Chapter 357 $5 Billion: I Can't Abandon You
After cursing God for a while, Wang Xiao finally calmed down.
Then, after calming down, she realized it would have been better if she hadn't calmed down at all.
Once her reason returned, she suddenly realized that the disaster was more serious than she had initially thought.
Because their oil and gas field project in Sakhalin is located on the seabed.
My God! What does this mean?
This means that under normal circumstances, an earthquake would wipe out all ground assets.
In an unusual situation, the earthquake was only the beginning of the disaster, followed by the collapse of the platform, the rupture of the oil well, the leakage of a large amount of crude oil, and the subsequent severe marine pollution.
Wang Xiao is not a person of high moral character; she wouldn't be heartbroken over a mere comment about ocean pollution.
Just kidding. If capitalists had such integrity, then Japan would never have discharged nuclear wastewater.
What truly broke Wang Xiao's heart was that the oil spill caused marine pollution, which needed to be cleaned up and would require compensation.
The infamous, or rather notorious, oil spill of the Exxon Valdez occurred in March 1989 near Prince William Sound, on the border between the United States and Canada, in Alaska, resulting in the leakage of more than eight million gallons of crude oil.
So what did Exxon give in return?
Wang Xiao remembered that when he was in school, his teacher said it was 4 or 5 billion US dollars? It was said to have wiped out Exxon's annual profits.
The problem is that Exxon has a long history, a large and wealthy company, and while it may be difficult for them to come up with this money, it's not enough to force them to go out of business.
But their Wuzhou Group has been established for less than five years. Where do they get such confidence?
If that really happens, not only will we be back to square one overnight, but we'll also be burdened with debt and become slaves!
Ivanov reached out and rubbed his face vigorously, then made up his mind: "Your Majesty, let's make the cut."
Wang Xiao was feeling agitated and slumped in the sofa chair, not wanting to move. He casually asked, "What are you cutting?"
“I’ll take responsibility for this.” Ivanov knelt down on one knee in front of her, because squatting was too difficult for him.
He looked at Wang Xiao and said seriously, "After we finish the separation, I will file for bankruptcy and settle this matter."
He let out a soft sigh, "One should take responsibility for one's own actions. It was I who wanted to invest in the oil and gas fields on Upper Sakhalin Island in the first place."
Because he wanted to give his country another way out.
Russia's energy exports cannot be limited to the west and Europe; it also needs to expand eastward.
In this way, Russia, having lost the protection of the Soviet Union, can be more flexible and avoid being easily controlled by others.
A real man is courageous and responsible.
Now that an earthquake has occurred and everything is ruined, he naturally has to take responsibility.
He curled his lips upward, trying his best to force out his usual charming smile, his peach blossom eyes lowered, and he rested his chin on Wang Xiao's knee, his voice soft and sweet: "Wang, I know, even if I have nothing, you will still take care of me."
Looking at Ivanov, who was leaning close to her, Wang Xiao had to admit that for a moment, she was moved.
Nonsense! Who could take five billion US dollars for granted in 1995?
Even someone as wealthy and powerful as Mr. Xu couldn't remain indifferent. After all, of his 200 billion RMB, whether he actually receives 20 billion or not is a significant discount.
Moreover, although theoretically speaking, cutting ties after something goes wrong is completely against the law, nobody in Russia these days takes the law seriously.
If you want to exploit loopholes, it's incredibly easy as long as you're willing to pay.
This is arguably the simplest way to solve the problem.
She also assured that Ivanov would live a life of luxury and his quality of life would not decline at all after going bankrupt.
Just kidding, there are plenty of bankrupt millionaires who live better than anyone else.
But the moment of attraction was fleeting; the next breath, Wang Xiao snapped back to reality.
Ivanov cannot afford to go bankrupt; his political career began with commercial value. If he goes bankrupt even for a second, he's finished, and his political career will be completely hopeless.
Once that happens, Wuzhou Group will be a huge piece of meat, and both their commercial street and container market will be devoured by the hungry wolves of Moscow.
Besides, the decision to invest in the Sakhalin oil and gas field project was a joint decision made by her and Ivanov.
Last year, when they finally found oil and gas, she was happier than anyone else.
She didn't sever ties with Ivanov back then, but now that she's doing so, she's throwing him out to take the blame. What does that make her?
There must be a bottom line in being a person.
“No!” Wang Xiao shook his head firmly. “You can’t shoulder this alone.”
She grasped Ivanov's hand, squeezed it tightly, and said earnestly, "The Sakhalin project is our common cause. Every document bears my signature, and I attended every meeting. There's no question of one dragging the other down; we're bound together! If we sink, we sink together!"
Ivanov grew anxious, fearing she might act impulsively: "Your Majesty..."
Wang Xiao covered his lips with her right palm and made a shushing gesture with her left index finger to her own lips. "Shh, don't say anything. We'll deal with whatever comes our way, and we'll face anything together."
She reminded the anxious man, "Don't forget, the summer before last, the government invalidated the ruble, and we lost $1 billion. But that winter, we made back all the losses with our fleece clothing."
What's there to be afraid of?
Why can't they do what they could do the year before last?
So what if it's increased fivefold? Can't their lives continue for another five years?
Perhaps in less than five years, they will be able to turn things around again.
Ivanov let out a long sigh, pressed his face against her palm, and his eyes, as blue as the Volga River, swirled with complex emotions: "Your Majesty, you truly are..."
When he decided to go bankrupt, he was actually incredibly relieved at that moment.
Because he can openly let go of everything, perhaps he will no longer have any ambitions, he can be honest and obedient, and he and Wang will have the opportunity to become true soulmates.
Wang Xiao used her free hand to stroke his hair, comforting him, "Cheer up, Sakhalin Island is huge, more than twice the size of Taiwan. An earthquake couldn't possibly sink the entire island. Maybe we'll be fine."
She desperately wanted to know the true extent of the earthquake on the island right now.
But the problem is, it's 1995 now.
During the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, paratroopers had to make blind jumps to gather firsthand information, let alone during the 1995 Sakhalin Island earthquake.
Sakhalin Oblast is known for its vast land area and sparse population, with severely stalled infrastructure development. Finding out the specific earthquake situation on the island is not a simple matter.
So far, they have been unable to contact the project manager who remained in Sakhalin.
Whether they perished or simply lost communication, Wang Xiao had no way of knowing.
“Let’s go.” She reached out and helped Ivanov to his feet. “We need to get there now.”
The situation must be brought under control immediately, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable.
Ivanov forced a smile: "That's right, maybe it was just a false alarm."
However, their optimism was doomed to fail. The two of them had just arrived at the airport when the news, which involved a satellite phone call, then an international long-distance call to China, and then a mobile phone call, finally reached their ears.
Stop daydreaming. It's confirmed: the oil and gas fields on Sakhalin Island have suffered heavy losses.
The oil town, in particular, collapsed completely; all the buildings collapsed, and the extent of casualties remains unknown.
Wang Xiao's ears started ringing, and he felt dizzy as if he were having a stroke.
But with Lyuba's help, she managed to stand up straight and continued asking with difficulty: "What about the oil and gas fields? How are the oil wells doing? What's the status of the drilling platforms?"
The voice on the other end of the phone stammered, saying they didn't know and couldn't explain it clearly.
After such a severe earthquake, everyone's first reaction was to save lives. No one had the energy to deal with other issues such as property damage.
The message that came back was that there was no news from the drilling platform.
Wang Xiao closed her eyes in despair.
All the disaster movies she'd ever watched flashed through her mind in an instant: drilling platforms billowing black smoke, oil wells gushing forth dark crude oil. Towering flames illuminated countless hands struggling desperately upwards in the darkness.
What a hell on earth this is.
Wang Xiao forced his eyes open and stepped forward: "Let's go, we need to get to the island."
Ivanov looked at her with concern: "Your Majesty, let's proceed according to my plan."
"No!" Wang Xiao refused decisively. "There's no room for discussion on this."
When people are in despair, they can calm down by abandoning all illusions.
Just like Wang Xiao, who was sitting in the waiting hall, he had made up his mind: "Our first task is to compensate the victims' families. They have elderly parents and young children to support, and they are the pillars of their families. If no one supports their families, losing a worker means that a family will collapse."
Ivanov nodded in agreement without hesitation.
The most unfortunate thing about an earthquake is that the victims are killed.
To put it bluntly, he and Wang only lost money, and perhaps also their reputation and career.
But what do these things matter when it comes to life?
Life is the most precious thing a person has, and each person only has one life.
"The bulk of the cost is environmental compensation."
Before Wang Xiao could finish speaking, his assistant whispered, "It should be $1 billion. The ecological compensation agreement between the US government, the Alaskan government, and Exxon stipulates that Exxon will pay a total of $900 million in ten-year installments for environmental damage compensation. The remaining $100 million will be used to compensate for any currently unknown or potential damage to the marine ecosystem."
As he spoke, he quickly handed over the documents he had just compiled.
The documents were faxed over just before the boss left for the airport.
He used the time on his way to the airport to organize the documents he had.
Wang Xiao took the documents, glanced at them, smiled at Ivanov, and said in a relaxed tone, "Look, it's only 1 billion US dollars."
She thought that perhaps her high school teacher wasn't wrong. Even reaching an agreement in such a serious oil spill doesn't guarantee there won't be further litigation or new compensation claims.
However, that's all for the future.
Now, it's $1 billion.
Ivanov forced a smile and deliberately shrugged: "Oh, it's only 1 billion US dollars."
But this $1 billion is extremely important to them.
The grand ideal of reviving and giving new life to the Soviet scientific and technological heritage requires substantial financial support.
Wang Xiao rubbed his nose with his index finger knuckle and began racking his brains to figure out how to lose less money.
“We need to negotiate with the Russian Federation government. Our losses have also been very heavy. The oil and gas fields have been destroyed, and the $1 billion we invested has gone down the drain. We are not able to make high compensation.”
She emphasized, "Don't forget, it was the federal government that insisted we take over the Sakhalin project."
In the spring of 1993, due to the dire situation in Moscow and its wavering policies, coupled with persistently low global oil prices, American oil companies and Japanese consortia officially decided to abandon the Sakhalin oil and gas field development plan.
It was they, the Wuzhou Group, who, despite being completely clueless, invested directly in the Sakhalin Project with the intention of supporting the Russian government's oil and gas field development plan.
If the federal government also takes advantage of the situation now, will any businessmen dare to develop new oil and gas fields in the future?
Ivanov nodded vigorously. Yes, he had wanted to withdraw several times, but the Moscow government kept holding him back, hoping to make Wuzhou a model for attracting foreign investment and development.
But he still couldn't relax. "What about Japan? What will happen to Japan?"
Sakhalin is too close to Japan, and the polluted waters likely include Japanese territorial waters.
Frankly, the Russian government isn't particularly worried. They always have a way to make the Kremlin back down.
In comparison, Japan is the real problem.
"An earthquake struck Sakhalin Island, and the oil and gas field projects in Sakhalin are all going to be ruined. What good does this do for Japan? No good at all."
The document included a simple map, and Wang Xiao pointed to Japan's location, emphasizing, "Importing oil and gas from Sakhalin is the most cost-effective for Japan. Otherwise, if they switch to Middle Eastern oil and gas, transportation costs will increase significantly, and uncontrollable factors will also increase considerably."
She tapped the map lightly with her finger. "We should all be in the same boat. Japan should support Sakhalin Island's rapid recovery and reconstruction, instead of getting bogged down in endless disputes over ecological compensation."
Ivanov frowned: "I'm afraid the Japanese aren't so easy to talk to."
“Definitely,” Wang Xiao sighed. “I suspect they will take this opportunity to ask for a stake in our oil and gas field project.”
Missing out on the Sakhalin project was a significant and regrettable loss for the Japanese conglomerate.
Mitsui Group took the initiative to propose a joint venture with Goshu to build an oil refinery because it hoped to have an opportunity to establish a foothold in the development of Sakhalin oil and gas.
However, the oil refinery was merely a second-best option for the Japanese conglomerate. After all, they knew that Wuzhou would not allow others to get their hands on projects that had already extracted oil and gas.
But now an opportunity has arisen. Wuzhou Group, which is in crisis due to oil and gas leaks caused by the earthquake and marine pollution, urgently needs a large amount of capital injection.
If Wuzhou were to refuse at this point, it would mean certain death.
Wang Xiao pursed his lips tightly: "Then let's just open it up and let the Americans and Japanese compete. We'll choose whoever offers the best terms."
“Look on the bright side,” she reassured her partner. “With the entry of American and Japanese capital, our oil and gas field production capacity can be further increased, and we also have the opportunity to acquire more technology. This will give us the opportunity to develop more oil and gas fields.”
Ivanov nodded, his smile thin and forced, like a crumpled piece of paper: "That's true, maybe this is an opportunity."
But he himself couldn't accept this kind of self-comfort.
Once on the plane, Ivanov was still in a daze.
Suddenly, he felt a warmth in his hand.
Wang Xiao had already put on an eye mask and closed her eyes to rest. Holding his hand, she whispered, "Sleep for a while. We won't have time to rest after we get off the plane."
What kind of turbulent waves await them ahead, they have no idea.
Therefore, they need to conserve their energy and prepare for battle with the fullest spirit.
Ivanov thought he wouldn't be able to sleep. The fear brought by the disaster, the shadow of huge compensation, and the uncertainty about the future were like countless cold hands tearing at his nerves.
But the warmth emanating from his hand, as steadfast and stubborn as its owner, domineeringly warmed his palm, then slowly and persistently seeped into his tense body.
In a daze, without realizing it, Ivanov's turbulent thoughts were forcibly suppressed, and he unexpectedly fell into a restless but real sleep.
Of course, this sleep wouldn't take him all the way to Sakhalin.
The long flight was accompanied by the hassle of several transfers, the roar of engines, unfamiliar airport announcements, and the hurried flow of people... Each interruption deepened their fatigue.
It wasn't until the plane finally landed on the rudimentary runway of the Yuzhnogoriki Airport in Yuzhnogoriki amidst severe turbulence that the view outside the window acted like a shot of adrenaline, instantly evaporating the remaining drowsiness of Wang Xiao and Ivanov.
Sakhalin Island enjoys long days at the end of May.
Although it was already past eight o'clock in the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun still stubbornly clung to the horizon, dyeing the western sky a magnificent yet eerie orange-red and deep purple, like congealed blood.
The sunset wasn't warm; instead, it carried a cold, apocalyptic hue, as if it had been casually painted on by the artist of an apocalyptic painting.
The moment the cabin door opened, a rush of cold air, a mixture of the smell of the sea, dust, and a faint, almost imperceptible, burnt odor, rushed in.
Even though Wang Xiao thought she had made ample preparations and put on a fleece coat, she still couldn't help but shiver the moment the cold air hit her face.
Ivanov instinctively put his arm around her shoulder: "Get in the car, it'll be fine once you get in."
Lyuba's gaze swept over Ivanov without any emotion, and she escorted Wang Xiao toward the car.
Wang Xiao's gaze fell on the surrounding buildings, attempting to gather more information with his own eyes.
Most of the buildings in Sakhalin Oblast are remnants from the Soviet era, and their construction is generally rudimentary, including the airport terminal.
The setting sun, like blood, illuminated the outline of the terminal building. She saw no signs of cracking; perhaps the earthquake's extent was not as widespread as she had imagined.
Wang Xiao's heart, which had fallen into an abyss, fluttered its wings like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Maybe things aren't so bad.
Look, there's absolutely no sign of an earthquake in the southern Sakhalin province outside the car. Pedestrians hurrying home in the last rays of daylight show no trace of the panic that has just occurred.
She finally mustered up her courage and asked the driver of the car sent by the state government to pick them up, "Sir, what is the situation here?"
The driver's description was extremely optimistic: "Apart from my wine bottle falling off the windowsill, I didn't feel anything was wrong."
But before Wang Xiao could even breathe a sigh of relief, the car arrived at the state government building, where the deputy governor, who was waiting at the entrance, reached out and hugged Wang Xiao: "Miss Wang, may God bless you. I'm so sorry, it's terrible, everything is terrible now. I've lived in Sakhalin for so many years and have never experienced such a severe earthquake."
She wasn't trying to excuse Sakhalin Island; it's true, Sakhalin hasn't experienced a serious earthquake for many years. Even the earthquake monitoring stations ceased operations long ago.
So when the earthquake happened, everyone was stunned, confused, and at a loss.
Wang Xiao's heart, which had been beating slightly, was now completely dead.
The deputy governor was still trying to reassure her: "Sakhalin has many oil and gas field projects, and we welcome Wuzhou Group to continue investing here. We will offer the most favorable terms."
Previously, the Sakhalin-1 project of the Wuzhou Group was basically signed between the Russian Federation government and the Wuzhou Group. Sakhalin Oblast received no dividends other than jobs.
This time, they must seize the opportunity and not allow Sakhalin's oil and gas to be extracted and sold without the state government receiving any revenue.
Wang Xiao felt a surge of frustration stuck in his chest, and he almost fainted.
The next project?
This huge, bottomless pit is about to devour her whole, and now there's another one?
It's like telling a mother who has just lost her child, "Don't worry about him/her anymore, just have another one."
What's the difference?
She forced herself not to roar out loud on the spot.
Because she couldn't refuse; on the contrary, she had to thank the deputy governor for her kindness.
The Sakhalin Regional Government also has a say in subsequent marine ecological compensation.
If they are offended, the state government will exert pressure on the amount of compensation, and Wuzhou Group will be severely damaged, if not completely destroyed.
Wang Xiao pinched her palm hard, trying to force a grateful expression: "Thank you for your kindness. You know, we've always needed your help. Now, we want to know what's going on. You know, if we don't handle the aftermath of this project well, we can't move forward with subsequent projects."
"Of course, of course." The deputy governor was also extremely exhausted.
Since receiving news of the earthquake, she has closed her eyes for less than three hours in total.
Even so, she still dutifully led the investors to the relevant person in charge.
Making phone calls was impossible; state government staff and phone lines were limited, and every phone was ringing off the hook, busy receiving messages from the disaster area.
So even when the deputy governor personally led a team there, the clerk who answered the phone only glanced up briefly before shouting to the person on the other end, "I don't know, we can't get the statistics right now. All we know is that the situation in Nevtegorsk oil city is very bad; all the buildings have collapsed. Please wait a moment..."
He didn't hang up, but covered the receiver and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
Ivanov answered first: "We want to know the situation of our oil and gas fields."
The clerk was exhausted and spoke rudely to the distinguished guests brought by the leader: "Who has time to manage oil and gas fields now? Human lives! Human lives are the most important thing."
Wang Xiao quickly emphasized, "We're asking about matters of life and death. Our oil city, our offshore drilling platforms, have a large number of workers on them. We want to know their safety."
These words finally made the clerk's expression soften slightly. He hurriedly flipped through the documents in his hand: "Where is your oil city?"
Sakhalin Island is huge, but the population is pitifully small. Without a specific address, how would he know the situation?
"Sakhalin-1 Project, our workers' oil city."
Wang Xiao couldn't bear to recite long place names anymore, so he simply drew a location on the map in his hand.
The clerk adjusted his glasses, looked at the documents, and compared them with the information in his hand.
To be fair, his movements weren't slow, but Wang Xiao felt as if he had endured an eternity of suffering. Ivanov also checked his watch three times.
In the end, the clerk shook his head: "I don't know, I haven't gathered any information about it."
Wang Xiao felt like she had been punched in the stomach, and she wanted to curse.
How could you not know? How could you be so clueless when asked?
A voice suddenly came from outside: "Which location?"
A man wearing a cotton hat rushed in from outside, speaking very quickly, "According to the latest earthquake monitoring data and preliminary on-site investigation, the epicenter of this earthquake was quite deep, and the main destructive energy was concentrated in the North Sakhalin region, especially near the Okha and Nogliki districts. The Nevtegorsk oil city... unfortunately, it was almost completely destroyed, and the casualties were extremely heavy. Where are you?"
Wang Xiao and Ivanov almost stopped breathing and quickly pointed to the bottom of the map.
That's the area where their invested oil and gas fields and related facilities are located.
Then both of them stared intently at the uninvited guest.
Like awaiting death's pronouncement.
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[I've finished writing] Don't wait for me tonight, because I'm really exhausted right now and writing very slowly. I don't know when I'll be able to post it. Everyone, go to bed early and don't stay up late.
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