Chapter 336 A Fool Who Can Go to a Museum: Big Brother, Don't Laugh at Second Brother

So how will Wang Xiao catch the culprit?

Are we going to check them one by one? What kind of check is that?

The ice and snow festival exhibition was bustling with people, with over ten thousand people entering and leaving the stadium alone. She had to collect fingerprints from each person for comparison, which would have put the authentication agency in a very difficult position.

Moreover, it's winter in Moscow now, and most people will likely be wearing gloves, making it very likely that the suspect's fingerprints will not be collected at all.

But it doesn't matter, because this is 1995, not 1895, so we can only check fingerprints.

Last year, she was able to use the surveillance footage from Xiao Hei's shop in Tokyo and her own camera to pinpoint Zhao Xiuzhi to death; this year, she can use surveillance footage in Moscow to find that despicable bastard!

As for why there are surveillance cameras in the stadium, has Moscow become that rich?

Because this was installed by Wang Xiao; he specially bought the JVC TK-1480E model equipment from Japan.

The ice and snow festival runs for three months, with daily performances and raffles. With so many prizes stored in the stadium, they definitely need to install surveillance cameras.

Once backstage, Wang Xiao made a request: "Check the surveillance footage."

The young operator trembled with fear, instinctively defending himself: "No strange people, really, boss, no strange people have come in."

The sirens of an ambulance wailed outside, followed by cries and screams, making Wang Xiao dizzy and her patience finally snapped: "Check the surveillance footage! I'll let you check the surveillance footage!"

The operator then nervously and shakily turned on the screen.

Good heavens, what a terrible scene.

He witnessed firsthand the brutality of the Chechen battlefield. Even now, with the projector's power cut off, the memory still sends shivers down his spine.

Wang Xiao thought he was too slow, so she took over the task herself.

She quickly identified her target.

Unfortunately, it was nighttime, and the backstage lighting was dim, making it impossible to see the person's face clearly. She could only barely make out that it was a strong man.

Ivanov also came backstage and pointed to the frozen screen, saying, "He looks like he's wearing a police uniform."

But the image was so blurry, with dense static, that he couldn't make out any faces.

“Pull it forward a little further.” Punoning, who had somehow appeared backstage, frowned. “Yes, stop.”

It turned out that when the man came in, he passed by the window, and the snow light coming in from outside illuminated his profile.

The operator finally remembered: "Yes, yes, this officer came in."

At the time, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

To maintain order at the Ice and Snow Festival, the city government specially dispatched a large number of police officers to patrol the area.

Wang Xiao felt that this person looked somewhat familiar.

But most Russians look pretty much the same to her, and she has difficulty recognizing people she doesn't see often.

Punoning was the first to glare: "That damn bastard!"

There was a knock on the backstage door, and a policeman's head poked in: "Sir, are you going to the stadium...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Punonin grabbed him by the collar and dragged him inside: "Boris, I warned you, don't cause trouble!"

Only after hearing this name did Wang Xiao realize who the policeman in front of him was.

Sheriff Boris, the policeman who led the team to arrest out-of-towners at the container market and then sent them to a concentration camp.

With his collar being grabbed, Sheriff Boris had no choice but to lower his head and try to explain, "Sir, I don't understand what you're saying?"

Punoning had already dragged him to the monitor screen and pressed his head forward: "Look carefully, what did you do? I never wrong anyone!"

Boris Johnson clearly hadn't expected that there would be surveillance cameras installed backstage at the stadium. This kind of thing is quite uncommon in Moscow these days.

He grinned, and seeing that he couldn't deny it any longer, he tried to argue: "Oh, I just accidentally touched the remote control. Major General, it's just a color TV remote control, not a nuclear weapon remote control."

Punonin's response was to punch him in the chin:

"Tell me honestly, who ordered you to do this?"

Boris was not a weak scholar, but he was caught off guard by the punch and stumbled, falling down with his chair.

His eyes flashed with bloodthirsty rage, but he didn't dare to directly confront the tax police major general. He could only keep a stiff face and say, "Major General, I just accidentally touched the remote control. I don't need anyone's instructions."

With a soft "click," the black barrel of the gun was pressed against Boris's temple.

Punonin said expressionlessly, "Who ordered this? I don't have time to listen to your nonsense."

Footsteps sounded outside, and the half-closed door was pushed open.

Mayor Luzhkov appeared at the door, calling out, "Ivan, what's going on?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed the tense atmosphere in the room and immediately frowned: "Vlamikil, the Moscow police should not be under the jurisdiction of the tax police."

No local government would particularly like tax police.

Because their power was so great, they had become a private army of the Kremlin.

Punonin didn't even move his gun, his face expressionless: "Sir, I suspect he is a spy, deliberately trying to undermine Russia's national security."

Boris quickly seized the opportunity to shout, "Sir, I just accidentally touched the remote control. NTV is a Russian television station, and watching NTV news is not illegal."

The backstage lighting was so dim that most of Luzhbukov's face was in shadow. He frowned slightly: "Vlamik, Russia has laws that allow people to watch any television program. It's a freedom granted to the people by law."

Ivanov suddenly realized what was happening.

yes.

It is well known how close the relationship between NTV president Gusinsky and Luzhkov is.

Previously, the Kremlin hoped that NTV would stop broadcasting events related to the Chechen war, but the mayor did not cooperate.

Even though Gusinsky has fled to Britain for fear of arrest, NTV’s stance remains unchanged, and Luzhkov’s stance is clearly unchanged as well.

The Russian army's setbacks in Chechnya are embarrassing for the Kremlin, not the Moscow city government.

Therefore, it was the president, not the mayor of Moscow, who was being questioned.

Therefore, Luzhkov would not punish Boris for the bloody battlefield scenes shown on NTV.

Once Ivanov understood this, he felt a strong burning sensation, the burning heat of burning anger.

He suddenly understood why there is a Chinese idiom called "bursting with grief," and he truly felt it now.

His intense anger made it impossible for him to maintain a polite demeanor.

Why? He wanted to shout, why are you still fighting partisan battles at a time like this?

Everyone knows that Russia is on the verge of disintegration.

It is completely incapable of any internal strife.

Wang Xiao tugged at Ivanov's arm, took a half step forward, and looked up at Luzhkov: "Mr. Mayor, I am very angry and disappointed."

Luzhkov instinctively retorted, "Madam, I don't know what the rules are in China, but the Russian people have the freedom to watch any television program."

“The Snow Festival.” Wang Xiao frowned. “I’m talking about the Snow Festival. We spent a lot of money and effort bringing in a team from overseas to turn it into an international snow festival, attracting a large number of foreign tourists and businessmen. As a result, they have developed an interest in Moscow and intend to invest here.”

She pointed towards the stadium stage, "But now, all of this has been ruined, ruined by the Moscow police."

The performance at the stadium could not continue, and the singer changed the setlist, using "The Sacred War" and "Harbor Night" to pray for the fallen soldiers.

Accompanying the songs were the sounds of people crying, mourning, and fear.

"The Moscow city government was able to organize such a large-scale celebration, deploy so many police officers to maintain order at the Snow Festival, and still manage to create such a huge mess—"

Wang Xiao sighed, "I really can't accuse my friends of overthinking things. From their perspective, they certainly have every reason to doubt the Moscow city government's ability to maintain control."

She shook her head. "Under these circumstances, it's hard for people to believe that the municipal government has the capability to ensure that everyone's investment plans can be implemented."

She looked up, staring intently at Luzhkov. "Sir, we did our part of the Ice and Snow Festival perfectly. You're the ones who messed everything up!"

As soon as she finished speaking, her assistant knocked on the door and quietly reported, "Miss Wang, the delegation suspects that Moscow is going to war, and they want to go back."

Wang Xiao nodded to Ivanov: "I'll go take a look."

She lifted her foot and left.

Luzhkov remained, his brows furrowed and his lips pressed tightly together.

This is terrible! He hates the feeling of being out of control.

As a beekeeper, he hoped that everything in Moscow would obey his commands as obediently as a swarm of bees.

The Ice and Snow Festival was progressing very smoothly, and his conversation with the Mitsui representative had gone very well.

Mitsui Property has extensive experience in building new benchmark high-end residential and office buildings in Moscow.

But now all of this has been messed up.

He glanced at Boris, then nodded to Punonin: "Major General, I must go ahead as well. I need to have a good talk with the investors."

It wasn't until footsteps sounded that Boris realized—he had been abandoned.

“Sir!” he struggled desperately, trying to emphasize, “Tax police should not be above the police!”

His response was the sound of the backstage door closing.

"Quiet." Punonin said expressionlessly. "I suspect you are undermining Russia's national security. Please come with us."

He brought his team of tax police, who then took Boris away.

The night was truly chaotic. When Wang Xiao returned to her lodgings, she felt like a boiled noodle, her legs were weak.

Oh no, to be more precise, it's noodles that have been boiled and then baked.

Because her voice was also hoarse.

It would break anyone to spend just one night calming down so many anxious foreign businessmen.

So when she got home, she took a hot shower, then quickly went to bed and slept soundly until dawn.

Sitting at the breakfast table, she lost all interest in asking Boris about who was behind it all.

It was Ivanov who brought it up: "No one instructed him to do this; he insisted that there was no mastermind behind it."

Ivanov was a little annoyed. "It's not Luzhkov who needs to do this. NTV news is already broadcasting to every household. It wouldn't be in his interest to do something unnecessary at the Snow Festival."

He guessed one after another, and then ruled them out.

“Ivan,” Wang Xiao interrupted his anxious speculation, “No one. Maybe he’s telling the truth. It was all his own choice. No one instructed him to do this.”

Ivanov's eyes widened: "Has he gone mad? What's in it for him? What good will it do him? Is he some righteous journalist who believes everyone has the right to know what's happening on the battlefield? Oh God, he's definitely not that kind of person."

“He’s not,” Wang Xiao nodded. “He’s a different kind of person, no, he’s a different kind of terrifying creature. He enjoys watching people suffer.”

She reminded her companion, "Do you remember the concentration camp in the suburbs? He was deliberately torturing migrants, using his power to the fullest extent to make things difficult for them and cause them pain."

Last night's joyful moments suddenly turned into hell on earth. Seeing so many people in pain and fear must have been a very stimulating experience for him.

Ivanov's eyes widened: "What a terrible demon."

But he couldn't say that Wang Xiao's speculation was unreasonable, because there are indeed such demons in the world who find pleasure in the suffering of others.

Whose fault is this?

The more turbulent society becomes, the worse the economy gets, and the less hope and sunshine there is to be seen, the more monstrous the monsters that were originally hiding in the darkness will swagger out.

Wang Xiao took a sip of corn porridge and skipped the topic: "So what about the Kremlin? Has there been any reaction? Regarding last night's NTV program."

Ivanov's face darkened. "What kind of reaction can there be? Maybe the president is drunk, maybe he's throwing a tantrum, but it's all in vain. There's no reaction at all."

Wang Xiao couldn't believe his ears: "Nothing's going to be done? Nothing's going to be taken? No, no, no, that's not how press freedom works. Nobody in the world does it like that. Including the United States! If the US government thinks this news is detrimental to US national interests, the news will be suppressed."

Ivanov made a helpless gesture: "You know, Moscow has messed up the path of socialism and is now in the worst form of capitalism. It hasn't learned anything properly."

The aroma of cheese tarts wafted from the side, and the housekeeper brought a tray to the table: "Children, I guess you might want to try this."

She looked worried. "God, Ivan, can you tell me how that poor mother is doing now?"

Wang Xiao immediately called out, "Wait, Ma Damu, how do you know about that mother?"

The housekeeper had a headache yesterday and stayed at the villa; she didn't go to the Ice and Snow Festival to see the exhibition!

Were the bodyguards just being nosy? No, they don't have that habit.

"It was on the TV news last night, NTV broadcast it."

As she spoke, the housekeeper turned on the television. "My God, her heart is broken."

Ivanov now only wants to smash the television set, specifically the NTV television station.

"Are they crazy? How could they do this and broadcast it?"

By focusing the camera on a mother who has lost her child, recording her pain, and playing the footage repeatedly, what exactly is the purpose?

Are they making things worse, trying to make this mother never recover?

Enraged, Ivanov threw down his spoon, stood up, and shouted, "These horrible fleas!"

Wang Xiao couldn't eat anymore either. She looked up at him and asked, "Ivanov, do you want to stop all of this?"

The morning sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Ivanov's face, as well as his weariness and helplessness: "There's nothing we can do. Russian law can't stop NTV from broadcasting everything on the battlefield."

"But it can make viewers question NTV's motives, its stance, and the authenticity of its news."

Wang Xiao pointed at the television set and said, "The way they report things is called 'profiting from the suffering of the victims' in Chinese terms. It's immoral; it's exaggerating and amplifying the pain of the martyrs' families."

As if in response to her words, the rebroadcast news showed the scene of the tortured Russian soldier who was killed by being brutally shot.

"Including this," Wang Xiao emphasized, "When they depict bloodshed and violence to attract viewers' attention, have they considered the feelings of him and his family, and the negative impact it will have?"

Wang Xiao shook his head. "No, not at all. To attract viewers' attention, they'll stop at nothing, completely forgetting the bottom line of journalists. What wouldn't such media do for ratings? Is there any credibility in such news?"

Wang Xiao reminded him, "Start with NTV's professional ethics, question their professional conduct, and then consider whether they deliberately exaggerated certain war scenes in order to attract more viewers."

Ivanov looked surprised.

He is a shrewd businessman, but having grown up under a planned economy, he also lacks the instinct for crisis management.

Wang Xiao sighed: "Go to the Kremlin. I'm sure His Excellency the President needs you right now. Crisis management, the Kremlin really needs professional crisis management."

Instead of being passive all the time, as we are now.

Ivanov picked up a cheese biscuit, swallowed it in a few bites, and then wiped his mouth and hands clean: "Then I'll go to the Kremlin."

He also disliked war.

Even though the war in Chechnya could provide him with a large number of orders, he still had to admit that war was too cruel and he really didn't like it.

However, the Chechen issue definitely needs to be resolved; if left to its own devices, Russia will fall apart.

When war is inevitable, there is no room for retreat.

Ivanov left the villa alone, but returned with two people; he brought Punonin with him.

Moscow winters are so cold, cold that they seem to freeze time itself, but Punonin is like a walking furnace.

The kind that's burning so hard it's about to explode.

"Idiots! Stupid idiots!" the tax police major general roared angrily. "Without any targeted drills, just throwing a bunch of clueless young people onto the battlefield is a massacre, a shameless and cruel massacre!"

Wang Xiao's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he heard this.

Are you kidding me? Haven't they even held a drill?

The Chechen crisis didn't just happen today. Since you've decided to use force, did you really not prepare at all beforehand?

Yes, yes, yes, the Kremlin's decapitation strike against Dudayev last November certainly demonstrated just how utterly incompetent they were.

But at that time, it wasn't a regular military operation.

When things go wrong at the last minute, a haphazardly assembled, clueless team ends up doing awful things, which is understandable given the circumstances.

Now that you're in war, on the battlefield, are you still completely clueless?

Punonin continued to roar, "I warned them that an army marches on its stomach, that weapons and equipment must be properly inspected and maintained, and that the troops should receive targeted training. And what was the result?"

He slammed his hat down. "Idiots! A bunch of idiots! From the Secretary of Defense to the President, not a single one of them is sensible!"

His chest heaved with anger. "In order to boast in their New Year's address, they couldn't wait to send their soldiers to the battlefield, completely disregarding their lives!"

"What do they know? They know nothing!"

Anger fueled Punonin's blood, and white smoke billowed from his head. "They don't even have a map. Once they arrive at their destination, they won't have a map. How are they supposed to move? In Grozny, they're complete sitting ducks!"

Wang Xiao was completely stunned.

Seriously, this world is just a giant makeshift operation.

You think you've made a huge mess.

Hehehe, you're overthinking it. With your status and the power you wield, even if you wanted to cause a huge mess, you'd have to ask God for permission first.

Only a government like the Russian government, only those in the Kremlin with high positions of power, could do something so stupid that it would end up in a museum!

Wang Xiao really wanted to pinch someone's philtrum: "Don't you Russian troops have any reliable commanders?"

There's no reason for that. Just look at the Chechens' performance to see how powerful the Soviet Red Army was.

There's no reason why the Russian army, which inherited the largest assets of the Soviet Union, should collapse like this.

"If one general is incompetent, the whole army will perish!" Punonin's anger intensified. "It's the stupidity of the Kremlin and the Ministry of Defense that caused all this. I told them to learn from the experience of the border conflict, but they didn't listen to a word I said."

Wang Xiao was initially still sighing, but upon hearing this, she jumped up: "Wait, are you sure you want the Russian army to fight a two-mountain war in Chechnya?"

Punoning's face stiffened, slightly embarrassed, feeling that he was losing face.

He emphasized firmly, "We will learn from past mistakes and take them as a guide for the future. We will learn from all the battle experiences. Don't overthink it."

"I can't stop thinking about it!"

Wang Xiao, unable to contain himself any longer, said, "Why are you learning from the Sino-Vietnamese border conflict? Get this straight, brother, Vietnam is an independent and sovereign country. Chechnya? No. When you fight in Chechnya, it's called suppressing bandits, it's called quelling a rebellion! It's three parts military and seven parts political. How can you treat it as a purely military operation?"

Wang Xiao really needs oxygen.

"China's War of Liberation included urban street fighting, and after liberation, it had rich experience in suppressing bandits. If you want to learn something, you should learn this."

She was about to cry out to God.

Major General, who gave you the courage to mock the Ministry of Defense and the Kremlin?

If you were to take the lead yourself, you might end up even worse than them!

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The First Chechen War completely shattered the dignity of the Russian army.