Chapter 49: The Rise and Fall of the Diao Ye's Blood and Tears and the Bribery of Huaxia Bookstore Network
"Ha ha, you'll know when the time comes. Other people's roads aren't easy to take, but my road is full of opportunities like this. All the people we deal with are from the nobility of the old Tsarist era, they were suppressed during the Soviet Union, and now they're all coming out again, each one eager to show off their family heirlooms and get rich overnight, thinking they can make a fortune by selling them cheaply. But in reality, most of these people are just foolish, and we can often buy back the goods from them for less than a tenth of their original price. The lower the price we kill them with, the more it shows our patriotism, and we're also avenging our ancestors."
Yang Junhu lay in bed for three days and basically recovered. When he was discharged from the hospital, it took some effort, because this guy got better too quickly, and the doctors found it hard to believe that his body had not fully recovered. Fortunately, Yang Junhu's condition was indeed good, and with one hand, he casually carried the large iron window of the ward to the duty room, and the doctor immediately approved his discharge.
Ye Haodong and Zhang Tianpeng have been studying how to develop Sino-Russian trade in the past few days. Yang Junhu suddenly ran back, startling them both, but after taking a closer look, they saw that this kid had really recovered, and only then did they feel at ease.
Zhang Tianpeng thought they should first take Ye Haodong to Russia for a trip, and Ye Haodong also felt it was necessary to get familiar with the road and see the world. In early March 2000, Ye Haodong brought Yang Junhu and Bao Ligang to follow Zhang Tianpeng onto an international train bound for Moscow.
All the way, Zhang Tianpeng talked about his knowledge of Sino-Russian trade history. From the "Dongyang" era in the 1980s and 1990s to their current Chinese business trade. From folk Dongyang using daily necessities to exchange tanks to a bottle of white wine for a box of bullets; from Mou XX's canned goods exchanged for airplanes to his own proud work, cigarettes exchanged for oil.
The railway from Beijing to Manzhouli to Moscow is over 9,000 kilometers long. The international train runs once a week, taking six days and six nights, and this international train was the main means of transportation for those international "private traders" at that time. And in the eyes of these "private traders", this route is as familiar as a country road returning home.
As soon as the train entered Russia, at every stop, "profiteers" would rush down with down jackets and leather jackets, while Russians waiting to buy were already packed on the platform. These "profiteers" made a lot of money, and after returning home, they spread legendary stories that were extremely provocative. For a time, the China-Russia border was swept up in a frenzy of cross-border trade. From the initial Heilongjiang "profiteers" and Beijing "profiteers", it developed into mainly Fujian and Zhejiang "profiteers". However, only these international "profiteers" themselves knew the hardships involved. The route of China-Russia folk trade was opened up by their sweat and blood, with stories that were shocking and thrilling. When looking back on past events, the emotions of those involved were also extremely complex. Almost everyone who walked the path of being a "profiteer" had encountered robbery, and some had even lost their lives.
In Moscow's Astey, the largest Chinese commodity market in Russia, although the appearance is simple, the rent is surprisingly high. A shop built on top of two old containers has an annual rent and various "service fees" and "protection fees" totaling around 500,000 yuan. However, compared to the profits from business, these "small change for Russians" are no longer a concern for the "bosses". As the business grew bigger and more money was made, it became difficult to bring the earned money back to China. At that time, checking the US dollars carried by Chinese businessmen became an important task for Russian customs. Because at that time, trains were the only channel, and predecessors could only risk carrying tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of US dollars back to the country. As a result, every entry and exit from Russia became a kind of crazy celebration. As soon as the train entered Russia, the Chinese "bosses" would rush into the dining car for meals, because every time they arrived at a Russian station, their goods would be sold out immediately. And when the train left the Russian border and entered China, the "bosses" would all let out a sigh of relief, "It's great to be back home!"
"The 'Hegemons' have smashed open the door to Sino-Russian trade. In the past year, changes in regulations have gradually relegated private traders like us to the status of illegal merchants, and this road is now basically closed off to people like us. All that's left are official traders like Brother. The dual-track system is no longer in fashion, and we don't need any more permits or whatnot; it's all about free trade now. We've changed our stripes, and now we're called Chinese merchants. Brother has opened a company called Peng Cheng Trading Co. in Moscow, specializing in Sino-Russian trade - we buy and sell everything except arms and drugs."
Zhang Tianpeng's eloquent introduction broadened Ye Haodong's horizons while also giving him some new ideas.
So many Chinese goods were sold to Russia in the past, which would inevitably have an impact on Russia's domestic economy. However, some Chinese merchants are not reliable and counterfeit products are unavoidable, making it easy for the Russian government to find excuses to implement trade protectionism. If a factory could be built in Russia to process raw materials or semi-finished products from China, with local workers employed, this would stimulate local employment, guarantee product quality and reputation, and allow for more contact with the Russian government. If this project is successful, it will bring boundless wealth!
Ye Haodong thought the more he thought about it, the more feasible this matter was. Now that Russia is transitioning from a chaotic political situation dominated by oligarchs to a relatively stable one, as long as he grasped this opportunity firmly, building a factory would be no problem!
In the following days in Moscow, Ye Haodong did not go out to visit several famous scenic spots in Moscow. The Kremlin, Red Square and St. Basil's Cathedral were still unclear to him, but during these days he basically understood the new trends of Russia's political arena. A name that will shine all over the world in the future has recently appeared frequently in newspapers and mainstream media - Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The current Russian Prime Minister who is good at using public opinion to guide the direction. Without joining any party, on the stage of power struggle, his young and tough rule-of-law governance political ideology made many people both look forward to him and worry about him. Ye Haodong had Kuznetsova, Zhang Tianpeng's Russian female secretary who was fluent in Chinese, translate reports and text records about Putin for him every day during this period. He urgently wanted to know the governance philosophy and preferences of the person who would soon take control of Russia's power. He did so much not to try to bribe Putin, but to predict the direction of Russia's economic policy in the future, find potential stocks that will develop with Putin in the same camp, and also find suitable projects and business models for his own plan to be implemented.
Aleshin Yevgeny, currently serves as the Commissioner of Moscow's Department for Media and Information and Deputy Commissioner of the Moscow Police. From recent news reports, it is not difficult to discern the political leanings of this 39-year-old high-ranking Russian official. Ye Haodong has set his sights on making connections with this person. He wants to build a factory here, he wants to establish his own influence here, and he must gain the support of powerful figures.
Zhang Tianpeng's special identity and Pengcheng Trade's strong trading capabilities make him a notable figure in this city. Pengcheng Trade Co., Ltd. and Pengcheng Export Agency Co., Ltd. have two offices in the city, representing two extremes. The magnificent Pengcheng Trade is a famous sales center for high-end Chinese goods in Moscow, located in the heart of the city's commercial district. In contrast, Pengcheng Export Agency is only a small storefront on a nondescript commercial street in a poor residential area of Moscow. People familiar with Zhang Tianpeng and those who are not all believe that Pengcheng Trade Co., Ltd. is his main source of wealth, but no one would have guessed that the actual cash cow is actually that unassuming small storefront.
In the luxurious living room hidden behind an unassuming small gate, Aleyshyev was dressed in casual attire, with a cigar between his fingers and a professional smile devoid of any emotional expression on his face, carefully sizing up the young Chinese man sitting across from him.
"I haven't read many books, so I'm not very cultured. I haven't even mastered the language of my own country, so please forgive me for not being able to converse with you in your native tongue."
"Where, Your Excellency is too modest. A young man who can become a partner with Zhang, such a big trader, how could he be an uncultured person? I think you are self-taught and naturally talented." The slightly strange but very authentic Chinese words flowed fluently from the mouth of this blonde-haired, blue-eyed young Russian official.
He was so openly praised by a blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigner that Ye Haodong's first thought was of Viktor, the arms dealer who had once been familiar with Chinese culture. In comparison, this A Ye She Ye Fu was even more impressive. For foreigners to be able to understand idioms was already quite good; for them to use them correctly was truly a rare occurrence.
"I didn't expect you to have such a deep understanding of our country's culture. Since that's the case, let's communicate in Chinese then."
A Ye Shiyef spread his hands: "No problem, I and Zhang are old friends, my wife's father has a lot of trade with Zhang's trading company, you were introduced by Zhang, I believe that the young man who can bring me surprises in Zhang's mouth will not disappoint me, right?"
Ye Haodong burst out laughing and pulled out a box from under the table, walked over to A Ye Xiye and handed it over personally. He said: "A small gift for our meeting, not worth much, please take a look first, if you're satisfied, then we'll be friends and partners from now on."
