My Realistic Simulation Game

Chapter 177 Robbery-Style Monetary Reform

The Volga Automobile Manufacturing Plant, the plant manager's office.

Kadanikov stood in front of the large floor-to-ceiling window, gazing intently at the factory area.

Brand new Lada and Volga cars were being loaded onto large trailers one after another, and they drove off in two different directions like a steel torrent.

Some of the vehicles bore the logo of "Rogwarts Company," while others were much larger and flowed continuously, clearly belonging to the "Far East Trade" transport fleet.

As the director of the Volga plant, Kadanikov's position went far beyond simply managing an automobile factory.

The Volga Automobile Plant held a pivotal position in the Soviet industrial system, which made its political and economic influence extremely important throughout the country.

This was precisely the key reason why Berezovsky chose him as a partner, and in the original historical trajectory, he would have held an important economic decision-making position in the new government after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

At this moment, he watched as the cars produced in his factory were continuously being taken away, his eyes filled with complex and unreadable emotions.

The secretary knocked softly and entered, placing a latest data report on his desk.

"Factory manager, this is the latest delivery data. Rogwarts has taken a total of 1,720 vehicles of various models from our factory. According to the agreement, they have the right to postpone payment for one year."

Kadanikov turned around, picked up the report, glanced at it, and casually asked, "What about the Far East Trade side? How much did they take?"

He had been closely monitoring the delivery speeds of both companies and had a rough estimate in mind.

The secretary, clearly well-prepared, immediately replied, "Far East Trading's current delivery volume is 3500 vehicles. However..."

Upon hearing the number "3500 vehicles," Kadanikov was shocked. This number far exceeded Rogwarts' and was nearly twice as many!
He looked up at his secretary: "But what?"

The secretary paused, then added, "But... Factory manager, Mr. Wang, the on-site manager from Far East Trading, has just submitted a new vehicle delivery request."

"They demanded...an additional two thousand Lada 2105s and one thousand Volga Gaz-24-10s."

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, Kadanikov could no longer remain calm. He abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with shock!

"On top of the existing 3,500 vehicles, they want another 3,000? A total of 6,500?! How...how could they possibly handle so many vehicles? Could their cash flow keep up? Could the market absorb them?"

The secretary, who had clearly conducted in-depth research on Far East trade, cautiously replied, "Factory Director, judging from the current situation, they seem... to be able to take it all."

"The sales network built by Far Eastern trade within the Soviet Union, especially in the Far East and Siberia, was very unique and extremely dense. It did not operate on the basis of a large corporate system, but rather activated countless scattered, individual 'middlemen'."

"These traders, with their high flexibility and local advantages, coupled with the prestigious reputation of 'Far East Trade' and our 'Volga,' quickly opened up sales channels in markets at all levels, forming a swarm-like sales capability."

More importantly, their trade channels in China appear to be even more formidable. According to our incomplete information, the demand for cars in China seems to be far greater than domestically!
"It's only because of the long distance and the limitations of railway transport capacity that their delivery volume has been restricted; otherwise, this number would probably be double!"

hiss--!
Kadanikov couldn't help but gasp, instinctively leaning back in his chair.

If the outcome of Berezovsky's bet with Qin Yuan was still uncertain at the beginning, then at this moment, in his mind, he could almost declare the final winner in advance!
The market absorption capacity and channel penetration depth demonstrated by Far East Trade Center are simply unfathomable!
For the past month, almost every day people from the Far East trade system have come to the factory with bills of lading to pick up trucks. And it's never just a few or a dozen trucks that are picked up in small quantities; it's often dozens or even hundreds of trucks that are transported away directly by large trucks!

Some of these vehicles were transported to the areas surrounding Moscow, some to the capitals of the constituent republics, and many more were transported by rail to the distant Far East, eventually crossing the border into China.

Even though he had previously given Qin Yuan and Far East Trade a high enough evaluation, it was through this sales competition that he truly saw Qin Yuan's influence throughout the Soviet Union through Far East Trade.

In particular, a sales network has been built in vast regions such as the Far East, the Urals, and Novosibirsk.

Its penetrating power and execution capabilities are simply beyond the reach of Berezovsky's relatively traditional and centralized "Rogwarts" model!

Those Chinese and Soviet merchants who cooperated with trade in the Far East were like countless fine capillaries, penetrating into every corner of this vast land, frantically sucking up the market's almost insatiable demand for automobiles.

If it weren't for the fact that the car's price itself is already quite high, Kadanikov even thought it would trigger a nationwide buying frenzy!

Recent changes in the situation within the Soviet Union have further fueled this fire.

就在1月22日，戈氏通过电视向全体苏联人民宣布，面值为50和100卢布的1961版旧钞即刻停止流通，兑换期限仅有短短三天（1月23日至25日），且每人限额兑换1000卢布。

In theory, the excess amount would need to be processed through complicated procedures at a specialized agency later, making the prospects bleak.

This "Pavlov Currency Reform," which can be described as robbery, instantly triggered enormous panic and chaos throughout the Soviet Union.

Long, desperate lines formed in front of all the banks and savings offices that exchanged old and new rubles, and arguments and fights over exchange limits were commonplace.

The most tragic cases are those who were at work and unable to leave, and could only watch helplessly as their hard-earned wealth shrank or even vanished in an instant.

Countless people lost the thousands or tens of thousands of rubles they had saved through honest labor, which was a huge fortune at the time.

The ruble's credibility collapsed almost overnight, and distrust of holding paper money spread wildly among the public.

Almost everyone is trying their best to exchange their ruble cash for any "hard currency" that can retain its value as soon as possible—food, gold, foreign exchange, etc.

And, cars!
Therefore, in the last half month, both Rogwarts and Far East Trade experienced explosive growth in their car sales!
The delivery of several thousand vehicles may just be the beginning.

Kadannikov knew this better than anyone.

Because he knew perfectly well that Pavlov's true purpose in implementing this monetary reform was to forcibly withdraw the massive amounts of cash held by residents, attempting to alleviate the catastrophic shortage of consumer goods, stabilize the precarious cash flow, reduce the fiscal deficit, and curb hyperinflation. And as a shareholder of the "Auto Union," he was even more aware of the astonishing profits he could reap from this state-led "wealth redistribution"!

The alliance sold these cars to two companies at the factory price (approximately $3500 per vehicle).

However, the wholesale prices of these two companies are generally above $7000!

One car, and you get double the gross profit!
One thousand vehicles would generate a gross profit of three and a half million US dollars.

Ten thousand cars would cost thirty-five million US dollars!
And Kadnikov can take 20% of this huge gross profit!

This means that if 10,000 cars are eventually sold, he could personally receive an astonishing seven million dollars!

Given the prospect of reaping such enormous wealth, how could he not choose to remain on the sidelines and be happy to see it happen?
"Factory Director? Factory Director?" Seeing Kadanikov deep in thought, the secretary cautiously reminded him, "Regarding this additional vehicle delivery request from Far East Trade, should we... approve it or not?"

Kadanikov snapped out of his reverie about enormous profits, his eyes no longer showing any hesitation. With a wave of his hand, he said decisively:

"Approved! Of course, approved! We'll give them as much as they want."

"Tell them that the Volga plant's warehouses and production lines are their strongest support."

"All the cars in the park are here, so why worry about not having a car?!"

He likes to work with the victors.

Qin Yuan, and Far East Trade, were such victors!
……

A large temporary warehouse area for Far Eastern trade leasing outside Moscow.

Watching the last trailer truck loaded with Volga cars slowly drive into the warehouse yard, Wang Gongquan let out a long sigh of relief, turned to the towering man behind him, and said:

"Mr. Zhang, I have successfully completed my mission. The additional two thousand Ladas and one thousand Volgas have all been safely delivered to the warehouse."

Binzi is used to being called "Binzi" or "Brother Bin" by people, so the title "General Manager Zhang" is rarely used so formally.

It is only because this highly educated person in front of me, who has experienced ups and downs in China, possesses a scholarly air yet is also quite capable, that he is so meticulous and methodical.

Binzi stared at Wang Gongquan, nodding inwardly.

This person is extremely organized and has excellent communication and coordination skills; they are truly a talented individual.

Gangzi, who was standing nearby, chimed in with a grin: "Hey Lao Wang, you call my brother 'General Manager Zhang,' so what should you call me?"

Wang Gongquan adjusted his glasses, his expression calm, and replied smoothly, "President Song."

"Ah! That feels so good!" Gangzi immediately beamed and patted Wang Gongquan's shoulder hard. "I never thought I, Song Yugang, would be called 'General Manager' one day!"

"Haha, Lao Wang, that's a real friend. When I see my brother Yuan, I'll definitely put in a good word for you and make sure you stay!"

When Wang Gongquan and Xu Zhenbang arrived in Kuibyshev, they learned that Qin Yuan had already flown back to China.

Xu Zhenbang was eager to return home and immediately went back to Moscow to book the earliest flight back to Yanjing.

Wang Gongquan, however, chose to stay.

Since he had made up his mind to join Far East Trading and make a name for himself, he naturally wanted to get a closer look at the company's operating model and development potential.

Since there is no opportunity to meet with Qin Yuan in person for the time being, it is equally important to conduct in-depth observation of the actual operation of Far East trade and Far East food in the Soviet Union.

He happened to be caught up in the car sales war organized by Binzi's middlemen, and naturally took the initiative to help. His organizational, coordination and negotiation skills quickly earned him Binzi's appreciation and trust, so he was entrusted with the important task of liaising with the Volga factory to pick up the goods.

"Alright, Gangzi, stop being so serious," Binzi said, stopping Gangzi's playful antics in a calm tone.

He looked at Wang Gongquan and asked, "Old Wang, the handover of goods here is complete. We'll be returning to Yanjing with the next convoy heading back to China. Are you planning to stay in Moscow, or come back with us to see my brother?"

Wang Gongquan did not answer immediately. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment.

During this period of frequent contact with the Volga plant, he not only completed his tasks efficiently, but also observed the operation of this pillar enterprise of the vast empire with a detached eye.

They keenly observed that this snowy northern country resembled the signs that appeared before the end of dynasties in ancient Chinese history.

He saw chaos, he saw inefficiency, but he also saw opportunities everywhere...

A tremendous opportunity, enough to make someone rise to the top in one step!

However, his individual efforts alone are far from sufficient to seize these opportunities.

He needs a powerful platform and a leader with the vision and ability to integrate resources.

He raised his head, his gaze becoming firm and clear:
"I'll go back to China with you!"

(End of this chapter)