Chapter 405 Public Relations is a Win-Win Situation: Beware, That Might Be a Crow
That night, countless people in Moscow were destined to be unable to sleep.
When citizens saw their president apologize to them on television, the shock was no less than that of a major earthquake.
Truly, anyone who lived through the Soviet era or under a similar political system would find it hard to believe their eyes.
Would a head of state actually admit to making a mistake and apologize for it?
Shouldn't a country's leader maintain a flawless public image and never admit to being wrong?
Is he a fake president?
The last time the State Duma stubbornly insisted on resuming the Soviet Union, he not only didn't bring out cannons to bombard 1 Okhoyad Street (the location of the State Duma), but also angrily went to the Constitutional Court to sue the State Duma's resolution for being unconstitutional.
It's as if he's not the president; he can only act like an ordinary person, seeking justice from judges when he encounters something injustice, instead of issuing executive orders directly.
And this time, the rigged primary election ballots were exposed.
Everyone thought that either the Kremlin would pretend the incident never happened, since as long as it dragged on, all the anger and discontent would dissipate over time; or they would push out a few low-level officials, such as minor railway officials, workers, or even temporary workers, to claim it was their work mistake in order to quell public anger.
They were very familiar with similar operations, so there was nothing new about them.
Unexpectedly, the person who stepped forward last was the president.
He took full responsibility without shirking any responsibility, even claiming that it was someone else's mistake that was due to his own incomplete reforms, without holding the minor figures accountable.
This is truly unprecedented.
In their daily work, employees who are used to being blamed by their superiors are almost moved to tears.
To have a leader who bravely steps forward when something goes wrong, takes responsibility, and protects all subordinates is practically every worker's dream!
Working for someone like that is definitely worthwhile.
My God! Their president is not a symbol, but a living, breathing human being!
This incident alone was enough to amaze the citizens of Moscow, who didn't even bother to discuss whether the Soviet work model was the cause of Russia's tragedy.
Compared to ordinary citizens who enjoy watching the drama unfold and happily discuss it with their families, the oligarchs watching the president and deputy prime minister's speeches on television are clearly not laughing.
Especially Berezovsky and Gusinsky, who were unaware that their speeches were being broadcast on Channel 1 and NTV, which shows how terrified they must have been.
Yes, yes, theoretically speaking, they are very busy, and each TV station has its own responsibilities, so it's impossible for all programs to be reviewed by them.
In fact, this is not part of their job responsibilities.
Moreover, both Channel 1 and NTV have sent senior executives to join Chupais's team, precisely to make it easier to access all resources without having to bother the boss with every little thing.
But this approach of acting immediately without prior notice is itself a demonstration of the Kremlin's attitude—dissatisfaction.
The Tsar of this country was displeased with their infighting and was already silently warning them: if you continue to instigate infighting, you'll be out of the game.
The oligarchs can choose new people to support. For example, General Bered, who used to be very influential in the Transnistria and had a high prestige in the military, also participated in this year's election and was also quite popular.
But it's almost April now, and the election is getting closer, so they just don't have the courage to switch sides.
After all, their best subordinates had already been sent to Chubais's team to work on the president's re-election.
Workplace relationships are always delicate; it's not that every time the boss farts, the executives have to flatter him.
In fact, the situation is often the opposite. Highly capable executives don't have to give face to the boss; on the contrary, the boss has to try every means to win them over to prevent them from leaving.
For example, if Berezovsky and his group were to switch sides and support Bered, they would most likely be unable to persuade their executives to follow suit.
Because they have no chips to play.
They promised the executives that the Kremlin could offer even higher prices, and the Kremlin could even promise that if the president were re-elected, the executives could directly replace the bosses and become the new oligarchs.
A soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier. How could a capable person who rises to a high-ranking position not have the ambition to be a boss?
So if the oligarchs really act out of spite and support newcomers, they may very well be robbed of their own power before they even get close to victory.
Even assuming, hypothetically, that these executives are all completely loyal to the boss and follow his lead without question, willing to change course with him, they might not be greeted with victory, but rather with terrible turmoil.
That ruthless East Asian woman won't give up easily; she'll bet everything and crush them to the bone.
The oligarchs must emphasize that they are not afraid of losing; the seven of them combined are not intimidated by a single outsider.
They are considering Russia's future. If both sides suffer heavy losses, Zyuganov will inevitably be the one to benefit.
When the Russian Communist Party comes to power, Wang Xiao, being a foreigner, has nothing to fear; she can simply pack up and leave. Moreover, the Russian Communist Party might very well give face to the Chinese Communist Party and allow her to take her ill-gotten gains with her.
What will happen to them? The Russian Communist Party will really drag them out into the street and hang them under the streetlights.
Seven financial tycoons gathered together, smoking cigars all night. They were all seething with hatred, but in the end, they could only grit their teeth and swallow their humiliation.
What to do? The poor fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear the reckless.
Women whose lives are dominated by hormones have extremely unstable emotions and may go crazy at any time.
They are normal people; they can't just go crazy with a madman.
In any case, compared to them, who at most suffered in silence but still had choices, the ones who are truly swallowing a mouthful of blood right now are the Russian Communist Party.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation finally found a point to attack the government, but the Soviet Union turned around and shifted the blame onto them.
How should the Communist Party of the Russian Federation respond to the crisis and launch a counterattack?
This is the next development that countless onlookers and those who are genuinely interested in this election are eagerly awaiting.
However, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation's response was destined to disappoint everyone.
The Red Star lit up all night, but in the end, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation did not offer any effective response.
They did not do what everyone hoped for, trying to protect the Soviet Union and refusing the Kremlin's attempts to smear it.
Instead, they expressed their determination to sever ties with the Soviet Union through this silence.
Perhaps it was the State Duma resolution in February that provoked strong public resentment and international disgust, shaking their confidence in restoring the Soviet Union.
Perhaps unable to think of a way to defend the much-criticized "Soviet working model," and to avoid making things worse, they simply turned the page and continued their street political speeches.
Having waited a long time for a counterattack from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Ivanov had to admit that he was filled with disappointment.
Even though we know perfectly well that the Communist Party of the Russian Federation is no longer the Soviet Union of yesteryear, the red star above its head always makes people yearn for it.
Unfortunately, it still disappointed everyone.
In fact, this is inevitable.
When the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was in power, the party was not good at crisis communication, and it could even be said that it had no awareness of crisis communication at all.
Otherwise, how could the Chernobyl disaster, which could have been called a miracle in the history of human rescue, have directly become the fuse for the collapse of the Soviet Union?
If even the Soviet Communist Party couldn't do it well, how can we expect the Russian Communist Party to pull it off? That's truly asking the impossible.
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao discussed it privately for a long time and felt it was normal.
In fact, when it comes to crisis management, the Chinese government's level is not very good either.
Otherwise, the Qiandao Lake incident was simply an isolated criminal case and could have been handled normally. Looking at the world, where are there no robberies and murders? What's there to hide?
However, the local leaders insisted on keeping it a secret, preventing the Taiwanese victims' families from seeing the bodies and cremating them directly, and even falsely claiming that the robbery and murder was an accident caused by a fire on a tour boat.
As a result, the matter escalated, causing an uproar in international public opinion and directly leading to a freezing point in cross-strait relations, with exchange activities almost coming to a standstill.
This shows that crisis management is a real test for government officials.
Moreover, it's really difficult; my teachers never taught it when I was in school.
The two bodyguards were filled with emotion in front of their boss, and took the opportunity to flatter him.
Punonin personally led a group to act as bodyguards for Wang Xiao and Ivanov. Overhearing their casual conversation, the tax police major general couldn't help but ask, "Wang, I've always been curious about something: what exactly is the core of public relations?"
Indeed, he patiently watched the Chinese TV series "Public Relations Lady" with Lydia and even bought public relations books from Europe and America.
He had always been a good student and was known for his quick comprehension, but after looking at it for a long time, he still couldn't figure it out.
At least, if he were to handle these Kremlin crises, he would absolutely not have come up with such a solution.
Wang Xiao was still looking at the newly arrived guard team. Wow, not bad, a whole bunch of handsome guys, quite a sight to behold.
After hearing what Punoning said, she laughed and said, "I have a background in chemical engineering, because what is the core of my public relations skills?"
All top students in the world share a common trait: they are eager to learn and unafraid to ask questions.
Even though she was a little embarrassed, Punoning still pressed on, saying, "I originally thought that the gold standard of public relations was honesty, but in fact, after observing some cases, I found that this is not the case."
Wang Xiao thought to himself, "Isn't this obvious? The so-called 'honesty is the truth' is pure toxic positivity. If that's the case, there's no room for the public relations industry to make a living."
She turned her gaze away from the handsome men and stared intently at Punoning: "My understanding is this: just figure out two things. First, what does the person who needs public relations to deal with the crisis hope to gain? Second, what does the person being lobbied hope to gain? If you really want to ask me what the essence of public relations is, my answer is that it's about doing business, a win-win situation is all that matters."
Her tone was indeed quite sincere, and what she said seemed to make a lot of sense.
Unfortunately, after listening to it, Punoning felt it was no different from not listening at all.
He made a direct request: "Just give an example to analyze. The chicken feather jacket controversy back then, as far as I know, was sold by Chinese merchants."
So stop trying to fool people with those sophistry.
Wang Xiao laughed and said softly, "The key point of that matter is that consumers suffered losses, and our public relations target is also consumers. Their need is to make up for their losses. The purpose of our proactive public relations is to protect our reputation and ensure that the credibility of our products is not tarnished. There is no contradiction between the two. We can just pay to solve the problem. The rest is secondary. We can do whatever is in our own best interest."
Seeing that Ivanov had finished getting ready and come out of the room, she took the opportunity to go over her recent public relations strategy: "The public's anger over the primaries stems from the feeling of being deceived. The reason for such a strong reaction is the Soviet government's habitual cover-up over the years. When it comes to public relations, we should naturally start from this point."
Ivanov walked over, and Wang Xiao casually smoothed his collar before turning to Punonin: "Vlamikil, you have to change your mindset. A soldier's mindset is a huge disadvantage in politics."
They didn't continue their conversation.
Punonin had his own work to do, and Ivanov and Wang Xiao also had to go out.
After exchanging greetings, the two parted ways at the door. The only change was that when they arrived, they were accompanied by Punonin's guards, but now the people they needed to protect were Wang Xiao and Ivanov.
Wow! That's quite the show, it'll definitely turn heads when you go out!
Once Ivanov got into the car, he whispered to Wang Xiao, warning her, "Just look and don't get any ideas. They may not be able to be male models and make money for us, but who knows, they might be the ones who cause trouble."
What does "crow" mean? It refers to male sex spies of the KGB. Their capabilities are documented in a dedicated section of Cold War history.
If we fall into their trap, we'll be in deep trouble.
It wasn't that he was judging others by his own petty standards or making malicious assumptions about Punoning; rather, it's that while one shouldn't have the heart to harm others, one must be wary of them.
Given Punoning's proud personality, the fact that he would proactively seek advice from Wang on public relations points shows that he was truly forced into it.
He realized the importance of public relations, but couldn't find a more suitable PR person to work for him.
At the same time, he was afraid of losing control of Wang Xiao.
Therefore, it's perfectly normal for him to have leverage over the king, so that he can lay the groundwork in advance and be ready to deal with any potential conflict between the two sides.
When it comes to power, especially the highest power, even the closest friends will harbor a knife.
Wang Xiao joked with Ivanov: "Maybe he's thinking that since I'm bound to find someone outside anyway, he might as well arrange the match himself. That way, it'll be easier to control and less likely to cause a big mess."
Ivanov's reaction to this argument was simply to roll his eyes: "I thank him for being so eager to help me pick a cuckold's hat!"
It's really tragic to think about it.
While he was in China, Ms. Chen Yanqiu was determined to have Wang have a child with him, and then leave the father and child behind.
When we get back to Russia, things will get even more amazing!
His good friend, Vladimir, who had watched him grow up, had actually found the king a lover.
All I can say is that the cruel realities of this world are too much to bear.
Wang Xiao patted his head reassuringly, taking the opportunity to soothe him: "They're bad, we won't play with them."
Ivanov, however, proudly puffed out his chest, having his own reasoning: "Why do they only recognize me and not others? This fully demonstrates that I am the best."
Lyuba, observing from the sidelines with her eyes closed and mind unsettled, thought to herself that Miss Wang shouldn't have offered him that comforting remark. After all, Mr. Ivanov always managed to soothe himself.
Wang Xiao was overjoyed. She really liked Ivan's personality; he was always full of confidence in his own charm, which was so rare.
The car drove all the way to the power company, where it happened to run into the TV station at the company's main gate.
What Wang Xiao meant by making Ivanov sell his sexuality was to get him back on the show, to return for a comeback on "Our Day".
The ten most popular guests from last year's "Our Day" will return for another episode to share their experiences this year.
The show's producers originally asked viewers to write to the TV station to vote for their favorite guest, but that was just a gimmick.
But now, this step has become a tool for Wang Xiao to sneak in his own agenda.
Today's film is still a typical day in Ivanov's life, and the workday of a young and handsome boss often begins with a meeting, the content of which is never very pleasant.
After all, what normal boss would hold meetings for no reason?
Undoubtedly, today's meeting at the power company was a heavy affair, concerning how to successfully collect electricity bills.
The power plant is continuously outputting electricity, but the electricity bills are not being collected. The huge power company is not a glutton, but rather weak, pitiful, and helpless, starving and on the verge of death.
At the meeting, Ivanov, the unfortunate boss who had been forced into the power company by the president, challenged the executives, demanding that they come up with measures to collect the electricity fees.
Otherwise, if the next step is to cut salaries, the company will start by targeting senior executives.
Then, the camera captured footage of the executives complaining bitterly.
Some people say that factories that owe electricity bills are already unable to pay wages. If they are forced to pay the outstanding electricity bills, the factories may have to close down, and the outstanding electricity bills will become bad debts with no chance of being recovered.
In order to ensure that there is still a chance to recover the outstanding fees, they cannot easily cut off the factory's power supply.
Others said that the research institutions were also facing funding arrears, making research work extremely difficult, and collecting utility bills was proving very challenging.
If their power is really cut off, the research institutions will probably have to shut down immediately.
After pouring out their grievances, the meeting finally made a little progress: they managed to collect all the electricity fees they could.
For example, the electricity meters of lively entertainment venues, nightclubs, and casinos must be rechecked to prevent them from stealing or leaking electricity.
Ivanov also complained about the data at the meeting: "Don't some departments verify the data before submitting it? The Sun Nightclub only uses this much electricity in a year? The nightclub owner would be furious. Who do they think they are?"
A burst of laughter erupted in the room. The Sun Nightclub was a well-known nightclub in Moscow, where the nights were always as bright as day, so it certainly wouldn't use so little electricity.
The executive chuckled awkwardly, touching his nose and remaining silent.
Fortunately, the boss, Ivanov, only complained once before starting to assign tasks: "I contacted the tax bureau, and later we cooperated with the tax police to re-check the electricity meters of our major customers. If the meters are broken, we need to replace them immediately."
The film crew was filming nearby, secretly laughing.
How many electricity meters are actually broken? If one is truly broken, it's most likely someone who uses electricity and hopes it's broken.
No matter how much money they make, they will still try to take advantage of the country.
After the meeting, the executives went about their business, and Ivanov began to give interviews according to procedure.
Let me first talk about the hardships of work, so that everyone watching on TV knows that shepherds also have a tough job. If they don't collect money, they won't have money to repay bank debts or pay wages.
The latter, in particular, is quite hated.
The reporter abruptly changed the subject, throwing out a bombshell: "So, Mr. Ivanov, do you think Russia's economic reforms have been successful?"
“Of course not.” Ivanov shook his head firmly. “We still have a long way to go before we succeed.”
He smiled and said, "If it had been successful, the topic of our meeting today would likely have been something else entirely, such as how to meet the ever-increasing demand for electricity."
The host stared at him and asked, "Since economic reforms haven't been successful yet, are you satisfied with the current government? I mean, who would you vote for in this year's election?"
Ivanov seemed to hesitate for a moment, frowning before answering, "I would still choose the president."
"Why?" the host asked sharply. "Is it because you're afraid that if the Communist Party of the Russian Federation came to power, they would hang all the businessmen under the streetlights?"
Ivanov shook his head: "No, I prefer to think of others with goodwill. The reason I chose the president is because I believe Russia should not fall into chaos again. Now that economic reforms have begun, we should persevere. We can't just stop after two years of reforms because we feel the results aren't as good as we thought, and turn to another path. If we do that, it will only make things more chaotic and leave everyone confused."
He used an analogy: "It's like a little monkey going down the mountain, grabbing whatever it sees and discarding everything in front of it. In the end, it might end up with nothing. Rather than that, it's better to grit your teeth and persevere with the reforms, at least you'll see some results."
The thing he said in that interview was vinegar, and that's why "Our Day" specially recorded this encore episode.
Another returning guest with a personal agenda is Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Governor Nemtsov. As a representative of rising political stars, he will express his support for the president and his commitment to reform during his return performance.
He and Ivanov represent young leaders in the political and business spheres. Their statements not only further influence the votes of young voters, but more importantly, they convey the attitude that reforms should not be stopped casually.
As is well known, a new emperor brings a new court. If the Communist Party of the Russian Federation comes to power, economic policies will definitely change drastically, and all the previous efforts may be in vain.
What Wang Xiao wanted to make the public, who held the votes, realize was the sunk cost they had paid.
In the five years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, they had already given so much, and because of that giving, they developed feelings for each other, which is why they were reluctant to let go.
As for why they were able to easily relinquish control of the Soviet Union, it's because during the Soviet era, most people's jobs were pre-assigned, with little emphasis on initiative, and people were not easily aware of their own efforts.
This is a very strange mentality: what you can get from someone is often not cherished, while what you give to someone is the treasure in your heart.
Wang Xiao wanted to use this mentality to win more votes for the president.
Ivanov spoke eloquently and frankly, expressing his attitude: perhaps the current president is not the best, but he has not found a better alternative, so he is willing to give the president another five years.
The host then followed up with, "So, would you guide your employees to make the same choice?"
He said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "For example, people who vote for the president might receive small gifts or bonuses?"
Ivanov shook his head vigorously, emphasizing firmly: "Of course not! Everyone keeps work and personal life separate, and we will not interfere with each other. I am announcing to the audience in front of the television that, in order to ensure that everyone can vote without any psychological burden, we have decided to pay salaries in advance in June."
He joked, "The money that's been given out can't be taken back, so it doesn't matter what you choose. I also encourage everyone to bravely go to the polling station and make their own choice for their future."
The indoor filming is over; the next part will be filmed outdoors.
Moscow in April is still cold, especially in places where the sun doesn't shine, the wind is so strong it hurts your face.
As Ivanov walked, he also explained his plans for the company's future to the film crew.
For example, we're going to build an indoor gymnasium here, where people can play badminton, table tennis, billiards, and so on, so that everyone will have a place to exercise after work.
He walked and gestured as he went. Some of the employees he encountered along the way greeted him, while others just glanced at him out of curiosity.
As we passed the marble statue next to the newspaper stand, several workers walked by, some of them even drinking from a wine jug as they went.
This is so common in Russia that sometimes Wang Xiao even suspects they drink alcohol like water.
So when a sour, foul smell wafted by, Wang Xiao's first reaction was that his brain went blank.
She didn't understand why other people's drinks tasted so strange.
The next instant, she saw the bearded worker being tackled to the ground by his bodyguards. He thrashed about like a fish thrown ashore, muttering repeatedly, "Go to hell! You devil! Go to hell!"
The wine jug he was holding had been kicked far away.
Nikolai cautiously went over and picked up the wine jug.
Wang Xiao stared at Ivanov, whose chest was covered in a large, wet patch that emitted a strange, sour, and putrid odor.
At that moment, Wang Xiao even regretted that he wasn't actually a chemical engineering major.
She couldn't figure out what kind of toxic liquid would have such a strange smell.
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[Let me see] Good morning!
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