Becoming a Russian Oligarch After Rebirth
Chapter 1362 - 1081: Economic and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Both Flourish

Chapter 1362: Chapter 1081: Economic and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Both Flourish

How to evaluate whether a city or a country’s economy has made significant strides is actually quite simple.

Statistical data might deceive, but the everyday work and lives of ordinary people do not lie.

Comparing Moscow in 2007 to 2001, the changes are visibly enormous.

Firstly, in terms of infrastructure, many new, flat, and spacious roads have been added. Over these few years alone, three new subway lines have been constructed, with dozens of new subway stations!

Originally, Moscow’s subway system was already among the top in major cities worldwide; now it firmly holds the first position globally.

Whether it’s subway mileage, lines, or stations, Moscow surpasses all its competitors by a wide margin!

Moreover, if you drive around Moscow, you’ll find many skyscrapers rising from the ground and numerous construction sites actively being worked on.

These were nowhere to be seen in 2001!

Besides these tangible facilities, the average income of Moscow residents has also increased substantially.

Back when Wang Ye was a preparatory student, several teachers, including Angelina, had a monthly income of just around three hundred US dollars, and life was quite strained.

There was a prep teacher named Alexander who had to sell slippers at the subway station with a big sports bag after work each day just to make ends meet...

Even university professors, who are considered the elite, had a monthly salary of only about five hundred US dollars.

With such incomes, one can imagine the quality of life in an international metropolis like Moscow.

However, by 2007, according to recent survey data, the average monthly salary of Moscow residents had reached around eight hundred US dollars.

The income for elite groups like university professors tripled, with monthly salaries exceeding two thousand US dollars!

Ordinary corporate employees, essentially university graduates, also saw their incomes reach about seven to eight hundred US dollars.

Additionally, employment opportunities have also increased; numerous new companies sprouted up like bamboo shoots after a rain, mostly in fields like the internet, high tech, medical devices and pharmaceuticals, and infrastructure projects.

As the economy of Moscow flourishes, people from the surrounding poorer neighboring countries flocked into Moscow in large numbers to seek job opportunities.

Standing on the street, one can see people of various skin colors and speaking different languages—now, Moscow truly qualifies as an international metropolis!

Of course, the traffic on the streets has also increased, and the class of vehicles has noticeably improved from the past few years.

When Wang Ye first arrived in Moscow, the streets were filled with cheap Lada cars, that would rattle everywhere except the horn, and it leaked air everywhere except from the air conditioning...

Now, the most common brands on the streets have become Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover, etc.

Especially for Volvo, being relatively less prestigious and "locally manufactured," it is quite affordable in Russia, and since the cars are of good quality, sales have been very strong over these years.

For Moscow residents with slightly better family conditions looking to switch cars, the first choice is usually Volvo.

Speaking of the Russian Auto Group, this company’s development is not just limited to Russia; its three major brands—Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar—are not only bestsellers in Russia, but have also regained and even surpassed their former peak status across Eastern Europe, Europe, Asia, and North America.

Land Rover needs no introduction; positioned as ultra-luxurious, it only offers SUV models and not sedans, perfecting the luxury SUV to its pinnacle!

In this niche market of luxury SUVs, it almost has no competitors, even Mercedes-Benz BMW’s competitive models cannot compare with Land Rover.

Of course, this is also because Land Rover was purchased by Wang Ye who then invested heavily in the most advanced production bases, strictly controlling quality, resulting in its superb current reputation.

If it had been acquired by the Indians as in Wang Ye’s previous life, the reputation of Land Rover would have been ruined.

Jaguar has the same positioning as Land Rover but specializes_only in sedans and sports cars, not SUVs, so it complements Land Rover without any conflict. Even when the Russian Auto Group expands new 4S stores, they simply put these two brands together, saving substantial initial costs and enriching_SRV the variety of models in the store, which also eases future maintenance.

Volvo, positioned mid-range and targeting markets like Eastern Europe and Asia, has even introduced locally adapted models priced competitively with similar Japanese and Korean cars, a direct dimension reduction attack!

Of course, this benefits from having large production bases in both Moscow and China by the Russian Auto Group, effectively lowering production and various costs, thus allowing for high-quality, low-price models.

In the last two years, Wang Ye has directed the Russian Auto Group to establish a large production base in mainland China; the vehicles produced are supplied directly to the mainland market, primarily producing Volvo, while Land Rover Jaguar still maintains an "imported" status with relatively high prices.

This is also a corporate sales strategy—inevitable, as domestic consumers have not yet shed the old perception that "imported cars" are superior. With Land Rover Jaguar positioned so high, and so expensively, it must be produced abroad and qualify as "authentically imported"!