enough time, she won't have enough time to perform well.
A large amount of assets are still waiting for the federal government to issue them the second set of keys to unlock the treasure trove, and she can't just give up now.
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Money never sleeps. [Let me see] Wishing everyone great wealth, haha~ (￣▽￣～)~
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