Chapter 191 There's something even more ruthless: Summer in Hokkaido
But soon, the leaders realized that new talents emerge in every generation, and that female comrades, when they are determined, can overturn a whole group.
It wasn't until it was completely dark that Wang Xiao finished off a plate of Japanese white peaches. Well, to be fair, the white peaches did taste really good, soft and sweet.
However, she doesn't plan to lose weight right now, and besides, high-sweetness white peaches aren't suitable for weight loss; she wants to eat!
Finally, car horns sounded outside, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps, and then the main force finally returned.
Wang Xiao turned his head and was immediately taken aback.
Grandma! What happened? How come Wu Haoyu looks like he's been drained of all his energy in just half a day? He looks so haggard.
Ivanov, that cunning and treacherous fellow, never misses a chance to undermine any rivals who might threaten his profits.
He leaned closer to Wang Xiao and whispered in someone's ear, "He must have gone off to fool around."
Wang Xiao rolled her eyes at him.
The ambassador had already asked Wu Haoyu, "What happened? It's still going on."
Wu Haoyu's expressions were so complex that only a micro-expression expert could make a complete analysis.
He sighed softly before speaking: "Comrade Tao Yafen reported it."
Everyone was surprised; why would it take so long to report a harassment profile?
"Not just this." Wu Haoyu was so busy that his mouth was dry and his throat was parched. He quickly took a sip of tea.
Reporting sexual harassment is indeed quite troublesome because no one is willing to stand up and testify for her, so at the time, everyone just kept repeating the same old stories.
But what truly kept Wu Haoyu in the police station until now was that Tao Yafen, in a fit of anger, continued to report her boyfriend's cousin.
It is well known that the sex industry is legal in Japan; however, a lesser-known fact is that the sex industry is not the same as brothels. Unlike Singapore, where prostitution is legal, prostitution is explicitly prohibited in Japan.
Although in reality, a large number of people in Japan's sex industry offer prostitution services in a way that skirts the law, the police can still arrest them if they want to investigate.
With Tao Yafen making such a report, the police station naturally couldn't remain indifferent and had to take action.
With this operation underway, Tao Yafen would definitely not be able to leave the police station for the time being. Wu Haoyu had been waiting for this long, and finally, with the help of a lawyer, he managed to bring these illegally staying Chinese citizens back to the embassy, with the next step being to repatriate them to China.
After hearing the whole story, many people gasped in shock. This woman was ruthless; she reported him without hesitation and sent him straight to jail.
Tao Yafen's boyfriend, the bespectacled man, was devastated. He didn't dare utter a word at the police station, but he became very assertive at the Chinese embassy, yelling at Tao Yafen: "You vicious woman! How could you be so wicked? You've killed someone!"
He was dissatisfied with his cousin, but after all, it was his cousin who got him into the family; even if she didn't do anything special, she certainly put in the effort.
Now that his girlfriend has harmed his cousin, he's going to be the target of gossip and criticism!
A coworker chimed in, "Exactly! How can you be like this? You're pushing people to their deaths."
The others couldn't stand it anymore and shouted, "How can you talk like that? Who's driving whom to their death? Is this something to be proud of?"
After listening to the translator, Ivanov whispered to Wang Xiao, "Maybe his wife and daughters work in the sex industry, and he's upset that Tao has cut off his source of income."
It has to be said that men understand men's inherent weaknesses best, and Ivanov was absolutely right.
Then, after his true colors were revealed, the man started shouting and cursing, not saying a single audible word.
Meanwhile, Tao Yafen was also arguing with the bespectacled man—well, I won't say he was her boyfriend, because she had just announced her breakup with him.
"I harmed you? You're the ones who ruined me! If it weren't for that shameless liar Lin Biqiong deceiving me, would I have believed your lies and ended up like this? Why is she still living a life of luxury, sucking other people's blood, and enjoying a glamorous existence? I'm going to report her! I'll let her continue deceiving people, she can forget about it!"
The bespectacled man shouted hysterically, "Is it us? It's clearly the country's responsibility. If China weren't so corrupt, would this have happened?"
The entire room of leaders and cadres was furious.
They created this mess themselves, yet they're trying to pin the blame on the country. How shameless of them!
But the leading cadres are all cultured people, and they speak with erudition, unlike Wang Xiao, who would yell directly if he found it noisy: "Does Japan dare to attack China? No. Do the Japanese dare to attack you? Yes! If they did, you wouldn't dare to utter a sound. Is it the country that disgraces you, or you that disgraces the country?"
"If this were the old society, when China was bullied by foreign powers and the Chinese people dared not utter a word in front of foreigners, then it was indeed the country that was dragging the people down. But is that the case now? Your girlfriend—of course, not now—was sexually harassed, and not only did you not dare to stop it, but you didn't even have the courage to stand up and testify for her afterwards. Is it the country that's dragging you down? No, you know in your heart that you are the one who is bringing shame to the country!"
Those who are academically weak should look for the reasons within themselves.
You only remember to blame the school and teachers for your poor grades. Why don't you look into why you're at the bottom of your class?
Wang Xiao fired off a string of words, completely ignoring everyone else's reactions, and stood up abruptly: "Is dinner ready? I'm starving."
As the host, the ambassador quickly greeted everyone, "Let's eat, it's time to eat."
During the meal, Tao Yafen, without saying a word, insisted on moving closer to Wang Xiao.
She had acted rashly and recklessly in a fit of anger. Now that she had calmed down, she immediately tried to cling to him: "Um, boss, do you still stand by what you said about hiring a lawyer for me?"
Wang Xiao held the chopsticks in his hand, turned his head slightly and smiled at her: "What if I say it doesn't count?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but she wasn't deliberately lowering it either, so those who were paying attention could hear it clearly.
What was the name of the bespectacled man again? Wang Xiao didn't think it was necessary to remember the name of a random passerby.
He was now excited, so he jumped up, looked at Tao Yafen triumphantly, and laughed loudly: "Now you're all set, let's see what you do now! Hahahaha, you deserve it! You vicious and vain woman!"
Those who didn't know better might have thought he won the lottery in Tokyo, but it was just that he saw his wife, who had been with him for five years and whose bad luck had continued to this day, now having bad luck.
The bespectacled man's laughter echoed throughout the restaurant. Secretary Fang frowned and scolded in a low voice, "How can you speak like that, comrade?"
"So what?" Tao Yafen stubbornly raised her head. "I'll find a lawyer myself!"
"You're kidding me!" Her ex-boyfriend grinned maliciously, extremely smug. "You don't have a single penny. What Japanese lawyer would help you with your case? Unless you sleep with someone!"
"You're talking nonsense!" Tao Yafen was so angry her face turned pale. "I think you want to be a gigolo. Why wouldn't a lawyer help me? If he wins my case, he'll become famous and never have to worry about finding lawyers again. He'd love to take my case!"
Wang Xiao almost wanted to applaud.
Look how clear-headed this student is (those who could get into university in the late 1980s were all top students).
She now even suspects that romantic love is a fabrication of patriarchal society, a tool for controlling women.
When it comes to things other than love, women become incredibly calm and their intelligence instantly comes online.
"Great!" Wang Xiao clapped her hands and gave a thumbs up. "You won my offer. Don't worry, I'll continue to pay for your language school tuition, and I'll find you a lawyer too."
Tao Yafen, seething with anger, declared, "I'll go find it myself!"
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "The lawyer doesn't charge money and will represent you for free. The initiative is all in the lawyer's hands, and you can easily become a tool for his hype. I plan to train you as a reserve cadre, so I don't need a reserve cadre who can't handle things, who shouts and screams at the slightest setback, and who is impotently furious. You are very good."
She meant it sincerely; she increasingly felt that Tao Yafen was a promising talent and needed further refinement.
Fighting a lawsuit in Japan was undoubtedly a valuable experience for Tao Yafen.
Human abilities are like a property that diminishes with use; the more you experience and use them, the stronger you become.
Wang Xiao extended his hand to Tao Yafen and smiled slightly: "I wish you success in your lawsuit in advance."
The leaders were all utterly bewildered by what they heard.
If this lawsuit goes to court, it will have a terrible impact. It's clearly giving the Japanese a chance to laugh at China.
But none of them dared to offer any advice, because the woman had the right to seek justice for herself.
The ambassador suggested, "Um, contact their hometown and send them back home as soon as possible."
Wang Xiao directly reduced the burden on his superiors: "Tao Yafen doesn't need to. From now on, she is an employee of my company, and I will handle the formalities."
Immediately, one of the undocumented workers, looking distressed, looked up and pleaded, "Boss, please, please process my paperwork too. I... I only want half of her money!"
Others rushed to bid, with the most outrageous offer being only one-third of the salary, because that was still much more than they earned in China.
Unfortunately, Wang Xiao couldn't help: "The company's work is in China. Tao Yafen stayed because she has a lawsuit. After the lawsuit is over, she will go back to China to work."
She had no intention of meddling in other people's business.
A group of people who stand by and watch their compatriots being bullied; even when they are taken to the police station and accompanied by officials from the Chinese embassy, they still refuse to stand up and testify for their compatriots; what makes them think that others will help them unconditionally?
However, Wang Xiao was not bothered.
Because the people who had almost come to blows suddenly lost interest. They wanted to stay in Japan and go back to their home countries to work, and nobody was interested in that.
The embassy staff stopped trying to persuade them and just followed the procedures.
Wang Xiao kept his promise, found a lawyer for Tao Yafen, and arranged for her to attend a reputable language school on the lawyer's recommendation.
That's it, she didn't stay in Tokyo for long either.
The boss can't afford to wait because headhunting firms take time to select engineers. They also need to keep an eye on the Sakhalin oil and gas field project.
As for the garment craftsmen that Toray helped them find, well, since Secretary Fang and the others just happened to be back in China, they can help bring them back with them.
Secretary Fang smiled and accepted the request: "Alright, alright, you all go ahead with your work."
When technical guidance reached Jiangdong, it was natural to prioritize providing guidance to factories in Jiangdong.
In the past two days, with the embassy's assistance, they visited several factories in Tokyo. They had to admit that these factories were indeed more impressive than those in China, with very consistent quality.
You can travel from Tokyo to Hokkaido by Shinkansen, by boat, or by plane.
Wang Xiao chose to fly because the Shinkansen takes too long, and she wanted to save the experience of taking a boat for the ferry between Hokkaido and Sakhalin Island.
Aha! She's been in Sakhalin for so long, but hasn't really enjoyed the sea views. This is a perfect opportunity for her to experience them.
When they arrived in Hokkaido, the short-term translator they had hired from Tokyo asked around and then awkwardly told them, "I'm very sorry, the ferry doesn't run every day. The earliest departure is tomorrow at noon."
Ugh, this is terrible! Does that mean they'll just have to wait around in Hokkaido?
Wang Xiao was somewhat hesitant: "Maybe we should just give up?"
Ivanov firmly objected: "No, no, no, Your Majesty, we can afford to wait this long."
He started showing off his charming eyes again, saying, "You're working too hard, there's no need to rush."
But none of them liked to wait idly, and they needed to find something to do during this long period of time.
Xiao Gao enthusiastically urged his boss, "Let's go find Junko Ozawa's hometown! Junko Ozawa was from Hokkaido."
It is said that the most popular Japanese drama in China in the 1980s was "Blood Ties", but Wang Xiao thinks that "Attack No. 1" may have had a wider influence, and Junko Ozawa was simply a national idol.
She became interested too. When she was a child, the TV station used to rebroadcast "Attack No. 1". At that time, she really thought there were "thunderbolts from a clear sky" and "meteors chasing the moon"!
Ivanov didn't know who Junko was, but he didn't care; he was just looking for a place to wander around.
Unfortunately, the translator had to remind the boss that the filming location for "Attack No. 1" in Hokkaido was quite far from their current coordinates.
"Why not go to Okushiri Island? You can fly there directly, it's very quick. You can soak in hot springs on the island, and the seawater is especially beautiful."
Wang Xiao's eyes lit up; she was genuinely tempted.
Coming to Hokkaido and not soaking in a hot spring seems like a must.
Just as she was about to speak, someone behind her called out excitedly, "Hey! Mr. Wang, it really is you!"
Wang Xiao turned around and couldn't believe his eyes: "Xiao Hei! What are you doing here?"
Holy crap, how did this kid end up in Hokkaido instead of Sakhalin Island?
"Weren't you selling clothes with your fellow villager?"
Xiao Hei waved his hand, trying his best to express himself in broken Mandarin: "He doesn't need my help. I can't take advantage of a fellow villager. I came to Japan anyway, because you can make more money here."
Wang Xiao was speechless: "They crack down hard on illegal workers here, so money isn't easy to earn. You'd be better off staying in South Sakhalin, at least the police won't arrest you there."
In fact, Xiao Hei was also an unregistered resident on Sakhalin Island, but the island's police force was limited, and the residents really needed cheap Chinese goods to make a living, so the police turned a blind eye to the black marketeers and didn't really care.
Xiao Hei, however, remained stubborn: "I'll avoid the cops. Ah, Mr. Wang, where are you going?"
"We were planning to take the ferry back to Sakhalin, but there are no ferries today. We were just thinking of finding a place to go for a walk."
Xiao Hei immediately gave a positive recommendation: "No need to look around, just browse around here, you'll definitely like it."
Wang Xiao declined, saying, "We wanted to go to Okujiri Island to soak in the hot springs."
“There are hot springs here too,” Xiao Hei urged. “Really, you don’t have to go far.”
Wang Xiao smiled and nodded: "Okay, then take us to the hot springs. Let's have lunch together. Do you know any good food?"
Xiao Hei's eyes lit up instantly: "Of course, the beef here is especially fragrant."
He had only been there for two days since arriving from Sakhalin Island, and had no formal livelihood yet, barely managing to fill his stomach.
It would be wonderful if my boss treated me to a lavish meal.
However, he wasn't exactly a rip-off; at least his suggestion to play locally was quite good.
Goodness grazing! There are even deer grazing in the grass beside the coastline. Oh my, those big, wet eyes of the deer, who wouldn't be mesmerized?
Moreover, the deer clearly knew it was the master of this land and wasn't afraid of people at all.
Wang Xiao approached the deer herd, but they were not afraid and continued to graze leisurely.
Similarly, they have absolutely no intention of being approachable; they are quite distinctive.
Along the way, the unnamed flowers and grasses, like little deer, quietly stretched themselves in the sunlight.
Whether you look at them or not, it doesn't affect their contentment.
The hot springs are not far away, only 15 minutes from the station.
Even in the middle of summer, there weren't many people soaking in the hot springs.
Even though this is the northernmost part of Japan, and the highest temperature in summer is only 20°C, it's still summer. Winter is the best time for hot springs.
So Wang Xiao and his group didn't have to wait at all and went straight in, enjoying a wonderful soak.
However, instead of eating the onsen egg recommended by the restaurant, she went straight for the famous local seafood – sea urchin.
Honestly, Wang Xiao hadn't expected much at first. She'd eaten so much seafood on Sakhalin Island that she wasn't particularly impressed. But when she was soaking in the hot spring, a spoonful of sea urchin completely amazed her.
Oh my gosh! It's so fresh and sweet, you don't even need to dip it in soy sauce. There's not a hint of fishiness, and the texture is incredibly tender.
There's also locally produced beef, which is what Xiao Hei really craves; it's also incredibly delicious.
Tsk, Wang Xiao emphasized these things to show that she really enjoyed the trip and had no complaints whatsoever.
After soaking in the hot springs, they went to the headland and walked along a white path paved with seashells. The blue sky, white clouds, and endless greenery, with the long seashell path leading straight to the sea, made for amazing photos.
Wang Xiao and Liu Ba almost used up all the film.
As you walk to the end of the beach, you can see small islands shaped like Mount Fuji floating in the sea, with black cows and deer strolling in the grass. The scene is as beautiful as a postcard.
Wang Xiao truly felt that the trip was worthwhile.
As the sun began to set, they enjoyed octopus hot pot, local milk, and various dairy snacks while watching the sunset. Afterward, as darkness fell, they strolled around again, having grilled scallops for a late-night snack – a happy and carefree time.
Wang Xiao even discussed with Ivanov about transplanting some of the local attractions to Sakhalin Island.
For example, you could do a shell-themed road on Sakhalin Island. The waters around Sakhalin Island are teeming with shellfish, and those beautiful shells grow on the beaches, completely ignored.
They could easily follow suit and create an even prettier rainbow seashell path; after all, there are plenty of beautiful seashells out there, so it's nothing special.
Then they veered off-topic, talking about how pretty seashells could be used to make handicrafts, which were quite popular. They wondered if they could find suitable female seamstresses on the island.
Ah, it really proves the saying that the poorer the place, the more hardworking the women tend to be.
They felt that the women who stayed on Sakhalin Island, especially the elderly mothers, were much more hardworking than the men who were drunk all the time.
Honestly, everyone was having a great time, and even thankful that there was no boat to Sakhalin Island today, so they were able to spend most of the day leisurely.
But tragedy struck that night.
At 10 o'clock, after everyone finished their late-night snack and returned to the hotel, Wang Xiao didn't even have time to take a shower when he felt the hotel building shake.
She initially thought it was her imagination because she had just squatted down and then stood up again, and might have felt a little dizzy.
Lyuba frantically pounded on her door, and then she realized, "Oh no, it looks like an earthquake."
Good heavens! She knew Japan was a country prone to earthquakes. Even the abundance of hot springs in Japan was due to frequent crustal movement and rich geothermal activity.
But she didn't expect to encounter an earthquake in Japan. After all, who would want to think about such an unlucky thing?
Fortunately, the hotel did not collapse immediately. Although the people inside felt the violent tremors, which were clearly repeated several times, they managed to escape from their rooms safely.
Thank goodness, this is a small town; thank goodness, the hot spring hotel they chose wasn't a high-rise building, so despite the guests rushing downstairs in a panic, no stampede occurred.
Unfortunately, the worst happened. As soon as I ran downstairs, the world went dark.
I don't know exactly what went wrong, but the power is off.
Fortunately, their bodyguards were all experienced professionals, and even in their haste to escape, they brought out the hotel's emergency flashlights.
Using the faint light of their flashlights, they managed to stumble and run to the open space in front of the hotel.
The worst part was that the ground trembled several times along the way.
Everyone was stunned, unsure whether this was a consequence of a major earthquake in other regions or a precursor to a massive earthquake.
Because they had no way of knowing which direction to run, they could only stand there dumbfounded.
This is the northernmost part of Japan. Even in the bright sunshine of July, the highest temperature is only 20°C. And at night, around 10 pm, it's highly questionable whether it's even 10°C.
Especially when the sea breeze blows, it's truly refreshing from the outside in.
Most of the passengers were already asleep or about to fall asleep, but there were some unfortunate guests who were taking a shower and had to rush out wrapped in a towel, now shivering in the night wind.
But no matter how cold the outside world is, it can't compare to the chill in one's heart.
Because the earth trembled once again.
Wang Xiao didn't even have a chance to stand properly and ended up sitting on the ground with a thud.
She is not alone in her predicament.
Some people were crying, some were cursing, and some were praying to God.
Ivanov covered his face and apologized to his companion: "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I should have listened to you."
He should have listened to her when she suggested during the day that they should just take a different flight back to Sakhalin.
Wang Xiao plopped down on the ground, numb, and grimaced as he comforted his friend, "What's meant to be will be, it has nothing to do with you."
Ivanov huddled up, squatting awkwardly beside her, filled with fear: "Your Majesty, if anything happens to me, go back and find Ivan. From now on, give our family 30% of the profits every year, and they will maintain the relationship."
Wang Xiao went off-topic: "Do you give your family this much money every year?"
In fact, they basically used all the money they earned to expand their operations and to bribe officials. In a chaotic and disorderly economic environment, anyone who claims they don't use back channels in business is either bragging or they themselves are the back channels that others are begging to use.
Apart from that, nothing was missing from the account.
“I don’t need it, you do.” Ivanov suddenly had a brilliant idea. “Unless you are my widow! Your Majesty, why don’t we get married?”
Once the words were out of his mouth, he felt his idea was brilliant. He wouldn't trust anyone else to take over his business, unless it was handed over to the king.
There is no one more suitable than her.
Wang Xiao was stunned.
This poor kid must have been terrified by the earthquake; he's talking nonsense.
“No!” she firmly refused. “You can write a will directly and designate me as your heir.”
Why tie a marriage certificate to a problem that could be solved with a will?
In the dead of night, with a cool breeze blowing and an earthquake, can't you please stop scaring people like this!
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