Chapter 408 None of You Can Leave: You Should Be the First One Locked Up

The answer is that while I am confident, it is impossible to achieve.

If Korzhakov truly had such control over the Kremlin, he wouldn't be so anxious, so wary and disgusted with the new favorites surrounding the president.

Those who are meant to come will eventually come, including Punoning.

The first person he saw when he arrived was Ivanov.

That unlucky guy, why does he always run into these kinds of things? Last time he was terrified.

Fortunately, this time he wasn't alone; he was with Wang Yidao.

With her there, she could withstand even a landslide or earthquake.

So Punonin simply nodded to them and walked over to Korzhakov: "How is the situation now?"

Korzhakov's eyes, already bloodshot, now looked even more like they were bleeding. His first words were filled with anger and resentment: "You're here, don't you know the situation better than I do?"

He specifically brought the two businessmen to the hospital because he didn't want them to spread the word and attract unwanted attention.

Unfortunately, even though he had tried his best to cut off contact, it was still to no avail.

Punonin looked at him, his brow furrowing slightly: "Alexander, you shouldn't say such spiteful things."

In addition to him, Cabinet Minister Kulikov and Federal Security Service Director Surkov also came. The latter is a close confidant of Korzhakov, while the former is known for his impartiality and extreme aversion to corruption.

This is why Korzhakov's resistance finally eased somewhat.

Even though he disliked the ever-controversial Punonin, he had to admit that this young and powerful head of the tax police force could at least be considered to have a broad perspective and was there with the intention of solving problems.

In addition, Korzhakov himself was a former KGB officer and knew that in times of crisis, the security forces had to be reliable.

So after a brief barrage of sarcastic remarks, he quickly adjusted his tone, attempting to take the lead as the Kremlin's chief steward: "Gentlemen, given the current situation, we need to talk."

Surkov, being his confidant, naturally wouldn't object. Kulikov, only worried about the political situation spiraling out of control, naturally wouldn't care about such trivial matters. And Punonin, having no intention of competing with him for the limelight, readily nodded in agreement.

Seeing them about to go inside, Wang Xiao took a step forward.

Korzhakov immediately became alert and made a gesture of refusal: "Hey, ma'am, this is not a place for you."

Wang Xiao looked at them calmly: "I don't need to participate in your discussion. I just hope that you can tell me the results you have come up with as soon as possible."

She has never liked wearing a watch, but now she is holding Ivanov's wrist to check the time.

"There are only a few hours left until dawn, you need to give me some time to devise a public relations strategy. After all—"

She held onto Ivanov's wrist tightly, looking at everyone, "Once it gets light, the initiative may have shifted."

The door closed, and besides the guards, Wang Xiao, Ivanov, and Dyachenko were locked outside.

Even though she was known as a Kremlin princess, a princess is not an emperor. Without her father's unwavering support, she wouldn't even be qualified to participate in inner circle discussions.

At this moment, her gaze was fixed on the door, her eyes practically piercing through it.

Does this mean that she was not content with being just a princess, and a princess who was dependent on her father like a parasitic plant and had no real power?

Wang Xiao stepped forward and opened his arms to hug her: "Darling, you have to sit down and rest. Your father needs you. Here, no one cares about your father more purely than you do."

Exhaustion washed over Dyachenko like the summer tide of the Black Sea, and she even had an urge to lie down immediately.

But now there's no sun-warmed beach, only the cold light of gray fluorescent lights reflecting off the marble floor.

Tyachenko's eyes welled up with tears, and she rested her head on Wang Xiao's shoulder: "Oh, Wang, thank you, thank you for your concern and support."

She was truly grateful that Wang Xiao hadn't given up on her father even now.

Whether it's out of professional ethics and a desire to complete the work smoothly, or a desire to continue taking risks and speculating, at this moment, her willingness to stand by her father is a great comfort to Dyachenko.

Her intuition told her that she had to seize this opportunity and get Miss Wang on their side.

Tyachenko's voice choked with emotion: "Thank you. I can feel your genuine concern for my father."

Wang Xiao sighed, looking into her eyes, his face filled with complex emotions: "How can I describe my feelings? I want to say that I feel sorry for your father. As a politician, he has worked so hard."

Wang Xiao's gaze shifted to the emergency room, as if he could see through the cold metal door the people inside battling for their lives.

She sighed deeply. "Politics is too complicated, more complicated than large-scale military operations, because it is the highest form of human struggle. I have never seen a more arduous job than that of a politician, which is mentally and physically exhausting and never stops. Your father was originally a strong athlete, but he made himself sick by overworking himself."

Dyachenko's tears streamed down her face instantly.

From the moment her father entered the Kremlin, she heard countless attacks against him, saying he was an alcoholic and a ridiculous drunkard.

But they couldn't see the pressure their father was under, the pressure from all of Russia and the world. What better option did he have than to turn to alcohol for a moment of peace?

No one can be trusted.

Who among those surrounding him wouldn't want to get more from him?

The same applies to Miss Wang, who stood in front of her and comforted her.

At least this businesswoman from East Asia could see her father's hard work and toil.

This alone was enough to bring tears to the eyes of the exhausted and helpless Tyachenko, who choked out half of his heartfelt words: "I really regret it. I shouldn't have stopped him from canceling the election."

If it weren't for the immense pressure from the election, my father might not have had a heart attack at all.

Wang Xiao sighed inwardly. This young lady was a complete political newcomer, with a serious lack of political sensitivity.

She's telling herself she regrets advising the president to run for office. Has she forgotten that she herself is a staunch supporter of the president's re-election?

After finishing his tears, Diachenko remembered this and quickly tried to salvage the situation: "Your Majesty, what I meant was that I should know more about my father's situation..."

“No! Darling.” Wang Xiao interrupted her incoherent explanation, “This is your father’s choice, the choice of an ambitious politician. When people fight for their ideals, they will stop at nothing.”

She gave an example: "Like President Roosevelt, when he returned from Yalta, he told his daughter: I have achieved all the objectives of this trip, at the cost of my life. That's what a politician is."

Ivanov listened silently from the side.

My God!

While it's wrong to be harsh on an elderly person lying in a hospital bed with their life hanging in the balance, even the most tolerant person can't compare the master of the Kremlin to President Roosevelt.

After all, President Roosevelt was adept at navigating the country's course (Note ①), while the Kremlin's leader was quite the opposite.

Ivanov had to silently turn his head away to prevent his expression from betraying his true feelings.

Love can make people blind.

The love that his beloved youngest daughter had for her father was enough for Diachenko to quickly accept the claim that her father was another Roosevelt.

Look how similar they are! They are both in poor health, they are both under tremendous pressure, the countries they took over are all teetering on the brink of collapse, and they are both fighting against all odds.

Tyachenko covered his face and wept bitterly, crying, "Dad, my dad!"

Wang Xiao gently patted her back and whispered words of comfort.

The door, which had just been closed, reopened, and Korzhakov walked out with a grim expression, calling out to Diachenko in a low voice, "Tatyana."

But they didn't say what it was about.

Punoning, ever the gentleman, bowed to her and said, "Madam, we need your opinion."

Dyachenko followed them into the house, and the door closed again.

Wang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that Punonin had arranged for three people to come over, making a total of four with Korzhakov, not so that they could play mahjong, but to bring the president's daughter into the game.

The United Nations also needs five permanent members, four people, what if it's 2:2? Besides, the five permanent members have veto power, which these four people don't.

Aside from Radyachenko being the fifth person, they had no better option at this moment.

If Dyachenko's political acumen is still passable, she would be grateful to the person who orchestrated all of this.

Even if she didn't realize it, her father—the president, who was extremely sensitive to power—could have discerned the subtlety of it all.

Of course, all of this is contingent on the president waking up safely.

Otherwise, the situation would be entirely different.

The three people involved in the final decision-making process, if they were even slightly intelligent, would all be grateful to Punonin. Because he brought the president's most beloved youngest daughter into the picture, whatever choice they ultimately made was one that respected the president's family's opinion.

Wang Xiao found it increasingly interesting as he pondered it. Indeed, insight into worldly affairs is a form of knowledge, and mastery of human relationships is a form of literature; a general election can certainly provide valuable experience for many people.

Ivanov noticed the upturned corners of her mouth and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about?"

Wang Xiao muttered to himself, "I think our Vladimir has really trained to a high level."

She didn't explain why she said that; she just took Ivanov's hand and started playing with it. Playing with his own hand was too boring.

Ivanov, though unable to read minds, had his own explanation and nodded in agreement: "He came on his own."

They no longer need to tip off anyone.

Wang Xiao hummed in agreement twice and continued to silently play with his hands.

If Punonin can't even do this, then there's no need for them to take the risk of trying to get the president into power after he doesn't wake up.

Ivanov's fingers gave up resisting, letting her play with them as she pleased, only muttering under his breath, "My God! You're talking about President Roosevelt. If Russia could have a President Roosevelt right now, all Russians would kneel down in despair!"

President Roosevelt was someone Americans had accumulated over many years of good fortune.

Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow at him, incredulous: "Are you really sure you want a Roosevelt president?"

Ivanov replied without hesitation: "Of course. What was America like when he took over? What was it like when he left? He made America the world's leading economic power."

Even if he liked the Soviet Union, he had to admit that, to a large extent, the situation in World War II was controlled by the United States.

In the early days, the United States was trying to suppress Britain and remove the old British Empire from power in order to reshape the world order; that's why it sold arms to Germany so frantically.

It's fair to say that without American arms, Germany would never have been able to achieve its overwhelming dominance in Europe.

Of course, the situation was the same when Japan attacked China.

In 1937, a famous rural educator from China once made an angry accusation in the United States: "54.4% of lives were killed by American bombings."

Later, the situation changed, and the United States stepped in to support the Allies, turning the tide of the war.

Human will is important, but it's no substitute for the iron torrent.

Regardless of whether Roosevelt's actions were unethical, it is a universally acknowledged fact that World War II made the United States what it is today.

What nation wouldn't want its people to have such a leader? Ultimately, human joys and sorrows are not shared; what is poison to one may be honey to another.

Just as he was filled with emotion, Wang Xiao casually tossed out a sentence: "Well, when we earn 100 yuan, we'll pay 95 yuan in taxes."

You had no choice but to pay; the FBI was really powerful back then.

Ivanov paused for a moment, blinked several times, and then let out a deep sigh: "Every Soviet Union arose from the noblest ideals of mankind, and every Soviet Union died from the most despicable desires of mankind."

Which capitalist can give up extracting surplus value from workers?

Look, as soon as President Roosevelt died, his successor couldn't wait to overthrow everything he had built.

It seems that the lights in every hospital are shrouded in a layer of gray, casting a gloom over everyone's hearts.

Wang Xiao smiled and recited a famous quote from a classic work: "Actually, people are the same as trees. The more they yearn for the sunlight above, the deeper their roots must extend into the dark earth." (Note ②)

As for which famous book this quote came from, she had long forgotten.

After all, having traveled from the era of short internet videos, her reciting of famous quotes is merely a way to create a persona and gain followers. She doesn't have that much time to read classic literature.

She couldn't even guarantee that the quote actually appeared in the classic.

But whether it was there or not, it still successfully comforted Ivanov.

The latter rested his head on her shoulder and let out a sigh: "Your Majesty."

She can always bring him comfort.

Wang Xiao casually patted his head as a way of comforting him.

Ivanov felt very comfortable being touched, and he suddenly remembered: "Your Majesty, do you want to take a nap?"

Normally, they would have already washed up and gone to bed by this time.

When there are no social engagements, who wants to enjoy the nightlife? It's too tiring; it's better to get some sleep.

Wang Xiao glanced at the waiting chairs, utterly speechless: "How are we supposed to sleep?"

The chair back is so low that there's nowhere to even rest your head.

Ivanov patted his chest confidently: "Sit on my lap and sleep leaning against me."

Wang Xiao was very picky: "It's too hard, it's uncomfortable to lean against."

Finally, she sat up, turned to her side, rested her head on Ivanov's lap, and closed her eyes. She was truly exhausted.

Using your brain is a very mentally taxing activity, and it's not something you can easily recover from by eating two pieces of chocolate.

Wang Xiao had just closed his eyes, and less than three minutes later, the door to the five-person group's room opened again.

She opened her eyes and was met with Dyachenko's red and sore eyes and nose from crying.

But the other person subconsciously avoided her gaze, turning away as if wanting to savor the sorrow alone.

Given a choice, Wang Xiao never makes things difficult for anyone.

She turned her gaze to Punonin, but the question was directed at all of them: "Ladies and gentlemen! Have you discussed it? What do you want to do next?"

The others remained silent, but Punonin spoke up, changing the subject: "You must be tired, take a rest."

As he spoke, he gestured directly to the two of them, "Just make do here for the night."

The so-called "make do" simply meant finding them an empty hospital room, providing them with two sleeping bags, and letting them make do for one night.

Wang Xiao stared at the busy Punoning; people tend to be especially busy when they're in an awkward situation.

"Vlamik, you still haven't answered my question. What are you going to do?"

Punonin had no choice but to bite the bullet and reply, "Wait, we'll talk about it when it's light."

Wang Xiao scoffed and sneered, saying sarcastically, "You guys really have a lot of patience."

Considering Ivanov's feelings, she swallowed the rest of her sentence; no wonder Slavs are said to be the most patient.

The tax police major general was also embarrassed and could only awkwardly change the subject: "I heard you want to support Bered?"

Ivanov instinctively began to explain his intentions.

Wang Xiao spoke before him, replying in a low voice, "Yes, Vladimir, you must study hard. After all, the whole process of how a general rises to power in politics and then falls from grace is not something you can easily witness at other times."

He was your teacher; his political life, which ended in death, was your teacher in spirit.

Punonin's pupils contracted slightly, and the muscles in his cheeks twitched twice, as if to say something meaningful: "His Excellency the President may not agree to this risky move."

General Bered is young and vigorous, and enjoys great prestige within the military. If he were to rise to power, he could very well replace the president. Would the president take that risk?

Wang Xiao curled the corners of his lips and said meaningfully, "Why not? Our president is never afraid to take risks."

A monarch must be as fierce as a lion and as cunning as a fox.

In a sense, the master of the Kremlin does possess both qualities, but only in small quantities.

Punonin looked at her, his words carrying a hidden meaning: "Is that so?"

If not—

Wang Xiao smiled and asked, "Why is Your Excellency President still keeping Grachev around?"

Defense Minister Grachev is notoriously incompetent. He rashly launched the Chechen War without knowing anything about either side's army, resulting in a large number of pointless deaths of Russian soldiers.

During the Chechen hostage crisis at the container market last June, he acted like a coward, refusing to take any responsibility despite arriving at the scene.

After the newspapers published the story, the Russians were extremely disgusted with him.

This person happened to be the sworn enemy of General Bered, who had an excellent reputation, making him even more disliked.

But so far, the president has not taken any action against the incompetent Grachev.

Wang Xiao said softly, "General Bered will surely be satisfied with this gift, won't he?"

Punonin glanced at her but made no comment. Instead, he turned his gaze to Ivanov and said, "Get some rest. Don't stay up late."

What a nightmare to stay up all night!

In April 1996, in a hospital ward in Moscow, how was I supposed to stay up all night without even a smartphone?

“Vlamik,” Wang Xiao looked at him, “waiting won’t solve all the problems; it might even make things worse. You can’t put all your hopes on waiting.”

As she spoke, she nodded, climbed into bed and crawled into her sleeping bag, and bluntly ordered, "When you go out, please turn off the lights for us."

Punoning had long been worn down and could only frown, pinch his nose, and obediently turn off the lights for them.

He didn't want to keep waiting either.

But Russia today is as fragile as a house whose load-bearing walls have been hit by artillery fire; it is teetering on the brink of collapse, and any action could cause it to crumble.

He sighed silently, wearily returned to the door of the emergency room, and continued to wait.

As for what he truly hoped for, he didn't know.

It would be good if it were daylight, but it would also be nice if it never came to light again.

Wang Xiao's nerves were incredibly thick; even under these circumstances, she managed to fall asleep and even started snoring softly, like a lullaby, which lulled Ivanov to sleep as well.

The next morning, when the two opened their eyes, the sun was already up, shining golden light all over the ground.

The birds were chirping and hopping on the branches, perhaps busy building their nests. In short, it was a lively scene, full of vibrant life.

As Wang Xiao walked out of the ward, she unsurprisingly found guards standing at the door.

But the guards didn't stop them from leaving; they simply followed them back to the entrance of the emergency room.

The two were somewhat surprised not to see the waiting crowd.

The nurse who came out saw Ivanov and greeted him very kindly: "He has been transferred to a ward."

See, there are benefits to appearing on TV; celebrities enjoy these hidden perks.

Ivanov quickly thanked him and grabbed Wang Xiao's hand, running straight to the ward.

This time, the entire corridor was lined with guards, and Wang Xiao and Ivanov were not allowed to pass through.

Wang Xiao didn't see Punonin, but Tyachenko rushed over and hugged her tightly, his eyes filled with tears of excitement: "Wang, that's great, Daddy's awake."

Although the doctor emphasized that he was very weak and needed to rest, and could not be stimulated in any way, let alone overworked, he was as frail as a paper doll that could be blown away.

But he eventually woke up; he was still the master of the Kremlin, still the head of state of this land.

Wang Xiao sighed inwardly. She knew it would be like this; she was destined to never buy stocks in either of her two lifetimes.

Every time she steeled herself to cut her losses on junk stocks, the stock would bounce, trying to convince her that it still had room to grow.

Just like the President who is still hanging on by a thread.

Wang Xiao's face showed excitement and surprise: "That's great, darling, we're saved, Russia is saved!"

Dyachenko hugged her even tighter.

In fact, her father had been awake for almost an hour, and he had exhausted all his excitement.

What truly excites her now is Wang Xiao's attitude; the latter's joy and affirmation prove that she has not abandoned her father and will still fight for him.

Wang Xiao hugged her for several minutes before letting go and smiling, "Now that everything's alright, I'm relieved. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how I would get to Sakhalin."

Dyachenko instinctively froze: "You're going to Sakhalin Island?"

At this moment! My God, Father is still not completely out of danger.

Wang Xiao said sincerely, "Yes, have you forgotten? Wuzhou is going to Sakhalin today to see Project No. 2 and sign the contract. We can't delay any longer; we need to start construction as soon as possible."

Overcome with anxiety, Tyachenko tried to persuade her: "Do you really have to go? Ivan, yes, Ivan should be able to go and sign the contract by himself."

She needs Wang Xiao.

She had no staff of her own and lacked political experience.

If her father's situation changes in any way, the only person she can trust and believes is the East Asian businesswoman in front of her.

Wang Xiao shook his head: "No, I'm the one who mainly follows up on this project. Besides, you know Ivan's problem; he's too easy to talk to and too easily swayed."

As she spoke, she complained, "Men shouldn't manage money. If you rely on men, the family will go hungry."

If it were any other time or place, Dyachenko would definitely laugh out loud, nod vigorously, and then tease the king about how he and his mother must have something to say to each other.

Because her father was also someone who couldn't manage money, her mother was in charge of the family's finances.

But now, Tyachenko can't laugh no matter what.

She pleaded softly, "Darling, please don't go. I hope you can stay in Moscow and spend more time with me."

"What's wrong?" Wang Xiao asked in surprise. "I shouldn't have stayed and bothered your family. Now that His Excellency the President is awake and alright, your mother and sister should be coming over, right? We're all outsiders, and I'm sure the President wouldn't want to see us right now."

Tyachenko was extremely anxious, but didn't know what reason to give to keep the man.

Just as she was at a loss, Korzhakov walked over from the end of the corridor with a gloomy expression and coldly said, "You can't leave, neither of you can leave."

Wang Xiao was astonished. This was unprecedented; Korzhakov actually wanted to keep her.

Didn't he always want to kick her into outer space so she would never have to appear in front of the president again?

Wang Xiao looked at the other person with a hint of mockery, and then politely bowed: "Sir, is there anything I can do for you? I can register you first, and then I can serve you after I finish signing the contract and come back."

Unexpectedly, Korzhakov's face instantly turned frosty: "You cannot leave! The president's health is top secret. From now on, you are not allowed to go anywhere."

How could he possibly let them go? If they utter a single word outside, the president will face the biggest crisis of his governing career.

At that point, the entire Kremlin will be finished.

Wang Xiao's teasing turned to astonishment, then to anger and a forced laugh: "OK, I have no objection. But if you were to lock me up in a dark room with me, I wouldn't utter a word of complaint no matter where. After all—"

She sneered, "What am I? Just a small-time businesswoman. She can brag about getting a free meal at the Kremlin for ages. Who would believe what I say? Left-wing newspapers are always swearing that the president is on his deathbed, but how many people actually believe them?"

Her gaze, sharp as an awl, pierced Korzhakov's ashen face. "Unlike you, sir. As everyone knows, you are the president's most trusted confidant. If you were to say that the president's health is in trouble, the whole world would believe you! So—"

Her eyes locked onto the other person. "If we're going to block information, the first person we should start with is you, sir."

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Note 1: This quote comes from Samuel Grafton's eulogy for Roosevelt: "People remember him as a smiling bus driver with a cigarette always dangling from his lips. He was used to hearing a commotion on the bus when he made sharp turns, and passengers were used to complaining that he shouldn't drive like that, but only he knew that he could safely continue to the next corner, and he knew which commotion was real and which was false, because he loved his passengers. Now he's gone, the bus has stopped, and the gates of heaven are still far away. The passengers are clinging to each other, not knowing how they will manage to get to the next corner."

Note ②: "In fact, people are the same as trees. The more they yearn for the sunlight above, the deeper their roots must extend into the dark earth." This is from Nietzsche's "Thus Spoke Zarathustra".