Chapter 338 Does this even need to be taught? (Bug Fix): A Trip to the Kremlin
Mr. Wang is a man of his word.
The next morning, after having breakfast with Ivanov, they went their separate ways.
One went to the factory to supervise the work.
As a reward for his efforts in relieving the Kremlin's worries, the Girard truck factory received new orders, specifically for military trucks.
At this point, all the trucks that had been piling up in the warehouse could be sold out.
Ivanov's main purpose in going to the factory today was to participate in the final outgoing inspection. He didn't want to lose face after finally securing the order and getting it on the road.
Wang Xiao is also always busy.
She didn't go to see the ice and snow festival exhibits today; instead, she went to the TV station, Channel 1.
Because MTV is a new station, it doesn't have its own television building or studio. When recording programs, it still needs to borrow the studio from Channel 1.
As the boss, the only reason she personally made this trip was because she was afraid that due to differences in aesthetics, some hidden gems might be overlooked.
As a result, during the intermission halfway through the recording of the show, she was taken away by people in uniform.
Don't get me wrong, it's not the police, procuratorate, or court coming to arrest criminals.
Instead, Punonin personally drove over to pick her up and take her to the Kremlin for afternoon tea.
Mr. President, please.
Wang Xiao wasn't really interested in this afternoon tea; she was more interested in choosing a young, handsome man.
But she couldn't refuse directly; it's international friendship, after all, and refusing would be detrimental to love and peace.
But she wanted to ask the president why he invited her to afternoon tea. Punonin became a silent oyster again, as if there were pearls hidden in his mouth, refusing to utter a word.
Fortunately, he only lacked political wisdom, not that he was truly brainless. He wouldn't do something as blatant as tricking people into getting into a car, dragging them out, and killing them to cover it up. At least the car followed the normal route and drove all the way from the TV station to the Kremlin.
When I got out of the car, another car stopped across the street.
It's Yura.
Ivanov also got out of the car, cursing as he did.
When he saw Wang Xiao, his brows furrowed, and he turned around to complain, "What exactly are you trying to do? Why did you drag Wang Ye into this?"
Yura made a gesture of surrender: "I don't know, I was just responsible for giving you a ride along the way."
Punonin rolled his eyes at Ivanov: "You don't mean to call your strategist for help in front of the president, do you?"
Ivanov retorted bluntly, "You can tell me first what problems need to be solved."
As Punoning locked the car door, he said with exasperation, "Do you need to get the exam paper before you even take the test?"
Ivanov retorted directly: "Vlamikil, do you know why top students always run into trouble when they leave school and enter society? Don't bring your exam-taking mindset into the real world."
Seeing that Punonin's face was ashen and he was about to clench his fists, Yura quickly called out, "Alright, my friends. Ivan, we don't know either."
He forced a smile, trying to change the subject, "Hey! Wang, I didn't expect you to actually ride in Vlamik's car."
As he spoke, he winked.
Wang Xiao was baffled: "Why can't I sit? Don't I trust my friends at all?"
Yura was outmaneuvered, so he could only chuckle, rub his nose, and brush it off.
Fortunately, no matter how long the Kremlin steps are, they eventually come to an end. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the president's reception room.
It is neither St. George's Hall, nor St. Andrew's Hall, nor Alexander Hall.
The president's afternoon tea was held in the reception area of the office. The room wasn't luxurious, but the choice itself conveyed a sense of intimacy.
The reception room is about fifty or sixty square meters in size, with classical reliefs on the ceiling and two large gilded chandeliers hanging from it.
Kremlin staff are setting out tea and refreshments on a rectangular conference table.
The president had not yet appeared, and they were the first guests to arrive, so they simply stood by the window and chatted.
Ivanov still didn't want to talk to his childhood friend, and only spoke to Wang Xiao: "Did you find any good prospects today?"
Wang Xiao nodded and then shook his head: "There's one who can barely make the roster, we'll have to see how they perform later."
Yura, ever the assertive one, asked, "How do you choose people? According to Ivan's standards?"
Wang Xiao chuckled and replied, "In my heart, Ivan is the most handsome man in the world, and there's no substitute for him."
"Oh my God!" Yura almost covered her ears.
Why did he bring this up? Look at Ivan, he's practically grinning like an idiot!
Yura took a deep breath and said irritably, "Since it's not based on Ivan's standards, what kind of people are you going to choose? Are they all just pretty boys like Vronsky?"
Wang Xiao glanced at him and thought to herself: By this standard, you're also a gigolo.
She shook her head meaningfully: "Do you really want to know, sir?"
Seeing the other person nod, she became serious and said, "Three types of people, these are the criteria for selection: those who want to be petted, those who want to be kissed, and those who want to have sex with."
Her soft-spoken words struck Yura as if she'd been struck by lightning, causing her to jump up: "Oh God, you woman!"
He instinctively reached out to Ivanov for help, saying, "Look how terrible she is."
Ivanov added insult to injury: "No, my friend, you should admire what a wise choice that is."
Wang Xiao nodded solemnly: "These are the three types of people that women are willing to spend money on. That's the key."
Yura's face flushed red, and she instinctively retorted, "Didn't you choose an idol? Isn't an idol someone the kind of person fans aspire to be?"
"Why should women become men?" Wang Xiao asked, bewildered. "You're talking about my criteria for selecting girl groups."
Yura tried to persuade her: "The same goes for boy bands; you should consider these standards as well."
“No!” Wang Xiao shook his head and refused without hesitation. “You can’t have your cake and eat it too. No one can please everyone. You can only focus on the big picture.”
Punoning, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly coughed softly.
Footsteps sounded outside the door. The first person to enter was the president, followed by two men, both in their forties or fifties, who walked a short distance behind him.
"The one on the left is the Minister of Defense, and the one on the right is Berezovsky," Punonin quickly introduced, then stepped forward to greet him.
Berezovsky nodded slightly to the people in the room. When his gaze fell on Wang Xiao's face, he paused, turned his head, and questioned Punonin, who stepped forward: "Vlamikil, this lady doesn't seem to be in the right place here."
Punonin insisted, "Sir, she shouldn't be missing here."
His gaze shifted to the president. "Your Excellency, perhaps you would be interested in hearing what she has to say."
His voice wasn't loud; in fact, it could be described as low.
But the reception room was only so big that even Ivanov and the others who didn't follow closely could hear everything clearly.
Ivanov nearly lost his temper and punched Punonin on the spot.
What is he trying to do? Why did he bring Wang to the president without consulting him first?
But it was too late. Before Ivanov could react, the president nodded and smiled at Wang Xiao: "I remember you, beautiful lady. I was very impressed by your speech on Sino-Russian private trade last time."
He was referring to the time when Chairman Huaxia visited Russia and Wang Xiao participated in the reception activities as a representative of Chinese businessmen.
To be fair, the president, once sober, didn't seem like someone everyone disliked.
On the contrary, his first impression was not bad, but rather quite good.
When he looks at you while he speaks, you'll believe he's sincere.
Wang Xiao sighed inwardly. Only with a president like this could she understand why, despite his terrible first term, the Russians still voted for him after a series of maneuvers.
Having a friendly and approachable demeanor that makes people feel trustworthy is certainly a kind of talent.
Wang Xiao shook hands with him politely: "You flatter me."
The president smiled and gestured for everyone to sit down and enjoy afternoon tea.
The aroma of tea and the sweet scent of snacks mingled together, filling the entire reception room.
After they sat down, before Wang Xiao could even pick up her teacup, the president spoke first: "Miss Wang, I'm very interested in your public relations theories. Could you tell us about them?"
Punoning's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled back into his chest.
Yes, he made the right bet.
Faced with NTV's relentless offensive, Channel 1's lack of progress has already displeased the president.
Berezovsky, this charlatan financial swindler, was able to move freely in and out of the Kremlin precisely because he convinced the president that only he could solve the president's predicament.
No matter how much you brag, it will eventually be exposed.
Problems he can't solve, someone else can.
Punoning took the initiative to remind Wang Xiao: "It's about NTV. They produced the original videotapes to prove that what they broadcast on the TV station was true."
The defense minister's face darkened, colder than a Moscow winter, and he interrupted Punonin, his voice laced with warning: "Vlamikil!"
That damn tax cop, taking advantage of the president's trust, has gone so far.
What happened on the battlefield should have nothing to do with the tax police.
Wang Xiao frowned: "Gentlemen, what exactly do you want? If you want to do public relations, then you must tell the whole truth. Just like a criminal suspect should trust his lawyer. Otherwise, if the opposing side suddenly produces evidence in court, the lawyer's defense will become a joke."
Punonin didn't look at the Minister of National Defense, but spoke only to Wang Xiao: "NTV now has evidence to prove their news wasn't fabricated. How do we resolve this?"
Wang Xiao glanced at him, then turned her gaze to the president. Seeing that the latter did not react, she spoke up: "Then I will use this hypothetical scenario as a public relations case study."
Yura sighed inwardly, "God, businessmen are even better at being officials than government officials."
Listen to how eloquent she is.
Even though all of this is true, she still tries to save face for the president by saying it's hypothetical.
Wang Xiao didn't touch the tea or snacks, and went straight to the point: "First of all, we need to clarify the direction of our public relations and determine that our goal is to make the audience question the authority of NTV."
Punonin interrupted her: "The videotape is real."
Wang Xiao shook his head: "Sir, let's not talk about that. We need to let NTV lead us by the nose. We need to carry out our work at our own pace."
She held up a finger, "Our core issue is questioning NTV's motives and journalistic ethics."
Why does the poor mother suffer the most severe blow when she is at her happiest?
"Yes, her brave child died on the battlefield. But this news should not be announced to the public by NTV."
"This is a conspiracy, a terrible conspiracy. Even we, as the organizers of the performance, didn't know this mother would win the grand prize. But someone else knew beforehand."
"He orchestrated all of this so that he could cause this mother to completely break down at the happiest moment, creating a dramatic contrast between joy and sorrow, thus achieving a powerful news impact."
Wang Xiao's gaze swept over the people sitting at the rectangular table: "Besides NTV, who can know in advance what their news will be about?"
Yura suddenly realized what was going on when she heard this.
A conspiracy, a massive conspiracy.
This was a conspiracy orchestrated by NTV, a deliberate setup to create a news sensation and provoke the pitiful heroine mother.
Everything was planned in advance.
Yes, they have the power to intervene. Because the Snow Festival is co-organized by the container market and the Moscow city government, and everyone knows that Mayor Luzhkov has close ties with NTV.
but--
Yura blurted out, "But Sheriff Boris's manipulation of the remote control behind the scenes was his own personal action."
Despite trying every means, Punonin was unable to extract any more information, and Yura believed that what he said was true.
Wang Xiao almost rolled his eyes on the spot. What a joke! Dude, we're doing public relations, not acting as moral exemplars!
"Who can guarantee that?" she said with a forced smile. "There are too many coincidences, and they often hide conspiracies behind them. We can't just speak up and make excuses for people when things aren't set in stone; that's a major taboo in public relations."
Yura opened her mouth, then obediently closed it again.
Berezovsky had adjusted his facial expression, and at least looked much more docile than the defense minister next to him.
He spoke up first: "Anything else? Beautiful lady, do you have any other suggestions?"
“No.” Wang Xiao shook his head. “The government has an obligation to let the people see more, rather than news that is deliberately amplified and manipulated. Because the latter is unethical, it is exploiting people’s emotions, and it is confusing the public.”
The Defense Minister, who had maintained a cold expression, spoke stiffly: "Thank you for your guidance, ma'am. So this is what public relations is all about. Very interesting."
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "MTV is about to launch a TV series called 'Public Relations Lady,' which will introduce some public relations knowledge. Sir, if you are interested, you are welcome to become a new viewer of MTV."
Berezovsky laughed: "Oh, madam, you are quite the tireless businesswoman, never forgetting to attract new viewers for your television station."
Wang Xiao nodded and readily admitted, "Of course, MTV is a new TV station and cannot be compared with a flagship channel like Channel 1. We don't have a fixed audience; all we can do is attract new viewers."
She stated bluntly, "Therefore, NTV is our competitor."
The defense minister nodded perfunctorily and said, "Okay, ma'am, thank you for your guidance. I will watch the program, um, on MTV, with my family. Thank you for your trouble."
Wang Xiao turned his gaze to the president, who remained silent.
She sighed inwardly, realizing that the rumors that the Defense Minister and Berezovsky were in cahoots and controlled the Kremlin were not unfounded.
She stood up and asked, "Any other questions?"
"No." The Defense Minister repeated firmly, somewhat impatiently, "Thank you, you can go now."
Wang Xiao nodded, strode to the window, forcefully pulled back the curtains, and pointed outside: "But I have a problem. The people in the square have a problem. These problems urgently need to be solved."
Outside the window, in the square, even the leaden sky couldn't suppress the snow's light illuminating the gathered crowd.
They held flowers in their hands and offered them to the soldiers who died on the Chechen battlefield.
Wang Xiao's voice was light and quick: "The people have realized one thing, that is, war will kill people."
The defense minister interrupted her impatiently: "No war is without death, and necessary sacrifices are unavoidable."
Wang Xiao was thankful that he wasn't Russian, otherwise he definitely would have cursed directly.
Screw your ancestors for eighteen generations! It's not you who died, so of course you can talk like that without any sense of pain.
She continued speaking as if she hadn't heard the defense minister's words, saying at her own pace: "The longer this goes on, the stronger this consciousness will become, and the more anti-war sentiment will arise among the people, which is a very serious matter for the Kremlin."
Berezovsky spoke up: "Madam, please don't look at us Russians with the mindset of the Chinese. We Russians are not afraid to sacrifice ourselves for the glory of our motherland."
He's another guy who cheers on others, encourages them to sacrifice themselves, and then hides in the background without ever showing his face.
Wang Xiao shook his head: "No, you're wrong, sir. You've used the wrong word. The glory of the motherland is a war between nations. The military action against Chechnya doesn't reach that level. It's just cracking down on criminal activity."
The defense minister, whose face had been clouded with anger, stared in astonishment.
Even Punoning and Yura couldn't keep up with Wang Xiao's pace. He said it was about suppressing bandits before, but now it has turned into cracking down on criminal activities.
Is there a difference between the two? Of course there is.
Suppressing bandits is a matter for the military and falls under the jurisdiction of the army.
Who is the main force in combating crime? The police.
This rule is followed all over the world.
How could she confuse the two?
The Minister of Defense was the first to shake his head: "Madam, a gentle and refined lady like you probably doesn't understand warfare."
“I don’t need to understand warfare,” Wang Xiao insisted. “Because this isn’t warfare. It’s just Russia’s internal affair, cracking down on the illegal and criminal activities of the Mafia.”
Her gaze fell on the president. “It is common knowledge that Chechen gangs run rampant in Moscow, and their stronghold, Chechnya, is a haven for criminals.”
She counted on her fingers, “Kidnapping, robbery, extortion, counterfeiting, oil smuggling—they do all sorts of evil, turning the once peaceful Chechnya region into a mess. How can the federal government tolerate their behavior? They definitely have to take measures to crack down on them.”
She thought for a moment and gave an analogy, "Just like China's crackdown, we must take action to severely crack down on the arrogance of criminals."
The defense minister seemed to have heard a fairy tale.
A war concerning the fate of the nation was, in the mouth of this ignorant and arrogant Chinese woman, turned into a fight against the mafia.
Are you kidding me? That's absurd!
He spoke again: "Madam, the situation in Chechnya is not as simple as you think. Please don't assume things."
"What's so complicated about it? It's just a large gang."
Wang Xiao dismissed it, saying, "The so-called president, Dudayev, excluded all non-Chechen voters during the election. Even so, he only received 12% of the vote. A legitimate regional election shouldn't be conducted like that. Therefore, apart from the Mafia gangs, no organization or regime could possibly recognize his identity."
Yura was completely dumbfounded, never expecting that the problem could be considered from this perspective.
No wonder Punoning acted first and asked for her permission later, bringing her over.
Sure enough, she could leave him and Punonin speechless, just as she could leave the Minister of Defense and Berezovsky speechless.
Berezovsky, whose gaze had been swept over by Yura, had no choice but to speak up: "Madam, you are referring to an ideal situation. The situation in Chechnya is very complicated and cannot be treated as a fight against the mafia."
He needs to make this clear.
Because once it becomes an operation to crack down on the mafia, it means that the police can get involved.
In particular, the tax police force led by Punonin is a close confidant of the president and can also mobilize the Ministry of the Interior's troops, so it is likely to become the main force.
So where should the Ministry of National Defense be placed?
Besides, God! What does she know? Does she know how many factions are vying for power in Chechnya?
Wang Xiao shook his head: "No matter how complicated it is, it must be an operation to crack down on the Mafia."
She held out her hand to the president. “Sir, do you have a map? I need a map, um, a world map that includes the Middle East.”
The president, who had been sitting like a mascot, finally raised his head and nodded gently: "Of course."
He is the master of the Kremlin, and once he has spoken, no matter how dissatisfied the Minister of Defense and Berezovsky are, they cannot stop him.
The map was handed to Wang Xiao, who stood up, took the map, and walked over to the president.
The president's guards were startled and instinctively stepped forward.
Wang Xiao raised his hands: "Hey, gentlemen, don't be nervous. I'm weak and helpless, and I already underwent a check when I entered the Kremlin."
The president laughed: "Of course, beautiful lady, it is my honor to have you standing next to me."
Wang Xiao didn't waste any more words and directly drew on the map with his pen: "Because Chechnya is very important, not only to Russia, but also to the entire Middle East and the United States."
She shifted her pen and circled the location of Kazakhstan: "In 1993, according to an agreement reached between the United States and Kazakhstan, the Tengiz and Korolev oil fields in Kazakhstan were jointly operated by the United States and Kazakhstan."
Her pen paused for a moment, "Chevron Corporation of the United States holds 50% of the shares, and ExxonMobil holds 25%. Both companies belong to Rockefeller Group, which means that Rockefeller Group has gained absolute control over the largest oil-producing region on the Caspian Sea coast."
She wanted to sigh as she spoke.
What does it mean to be an oil tycoon? It means being able to influence global affairs with a mere gesture.
Rockefeller Group's actions in Kazakhstan are also why Mitsui Group actively contacted Wuzhou Group last year to jointly operate an oil refinery after the Sakhalin project produced oil.
Because the Americans have already taken control of the oil fields along the Caspian Sea coast.
But even after she had said all that, no one at the table reacted.
Wang Xiao seriously doubted that they had understood, so he had to continue explaining.
“Oil extracted must be transported out, which requires oil and gas pipelines. The pipelines left by the Soviet Union are no longer sufficient, and new oil transportation pipelines need to be laid.”
She started drawing lines again, "As far as I know, there are currently three proposed new pipelines. One is from the Tengiz oil field in Kazakhstan to Novorossiysk in Russia. This can be implemented quickly by leveraging the early construction from the Soviet era."
"The second option is to transport the oil and gas from Kazakhstan to Iran. This is a shorter route, and once the oil and gas are delivered to Iran, the existing pipelines and supporting facilities can be used without any secondary investment, which is also cheaper. Iran welcomes this option the most and has been actively working to make it happen."
"However, this would mean that Iran would control the lifeline of Caspian Sea oil and gas resources. This is not in the interest of the United States. Therefore, a third option was proposed."
Wang Xiao began drawing on the map again with his pen. "Kazakhstan's oil departs from Aktau Port, travels through the Caspian Sea to Baku, and from Baku, it passes through Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and then arrives at the Turkish port city of Ceyhan. From there, the oil and gas are loaded onto ships and directly enter the Mediterranean Sea."
She circled the line she had drawn in the air, "Whether it's Georgia or Turkey, they both maintain close alliances with the United States. Following this line means that all the oil and gas resources in the Caspian Sea are in the hands of American capital."
Her pen moved, and she continued drawing, "The United States can also use this to control Central Asia and influence oil imports in Western Europe and East Asia. And to achieve this goal—"
Her pen moved upwards again, landing on the Chechen region. "The key is Chechnya, because only when Chechnya is in chaos will the original Soviet oil pipelines passing through here be paralyzed. The Caspian Sea countries will then have no choice but to agree to the 'Ba-D-Je' oil pipeline plan."
She put down her pen, raised her head, and said with a calm and firm gaze, "So Chechnya is bound to descend into chaos, even if it doesn't want to. Therefore, the only solution is to crack down on gang crime. Only in this way can we act openly and honestly, without being interfered with by any international forces."
What's the point of talking about war? It can't even prevent the country from splitting apart.
Because in August 1990, when you were newly elected Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation, in order to strike at Gorbachev, you visited the Autonomous Republic of Tatarstan, which is under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation, and publicly stated that Tatarstan should "strive for independence as much as possible," and that "it should take away as much sovereignty as the local area can swallow." (Note ①)
What is the difference between the Republic of Tatarstan and Chechnya? You encourage the former to become independent, but why don't you allow the latter to?
Since everyone knows that times change, and people will definitely say different things for their own benefit at different times.
But you can't contradict yourself.
You need to have a legitimate reason for your actions, so you need to present yourself in a good light!
After mentally grumbling, Wang Xiao smiled and said, "The previous plan was for NTV's internal public relations. What I just mentioned was the international public relations plan. I hope you are satisfied."
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Note ① is Ye's original words: the boomerang only hit himself.
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