Chapter 278 Tongrentang’s cold-clearing and heat-clearing granules open the way
Here in Lao Maozi, it is normal for a son to inherit his father's business.
For example, Mikoyan Sr., the son of Mikoyan Sr., and Yakovlev Sr., son of Yakovlev Sr., are both engaged in airplanes, and they are both successful, but there are exceptions.
Old Mikulin is a genius in engines. He has made amazing achievements in both piston engines and jet engines. However, when it comes to raising his children, Mikulin has obviously failed.
Xiaomi Kulin did not inherit his father's talent. He did not devote himself to science. Instead, he entered the entertainment industry. Although he did not win any awards, he appeared in many movies. In particular, because of his father's relationship, Xiaomi Kulin has lived in a superior environment since he was a child. There have been many cars in his family's garage.
What leaves a deep impression is that Xiaomi Kulin also owns a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing sports car with gull-wing doors. Although this car was produced in the 1950s and is already considered an antique, due to its It used a high-end fuel injection system, so it was purchased by the KGB and studied carefully in St. Petersburg. Later, after it lost its research value, it was released to the market and was collected by Xiaomi Kulin, who loves sports cars.
These all show the characteristics of Xiaomi Kulin as a rich second generation. How could he be so miserable at this time?
Now, little Mikulin is also old, and time has left wrinkles on his face, making him look very similar to old Mikulin.
Mr. Jiang once met the old Mikulin. Decades ago, when the relationship between the two parties was friendly, Mr. Jiang once came to Moscow and visited the famous Mikulin Design Bureau. At that time, the old Mikulin left him a I was deeply impressed, and even though decades have passed, I still recognize it now.
Of course, this is also because the medals sold by the other party are the same as those owned by old Mikulin. In the entire country of Da Mao, there are not many people with so many medals.
At this time, Xiao Mikulin's sad look made people very emotional. The wrinkled old man in front of him seemed like the red empire that had collapsed.
"Mr. Mikulin, have you encountered any difficulties in life?" Qin Tao reluctantly handed over the genuine Lenin Medal to the other party: "If you need money, I can lend it to you. You still need this medal." Put it away."
Xiaomi Kulin was very firm: "No, I can't lend you money because I can't pay it back."
"Mr. Mikulin, you should have retired, right? Where is your pension?" Mr. Jiang was a little curious. After setting foot on this land again after decades, Mr. Jiang was still very unfamiliar with it.
"Pension? My pension is not enough to buy two bottles of vodka."
“Well, Mr. Mikulin, how about we go to a nearby bar for a drink?” Qin Tao suggested.
I provide the wine, you provide the stories, tell the things that make you unhappy, and make everyone happy.
Mikulin Xiao agreed immediately. Apparently, he hadn’t had a drink for a long time.
Entering a nearby bar, Xiao Mikulin raised his head and poured a bottle of vodka into his mouth in one breath, letting his stomach relive the pleasure of drinking. When he got the second bottle, he slowly started to talk about it. .
Like some celebrities, Xiaomi Kulin was also very open-minded when he was young. Although he was not very famous, he was rich. Therefore, he had pleasant relationships with many stars from the Red Empire period, and even European stars. experience.
In the process of falling in love with these women, Xiao Mikulin also had a son, named Ivan, who was very popular.
Although he was not married, this did not prevent him from having a son, and he only had a son when he was about forty years old.
Just a year before the collapse of the Red Empire, his son was still studying at Moscow University. His son had the talent of his grandfather and got good grades. He wanted to enter the aerospace engine design bureau founded by his grandfather and become an excellent engine designer. , to revive grandpa’s glory.
However, who would have thought that the young son would become seriously ill and his waist would be broken!
You need to go to the hospital for dialysis every month, and you have to wait for a new kidney transplant.
Just last month, the match was finally successful. However, the transplant requires a lot of money and requires lifelong medication to suppress the body's rejection reaction.
Since Ivan was hospitalized, little Mikulin has not had a good day. His house, his sports car, and all his valuable things have been sold in order to pay for his son's dialysis.
The transplant is so expensive, what should he do?
He thought of his father's honors and those medals were very valuable, so he hung a lot of medals on the inside of his military coat and went out to sell them.
Unfortunately, there was not a single successful transaction in a month. When they heard that the asking price was five thousand US dollars, the customers who were originally interested were scared away.
"On the black market, some people will sell their medals for five hundred dollars. This is an insult to honor." Xiao Mikulin said: "I also have principles. I know those second-rate dealers who sell medals for five hundred dollars." They will be purchased for US dollars and then sold for US$5,000. Therefore, my own medals have to be sold for US$5,000. Only in this way can I be considered worthy of my father’s medals.”
At this time, Xiaomi Kulin had already drank the second bottle of vodka.
“How much does a complete transplant cost?” Qin Tao asked Xiaomi Kulin.
“Thirty thousand US dollars.” Xiaomi Kulin said: “I need to sell at least six medals to be enough.”
This is also the reason why he wants five thousand dollars a piece. If he sells it for five hundred dollars a piece, even if he sells all the medals on hand, he will not be able to raise the cost at all.
“Okay, I will lend you thirty thousand US dollars. Later, when Ivan is healthy and working, you can use his salary to pay off the debt slowly. I will leave you an account...”
"No, no, no!" Xiao Mikulin's attitude was very firm: "I will not leave the debt to Ivan. Guests from the East, I know that you know my father, that's why you give me such a prescription. With good conditions, my father's medal is in your hands, which is the best destination. In this case, you give me thirty thousand US dollars, and I will give you all the medals."
Seventeen medals, if all were sold at 5,000 each, it would be 85,000 US dollars. But in fact, only the Lenin Medal is the most valuable, and other medals are not so expensive. At the same time, he was selling a Not a single month was sold, so it was not easy to sell it at a high price.
Since you are destined, just sell all these medals to the people in front of you. Pack them all up for 30,000 US dollars!
Mr. Jiang frowned on the side, not knowing what Qin Tao planned to do. But after Qin Tao thought for a moment, he nodded and said, "Okay."
Can?
Mikulin's eyes were filled with light again. With enough money, Ivan could have the surgery. However, thinking that his father's lifelong honor had been handed over to others, Xiaomi Kulin still felt a little uncomfortable.
He raised the bottle, drank the new bottle of vodka in one gulp.
After the transaction was completed, we returned to the hotel where we were staying. Looking at the medals that filled the entire table, everyone started talking about it.
“The afterglow of the empire, I never dreamed that these medals would be sold one day.”
“Yes, the honor of the Red Empire has turned into money.”
“If it were me, I would rather die poor, no matter how much money I spent, I would not sell it.”
“Strange, why does Lao Maozi want US dollars? Isn’t it rubles that are circulating here?”
If he hadn't gone to the bar with Qin Tao, Mr. Jiang wouldn't have understood why they were talking about dollars instead of rubles. However, when he saw Qin Tao paying in dollars and the bar owner's grateful look, Mr. Jiang Then I understood.
“This is the same as the legal currency a few decades ago. In 1937, 100 legal currency could buy a cow, and in 1948, 100 legal currency could buy four grains of rice. Think about it, what was the best value to hold at that time?”
"Gold, silver, Yuan Datou and the like. Poor people, when you get your salary, buy it as food as soon as possible."
“Yeah, so, although the currency in circulation is rubles here, they prefer to trade in US dollars, which is definitely a hard currency.”
Mr. Jiang was very emotional.
The Red Empire, how powerful it once was, has become like this now!
Mr. Liu looked at Qin Tao: "Mr. Qin, you got so many medals, do you plan to take them back as souvenirs?"
"Of course not, good steel should be used on the blade." Qin Tao said with a smile: "Let Lao Maozi know who is their real friend and who is the jackal that robs them."
Dong, dong dong! At this moment, there was a knock on the door. After opening the door, a young man appeared at the door: "Dear friends, all the information you want has been found out."
“Now, the chief designer of Tumansky Design Bureau is Fedotov, who is Tumansky’s successor. Tumansky has retired at home a few years ago.”
When the design bureau was first established, it was called the Mikulin Design Bureau. Later, when Mikulin retired, which actually meant that he fell out of favor, the design bureau was renamed the Tumansky Design Bureau. This was of course because of the name of the successor. It's called Sergei Konstantinovich Tumansky.
He is also a master in the field of aviation engines. The MiG-25 with double triple indicators has dominated the sky for many years. The emergence of this aircraft is inseparable from Mikoyan, a design master, and Tumansky, an engine master. The P15-300 engine was Tumansky's masterpiece.
However, people always get old, and Tumansky is already old. He retired a few years ago and has been idle at home.
"In recent times, Fedotov has had a close relationship with the Americans. All kinds of evidence show that he accepted a large amount of bribes from the Americans, possibly to buy some of their products." The young man said, adding a few The photo was placed on the table.
“Currently, we have not found out the specific identity of this person.”
"He is John Jackson, a senior engineer at Lockheed and Skunk Works." Qin Tao said: "The purpose of his coming here is to buy the R-79 engine technology from the Tumansky Design Bureau , especially the most valuable rotating nozzle technology.”
Qin Tao showed an enigmatic expression: "I have many good friends of Lao Maozi."
“If they also target R-79 engine technology, it will be detrimental to us.” Mr. Jiang frowned.
“Yeah, so we have to find a way. By the way, how is Tumansky doing?” Qin Tao asked the young man.
“After he retired, he lived in the apartment building at No. 76 Vavilov Street, Unit 3, 101. It was a Stalinka house. By the way, he seemed to have caught a cold recently.”
“You have a cold?” Qin Tao rolled his eyes and suddenly had an idea: “Is there a box of Tong Ren Tang’s cold and heat-clearing granules in our suitcase? Bring it to me!”
Changmaoqingre granules?
Mr. Jiang and Mr. Liu looked at Qin Tao with some curiosity. After someone brought the medicine, Qin Tao took it and ran out in a hurry. Everyone was still confused.
What does Mr. Qin want to do?
The first day in Moscow passed like this. The next morning, Qin Tao called Mr. Jiang and Mr. Liu, and went out again with the $30,000 medal.
“Mr. Qin, did you give the cold and heat-clearing granules to Tumansky yesterday?”
"That's right." Qin Tao said: "Let's go over today to see how his body is. Although Lao Maozi has a different physique from ours, the medicine left by our ancestors is still very effective. Needless to say, Lao Maozi , even if an old hen catches a cold and has a fever, it can be cured."
Hearing Qin Tao compare Lao Maozi to an old hen, Mr. Jiang and Mr. Liu were both dumbfounded. Your comparison is too inappropriate. Moreover, this clearly involves risks. If there is no treatment, the patient's condition may even worsen. Blaming the problem on cold and heat-clearing granules will lead to a lot of trouble.
Do you know how old the old man is?
Amid worries, everyone has arrived in front of the apartment building.
After the Great Patriotic War, many cities in the western Soviet Union were in ruins and had to be rebuilt. In order to save costs, the simple Khrushchev Tower came out.
However, the iron hooves of the Germans never set foot in Moscow. Although there were plane bombings, the losses in Moscow were not serious. The Germans could not even find the Red Square, and the Kremlin did not even take a hit from a shell. Many buildings have been preserved in this way.
This ancient 54-square-meter Stalin-style one-bedroom apartment has been preserved to this day and is antique. Locals are accustomed to calling this old house "Stalinka".
"With your status as Tumansky, you shouldn't live in this kind of apartment, right?" Mr. Jiang said curiously while looking for the building number.
He is also the chief engineer. Look at Makarov. Although his career is not going well, his life is still good. He lives in a villa by the sea.
“This is Moscow.” Qin Tao spoke.
Where is Moscow? Lao Maozi’s capital city, how many people want to come? It would be nice to have a place to live.
Of course, this is only one of the reasons. The other reason is that in the era of turbofan engines, the Tumansky Design Bureau had nothing to offer and was marginalized. How much could it do to provide them with accommodation? Fastidious?
After entering the 1980s, with various reforms and the trend of privatization, those livable places have long been captured by certain people.
咚咚!
Qin Tao knocked on the door.
With the sound of creaking, an old man with gray hair appeared in front of everyone.
“Mr. Tumansky, you look much better. How do you feel today?” Qin Tao asked Tumansky.
"I feel much better, Qin. The Chinese medicine you gave me yesterday is really amazing!" Tumansky said excitedly: "It's better than the injections I got in the hospital!"
After speaking, Tumansky also noticed the two people behind Qin Tao: "Who are these two?"
Something vague in his memory began to slowly become clear. Where had these two people met?
“Mr. Tumansky, my name is Jiang **, and this is Liu **. We met decades ago. At that time, you gave us several lectures, which benefited us a lot.”
“I remember, you are students from the East!” Tumansky said excitedly: “Come on, come in and sit down!”
Tumansky is the only one in the apartment. His wife passed away a few years ago, and his children live elsewhere.
Although there was only one person, the room was still clean. There was a living room upon entering. There was a booth sofa and two chairs, just enough for several people to sit. Next to the sofa was a bookshelf. On the side of the shelf, Just the window.
A few people did not sit down, but stood in front of the bookshelf. Below were several rows of books and above were models.
Each engine model is familiar to the two people, and it is exquisitely made. It is obvious that the producer has put a lot of thought into it. Different pipelines are also painted with different paints. The paints are very fresh and look like It's the same thing I did recently.
“I have been working on engines all my life. I quit in 1987 when I could no longer work on them. However, I still have a lot of affection for engines, so I made these models when I was free at home.”
You can see that there are some tools placed on the dining table next to the kitchen. Apparently, Tumansky usually sits in front of this small table, immersed in his own world.
“Mr. Tumansky, you have worked on engines all your life and are a role model for us. We must also learn from you.”
Mr. Jiang and Mr. Liu are not young anymore and can even retire early. However, they are still too young in front of Tumansky. Tumansky is twenty or thirty years older than them. In the past few years, They are all still working.
Absolute life is endless, and the struggle is endless. The elders of that generation all carry this spirit.
Tumansky nodded, and then thought of something: "What do you want to do when you come to me? It's not just to see me, an old man, right?"
Including Qin Tao's delivery of medicine, there must be a purpose, and Tumansky knew it well.
"Yes, something happened." Qin Tao said, opened the handbag he brought, and then took out something from it.
When the red ribbon was pulled out, Tumansky's eyes were fixed on it. Then, he saw a Lenin Medal, which was taken out, then a second one, and a third one. pieces.
Three medals of Lenin were placed on the table, making him guess what they were. Then, there were medals of Heroes of Labor of the Soviet Union. This was a special award established to take care of some people who were not qualified to receive the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. , being able to win such an award is equivalent to being a hero of the Soviet Union.
One after another, when eight Soviet Labor Hero Medals were placed on the table, Tumansky had already guessed what was going on: "Why is Mikulin's medal here with you?"
"Yesterday, when we just arrived in Moscow, we happened to meet Xiaomi Kulin selling medals." Qin Tao continued to take out Suvorov medals while explaining: "Later we went to the bar to drink, and we found out that Xiaomi Kulin My son was seriously ill and needed a lot of money. I originally planned to give him $30,000 directly to treat the child, but he refused and gave me all these medals."
"For Xiao Mikulin, these medals are of great significance. I don't intend to keep them for myself at all. After I found out that you were here, I decided to give these medals to you. After all, you once worked with Mikulin As a good friend and an aero-engine master, these medals are best kept by you."
Tumansky looked at the medals on the table, and then looked at Qin Tao: "What is going on? What disease does little Ivan have?"
After saying all this, Tumansky sat on the sofa nearby and let out a long sigh, sadness written all over his face.
If the Red Empire was still there, how could such a situation happen?
Even though Mikulin has lost power, there is still no need to worry about treatment if his grandson is sick, and all kinds of expenses will definitely be waived. Why should we be reduced to selling out medals?
These medals represent the honor of those who dedicated their lives to the Soviet Union!
"What a pity, such a thing would never have happened before." Qin Tao said: "The Red Empire has become what it is now, and the people's lives have plummeted. This is all because of the conspirators behind it, especially the Americans! "
Qin Tao began to reveal his true purpose.
The Cold Powder won Tumansky's favor, and these medals awakened Tumansky's nostalgia for the once great country. At this time, all the groundwork has been completed, and the strategy has begun!
“American?”
"That's right, you don't naively think that it was Americans who brought freedom and happiness to this country, right?" Qin Tao said: "People have only celebrated the collapse of the Red Empire for a few months, and the country has become what it is now. ? The shelves in shopping malls are indeed full of food now, but looking at wages and prices, how many people can afford it? "
Not to mention ordinary people, even people of Tumansky's level don't have enough pension to spend. If the government hadn't given him additional subsidies, he would probably have to sell the few medals he had on hand.
Qin Tao began to talk endlessly, and Tumansky's face became increasingly ugly. Although he was older, his mind was still very clear. He quickly understood the theories Qin Tao said. .
Mr. Jiang and Mr. Liu are a little worried. Please take it easy. Tumansky is so old, so he can't get excited. If a situation suddenly occurs, it cannot be solved by a few packs of cold and heat-clearing granules!
“They are even more concerned about the huge military-industrial legacy left over from the Soviet era. Recently, Americans have frequently contacted Fedotov, and they must be targeting the most advanced things from the design bureau.”
(End of this chapter)