The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 416: Chapter 416: Prediction

Han Xiaoqing froze. ”Sis, are you saying brother-in-law can get experts from the Soviet Union to come here?”

Ye Feng hadn’t been very hopeful himself. He was just taking a shot in the dark.

Hearing Han Xiaorui say this, Ye Feng grew curious too. ”Xiao Rui, you’ve always been sharp when it comes to these things. Tell me what you think. It might give me a new angle.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”You’ve noticed it too. The young people in the Soviet Union are being brainwashed. They yearn for everything foreign and don’t want to return. Back home, things are a mess because of all the reforms.”

”Because of the superpower arms race, they’ve focused on heavy industry and high-tech, while light industry has lagged behind. It’s done little to improve the people’s quality of life. There are even opportunists who want to seize state assets and power.”

”Western influence is infiltrating and shaking the very foundations of the nation. If no one emerges who can turn the tide, the Soviet Union could collapse within a few years. Once that happens, many of their experts and technical personnel will lose their jobs.”

”If they stay and can’t find work, or if their salaries are too low, they’ll go to Europe or elsewhere. That’s our opportunity.”

Han Xiaoqing was stunned. She reached out and touched her sister’s head. ”Sis, that’s the Soviet Union we’re talking about. One of the world’s two superpowers! How could it possibly collapse?”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”The Soviet Union is a loose federation of states. In the past, when the big boss was well-off, the smaller members could at least get the scraps. Now the boss is struggling, and the member states are doing even worse. With constant, deep-seated Western infiltration, internal and external turmoil, and collaborators working with foreign powers, its collapse is inevitable.”

Hearing this, Han Xiaoqing’s face went pale. ”Sis, but we’re also undergoing reform and opening up. Foreign capital is pouring in, and whenever my classmates talk about other countries, they’re filled with admiration. Some of them don’t even want to come back, which is pretty similar to the young people in the Soviet Union.”

”Will we collapse too? Will we go back to being torn apart by warlords like in the Republican era? If that happens, the common people will be the ones to suffer.”

Han Xiaorui rolled her eyes at that. ”What are you even thinking? We have a long history as a unified nation. Ever since the country was founded in ’49, we’ve fought tooth and nail for our independence. How could we possibly fall apart?”

”With the current reforms, we’re attracting foreign investment into Hua Country’s private sector. But do you really think we would hand over sectors critical to our people’s livelihood to foreign companies and private businesses?”

”As for studying abroad, I’m sure some students will choose to stay overseas, but not all of them will. Back when things were so much harder for us, we still had scientists like Qian Xuesen, Qian Sanqiang, and Guo Yonghuai who came home. They gave us the ’Two Bombs, One Satellite’ and became the backbone of our nation. Look at you—you’re learning advanced psychology abroad. Are you coming back?”

Han Xiaoqing nodded emphatically. ”Of course I’m coming back! This is my home. My family is here. It’s just like you said, Sis: our country might be poor now, but that doesn’t mean it will be forever. Once I’ve learned advanced knowledge and gained experience abroad, I can come back, work hard, and become an expert in my field.”

”I could probably become an expert abroad, too, but I’d be serving foreigners, not my own people. I’m not willing to do that just for money. As the saying goes, ’A son doesn’t abandon his mother for being plain, nor his family for being poor.’ I will absolutely not stay overseas. I even told Chen Wenxuan that if he decided to stay abroad, we would break up.”

Han Xiaorui chuckled at her sister’s words. ”And what did Chen Wenxuan say?”

”He’s coming back, of course!” Han Xiaoqing replied. ”He has younger siblings over there who are getting an elite Western education. They have no love for Hua Country—they’re just sophisticated egoists. They’re even wary of him, their own older brother. As for the family assets there, if his parents give Wenxuan his share, he’ll take it. If not, he’ll just forget about it. We’re people with high ideals. How could we care so much about material things?”

’Ye Feng was deeply moved. ’There are actually many students studying abroad who think just like Han Xiaoqing.’’

’Of course, many students chose to stay abroad, too.’

’As Mr. Deng said, for every student who returned, it was a net gain. After all, they brought back advanced knowledge and technology that we didn’t have before.’

”There is foreign infiltration here, especially in the universities. A lot of professors go abroad, see how developed those countries are, and then become disillusioned with our own. Others go overseas and their attitudes start to shift. That kind of disappointment is real, it exists.”

”It’s not that these people aren’t patriotic, it’s just that they express it differently. This is all part of the path we have to walk as we reform and progress. I’ll think carefully about what Xiao Rui said.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”That’s just my opinion, for you to consider.”

”Thank you. In any case, there’s a huge talent pool there. I need to make a trip myself to see the situation on the ground before making an assessment,” Ye Feng said.

Han Xiaorui smiled and waved a hand dismissively. ”You go handle your business. Don’t worry about me.”

Ye Feng smiled. ”The more you say that, the less I can relax. The country is important, but you’re more important.”

Han Xiaorui chuckled lightly. ”I have Xiao Jing at home, and Wu Jiao and Wu Yao. Plus, all the folks and boatmen from Jinshan Bay can always come and help.”

Ye Feng was touched. His wife was always so capable, but it made his heart ache for her.

Ye Feng summarized the key points of his conversation with Han Xiaorui and Han Xiaoqing, wrote a report, and submitted it.

He wanted to gather information on people who had previously studied in the Soviet Union and learn about their former professors there. When the time was right, he could use business as a cover to deliver letters for them and visit these professors.

This wasn’t something that could be compiled overnight. He submitted the report, and the organization would assign people to the task.

’He couldn’t rush things.’ Ye Feng’s main focus for now was on the Xu family’s business and the emerging semiconductor industry that had caught his attention.

Xu Yingying was also pregnant now, and even Mr. Xu, who had retired, came back to work to help ease Ye Feng’s workload.

Work was hectic, but fulfilling.

Five days before school was due to start, Ye Feng bought plane tickets for Xiao Zheng, Ye Chen, and Ye Ling.

Han Xiaorui prepared some dried seafood for them to take to Beijing.

Of course, Han Xiaorui hadn’t forgotten about Xiao Zheng. He mailed his share directly back to his hometown.

”Sister-in-law, take good care of yourself. I’ll come back during winter break to help you with my little nephew and niece,” Ye Chen said with a grin, happy to have an official excuse to visit his brother and sister-in-law.

Ye Ling quickly chimed in, ”Sister-in-law, Ye Chen is still just a kid. I can look after the children, I promise I’ll do a great job. I can even help Pingping and An’an with their homework.”

Hearing the two brothers, Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Alright, but you two have to study hard and do well in school. If your grades are poor, Aunt Wang won’t let you visit. Understand?”

”We know, Sister-in-law!” Ye Chen and Ye Ling nodded eagerly. ’If their grades were good, their mother wouldn’t lecture them.’

They understood perfectly.