Chapter 49 What to do if you don't have a plane: Make your own!
For a whole week, the people of Moscow saw this news about Chinese color TVs being dumped in Europe in different ways on television, radio, and newspapers.
A person's impressions are constantly reinforced.
Soon, curious Soviets found their acquaintances who were middlemen and began to inquire about news about Chinese color televisions.
When Tang Yicheng received the mission to escort the color TV, he was in a daze.
This was the first time he had ever heard of a situation where what is poison to one person can be honey to another.
Being subject to anti-dumping measures is a bad thing; it means additional taxes, specifically a 15.3% anti-dumping duty. This makes the product much more expensive, which is very detrimental to sales.
When it came to Wang Xiao, it actually became a selling point for Chinese color TVs, successfully arousing the curiosity of the Soviets.
Wang Xiao's business partner called excitedly, wanting a color TV.
My goodness, when he published the advertorial, he never expected the response to be so good.
Many people on the streets of Moscow are now discussing whether China's reform and opening up policy is truly effective.
The underlings who used to run errands for the big boss have now transformed themselves into figures worthy of admiration.
Their shops are filled with a wide variety of goods, so there's no sense of frustration at not being able to buy anything despite waving around money.
The days of long queues on the streets, where people stood for a whole day and night just to buy a meager selection of goods, are long gone.
Even in color televisions, they have surpassed their predecessors, not only competing with European and Japanese manufacturers but also gaining an edge. This has caused European television manufacturers to act as if facing a formidable enemy, attempting to prevent them from entering the market.
By the way, Hungary is doing quite well now, at least better off than them.
Those countries that opposed the Soviet Union back then are all doing very well now.
It is clear that the Soviet Union had taken the wrong path.
Well, the way public opinion has developed is beyond the control of Soviet profiteers. It's because the general public in Moscow is now widely dissatisfied with the status quo.
Nonsense! If you can't even eat or dress properly and can't see any future prospects, you'd be a god if you didn't complain.
But none of this has anything to do with the middlemen; oh no, this is the key to how they make big money.
To sum it up in one sentence: Come on, Huaxia TV, the market welcomes you.
Wang Xiaoxing asked excitedly, "How many do you want? If it's more than 10,000 units, I'll need time to arrange the goods."
Where is the ghost?
She might need some more time to get the other goods she has, but there's definitely no shortage of color TVs.
To put it bluntly, color TVs of this era are like the house she lived in before she entered the book. A bunch of real estate companies are green with envy, eagerly waiting for someone to take over their properties.
But when doing business, you always have to emphasize that your goods are in high demand.
However, she was overthinking it, because her partner, Comrade Lao Mao, was quite surprised. Why did he need 10,000 units? Was he the kind of person who would make things difficult for his comrades? 1,000 units, 1,000 units would be enough.
Wang Xiao was taken aback.
No way.
Where are the empty shops on the streets of Moscow? Are a thousand color TVs enough to go around?
She has shipped tens of thousands of black and white television sets to Mongolia.
"There are no planes or railcars available." The Soviet partners complained bitterly, "Boards and railcars are in such short supply that we're lucky if we can bring a thousand color TVs."
Color TVs are large devices, taking up both weight and space. If it weren't for enriching the supply and increasing the overall competitiveness of their trading group, they wouldn't really be considered goods favored by Soviet traders.
You should know that these days, you can charter a cargo plane full of clothes to Moscow and make hundreds of thousands of US dollars without even leaving the airport, and the shipments are processed very quickly.
Unlike color TVs, it's more troublesome to move.
Wang Xiao quickly emphasized: "Precisely because everyone is making clothes, we must also make home appliances. We must be unique and superior to others in order to have market competitiveness."
One thousand units it is.
The essence of a businessman is to pursue profit. If color TVs sell well and generate high profits, Moscow will naturally be scrambling to buy them without her even having to say anything.
only--
Wang Xiao stroked his chin thoughtfully, wondering if relying solely on trains and airplanes would be too small a transport capacity, and whether he should consider taking a water transport route.
But then I thought about the map of the Soviet Union, so I decided against it.
If they urgently need the goods but the port is frozen, that could be a disaster.
Moreover, a major characteristic of international reselling is that prices change very rapidly.
Today, a pearl necklace can sell for 80 rubles in Moscow, but once more stock enters the market, it could drop to 50 rubles tomorrow.
Water transport has both obvious advantages and disadvantages: low freight rates and long transit times.
It is clearly not suitable for today's rapidly changing international reseller market.
So if you want to expand this business at this special historical juncture, you have to find a way to increase the scale of transportation.
Between trains and airplanes, Wang Xiao first ruled out the former.
It's very simple. There are countless middlemen in Beijing, and the majority of them, who do business with the Soviet Union, are based in the capital. Being right under the emperor's nose, in the heart of the capital, they are local bigwigs and have a natural advantage in dealing with train cars.
But if it's an airplane—
Flights are in high demand, even more so than train cars these days.
How can we secure more flights?
Most of her connections were concentrated in Jiangdong Province. In Beijing, she only dealt with a few Yang Bailao (a term referring to people who have suffered hardship and poverty) at the steel mill, and had no connection with the airline at all.
Wang Xiao didn't know where to start for a moment, so he just did what he was doing.
A thousand color TVs? No big deal. One phone call to the Longhua TV Factory and it'll be done.
This is truly the style of a great mother!
Wang Xiao actually quite enjoyed the term "trader" when it came to it. She was truly ignorant; before transmigrating into the book, she had never known that female traders had a specific name in this era: "trader."
Yes, it's really quite good.
Meanwhile, Factory Director Wu was still showering Wang Xiao with compliments: "Engineer Wang, I knew you were amazing. If you wanted to, there's nothing you couldn't sell."
Listen to that, how heartbreaking.
He's the head of a large state-owned factory, after all, and usually a bunch of people fawn over and flatter him.
As a result, in order to clear out inventory, they even had to flatter a young girl in her early twenties.
Just thinking about it makes me want to shed a tear of bitterness.
"Mr. Wang, should I just tow it to the train station for you, or..."
Wang Xiao dared not be evasive: "I've come over." She added, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Just to see how many flagship products we have, so that the Russians can have something to show off."
These words struck a chord with Factory Director Wu, who immediately switched to his "competitor-snobbery" mode: "That's right, our color TVs are excellent. What do they have in Beijing? Nothing beats our convenience. We have them whenever you need them."
Wang Xiao sighed, "What's convenient for us? We don't even have airplanes. Beijing has airplanes and international trains, so things can be transported out very quickly. Unlike here, we have to go through a middleman."
Factory Director Wu sighed, "Whose fault is this? Bad luck, of course. Speaking of airports, Jiangdong has a history of airports. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the New Fourth Army even burned down an airport."
When Wang Xiao heard him rambling on, her eyes lit up, and she eagerly asked, "Do we really have an airport here? Is it still in use?"
How come she's never heard of anyone flying out of Jiangdong?
Even the head of their steel plant, who is on equal footing with provincial officials, still takes the train to Beijing for meetings.
Logically speaking, if there were airplanes available, the big shots would definitely choose airplanes first.
After all, the time of big shots is incredibly valuable.
Director Wu hesitated, and could only stammer that there must have been an airport in history.
When the Japanese invaded China, the Russian planes that came to China to help took off from Jiangdong Airport and fought fiercely with the Japanese devils.
Wang Xiao was completely speechless.
That's ancient history, more than half a century ago. Things change so rapidly, who knows if the airport is even still there?
Factory Director Wu couldn't provide any more useful information, only saying that he could ask someone to help him inquire.
Unexpectedly, others started looking for it first. Tang Yicheng, who accompanied Wang Xiao to the Longhua TV Factory to inspect the goods, gave the answer first.
"Yes, of course I have," Tang Yicheng said with certainty. "I've flown at the airport in Jiangdong."
What for? To carry out missions while serving in the military.
I won't go into the specifics of the mission; even after he retires, he has to keep it a secret.
He could tell Wang Xiao for sure that the provincial capital definitely had an airport, located near Jiangzhimen, and it was quite large. He estimated it covered several hundred acres, and there were at least ten planes parked there at the time.
Wang Xiao instantly perked up: "Then you remember the place, right? Come on, let's get the TV shipping paperwork done and then go take a look."
If there's an airport and airplanes, then there must be shipping companies operating there.
Once the hardware is in place, everything else is negotiable.
Why is Beijing the current hub for international traders? It's simply because of the presence of international flights and trains.
Looking back thirty years from now, if we look at the situation during the Hangzhou Asian Games, where athletes and delegations from various countries were vying to become middlemen, we will know that this trading hub is not static.
In fact, even now, the famous Xiushui Street and the yet-to-be-developed Yabao Road wholesale market are backed by a large number of Zhejiang merchants.
The clothing with the highest sales volume in the market is basically produced by manufacturers in Zhejiang.
These large wholesale markets operate on a front-store-back-factory model, and when large orders are needed, goods almost always have to be sourced from manufacturers in other regions.
If the plane could fly to Jiangdong, why would she wait for the Yabao Road to take off? She could build a large international wholesale market for herself.
Hey! It seems that being transported to the 1990s means she's destined to make a living as an international middleman.
After the two completed the baggage check-in procedures, Tang Yicheng took Wang Xiao to see the Jiangzhimen Airport on his motorcycle while waiting for the train to depart.
Speaking of this motorcycle, Wang Xiao was truly helpless.
After the New Year, Tang Yicheng had made several trips to deliver goods by himself. As a well-regarded and conscientious leader, she generously gave him another 20,000 yuan in bonuses, hoping that he would follow suit and buy a house in the provincial capital.
Even if they part ways one day, the boss will still have given him a fortune.
As a result, the kid was fine; without saying a word, he happily went to buy a motorcycle.
When Wang Xiao found out about this, he had already ridden his motorcycle over to show off, boasting to Xiang Dong about his motorcycle with great enthusiasm.
With the remaining money, he bought a pager.
Wang Xiao could only take a deep breath and try to remain calm as she asked him why he wouldn't buy another apartment.
He looked completely bewildered; he already owned a house in the provincial capital.
One house isn't enough; there's not enough room for your family to stay when they come over.
If there's no room, let them stay in a hotel; they won't be staying for more than a few days anyway.
Why spend tens of thousands of dollars when a problem can be solved for a few hundred dollars at most?
What could Wang Xiao say? He could only suggest that he should buy an apartment in Beijing, right next to the train station.
That way, he won't have to worry about not having hotel rooms next time he escorts goods there.
Then they were very optimistic, saying that there are plenty of bathhouses in Beijing, so they could just spend the night there.
There's nothing inconvenient about it.
Wang Xiao could only chuckle, her anger rising. She had already decided to get herself an apartment in Beijing so that her father could move in more easily.
Ha! Once Beijing's housing prices skyrocket, this stubborn guy will regret it.
She sat on the motorcycle, speeding along for more than an hour before finally arriving at Jiangzhimen Airport.
That's really remote.
Although he knew from the start that the airport would be far from densely populated areas, to be honest, even in broad daylight, Wang Xiao wouldn't dare to come here alone in this desolate wilderness.
Tang Yicheng took off his safety helmet and pointed forward: "It's right here. Look, there's an airplane too."
Indeed, there were two or three of them parked in the distance, none of them particularly large.
Wang Xiao wanted to get closer to see what was going on, but before she could take two steps, a People's Liberation Army soldier with a gun on his shoulder stared sharply at her and Tang Yicheng: "What are you doing? This is a military area, you are not allowed to get close."
Wang Xiao was taken aback: "This is a military airfield?"
Tang Yicheng was baffled. Of course, it was the military. Didn't he say that he took a plane here when he was on a mission before?
Wang Xiao instinctively reached for his forehead.
How could she know that special forces always fly from military airfields when carrying out missions? Aren't there many other airfields in the civilian world?
Now we can only deal with whatever comes our way.
She looked at the young soldier, who was probably not even twenty years old, with a smile: "Comrade, I'd like to ask, your airport and aircraft fleet are not rented out?"
Good heavens, can a normal person ask such a question? This is absolutely ridiculous!
However, in 1991, asking such a question was hardly offensive.
Because it's quite normal for military personnel to engage in business these days.
Let alone leasing out industries to engage in tertiary industries, it's not uncommon for people to be involved in smuggling while driving military vehicles and carrying guns.
In comparison, renting out airports and airplanes is quite a refreshing change.
Unfortunately, this young soldier was a complete greenhorn, and knew nothing when asked.
He was extremely wary of Tang Yicheng's attempt to win him over by posing as a veteran, and repeatedly urged them to get lost.
Poor Tang Yicheng was covered in dust and dirt. Facing the disappointed and sighing Wang Xiao, he wished he could bury his head in the ground.
He really has no connections with the troops here.
He wasn't a soldier stationed here.
Fortunately, Wang Xiao never relied on him from beginning to end; his skills weren't in that area.
She pondered for a while, circled the airport from a distance, and then asked Tang Yicheng to take her back to the city on his motorcycle.
Upon seeing the first public phone booth, Wang Xiao shouted for Tang Yicheng to stop, jumped out of the car, and made a phone call.
The military is now very active in the tertiary sector, with many military factories being converted to civilian use. One of them now produces hardware, and although he hasn't cooperated with Wang Xiao before, he had dined at the same table with their leader, so he might as well call and ask them about it now.
The factory manager was easy to talk to. After hearing Wang Xiao's description, he understood: "Oh, Jiangzhimen Airport, I know, I know, it's under the Air Force. You want to rent it? I'll ask around for you."
Wang Xiao immediately gave her pager number, since even though she had given out business cards, she couldn't expect the person to keep them.
After hanging up the phone, she urged Tang Yicheng again: "Come on, come on, hurry up and take me to the factory."
Why go to the factory? Of course, to see Dr. Chen Yanqiu.
Tang Yicheng accompanied him the whole time, but he was completely baffled.
He understands Wang Xiao's desire to take over the airport (he's used to it; he thinks everything Wang Xiao does is normal), but why is he now looking for Dr. Chen?
Could it be that Wang Xiao is like him, with all her money controlled by her mother?
It doesn't look like it.
Wang Xiao sought out Dr. Chen for a simple reason: she wanted to know what the situation was like in the villages near Jiangzhimen Airport.
Chen Yanqiu was busy helping someone get an IV drip, but even with her hands and feet moving non-stop, she still managed to talk to her daughter: "Why are you asking this?"
Wang Xiao lied through his teeth: "Agritainment business. There's an owner who's interested in that area and wants to open an agritainment business. He doesn't know how to talk to the people there properly."
Tang Yicheng blinked, racking his brains to remember, and was certain that he had never heard anyone say anything like that.
He may not be smart, but his memory isn't that bad either.
What exactly is a farm stay? He'd never heard of it before.
Chen Yanqiu had the same question: What is the purpose of agritainment? Is it to support agriculture?
I'm sorry, I really can't laugh.
When she was young and naive, she even went to Chen Yidong's house to help with the farming season.
After visiting once, she would tell her brother that the factory was extremely busy and she couldn't leave during busy farming seasons.
Wang Xiao thought for a moment and gave an explanation: "It's similar to a resort or mountain retreat, but farmhouses are simpler and cheaper. If you stay at a farmhouse, a day including food, lodging, and sightseeing can be done for just ten yuan. You can also bring back fresh vegetables and the like, which are cheaper and fresher than what you buy in the city."
The patient lying in bed became interested: "When will it be done? Which boss is doing it? Is it far away?"
We still only get one day off a week, which is exhausting. Even if I want to go out and relax, I can't go far, otherwise I won't be able to focus on work.
It would be quite interesting to visit such an affordable resort.
Wang Xiao blurted out, "It's not settled yet. Several bosses are interested. It's not far, about an hour by motorcycle."
Chen Yanqiu had no doubts and quickly searched his mind for useful information: "That airport belongs to the military. There should be Xinhe Village and Xiayang Village nearby. If they want to build a resort, they should have land there. The people there are alright; they're not the kind of people who cheat and swindle, they're quite honest."
The patient lying in bed joked, "We're not in some remote, impoverished area, so where would these troublemakers come from?"
Wang Xiao pressed on, asking, "Mom, do you know anyone there? If so, I'll go over and ask what's going on, so I'll have something to say to the boss."
Chen Yanqiu thought for a long time, and with the help of others offering various suggestions, he finally remembered that one of the cooks in their factory was from Xiahe Village.
"She doesn't seem to be here today. Let's try tomorrow. I'll ask her then."
Wang Xiao smiled and nodded: "Alright, then I'll have something to say back to them."
As they were talking, the union chairman of the steel plant came over to get cold medicine from Chen Yanqiu. When he saw Wang Xiao, he immediately waved and said, "Hey, Xiao Xiao, Auntie wants to ask you, is the palm fiber bed factory about to open? When are they hiring?"
Wang Xiao looked bewildered: "We've already recruited everyone. We'll open for business this Sunday."
Since the opening of the Women's Street self-service clothing supermarket, almost every day someone has been asking them: When are you going to sell men's clothing?
Considering that there are actually more male employees than female employees in the large factory area, especially the young male workers who have considerable spending power, the logistics and decoration team, at Wang Xiao's request, worked overtime and completed the renovation of the palm mattress factory.
The opening was on Sunday, which coincided with the airing of the TV series "People on the Edge" on the city television station.
I have to say, Leon Lai was really handsome in this era.
Even Dr. Chen couldn't resist and quickly switched sides, becoming a new fan of Leon Lai and watching the drama every day.
Wang Xiao believes that Leon Lai's style will definitely be popular.
Well, by then, the factory cafeterias might have to add set meals. The bathhouses' takeout snacks will also get a lot more customers.
Speaking of this, she felt like her character had improved after she transmigrated into the book.
For example, after the New Year when the weather warms up, fewer guests treat bathhouses like hotels.
The bathhouse owner mentioned it to Dr. Chen twice, so Wang Xiao suggested that her family set up a food stall in front of the clothing self-service supermarket.
So many people have come all the way from the city center, they probably haven't even had breakfast yet, this is perfect for meeting their needs.
As for the cafeterias at large factories, don't they think there are fewer people and less business on Sundays? They open them to the public.
People who come to buy clothes need to eat eventually. The cafeteria offers good food at low prices and doesn't require paying taxes, so the prices are definitely more affordable than outside.
It's a good idea to prepare some package deals so that both parties can benefit.
She no longer needs to worry about everyone's meals.
Sure enough, a popular tourist spot, if managed properly, can definitely boost the economy of the surrounding area.
The union chairman clapped his hands anxiously: "Oh dear, you girl, how come you didn't give us a heads-up beforehand?"
The same thing happened last time when the clothing store on Women's Street was recruiting. They didn't say a word until the store was open for business, and only then did the factory workers realize what was going on.
By the time they come to ask again, it will be too late.
The girl had agreed readily, saying she would inform the factory in advance if they needed to hire more people, but then things took an unexpected turn.
Wang Xiao looked completely innocent: "We didn't hire any more people. They're just the sales assistants from the women's clothing store. There were too many people there, so we moved some of them to sell men's clothing. Otherwise, the store couldn't handle paying so many people's salaries."
The union chairman said awkwardly, "Can we hire a few more? The original workers at the palm-leaf beds also need a place to work."
Wang Xiao shook his head regretfully: "That will have to wait until next year at the earliest. The sales assistants are all trained by the Jinning Hotel. How would I know anything about this? There's nowhere to train the people I recruit."
The union chairman swallowed back the words he was about to say.
She was thinking that it's just selling things, so what's the point of training?
Even those present who had never bought clothes at a self-service clothing store had at least browsed inside.
Their service is just different; you can't just bring anyone over to replace them.
The union chairman was extremely displeased and brought up the same old story again: "Why didn't you tell me when you were hiring?"
Wang Xiao blinked, her eyes sparkling like pure white jasmine blossoms: "I advertised in the newspaper, but no one from our factory signed up. I thought nobody wanted to sell clothes in the store. After all, it's not a formal job."
The union chairman opened his mouth, wanting to say something but unable to, feeling incredibly frustrated.
This kind of job, which requires a high school diploma, used to be highly competitive in large factories. Everyone wanted to work in factories as permanent employees.
But isn't the situation different now? She, the union chairperson, is so worried she's going bald, constantly being asked to find a way to help solve her children's employment problems.
What could she possibly do? If she had a solution, her son wouldn't still be working as a temporary worker.
Wang Xiao's eyes darted around, and he stammered, "Actually, there's a direction that might need someone."
The union chairman immediately perked up, his eyes gleaming: "Where is this place?"
“Russian translators,” Wang Xiao explained. “Aunt Chen, as you can see, we’re doing business with the Russians right now, so we need Russian translators. This business might expand later, so we’ll naturally need more Russian translators. I was thinking of asking around the factory to see if anyone here has studied Russian and is interested in this job. Oh, and we also need people for hotel hospitality.”
The union chairman frowned: "We might really need to ask that. Our factory hasn't been learning Russian for several years now."
Wang Xiao quickly added, "It's okay if you don't know it now. As long as you're interested, the factory's night school can arrange a Russian class. Hmm, let's ask our old Russian teacher to be the teacher. And the store will cover the teacher's salary. As long as you pass the exam, you can be recommended for a Russian translator job."
The union chairman was slightly relieved, as long as someone was paying the wages.
That's one way to do it.
At least we can get these idiots into Russian classes for a few months. If they fail the exam and can't find work, that's their own fault.
They were given a chance by the factory, but they didn't cherish it.
Sigh, in the end, they're all just useless.
If they could be like Wang Xiao, getting into university on their own and being assigned jobs by the state after graduation, they would definitely become cadres.
There's no need for so much trouble anymore.
Tang Yicheng followed Wang Xiao out of the steel plant gate before daring to lower his voice and ask, "Didn't you say you couldn't hire people from your factory? You were afraid of bringing in a bunch of troublemakers."
Wang Xiao whispered, "But they are the most suitable right now."
Why?
Firstly, if she keeps making excuses, she'll easily offend the factory workers.
In the era when workers were considered elder brothers, employees had a significant say in the factory.
They may not be able to accomplish anything, but if they have strong opinions, they can definitely cause trouble.
Secondly, given the current situation, it's really not easy to find Russian-speaking talent in a short period of time.
Those families who can afford to let their children not rush into odd jobs and instead focus on learning Russian must at least have enough to eat, if not be incredibly wealthy.
Doesn't this directly target the children of steel mill workers?
If it can be used, why not use it?
Tang Yicheng asked in confusion, "Aren't you afraid of incurring the wrath of your ancestors?"
Now that he's interacted with clothing store employees more often, he genuinely feels that these kinds of employees are the most useful and don't cause any trouble.
Wang Xiao laughed: "It's not like I'm paying their salaries. When the Soviets come, I'll only be responsible for recommending translators. How much they get paid for translation depends on the Soviets."
Her role was merely that of a middleman.
Even if the union chairman hadn't approached her, she still planned to train Russian translators.
Jiangdong is naturally inferior to Beijing, so it must make efforts in both hardware and software to make international traders willing to come and pick up goods.
Jiangdong not only boasts a thriving light industry with a large quantity of high-quality, inexpensive light industrial products, but its market service is also top-notch. Everything is negotiable, and the service is exceptional; they never act like bosses.
Tang Yicheng blinked several times, then suddenly came to his senses and exclaimed, "A lot of Russians will come! No, I mean, aren't they all coming at once?"
Although people are coming to Russia in batches to help with deliveries, they come in waves, and each time only one person is needed to act as a translator.
We don't need that many people at all.
unless--
“Unless it’s like Xiushui Street.” Wang Xiao continued, picking up where she left off. “You guessed it, I’m going to build our own Xiushui Street right next to the airport.”
To be more precise, it should be called an international wholesale market for small commodities.
The reason for locating it near the airport is purely for transportation convenience.
Moreover, there is vacant land near the airport, so acquiring land to build a wholesale market shouldn't be a problem.
After all, that area of land should belong to the military. It's normal for them to be able to rent the airport and build warehouses on the land.
Well, isn't it normal for a warehouse to be divided into several areas and be relatively large? Empty warehouses shouldn't just sit there empty; turning them into markets only shows how cleverly they utilize waste.
Tang Yicheng suddenly realized: "So, the person who wants to build a farmhouse inn is yourself!"
The wholesale market being right next to the airport is indeed convenient for transportation, but it's inconvenient for the Russians to eat and stay.
Besides, people travel all the way to China, so they should at least take a look around.
Setting up a farmhouse resort like a vacation retreat seems feasible.
Wang Xiao nodded with a smile: "Of course, they've worked so hard, we can't not even let them catch their breath."
The truth is, how could she let someone else have such a good opportunity to make money?
At present, whether in the Soviet Union or China, speculators are considered wealthy.
Moreover, because everyone's money comes easily, they are generally very willing to spend it, and they feel uncomfortable if they don't spend all their money.
If she didn't take this free money, she would really be doing herself a disservice.
A one-stop shop for food, drinks, and entertainment, except for prostitution, gambling, and drugs. At her farmhouse—no, she calls it a leisure resort—you can have as much fun as you want.
In this era, making a fortune in the catering and entertainment industry is no longer a dream.
Tang Yicheng went over the matter in his mind and began to worry: "Will there be so many Russians coming?"
They only have one business partner right now, where would they get so many from?
Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously: "Every Soviet man who comes here to work as a porter is a potential customer of ours."
A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier.
If you don't want to be a middleman or a mere porter, then even if an overwhelming fortune were offered to you, you wouldn't be able to handle it.
How stupid!
We have readily available supplies and transportation channels.
According to the current Soviet regulations, each tourist traveling abroad could bring back goods worth $5,000 without paying taxes.
As soon as a person gets off the plane, without even leaving the airport, $5,000 worth of goods can immediately turn into $10,000.
Considering the average income of Soviet citizens today, who but a saint could resist such a tremendous temptation?
With a little effort, a bicycle can become a motorcycle; many people are eager to try.
Wang Xiao blinked happily: "Actually, some people are already thinking of doing it themselves and will be coming over soon."
Tang Yicheng felt inexplicably guilty, as if he had let down his Soviet partners.
They've been very cooperative and helpful, and they've earned quite a bit of money. How could they possibly have ulterior motives?
Wang Xiao really wanted to pry open his skull to see what was inside.
How can there be only one party (client) and one party (contractor) in the business world?
Even professional contract manufacturers have their own products.
She said irritably, "You don't actually think they don't get their goods from other people, do you? Of course not! They're one of the top middlemen in Moscow now. The goods we provide aren't enough to keep them afloat."
She was short-handed on her side for the time being, and since she was just starting out, she had to figure everything out by trial and error. Otherwise, she would have already gone to find more partners.
In business, there's no such thing as being content with small gains; you have to grow bigger and stronger.
Otherwise, if a gust of wind comes, the small boat will be the first to capsize.
Tang Yicheng didn't dare to argue with her, since he couldn't win anyway, so he honestly said, "Then I'll go find Master Wang to make preparations."
Sigh, since I can't really understand it anyway, I might as well resolve the triangular debt problem of the steel mill as soon as possible.
Wang Xiao chuckled inwardly as he watched the guy practically flee in disarray.
Once the international small commodities market is established, you won't need to make repeated trips to Beijing anymore. Let's see where you'll go then.
Although Tang Yicheng wasn't the brightest, and was a bit stubborn, he was obedient and had strong execution skills.
Someone like that would be quite suitable to be a general manager.
Sending him out to run errands is such a waste of his talent.
He could have provided her with more residual value.
Oh, and we need to find another way to urge them on; we absolutely have to arrange for bodyguards.
While thinking about the next steps, Wang Xiao picked up his pager, glanced at it, and called back the hardware factory he had previously contacted.
The factory is really quick; they've already made arrangements for Zhimen Airport.
When the Air Force heard that she wanted to contract the airport, they had no objections and immediately said they could discuss it in person.
As for wanting to rent land to build a warehouse, that's no problem either. Come and claim as much land as you want.
Anyway, that whole area is empty, they're not of any use to them, so the rent is negotiable.
The only requirement is that if this warehouse market is built, can we hire their military dependents to work?
Wang Xiao felt like rubbing his nose in disbelief; it seemed that the difficulty of finding employment was a major problem sweeping the entire country.
Even the military is worried about this.
She readily agreed: "No problem. We welcome any porters, delivery workers, and sanitation workers the market needs."
She wasn't just saying nice things; she genuinely welcomed the military families to join.
For her, military dependents are under the supervision of the military, which ensures stronger discipline. Hiring them for work is like hiring an outsourcing company, making handover and communication much easier.
Despite her desire to open a resort in a nearby village, she is not very willing to hire villagers whenever she has a choice.
Why?
It's not that she's discriminating.
Rather, it's because the villagers, for reasons unknown, easily assume that since they're on their territory, it's only natural for them to take advantage of outsiders.
For example, the fruit trees planted in the resort can be completely uprooted by someone else.
For example, the tables, chairs, and benches in the villa rooms—once they can get in, these pieces of furniture can appear in their own homes within a few days.
The worst part is that once this happens, calling the police is useless.
Either the law will not punish everyone and the authorities will try to smooth things over, or they will criticize and educate the students.
Seeing them laughing and joking as if it weren't a big deal (in fact, they were completely fine), and letting yourself get all worked up for nothing, is such a waste.
Wang Xiao never likes to be taken advantage of. So she'd rather be suspicious of others than be taken advantage of.
Of course, she wouldn't stop villagers from setting up stalls to sell local specialties. Even if they discovered a new business opportunity and followed suit, starting their own agritourism businesses, she wouldn't interfere.
It's good that everyone is at peace.
While the military regrets that Wang Xiao seems unwilling to offer civilian or administrative positions to military dependents, it is not entirely unacceptable.
After all, they knew that most military dependents were not highly educated and would be more suited to simple physical labor.
Wang Xiao then extended an olive branch: "I wonder if you have your own construction team? I'd like to ask you to help build the warehouse as well. If you don't have enough manpower, I think some people from the surrounding villages would be willing to come and work for you."
This time, with the more than ten million yuan she earned from international trading, she plans to invest it all in the charter flight construction project.
For her, money only counts as money when it's spent and then reinvested to generate more profit.
Lying in a bank and sleeping soundly, it's just a piece of paper or a string of numbers.
The military, of course, welcomed it; they welcomed anything that could make money.
To put it bluntly, if money weren't so hard to earn, the military wouldn't be so willing to go out and engage in smuggling.
Especially when a brother unit is sent out to crack down on smuggling, and you get caught red-handed, it's incredibly humiliating.
With both sides having laid out their sincerity, they can naturally get down to business and have a proper discussion about the most crucial issue: fees.
The airport issue is easy to resolve.
Although it occupies a large area, it is basically empty, with only buildings like the machine room; and because of its remote location, it is not like the barracks in the city that can be rented out to people for business.
So 500,000 a year is fine, but you need to sign a ten-year contract.
Wang Xiao nodded without saying anything.
As for renting land to build a warehouse, that's easy to discuss. She can rent out all the vacant land in this area, and she can decide the lease term herself.
As for the price, she's not picky; she can pay whatever she wants.
It's not that the military is being extravagant; this era doesn't follow the land-based economy model, and nobody thinks land is that valuable.
In the city center, there are too many people and not enough land, so it's understandable that everyone is so calculating. But in the suburbs, the land that was originally designated for land grabbing is not suitable for growing crops, so it's not a big deal to give it away as an extra.
Besides, they had already said that the warehouse would be left for their construction team to build, so this was practically a business opportunity delivered to their doorstep.
With the airport and warehouse arrangements finalized, the next crucial step is securing the aircraft.
Wang Xiao knew that airplanes were never cheap, regardless of the era.
Even now, the cheapest airplane costs tens of millions, far exceeding her current affordability.
However, she doesn't plan to buy a plane; she only wants to rent one.
But the troops, who had been doing well before, shook their heads when the topic of renting airplanes came up.
There are no planes for rent, and no cargo planes either.
If they had enough planes available, then this airport wouldn't be rented out either.
The entire military wants to replace its aircraft, but unfortunately, everyone is poor and simply can't afford to upgrade their equipment.
They don't even have enough of their own planes, let alone any spare planes they can rent out.
“We do have pilots,” the military representative said enthusiastically. “We have a large number of experienced veteran pilots who can be recommended to you. Don’t worry, the price is negotiable.”
Wang Xiao couldn't help but rub her temples; even a skilled cook can't cook without rice.
Without an airplane, even the most skilled pilot can't transform into Sun Wukong and fly through the clouds.
But given how things have progressed, it's absolutely impossible for her to give up.
Because she had realized that this contained a huge business opportunity.
As long as the air route can be opened, she believes that it will be a golden goose that can lay golden eggs continuously in the next few years.
She even felt that this would earn her more money than simply working as a middleman.
Now that she has pilots, she has accurately calculated the cost of training them. This is a huge expense for the airline.
How could she possibly give up such a significant and favorable condition?
But what if there are no planes?
Go find the plane.
The fact that the Soviet Union could trade canned goods for airplanes shows that it didn't lack aircraft and had excellent transport capacity.
She may not have the ability to copy the ideas of other big shots, but she can rent airplanes.
If you can't rent planes from the Air Force, why not just get a Soviet plane?
She's determined to make this money.
————————
Haha, have you guys put on down jackets for protection? Ah Jin is already wearing thermal underwear.
To clarify, the regulation allowing citizens to bring goods worth no more than $5,000 duty-free into Russia (considered tourist shopping) was a policy from the early 1990s. Akin couldn't find any information about Soviet regulations on this matter. On January 1, 1994, Russia reduced the duty-free allowance from $5,000 to $2,000.
Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Sino-Soviet international trade was largely conducted by the Soviet Union through chartered planes and trains, while Chinese traders at the time still relied on the most primitive method of carrying goods by themselves on crowded trains.
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