Chapter 214 A deluge of traffic: Don't miss out!
The whole world is watching Moscow.
After all, it was unprecedented in the world, at least in 1993, for a president to actually attack Congress instead of just talking.
Wang Xiao's friends and business partners in Budapest all called to inquire about her and Ivanov's safety.
European legend has it that Moscow is engulfed in war, and the friends are not afraid of them becoming refugees, but rather that they will lose their lives in Moscow.
"Really, hurry back to China, or come to Hungary. Didn't you say you wanted to sell sexy lingerie all over Europe?" Sister Fang earnestly advised, "You can come right now."
But Wang Xiao could only regretfully tell her, "I can't leave right now; I can't afford to lose business in Moscow. Don't worry, it's basically stable. To put it simply, our current shipment volume is twice that of the same period last year."
Fangjie was truly exasperated with her: "How can there be no shortage of supplies when there's a war? Earning this money is so dangerous! I heard that people are being arrested everywhere, and they're especially mean to foreigners. We can't even buy food and drink."
Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated: "What nonsense are the European newspapers spouting? Right now, the biggest threat to Moscow is still the Mafia. They are indeed making arrests, but they are mostly arresting parliamentary supporters and people who besieged the TV station and the White House. As for food and drink, the shops have everything, prices haven't gone up, the ruble hasn't fallen, and ordinary people's lives have been basically unaffected."
She couldn't help but sigh, "Seriously, if you came to Moscow now, you'd doubt whether the shelling of the White House ever happened. Because everyone's back to normal now. If there's any difference, it's that Lenin's Mausoleum is only open two days a week now."
Moreover, it is only open from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
It's truly sad, but this is the result of strong protests from the citizens of Moscow.
Because many newspapers have been shut down, newspapers under the White Terror are now much more cautious. In any case, Wang Xiao hasn't seen anyone in the media making a strong protest against it.
Fangjie clicked her tongue in surprise: "You're really not leaving?"
Wang Xiao affirmed, "I can't leave, thank you. I'll be careful."
She doesn't actually have masochistic tendencies; she just doesn't insist on staying in Moscow when things are dangerous.
She flew back to China with Ivanov and others last winter and stayed there for several months; why can't she do it now?
They threatened them last year that they were a mafia gang, so we should just hide from them.
This year's turmoil has affected Russia's military and political circles. Their businesses owe at least half of their success to Ivanov's connections within these circles.
If they go into hiding now, their damaged networks won't be updated in time, and the vacant positions will be quickly filled. When they feel safe and come back, where will they find a place to stand?
As for why she didn't let Ivanov maintain relations in Moscow, but instead hid away herself?
Haha, put yourself in her shoes. If Ivanov treated her like that, do you think she would have turned on him?
Besides, while Ivanov was out socializing, she also needed to keep things stable at home.
At the very least, she couldn't let the vendors who had just rented container stalls and container houses think that Moscow was no longer a habitable place and flee as well.
In fact, now is the best time to seize the untapped market in Moscow.
The harsher the Moscow authorities' attitude, the more uneasy the vendors who originally rented residential houses became, and they all flocked to wholesale markets and container markets.
Whether the fall of Hong Kong brought about the fulfillment of Bai Liusu and Fan Liuyuan's love is hard to say.
But Wang Xiao felt that the president's attack on the White House did indeed give a strong boost to the grand opening of the container market.
At such a crucial moment, it would be strange if she left.
Wang Xiao adopted the same attitude towards Ms. Chen Yanqiu.
Chairman Chen was extremely anxious, calling his daughter every day to inquire about her situation, repeatedly emphasizing, "Why don't you come back? Take Ivanov with you too."
Wang Xiao was drinking milk when she heard the sound and almost choked on it.
Are you kidding me? Bringing Ivanov along?
"If he leaves now, everything in Russia will be finished. He'll have nothing left."
Unlike Wang Xiao, who had a magic touch and knew that Russia wouldn't be involved in a real war, Chen Yanqiu only held onto a heart that valued life above all else: "If he's not here, he's not here. Our family won't be short of chopsticks. I think he's quite easy to take care of, and he seems to enjoy the food in the canteen."
Wang Xiao almost burst out laughing: "It's nothing, Mom, really nothing at all. Red Square is bustling with people every day, and the shops in Moscow are never closed. To be honest, there are troops patrolling Moscow every night now, and the security has improved a lot."
Although the Russian mafia is known worldwide for its formidable power, no armed organization, unless it is completely insane, can possibly stand up to a regular army.
Indeed, Wang Xiao felt that the Moscow government could take this opportunity to launch a crackdown and rectify social and economic order. This would not only quickly win over the people but also lay a solid foundation for the next stage of economic reform.
As soon as she said that, Chairman Chen's first reaction was: "Wouldn't that mean you'd be the one getting hit? Oh dear, no, Xiaoxiao, you'd better bring Ivanov back right away."
Wang Xiao felt suffocated for a moment, but then she realized that her mother wasn't wrong.
According to the standards of the crackdown on economic crimes, her kind of speculator should definitely be taken down.
So she emphasized with a dark face: "Don't worry! The government doesn't have the guts to crack down hard. They bombard the White House, the military supports the president, and the government owes the military a huge political debt. Oh, alright, alright, Ivanov and I are both fine. Really, I feel so amazed right now. The whole world thinks Moscow has become hell on earth, but only Muscovites don't feel that anything extraordinary has happened."
This strong mental state is, in a way, a manifestation of a nation's soft power.
Ivanov came into the house from outside, carrying the chili peppers he had just picked from the field.
My God, this is truly an amazing vegetable; it can be eaten from summer to winter.
Eggplants can no longer grow in the open fields this season, but Ivanov has fallen in love with scrambled eggs with tomatoes and peppers. He can forget about maintaining his figure and devour a whole plate of it in one sitting when he uses it as a topping for rice.
He heard Chinese, and although he couldn't understand it, it didn't stop him from judging who was on the phone from Wang Xiao's tone of voice.
"Hey, what is Mom saying to you?"
Wang Xiao noticed his farmer-like attire—Muscovites have a habit of spending weekends in the suburbs of Kacha, so this weekend, fed up with the chaos of Moscow, they also came to the farm to kill time.
She suddenly burst into laughter, as if a tickle had been tickled: "My mom said Moscow is too dangerous, so she wants me to take you back to Jinning. She said, 'Hahaha, you're easy to feed anyway, you'll eat anything I give you. Hahahaha—'"
She laughed until tears streamed down her face.
Ivanov's face instantly lit up, and he excitedly swooped in: "Look, Your Majesty, this is what they call a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, the more she looks, the happier she becomes. Really, if we get married, your mother will definitely be overjoyed."
Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated: "You're overthinking it. If I were to marry Wu Haoyu, my mom would definitely be even happier."
“Your Majesty—” Ivanov said earnestly, trying to defend himself, “You know, we are the most compatible.”
Wang Xiao chuckled: "Have I ever told you that my requirements for my husband and friends are completely different? If my husband dares to flirt with other women outside, I'll castrate him."
Are you kidding me? Property is shared during a marriage. Her business partner dared to pull such dirty tricks and harm her interests; castrating him would be an understatement.
Ivanov instantly felt a chill in his lower body and immediately became obedient.
The assistant quickly seized the opportunity to report: "The TV station staff are here, having tea. We can start filming soon."
What are we filming? We're filming the new factory on this side of the farm—a down jacket factory.
Last winter, during their crisis management of the down jacket controversy, they stated that they would also raise ducks and geese in Moscow and build a separate down jacket factory.
Now that a year has passed and winter has arrived, it's time to showcase the results.
Inside the newly built factory, it was warm and cozy. The elderly women, all wearing hats and masks, were carefully stuffing down into the fabric.
Yes, all the workers were elderly women. Some were former farm workers, while others were retired workers, teachers, or artists from Moscow. They all shared the characteristic of having low retirement pensions, which were insufficient to support their normal lives, so they had to find work to supplement their income.
The down jacket brand is also called Babushka, which means "grandmother" in Russian. It is a term of respect and symbolizes traditional elderly women in Russia.
The name was suggested by Wang Xiao, based on the clothing's positioning. It's a down jacket, a winter-specific product, and the goal is to convey warmth.
In Russia, this warmth extends beyond physical comfort to include emotional support.
There are so many suffering Russians; eight out of ten drunkards on the street will tell you that they drink because they are in so much pain.
When people are in pain, they always want to go home.
Compared to parents, grandparents are more likely to develop a special bond with their grandchildren, showing more tolerance and providing more emotional support.
Wang Xiao remembered a Chinese saying: "There is a kind of hunger that your grandma thinks you're hungry; there is a kind of cold that your grandma thinks you're cold."
Coincidentally, this kind of culture also exists in Russian tradition. Almost all grandmothers dedicate themselves to fattening up their grandchildren and wrapping them up like balls.
At Grandma's house, being hungry or cold is absolutely unacceptable.
Grandma's presence meant relaxation for both body and mind, a full stomach, and warm clothes.
Of course, "grandma's down jacket" sounds rather old-fashioned, not fashionable or stylish enough.
But currently, only 30% of Russians earn more than they did during the Soviet era, while the remaining 70% have seen their incomes plummet. More than fashion, they need the comfort of their grandmothers.
In such situations, especially given the obvious xenophobic atmosphere emanating from the Moscow authorities, Wang Xiao generally keeps a low profile.
The person appearing on camera is Ivanov.
He enthusiastically pointed out to the reporter, "We use large down feathers, and the ducks and geese are all raised by ourselves. We have built farms in Moscow and Siberia to ensure the supply of down feathers."
What he didn't say was that the largest duck farm was on Sakhalin Island.
Yes, the climate there is indeed very cold, with three seasons of winter.
But Sakhalin Island has a small population, lots of land, and abundant fishery resources.
Ivanov initially used diesel generators to generate electricity on the island to power the cold storage facilities.
Later, the old Party Secretary saw it and thought he was a bit foolish, so he directly changed it to a hydroelectric generator, using the island's river to generate electricity, which was cheaper.
As for what to do when the river freezes over and can't generate electricity? If it's all frozen solid, we can use diesel engines to hold out for a while, and when it gets even colder, nature will be our natural cold storage.
How to solve the problem of heat preservation in duck farms?
They imported a direct wind energy conversion system from Japan, which they called the Swan Wind Stove.
This device was installed in Hokkaido, Japan in 1982. The hydraulic pump can reach a speed of 191 revolutions per minute, and the hot water it produces is used to supply the hotel's bathhouse. The situation has been stable ever since.
Well, this is also how hot water is supplied for workers and logistics personnel at Sakhalin Island's No. 1 oil and gas field project.
Ivanov felt there was no need to mention these things in front of reporters, and only emphasized one thing: "The grandmothers are only worried that they don't put enough down in their clothes, and they always want to stuff more in. This is the main task of the patrol and supervision, to stop them. After all, if they stuff too much in and compress it too much, the down won't be fluffy and the warmth won't be good."
Just as he was speaking, an elderly woman wanted to add more down feathers, but he stopped her.
Even the reporters couldn't help but laugh when they saw it.
He really liked the job the TV station had given him. Compared to interviewing politicians who never told the truth, it was much better to go to the outskirts of Moscow to see the harvest on farms and the busy factories.
This is the real Russia.
Russians cannot live off politicians' boasting and empty talk.
As fellow Chinese, Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao watched their boss perform—or rather, give an interview—from afar, refusing to step forward and block the camera.
Tsk, that's why they say the boss is the boss. Look at how well he brags, it's so convincing.
What does it mean that every Russian should work in the fields? Do you prefer tending your vegetable garden on weekends to playing golf?
Sigh, the bosses are really shameless.
Did you tend that vegetable garden? Your love for the pleasures of rural life is a classic case of feigning interest while actually being interested in something else.
When it comes to farming, you're no match for Boss Wang.
Of course, even Mr. Wang couldn't manage. Less than five minutes after getting out of bed, he started to feel backache, leg pain, and leg cramps. The photographer had to quickly take pictures, otherwise the posed photos couldn't continue.
But the reporter didn't know that, or perhaps they did but didn't want to reveal the truth.
Because people prefer to see such vibrant scenes during the cold and turbulent Russian winter.
There is a bountiful harvest in the fields, a bustling scene in the factories, abundant fruits, warm clothes, and a lively group of people with smiles on their faces; in a time when smiles are rarer than the winter sun in Moscow, what a heartwarming picture this is.
Isn't that better than watching politicians engage in verbal battles and spout nonsense?
After the photoshoot, the reporter was taken to enjoy afternoon tea.
Ivanov excitedly ran over to Wang Xiao and asked, "How was my performance?"
"One hundred points!" Wang Xiao gave him a thumbs up and encouraged him, "Keep it up. Remember, you are an industrialist. You are engaged in manufacturing and retail. You are different from those rats who resell the country's oil and natural gas."
Ivanov wanted to purse his lips.
Is it that he doesn't want to resell it? Well, there's nothing he can do about it.
We can only wait for them to extract the oil and natural gas themselves.
Oh God! We've been burning through huge sums of money for months, and Project 1 is still nowhere to be seen. It's really making me anxious.
He found a topic that might lighten his mood: "Hey Wang, who got the land in Shanghai? There's still no word on it, is there?"
"If there's no further news, you're all fired." Wang Xiao's patience was running out. He sighed, "Zhang Junfei took it down."
Ivanov chuckled, his eyebrows bobbing up and down: "Oh, it's him! Shouldn't it be Xiao Tao? She's a college student, so naturally she's in the same cadre category as the officials in Shanghai."
Wang Xiao shook his head, his words carrying a heavy weight: "This girl is too inexperienced. She did start from this angle, finding one of her senior brothers to act as a go-between. But at the crucial moment, she was betrayed."
Just as Wang Xiao had guessed, her two bodyguards and assistants sided with Zhang Junfei.
Zhang Junfei followed Tang Yicheng all over the country and had many dealings with officials. He seized an opportunity and succeeded.
Just when Xiao Tao was ready to sign the contract, she was hit with this blow and almost ended up in the hospital on the spot from anger.
Ivanov listened with great interest. Well, bosses don't have much empathy, especially when it comes to subordinates who have failed.
Wang Xiao also sighed: "If she had just fallen ill and used this to force Zhang Junfei back, I would have admired her ruthlessness."
Failing to stand firm when one should will reveal weakness and cause subordinates to look down on one.
Stubbornly persisting when one shouldn't, refusing to morally blackmail one's opponent, swallowing one's pride and blood; aside from self-pity, it's basically meaningless.
To put it bluntly, if a person's moral bottom line is too high, they won't be able to get along in the business world or the workplace.
Ivanov laughed heartily, patting Wang Xiao on the back to soothe her: "She's young, inexperienced, and still a bit naive. She'll learn from her mistakes. Haha, so this time, will she stay in Shanghai for development, or go to Beijing?"
“Go to Beijing,” Wang Xiao explained. “Zhang Junfei chose to develop the newly acquired land in Shanghai, aiming to create a fish market comparable to the Tokyo fishing grounds. Don’t look at me like that; I admire his boldness and intelligence.”
Acquiring land in Shanghai and establishing a fish market signifies a deeper ties between him and his boss, Tang Yicheng. Tang Yicheng will undoubtedly continue to support his future development.
Moreover, with the government tightening monetary policy and making it clear that it will not engage in much infrastructure construction, it is better to develop the service industry and make money while hoping for a rapid appreciation of real estate in the short term.
What does this mean? Before the real estate market drained the savings of six generations of people, everyone was quite willing to spend money on food, clothing, and entertainment.
To put it bluntly, what sustains high-end restaurants? Banquets. And who are the guests? More than half are officials.
If you don't believe me, just look at how many high-end restaurants went out of business after the Eight-Point Regulation was introduced in 2013, and you'll understand.
The 1990s were a period of explosive growth for high-end dining.
Running a seafood market in Shanghai can be profitable.
When it stopped working, land prices entered a period of skyrocketing.
Regardless of Zhang Junfei's reasons for setting up a fish market and office building in Shanghai, Wang Xiao supported his plan.
Ivanov made an exaggerated gesture: "Oh, congratulations to our dear Zhang! Look, he has achieved success in Shanghai and gained two capable assistants."
Wang Xiao looked at him with a complicated expression: "You're being sarcastic, as if you'd really give those two people a big job."
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao had been engrossed in eating melons, but at this point they couldn't help but blurt out, "Doesn't he need them?"
Who is he? Zhang Junfei.
Who are they? Xiao Tao's former bodyguard and assistant.
Didn't they help him get the land? How could Zhang Junfei be so ungrateful?
Ivanov shook his head: "My dear boys, they've committed a major workplace taboo. They've switched sides to their rivals simply because of personal preference. It's like you're fighting a war—oh, a drill, a simple drill. You don't like your squad leader, you think the squad leader from the next class is better, so you side with the other one. Is that appropriate?"
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao's expressions changed drastically; they hadn't expected this at all.
In their eyes, these are two different things.
“It’s the same thing.” Wang Xiao said with a half-smile. “Today you can betray someone for this reason, but tomorrow you can betray me for another reason? Traitors can never be trusted.”
Xiao Gao's face flushed: "So they should just keep following Assistant Xiao Tao? She..."
Oh dear, having an incompetent boss is so frustrating!
“They can apply for a transfer and leave openly and honestly, but they can’t abuse their power for personal gain; that’s a major taboo in the workplace,” Wang Xiao said earnestly. “Finding a capable and good boss in the workplace is like being born into a wealthy family—it’s incredibly lucky. Most people don’t encounter bosses that satisfy them. But that doesn’t mean they can just turn against their bosses at will.”
Ivanov laughed out loud and began to flatter Wang Xiao: "After all, a superior as outstanding as your boss Wang is a rare find. Hey, Wang, where is Xiao Tao going? Beijing?"
Wang Xiao nodded and sighed, "Now is a good opportunity to acquire land in Beijing. Beijing's bid for the Olympics failed, and the national monetary policy has tightened. The possibility of the government investing large sums of money in infrastructure is extremely slim, which means that the land's appreciation potential is very small in the short term. Hot money will withdraw, and fewer people will be scrambling for land. If she still can't acquire land under these circumstances, then it probably proves that she is not suited for this job and should go back."
Of course, after Xiaotao returned to Jiangzhimen, she could no longer be Chen Yu's first assistant.
In her absence, a new person has taken over the position.
It's impossible for the newcomer to step down just because she's back.
That's how it is when you're pioneering; risks and opportunities coexist.
If you do a good job, you'll be a high-ranking official in charge of a region.
If you don't do a good job, you'll be marginalized.
Ivanov gave a half-hearted look of sympathy: "May God bless her with good luck."
Whether she believes in God or not is another matter entirely.
Wang Xiao was a little annoyed and started peeling and eating the pine nuts one by one.
It seems that cultivating an academically-minded female middle manager is not so simple. She needs to learn from this experience and stop directly giving resources to people; she needs to cultivate those who are ambitious and want to seize resources.
Their intrinsic motivation to win is even stronger.
After eating three pine nuts, she clapped her hands and prepared to take a stroll in the fields.
With such beautiful weather, I had to soak up some sun.
But then the dreaded phone rang again.
Every worker is held hostage by communication tools, and so is every boss.
The caller was Saori Yamada. Wang Xiao was also curious as to why she would make an overseas call so late at night (Tokyo is 6 hours ahead of Moscow).
Could it be because Yi no Yu opened her business today and business is so good that she came to share the good news?
When the boss answered the phone, the voice on the other end was extremely anxious: "I'm sorry, boss, something has happened."
Wang Xiao asked curiously, "What is it?"
"Some people say that all the clothes we sell in our store are Chinese."
Today is the opening day of my clothing store.
Because the advertisements had been running in newspapers and on television well in advance, the promise of 3,000 yen to get through the winter was quite attractive to ordinary workers in Japan's economically declining society.
The store was quite lively when it first opened today.
But not long after, a group of people arrived, shouting at the store entrance that the store sold only shoddy Chinese goods, which was why they were so cheap. They claimed the clothes looked good only because they were refurbished imported junk.
Yamada Saori called the police at the time, and the police took those people away.
But she didn't expect that the matter would escalate so much. In the afternoon, many customers questioned the clothing store; then reporters arrived, and even in the evening, the matter was reported on television news.
Yamada Saori has absolutely no idea what to do.
Wang Xiao patiently listened to her fear and asked, quite puzzled, "Why do you feel like the sky is falling?"
They said our clothes were refurbished imported garbage.
"Our clothes, right?"
“No, but they said it was a Chinese product. I’m sorry, but in Japan, Chinese products are synonymous with inferior goods.” Yamada Saori said this with great difficulty, but the situation was already out of control, and she could no longer hide Taiping.
“Listen,” Wang Xiao interrupted her directly, “I’m telling you clearly, appearing on the news and on TV is a chance for Inoyu to become famous throughout Tokyo and even all of Japan. This is free advertising, why not take it? Draft a public relations plan for me right now; I need it in an hour.”
Free trending topics and massive traffic—only a fool wouldn't want that.
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