Chapter 284 Wind Direction Shift
No. 18 Qinlao Hutong was very quiet today. The TCM Association Health Center in the main courtyard had only one light on in each courtyard. Several TCM apprentices were on duty, but they were actually keeping watch. Several people were chatting in the gatehouse at the entrance of the courtyard.

The east wing courtyard is even quieter, different from the deserted main courtyard. From time to time, the pond in the courtyard is filled with the sounds of frogs and splashing water, and the breeze blowing through the pond brings bursts of fragrance.

The lights were on in the pavilion over the pond. Diana was lying on a recliner in a windbreaker with mosquito coils lit beside her. There was red wine and cheese on the stone table. She tilted her head to look at the stars in the sky.

Hearing the footsteps, she tilted her head and looked at the figure approaching, and said with a hint of resentment: "Why did you come so late? I just fell asleep."

Wang Deming gradually walked into the light, his face became clearer, and he sat down on the stone bench in the pavilion. He poured himself a glass of red wine, took a sip, and put a piece of cheese in his mouth and chewed it. "Don't mention it. I was about to leave after get off work, but a few workers who worked the night shift came to see me. Well, I've been busy until now and haven't had dinner yet."

Wang Deming turned his head and looked at the north room which was as bright as day. No one was there. He asked in confusion, "Why is it so deserted here today? The health center next door is the same. Is there an event at the Soviet Embassy today?"

"Yeah." Diana was still lying in the recliner, but she turned her body towards Wang Deming. Seeing him eat several pieces of cheese, she couldn't help but remind him, "I have steak in my room. Do you want to fry two pieces? I'm hungry too when I see you eating. I haven't had dinner yet. I was thinking that we could eat together."

"Okay, wait."

Wang Deming went to the refrigerator familiarly, took out two pieces of fillet steak, added salt and white vinegar to thaw them, and found an alcohol stove, a frying pan, and a piece of butter.

"Sizzle" soon green smoke came out of the pan, emitting the aroma of beef and butter.

After about a minute and a half on one side, add onions, rosemary and garlic and fry for a while. Then take out the steaks and put them on two white plates.

Diana stood up to pour the red wine and cut some sausages and a few slices of bread.

After the steak is fried, simply flip the bread slices over in the oil in the pan.

"cheers"

"Ding." Diana cut a small piece of steak and put it in her mouth, sighing slightly: "I didn't expect that you can fry steak so well. It's better than what I had in Beijing Hotel."

"That's because we Chinese don't like to eat half-cooked food."

"Oh, then why are you an exception?"

"I have good teeth and a strong stomach, so I don't have to worry about getting sick."

"Haha, didn't you always say that you like to eat soft rice?"

“This is meat, not rice.”

"Ha ha."

After Diana had laughed enough, Wang Deming asked why she invited him over tonight.

At this point, Diana lost her appetite again. She cut off a small piece of bread and pushed it to Wang Deming. She shook the red wine glass gently, took a sip, and said seriously, "The wind direction is not right now."

"?"

Diana took another sip of red wine, looked directly at Wang Deming, and said in a deep voice: "Do you know the 20 meetings held by the Soviet Union this year? Khrushchev's speech at the meeting?"

Wang Deming nodded, "Completely denied."

"That's right!" Diana looked down at the red wine in the glass, which was as red as blood. "The Chinese side does not agree." "It's normal to have differences." Wang Deming said against his will. Although he didn't know the exact reason for this incident, he at least knew about the Sino-Soviet Zhenbao Island Battle in 69, but he didn't know when the two countries started to become enemies.

Hearing Diana say this, it proves that the disagreement started this year.

"Hmph, De, your answer is too hypocritical." Diana continued to shake the red wine glass and said faintly: "It's not just you. Many people in our Soviet Union are also angry but dare not speak out. The benevolent father Stalin finally chose the wrong person."

"Or maybe Heru was too good at disguising himself before."

"No more talk, De, we now have to consider the export of beverages to the Warsaw Pact."

Wang Deming slowed down his eating speed. This was indeed a problem. New China was currently being blockaded by Western countries led by the United States. If the Soviet Union also blockaded it, the first thing to be affected would be loans, followed by Siwu Decoction drinks and ginsenoside nutritional dietary supplement tablets.

A sense of urgency arose in his heart. Natural disasters are not just natural disasters. In his previous life, he had seen a video of an old American man named Yang Heping explaining the era and Marxism-Leninism, etc., and he specifically mentioned this time period.

This old American man grew up in New China, studied, worked, etc. He went to the United States in the 70s, so his explanation can be said to have a certain objectivity.

Wang Deming simply put down his knife and fork, and shook his red wine glass like Diana. After taking a sip, he said in a deep voice, "All we can do now is to expand the production capacity in Hong Kong. If there are any changes in the mainland, we can supply goods from Hong Kong in time."

"In addition, we have to find a way to get the Soviet Union's raw diamond ore. Vladivostok is frozen for at least two months every year, so we can't go out to sea."

As the saying goes, De Beers eats the meat and Wang Deming drinks the soup. In the past two years, he and Diana smuggled Soviet diamonds out of Hong Kong to Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia and other places, making at least tens of millions of US dollars.

"The only way is for the Ekhao mine in Siberia to improve its processing of raw stones and directly transport the finished products by air."

"If we can process finished products, can we also buy raw stones and send them to Hong Kong for further processing?" Diana rolled her eyes. "You overestimate our Soviet people's ability to process fine stones."

"Haha, actually, it doesn't matter if the beverage factory can't export." Wang Deming smiled, picked up the knife and fork again, cut a big piece of beef and stuffed it into his mouth, and said vaguely: "Except for buying raw diamonds, gold rubles are of no use to us. We don't have our own bank, so we can only exchange US dollars and other foreign currencies little by little on the black market."

"It's better to think about finding something else to sell from the Soviet Union."

"Well, I've thought about it, but apart from diamonds, there are only oil and food. The latter two are not something we can interfere with."

After finishing the last bite of bread, Wang Deming wiped his mouth with a napkin, drank the wine in his glass, and said with a smile: "Have you forgotten an even more important asset of the Soviet Union?"

"What?" Diana looked at Wang Deming blankly. Which of us is the Soviet? What can the Soviet Union sell? I am not as good as you?

"Weapons and equipment!" Wang Deming gave the answer with a big laugh.

If looks could kill, Wang Deming would be riddled with holes. "I'm telling you something serious. Are you kidding me? How could the Soviet Union's weapons and equipment be sold through us?"

"Too."

"Don't worry, it's normal for countries to have differences. Even brothers can quarrel sometimes."

"Well, that's all I can do."

"Ding!"

(End of this chapter)