Chapter 53 Get Two More Planes (Bug Fix): Clarify the Identity of Party A and Party B
Where is this "big shot" from?
He was naturally a big shot in the Soviet Air Force.
Contrary to the common belief among the Chinese public that the military's resale of military supplies only began after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in fact, their actions started quite early.
Especially during the Afghan War, due to insufficient military spending, the Soviet army sold off military supplies at an alarming rate.
After returning to China, they retained this valuable experience and continued to sell supplies abroad in large quantities.
Otherwise, when Wang Xiao first started doing business with Ivanov, he wouldn't have been able to offer a military overcoat as a form of barter.
If we had to assign a specific role to Ivanov, this son of a high-ranking official, we could say he was a middleman, or even a front man for a high-ranking military figure.
That's why he was able to get in touch with the military and take the lead in renting military transport planes.
Wang Xiao arrived in Moscow in the afternoon and was about to wait for expert Luo Zhicheng, so he definitely wouldn't have time to see the plane today and could only greet people first.
Ivanov took this business trip very seriously, so he booked a lavish meal at a high-end restaurant well in advance.
So when he drove out of the villa area, he had a lot to say about Wang Xiao.
"You really know how to make the most of your time."
Why did he say that?
Because this time he truly realized how utterly ruthless and cunning Wang Xiao was.
Wang Xiaoren arrived in Moscow in the afternoon and was about to host a banquet for distinguished guests that evening. In the short hour before departure, shouldn't a normal person sit down and chat, pass the time, or learn more about the guests' preferences?
As a result, she recovered.
When she saw Ivan, the handsome young man with freckles on his face, she immediately had him change into ripped jeans and started taking pictures inside and outside the villa.
She hadn't finished taking pictures of several pairs of ripped jeans, so she made Ivan put on a series of outfits that she had carried all the way from Jiangdong, and continued snapping photos.
Besides Ivan, the waitress Maslova, whom he specially hired, also became his model, wearing new clothes and taking photos like crazy.
They weren't even finished taking photos when they left.
In Wang Xiao's words, the birch forest at dusk was especially beautiful, with the colorful villa area serving as a perfect backdrop.
It would be a disservice to the beautiful scenery and the beautiful people if we didn't create a photo album.
Now, when Ivanov talks about it, Wang Xiao isn't ashamed at all: "Your villa is so beautiful."
To be precise, this entire villa area on the outskirts of Moscow is unbelievably beautiful. Even before the film was developed, she knew the final photos would be absolutely stunning.
If she doesn't take good photos here for promotional posters, then she'll really be letting herself down.
Tang Yicheng's Russian level was still at the level of Zdrastvije (hello) and Sbashiba (thank you), so of course he couldn't understand the conversation between the two.
But he wasn't surprised at all that Wang Xiao had made time to arrange the shooting of the promotional posters.
As early as when he discovered that there was a magazine photographer among the family members of the chemical institute's employees who came to Moscow, he knew that she would definitely make the most of everyone.
Wang Xiao smiled at Ivanov and said, "It's too late today. Tomorrow, find a few more people to wear ripped jeans and go to the busiest streets in Moscow. Our colleagues from the Chemical Engineering Institute can then take pictures. We can also have someone ask them why we keep taking pictures of them. My colleagues will say they didn't expect Moscow to be so fashionable; young people on the streets are already wearing ripped jeans, a style that's only popular in America. We just flew in from America, and for a moment we thought we were walking the streets of New York, not Moscow."
Ivanov was completely dumbfounded.
Wang Xiao continued to chatter: "Can't you find someone to publish articles in newspapers? I can write an article and send it out, talking about my experience in Moscow. My biggest impression is that I'm amazed by how fashionable Moscow is; it's almost on par with the United States."
If Ivanov hadn't been driving, he would have been blinking frantically. Her approach, like a series of punches, was exactly the same old way of selling Chinese color TVs.
It's infuriating! He was the one who orchestrated all the news and advertisements about Huaxia TVs, yet he didn't even think to use them on ripped jeans.
That's right, that's right, it should be promoted properly.
Although he had seen ripped jeans in American magazines, ordinary Moscow residents didn't have many ways to get their hands on American magazines.
And even if they see it, they might not notice the ripped jeans.
After all, ordinary jeans are already quite fashionable.
If we don't advertise properly, it will definitely affect shipments.
Wang Xiao offered to help write the manuscript, which was exactly what he wanted.
National pride is a rather mysterious thing.
It's not necessarily true that something is good if your own people praise it, but if foreigners, especially those who are recognized as more successful than you, give it a thumbs up, then it must be something good.
Wang Xiao even came up with a title for the article: "Seeing the Big Picture in Small Things: The Soviet Union Today Through Ripped Jeans."
Ivanov was overjoyed and cheered repeatedly.
He had already decided which media outlets he wanted to publish the article in.
Wang Xiao then turned to Tang Yicheng and instructed him, "Make a note for me, and when we go back, we should take the photos of the ripped jeans with us."
A bad pen is worse than a good memory.
Now that she doesn't have a cell phone, she usually writes things down in a notebook she carries with her.
Unfortunately, they were in the car right now, so it was really inconvenient for them to have paper and pen.
Tang Yicheng asked in surprise, "Are you going to sell ripped jeans in the provincial capital?"
He doubted whether he could sell it.
While Dr. Chen and his team were making ripped jeans, they kept grumbling, unable to understand what the Americans were thinking. Why would they wear perfectly good jeans and insist on wearing ripped ones?
The few people in the chemical engineering institute who usually love to follow fashion didn't seem to get the appeal of ripped jeans, and none of them planned to try them out.
Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously: "Let's give it a try. We'll see what happens."
She believes in the ability of people born in the 1990s to accept new things.
According to her university professor, times are regressing; when they were in university, they were much more fashionable and daring than Wang Xiao and her classmates.
Besides, when it comes to selling clothes, sometimes it's all about the posters and the atmosphere.
What do advertisements convey? They create the illusion for buyers that by wearing the same clothes, they can have the life of the person in the poster.
That's why she insisted on shooting promotional posters in a luxury villa on the outskirts of Moscow, so as to showcase the elegance of a wealthy and leisurely person.
Tang Yicheng nodded: "Okay, I'll take the photos once they're developed."
Wang Xiao turned back and asked Ivanov about the preferences of the bigwigs they were going to entertain today, and whether there were any taboos.
They really used every minute precisely.
Fortunately, the big boss is just an ordinary big boss, possessing the typical characteristics of one, nothing special. Even the fine wine is a Russian specialty.
In May 1991, it was no longer unusual for soldiers to exchange their weapons for alcohol.
When Wang Xiao arrived at the table with her drinking party—Director Xiao and Gao Weimin, along with two male colleagues she hadn't had much contact with and a staff member's family member—they barely exchanged a few words before starting to chug down their drinks.
It is said that this was a common practice of the Soviet military in conducting military trade negotiations: they would drink the other party's negotiating representatives under the table in order to gain the upper hand in the negotiations.
This negotiation method also has a special name: the Ustinov Law, because it was proposed by Marshal Ustinov.
Of course, Wang Xiao suspected that these guys were just looking for an excuse to drink openly.
At first, the major with the red nose on the other side wanted Wang Xiao to drink, but she refused with a smile.
Ivanov chimed in, emphasizing that as the only lady at the table, she should act as the referee.
Fortunately, the two sides were evenly matched in number, and the other side did not insist. Instead, they each served a glass of baijiu and started drinking and toasting each other.
It has to be said, the Russians really can drink.
Director Xiao, as the office director, was a pioneer in organizing hospitality at the Chemical Engineering Institute and had a considerable capacity for alcohol. However, after one round, he was the first to pass out.
Gao Weimin was young and resilient; he actually finished a whole bottle of baijiu, which impressed Wang Xiao.
A person who is talented at drinking parties is a talent indeed.
Before the implementation of the Central Government's Eight-Point Regulation, the majority of high-end alcohol sales came from catering and entertainment, especially for official receptions.
There isn't anyone in Wang Xiao's team who is specifically in charge of drinking.
If he can handle it, Wang Xiao wouldn't mind recruiting him into his ranks.
For her, when it comes to making money, personal preferences don't matter; profit is the key.
Unfortunately, after finishing the first round of baijiu, they said that drinking baijiu alone wasn't satisfying and suggested coming to Yorsh.
What is Yorsh? It's commonly known as a depth charge, which is made by mixing baijiu (Chinese liquor) with beer.
Wang Xiao herself doesn't drink much, but she knows that drinking like this makes it especially easy to get drunk.
She turned to look at her drinking squad and asked them what they thought.
Just as they were hesitating, the red-nosed lieutenant colonel who was acting as the spokesperson spoke up: a cup of josch is worth a thousand US dollars, and ten cups of josch can rent out an extra transport plane.
The initial rental agreement was for 20 cargo planes, with each company paying a monthly rent of US$150,000.
Ivanov spent a lot of money and effort to achieve this result.
So this time, Wang Xiao won't charge Ivanov for the silk shirts and jeans that he brought by his team; it's Wang Xiao's compensation to him.
Now that they hear the price can be lowered, the drinking companions are instantly eager to try it out.
They came over tonight for a drinking contest, and we had agreed that I would pay them 100 rubles.
If they make a thousand dollars, shouldn't they get a corresponding commission?
Wang Xiao refused outright, not because he refused the commission, but because he refused the drinking contest.
Tang Yicheng was getting anxious. His role was similar to that of a bodyguard, so it was obviously inappropriate for him to go to the dinner table and compete with others in drinking. But now, he wanted to give it a try.
Although he doesn't seem to drink much, he actually has a high alcohol tolerance.
A glass of white beer is nothing to him; with a little more effort, he could easily make 10.
That's ten thousand US dollars, or enough to rent another plane.
However, Wang Xiao pressed down on his arm: "No need, it's unnecessary. Don't even mention ten thousand US dollars, you don't need to go for one hundred thousand US dollars."
If it were a million US dollars, or if the other party cut the cargo plane rental fee in half, she might be tempted and encourage us to work harder.
But in her opinion, there was no need to compete in drinking at such a small level.
What if something goes wrong and someone gets acute pancreatitis or acute alcohol poisoning, and it even leads to a fatality?
She didn't want to get involved in a murder case while she was abroad.
After all, the reason she brought people over to the dinner table was to express her sincerity in cooperation, not to conduct any military trade negotiations.
Wang Xiao even found these officers somewhat absurd; she had no intention of buying the Soviet Union's most advanced fighter jets, but was merely leasing their idle cargo planes.
In a sense, she wasn't a worshipper, but a god of wealth who brought money.
Do clients still have to be subservient these days?
They don't even understand their own identity!
Wang Xiao's direct refusal to engage left the air force officers somewhat bewildered.
The red-nosed lieutenant colonel stared at her: "Don't you want to rent more cargo planes?"
Wang Xiao nodded: "Of course we want to, but I think you must have your own difficulties since you are only willing to rent twenty planes. As the saying goes, harmony brings wealth, and we can't make things difficult for you just for our own benefit. In that case, twenty planes it is."
She doesn't really have to be obsessed with it.
As a transmigrator, she knew that the Soviet Union's lifespan would last until next spring at most.
Because the song says it all: 1992, it was a spring.
It was only after the collapse of the Soviet Union that he launched his Southern Tour speeches, encouraging further reform and opening up.
When the economies of the CIS countries collapse further, that will be the true golden age for international speculators.
Meanwhile, the collapsing economy made it even more difficult to maintain military spending. The military was selling off weapons at a clearance sale, and even aircraft carriers were being sold as scrap metal, let alone cargo planes.
Perhaps this time next year, the annual rental fee will be enough to buy a cargo plane.
Her unconventional behavior made the atmosphere at the dinner table even more silent.
The bulbous-nosed lieutenant colonel, acting as the spokesperson, chuckled dryly: "To our friendship, to our cooperation, cheers!"
Wang Xiao also raised his glass with a smile. The glass contained kvass, which was more like a soft drink than alcohol, so he drank it down with great gusto.
After finishing that glass, the atmosphere at the table finally relaxed.
People who were previously busy drinking can finally find time to savor the culinary skills of chefs at Moscow's finest hotels.
They were so nervous before that they didn't have time to admire the restaurant's high-end and luxurious atmosphere until now.
As expected of one of Moscow's most renowned restaurants, the interior is truly dazzling.
Wang Xiao thought to himself, "Eating inside is really extravagant. The food isn't cheap at all, and with all this alcohol, it's a real drain on my wallet."
When it was time to pay the bill and leave, Wang Xiao thoughtfully prepared vodka and wine as gifts for everyone.
The Moutai they wanted was gone; it had just been drunk up on the table.
However, this compromise gift and Wang Xiao's attitude still pleased the officers. After discussing it for a while, they actually decided that they could rent out two more transport planes.
Tang Yicheng almost jumped up after hearing her translation.
He would prefer them to lower the price; if the rental fee for each plane were reduced by $20,000, that would save $400,000 a month.
Now, my god, he has to pay out $3.3 million a month without doing anything. Just thinking about it makes his scalp tingle.
Luo Zhicheng wasn't that sensitive to money, because whether it was 400,000 US dollars or 3.3 million US dollars, the amount was too large for him, so he simply didn't care.
He was even more puzzled by something: "Aren't you afraid they'll turn against you and not rent it to you anymore?"
Just now at the dinner table, this girl acted like nothing was wrong, as if she could walk away at any moment, which made him extremely nervous.
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "They also need to find tenants, otherwise they can't even afford the aircraft maintenance fees."
She thought for a moment and then added, "Maybe airplanes will be cheaper in the future. If your air force wants to buy new aircraft, you can start preparing now; you might just snag a great deal."
Luo Zhicheng looked completely bewildered, not quite understanding what she meant.
He only felt that the Soviet Union was indeed a military superpower, with an enormous number of planes and artillery, and could even rent out twenty planes at once, which showed how wealthy it was.
Wang Xiao couldn't very well tell the other party that he was a transmigrator from a book, and that the military superpower he saw was about to fall apart.
So after saying that, she immediately turned and walked out.
Director Xiao, standing behind, suddenly realized, "You should have said so earlier! I thought I was going to die at the dinner table."
Wang Xiao turned to look at him, her expression of sudden realization even more exaggerated than his: "Oh my, Director Xiao, you drink so much, you must have some kind of enzyme in your body that breaks down alcohol really fast. Look, you're already sober now. If we were to have a third round of drinks, you would definitely be the first to break it down."
Director Xiao was embarrassed. He hadn't gone crazy; it was just a drinking contest, not a fight.
Seeing that things were not going well, he naturally had to lie down.
Drinking with a Russian? What a joke, they're practically intoxicated.
Fortunately, Wang Xiao never expected to cause any trouble at the dinner table. After making a sarcastic remark, he continued walking out as if nothing had happened.
Ironically, Moscow is a very large city, supposedly three times the size of Beijing, yet Wang Xiao happened to run into an acquaintance while having dinner there.
We weren't really acquaintances; at most, we were just fellow countrymen who shared a train ride.
Those Chinese government officials who were specifically tasked with escorting aid supplies to Moscow were also eating at this restaurant, and they all happened to come out around the same time.
Wang Xiao didn't notice their presence at first because of the backlighting.
Until she overheard a Soviet man sighing to his companion in fluent Chinese: “We are having a very hard time right now. Our funding has been drastically cut, and the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union has laid off a large number of staff. Although we are the ruling party, we can no longer get state funding, and we have to find a way to protect the party’s assets.”
Wang Xiao's ears perked up instantly, and sure enough, the following conversation was even more explosive: "The Russian Federation will elect its own president in June. It looks like Yeltsin will definitely win the election. He left the Communist Party of the Soviet Union a long time ago, and if he is elected, our lives will be even more difficult."
Wang Xiao immediately became excited, his brain's CPU working at full speed.
The imminent arrival of a democratically elected president in the Russian Federation means that the twilight of the Red Empire may come sooner than she anticipated.
Therefore, she had to make all the necessary preparations to seize the market as quickly as possible.
First, future settlements must be made in US dollars because the ruble will depreciate rapidly after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Secondly, stable shipping routes and cargo supply must be guaranteed, otherwise the immense wealth will be unbearable.
She turned to look at Ivanov and added, "If they have any extra cargo planes to rent, we can take them on too."
Ivanov was taken aback.
He felt that 22 cargo planes were already a lot; if they added more, they would have to pay out of pocket if they didn't have enough cargo to transport.
Wang Xiao lowered his voice and gritted his teeth: "The Russian Federation is the largest territory of the Soviet Union. The democratically elected president has already withdrawn from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. What do you think this means?"
The Soviet interpreter accompanying the Chinese officials spoke with a melancholy tone: "I am filled with concern about our reforms; they may make things even more chaotic."
Ivanov couldn't understand Chinese, so Wang Xiao translated for him. Then he whispered, "I think the market is likely to collapse further, and it will be difficult to stabilize for at least a while."
Ivanov's eyes lit up.
A chaotic market is a disaster for ordinary people, but an absolute opportunity for international speculators.
Life is cruel; what is poison to one is honey to another.
He immediately nodded in agreement: "OK, I'll try my best. Let's get the company registration done tomorrow."
To rent a military cargo plane, you definitely need a formal contract.
The Soviet Union also attracts foreign investment, and in joint ventures, the Soviet side accounts for more than 50% of the shares, thus enjoying many policy and tax benefits.
Wang Xiao is here to jointly register a freight company with Ivanov, with the investment ratio being 3:7.
Similarly, Ivanov will also register a company with her in Jiangdong, with their investment ratio being 3:7.
Ivanov was exceptionally generous: "You don't need to pay. I'll pay for it as a thank you for your ripped jeans."
Wang Xiao reciprocated, saying, "Then I'll cover the cost of your investment in China."
She's a regular at the Jinning Grand Hotel, how could she not have ways to exchange US dollars?
They smiled at each other, both agreeing that the other was very perceptive.
As they approached the parking lot, they encountered Chinese government officials again.
This time, it was the same second secretary of the Moscow City Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union who escorted the man to the parking lot; presumably, he was also the one hosting the banquet that evening.
The second secretary was giving a long and detailed account of the distribution of aid supplies to the Soviet Union, repeatedly assuring everyone that these supplies would absolutely not be allowed to enter the free market.
Now, not only Ivanov, but even Wang Xiao couldn't help but turn his head and chuckle.
They tend to emphasize the things they can't do.
Ivanov also scoffed, but once they were in the car, he said fiercely, as if making a vow: "I guarantee that within three days, at least 80 percent of these things will appear on the free market."
Wang Xiao was at a loss for words.
The fact that aid supplies can appear on the free market is precisely because of the efforts of scalpers.
Ivanov's anger also seemed to extend to himself.
Wang Xiao returned to the villa and had a good night's sleep. The next morning, he rushed off to complete the company registration procedures and then went to the airport to inspect the plane.
Why not check out the aircraft first and then register the company?
Sigh, we drank so much last night, we should give our boss some time to sober up.
It's a military stronghold, after all. Without someone to guide them, it's inconvenient for them to go to the military airfield.
Wang Xiao initially thought she would ride on every plane to at least experience its performance.
After just one flight, she was so nauseous that she fainted and had to entrust everything to Luo Zhicheng, while she stayed on the ground to watch over the plane.
Everyone around laughed. Soviet air force pilots were practically on vodka. Especially this cargo plane; anyone on board would get seasick.
After finalizing the flight arrangements, Wang Xiao immediately called Jiangdong back without hesitation.
What are you doing? Urging me on.
My planes are all in place, but if the flight routes can't be secured, who will cover the expenses of 3.3 million US dollars a month?
Another point is that the International Trade City must be developed quickly; otherwise, once the planes arrive and foreign businessmen come, where will they buy things?
The manufacturers also needed to be contacted, so this task was assigned to Xiang Dong. After all, international long-distance calls were too expensive, and she couldn't afford to waste her money.
Besides, her money is flowing out like water these days.
Xiangdong collapsed again.
He felt he shouldn't have gotten on Wang Xiao's bandwagon in the first place. This guy not only treated himself like an iron man, but also treated others like invincible warriors.
He's about to curse; even if he split himself into eight pieces, it wouldn't be enough.
Wang Xiao once again launched into his earnest advice: "So you need to train people, to develop capable individuals. For example, this matter of contacting manufacturers, you can train someone to do it once, and let them learn from it, right?"
Yes, people are forced to do things.
If things continue like this, the team responsible for external liaison will probably be established.
Xiang Dong simply abandoned all gentlemanly manners. Of course, what was the point of a self-employed individual pretending to be so elegant?
He roared, "When are you coming back?"
"Very soon, the flight is the day after tomorrow. There's no other way, this is the fastest I can go. There's only one flight a week, so there's nothing I can do about it."
The truth is, well, they've already come all the way to Moscow, so Wang Xiao naturally has to make the most of them.
While the group visited universities and research institutes, as well as the famous Lenin Mausoleum and Kremlin Cathedral, and other attractions open to the public such as the Treasure Gallery and the Armory, the photographer whom Wang Xiao had dragged out was also responsible for taking photos of the university student models dressed in Chinese clothing to enrich the content of the promotional brochures.
Wang Xiao himself took Tang Yicheng back and forth between the free market and shops, so that he could personally experience the supplies that the country was currently lacking.
Tang Yicheng was increasingly alarmed as he looked around. He had originally thought that Moscow only lacked light industrial products, but now the bread and milk in the stores were frequently out of stock, and the variety of vegetables and fruits was pitifully small.
That's incredible.
The Soviet Union was such a large place, yet it had such a small population that it couldn't possibly have enough to eat!
Take vegetables for example. There are so many open spaces outside Moscow; there's no way there wouldn't be enough to eat if you just plant whatever you want.
Didn't the Soviet Union have a lot of chemical fertilizers?
He had heard that the first barter trade between Heihe and Blagoveshchensk was in which Heihe traded a boatload of watermelons for a boatload of fertilizer.
With chemical fertilizers, vegetable yields really won't be too low. Vegetables grow really fast.
In Moscow, almost every household owns a car, and there's a comprehensive subway and bus network, so people aren't worried about the suburbs being too far away.
If you cultivate a plot of land, even if you only visit it once a week, you'll definitely grow some good vegetables.
Moreover, the Soviet Union practiced a two-day weekend system.
Don't say Moscow is cold. It's May now, a time of spring warmth and blooming flowers, yet vegetables are scarce. How are people supposed to survive?
He really couldn't understand how the Muscovites could put up with it.
If this were in China, without hesitation, every household would start growing vegetables on their balconies.
The houses in Muscovites are much more spacious than theirs; they certainly have the means.
According to Tang Yicheng, Moscow is just a shiny donkey dung ball.
No matter how beautiful the city is, if there's no food or clothing at home, how can we survive?
In his personal opinion, from the perspective of commodity supply, Moscow is not as good as the new county 10 years ago.
At least back then, their family didn't have to worry about vegetables. Even though the stores had limited variety, there were many farmers carrying loads of vegetables into the city to sell, and there was a wide variety of vegetables available.
Unlike the deserted shops that looked like they were about to close, the free market was much more lively, with a wide variety of goods available.
Correspondingly, the items here are much more expensive than those on the black market in China back in the day.
Even so, everyone rushed to buy them, fearing that if they were too late, the items would be snatched up by others.
Their handmade ripped jeans also appeared on the open market and sold quite well, with several fashionable men and women picking them out.
Yes, the asking price is 50 rubles more expensive than regular jeans.
Tang Yicheng found it incredible that someone actually bought it.
Why doesn't she just buy a nice pair of jeans and make ripped jeans herself?
Fifty rubles was no small sum for the Soviets at that time.
He took a liking to the wool suit in the store, but no one was selling it even though it was priced at 500 rubles.
They were willing to rush to buy ripped jeans for 200 rubles instead of saving up to buy a wool suit.
Wang Xiao wanted to roll her eyes. What did she know? This was called experiencing fashion and chasing trends.
While everyone was queuing, she took the opportunity to conduct a survey, asking people what kind of products they needed most urgently.
One of the women, a white-haired Russian woman, suddenly blurted out, "Are you Chinese? You are very lucky; you have met a wise leader."
Her companion chimed in, “Yes, unlike us, our leader is an idiot.”
She emphasized, "They're all idiots, one idiot after another, not a single smart person."
Wang Xiao was at a loss for words.
This is slandering foreign leaders, which seems to have a bad influence.
But she couldn't go against her conscience and praise someone for being amazing.
They'll be struck by lightning.
All she could do was smile and say, "Everything will be alright."
The old woman made the sign of the cross on her chest and sighed, "God will bless us."
This is also a major characteristic of Moscow right now.
In the past, newlyweds loved to hold ceremonies at Lenin's Mausoleum, and people often laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the back wall of the Kremlin, which was a common sight on the streets of Moscow.
In recent years, fewer and fewer people are doing this, while more and more people are going to church.
Perhaps religion offers the greatest comfort when people cannot see the future.
After all, reality is too disappointing.
Wang Xiao's lament is truly due to the Soviet Communist Party's utter incompetence.
Didn't that second secretary repeatedly assure Chinese officials that aid supplies would never be allowed to enter the free market?
When Wang Xiao and his group rejoined the main force, they saw aid supplies at a street stall—luncheon meat and small sausages produced in China.
It wasn't that they were biased and wronged the Soviet Communist Party; rather, it was that the Chinese officials responsible for escorting the supplies happened to be visiting the roadside stalls.
They also recognized the aid supplies they had brought all the way from afar to the Soviet Union.
Someone gestured to the Soviet accompanying personnel, pointing several times to the luncheon meat cans printed with the Chinese characters.
However, the other party did not react at all.
It's unclear whether he felt helpless about all of this, or if he was simply a member of this profit-driven group.
Dr. Chen, who was watching from the side, was completely confused and asked his daughter what had happened.
After hearing what had happened, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "How could this be? These are aid supplies, and they're being resold! This is what we've been saving by tightening our belts to give back to the community. We usually can't even afford to eat luncheon meat and sausages ourselves!"
Colleagues at the nearby chemical plant were gossiping, saying their lives weren't even as good as those at the steel mill.
Luncheon meat is expensive, much more expensive than pork, so it's something most people can't afford to eat normally. Small sausages are the same; for ordinary Chinese people, they're a complete luxury.
Many people in rural areas have never even seen these treasures in person.
Being generous when you're poor only makes you suffer and feeds the parasites of others.
The Soviet escorts, who clearly understood Chinese, blushed.
The Chinese government officials also looked embarrassed and hurriedly left the street stall.
But Dr. Chen's anger did not disappear after they left.
She became increasingly angry as she spoke, eventually even comparing herself to the reactionary Kuomintang.
"How is this any different from the supplies that overseas Chinese painstakingly donated to purchase during the War of Resistance against Japan, which pilots risked their lives to fly over the Hump to transport to Chongqing, only to be sold at high prices on the black market by the Kuomintang reactionaries? If this continues, things will definitely not get better!"
Wang Xiao quickly stopped her mother: "Alright, alright, stop talking."
Fearing negative international repercussions, Chen Yanqiu ultimately swallowed his words.
That night, Dr. Chen barely ate anything and tossed and turned in bed for most of the night, muttering to himself, "It's not going to get better, it really isn't going to get better."
But when it was time to leave, her mood improved again.
Because Ivanov found a way to let them visit Lenin's office, which is not open to the public, and even let them listen to a recording of Lenin's speech.
Dr. Chen immediately perked up again, feeling full of hope for the future of the Soviet Union.
Not wanting to dampen someone's enthusiasm, Wang Xiao could only talk to Ivanov next to him.
Ivanov will also be going to Jiangdong with them this time; he's going to register a company with Wang Xiao as a foreign businessman.
Tang Yicheng suddenly remembered something and whispered to Wang Xiao, "Can you run a company? You're a cadre at the Chemical Research Institute."
It's fine if it's on Russian territory, since the emperor is far away and the country can't really control it.
But once you return to your own little plot of land, things don't seem to be the same.
Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously and blurted out, "I'll apply for a leave of absence without pay."
Tang Yicheng felt that he had truly been trained. His first reaction upon hearing this was not to jump up and down, but to feel fortunate: Thank goodness she didn't say she was going to resign.
Even if Wang Xiao said he wanted to resign, Tang Yicheng didn't think much of it.
Although mainstream society now regards a secure job as a treasure and a cadre's status as a golden opportunity.
But in reality, everyone knows that what's truly valuable isn't the job itself, but the social status and various benefits associated with it.
Did Wang Xiao's social status come from her identity as a chemical engineer? Obviously not.
Does Wang Xiao care about the meager benefits offered by the Chemical Engineering Institute? Of course not.
On the contrary, she was the one who brought benefits to the chemical engineering institute.
The research institutions in the provincial capital are incredibly envious. They're taking their families on overseas trips! Which other institution can afford such a lavish lifestyle?
Haha, if Wang Xiao said he was taking a leave of absence without pay instead of resigning, the people who are truly relieved are the people at the Chemical Engineering Institute.
They must be afraid of losing this coveted opportunity.
This is the difference between people.
Some people are proud of their workplace, while others are the pride of their workplace.
Tang Yicheng wanted to say a few more words, but when he glanced at Doctor Chen, he immediately changed the subject: "By the way, can we talk about the International Trade City on the plane later?"
It doesn't seem like that will work.
When you're on a plane, you should stay in your seat, fasten your seatbelt, and not keep moving around.
Thinking about it this way, it seems like flying is a bit of a waste.
If he takes the train back, with Wang Xiao's abilities, he can definitely attract another three hundred customers.
That's such a pity.
That's the loss of 300 customers? That's a loss of 30 billion!
Wang Xiao almost died laughing when he saw Tang Yicheng's heartbroken expression.
She had to clear her throat to speak properly: "According to you, does that mean I'll have to live on the K3 train for the long term, doing sales for people one trip after another?"
Tang Yicheng got stuck, which is obviously impossible.
But he couldn't help but lament, "Then we can only rely on word of mouth."
He comforted himself, "It's alright, businessmen are profit-driven. As long as they smell it, they'll definitely find their way here."
Looking at Tang Yicheng's innocent face, Wang Xiao couldn't understand how this person could grow up so big with no beard or tail intact.
Relying on word of mouth? Do you think this is the Stone Age? What kind of brain do you have?!
People can't travel on the K3 train every day, but can't we at least send out promotional brochures?
There are currently no free high-speed rail magazines available on railways for passengers to enjoy during their journeys, which is where Wang Xiao plans to focus his efforts next.
What great empty advertising space! We have to try and get a piece of the pie.
However, she also understood that running a magazine was not a simple matter. Without official backing, the approval process alone was enough to drive anyone crazy.
So, before the official magazine was released, Wang Xiao planned to use promotional posters as a substitute.
There's no need to ask the leaders for permission; just hand the flyers to the train attendant on the K3 and have them sold to the passengers for one ruble each.
Tang Yicheng was dumbfounded: "Sell?!"
Are you kidding me?
It's not like there aren't advertising flyers in the provincial capital. Why would you sell advertising flyers? Who do you think I'm stupid?
When the self-service clothing supermarket first opened, Wang Xiao even paid people to hand out flyers at the entrances of several shopping malls in the city center.
People almost hate me to death.
Now, she's even making money selling advertising flyers.
People are crazy enough to buy advertising!
“Things are valued for their rarity,” Wang Xiao said seriously. “Is this an advertisement? This is a treasure map!”
For international traders, finding suitable sources of goods and transportation methods is of paramount importance and is key to whether they can make money.
Simply put, the supply of information determines success or failure.
A piece of paper carrying useful information should not be treated as a simple advertisement, but rather as a ladder to wealth and prosperity.
Tang Yicheng tried hard to process this matter, but he still found it a bit hard to accept.
The main problem is that one ruble isn't cheap for ordinary Moscow residents these days; a large carp in a store costs only one ruble, but for Wang Xiao, it's practically negligible.
Given her current situation, why would she still want to earn such a small amount of money?
Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated: "That money belongs to the train conductor."
Yes, she could pay the train attendant directly to distribute advertising flyers for her.
Since train conductors are already selling goods these days, they'd probably welcome this extra income.
but--
She doesn't have time to take a train every few days to supervise, so how would she know if the train attendant would just take the money and not do the job?
Selling flyers is different; you can earn a ruble for every flyer sold, so people naturally work harder.
Tang Yicheng then raised another question: "How do they know they can sell it? What if the seller refuses to sell?"
Wang Xiao reminded himself to maintain his boss's demeanor and thankfully didn't roll his eyes at him. He just said irritably, "If you ask who understands international traders best, it's definitely the train conductor on the K3 train."
From the moment this train became popular, the passengers were mostly scalpers.
After a long period of contact, how could the train attendants not know the methods their passengers use to make money?
How could they not understand the value of the flyers in their hands?
One ruble is not like finding a penny on the street for an ordinary person, but for money changers, it's nothing at all.
Wang Xiao simply explained everything: "Among the middlemen, information bought with money is more trustworthy than information obtained for free. That's human nature, nothing strange about it. What you pay for is what's valuable."
Tang Yicheng blinked for a long time before finally managing to say, "I hope the air route opens soon."
What else could he say?
His head is just for show.
Another day of feeling down about myself.
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Just to emphasize, the fact that aid supplies to the Soviet Union were resold is not a smear campaign by Akin against the government at the time, but a fact.
Yu Hongjun, the former ambassador to Uzbekistan, was one of the personnel responsible for escorting the goods. Just a few days after the supplies arrived in Moscow, he saw them being resold at street stalls. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2023-11-11 15:17:21 and 2023-11-12 10:42:36!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Little P (1 landmine);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Qiqi (30 bottles); Xiaomei and Xiaoxiao (5 bottles each); Qiushuifeishui (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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