Chapter 222 The Laughter of Adults: Kicked Out
This journey has been quite lively.
Who says Russians are taciturn? Look, a nation that produces Gogol and Chekhov—when they get sharp-tongued, their attacks are formidable.
Wang Xiao watched their verbal sparring with amusement until the car stopped in front of a small building.
On the surface, this building is unremarkable; even a country villa built by a slightly more particular family would be more beautiful and eye-catching.
But once inside, Wang Xiao discovered that it was a completely different world.
It's no exaggeration to say that the decor of Ivanov's villa in the suburbs is simple and understated compared to this place.
For a moment, Wang Xiao even wondered if he was being dazzled by the dazzling gold plating in the room.
It's strange that Russian women don't like gold jewelry, but the wealthy and powerful here seem to have a particular fondness for it.
The pale yellow walls and the rose-red arched roof were all gleaming under the dazzling gilding, and even the fish in the glass tank in front of the wall became goldfish, just as their name suggested.
The lobby was extremely spacious, with a group of people sitting in brown chairs around the coffee table, seemingly discussing something, or perhaps waiting for someone. They would exchange a few words and then look up towards the back.
The frequency of their movements made Wang Xiao worry that they might strain their necks.
A middle-aged man, well, about 40 years old, of medium build, with a short neck—well, practically neckless—walked out with a light step.
Just as the people who were sitting in the coffee chairs stood up excitedly, shouting "Daniel," he quickly walked past them, strode up to Ivanov and Yura, and warmly embraced and shook hands with them.
See, who said Russians are naturally frigid?
They can be as passionate as fire whenever needed.
Judging from the fact that Yura had to act as an intermediary to introduce them, Ivanov and this Daniil were not acquainted at all.
But this did not prevent Daniel from expressing his instant rapport with Ivanov, and he warmly invited Ivanov to his study for a good chat.
When Wang Xiao tried to follow her in, Yura stopped her with her hand: "Excuse me, ma'am, this is a conversation that is not suitable for you."
Ivanov frowned and took a step toward Wang Xiao.
The latter gave him a "don't worry" look before turning to look at Yura and nodding slightly: "Okay."
Ivanov wrinkled his nose and glared angrily at Yura.
The red-haired man made a helpless expression, shrugged, and indicated: There's nothing I can do.
The three of them finally disappeared behind the door.
Wang Xiao also had a moment to turn her head and carefully examine the luxuriously decorated room.
Wow, that's interesting. There's actually quite a lot of wine displayed in the front hall.
The men who were sitting around the coffee table stopped talking and their eyes fell on Wang Xiao one after another.
Clearly, her presence made them feel uncomfortable.
Someone asked, "Who is she?"
The other person, whether out of poor volume or on purpose, let out a loud hum before replying, "White Gloves, that Ivanov's White Gloves."
The person asking the question seemed to suddenly realize something, and also let out a heavy snort, making one suspect that he had a rhinitis attack and his nose was blocked.
After all this buildup, he said sarcastically, "Our Ivanov is a truly amazing man. He actually dared to transfer money to China. Good heavens, isn't he afraid the Red Army will confiscate his property?"
Wang Xiao winked at Liu Ba, and the female bodyguard couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Good heavens, the so-called "women's effeminate manner and gossiping behind people's backs" should really have the word "women" removed.
Because men are the same.
Everyone should read Simone de Beauvoir's books.
The man who had been speaking heard the laughter, his face flushed, and then he growled angrily, "What are you talking about?"
"Where did you transfer the money?" Wang Xiao asked with a smile. "Was it safe?"
“Of course!” The man said with a smug look. “We will only choose safe banks.”
Wang Xiao, however, was very blunt with him: "Really? What will you do if the US government freezes your account?"
The smug man's expression instantly changed: "What nonsense are you talking about? How could the US government freeze my account? Has the US government gone mad?"
Wang Xiao smiled enigmatically: "It didn't dare before because the Soviet Union was there. Now that the Soviet Union is gone, why wouldn't it dare?"
Another man countered, "Communism loves to fabricate enemies and intimidate. Forget your nonsense; no Russian will believe it anymore except for fools. Why is the US government freezing accounts?"
"It's all about the money." Wang Xiao's smile deepened. "Guess why the ruble depreciated so drastically? No currency speculator in the world could do that. Guess who could?"
The man who spoke earlier retorted unhappily, "Don't spout such inflammatory nonsense. The US government wouldn't do something so strange. It wouldn't do them any good."
"Who said there isn't?" Wang Xiao sneered. "Money? Who hates money? Does the American government hate it? Why wouldn't they take money that's been handed to them? After reaping the Soviet Union's wealth, they can live comfortably for several years. Next, it'll be your turn. When that time comes, do you think the Russian people will applaud and welcome them?"
The answer is yes.
Before she transmigrated, countless Chinese people were hoping that the United States would disclose the bank accounts of Chinese elites and their families in the US.
The two men were about to burst out cursing: "What kind of nonsense is this? The US government—no, why do I say the US government? It doesn't matter, our money isn't in the US either."
Even with all this, Wang Xiao still wouldn't let them off the hook: "The US can also ask banks in other countries to freeze your accounts. The Soviet Union is dead; which European bank would dare refuse a US request? Guns always seem to win more justice."
The man who had first attacked Wang Xiao couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "You dare? Does China dare?"
“Of course.” Wang Xiao proudly raised his chin. “Don’t forget, in the Korean War, we single-handedly fought the UN forces. When have we ever followed the Americans around? When have we ever listened to their orders?”
The man blushed, wanting to say that Russia was not a puppet of the United States either, and that they were a nation with self-respect.
But everyone knows that the current Russian Federation government is supported by the United States. Everyone is saying that this is why the president dared to attack the White House.
Wang Xiao enthusiastically suggested, "Why don't you deposit your money in Huaxia Bank? Seriously, the interest rate isn't low; it's 10.98% per year. And you don't have to worry about the bank going bankrupt anytime soon."
She is such a wonderful person, a truly touching and wonderful person.
Even though people were mocking and sarcastic towards her, she still gave them sincere advice.
This heart can move even the sun and moon.
However, the woman didn't appreciate it at all. Instead, she acted as if she had been greatly humiliated, her face turning red and white with anger. She turned her head away and refused to have any further communication with this hateful Chinese woman.
Wang Xiao didn't care. She found a chair and sat down. She stretched out her hand, and immediately a waitress who looked as beautiful as a movie star came over and asked respectfully, "Madam, what would you like?"
"Newspaper, um, and another soda."
She swore she wasn't showing off, but rather that the Russian diet is predominantly meat-based. For health reasons, drinking soda water occasionally is necessary.
What else would she drink? Overly sweet Russian black tea?
Wang Xiao was engrossed in flipping through the newspaper.
Because the boss didn't take out his laptop, the assistant was intently focused on him.
He would write down any news items that the boss glanced at twice, so that he could review them later and keep timely records for the boss's reference.
Good heavens, he can earn a high salary of $3,000 because he really is like Doraemon from Japanese anime, capable of producing anything.
Just as Wang Xiao finished reading a newspaper and was about to put it down, the people inside the house finally came out.
Daniel, with his short neck, let out an exaggerated laugh, half-seriously and half-jokingly criticizing the men sitting at the coffee table: "My God, gentlemen, it's so ungentlemanly of you to leave such a beautiful lady sitting here all alone. You should be talking, yes, having a lively conversation."
Wang Xiao put down his newspaper, beaming. "No, you misunderstand, sir. We did talk. In fact, we just had a very lively exchange about the President's bravery. I believe that given the President's heroic performance, the US government certainly won't dare to arbitrarily confiscate Russian overseas assets. After all, the Americans are also afraid of Your Excellency's cannons; who knows where they'll be aimed next?"
Daniel burst out laughing.
He might not have found the remark particularly humorous, but laughter always helps to ease the atmosphere and serves as a smooth transition to the next segment.
“I wonder if I would have the honor of inviting you all to lunch?” Daniel smiled and turned to Ivanov. “My little, humble club is certainly no match for your Doll Club. In fact, I would very much like to join the Doll Club, but I am too old, and you don’t like this old man.”
Ivanov looked at him strangely: "No, don't underestimate yourself, you should be able to do it."
Yura laughed: "Oh my God, Daniel, don't underestimate yourself."
In the silence, his laughter stood out.
After Neil burst into laughter, the men waiting in the lobby seemed to have a switch flipped, and they erupted into a cacophony of laughter.
It's as if they reacted a beat slower than others, but finally their nerves clicked.
Wang Xiao glanced at Yura with a half-smile. Yura's expression stiffened for a moment, but was quickly masked by the effort she put into making a smile.
“Please try our chef’s cooking,” Daniel warmly invited. “They have been looking forward to welcoming you distinguished guests for a long time.”
This clearly means that there is more than one chef.
This place definitely deserves a team of chefs.
After all, the tomato fried rice served to Wang Xiao looked quite authentic.
This made Ivanov jealous, and he directly protested: "I want Beijing fried rice too!"
Wang Xiao simply scooped up two spoonfuls and put them on his plate: "Eat up, eat up, I can't eat this much either."
Daniel seemed to want to make laughing his way out of his persona, and he laughed again: "My God, it seems our chef's skills are really good."
Ivanov scoffed, "If you can't even make Beijing fried rice right, then you're really doomed. God, I guarantee it's the simplest and tastiest."
At the dinner table, someone sarcastically mentioned Ivanov's name: "You really are..."
But before he could finish speaking, his companion interrupted him with a broad smile: "You really are a gourmet."
Ivanov scooped a spoonful of tomato fried rice and brought it to his mouth, smiling slightly: "I don't deserve such praise. I can't compare to you all in terms of eating ability. I only like a bite of Beijing fried rice."
Some people's expressions changed, while others looked around blankly, trying to find the mystery.
Ivanov did not react further, but continued to eat his fried rice.
Daniel's laughter rang out again, like background music. He looked extremely happy and even joked with Ivanov: "God, I have to call the cook out. Looks like he's going to get a hefty tip today. I'm so envious of his good luck."
Wang Xiao looked up in surprise, a look of astonishment on her face: "Oh, I thought you were going to give him a raise. After all, he worked for you, and his work successfully satisfied the customer. You should reward him."
“Of course.” Daniel’s smile didn’t falter at all, and he even commented, “That’s a really good idea. Hmm, Ivanov, Miss King always comes up with such great ideas for you.”
Two spoonfuls of fried rice were still too little, and Ivanov could only continue eating his tasteless lunch.
Without even looking up, he said indifferently, "Of course, after all you all know, I'm all looks and no brains."
Daniel laughed: "My God! Ivanov, I love you so much. No wonder so many women are obsessed with you, I'm totally smitten with you too."
Ivanov politely declined, saying, "God will stop you."
Daniel was busy laughing throughout the meal.
When he put down his spoon, Wang Xiao thought that this guy must have pretty good lung capacity.
The assistant was completely dumbfounded.
He felt like he had grown ears and a head, but it also felt like he didn't.
Even though the boss had clashed with Daniel at the dinner table, and it was quite a heated exchange, he still couldn't figure out what the argument was about.
God, he decided to retract his earlier statement.
The boss was willing to pay him a high salary of $3,000 a month, not because he was capable, but because the boss was too kind.
Look, he can't even understand what they're saying, and they still haven't fired him.
Ivanov wiped his mouth, smiled, and said goodbye to his host: "Thank you for your hospitality. Please excuse me for taking my leave now."
Yura laughed and helped explain, "My God, my dear Daniil, Ivanov came straight to your salon from the train station. God, we all need a good soak. Why is there a teeth cleaning but no lung cleaning? Otherwise, I really would go and clean my lungs properly. God, Novokuznetsk must be working so hard."
Daniel sighed heavily: "That's why I've always admired Ivanov so much. Look, in this country, people like us who are willing to do real business are considered fools. It's rare to find like-minded people."
Ivanov had already put on his hat, nodded slightly to him, and smiled as he took his leave: "Well then, I'll be going now, Daniel. Thank you for your hospitality."
He turned around and gestured to Wang Xiao.
He only started walking when the latter lifted his foot.
Daniel, seemingly oblivious to his rudeness, followed with great enthusiasm: "Let me see you off. My dear Ivanov, I understand, you must be exhausted. Such a long and arduous expedition, God, I truly admire you. Once you've rested, we can have a good chat."
As they were talking, they arrived at the door, where a car had just pulled up.
The man who got off the bus first had light blond hair and many freckles on his nose and cheeks, making him look like a young boy.
In fact, this young man named Zaharyan is quite young, only 25 years old, and he just graduated from Moscow State University this year, or rather last year.
Note that this refers to undergraduate students, not graduate students.
The reason he graduated so late was not because he spent too much time preparing for college entrance exams.
In fact, in 1987, he was admitted to Moscow International University thanks to his intelligence, which had won him a gold medal in the International Mathematical Olympiad.
According to the normal procedure, he should have graduated in 1991, before the collapse of the Soviet Union.
But during his junior year of college, he accidentally discovered the secret to making money by reselling rubles for dollars.
From then on, it was unstoppable.
He went from earning $100 a day to earning $1,000 a day.
To make it easier to stay in Moscow and continue his business, and to keep his dormitory safe—well, the student dormitories had thick doors, and once locked, they were like a safe vault—he postponed graduation time and time again.
This time, he finally decided to leave the university campus because his business had grown bigger, making it inconvenient to go in and out of the school.
To be honest, this man is a true self-made man. Throughout his journey to wealth, he had neither family support nor any background to rely on. His only winning formula was his keen sense of opportunity and decisive action.
That's why, although Ivanov disliked forex speculators, he admired Zaharyan's intelligence.
So when Zaharyan greeted him with a smile and introduced the other passengers who got off the bus, he stopped and nodded with a smile instead of ignoring her and walking away.
The guest introduced by Zahari Yang, James, was a foreigner, reportedly an expert from Citibank who had been involved in handling Latin American debt.
He was in Moscow, and he started out doing ruble-dollar business. Last year, no, it must have been the year before last, in 1992, the Russian federal government introduced warrants—yes, privatization securities.
Because the president disliked the word "voucher," considering it too vulgar, he forbade officials from using it; therefore, it was referred to as "privatization securities" in the newspapers.
But in reality, people still call that printed paper that looks like a banknote a voucher.
James is in the business of warrants.
He has a large number of vouchers; he has vouchers for almost every one of the better-off companies in Russia.
When James saw Ivanov, his eyes shone brighter than the gold in the club.
He shook hands with Ivanov warmly: "Hi, my dear friend, it's a pleasure to see you. I think we could have afternoon tea and take up a little of your time to chat. I have some trinkets here that might interest you, um, like vouchers from the Kuznetsk Steel Plant. We can have a good talk."
Wang Xiao looked back at Yura again, and a look of disgust was clearly visible on the latter's face.
And this time, he didn't even try to hide it, just staring at James with a cold look in his eyes.
“No, no need.” To James’s surprise, Ivanov not only didn’t respond, but also refused directly. “Thank you for your kindness, but I don’t need it. Goodbye, I won’t take up any more of your time.”
As he spoke, he politely shook hands with the person to say goodbye.
A moment of embarrassment flashed across James's face, but like any mature adult, he quickly masked the awkwardness with a smile.
He shook hands with Ivanov warmly: "Alright then, my friend, if you change your mind or need anything at any time, please contact me immediately. I will always be your most loyal friend, I'll always be here for you."
Ha, he really enjoys dealing with the country's young millionaires.
They are young, energetic, and there's nothing they wouldn't dare to do.
Unfortunately, precisely because they are young, they often act impulsively and emotionally.
But that's okay, he's always patient.
As a hunter, he always manages to wait for his prey to slowly approach.
As soon as he got into the car and the door closed, Yura blurted out a curse: "Fuck! These damn thieves, thieves who covet Russia's wealth."
Ivanov glared at him warningly: "Yura, maybe you want to go down for some fresh air."
"You!" Yura snapped. "Ivanov, we're friends, brothers since childhood!"
Ivanov readily agreed: "Therefore you should respect me, instead of forcibly imposing your will on me."
Just as Yura was about to explode again, laughter suddenly erupted in the carriage.
Wang Xiao laughed and shook his head, looking at Yura with a very strange expression: "To be honest, I don't understand, Yura, why are you angry? Is it because of James? You know perfectly well that he can't do anything, and you can easily stop him. I don't understand who you're trying to show your anger to? Are you perhaps a performer?"
"you!"
Thankfully, a car is still a car; even the most spacious sedan has limited interior space, and Yura couldn't even jump up, otherwise he would have jumped three feet high.
"Don't make sarcastic remarks. This is a terrible predicament facing Russia. These damned guys are exploiting loopholes to illegally collect privatization securities. They are stealing Russia's wealth in earnest!"
“That’s just a warrant, a warrant for shares, it’s not even a stock.” Wang Xiao’s voice was light and airy, but it was like a knife cutting through the bloody truth with almost icy coldness. “You can easily introduce a regulation to prohibit foreigners from entering the auction.”
"There's no need to think of reasons, because the reasons are readily available. For example, privatization is to allow all Russian citizens to acquire Russian state property, and this distribution plan doesn't include foreigners."
"For example, the emerging Russian capitalist forces are too weak to compete with foreign capital. The state has an obligation to protect its weak and emerging domestic capital, so it refuses to allow foreign capital to enter the market."
Wang Xiao's lips curled upwards. "At that time, the people will definitely welcome the new regulations issued by the country with great joy, surrounded by patriotic enthusiasm. After all, populism will always rise during times of economic downturn. Compared to solving complex domestic contradictions, diverting the public's attention to foreign forces is obviously much simpler and more effective."
Her smile deepened, her expression almost playful. "Don't be angry, I'm not implying anything about anyone. This is an eternal truth, used by every country in every era. Patriotism always rises and falls like the tides, depending on the needs of the government's interests."
Yura's chest rose and fell like the tide.
He first stared at Wang Xiao, then immediately turned and glared at Ivanov.
The latter raised his hand to prove his innocence: "Don't wrong me. I've been with you the whole time. I didn't even have a chance to speak to Wang alone, let alone pass on any codes."
Wang Xiao chuckled: "Why would we need to send a message about something so obvious?"
Ivanov sighed heavily: "Yura, you never believe me when I say no. She always judges everything with perfect accuracy. It's me who needs her, I'm afraid of being abandoned. Even Vladimir wants to win her over to cooperate. You and he are just putting on an act, deliberately leaving me out."
“No way!” Yura immediately denied. “Vlamikil is just like me, he just doesn’t want you to become a puppet.”
Ivanov sneered: "Yes, that way the strings of my puppet are now in your hands."
Neither the assistant nor the bodyguard in the car had any interest in listening to their childish bickering.
Everyone was puzzled: how did Miss Wang know what was happening in Daniel's study?
They were quite certain that there was no eavesdropping and no one was passing messages to her.
But clearly, she was right.
Everything she said explained why they were able to directly approach the male boss and have him take over the factory.
The boss clearly didn't receive any receipts; oh, they were privatization securities.
Wang Xiao had already closed his eyes slightly, leaving everyone with an unfathomable demeanor.
She, of course, received no message.
She could guess these things simply because she knew that the seven oligarchs were all genuine Russians and had no foreign capital.
In the era before she traveled back in time, many voices online asserted that Russia's privatization process was a process of Western capitalists, led by the United States, dividing up Russian assets.
But living in this era, she knows very well: no, that's not it.
From beginning to end, it was a celebration of Russian elites dividing up the country.
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