Chapter 403 Everyone's putting on an act (bug catching): No, it's not your fault.

The breakfast shop where we ate was also a canteen in the commercial street. It secretly opened to the public under the name of an internal canteen in order to avoid taxes.

However, despite being a canteen, the chefs there are quite skilled. They offer Cantonese dim sum, Huaiyang-style breakfast, and even hot dry noodles.

Look at what's on the table: the shrimp dumplings have translucent skins with pink shrimp visible underneath; the siu mai topped with quail eggs smells delicious; the braised chicken feet in black bean sauce are bright red and tempting; the char siu buns are plump and white with blooming tops, making them very appealing; and the glutinous rice chicken wrapped in lotus leaves exudes a unique fragrance.

These lotus leaves are actually grown by them, from lotus flowers they planted in the farm's pond.

Although the northern region of Moscow is cold, the summer temperatures can still encourage lotus flowers to bloom.

Every summer, during the holiday season, the farm's endless expanse of lotus leaves and vibrant red lotus blossoms under the sun attracts many city dwellers to participate in agritourism vacations.

Unfortunately, the permafrost in Moscow is too thick for bamboo to grow. Otherwise, we could look forward to a delicious stew of pickled bamboo shoots and pork belly this season.

Wang Xiao warmly invited Dyachenko to try traditional Chinese breakfast delicacies. She estimated that Dyachenko wouldn't be able to handle chicken feet, but barbecued pork buns, xiaolongbao, and fried spring rolls were quite popular with Muscovites.

Unfortunately, it seems that Jiyachenko didn't sleep well last night, as her mouth tasted bitter. She only drank some soy milk and then, unable to refuse his hospitality, ate two custard buns, but she refused to mention what he wanted to do when he came to see Wang Xiao.

The host noticed the guest's concerns and had no choice but to hurriedly finish the congee with preserved egg and lean pork, and eat a shumai, which was considered breakfast.

She wiped her mouth and looked at Diachenko with a smile: "If this place isn't suitable, where do you think would be a better place to talk?"

“The Kremlin, let’s go to the Kremlin,” Diachenko immediately offered his answer.

Actually, she didn't want to eat this breakfast at all, but she was a mature adult and had just hit a wall. She wasn't arrogant enough to think the world revolved around her, and she knew the principle that even an emperor wouldn't starve his soldiers. So she patiently finished the breakfast.

Wang Xiao's face showed disbelief, but she still nodded, displaying her tolerance and affability: "Alright, since you think the Kremlin is suitable, we'll go to the Kremlin. But—"

She grasped Ivanov's hand, glanced at the time, and looked slightly troubled. "How long will it take? I have things to do today, I can't delay."

Tyachenko quickly replied, "It won't be long, Miss Wang. I need your help with some ideas."

But if you ask her for advice, her mouth becomes like a clam shell.

Wang Xiao had no choice but to follow her out of the private room with a helpless expression, and they ran into an acquaintance—Watanabe Taketa.

Like an investor who buys gold and watches the price every day, Watanabe was so tormented by the political situation last night that he didn't sleep a wink. This morning, he finally decided to treat himself to a nice breakfast at Huaxia Breakfast Shop.

When he saw Dyachenko walking out with Wang Xiao, his first reaction was to take off his hat and give a polite bow, thinking to himself: Miss Wang is indeed amazing, she's even having breakfast with the Russian princess.

I knew then that having breakfast together was more meaningful than having dinner together.

But soon, his envy faded.

Last night, after returning to his hotel, he discussed the Kremlin crisis with familiar foreign businessmen.

Everyone agreed that this was a difficult hurdle for the president.

Because the Russians are an extremely peculiar people, with a very high level of tolerance, yet they are also prone to exploding at certain points.

For example, those voters who support the president's re-election now, do they really believe that this president can lead Russia out of its predicament?

Good heavens! Five years have passed, don't the Russians know his skill level yet?

Those who were prepared to vote for him were simply afraid that if Zyuganov were elected, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation would come to power, and the Soviet Union would make a comeback.

They voted for the president out of hatred for the Soviet Union, as he was the only candidate who still had a chance of defeating Zyuganov.

Now they realize they've been fooled. This president, who kept saying he would destroy everything in the Soviet Union and build a brand new Russia, is just putting old wine in new bottles, still using the Soviet system of pre-arranged, formalized elections.

How could voters not be furious? They endured soaring prices, a terrible economic environment, and desperate unemployment, gritting their teeth and saying they had no regrets. What sustained them was their determination to sever all ties with the Soviet Union.

The government's rigging of ballots in the primary election was nothing short of a resounding slap in the face, turning their actions into a joke.

These people are different from the supporters of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation; they are young.

It is well known that young people are more easily excited, more easily agitated, more prone to turning love into hate, and more likely to turn around and stab each other in the back.

If the Communist Party of the Russian Federation is shrewd enough, it could seize upon this incident and sensationalize it, allowing it to escalate. This would cripple the Kremlin and ensure the president's permanent downfall.

Yes, they still have a relatively positive view of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.

Although the Communist Party of the Russian Federation had just scored an own goal in a moment of confusion, it is still a large and long-established party with a considerable pool of talented individuals.

If the Communist Party of the Russian Federation doesn't act recklessly this time and seizes the opportunity, it is very likely that it will reverse its decline and rise rapidly.

Even international intervention is useless.

Russia is, after all, a major power, not a puppet state supported by foreign forces. Everything in Russia is the result of the choices made by the Russian people themselves.

The more Watanabe Taketa listened to their analysis, the more reasonable it seemed.

Now, when he sees the Russian princess, he greets her according to social etiquette.

As long as you don't offend anyone, it's best to avoid trying too hard to get close to them.

After all, no one knows who will be Russia's new Tsar after this summer.

Dyachenko was unaware that the Japanese businessman's polite yet subtly distant attitude was a result of her eagerness to bring Wang Xiao back to the Kremlin to save her political life.

Therefore, she simply returned the greeting hastily and headed towards the entrance of the breakfast shop.

Thank goodness, this time the driver was notified in advance and warmed up the car, so Wang Xiao didn't have to chase after Tyachenko and run to the Kremlin on foot again.

But the car's high speed did not alleviate Dyachenko's anxiety. She got out of the car and, with legs like motors, quickly led Wang Xiao and Ivanov into the Kremlin.

However, the group was stopped at the entrance of the presidential office after passing through without any hindrance. The president's bodyguard and confidant, the chief steward of the Kremlin, Korzhakov, blocked Diachenko's way: "Tatiana, please do not disturb your father. He just went to sleep. You know he is very tired and needs rest."

"But--"

Dyachenko knew her father well; he couldn't possibly fall asleep right after lying down. "Uncle Korzhakov, if the problem isn't resolved, my father will sleep even worse."

Korzhakov interrupted her decisively: "There's no problem. The biggest problem is that Russia shouldn't have rushed into this election. You see, nobody is ready. Russians don't even understand what a general election is. It should stop. Once it stops, there won't be any problems."

Dyachenko's expression grew increasingly grim, and he barely managed a smile: "Uncle Korzhakov, are you kidding me? Cancel the election? Now? How is that possible?"

Korzhakov's face, however, remained completely serious, devoid of any smile: "Besides canceling the elections, we must also ban the Communist Party and prohibit all their activities. These—"

He glanced at Wang Xiao, his words carrying a hidden meaning, "It should have been finished a long time ago. Instead, it's caused so much trouble and made the situation worse."

As he spoke, he lectured Diachenko as if he were an elder admonishing a younger person, "Tatyana, you really shouldn't bring just anyone to your father. He needs to rest."

Wang Xiao burst out laughing.

She felt a sense of absurdity, like watching a butler in a CEO romance short drama or a chief eunuch in a palace drama.

Korzhakov should indeed be disgusted by Diachenko's unauthorized bringing of people.

After all, without her, anyone else who wanted to see the president would have to go through him, which is exactly what Berezovsky did.

Now that Dyachenko is involved, everyone has discovered another shortcut, and his importance in the eyes of the Kremlin and even the president has naturally decreased significantly.

Seizing power from politicians is no different from killing one's parents.

Korzhakov seemed to be angered by Wang Xiao's laughter: "Madam, this is the Kremlin, not the market."

He loathed this East Asian woman; she had ruined his plans time and time again.

If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be in this mess now.

When should East Asians be included in the Kremlin's decisions?

Wang Xiao stopped laughing and waved his hand: "Sir, you have really shattered my stereotype of Russian soldiers. I thought that when you encounter difficulties, you would face them head-on instead of turning around and running away!"

She knew all too well how much Korzhakov hated her.

As a typical advocate of war, the war that Russia launched in Chechnya in the winter of 1994 was the result of his strong advocacy.

Unfortunately, at the start of the war, the course of the battlefield not only failed to bring him glory, but instead left him humiliated. The Russian military operations in Chechnya were also widely criticized by the international community.

It was only through Wang Xiao's public relations strategy that the situation was turned around.

If her actions at the time actually saved Korzhakov from a difficult situation, he should be grateful to her.

However, the army made little progress on the main battlefield. Ultimately, the situation began to turn around thanks to the decapitation strikes and divisive tactics carried out by the internal forces under Punonin's command. Punonin also became the greatest contributor to the Chechen war.

The hostage rescue operation that occurred in the container market last June made Punonin a standout tough guy in the law enforcement department.

This was unacceptable to Korzhakov. The power pie is only so big; if Punonin takes a large share, then he takes a small share.

Unfortunately, it is widely known that Wang Xiao and Ivanov have a very close relationship with Punonin.

It's no wonder Korzhakov finds Wang Xiao pleasing to the eye.

Later, one incident after another further fueled his growing aversion.

For example, when the president suffered his second heart attack last October, he tried every means to intercept the news and prevent his political opponents from knowing.

However, Punonin, through a seemingly unremarkable phone call between Wang Xiao and Ivanov, sensed something was amiss and rushed to the Kremlin.

This made Korzhakov's situation even more precarious.

Not to mention that Wang Xiao later overturned the already set-off decision to cancel the election twice, leaving him with nowhere to vent his anger.

Korzhakov's face turned ashen: "Madam, you don't need to deliberately provoke me. You all know perfectly well that canceling the election is the most appropriate option right now, and the best option for the president and for Russia!"

There were some things he couldn't say aloud, but there were also things that the four people present all knew perfectly well: the president's health was very poor.

He was old and suffered from severe heart disease; any stimulus would be a fatal blow to him.

Korzhakov grew increasingly angry, even venting his frustration on Diachenko, glaring at her fiercely: "You keep talking about the necessity of elections, but are they really necessary? No, all those high-sounding reasons are just excuses. What truly drives you to resort to any means to pressure the president is your self-interest, your vanity!"

Dyachenko's face instantly turned as red as if it had been roasted by fire, and his eyes welled up with tears.

Unlike her, Wang Xiao had no family ties and remained completely unmoved. Instead, she thought to herself: "Aren't you going to talk nonsense? Businessmen invest in politicians always for the sake of future returns."

If the president can truly relinquish power and not want to run for office, is there anyone who can force him to do so at gunpoint?

Don't try to have your cake and eat it too. If you have desires, face them squarely. If you want to satisfy them, you'll have to pay a price.

Korzhakov continued to roar: "Have you ever thought about what awaits the president if he loses the election? No, you don't think about it. You only think about using the president as a tool to satisfy your dirty and greedy desires!"

Tyachenko was on the verge of tears, but Wang Xiao remained unfazed: "Sir, you're mistaken. Of course we've considered the consequences. If we lose, we can all go to hell together. But I dare to go all in, do you? No, you don't. When everyone's playing chess, no one makes a move, and you never think about how to respond, you only think about overturning the board and making it impossible for anyone to continue!"

The last Tsar of Russia was beheaded almost a century ago, what are you pretending to be a loyal servant for?

Your desire to postpone the election stems from your fear of a power realignment and being ousted from power, doesn't it?

If you truly care about the president and the country, then as a former KGB soldier, do you really not realize that canceling the general election and banning the Communist Party would lead to national chaos?

If you can't think of that, it only proves that you have a narrow mindset and poor abilities, and you are simply not qualified for your current position!

Wang Xiao glared at him without any politeness: "Every time you emphasize that the election must be canceled, otherwise the world will collapse. But every time things have turned out, it has proven that you are just exaggerating. What are you trying to achieve by creating this fear?"

A coughing sound came from inside the president's office.

Tyachenko immediately pressed himself against the door and asked, "Dad, are you not asleep? I want to talk to you."

However, the voice coming from the office, though kind, was an undeniable refusal: "Tanusha, Daddy needs to rest."

Tears streamed down Dyachenko's face uncontrollably, her voice choked with sobs: "Daddy—"

Unfortunately, there was no response from behind the door.

Wang Xiao acted decisively, taking out a handkerchief to wipe her tears: "Darling, if you'd like, we can go to the meeting room and talk slowly."

Then she apologized towards the door, "I'm sorry, sir, we got too emotional. We didn't mean to disturb your rest."

Are you kidding me? Just those two oil companies alone have invested over two hundred million US dollars.

That's all real money, precious cash!

The project has already started, and there's no reason to stop until the final results are in.

If the president wants to stop, should she just let him?

dream!

Who will compensate her for her loss?

Wang Xiao put his arm around Dyachenko's shoulder and encouraged her, "Don't cry. Moscow doesn't believe in tears, darling. Be strong."

Korzhakov looked at them, said nothing, and turned to leave.

As long as the president remains steadfast, let these arrogant young people cause as much trouble as they want.

Tyachenko struggled to lift his feet and was helped by Wang Xiao all the way to the reception room.

As he asked the man to sit down, Wang Xiao turned to the silent Ivanov and said, "My dear, please stand outside like a soldier and guard our place, okay?"

Ivanov nodded, glanced at Diachenko, and then left.

How can a gentleman stand by and watch a lady be embarrassed?

The door closed, and Tyachenko removed the handkerchief from his eyes, speaking with a thick nasal tone: "It's over, it's all over, I've messed everything up."

She was nine years older than Wang Xiao, and she had just become a mother last year, but at this moment, she was as vulnerable as a little girl who had made a mistake.

Wang Xiao asked in surprise, "How could it be that you messed it up? To be honest, I had no idea why you came to me today. Wasn't Mr. Soskowitz in charge of the election rehearsal at the Ministry of Railways? Even if there was a mistake, he should be the one responsible."

Dyachenko was on the verge of tears again because Soskovets was an ally of Korzhakov, and he had also urged her father to cancel the election.

She forced a smile: "Mr. Soskowitz doesn't want to get involved in the election."

Wang Xiao readily agreed, nodding: "No wonder. He is the Vice Prime Minister, and Mr. Chubais has resigned. You can imagine how busy Mr. Soskowets must be. But even if he is overwhelmed, he gritted his teeth and accepted the job for the sake of the President and Russia."

She sighed, “I met Mr. Soskovets during the Sakhalin earthquake. He was so fearless, always leading from the front, and always striving for perfection in everything. That’s why he was so exhausted and inevitably made mistakes.”

Tyachenko's tears were about to fall again, and she said in a sob, "It's my fault, it's terrible, I messed everything up. I don't know how to face my father, I have let him down."

Wang Xiao comforted her, saying, "How can you blame yourself? You're an engineer, and the mindset for technical work is different from that for administrative work. It's also your first time doing something like this, so it's perfectly normal to make mistakes."

The curtains in the reception room were drawn, and the fluorescent lights were on. Under the gray light, Tyachenko's tears fell to the floor one by one as she swayed her head.

"No, don't try to comfort me, Your Majesty. I've messed everything up."

Wang Xiao sighed, took her hand, and said with sympathy, "Actually, after I saw the news yesterday, I went through the whole process from beginning to end and found that this result was to be expected."

Dyachenko looked at her in astonishment: "Of course?"

How can such a basic and fatal mistake be taken for granted?

Wang Xiao nodded: "Yes, this is the result of a typical Soviet work model. After the task is assigned, everyone is lazy and unwilling to start working immediately. Instead, they push it aside, some smoking and bragging, others knitting and chatting. When the deadline comes and the task has to be submitted, they rush to finish it. If there is no time to rush, they simply try to get it over with."

She sighed, "For decades, everyone in the Soviet Union worked under this planned economy system. How could it be changed so quickly? After all, it's not some earth-shattering event. It's just a preliminary election, a rehearsal of the election process. Neither the cadres nor the employees of the Ministry of Railways could treat it as a life-or-death task and put on their best."

At first, Tyachenko found it hard to believe, but as she listened, she began to think that what she said made a lot of sense.

But--

The president's daughter became upset again: "The public won't think that way; they'll see it as a rehearsal for favoritism and corruption."

Wang Xiao nodded and commented objectively and fairly: "Strictly speaking, this work was indeed not done well. Even if it was just a primary election, the result is meaningless regardless of its outcome, but it is still a failure. Therefore, someone must stand up, apologize to the public, and guarantee that such a careless mistake will not be made in future elections."

"Apologize?" Diachenko was somewhat taken aback. "Who apologizes?"

"Mr. President."

Wang Xiao took out a document from his briefcase, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Tyachenko. "This is the draft I prepared. Your father must first acknowledge the problem before he can analyze it, propose measures, and finally solve it."

Dyachenko eagerly picked up the document and began to read it. The more she read, the wider her eyes widened. Finally, she muttered to herself, "It's all the Soviet Union's fault?"

Wang Xiao sighed, filled with emotion: "There's nothing we can do about it. Russia is the country most deeply influenced by the Soviet Union. Even though the Soviet Union is gone, its imprint still remains on this land."

Tyachenko was reluctant to look up, and carefully read through the manuscript again from beginning to end before finally raising his eyes, which were misty with tears: "Your Majesty, I didn't expect you to have already prepared a contingency plan."

Wang Xiao said helplessly, "I'm the media relations officer for the presidential campaign, this is my job. I just didn't expect you to contact me about this, otherwise I would have given you the manuscript to the president this morning. Originally, I planned to have Mr. Chubais deliver it, since he is the head of our team."

Seeing the complex expression on Dyachenko's face, she was a little puzzled, then suddenly realized, "Oh, you mean I had a falling out with Berezovsky and the others last night, right? That damn Boris, he must have complained to you. What good are a bunch of grown men besides complaining?"

Wang Xiao scoffed, "I really look down on them."

Dyachenko and Berezovsky had a special relationship; the latter even took her along to invest and make money.

But now that Wang Xiao had just saved her and her father's political lives, she couldn't speak up for Berezovsky, so she could only force a smile: "I'm afraid they'll upset you and you'll abandon them."

"How is that possible?"

Wang Xiao's eyes widened, revealing a look of displeasure. "I'm really angry that you're questioning my professionalism like this. I serve His Excellency the President, working as a media relations representative for the presidential campaign. I'm not working for those oligarchs; what right do they have to order me around?"

Dyachenko was increasingly at a loss for how to appease her anger, so he tried to change the subject: "You say they are oligarchs, but aren't you an oligarch too? You and Ivan are more powerful than them."

Although at the beginning of this year, American journalists began to use the term "oligarch" to describe Russia's new elites, which is not exactly a compliment.

However, Russia's current social environment dictates that everyone is pursuing wealth, and oligarchs, symbolizing wealth, have become a positive term.

Wang Xiao shook his head solemnly: "No, oligarchs are all involved in finance, we are not financial oligarchs. We rely on the real economy to make a living."

From this moment forward, she will lay the groundwork and distance herself from the situation. She and Ivanov are responsible businesspeople, a completely different concept from the colluding oligarchs.

This will make it easier to cut directly in the future.

She glanced at the clock on the wall: "Alright, it's getting late. We have to get started immediately. By tonight at the latest, Russian viewers must see the president's apology on television. Otherwise, the public relations effort will be too late and the results will be very poor. Also, someone has to be held accountable and resign."

Tyachenko gritted his teeth and made up his mind: "I will resign from my campaign team and I will take on this responsibility."

This caused her great pain, because her first step in politics had been a disastrous setback.

After the election, where can she find a legitimate opportunity to return to politics?

But for her father, for his political life and ambitions, she was willing to stand up and make sacrifices.

Wang Xiao shook his head and rejected her without hesitation: "No, you can't. To the public, you're just a member of the president's family, an insignificant figure in politics. If you step forward to take responsibility, the public will only think that the government and the president are just going through the motions. After all, what responsibility can you possibly bear?"

She pointed to the manuscript. “Mr. Soskowitz, there is no one more suitable to step forward than him. He was originally in charge of the election, so it is only natural for him to take responsibility.”

Diachenko hesitated for a moment: "But—"

"No buts," Wang Xiao said firmly. "We are all working hard and making sacrifices for the same goal. Besides—"

She laughed. "I suppose this is actually a relief for Mr. Soskowitz. He was already very busy and was forced into this election work."

Soskowitz must be ousted, otherwise he'll keep nagging the president to cancel the election.

What should Wang Xiao and his group do? Are they really going to have to wait two more years to get the second key to unlocking wealth protection?

She doesn't have that much patience.

Wang Xiao stood up: "Let's split up. Go find your father and see where the speech needs improvement. I'll contact the TV station and finalize the filming arrangements as soon as possible."

She looked at Tyachenko and encouraged him, "Keep going! I believe your father can see your sincerity."

In fact, this so-called persuasion process is most likely just a formality.

As long as the president's lust for power hasn't died out, he should be in the listening room right now, wearing headphones, listening to their conversation.

Otherwise, why would she deliberately emphasize in front of the president's office that they were going to talk in the meeting room?

Her argument with Korzhakov outside the presidential office was meant for the president to hear.

In the reception room, during her conversation with Diachenko, the real audience was still the president.

Those involved are well aware of both of these points.

See, this is politics. Everything has to be veiled, and everyone has to play along.

Take Dyachenko, for example. As a highly educated, 36-year-old, and worldly-wise president's daughter, did she really shed that many tears? But as long as she could lower Korzhakov's guard and evoke empathy from herself, she could burst into tears.

Having entered this game, one naturally has to cooperate.

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[Let me see] Good morning!