March on the Gregorian calendar marked the beginning of spring in Moscow. Though nighttime temperatures could still drop below zero, the snow had begun to melt during the day.
By this time, even homeless drifters with no fixed abode would occasionally show a smile. Having survived the bitter winter, they would most likely live another year.
But after March began, the foreigners who had come to Soviet Russia to buy at the bottom were largely no longer smiling.
As the big bear tightened its oversight of state-owned assets, the days when one could pick up treasures for a few scraps of cash were over.
Though the current bids were still far below the assets' true value, everyone had come hoping to toss in a little money and get rich overnight. Yet once they got here, they were expected to play by the rules of formal bidding?
What respectable business could ever be as attractive as an improper one?
Under such circumstances, the inspection delegation Li Ye belonged to seemed rather unusual. They had secured the most overlooked bargains during the initial trailblazing phase.
And when the policies began tightening, everyone else's projects encountered all sorts of obstructions, while Li Ye's projects were basically all completed smoothly.
Then many people came seeking their wisdom.
"Captain Liang, I heard your connections here are extremely solid! Could you help introduce us to someone? We investigated a project and were practically ready to sign the contract, but it got stuck halfway through."
"Old Liang, we've known each other for decades. Your big brother here is asking you for a favor, so you can't refuse to give me face. Even if you won't give me face, you have to give the country face. This is a national project."
"..."
Liang Furu was a highly experienced