Chapter 186 It's Not the Right Time Yet: Don't Believe Their Lies
As a result, Xiao Hei (well, according to him, his parents named him that hoping he would grow up to be fair-skinned, but obviously they failed) immediately said that there was no need to go to the temple when he heard that she wanted to ask about Mazu.
"If you are sincere, you can worship Mazu at home and cast the divination blocks. Mazu will tell you the answer."
Fearing Wang Xiao wouldn't believe him, he emphasized, "We also prayed at home. As long as you are sincere, sincerity is the best temple."
Wang Xiao waved his hand: "It's not that I don't believe you, but where am I supposed to find a statue of Mazu to worship?"
It's 1993 now. Let alone in Sakhalin Oblast, Russia, even if you were in China outside of Fujian province, it would be difficult to worship Mazu.
Xiao Hei laughed heartily, exuding confidence: "It's alright, I'll find it."
He actually found it.
There are also Chinese resellers doing business on Sakhalin Island. Because their goods are cheaper than Japanese goods and the quality is not inferior, their business is quite good.
Fujianese are indeed everywhere; even Xiao Hei managed to find fellow Fujianese in this group.
Wang Xiao was impressed; she had no idea that Xiao Hei's fellow townsman was also from Fujian.
He spoke fluent Mandarin and was tall and fair-skinned, so she always assumed he was from the North.
Xiao Hei, a fellow villager, laughed heartily: "I went to university in the north. Hey, what do you want to ask about Mazu?"
"For the oil and gas field project, I would like to ask Mazu when would be the most appropriate time to start construction."
The villager scratched his head: "That works too, even the Heavenly Queen will take care of it."
Then he actually took out a portrait of Mazu and gave it to Wang Xiao. He went back to the hotel with someone and set up an incense altar in the room to worship her.
As for the offerings, there are no special requirements; fruits and pastries are all acceptable.
Mazu is a deity who was born from human form, and she understands the hardships of the people best.
As long as you are sincere, the Heavenly Empress can sense it.
Wang Xiao knelt down respectfully and began to silently recite in his heart:
Excuse me, Your Majesty, I am truly troubled this time and would like to ask you for your help in finding a way out.
She told me about her experience of transmigrating into a book.
Although she didn't understand why she was dressed up, she was determined to make the most of every one of the three thousand small worlds.
Her career is going very well now, and she's at a transitional stage.
The choice of Sakhalin Island's oil and gas fields was partly due to indignation, as the area originally belonged to China but was occupied by others.
Secondly, it's necessary for national economic development. She made her fortune from the dividends of national economic construction; the better the country develops, the more opportunities she has to make money, so of course she can't forget her roots.
As the national economy further develops, energy shortages will become a bottleneck, and she wants to take advantage of the current chaos to try to gain as much as possible.
Thirdly, it also serves as an extra layer of protection for oneself.
She made so much money in Russia that she attracted a lot of attention.
The Mafia and officials in the Moscow government are all eyeing her, and it's anyone's guess when they'll make their move.
Therefore, the oil and gas field project is also her pledge of allegiance.
If she ever gets into trouble in the future, the country will be able to protect her pledge of allegiance.
Fourthly, she owns gas stations and oil fields in China, so if the two major oil companies want to cause trouble in the future, she will have the confidence to negotiate with them.
Wang Xiao finished muttering to himself and began tossing the Holy Grail. Starting with zero frames, he landed a head and a tail – a perfect score. He continued this for three consecutive times, each time landing a head and a tail.
Xiao Hei and his fellow villagers were even more excited than Wang Xiao, feeling a sense of pride and cheering along with him.
Driven by intense curiosity, Douglas, who had been secretly observing the entire scene from the sidelines, couldn't help but wonder: "What if she doesn't agree?"
"Shut up!" Wang Xiao and Ivanov said in unison.
If you can't speak properly, then don't open your mouth!
Douglas dared not provoke the ancient and mysterious beliefs of the Chinese people, and could only cautiously ask, "Then, will the sea god tell you which day is the most suitable to start construction?"
Oh, I didn't ask about that.
Wang Xiao could only consult the Chinese almanac to determine an auspicious day, and then repeatedly cast the divination blocks until June 14th was finally chosen.
Because that day was an auspicious day for both groundbreaking and opening, it was perfect for undertaking construction projects.
Ivanov shook hands with Douglas, saying, "Since it's divine guidance, then I wish us all the best."
Since Mazu has already given her instructions, the next step is naturally to proceed as planned.
The contractor should focus on their own project, and the client should also get busy with their own affairs.
Right now, Ivanov has something really important to do.
The opening of new international routes means that they must add new aircraft, otherwise they will not have enough planes.
Airplanes are not like cars.
Russia's automotive industry is now completely paralyzed. Even with Ivanov's various connections, there's no guarantee that he'll get legitimate Ladas and Moskva cars, or cars cobbled together from secondhand and substandard parts.
For safety reasons, they have abandoned their plan to import cars from Russia; the taxi company will now source its new vehicles domestically.
But you can't buy a plane. Where in China can you buy a plane? You can't even buy one if you have the money, let alone if you don't want to spend that much money.
Therefore, based on the principle of internal attrition, Ivanov set his sights on the air force base on Sakhalin Island.
He didn't betray his country; he cursed the government because he loved his country.
He targeted the air force base because it was about to be abandoned.
As for why it was abandoned, the official explanation is that there is no official explanation.
Reducing military spending is something that the entire Russian Federation and even the entire CIS countries are doing.
Didn't you see that Ukraine has destroyed its nuclear weapons?
Compared to others, Sakhalin Island only lacks one air force base, which is a minor issue.
Wang Xiao couldn't handle this himself; Ivanov had to deal with it alone.
But while Ivanov was busy, she couldn't be idle either; she flew to Beijing to deal with the officials.
China does not currently have a Ministry of Energy. The Ministry of Energy, established in 1988, was abolished in March of this year and replaced by the Ministry of Electric Power Industry and the Ministry of Coal Industry.
Cao Xiulan, the former deputy secretary who previously worked in Jiangdong Province, was transferred to the Ministry of Electric Power Industry.
When Wang Xiao sought help from the authorities, she was naturally the first person he contacted.
As a businessman, Wang Xiao didn't really understand whether Cao Xiulan's transfer from deputy secretary of Jiangdong Province to a ministry position was a promotion, a lateral move, a demotion in disguise, or a necessary period of training before a promotion.
Anyway, Minister Cao looked to be in very good health; in fact, he was radiant.
She personally picked up Wang Xiao from the airport, then pulled her into her car to talk, lamenting, "You left Jiangdong in a hurry, and I left in a hurry too; we didn't have much of a chance to talk."
Wang Xiao laughed heartily: "You're the kind of person who does the most work."
Minister Cao waved his hand: "Don't flatter me. It's hard to explain over the phone, but now that we've met, we can make things clear."
Wang Xiao skipped the small talk and got straight to the point: "Our oil and gas field project on Sakhalin Island has been launched."
"Wow, that's really efficient. Congratulations!" Minister Cao gave positive feedback. "It's impressive that you were able to secure such a big project."
Wang Xiao smiled wryly and waved his hand: "To be honest, we were forced into this situation. International oil prices have fallen sharply, and the situation in Moscow is unstable. All the original investors have run away. We couldn't bear to give up this opportunity, so we gritted our teeth and persevered."
Minister Cao listened and nodded slightly, signaling Wang Xiao to continue.
"But we come from a foreign trade background and don't know much about this industry. We've currently hired an American oil company as the construction contractor, but we're worried that the Americans might pull some tricks. So, we'd like to invite the China Oil and Gas Corporation to come and visit, which will also help us supervise the Americans' work."
The secretary in the car wanted to sigh inwardly.
He had followed Minister Cao all the way from Jiangdong to the central ministries, and was quite familiar with Wang Xiao.
Look at this Mr. Wang, no wonder he makes so much money, he speaks so tactfully.
She was the one giving CNPC the opportunity to learn, but in her words it became asking CNPC for help, which sounds so comforting.
It should be noted that since the beginning of this year, due to the surge in demand for economic development and social construction, China has transformed from an oil exporter into an importer.
For energy security, PetroChina also proposed an overseas strategy last year, with the Middle East, South America, Russia and other regions being considered. They have also specially set up an international company for this purpose, divided into several preparatory groups.
The secretary knows that in March of this year, Sino-American Company won the bids for Blocks 6 and 7 of the Talara oil field in Peru.
Doesn't that sound amazing? We've taken over a huge oil field in one fell swoop.
But if people knew what the situation was like at the Talara oil field, they probably wouldn't be laughing anymore.
This is an old oil field that has been exploited for many years. It has been extensively exploited four times, covering an area of more than 300 square kilometers and having more than 4,000 wells drilled.
The wells are only 500 meters apart.
Currently, the annual oil production is less than 50,000 tons.
It was precisely because others felt there was no longer any value in mining that China Petroleum Corporation was able to enter the field.
PetroChina chose it for a very simple reason: expensive, high-quality oil fields that look like they're about to produce oil are too expensive, costing hundreds of millions of US dollars to even enter the market. This old oil field, on the verge of being abandoned, only required an investment of three to four million US dollars.
Secondly, as a newcomer to the international market, China Petroleum's biggest need is to accumulate experience. Oil extraction is notoriously risky, so they can only start with older oil fields where the risks are lowest.
Don't they want to compete for oil and gas field projects on Sakhalin Island? The prerequisite is that they have the money and the ability.
Now that Wang Xiao has taken out the money and is letting American oil companies teach China Petroleum a lesson, isn't that like sending a pillow when you're sleepy?
Her asking Minister Cao to act as a go-between was just giving the Ministry of Electric Power a free favor. The China National Petroleum and Natural Gas Corporation wasn't even under the Ministry of Electric Power's jurisdiction.
If the secretary could understand the implied meaning, but his superior couldn't, then Minister Cao wouldn't be where he is today.
She held Wang Xiao's hand and sighed softly, "President Wang, oh Xiao Xiao, you've really gone to great lengths. Is there anything else?"
“Minister, you saw it right away.” Wang Xiao smiled. “There’s another matter we’d like to ask you to help push forward the commencement of the oil and gas pipeline project between China and Russia.”
“I’ve seen the news, and my connections in Russia have also revealed that Russia is willing to improve relations with China. We believe now is a good opportunity to finalize the pipeline construction.”
"Although our agreement with the Moscow government allows us to sell oil and gas back to China, without pipelines, transportation costs will rise significantly. And once it's actually extracted, many things will be uncertain."
At this point, Wang Xiao couldn't help but complain, "Minister, you have no idea how fickle and unpredictable they are. Dealing with them is a nightmare. If everyone were like you, Minister, and focused on economic development, with the government and businessmen each getting what they want, we'd be laughing in our sleep."
Minister Cao laughed out loud: "Alright, stop flattering us. Russia, well, everyone has their own difficulties, we're all feeling our way across the river."
She nodded. "Tell me more about the situation. I don't know much about the situation in Russia either."
However, Wang Xiao didn't mention Russia again, but instead talked about the economic development of Northeast China.
“We also have business in Northeast China, so we have a basic understanding of the local economic situation. It seems to be a fairly typical energy-supported economic structure. Coal mines and oil fields, for example, make up half of the economy.”
"Other industries, such as steelmaking, are also heavily reliant on energy. Once energy resources are depleted—and this trend is already emerging—the socio-economic transformation of the three northeastern provinces will become a very thorny issue."
The Northeast is known as the "eldest son of the Republic." It can be said that during the planned economy era, the Northeast held a very prominent position in the country.
Later, energy resources were depleted, and enterprises in Northeast China shrank rapidly, resulting in a series of tragedies that remain a hidden pain even decades later.
Before Wang Xiao transmigrated, he had read a news report about Russian gas entering China for the first time after the outbreak of the Crimean crisis, specifically through the Siberian Railway Line 1.
Its arrival instantly revitalized the stagnant economy of Northeast China, with GDP growth outpacing the national average.
It is clear that the geographical location of Northeast China dictates that it must rely on energy for a long period of time. Achieving economic transformation will require a lengthy process.
If the energy supply suddenly stops, it will suffer a heavy blow.
Replenishing Northeast China's energy resources with Russian oil and gas is clearly the most cost-effective option.
Minister Cao nodded repeatedly, affirming, "This is indeed an issue that should be considered."
The Northeast differs from the Jiangdong region, lacking the latter's convenient waterway transportation and dense population. Its development naturally had to follow a different path.
Although Minister Cao is not in charge of this area, he has no problem writing reports for his superiors.
At her level, those who want to improve can't just focus on their own little corner of the world; they have to think things through and take a step further.
Seeing her boss deep in thought, Wang Xiao didn't interrupt her further. Instead, she looked curiously out the car window at the summer in Beijing.
Wow, so many foreigners.
Those dragging large bags and suitcases were mostly middlemen and traders. Everyone was in a hurry, afraid of missing a good opportunity to make money.
Minister Cao noticed her gaze and said, "These days, Russian majors are more sought after than English majors in universities."
Taking the opportunity, Wang Xiao said, "Minister, I would like to ask you for more help and find a way to get the relevant departments to carry out another crackdown on counterfeit and shoddy goods."
"Last year, down jackets sold exceptionally well. This year, we expect more manufacturers to enter the market, and existing manufacturers are likely to expand their production scale."
“We are afraid that in this situation, everyone will sell inferior products and start using substandard down again, ruining the good reputation that Chinese down jackets have worked so hard to build.”
Minister Cao nodded and then reassured Wang Xiao, "This year's down production should be higher than in previous years."
"Huh?" Wang Xiao was a little confused as she didn't keep up with her pace.
Minister Cao smiled: "Because pork prices are likely to rise this year. I saw some data a couple of days ago that shows fewer people are raising pigs this year, and pork prices are expected to rise in the second half of the year."
Why did this happen? Because hog prices were low in 1990 and 1991. Farmers who had suffered losses naturally didn't want to continue raising hogs.
However, pigs are livestock, unlike poultry. They require a long rearing period. Expanding production and quickly supplementing the workforce in the summer is unrealistic given the current state of pig farming in China.
On the contrary, raising ducks and geese can be done in about three months. They can lay eggs, and their feathers and meat can also be used for other purposes.
When pork prices are high, people are more willing to eat chicken, duck, and goose, which can further promote the expansion of the livestock industry.
Wang Xiao's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded repeatedly: "This is very important. I can place the order in advance now."
Minister Cao laughed out loud: "Isn't this just like in your science fiction novel, where computers collect and analyze data to guide farmers on when to plant and raise livestock, and when to harvest and sell their produce?"
Wang Xiao was slightly taken aback, but didn't find it particularly strange.
It's perfectly normal that Minister Cao, who was then the Deputy Secretary of Jiangdong Province, knew about the science fiction novel she wrote about dismantling the Zhimen Commercial City.
The car stopped in front of the Jiangdong Liaison Office in Beijing. Minister Cao invited, "Come on, let me treat you to dinner. We'll just have a simple meal, no alcohol. I can afford it."
Wang Xiao chuckled and said, "I really enjoy having meals with female leaders."
It's the same before and after time travel.
Because they generally don't force people to drink at the dinner table to show off their power; nor do they smoke a cigarette after a meal and choke their tablemates to death.
Minister Cao smiled and nodded, "Then we'll just have some simple home-cooked food."
She led the way inside.
Wang Xiao noticed that the head of the Jiangdong Liaison Office in Beijing had changed; it was now a petite, middle-aged woman with a naturally smiling face.
Upon seeing Minister Cao, she warmly greeted him and quipped, "Thank you for coming to patronize our business, old leader!"
Minister Cao introduced with a smile: "Our distinguished guest today is our General Manager Wang. You didn't prepare any fancy dishes, just a few local Jiangdong dishes, so that General Manager Wang can have a good taste of his hometown."
The manager immediately greeted the guests with a smile and ushered them into the private room, asking for their opinion: "Then let's have something fresh, June 6th, roasted mutton."
Minister Cao was both amused and exasperated: "I want you to serve Jiangdong cuisine."
She guessed that Wang Xiao wouldn't want to eat mutton in this weather. In Russia, beef and mutton were plentiful, but fresh ones were scarce and even more precious.
The person in charge laughed and agreed, "Yes, yes, look at my brain, I still can't keep up with the leader."
She personally took charge of arranging the vegetables.
The door to the private room opened, and the voices of the guests next door could be heard.
The man, perhaps drunk, kept leaning close to the waitress, saying, "Oh, women should be like you, young lady, that's what makes them charming. Those power-hungry women, tsk tsk, they're forever barred from the word 'charm'."
Seeing the waiter so embarrassed he wished he could dig a hole and disappear, Wang Xiao called out, "Waiter, do you have mung bean soup? Bring us some."
The little girl, as if granted a pardon, immediately responded loudly and hurried over, asking with a smile, "Would you like your mung bean soup sweet or bland?"
Minister Cao smiled at her and said, "Two servings, one dessert and one light one."
She discovered that the Russians had a sweet tooth and didn't like bland drinks.
The waiter immediately agreed happily and turned to fetch the mung bean soup pot.
Faintly, voices could be heard saying, "Only one pot of mung bean soup can be served per table, why did you take two?"
Another voice said irritably, "I'm treating my guests, okay?"
When she brought two more pots of mung bean soup into the private room, she had a happy smile on her face again: "The mung bean soup was just made today, and it's all made from good mung beans."
As she spoke, she poured mung bean soup for the guests.
After she finished pouring, Wang Xiao thanked her and said earnestly, "Sister, don't listen to their nonsense. They think that women lose their charm when they have power, but that's only because it's harder for them to flirt with or take advantage of women with power."
The waiter paused, his eyes instantly reddening, but he quickly held back.
"Besides, they're not telling the truth. If they really hated women with power, would they hate their own mothers or daughters having power? What they hate is power that they can't benefit from." Wang Xiao smiled and nodded at her. "A woman who works hard and is dedicated to her work will always be incredibly charming."
Minister Cao smiled and nodded: "Listen to what this lady has to say, and don't listen to those who say sour grapes."
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a knock on the door of the private room.
The waiter hurried to open the door, where a man in a grass-green short-sleeved military uniform stood, his face covered in sweat.
As soon as he saw Minister Cao, he smiled and said, "I rushed as fast as I could, and I finally made it."
Minister Cao was somewhat confused, not understanding why the Air Force was looking for her.
There are two separate teams, and their daily work is completely unrelated.
"General Cheng, you've really confused me."
"No, I'm talking about your guest, Mr. Wang. Oh, why are you calling me General? Just call me Lao Cheng."
General Cheng sat down and looked at Wang Xiao with great interest. "Mr. Wang, what were you thinking behind that science fiction novel of yours?"
Wang Xiao was numb.
Well, Jiangzhimen is an air force base, so it's not surprising that air force personnel know about science fiction.
"Just random thoughts, what else could I be thinking?" Wang Xiao said with a smile. "I looked at some materials left over from the Soviet era, and watched a lot of American movies. Then, as I thought about it during the day, I dreamed about it at night, and that's when I started having these wild thoughts."
She emphasized, "Please don't mind it, it was just a group of friends getting together to have some fun."
"No, no, no," General Cheng waved his hand. "I think that drone swarm is very interesting and worth thinking about."
Although Minister Cao was not a military man, he and his generation of people born in the 1940s received fairly systematic military training during their youth under the same background of "preparing for war and famine for the people".
So when General Cheng mentioned drones, she became interested: "They are indeed quite amazing and very practical."
Wang Xiao immediately emphasized: "We were thinking of using it to spread fertilizer and pesticides on farmland. Our farm is too big and we don't have enough manpower, so we want to rely on machines to do the work. In addition, it can also be used to patrol the mountains and forests. Where there is a fire, where someone is illegally logging trees, the drone can see it clearly from the sky and take action immediately."
Minister Cao's eyes lit up immediately: "That's great!"
What do power companies fear most? Fire! Once a power fire occurs, the losses are often extremely severe.
Wang Xiao continued, "Yes, it can also replace people to patrol remote and dangerous areas and protect people's safety. I've seen some power lines installed on cliffs, which are particularly dangerous."
Minister Cao pressed further: "When will you be making this? What's the approximate purchase price?"
Wang Xiao shook his head: "We haven't started yet. Because drones rely on satellite signals for positioning. If satellite signals are lost, the operator can only control its position with the naked eye. Once it moves out of the line of sight, it becomes uncontrollable. And the transmission of images it captures also requires new technologies."
Indeed, for any technology to flourish, it requires the right timing, location, and people.
Drones are still not at their prime.
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