Chapter 74: A Small Business Worth Over 100 Million

'What did you say? Are you saying that all those sirens outside are because the President is here?'

Director Qian looked at his secretary in disbelief and asked him. After getting a positive answer, he was shocked. He couldn't believe his ears. It felt like he was in a world of myths. He couldn't understand if Zhou Ming was really that amazing, and if he said something, he could make it happen. He didn't dare to look at Zhou Ming, because he felt that this matter itself was slapping him in the face. If Zhou Ming said something, he would be speechless.

However, Director Qian's way of thinking was obviously redundant, because Zhou Ming would not waste his brain on this. No matter how much Director Qian beat his face, Zhou Ming was not interested in mocking him for it. In fact, Zhou Ming himself did not expect Nikolaevich to come so promptly.

'Well, since our Mr. President is here, we can't really put on such a big airs and graces, insisting on waiting for him to come to us. Let's go out and greet him too.'

Zhou Ming's words sounded like a question, but in fact, he had already made a decision. After he finished speaking, he got up first, and then walked out of the three-story small building of the management office with Li Chengtong and Director Qian.

When they got outside, the entire Cherv Market was in an uproar due to the arrival of many police cars. Countless northern Russians who had come here to shop were screaming things like 'the market is going to be shut down, the police are here to arrest people, the goods here are all smuggled in, and those Chinese people selling things are all robbers,' and they scattered in all directions like headless flies.

The scene was in chaos. Amidst the chaos, some women had their breasts groped, some people had their belongings stolen, and some children who had lost track of their parents were sitting on the roadside crying loudly.

This was the scene that Zhou Ming saw when he came out. He frowned at once and turned to Director Qian and said, 'Director Qian, the market can't do business like this. The management office must find a way to stabilise the market.'

'Mr Zhou Ming, I'm afraid your request is a bit unreasonable!' Director Qian said, glancing outside deliberately or unintentionally.

Zhou Ming understood what he meant. First of all, the current situation in the market was indeed too chaotic. On the other side, the police cars outside were just parked at the entrance to the market, with no intention of entering at all. Whether the police were there to ensure the safety of the president or for any other reason, even they couldn't control the situation. With only a few people in the management office, how could he stop the chaos? I'm afraid that the past will be overwhelmed by this chaotic crowd.

'Some things, no matter how difficult, must be done by someone,' Zhou Ming said to Director Qian, "Please Director Qian, get me a loudspeaker.'

Zhou Ming's request made Director Qian pause for a moment. He tentatively said to Zhou Ming, "Mr. Zhou Ming, the president is outside right now, should we go meet the president first?'

Zhou Ming simply ignored Director Qian's suggestion. This was not because Zhou Ming was arrogant, but because his suggestion was not constructive at all. In Zhou Ming's opinion, the most important thing at the moment was the Cherniv Market. With this market, Zhou Ming could use the sales of daily necessities to amass rubles for himself, and Nikolayevich, the president of Northern Russia, would take the initiative to visit.

Zhou Ming can still tell the priorities of things, and more importantly, the chaos in the Cherv Market is probably what Nikolayevich would prefer to see.

It was for these reasons that Zhou Ming decided to settle the market first. At his insistence, Director Qian brought him a loudspeaker. Zhou Ming took the loudspeaker and jumped onto the high platform at the entrance, which had not yet been dismantled, and shouted inside, 'Please be quiet. I am the merchant who deals in these daily necessities. I can assure you that the Chelf Market will never close as long as everyone can follow the rules and trade normally!'

It was a simple sentence, but when it came from Zhou Ming's mouth, it seemed to have a magical effect, and the whole market gradually quieted down. Everyone looked up at Zhou Ming on the high platform in a daze.

'Really? It's not going to close? Everything traded here is legal?'

Someone suddenly asked in a daze, and this question represented the hearts of all the Northern Russians below. Zhou Ming replied, 'Of course it's legal and of course it's not going to close!'

As Zhou Ming spoke these words, the Northern Russians below fell silent. However, this silence was short-lived. Soon, after the first person walked towards the shop to continue shopping, the others quickly followed suit. A few minutes later, the market once again resumed trading. Although everyone was still a little shaky, the situation was already much better than the panic just now.

'Mr. Zhou Ming, this is amazing. How did you do it? If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you had hired these people as extras!'

Director Qian exclaimed, his eyes full of admiration and disbelief as he looked at Zhou Ming. He, too, could not help being surprised. After all, Zhou Ming had not said anything, and he could not figure out how these people had calmed down.

Zhou Ming said in response, 'In fact, many things are not as complicated as we think. Sometimes all people need is a little affirmation to make a decision, and it doesn't need to be in fancy words.'

After saying this, Zhou Ming threw the microphone back to Director Qian and turned to walk off the stage, leaving Director Qian on the stage at a loss for what to do.

'This Mr Zhou Ming is truly a man who can get things done. My dear friend, it seems inevitable that we will have to communicate with him face-to-face.'

In the car at the entrance to the Chelf market, Nikolic said to his chief of staff, Kasia, before getting out of the car first, without waiting for Kasia to say anything.

Kasia could hear the sigh in Nikolic's words. As Nikolic's chief of staff, Kasia understood very well that the chaos at the Cherv Market just now was actually very much related to the Northern Russian president. Otherwise, he would have let the police go in to stop the riot, rather than waiting for Zhou Ming to come out and give a speech to these people from the platform.

After all, Zhou Ming's trump card right now is to use the daily necessities trade in the Cherv Market to gather rubles for him. So as long as the market is in chaos, it will be fine, right?

It's just that Nikolayevich is the president of Northern Russia, and there are some things that cannot be done blatantly. Otherwise, if Zhou Ming is pushed too far, and he has such a large sum of rubles in his hands, it would be too easy to create something. Nikolayevich cannot but think about the stability of the country. The reasoning is this, but Nikolayevich has no problem giving Zhou Ming a show of force, which is why he just sits back and ignores the chaos in the Cherv Market.

However, he did not expect that Zhou Ming would just give a few speeches on the loudspeaker and suppress the chaos.

Kasia followed Nikolic towards the market, with the police forming a cordon around them to protect the President. Over there, Zhou Ming also walked over. Zhou Ming was let in and took the initiative to shake Nikolic's hand and said, 'Welcome, Mr. President, to visit Cefu Market!'

Zhou Ming's performance was very enthusiastic, and there was no way to tell that he had just been taken advantage of by this Mr President.

Nikolaevich also said, 'Mr Zhou Ming is too polite. Mr Zhou Ming is a multinational businessman who knows that we are short of daily necessities here. This time, he has brought such a large amount of goods to Northern Russia. We Northern Russians should be thanking Mr Zhou Ming.'

Zhou Ming waved his hand and said that it was a trivial matter. Nikolajevich immediately continued, 'However, the conditions here at the Cherv Market are really poor, and the area is very small. Mr. Zhou Ming, if you want to sell so many things, one market is definitely not enough. I suggest that Mr. Zhou Ming enter several more markets, which will be more secure. As the President of Northern Russia, I can give Mr. Zhou Ming special approval in this regard.'

Nikolaevich's words stunned everyone, including Li Cheng and Tong Gang, and even Zhou Ming did not expect the President of Northern Russia to be so straightforward, without any formalities, and get straight to the point.

Of course they were also surprised that someone of Nikolavich's status would play such a trick. As for him saying this, put simply, it was to distract Zhou Ming's capital inflow. After all, if Zhou Ming's goods went to other places, then not all the rubles sold would go to Zhou Ming. As long as Zhou Ming did not control the capital, then Nikolavich would have a countermeasure.

However, the devil is always one step ahead of the Tao. Zhou Ming would never fall for such a small trick. He immediately nodded and said, 'Of course there is no problem. I am a businessman, and I definitely want to sell as much as possible.'

Zhou Ming then changed the subject and continued, 'However, Mr. Nikolic, I believe you must also be aware of the stock market crash in Gangcheng last year, and the consortium behind me is the Gangcheng consortium.'

Zhou Ming then introduced Li Cheng and Tong Gang, who were standing next to him, to Nikolaevich, and continued, 'We suffered heavy losses in the stock market crash in Gangcheng, and we have not yet recovered. It was not easy to transport so many daily necessities this time, so it is fine to put my things with other people, but I need to settle the bill in advance to ensure sufficient funds for myself.'

At the end, Zhou Ming even deliberately sighed and said, 'We are all small businesses, and what we care about is quick in and quick out, so I hope you, Mr. President, can understand.'

Zhou Ming's answer made Nikolajevic want to jump up and scold someone, because Zhou Ming's words obviously showed a greedy face. What small business? If you call a business that moves tens or hundreds of millions of rubles in and out a small business, then where is there any big business?

However, in the face of Zhou Ming's face, Nikolaevich really had no choice. After all, you can't force someone to owe you money, can you?

Nikolaevich thought for a moment and said to him, 'Mr. Zhou Ming, by saying this, you are refusing the opportunity to expand the market.'

Zhou Ming shook his head and said, 'As long as what I sell is scarce here, then no matter where I am and how many markets are selling it, the result will be the same.'

After saying this, Zhou Ming paused for a moment, and looking at Nikolaevich's hesitant expression, he said, 'Mr. President, I think you'd better make a decision as soon as possible, because tomorrow an American will come to the No. 1 Hotel to talk to me about something, and it is very likely to be about this small business and the market.'

This sentence made Nikolaevich unable to remain calm anymore, because without guessing, one could understand the identity of the American Zhou Ming was talking about.

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