Chapter 406 This is Politics: Social Death
Wang Xiao's mind went blank, and by the time she came to her senses, her scream had already pierced the sky.
"Quick, take it off!"
Chemical burns are still burns. How should burns be treated?
Take it off, take it off, I have to take my clothes off right away.
Ivanov was startled and frantically tried to unbutton his coat. To look more stylish on camera, he was wearing an overcoat instead of a fleece jacket today; otherwise, the zipper would have been even faster to unzip.
Wang Xiao saw his hand touch the button and realized what was happening: "Don't touch it! Don't touch it!"
Clothes can at least offer some protection, but if your hands come into contact with highly corrosive acid, you're doomed.
"Scissors! Give me scissors!"
Wang Xiao finally remembered a clip from a promotional video she had seen: if you're burned and your clothes can't be taken off, don't pull them off forcefully, just cut them with scissors.
The assistants quickly found some scissors and handed them to Wang Xiao.
She grabbed the scissors and began to snip open the coat.
Because she was afraid of touching the strong acid in front, she cut her hair on her back. But Ivan was a head taller than her, and as she raised her arm, her hands were shaking.
Ivanov asked tremblingly, "I...I...squat down?"
"Don't squat!" Wang Xiao refused without hesitation.
She was thinking that if she squatted down, her pants would get acid on them, and her legs would be ruined!
Nikolai walked over to her and extended his hand: "Let me do it."
Wang Xiao instructed him: "Cut it off! Cut off the coat! Cut off the sweater too, cut off the shirt."
Unfortunately, the liquid was flowing, and Ivanov's trousers got wet, emitting a sour, rotten smell.
"Cut it off!" Wang Xiao didn't dare delay. "Cut it all off!"
In early April in Moscow, it could still snow. A gust of wind blew, and Ivanov shivered with cold. He desperately tugged at his underwear, pleading with Wang Xiao, "Let's forget about the underwear, it's not that..."
"Cut it off!" Wang Xiao glared at him fiercely. "What are you still worried about at a time like this?"
The quick-thinking assistant had already fetched a blanket from the car, at least preventing her boss from running around naked.
He cautiously suggested, "Why don't we just rinse it off?"
Right, right, right! Wang Xiao finally remembered that the five-word formula for treating burns is: rinse, remove, soak, cover, transport.
She got the order wrong.
"That's right, get it rinsed right away!"
Fortunately, old-fashioned Russian companies are like small societies, and they even have bathhouses inside.
Ivanov was wrapped in a blanket, and it wasn't appropriate for him to run around while walking his bird, so his assistant and bodyguards hurriedly put him on a small logistics delivery cart and pushed him directly to the bathhouse.
Thank goodness, the men's bathroom is empty at this hour.
As Ivanov was being pushed into the shower, Wang Xiao shouted, "Cold water! It has to be cold water, not hot water!"
Rinsing with cold water can cool the burn and relieve the pain and damage. Using hot water would only make things worse.
After yelling, she couldn't help but explode in anger: "Where's the ambulance? When is the ambulance coming?"
Without an ambulance, are they supposed to drive themselves to the hospital?
Okay! I can't wait any longer.
The assistant looked at Wang Xiao hesitantly, and after a long while, finally mustered the courage to ask, "Why do we need an ambulance?"
Wang Xiao was furious and had nowhere to vent his anger, so he raised his voice eight octaves: "Will you see Mr. Ivan being doused with concentrated acid?"
The bathhouse, which had been filled with rustling sounds, suddenly became so quiet that even the dripping water could be heard clearly.
"Concentrated acid?" Nikolai looked at his boss in disbelief. "Where can I find concentrated acid?"
As if remembering something, he quickly explained, "Oh! Miss Wang, that's kvass, he splashed kvass."
Wang Xiao's eyes widened: "Don't I know what kvass tastes like? It's not like I've never had kvass before! How could it taste so sour and smelly like this?"
Nikola didn't know how to explain for a moment, but Lyuba came to her colleague's rescue: "Because there are problems with its brewing materials and techniques."
The kvass they drink daily is already a flavored beverage with many good ingredients added.
"It's sour because the fermented rice wine was overcooked and turned into vinegar. It smells bad because he used moldy rye bread, which has a rotten smell."
Wang Xiao stared at them in disbelief: "It's kvass, not strong acid?"
The KGB-trained bodyguards exchanged glances and replied cautiously, "So far, we haven't found any evidence that it's any other harmful liquid. Of course, it's possible that it contains poison, but that requires further testing."
Okay, I won't bother with the last comforting remark about the possibility of some kind of poison.
Wang Xiao's only reaction was to cover his face with his hands. God! Since you knew it was kvass, why didn't you stop me?
Are you just going to stand by and watch Ivanov get shaved naked, shivering in the freezing cold?
But the words were on the tip of Wang Xiao's tongue, and he swallowed them back down.
Who could stop her? She's the boss, a strong-willed boss who doesn't compromise her principles.
Which worker has nothing better to do than stop their boss from going crazy?
She just went crazy and cut off the male boss's clothes; she didn't pull out a gun and kill him.
If the male boss has no objections, why should the employees have any?
The only person who could stop her was Ivanov, who had just finished a cold shower and was grimacing from the cold, wrapped in a blanket as he came out of the shower. He grinned innocently at her and said, "I thought you thought you thought it smelled bad, that it was too awful."
He dared not say it, but he was actually very happy that such a rational and shrewd king had lost his composure because of him.
Wang Xiao felt as if thunder was rumbling in the sky.
Destroy this damned world!
In other words, her so-called first aid for chemical burns was nothing more than everyone watching her go crazy.
She really couldn't hold it in anymore; her whole face fell.
She said that when Ivanov was splashed with acid, his bodyguards and assistants were so calm and followed her instructions completely, without any spontaneous or proactive rescue efforts.
It turns out it was completely unnecessary!
Seeing that things were not going well, Ivanov dared not laugh anymore. He quickly stepped forward, took her arm, and comforted her: "Hey! Your Majesty, it's alright. You're just too nervous and too tired."
He hugged her tightly, patted her back, and kept repeating, "It's okay, it's okay."
All the pressure ultimately fell on her; everyone was counting on her to solve the problems.
She carried a heavy mountain on her back.
Wang Xiao reached out and pushed him away, stepping back: "No! Let me be alone for a while."
That's fucking dramatic.
Some members of the film crew who followed them into the bathroom couldn't help but laugh, while others winked at them.
Wang Xiao knew they meant no harm, but right now, she didn't want to hear their voices at all.
Footsteps echoed outside the bathroom. A man, undressing as he walked, looked in horror at the large number of people inside and quickly grabbed a bucket to cover his private parts.
He just wanted to take a good shower while it was less crowded in the morning. Why are there still ladies around?
Wang Xiao waved his hand and tossed Ivanov a sentence: "You stay here and behave yourself. I'm going out now."
This is truly a terrible sin.
Ivanov wanted to chase after her and go out together: "Hey! Your Majesty, Achoo!"
Wang Xiao turned around and glared at him: "Just stay put, do you want to catch a bad cold?"
In early April, I stripped naked outside and stood in the cold wind for half a day, then took a cold shower. Even though we're from the "fighting nation," we still caught a cold when the time was right.
Now, what chance does he have of going out? Does he even have clothes to wear? No. His clothes have already been cut to shreds under her direction.
Yes, they do bring spare clothes when they go out; it's just a big coat.
Should we let him wear a coat and walk around outside naked?
Ivan's lifestyle also made it impossible for him to simply go to an outside store, buy the whole set, and then put it on.
The driver had to drive back and bring his clothes to change into.
Good heavens! How could she have been so stupid as to do something like this? Her intelligence in both her past and present lives has been utterly destroyed.
Wang Xiao sat on an empty chair at the front desk of the outer room of the bathhouse, drinking juice one sip after another.
She took a sip, then leaned against Lyuba and wailed, "God!"
She truly experienced what it meant to be "dead in society."
Lyuba suppressed a laugh and comforted her, "It's okay, it's okay. Do you want some pickled chicken feet?"
"want!"
Even while gnawing on chicken feet, she took a couple of bites and continued to wail against Lyuba, "God! I've never encountered anything like this before."
When Dyachenko arrived at the power company, this is what Wang Xiao saw in a state of utter frustration.
The president's daughter asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, what's wrong? What happened?"
She received news that Wang would be coming to the power company to film a program today.
She had become aware of the importance of the media in political activities—she even overheard people talking on the street while she was buying coffee. They thought the Communist Party of the Russian Federation had gone too far, forcing the president to personally apologize to the nation for such a trivial matter, which they considered overly aggressive.
See, this is all thanks to media relations.
As expected, Diachenko knew she would become her father's right-hand woman during his second term, and she needed to learn more to help him secure his position in the Kremlin.
Wang Xiao looked up at her and greeted her weakly, "Tatiana, you're here? Oh God, this is a nightmare. I don't know what to say. Lyuba, you tell her."
Lyuba was slightly surprised. She thought the boss wouldn't bring it up again and would just laugh it off in front of Tyachenko.
But since the boss had already given the order, she, as the bodyguard, did not hesitate and simply explained what had happened.
As Tyachenko listened, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Good heavens, is this the king? This businesswoman, whose mind is as sharp as a computer, has actually made such a blunder.
Wang Xiao looked utterly hopeless: "I told you, I was going to be laughed to death."
Tyachenko tried hard to suppress a laugh and desperately tried to cover for her: "No, no, no, this is normal. Concern makes one lose their senses. When I'm with my husband and children, I often forget common sense too."
Wang Xiao's response to this was simply: "Hehe."
She sighed and changed the subject: "Honey, did you come to the power company for something?"
Tyachenko didn't know how to explain that she was there to learn about media relations.
Seriously, Russia is severely lacking in public relations talent; many people don't even have the concept. So much so that now, when she wants to find a teacher, she can't find a suitable candidate.
Yes, yes, yes, Moscow can indeed be considered a cosmopolitan metropolis, with many foreign companies, and almost all international companies have public relations departments.
But Tyachenko couldn't guarantee that if she hired someone as a teacher, that person would teach her wholeheartedly, since that was their livelihood.
Besides, although she didn't understand this industry, she still grasped the basic principle that business and politics are two different things. Perhaps even if someone wanted to teach her, what they taught wouldn't be applicable to politics.
In comparison, the most suitable choice she could find was Wang Xiao.
Most importantly, Wang Xiao is very open-minded. When filming her father's speech at the Kremlin last time, she even taught her the importance of lighting.
So now, Dyachenko looked around and asked, "Can we find somewhere to talk?"
Mrs. Ivano was still hiding in the bathhouse waiting to change her clothes, and even if Wang Xiao had no conscience, he couldn't just leave her alone and run away.
She nodded: "Why don't we go outside? The sun is quite nice here."
That's how it is in Moscow in April: the cold hasn't completely subsided, but spring is getting closer and closer.
Especially at midday when the sun is out, the temperature can reach 10 degrees Celsius, making people feel warm and cozy, and they can stay in one place without moving an inch.
Wang Xiao chose a bench on the lawn, where the surroundings were empty, so there was no fear of being overheard. It was a good place to talk.
As noon approached, the sun generously shone down, carrying the warmth unique to April, a warmth that struggled to pierce the chill. Although the treetops in the distance were still bare, pointing towards the gray-blue sky, outlining the last stubborn lines of winter, the grass underfoot already revealed the message of early spring.
Wang Xiao sat on the bench and turned to look at Dyachenko: "Is this place alright?"
Tyachenko inhaled the thawed soil, its distinctive, slightly fishy smell lingering in his mouth, and unconsciously tugged at his hands together.
The outside world describes this Kremlin princess as a shy and timid person.
Perhaps this description is a bit of an exaggeration, but Dyachenko himself doesn't consider himself a very eloquent person.
So she decided to follow the advice of her father's advisors and not beat around the bush with the Chinese. When talking to them, it's best to be direct and keep asking for answers; otherwise, they won't speak like human beings and will make you guess, and after guessing for a long time, you'll still be wrong.
Dyachenko cut to the chase: "Your Majesty, do you plan to go into politics in the future?"
If she wants someone to be her mentor, she has to offer them enough benefits. Miss Wang is not short of money, and what she can offer is not money.
Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow, looking at her in surprise: "Politics?"
Tyachenko realized how unwise his words were; Wang Xiao was a foreigner and could never possibly enter politics in Russia.
She quickly explained, "I mean Ivan. Does Ivan plan to go into politics?"
Wang Xiao shook his head without hesitation: "No! If he goes into politics, what will happen to our business? We're already too busy."
Tyachenko tried to persuade her: "You can find someone to do things for you. Ivan has a good social image and reputation. He actually has a very promising future in politics."
As for his youth, that's not a problem at all; on the contrary, it's an advantage, allowing him to start as governor and rise through the ranks step by step.
Wang Xiao smiled wryly and shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, no, darling, thank you for your kindness, but this is not in our plans at all. We have little interest in politics."
She sighed, "Just the things I'm doing right now already leave me feeling physically and mentally exhausted, and under immense pressure. Why did I mistake spoiled kvass for concentrated acid? There was so much information out there; I should have been able to judge it easily. But my first reaction was that it was concentrated acid because subconsciously I knew that many people wanted to kill us, after all, we've already offended too many people."
She counted on her fingers, "The Russian Communist Party definitely doesn't like me, and the oligarchs might have already started hiring assassins."
She shook her head and smiled bitterly, "Even like this, I can't handle it. If it goes any deeper, I think I'll go crazy all the time."
It is obvious that today's blunder was a huge blow to Wang, and Tyachenko was unable to utter empty words such as "it will be alright".
She could only express her regret: "It's such a pity that Ivan didn't go into politics. Russia needs outstanding young people to join the political arena to bring more hope to the country."
Wang Xiao smiled wryly and shook his head: "Forget it, he'll be good enough to be a State Duma member at best."
"And what about you?" Diachenko pressed, "Don't you have anything you want to do?"
Although everyone says that Miss Wang loves Ivanov deeply and that everything she does is for her lover.
But as a woman herself, and especially a working woman, Tyachenko would never believe that. A king must have his own ambitions.
Several gray tits darted nimbly among the withered grass and new shoots, emitting short, cheerful calls, reminding people that spring was coming, a season when all things were about to revive.
Wang Xiao looked puzzled: "Yes, we're going to Sakhalin Island next week. The Sakhalin 2 oil and gas field project is about to sign a contract and start construction."
As if she had just remembered, she added, "There's also the Sakhalin transport pipeline. Our plan is to build two routes, one to Japan and the other to China."
Seeing that Tyachenko didn't react, she explained, "Currently, the output of Project 1 is entirely supplied by Japan's Mitsui, and our cooperation is going quite smoothly. But as the seller, we can't have only one buyer. The location of the Sakhalin project also determines that its buyers are mainly concentrated in East Asia."
If you still don't understand after all this, then I highly suspect you're pretending to be stupid.
Tyachenko wasn't a fool, nor did he intend to pretend to be one; instead, he pressed on with great enthusiasm, asking, "So, is the pipeline fixed now?"
"No!" Wang Xiao shook his head, "The process has been stuck."
Last June, when the Sakhalin earthquake struck, they resumed pushing forward with the pipeline project, but there are always various reasons to stall the progress.
Its bizarre and tragic nature is even more exaggerated than Tesla's factory construction in Germany.
Dyachenko nodded: "I understand."
Then she showed a slightly embarrassed expression, "You know, the government does have this problem, it's so inefficient, it's giving us all a headache."
Like a sedan chair carried by people, Wang Xiao, to give them face, sighed and said, "That's right, this problem exists all over the world. Governments really need to improve their efficiency."
Dyachenko encouraged her: "I believe this matter will definitely be resolved before autumn."
What comes before autumn? It's summer.
What's in summer? Summer has elections.
This was a silent, tacit understanding, a deal discussed in casual conversation. The right to lay the pipeline was an extra reward for her active support of the president's re-election.
Wang Xiao smiled broadly: "Then I really hope autumn comes soon."
As she stood up, the driver rushed back and finally brought back clothes that Ivanov could wear.
Seeing their new boss finally emerge from the bathhouse dressed in new clothes, the executives of the power company, who were sweating profusely, finally mustered the courage to approach him and quickly apologize.
Look at the mess this is in! It's not easy for a boss to pay everyone's wages, and yet some people are still ungrateful.
The general manager, right in front of Ivanov, said to the worker who had recently been tied up and left on the ground for half a day and was still drunk, "My God, look at the stupid things you've done!"
The worker, indignant, opened his cloudy eyes and said, "You devil! You who stole our company and robbed me of my wages, you deserve to go to hell!"
Wang Xiao reminded the "Our Day" production team: "Film well."
Even the best variety show script can't compare to the effects of unexpected collisions.
This worker who suddenly rushes out and goes berserk makes a great NPC for a variety show.
Tyachenko felt that he was really no match for Wang Xiao's sensitivity.
She was devastated by this incident a moment ago, but now she's already able to guide the filming process.
The general manager was angrily berating the workers: "Who's the thief? You are! You're an alcoholic, and alcohol has stolen your health, making your hands tremble and your mind go blank when you work. How can you continue to stay in an important position like this? We haven't fired you, we've just transferred you to a less demanding role. In fact, it's like the company is supporting you. Aren't you satisfied?"
The workers were muttering and cursing something again.
The general manager turned to the boss and asked, "Mr. Ivanov, what should we do with him? Call the police?"
Using this fool who walked right into the door to establish authority and emphasize work discipline is a convenient thing to do.
Ivanov looked up at Wang Xiao and saw that the other man was shaking his head slightly at him. He also shook his head at the general manager: "No need. Let him wake up first and send him to the rehabilitation center."
Reminded by Wang Xiao, the host quickly grabbed the microphone and stepped forward to interview him: "Mr. Ivanov, why didn't you call the police? You just startled us all."
Ivanov shook his head, speaking sincerely to the camera: "He didn't cause any serious consequences. Besides, no matter what, and whatever the reason, my life is much better than his now. I shouldn't hold a grudge against him; I should be more forgiving."
"My God!" exclaimed Diachenko, who was watching from the sidelines. "Mr. Ivanov is such a good man."
Wang Xiao nodded in agreement: "He has always been very good."
She will continue to solidify this persona for him.
The producer quietly moved to Wang Xiao's side, a slightly ingratiating smile on his face: "Miss Wang, is there something I can discuss with you?"
Good heavens, the way he's saying this to his boss now is purely out of a death wish.
But as a producer of a variety show, he had long been corrupted; all he cared about was the show's entertainment value.
If we're talking about the most eye-catching moment from today's encore, it has to be Miss Wang cutting Mr. Ivanov completely off the screen!
Oh my, after a year's absence, Mr. Ivanov's body has reappeared on the screen, still looking incredibly handsome, and even more attractive than before.
After all, when he stood on the excavator's bucket last June, he was at least wearing underwear.
This time, even his underwear was cut into strips, leaving him completely naked.
Wang Xiao squinted at the producer until the producer felt uneasy, then she uttered meaningfully, "Okay, but it needs to be re-edited."
The producer was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly: "No problem, Miss Wang, you can cut it however you want."
As long as the hype is there, that's fine.
Wang Xiao had no intention of cutting out the gimmick, since Ivanov wasn't actually completely naked anyway.
Don't underestimate the meticulousness of highly paid assistants; they're always protecting their boss's reputation. Ivanov's underwear had fallen off under the blanket; the crucial parts didn't even need to be censored.
What she needs to do is add, add content to it.
She was so terrified she was completely disoriented and went berserk on the spot. But she couldn't let that fright go unpunished; she had to seize the opportunity to slip in her own agenda.
Two days later, when the edited program was broadcast on television, those who were present at the scene finally understood what her personal agenda had been.
Some of the footage was re-recorded, in which Ivanov explained to the camera the reason for his girlfriend's sudden stress reaction: "Actually, there have always been some threats. People have sent me bullets, and people have written me threatening letters, the kind with blood. She was just terrified."
Lydia sat in front of the television watching the program with her husband. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she turned to her husband in horror, asking, "Have Ivan and the King been experiencing such terrible things? God, who is it? Is it the Russian Communists? They've gone too far!"
Punonin glanced at his wife and sighed softly: "Your reaction is exactly what they expected."
There were no threatening letters, no bullets, and he was quite certain that such a terrible thing could not possibly have been delivered to Ivan and the king.
Even without their own guards, their security measures are among the best in all of Moscow.
Unfortunately, Lydia didn't understand the hidden meaning in her husband's words and was about to make a phone call: "God, I need to call the King, poor girl, she's terrified."
Look, on TV, she's hiding from the camera and crying.
She was such a stubborn and strong-willed person, yet she was so frightened; one can only imagine how intense the shock must have been for her.
Punonin had to reach out and pull his wife back: "No need to call, she didn't cry, I'm sure of it. The guards told me everything."
Although the guards received high salaries and subsidies from Wang Xiao and Ivan, they were still his subordinates and would pass on any meaningful information to him.
Lydia looked at her husband in astonishment and pointed at the television: "She cried, I saw it."
Punonin cruelly shattered his wife's illusions: "You didn't see it, you only heard the sound. She kept her back to the camera because she couldn't cry."
Lydia found every syllable her husband uttered terrifying and unbelievable.
"Why? Why did she do that?"
“Because she wants viewers in front of their televisions to associate this blunder with the Communist Party and the left,” Punonin said in a flat, almost cold voice. “That way, she can win more votes for the president.”
Lydia felt like she'd been struck by lightning; her head was spinning. She managed to ask, "Why? This is a lie, this is deception!"
Punonin looked at his wife expressionlessly: "Because this is politics, my dear, this is real politics."
There will never be a complete truth in politics.
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[Eating popcorn] Good morning! Let me cheer myself up and finish writing this quickly!
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