Reborn in 1999: Starting as a black marketeer

Wang Feiyang has now opened an account at Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, for convenience, as there is a branch located below the Alfa Hotel.

He had too much cash on hand, and he didn't dare put it all in the small safe in his office.

The first batch of goods has sold out, and the second batch of goods has sold more than 12,000, bringing the total sales to nearly 20 million rubles!

Even if converted to US dollars, it would be approximately 740,000 US dollars, or more than 6.2 million RMB.

Chinese traders in Moscow are very sensitive to exchange rates because they fluctuate daily. They receive both rubles and US dollars for business, but when remitting to manufacturers in China, they have to exchange the money for RMB, which is quite complicated.

There are even people who specialize in currency reselling to profit from exchange rate differences, which has formed an entire industry...

In addition to paying Mr. Gu the full amount for the second batch of goods and half of the payment for the third batch of goods, totaling RMB 1.4 million, he also paid Liu Jianjun about USD 80,000 for office space rent, employee salaries, GG expenses, etc., leaving him with more than 12 million rubles!

Looking at the string of numbers in his bank account, Wang Feiyang felt it was all a little unreal.

I just resold counterfeit Levi's jeans, and I made so much money in just a few months...

This amount of money would have been an enormous sum in China in 2000, an astronomical figure that most people would never have dared to dream of!

But actually, it wouldn't stand out much in the Izmailov Market. In those days, Moscow was practically overflowing with gold.

Risk and opportunity go hand in hand. The more chaotic Russia is these days, the more opportunities there are to make money!

Unfortunately, not everyone dares to take such a huge risk to venture here; those brave ones will naturally be rewarded...

…………

Now that he has some spare money, Wang Feiyang's first thought is to buy a car, not for enjoyment or to show off. He's really fed up with taking unlicensed taxis to and from get off work every day!

The unlicensed taxi drivers here are mostly black Russians from the Caucasus region or various Stan countries. The cars are mostly beat-up Ladas or GAZs that have been driven for who knows how many years and miles, and they're all rattling except for the horn. These black Russians drive like they're trying to fly...

So every time Wang Feiyang takes a taxi, he's on tenterhooks, afraid that something might happen. If such a beat-up car were to have an accident, it would offer virtually no protection for the passengers.

Taking public transportation, such as buses or subways, is not a good option, mainly due to safety concerns, as skinheads in Russia are notorious.

Once I had enough money, buying a car was immediately on my agenda.

Buying a car in Moscow is easy. These days, 4S stores are still rare. Most are comprehensive car malls that sell all kinds of cars.

There's a fairly large car dealership near the hotel that sells both new and used cars. According to Liu Jianjun, he bought his used BMW there.

Finding a free afternoon, Wang Feiyang strolled over to the car dealership.

It's a fairly large courtyard with the gate wide open and two armed security guards standing at the entrance. From outside, you can see that the courtyard is filled with cars of all brands, from Lada to Toyota to Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, you name it.

However, all the cars in the yard were second-hand, while the new cars were parked in the showroom. Wang Feiyang walked straight in.

An older Russian salesman quickly approached, beaming, and said in broken Chinese, "Welcome, sir, are you looking to buy a car?"

This place is right next to a large market, and there are quite a few Chinese business owners buying cars here, so the sales staff can speak a few words of Chinese.

Wang Feiyang nodded and replied in fluent Russian, "Yes, I want to buy an SUV. It needs to be powerful enough to handle rough roads, and it must be very safe."

"What is your budget?" The Russian salesman breathed a sigh of relief and quickly asked in Russian, as he didn't speak much Chinese.

"The budget... fifty or sixty thousand US dollars will do," Wang Feiyang said casually.

Although he has a lot of cash on hand, he has big plans ahead: to establish a new company to create a brand chain, hire a large number of employees, and open directly operated stores. All of these require money, so he still needs to be careful with his spending.

"That makes things simple. I recommend you take a look at the Land Cruiser, sir. It's a genuine import, with absolutely stable and reliable performance. There's nothing more suitable for long-distance driving and rough roads, and its safety is top-notch..." The Russian man immediately began to introduce it as if it were a treasure, and even led Wang Feiyang towards a white display car.

"Look, this is the Toyota Land Cruiser. It looks very impressive! It has a 4.7L V8 engine, a body-on-frame construction, full-time four-wheel drive, full leather power seats, and automatic air conditioning... It's top-of-the-line in terms of features, power, and comfort, and the price starts at just $50,000, with the top-of-the-line model at only $58,000."

Wang Feiyang had naturally heard of the Land Cruiser. Although he preferred the luxury and driving feel of German cars, Japanese cars were indeed sturdy and durable, making them very suitable for the harsh environment in Russia.

Moreover, this car isn't expensive in Russia; it costs around 500,000 to 600,000 RMB, making it a pretty good choice.

As for his favorite Mercedes-Benz G-Class, it's ridiculously expensive in Moscow. With the hefty luxury tax and consumption tax, one costs four or five hundred thousand US dollars!

However, the Russians really love Mercedes-Benz. There are quite a few G-Class cars on the road. Most prominent figures own one, and the G-Class has become a symbol of status and prestige.

You could say that if you drive a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the traffic police won't dare to stop you on the road, because they know they can't afford to mess with you...

…………

Without even a test drive, Wang Feiyang nodded and said decisively, "Then give me the top-of-the-line model. How much would it cost in full? Can you help me apply for a driver's license here? I have a Chinese driver's license."

The Russian salesman was taken aback for a moment, clearly not expecting Wang Feiyang to be so decisive. It had only been a few minutes since he entered the store, and he had already made the purchase.

However, he had seen all sorts of wealthy people buying cars here before, so he wasn't too surprised. Instead, he became even more attentive, inviting Wang Feiyang to sit down. He then quickly went to get various forms to help Wang Feiyang fill out the information and calculate the price.

In the end, including the Russian driver's license application, the total price for the car was $65,000 USD. It only takes three days. Once the car is registered and all the paperwork is completed, you can just come and drive it away...

He chose a white, top-of-the-line model, complete with features such as wood trim, premium audio system, car refrigerator, power leather seats with heating and memory functions, and power-adjustable steering wheel. Even twenty years from now, these features will not be outdated.

He paid 170 million rubles at the exchange rate of the day. Luckily, he had a card from the Federal Savings Bank, so he could transfer the money directly by card. Otherwise, he would have had to carry a whole backpack full of cash.

After buying the car and keeping the receipt, Wang Feiyang went straight back to the company. The whole process took less than an hour, which is about the same amount of time for most people to go grocery shopping...