Chapter 207 She could only run with all her might: He thought, he understood.
On the night of September 15th, Wang Xiao neither knew nor cared whether Ivanov was happy or not.
As long as she's having a good time, that's all that matters.
If Wu Haoyu didn't have to go back to work in Japan, she wouldn't mind continuing to have fun.
Unfortunately, it's not possible.
Then she had no choice but to send them away.
Since their flight was at noon, Wang Xiao took Yamada Saori to Red Square during the free morning.
This is a timeless landmark of Moscow; anyone who comes to Moscow and doesn't visit Red Square is definitely missing out.
As the car approached the shopping street, Yamada Saori exclaimed in surprise, "So many people!"
She wasn't surprised to see so many people yesterday, because they were selling Michael Jackson concert tickets there.
Who wouldn't be crazy about Michael!
But today, the concert was already over. And it was still early; most people wouldn't go shopping this early. Yet, they had already formed long lines in front of each store.
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "Most of the people here are here for the fleece."
Saori Yamada's expression showed even more surprise.
Having lived in Tokyo where supplies are plentiful to the point of excess, it was difficult for her to immediately grasp the concept of scarcity in Moscow on her first visit.
“Every September, Muscovites rush to prepare winter supplies for their families. So, once they find that fleece clothing is good quality, inexpensive, and easy to care for, they will quickly buy it to prevent prices from rising later.”
Prices in Moscow are as volatile as the ruble, sometimes rising as the ruble falls, and sometimes adjusting based on demand.
The children's watches that were only 200 rubles in the morning might rise to 2,000 rubles in the afternoon if a wave of tourists came and snapped them up.
This chaotic pricing system has led everyone, especially savvy housewives, to develop a keen eye for buying up the goods they deem worth stockpiling.
Last night's heavy rain during the concert boosted the reputation of fleece.
The 35,000 Muscovites dressed in fleece "support outfits" are like 35,000 mobile billboards.
Their family and friends were the first wave of customers to be persuaded to try it.
Yamada Saori stared intently at the customers coming and going, and was surprised again: "Why are the people coming out with empty hands? Didn't they buy anything?"
"Because we're out of stock," Wang Xiao explained with a smile. "We're urgently trying to get more stock. As soon as we have it, we'll call the person who left their contact information."
Sachiko Ito blinked quickly; she knew this tactic—it was called scarcity marketing.
Humans are creatures of habit, and they value sunk costs. Sometimes, the easier something is to obtain, the less we appreciate its worth. Only what we go to great lengths to acquire reveals its uniqueness.
Yamada Saori, who had worked part-time in a clothing store for several years, quickly realized what was going on after a brief moment of stunned silence.
But she was a little worried: "Won't the customers be angry?"
Even now, she's a little intimidated by Russians.
My God, they really do look like bears, all of them are tall and big, and they love to drink.
Last night, while watching the concert, she was so engrossed in Michael's song and dance performance that she forgot her fear.
But when she came to her senses and thought about how many people were crying and drinking at the same time, she still felt a chill run down her spine.
Wang Xiao laughed: "So, we need to express our apologies to our customers. When the goods arrive, we'll call them and invite them over, bringing them an apology card, milk tea or coffee, and cookies to show our remorse."
Saori Yamada's ability to be chosen by Wang Xiao to be the manager of Japan's first clothing store demonstrates her business acumen.
She immediately realized that this was actually a marketing tactic.
By using cards and small gifts, a deeper and more personal connection is established with customers. If a customer wants to shop again in the future, their first instinct is likely to call the store to ask if they have the items they want.
For a store to maintain a steady increase in revenue, the percentage of repeat customers and loyal customers must not be low.
Mustering her courage, Yamada Saori asked, "Can I come into the store?"
She felt a little ashamed.
Japan's retail industry is recognized worldwide as highly developed, and its service is also widely praised.
So before this, she had never considered learning from her Russian counterparts. It's common knowledge that even China's service industry is proclaiming its intention to emulate its Japanese counterparts.
Even in well-known high-standard service industries like flight attendants, Huaxia only began to establish the concept of smiling service after sending staff to Japan for further study.
She had no idea what she could learn from Russia, where service awareness was even lower than China's.
But now, she feels that she was short-sighted.
“Of course,” Wang Xiao said with a smile. “The car is parked here, so we can just walk to Red Square in a bit.”
The commercial street was bustling with activity, with people queuing to register and shoppers flowing like two completely different rivers, neither bothering the other.
A customer received a phone call to come and buy the jacket he missed last time, and the sales clerk handed him an apology paper bag.
Wu Haoyu exclaimed in surprise, "Kangyuan biscuits?"
The bag contained small packets of Kangyuan biscuits.
Wang Xiao nodded with a smile: "Yes, this is the best price we got."
To be precise, it's practically free.
"They proactively approached us to discuss cooperation. All the apology bags in the commercial street contained their cookies. In this way, customers who were previously unaware of Kangyuan cookies learned about them and became potential customers."
She was speaking to Wu Haoyu in English, so Yamada Saori understood and exclaimed, "Their awareness of expanding the market is very strong."
As they were talking, the customer opened the greeting card, and beautiful piano music flowed out; it was a musical greeting card.
Wang Xiao explained with a smile, "This greeting card was also a collaboration that the manufacturer approached us on their own initiative. They shipped it to Moscow; the card was beautiful, of good quality, and reasonably priced. However, Russians don't understand musical greeting cards, so it didn't sell. That's why they came to our store."
Sachiko Ito also remarked, "They really know how to find clients."
Wang Xiao nodded, somewhat wistfully remarking, "Moscow isn't just full of resellers; everyone here uses their own unique methods. World-renowned brands like Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Motorola from the US, and Siemens from Germany have all established their chain stores in Moscow."
This is why Wang Xiao was so eager to build the container market and actively guided a large number of state-owned enterprises to enter the market.
Currently, the scale and strength of private enterprises and township enterprises in China are still too small and too weak, making it difficult for them to compete with enterprises in developed market economies in Western countries.
Without the entry of large, powerful enterprises, the empire that Chinese speculators had previously built by taking advantage of geographical location would soon be devoured.
At this point, we have to call in people from our own home.
Wang Xiao then brought up Kangyuan biscuits: "This company set up an office in Moscow last year, advertised on TV, and hired locals as employees. Because of the good product quality and warm and thoughtful service, it has developed quite rapidly."
She smiled slightly, "In the end, doing business is all about building a good reputation."
They strolled through both streets from beginning to end, but time was running out, and they only had time to rush to Red Square to see Lenin's Mausoleum.
But they were unlucky; Lenin's Mausoleum was closed today.
With no other option, everyone had to settle for the next best thing and go to the Lenin Museum next door.
After all, there were long queues at the Kremlin, so they didn't have time to queue either.
At the entrance of the museum, several elderly people were arguing with the police.
This is a rare sight in Moscow. Russians are as austere as the country's climate; they are generally taciturn (except for playboys like Ivanov) and rarely argue with others.
But the group of elderly people were arguing heatedly because they wanted to take the signs they were holding expressing their dissatisfaction with the current government to Lenin's Mausoleum.
But a government that claims to be building a free nation obviously wouldn't allow its police to turn a blind eye to this. So, the police stopped them.
Wu Haoyu frowned, glanced around, and looked up in the direction of the Kremlin before asking Wang Xiao with concern, "When are you going back to China? If nothing serious happens in Moscow, why don't you go back first? I don't think it's safe here."
Wang Xiao sighed: "I can't leave. Next week, there's a large export trade fair here, which is very important for us. Don't worry, that's just how Moscow is. You might say it's dangerous, there's danger every day, there are shootings. But, 20 million Muscovites still live here."
In the disordered East, opportunities and dangers coexist.
Wu Haoyu once again felt that intense sense of powerlessness.
He couldn't change Wang Xiao's mind, nor could he alter any of her decisions. All he could do was hug her tightly and murmur, "You know, all I want is for you to be alright."
He had no other choice.
He thought that men could always outlast women.
Men are less afraid of getting old than women.
He always manages to persevere.
Wang Xiao reached out and touched his face, comforting him, "It's okay, I'm used to it. I'll take care of myself, and so will you. Let's go inside."
The museum was extremely deserted, with only a handful of people inside, a stark contrast to the long queues outside the Kremlin. It almost felt like something out of "Dream of the Red Chamber."
While Daiyu was dying a miserable and lonely death, Baoyu was happily marrying Baochai (even though he thought it was Lin Daiyu).
A concert was being held in the theater on the second floor of the museum. It was probably a benefit performance, and the music consisted of Russian folk music and songs from the war years.
There were quite a few spectators, but they were all elderly people.
Apart from these foreigners with Asian faces, the rest of the people in the museum were elderly.
Just like in this country, it seems that only the elderly remember the Soviet Union and Lenin.
An era is clearly fading away.
Just like the video of Lenin's death shown in the museum: countless poor people in tattered clothes mourned Lenin in the freezing cold.
They carried Lenin's coffin onto the dilapidated train. The train emitted a mournful whistle and started moving amidst the cries of people who looked like helpless children.
Lenin is gone, and footage from 70 years ago seems to reflect today.
Russians today are just as helpless as the crying child back then.
Wang Xiao glanced at his watch and said, "Let's go, we should head to the airport."
As they left the Lenin Museum and walked toward Red Square, they encountered a cheering crowd.
It's Michael Jackson!
He came to visit Red Square after finishing his concert.
He seemed to be in a good mood, and as the photographer asked, he raised his hand and spun around.
The surrounding crowd cheered. If it weren't for the police and bodyguards holding them back, they would definitely have rushed forward.
For some reason, this scene stung Wu Haoyu's eyes.
He admitted that he thoroughly enjoyed last night's concert. But in that instant, he also understood why some people would go to such lengths to prevent the concert from taking place.
Russians cheer for an American singer in Red Square.
Not far away, Lenin, in solitude, was slowly forgotten by his people.
Humans experience death twice. Seventy years ago, Lenin's body died. Seventy years later, when he is forgotten, his spirit also dies.
Wang Xiao didn't think that much.
Looking at Michael, she thought that some people can use a happy childhood to fuel their entire lives, while others have to spend their whole lives healing from an unhappy childhood.
Having the courage to be Peter Pan forever is perhaps a kind of good fortune.
She didn't dare; she would only run forward with all her might.
MJ's trip to Moscow lasted until September 17th.
Before he left, Wang Xiao got what she wanted: the rights to host Michael's concert in Beijing.
Unfortunately, Ivanov missed his target.
On the day of the concert, he made an agreement with Gasparov that if the latter wanted to sell his house and car to pay off his debts, he would be the first person to take over.
"And this guy got incredibly lucky!" Ivanov exclaimed, furious. "His performance fee was over $400,000, but Michael only asked for $100,000. God, he's such a generous man."
Wang Xiao was also shocked.
She only gave Gasparov 20% of the ticket revenue, but in just two days she sold 35,000 tickets, the cheapest of which cost 50,000 rubles, so he would get 10,000 rubles!
No matter how you calculate it, there's enough money to pay Michael's performance fees.
Wang Xiao also admired Gasparov's incredible luck.
It seems that those who can make a lot of money in chaotic times are more or less lucky.
She exclaimed, "So, does that mean he's going to go to America to pursue his Hollywood dream and film that show called 'Running Man'? What's the story behind that?"
“I don’t know.” Ivanov leaned back. “I only ask him not to expose the Soviet Union’s shortcomings anymore. No matter how many mistakes the Soviet Union made, it’s dead. We Russians are still surviving by eating its corpse.”
Whether he listens or not, that's something we can't control.
If this guy doesn't have money, then things will be much easier.
“Michael is such a generous and kind man,” Ivanov said regretfully. “If we had known he was so easy to talk to and so considerate, we should have had him wear our fleece and come over.”
"Alright, alright!" Wang Xiao quickly waved his hand. "Let him be his Peter Pan."
Ivanov immediately retorted sourly, "Hey! Your Majesty, you're so good to him."
He originally thought Wang would roll his eyes at him and say he was just being wise after the event.
As a result, it would have been better if he hadn't said anything. Wang Xiaozhen rolled her eyes at him: "If I can't be Peter Pan myself, why don't you show me someone else who can be Peter Pan?"
Ivanov switched into his playboy mode again, leaning closer to her and beginning to seduce her: "No, Your Majesty, you can always be a child, really, believe me, I've always wanted you to be a happy child."
"Move over there, a little bit." Wang Xiao made no attempt to hide her disdain. "I want to live a couple more years."
"God! Boss, we've hit the jackpot!" The assistant waved the newspaper in his hand and rushed into the office excitedly. "Look, Michael! Michael is wearing our support outfit!"
Wang Xiao quickly grabbed the newspaper; it was a report from overseas.
Michael left Moscow on the 17th, not returning to the United States, but flying directly to Tel Aviv, Israel. He will be holding two concerts at Yarkon Park on the 19th and 21st as part of his Dangerous Tour.
He was still wearing a black trench coat when he left Moscow.
However, when he disembarked from the private plane in Tel Aviv, he had already changed into a fleece tracksuit, the one with an "M" embroidered on the back.
In an interview, his producer said that Michael felt the unparalleled enthusiasm of the Moscow fans. They even wore matching outfits to the concert to show their support, making them truly amazing fans.
Wang Xiao clutched her chest and screamed, "Quick! Prepare the goods immediately! Check where Michael's next few concerts are being held and make sure the supply is guaranteed!"
Ivanov also exaggeratedly knelt down, pointed his finger upwards, and murmured, "God, he really is an angel!"
Hahaha, this is even better than having Michael wear their fleece coat at a concert.
“My God! My God!” Ivanov stared at his partner. “Did you know all along that this would happen, so you didn’t ask him to wear fleece to the concert?”
Wang Xiao shook his head: "I'm just guessing. A childlike singing and dancing star must have a smart team behind him, otherwise he couldn't have gotten to where he is today. It's an objective fact that Michael's Moscow concert ticket sales were not good. Many reporters in Moscow, including foreign reporters, reported on it. They can't cover it up. If they want to restore Michael's dignity as an international superstar, the best public relations approach is to have uniform fleece support clothing with the letter M printed on it."
Effective public relations never lies easily, or rather, it cannot lie at all. Top-notch public relations cases all involve disseminating information in a controlled manner.
Of course, there was another important reason why she did this: she didn't want to force Michael to do something he might not like.
This is her favorite music superstar, and one of the very few stars she believes deserves to be loved by fans.
So, she just gave the producer a little hint.
It turns out that dealing with smart people is quite worry-free.
After issuing a series of instructions, Wang Xiao felt refreshed and full of enthusiasm: "Let's go, I should go pick them up."
From September 25th to October 3rd, they will hold a large-scale trade fair at the National Economic Exhibition Center.
The participating organizations couldn't possibly arrive only when the exhibition started; they weren't empty-handed, they brought exhibits with them.
And all these exhibits must be set up by this Saturday, September 25th.
Clever companies will arrive early to find a prominent spot for their products.
Some organizations even arrived early to conduct a thorough investigation of the Moscow market before the exhibition started, in order to ensure that their participation would be twice as effective.
Ivanov immediately made a pleading gesture and readily agreed, "No problem, I'll go with you."
Wang Xiao did not refuse.
She definitely needed Ivanov's intervention.
As the saying goes, seeing is believing. Although she is quite well-known in the Sino-Russian trade circle, she is a young woman, and is naturally prone to being looked down upon in the Chinese state-owned enterprise sector, which is dominated by men, especially middle-aged and elderly men.
Ivanov's appearance silently proved her worth and strength.
The convoy set off in a grand procession.
It's not that they want to show off, but any wealthy businessman in Moscow wouldn't dare to travel alone.
After all, this is Moscow, a city where shootings happen almost every day and robberies are commonplace.
Such convoys are very common in Moscow.
At the flea market next to the train station, no one gave them a second glance. In the biting autumn wind of September, the retailers carrying their goods were all drenched in sweat.
The people doing business here have East Asian faces; it's hard to tell if they're Korean, Chinese, or Vietnamese, but there are many Russians, and everyone is incredibly busy.
Wang Xiao and the others walked through the flea market toward the station.
The assistant had put up a large sign early on, and Chinese passengers getting off the bus immediately waved in their direction.
I want to emphasize this point because this train station is jokingly called Beijing Station because there are so many Chinese people coming and going. They are either Chinese or people they are picking up.
The middle-aged man leading the group waved excitedly at Wang Xiao and the others: "Oh my, seeing you all makes us feel so at ease."
He introduced himself to his colleagues, "I'm from Shiguang Instrument Factory, just call me Lao Hu. This is Secretary Zhang from Guanghua Porcelain Factory, and this is Director Sun from Danyang Glasses Factory..."
He went on to introduce them one by one, since everyone had booked the same train carriage.
Wang Xiao flattered, "All of you leaders are people who save foreign exchange for the public. You must be tired from taking such a long train ride."
Manager Hu laughed and said, "To be honest, saving on airfare is a minor issue. The bigger problem is that I'm worried our exhibits might get stolen during transport!"
Wang Xiao made a helpless gesture: "There's nothing we can do about it. The Railway Guerrilla (a nickname for railway thieves at the time) are too powerful and impossible to guard against."
Secretary Sun of Guanghua Porcelain Factory asked Wang Xiao, "I heard that our porcelain sells quite well in Russia?"
Wang Xiao nodded and said frankly, "In Moscow, there is a market for our country's instruments, porcelain, bedding, sanitary ware, bath towels, hand towels, stationery, and so on. That's why we initially sent you all invitations."
Seeing that everyone's eyes lit up, Wang Xiao quickly emphasized, "Having a market is one thing, but whether you can sell the goods successfully is another."
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the train station entrance.
Secretary Sun pressed her further: "If the market demands it, how come it can't be sold?"
“We need sales channels!” Wang Xiao had just answered when a bespectacled man next to him, looking anxious, tried to walk toward them.
The bodyguard immediately stopped him: "Sir, is there something you need?"
The bespectacled man quickly waved his hand: "Um, you're Chinese, right? Um, does anyone here have any help for me?"
The group looked at each other, none of them willing to take a step forward.
Before going abroad, everyone was repeatedly warned to be wary of their fellow countrymen.
There are far too many cases where people from the same hometown meet and then stab each other in the back.
The bodyguard still blocked his way: "Sir, what is the matter?"
The bespectacled man had blisters on his lips and looked extremely anxious: "Garlic! Our company did some market research in Moscow and found that garlic sells very well here, so we sent 10 train cars of it. But those Russians are too cunning; they deliberately drove down the price. The price is too low; not only will we not make any money selling it, we'll actually lose money."
Upon hearing this, the others chimed in with suggestions: "Then find someone else to buy it from. It's not like you can't do without him."
"Oh dear, this is too much." The bespectacled man was nearly driven mad with worry. "Ten train cars of goods are sitting in the warehouse. I tried to wholesale them to people at the flea market, but I haven't sold a single train car in a week. If they stay any longer, I'm afraid the garlic will get too hot and spoil."
Everyone looked on with sympathy.
Indeed, garlic, as a food, doesn't keep well if left out for too long.
Someone else offered advice: "Why don't you contact their vegetable company? Don't the Russians have vegetable companies? They'll definitely need the produce."
The bespectacled man pleaded pitifully, "Where am I supposed to find a vegetable company? I have no connections. I'm just asking my fellow countrymen for help. Do any of you know how to sell my garlic? Don't worry, you'll definitely get a commission."
Wow, I can even earn some extra money while on a business trip!
Those who have just set foot on Moscow soil are not without excitement.
However, everyone was moved but ultimately refused.
They were completely unfamiliar with Moscow, so how could they possibly find a way to help someone sell 10 train cars of garlic?
Everyone's gaze involuntarily shifted to Wang Xiao's face.
Wang Xiao didn't react much because she knew Ivanov would move.
If it were any other product, Ivanov might not have given it a second glance, but this bespectacled fellow was lucky enough to be selling garlic, a type of food.
That's right, Russians don't just use garlic as a seasoning; they eat it directly. Garlic, like onions, plays a very important role in their lives.
Ivanov gestured to his assistant with his chin: "Take some men to check the quality of the garlic. If it's good, take it directly to the farm's processing plant."
Xiao Gao, worried that the bespectacled man might not understand, helped translate the boss's meaning and kindly advised him: "Is your garlic good or bad? If it's already spoiled, tell the truth. Otherwise, when the factory inspects it and finds a problem, some money can be earned but not spent."
The bespectacled man jumped in fright and quickly emphasized, "Yes, it really is. I was just afraid it would spoil, that's why I'm in a hurry to sell it. Otherwise, it would be such a waste to let these perfectly good garlic go to waste."
This pleased Ivanov, who smiled broadly and said, "As long as the quality is fine, don't worry, I'll pay you the normal market price."
As they were talking, a man with a small mustache and wearing a hat walked up to the man with glasses from outside, and said with a forced smile, "My dear friend, have you thought it through? Really, it's such a waste to let the garlic go bad. You might as well sell it to me sooner rather than later."
Ivanov immediately recalled Wang Xiao's evaluation of him.
He is a true knight-errant; he wants to uphold justice like Ke Zhen'e.
He sternly lectured the man with the mustache: "Hey! How could you do such a thing? If you keep driving down prices like this, which Chinese merchant will dare to ship fruits and vegetables to Moscow in the future? How high will the prices of fruits and vegetables in Moscow be then?"
He pointed outside and said, "So many grandpas and grandmas, how can they afford expensive vegetables and fruits with their meager pensions? You're ruining the lives of all Russians!"
The man with the mustache felt like he'd run into a lunatic.
But Ivanov looked like a rich man, surrounded by a group of tall and burly bodyguards, clearly someone not to be trifled with.
He could only purse his lips and turn away.
After walking a few steps, he yelled at the man with glasses in Russian, "The price won't be the same tomorrow, so you'd better watch out!"
As he spoke, fearing he would be caught and beaten by the bodyguards, he quickly slipped away.
Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated. He shook his head and turned to the exhibitors, emphasizing, "Look, this is Moscow. The supply of goods in Moscow is quite abundant now. It's impossible to expect that, like a few years ago, no matter what kind of goods arrived in Moscow, everyone would be scrambling for them. If you don't have sales channels, even the best goods will just be stuck in your hands."
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In reality, Michael Jackson did not accept payment for the Moscow concert (tickets were mostly unsold).
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