January 27th, Monday, the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month—Little New Year.
At six in the morning, Li Ye and Wen Leyu both got up. After quickly washing up, they went downstairs for breakfast.
Since both the delegation Li Ye and Wen Leyu belonged to had inspection projects in neighboring Tula City, Deputy Director Liang and Commander Zhou discussed it and decided to visit Tula City together that day.
Although the two delegations had different projects, they needed the relevant departments to accompany them to Tula City. If they went in two separate batches, they would make the locals go through the trouble twice. It would be one thing if the locals merely grew annoyed; misunderstandings would be far worse.
Doing business was all about psychological games. If you people from China went once today and again tomorrow, taking turns stepping onto the stage, they would think the scrap copper and rotten iron in their hands were all treasures. If they did not jack up the price on the spot now, then when would they?
Do not think that just because the Russians did not understand Chinese idioms, they did not understand the tricks of hoarding goods for a good price and demanding outrageous sums. Crooked merchants were the same the world over.
After the two delegations finished breakfast and assembled, Moscow sent several escorts to accompany them to Tula City. The person occupying center stage was none other than twenty-four-year-old deputy director Sophia.
Seeing that little woman putting on such an official air, Li Ye felt that the world was truly surreal.
If this had been China, then no matter how much one talked, it would have been impossible to put a twenty-four-year-old in charge of a project like this.
Li Ye found an opening and asked Sophia,