Chapter 549 No One Can Forgive (Bug Fixing): From Wuhan to Xinjiang
In late August, Wuhan was truly in dire straits.
Yes, literally.
As expected of Wuhan, a city with great rivers and mountains, Wang Xiao and his friends felt that the August weather in Wuhan was even more humid and hot than in Hong Kong, and the sun was even stronger.
The process involves first simmering the food in brine, then roasting it over a fire to ensure it's fully infused with flavor from the outside in.
Chairman Guo of the Provincial Political Consultative Conference—yes, he got promoted, but he's about to retire. Standing under the sun at his age must be really tough.
Although Liberation Park is shaded by green trees, there is not a single tree in sight in the open space in front of the Soviet Air Force Volunteer Martyrs' Cemetery.
Mr. Ivanov was paying his respects at the grave, and as the host, he couldn't very well hide under the shade of a tree.
But this Mr. Ivan is really a bit strange.
The usual procedures for commemorating martyrs include laying wreaths, adjusting ribbons, observing a moment of silence, and bowing three times. This was also the procedure he followed when he visited Wuhan last September.
But this year, I don't know if it's because he resigned from his position as vice prime minister and had more feelings, or if it was just a momentary emotional outburst.
After completing these steps, he did not leave. Instead, he knelt on one knee in front of the tomb, reached out and touched the tombstone, as if to talk to the martyr who was sleeping underground.
Chairman Guo couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Who said the Russians are so hard and cold, like the Siberian snowstorm? They clearly have a delicate and sensitive heart too."
Look at those eyes of hers; they're as sorrowful as the waters of Lake Baikal.
But, Mr. Ivan, the sentiment is what matters. Look at this sweltering heat, people are standing in the sun all day, don't make things worse.
Oh my goodness, why are you kneeling down on both knees?
Chairman Guo instinctively wanted to step forward and help the person up; was it heatstroke?
The Russians don't have the custom of kneeling when paying respects to martyrs!
Kneeling on both knees now is an apology, a repentance, like at the Katyn massacre memorial event, facing the victims of that time.
But this is the cemetery for Soviet Air Force martyrs. What was he repenting for? He must have been so exposed to the sun that he couldn't stand up and ended up kneeling on both knees.
Wang Xiao stopped Chairman Guo and shook his head at him: "It's okay, I'll go over."
Chairman Guo didn't insist. He figured that the man was, after all, a former Russian Deputy Prime Minister, and even though he had stepped down, he was still a VIP. Besides, he was so young; if he had to be helped up by outsiders to pay respects to the martyrs, it would be too embarrassing for him.
So he watched Mr. Wang take two steps forward, and instead of helping Mr. Ivan up, he actually knelt down right next to him.
What the heck is going on?
Equally surprised was Ivan, whose face was grim. He turned his head in astonishment and exclaimed in a low voice, "Your Majesty!"
Stand up. Why are you kneeling? You have no reason to kneel.
Wang Xiao calmly grasped the hand that was trying to help her up and said softly, "They gave their lives for the people living on this land. Don't they deserve my kneeling?"
As she spoke, she placed her hands on the ground, touched her forehead lightly to the ground, and kowtowed three times.
Next, Chairman Guo watched as Mr. Ivan imitated her and kowtowed three times as well.
Chairman Guo was both amused and exasperated. This is the custom of Chinese ancestor worship, where three kowtows symbolize respect, filial piety, and sincerity towards heaven, earth, and humanity.
Oh my, Mr. Ivan is really taking his role as a Chinese son-in-law seriously; he's already adapted to local customs.
It seems he wasn't suffering from heatstroke, but rather couldn't recall the Chinese custom of paying respects to martyrs—official memorial services emphasize collective respect by offering wreaths, but in folk memorial services, many people kowtow.
Because Chinese people regard martyrs as their ancestors.
After watching Ivan finish kowtowing, Wang Xiao asked softly, "Can you get up?"
Ivan had been kneeling for too long, and his legs were a little numb, and he felt a little dizzy. However, he managed to stand up by holding onto her arm. He stood there looking at the monument to the martyrs, and after a moment of stunned silence, he nodded and said, "Let's go."
Chairman Guo secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him lift his foot, and obediently gathered his hands together, finally finished. If he had stayed in the sun any longer, he would have gotten heatstroke himself.
He quickly stepped forward, his expression solemn: "Mr. Ivanov, please accept my condolences."
The latter nodded at him without saying a word.
Wang Xiao was a little embarrassed: "Chairman Guo, please go ahead with your work. We really don't have anything to do; it's just a private trip. You see, it's not a diplomatic activity."
Chairman Guo waved his hands repeatedly: "What do I have to be busy with? I'm just an old man who's about to retire. Aside from business, does that mean we're not friends? Oh, Mr. Wang, you big boss, you don't think much of an old man like me who's about to retire, do you?"
Wang Xiao said helplessly, "You are a proper head of the four major provincial leadership bodies, a ministerial-level leader."
Chairman Guo waved his hand: "It's just a sinecure, as everyone knows. I'm not really busy. Being able to spend some time with old friends shows that you still think highly of me."
Even provincial and ministerial-level leaders have already humbled themselves so much, how could Wang Xiao possibly drive them away?
Fortunately, Ivan seemed lost in thought and didn't seem to care who was around him.
Wang Xiao asked him, "Would you like to sit down and rest for a bit?"
He shook his head; he didn't want to stay inside.
Wang Xiao readily agreed: "Then let's take a walk outside."
But August in Wuhan is not a good time for tourism at all, especially now that the sun has not yet set. Walking around outside is like being afraid of not being cooked through.
Chairman Guo enthusiastically offered suggestions from the side: "How about we take a ferry? Let's go see the confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers?"
He has always felt that although Wuhan has the Yellow Crane Tower, East Lake, and Qingchuan Pavilion, what truly represents the spirit of Wuhan is the Yangtze River, especially the scene where the Han River and the Yangtze River meet.
Wang Xiao had no objection; the evening breeze blowing along the river should offer a unique experience.
Moreover, she remembered that from the ferry, she could see the magical sight of the Han River and the Yangtze River converging in distinct colors.
She couldn't tell whether she saw it when she arrived in Wuhan before time travel, or when she and Ivan visited Wuhan before.
I'm too busy, there are too many things to do, and even some less important memories are becoming blurry, and time and place are starting to get mixed up.
Standing on the observation deck on the second floor of the ferry, she looked up and saw Turtle Mountain, Qingchuan Pavilion, Dragon King Temple, and the Yangtze River Bridge standing on both sides of the river. The evening breeze carried the fishy smell of the river water, and she still felt a familiar yet novel beauty.
Chairman Guo, who was temporarily acting as their tour guide, reminded them: "We're here, we're here, we're almost at Nan'anzui. This is where we can see the best view."
Wang Xiao immediately grabbed Ivan's hand, pointed ahead, and gestured for him to look.
As the Yangtze River flows eastward, under the setting sun, its waters appear as turbid gold, while the Han River is as clear and blue as a jade belt, the two distinctly separated.
Tourists were already exclaiming in surprise, raising their cameras and trying to take pictures.
The plainclothes police officers nearby paid no attention to the beautiful scenery of "scooping water from two rivers with a ladle," as they were fully focused on maintaining vigilance, fearing that something might happen.
Although this former Russian deputy prime minister has stepped down, he remains a politically influential foreign guest. Moreover, he has a good reputation and has never had any conflicts with the newly appointed Russian president. Who knows if he will return to politics later?
Therefore, even if his trip to China is entirely private, the level of diplomatic reception he receives cannot be low.
The riverboat sounded its long whistle, reminding people to watch closely as the turbid, golden waters of the Yangtze River churned and gradually enveloped the blue waters of the Han River that seeped in.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, they slowly intertwined, eventually merging into a tapestry of varying shades of green and yellow.
Gradually, the emerald green faded, while the turbid gold became increasingly intense.
The ship's horn sounded again, and the riverboat moved forward, the waters of the Yangtze River now slapping against the hull like turbid gold.
The Han River finally merged into the Yangtze River.
Chairman Guo laughed: "How about it? This is the real Wuhan flavor."
Wang Xiao held Ivan's hand, but felt the coldness in his palm.
She had to pull him out into the sun so he could feel the warmth of the sunset.
Chairman Guo didn't notice anything amiss and was still racking his brains to strike up a conversation with Wang Xiao.
Even though he came so actively to handle foreign affairs receptions, he still harbored a desire to attract investment.
Although he has retired to the CPPCC, he still cares about the development of Wuhan.
Twenty years ago, Wuhan was a nationally renowned city, its economy far surpassing that of the provincial capitals of the two Yangtze River provinces. But in those two decades, the gap between them has widened considerably. He saw this and was deeply concerned.
Now that Mr. Wang and Mr. Ivanov have come to Wuhan again, it's clear they don't dislike Wuhan, so of course we have to find a way to keep the people and funds here.
Chairman Guo didn't directly mention attracting investment, but instead changed the subject, approaching the topic with a tone of seeking advice: "Mr. Wang, I went to the Yangtze River Delta region for inspection this year, and I felt that the gap is indeed quite large. Especially in terms of services for enterprises, I think Wuhan really needs to learn from the Yangtze River Delta region."
He looked at Wang Xiao with a sincere expression, "You and Ivanov, tell me, from the perspective of the boss, what do you hope Wuhan can do to truly serve businesses well?"
Wang Xiao didn't really want to discuss this topic with anyone, because she didn't actually have any plans to invest in Wuhan in the short term.
Moreover, Ivan's hands were so cold. The setting sun still had its afterglow, the river breeze was warm and gentle, and even the steam rising from the river carried the heat of the sun, but his palms were sticky with cold sweat.
Wang Xiao just wanted to get him off the ferry as soon as possible and leave.
But the ferry hadn't docked yet, and she couldn't very well ignore Chairman Guo, who was so concerned about Wuhan, so she could only give a perfunctory smile and say, "I don't know either. Every place has its own characteristics."
Chairman Guo, unwilling to give up, turned the question into a true/false one: "I once heard an entrepreneur say that we work too slowly, having to ask the leader for permission for even the smallest things, which is inefficient. I've also read some books on modern management, which say that this situation arises from a lack of delegation; those who are doing the work don't have the authority, so they procrastinate. To improve efficiency, we need to delegate. Do you think that makes sense?"
Wang Xiao put her arm around Ivan's, trying to give him more warmth.
She really had no interest in chatting with Chairman Guo, but she couldn't help rolling her eyes inwardly. Who on earth copied and pasted bits and pieces from here and there and cobbled together this management book? It was utter nonsense.
“There should be no connection between the two.” She shook her head directly. “Power can only be linked to position. Authorization without a position is meaningless. You should have the power you are in, because you need to bear the responsibilities that come with that position. Simply authorizing someone without that position is less about giving them more power and more about finding someone to take the blame.”
Chairman Guo's eyes widened in surprise: "Isn't giving them power a good thing?"
Wang Xiao said helplessly, "If you told a junior staff member in your CPPCC that you could decide how to entertain the foreign guests today, that staff member wouldn't be flattered, but rather terrified. This isn't something he should be deciding. What if something goes wrong? Does the leadership want to use me as a temporary worker and push me out to take the blame?"
Chairman Guo was troubled: "Then how can we improve efficiency? If we don't give them power, everyone will be more hesitant and timid, and the progress will be very slow."
As the ferry began to dock, Wang Xiao, holding the silent Ivan's hand, walked towards the stairs and casually replied, "Give us a standardized operating manual. Don't let people figure things out on their own. Set detailed rules. As long as someone provides three documents (A, B, and C), he should stamp and release them. Even if those three documents are later found to be fake, it's not his responsibility; that's the responsibility of the person who set the rules and the person who reviewed the documents. Only when he can be absolved of responsibility by following the rules will he dare to act freely. If we let people figure things out on their own, how am I supposed to figure it out? I might as well not look at it or do anything at all. That way, I won't make any mistakes and won't have to bear any responsibility."
Chairman Guo listened and nodded, then looked puzzled: "But I read in management books that our efficiency is too low and we lack innovation because we manage too rigidly. We should give employees autonomy to stimulate their creativity, cultivate their sense of responsibility, and help them grow."
Wang Xiao was utterly speechless: "What a clerk probably needs is not power, but confidence. When he is unsure, he needs to weigh things over repeatedly: can I do this or can't I? By following the standardized checklist, he won't have to struggle with it."
They're not a leader, why should they take risks for the leader?
Who asked you for authorization? You clearly don't want to take responsibility.
Chairman Guo nodded: "That seems to make sense."
He was eager to have a good discussion with Mr. Wang about management issues, because only by managing things well and improving the efficiency of government operations could Wuhan develop better.
So after we got off the ferry, he took the initiative to invite us: "How about we go to the night market? You can see what new snacks Wuhan has added."
In his memory, these two distinguished guests were very approachable and enjoyed their meal at the night market stalls.
But this time, Ivan shook his head at Wang Xiao.
Wang Xiao smiled and declined, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, but we're still jet-lagged and too tired. We need to go back and rest."
Chairman Guo responded with two "ohs" sounds and could only regretfully see the person onto the car.
When he got on the bus, he suddenly realized, "Wait a minute, Moscow time is six hours behind Beijing time. It's still noon in Moscow. How can they be sleepy?"
Sigh, he hasn't been abroad enough, and he doesn't really understand how jet lag works.
Alright, alright, since Mr. Ivanov said he was tired, and he does look exhausted, let him go back and rest.
But when Ivan returned to the hotel, he had no intention of sleeping; he just sat in front of the window, lost in thought.
Wang Xiao reached out and touched his back; it was covered in cold sweat. She simply took him to take a shower, and after he was dried off, she let him wrap himself in a bathrobe and continue sitting on the sofa in silence.
His freshly washed hair was still wet, making him look like a helpless child.
Wang Xiao sighed inwardly, then pulled him to sit down in front of the computer and began to chatter on about work.
"Tang Yicheng arranged for people to create momentum on the Internet to guide Hong Kong university students to support the 85,000-person plan."
She couldn't help but complain, "This should have been the Hong Kong government's job, but they are really neglecting their administrative duties."
She was genuinely dissatisfied with the Chief Executive's governing ability.
During his tenure, in addition to the Cyberport concept, Hong Kong also had plans for a Chinese medicine port, a wine trading center, and a business park.
You've never even heard of it? That's normal, because he didn't succeed at anything.
As a high-ranking official, aside from stabilizing Hong Kong society after the handover, he made virtually no significant achievements, especially in terms of people's livelihood and the economy, where his accomplishments were negligible.
Wang Xiao retorted, "If Tang Yicheng and his ilk dared to act like this, they wouldn't even have the guts to report to me."
So you just refuse to do your job because it's difficult? Do you think you can just ignore what you said? If it were this easy for a high-ranking official to govern a region, he wouldn't be a high-ranking official.
After discussing Hong Kong, Wang Xiao then discussed Wuhan: "In one place, the government doesn't want to manage anything, so how can it act as a servant of the market? In the other place, the government wants to manage everything, but parents shouldn't micromanage their children's lives."
Ivan leaned against her and listened to her speak.
Actually, his thoughts were wandering far away, and he couldn't concentrate on listening to what she was saying, but he liked listening to her talk and liked being close to her.
In this way, his world would no longer be the cold and lifeless seabed.
When he went to sleep at night, he would still curl up in Wang's arms, feeling her gently patting his back, so warm and so comforting.
She was the sun, enveloping him.
Just as Wang Xiao was about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard Ivan's voice: "Let's go to the cemetery for the martyrs of the Korean War. I want to go to that cemetery."
Wang Xiao kissed his forehead and answered him with a single word: "Okay."
So Ivan fell asleep, sleeping in the sunlight.
They set off early the next morning.
Driving from Wuhan to Chibi, there is no expressway; you have to take National Highway 107 first. After exiting the national highway, the road becomes noticeably bumpy.
Wang Xiao held Ivan's hand, indicating that he should take a nap, as it would take another hour or so to get there.
But Ivan shook his head, staring blankly out the window.
Outside the window are vast fields of farmland. In late August, the rice paddies are a vibrant green, and egrets occasionally flutter their wings and fly by.
The assistant took the opportunity to report to the boss.
Last year, his boss asked him to look around the Yangloudong Martyrs' Cemetery to see if there were any suitable businesses he could recommend.
After searching for a long time, he discovered that Chibi was most famous for its green brick tea, and it was also an important stop on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. However, this fame is relative; it sells well in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Russia, but its recognition is not high in most parts of China.
Simply put, even after going online, tea bricks and tea cakes are not selling very well.
Logically speaking, at this stage, with the products already online, it should be a matter of fate, with wealth and status left to heaven.
However, the store manager in charge of the online store, upon hearing that the boss had personally instructed him, felt that he couldn't be so laid-back and had to find a way to open up sales channels.
While stroking Ivan's hand, Wang Xiao listened to his assistant's endless reports on the store manager's ingenious ideas.
"Since the green brick tea here isn't expensive, she simply contacted a shop that sells health-preserving teapots and teaware, and offered the green brick tea as a free gift. After that, customers got used to drinking it and started placing orders. Now that she ships the tea, sales are slowly increasing."
It's a good thing that green brick tea isn't one of the top ten famous teas. Once it's online, it's a niche product with a historical background, making it a synonym for the petit-bourgeoisie who takes a non-mainstream approach.
Wang Xiao smiled slightly and said, "She can arrange it herself."
Mountains don't move, but water does; if one path is blocked, you have to find another.
She opened the car window, and the sunlight, carried by the warm breeze, rushed in, shining directly on her and Ivan's faces.
The driver was taken aback. Why would they leave the air conditioning on in this season and let the wind blow instead? It just goes to show that bosses think completely differently from ordinary workers like them.
Besides, the road is in bad condition; it's mostly county and village roads, and many of them are dirt roads. When a car drives by, dust flies everywhere.
But the car owner didn't care at all; Mr. Ivan even leaned on his boss's shoulder, basking in the sun, and fell asleep.
He now truly believed that the Russians' love for the sun was even more intense than the summer sun.
The car bumped along for more than four hours before finally arriving at Yangloudong Martyrs' Cemetery. It was almost noon, when the sun was blazing and scorching.
However, Mr. Ivan seemed unafraid of the sun; after laying his wreath, he meticulously visited each of the graves.
What surprised and bewildered everyone even more was that he knelt before each tomb, placed his hands on the ground, and earnestly kowtowed three times.
Chairman Guo was completely flustered. He wanted to ask the distinguished guests not to make such a big fuss, but he also felt it was inappropriate.
As a former foreign political figure, his gesture of bowing three times to show respect to the Chinese martyrs demonstrates his sincerity.
What's the point of stopping them?
But as a local official, Chairman Guo couldn't just watch others kowtow. In the end, he gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and knelt down, ready to kowtow to them one by one.
Wang Xiao quickly stopped him. This old man was over sixty years old. If he kept hitting his head like that in the middle of summer, he would most likely faint.
Chairman Guo was sweating profusely with anxiety and whispered to her, "Why don't you talk to Mr. Ivanov? Just convey the message, don't make them kowtow one by one. It's too hot, and people's bodies can't take it."
There's really no need to be so practical.
Wang Xiao shook his head: "It's alright, he knows what he's doing."
Sometimes, people need to endure physical pain in order to alleviate the torment of their souls.
Chairman Guo couldn't persuade him otherwise, so he could only personally hold an umbrella and follow behind Ivan to shield him from the sun.
Actually, the cement ground of the martyrs' cemetery is so hot that you could fry an egg on it right now. Using an umbrella for shade is only slightly better than nothing.
By the time he finished knocking on the last grave, Ivan was drenched in sweat.
Chairman Guo personally helped him stand up, and Wang Xiao used a towel to wipe his sweat.
Chairman Guo looked at the man's face and sighed inwardly. This white man is indeed white. Even under the blazing sun and sweating so much, his face is still snow-white!
Let's hurry up and cool off in the archives room.
Thankfully, the archives room was air-conditioned, so it was nice to be inside enjoying the cool air while listening to the martyrs' cemetery's explanation.
During this year, in addition to the reconstruction, the most important task of the Martyrs' Cemetery was for college student volunteers in Wuhan to write letters to the families of the martyrs based on the remaining materials. They informed them that their relatives were buried in Yangloudong Cemetery and that they could come to pay their respects.
However, the process was not smooth, because nearly half a century had passed, many place names had changed, and some families had moved away and lost contact information. Most of the letters were returned, and only a few letters found the families.
This summer, college student volunteers organized summer activities, contacted various sectors of society, intensified their search efforts, and even received assistance from a television station.
Although not many people were found, a small incident occurred: one of the martyrs received a letter from someone searching for her family. It turned out that, due to a series of misunderstandings, the real martyr had mistakenly worn her clothes. She hadn't died in the line of duty and had even come to visit her former comrade.
The staff described the scene vividly, but Ivanov listened with a blank expression.
Is it a happy occasion? No, the dead will sleep forever.
Besides this incident, there is another matter that is quite regrettable.
That was the hospital stationed in Yangloudong back then, and some of the medical staff there were people left behind by the Japanese. After undergoing ideological reform, they also became an important force in helping the volunteer soldiers.
One of the Japanese nurses fell in love with a Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldier who was recuperating there, and they received the organization's support and understanding. However, the soldier's condition worsened, and he passed away. The nurse returned to Japan, never married, and continued to care about the maintenance of the soldier's grave.
Ivanov lowered his eyelashes; what he felt was not love that transcended time and national borders, but the desolation of being separated by life and death.
Death has never been associated with anything beautiful.
Ivan remained silent, while Chairman Guo listened with a mixture of emotion and deep feeling.
Wang Xiao felt embarrassed, as the other person was running around doing everything for him in the sweltering heat.
So Mr. Wang generously agreed to continue sponsoring the family reunification efforts at Yangloudong Martyrs' Cemetery, hoping that the martyrs could find their families as soon as possible.
Chairman Guo hesitated. He couldn't say it was a bad thing, but that wasn't what he really wanted. However, he couldn't very well refuse, since the budget was indeed tight.
Boss Wang couldn't possibly give him a chance to refuse. After thanking him repeatedly for following him around in the sweltering heat, he firmly took his leave.
Next, she will take Ivan to Xinjiang, because Xinjiang has long hours of sunshine.
She chatted with Ivan, "The area of solar panels has expanded this year, and we're raising more sheep and ducks. I'll take you to eat roast whole lamb."
Ivan smiled and nodded.
Actually, it doesn't matter to him where he goes now, as long as he's by the king's side.
But late August was truly a beautiful time in Xinjiang.
Since 1997, Shanghai has been providing counterpart assistance to Aksu City, Wensu County, and Awat County in Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang.
In late summer and early autumn, the poplar forests here begin to turn yellow, a picture of quiet beauty stretching as far as the eye can see, like a tranquil postcard. The cotton bolls in the fields are plump, a reminder that cotton-picking season is just around the corner. But for now, we can ignore that and immerse ourselves in the beautiful scenery, indulging in plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Apples, pears, grapes, walnuts, and many other fruits are now on the market. The long hours of sunshine and large temperature differences have resulted in their top-quality products, each one incredibly delicious.
The person Mr. Wang assigned to oversee the photovoltaic+ project in Aksu Prefecture was named Hu Yanglin. His parents were from Shanghai and voluntarily came to Xinjiang in the 1950s to develop Northwest China. Later, he returned to Shanghai to attend university, worked there for many years, and then took a leave of absence to work under Zhang Junfei.
The boss needed someone to work on the photovoltaic project, so Zhang Junfei introduced him, reasoning that he could handle both ends and was familiar with both Xinjiang and Shanghai.
However, Mr. Wang strongly suspected that Zhang Junfei recommended him because he was short-handed and wouldn't spend money like water.
Or to put it another way, he's too stingy.
How stingy is this old comrade Hu? Boss, Wang Xiao and Ivanov are his bosses, and when they came to inspect the work in person, they saw flocks of ducks and sheep.
As a result, he didn't even give the boss a single egg from their own photovoltaic sheep, let alone any of their photovoltaic ducks.
What does he keep them for? To pickle salted duck eggs? No, he sells them directly!
In 2000, Aksu City, Wensu County, and Awat County were indeed economically underdeveloped; otherwise, they wouldn't have needed counterpart assistance. But even in the poorest places, there are wealthy people, and those doing business here have quite bulging wallets.
In the year 2000, everyone started to pay attention to health preservation. Just look at how popular the Brain Gold advertisements were on TV, and how well Brain Gold and Tai Tai oral liquid sold in stores. You can tell that the whole nation is paying attention to physical health.
Photovoltaics, like nanotechnology and infrared radiation, is a very fashionable concept right now. Wealthy people are willing to drink nano-water, wear infrared thermal underwear, and even eat photovoltaic duck eggs, photovoltaic ducks, and photovoltaic sheep.
The deep processing that Mr. Wang originally envisioned is completely useless here.
What kind of processing is this, duck feathers and wool? Sheep are bought up in batches before they can even be sheared. As for ducks, it's even less likely that they'll be slaughtered; they're bought live, and not a single drop of duck blood that has been exposed to solar radiation can be wasted.
Wang Xiao was completely dumbfounded. What did they mean by "solar illumination"? Oh well, let them be.
A seller's imagination can never match that of a buyer.
Hu Yanglin continued to persuade the boss, "You two are still young, there's no need to rush to eat this. I can buy sheep and ducks from outside, it'll be just as good."
Originally, the local herders raised sheep but not ducks. However, seeing that the ducks were effective in controlling the insect infestation, some herders bought the hatched ducklings from them and started raising them.
As for why he had to buy from the herders even though he already had the goods?
Because without solar panels, the price is cheaper, more than half the original price.
What could Boss Wang say? Having such a shrewd accountant was a blessing in disguise. What else could she do but swallow her pride and bear it?
Ivan's lips curled up; he rarely saw Wang get the short end of the stick.
Wang Xiao took a deep breath and exhaled, glared fiercely at the stingy Hu Yanglin, and called to Ivan, "Come on, let's go riding horses!"
I'm not going to waste my breath arguing with that miser.
Hu Yanglin simply smiled and let the boss go.
He doesn't have time to just brush off his boss. He's also the station manager now, so he's very busy.
What kind of station? A courier station, I guess. I buy has its own logistics center, one in Aksu too. Now that the fruits are ripe and fragrant, it's time to officially sell them through the website.
He didn't originally have this job, but the cadres sent to Xinjiang to provide assistance are all very good at finding resources.
In the past, they would transport pears, apples, walnuts and the like to Shanghai through the local district and county governments, and then the government would pay for them as welfare benefits for employees of government agencies and public institutions during major holidays, which was a way of supporting their own work.
However, the cadres supporting Xinjiang felt that things couldn't continue like this. They believed that it was better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish, and they needed to find ways to develop local specialty industries and sell their products.
As they gathered around the campfire to discuss their plans, they set their sights on the Wuzhou Group.
Don't you have a website? It's famous all over the world. You sell things online, right? Why don't you try selling our good products from Aksu too?
These are all wonderful things! Look at the Uyghur paraz and felt rugs, and the Kyrgyz embroidery—they're so beautiful! And our local Lop Nur tea can lower blood pressure! Not to mention the fruits—you can tell they're delicious just by smelling their aroma before you even open your mouth.
Hu Yanglin, a native of Xinjiang, was persuaded by them and took the initiative to contact Zhang Junfei, who then connected him with Ibuy.
And so, Comrade Hu ended up taking on another job for himself.
But he was quite happy because, driven by I buy, another garment factory was built here, specializing in the production of local ethnic clothing. In addition to supplying locals, it is mainly sold to the mainland, especially the Yangtze River Delta region.
Among them, the best-selling items are clothes for little girls.
In the year 2000, which elementary school or kindergarten girl didn't dress up as a Xinjiang girl? Every Children's Day, there were Xinjiang dance performances.
This is a natural market.
The person in charge of the photovoltaic project is busy expanding the market, while the boss is responsible for driving the project forward.
But honestly, although the song sings of "living carefree in the mortal world," anyone who's ridden a horse knows how tough it is. Let alone riding a horse for a whole day, even half a day will leave your bones aching.
Mr. Wang was glad he hadn't traveled back to ancient times; otherwise, riding in a horse-drawn carriage in an era without rubber tires would have been incredibly bumpy and disorienting, and riding a horse would have been a disaster for his backside.
Compared to her, Ivan's physical fitness was obviously much stronger, and riding a horse was no problem for him at all.
And as he spent his days basking in the sun and running across the grasslands, his appetite gradually improved. He went from drinking rice porridge and eating a little bit of steamed buns to eating Xinjiang-style naan bread without any problem. Later on, he even started eating roasted lamb skewers.
Before Wang Xiao could even catch his breath, this guy dared to cause trouble, starting to learn how to stand on a horse from the local herders. Who knows how those kids dared to teach him? He seemed to have an innate ability to gain their trust.
When Wang Xiao saw it, she almost couldn't finish her sentence.
You bastard! You'll break your neck if you fall off a horse!
She held her breath for a long time, and when the man jumped off his horse, she grabbed his ear and dragged him away without saying a word.
The Kazakh children behind him laughed strangely, mocking him for being such a big guy and having his ears pulled.
Ivan laughed heartily, picked up Wang Xiao, carried her back to the yurt, and then kissed her without warning.
Truly, exercise and sunshine can heal the whole world. Wang Xiao ran her hands through his hair, feeling his warmth and vitality, and almost thought he was already cured.
Around the autumnal equinox, nearby herders hold celebrations and invite guests to join them.
Ivan also participated in horse racing, but of course, he couldn't even beat the local kids, who had grown up on horseback and were simply no match for him.
This didn't dampen Ivan's spirits; he listened to Aken's singing and playing with a smile, clapping along to the rhythm.
Everything was great, and the atmosphere was very lively.
Aken's rendition of "Ode to Benevolent Youth" even had two lines of lyrics altered to praise today's distinguished guests.
An elderly man dressed in festive attire walked over and applied something to a child's forehead.
Wang Xiao craned her neck to look curiously, and the old man smiled and dabbed sheep's blood on her forehead as well. This is an ancient ritual that expresses the elders' blessings for the child.
Wang Xiao felt a cool sensation on her forehead, but Ivan's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he reached out in alarm to wipe her forehead.
His movements were so violent that they startled everyone.
Wang Xiao reassured her, "It's alright, it's alright."
Then she pulled Ivan and quickly walked outside, feeling that he seemed to have reached his limit.
The wind on the grassland carried the warmth of the sun and the fragrance of grass and trees, which diluted the fishy smell of sheep's blood.
Wang Xiao had already wiped Ivan's forehead clean with a wet wipe, and then carefully wiped Ivan's hands.
He silently accepted it. After a while, he suddenly sat down, buried his head, and said in a muffled voice, "It can't be wiped clean. My hands are covered in blood, the blood of 118 lives."
Wang Xiao was stunned for a moment, but when she heard the number 118, she finally realized what was going on.
On August 12, the nuclear submarine Kursk encountered danger at the bottom of the Barents Sea during an exercise. On August 21, the Russian military officially announced that all 107 crew members, along with 11 high-ranking officers and assistants at the fleet level, totaling 118 people, had perished.
With his back to Wang Xiao, Ivan's voice was deep: "I received the message. I went to the Kremlin from the White House. The president wants to ask my opinion on whether or not to accept foreign aid?"
Wang Xiao jumped up, his brows furrowed, on the verge of exploding: "Why is he asking you? Are you his staff member? Oh, he only took office on August 10th. He has no experience as president, but you have? How to handle this is his responsibility. Why is he shifting the blame to you? If you want to wear the crown, you must bear the weight. He is the president!"
She knew something was up! Otherwise, Ivan wouldn't have acted so strangely.
When Nikolai called Hong Kong, he said that Ivan had fallen asleep in the bathtub and almost drowned.
Everyone thought it was an accident, but his intuition told him that Ivan might have deliberately buried his head in the water.
Why exactly? Nikolai didn't know; he only felt afraid. Something was wrong with his husband, and he had to get Miss Wang back immediately.
God knows how terrified Wang Xiao was when she saw Ivan standing on horseback.
She wasn't afraid he'd fall off the horse in an accident; she was afraid he'd have a death wish and deliberately fall off.
No wonder that happened!
Someone shirked responsibility, dragging him into the abyss!
Wang Xiao was furious: "What is he trying to do? He's trying to shirk responsibility and then make you take the blame? What does this have to do with you? This is military business, it's not under your jurisdiction at all!"
Ivan slowly turned his head, his eyes filled with sorrow: "The military says they can handle it themselves, but I know they're lying."
As the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the economy and industry, he knew all too well how chaotic the Russian military was. The government was lucky if even a third of its annual budget actually went to military development.
Corruption, inefficiency, habitual lying, and disregard for the lives of rank-and-file soldiers are the norm for high-ranking military officers.
“I know, I know he’s lying. Russia’s nuclear submarine maintenance technology, like that of its aircraft carriers, has many deficiencies. If the military could solve the problem, this matter wouldn’t have been reported to the Kremlin.”
Ivan seemed to have lost all his energy and spirit, and he had collapsed. "But I did not refute the military. I remained silent. When 118 lives were desperately pleading for help, I did not stand on their side. I abstained. I gave up their lives."
Russia's only operational aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is plagued by frequent malfunctions and faces significant maintenance challenges. He can't help but suspect it will become a mere decoration.
Russia's current situation dictates that the country will find it difficult to develop and produce new naval equipment with strong deterrent capabilities in the short term.
What we can boast about is the aircraft carrier killer nuclear submarine.
Once European rescue forces board the nuclear submarine, Russia's last resort may completely lose its deterrent power.
At a time when tensions between Russia and Europe were extremely high due to the 1999 Kosovo crisis, he dared not take the risk. His country had fewer and fewer cards to play; Russia was wounded, a weakened beast, lacking the courage to bare its belly.
Yes, it was because of this potential national defense risk that he fell silent, silently ignoring the helping hands extended from the outside world.
He was clearly able to speak, but he didn't.
The 118 people trapped inside the nuclear submarine wanted to call for help, but they couldn't get their voices heard by those outside.
How can he forgive himself? And what right does he have to forgive himself?
How can the living forgive the dead?
————————!!————————
Note: The Yangloudong Martyrs' Cemetery underwent significant renovations around 2008. The key figure who spearheaded the project and wrote letters to all the martyrs' families was Yu Fahai (a retired police officer from the Chibi City Public Security Bureau). In 2005, Yu Fahai was commissioned by the Chibi Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference to investigate the cemetery complex and later became a core member of the cemetery's restoration team. He compiled information on the martyrs, wrote letters to each family he found, informing them of their burial locations and inviting them to pay their respects, and continued his efforts to find the martyrs' relatives for many years. The cemetery is the final resting place of 142 martyrs of the Korean War. Through Yu Fahai's efforts and government investment, it has now become a provincial-level patriotic education base.
In real history, according to statistics, Hong Kong property prices fell by half in the year following their peak on October 19, 1997. They then rebounded by 20% in 1999, but as the buildings constructed during the "85,000" period were completed one after another, coupled with various other factors, property prices fell by more than 40% in the following three years, reaching their lowest point on August 24, 2003.
On June 29, 2000, Tung Chee-hwa was interviewed by TVB News at Government House. When asked whether the "85,000" target would be revised, Tung Chee-hwa stated for the first time, "I haven't used the term '85,000' since 1998. So tell me, does it still exist?"
Citizens and academics were surprised by the Chief Executive's "not mentioning it is equivalent to it not existing" attitude, and the public lost confidence in the government's governance, causing his popularity to continue to decline. It turned out that not only the 85,000 housing units plan, but other development concepts during Tung's tenure, such as the Chinese Medicine Port, Silicon Harbour, Wine Trade Centre, and Business Park, "no longer exist" when the government stopped mentioning them.
However, the existence of the June 29th interview is impossible to appear in the novel.
In the novel, the defense of the Hong Kong dollar ended in early 1998. Subsequently, due to the 1998 US stock market crisis, coupled with US presidential scandals and the looming threat of war, Hong Kong's economy began to recover in the second half of 1998, and the property market experienced a comprehensive surge in 1999. Therefore, by the summer of 2000, the price had only begun to decline, not plummeted. This is why Tang Yicheng believed that middle-class homeowners reacted too strongly to the 85,000 housing unit quota plan.
Historically, on August 12, 2000, the Russian Navy's Oscar II-class cruise missile nuclear submarine Kursk (K-141) sank during an exercise in the Barents Sea, killing all 118 crew members. This was one of the most devastating nuclear submarine accidents in Russian naval history. At the time of the accident, the Russian president was vacationing in the Black Sea. It is said that he believed the military's assessment that it was a minor malfunction that could be handled, so neither the acting president nor the president, who had been in office for over six months, went to the scene, remaining on vacation and refusing foreign assistance. On August 13, the Russian military located the stricken submarine and began rescue operations, but multiple docking attempts failed. On August 16, Russia accepted foreign aid; on August 19, Norwegian/British rescue teams arrived. On August 21, Norwegian divers opened the hatch and confirmed that all crew members had perished.
Because of this incident, the then-Russian president faced heavy criticism from the public.
However, in the novel, because the Russian president took office on August 10, he was in Moscow on August 12.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
