Chapter 548 She is the Queen: The Person in the Deep Sea

Zhang Rujing and Jiang Shangzhou were talking when they saw Wang Xiao leading a group of people and dragging suitcases out. They couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Hey, boss, where are you going?"

As they had agreed beforehand, Mr. Wang would stay in Hong Kong for a few days to see how the microelectronics center was officially operating.

The overwhelming success of the unveiling ceremony proves that the center has had a great start, with the enthusiastic response from all parties far exceeding their expectations.

It's clear that everyone is uncertain right now and hopes to stick together as much as possible in the face of the unpredictable future of the internet economy in order to reduce the risks of going it alone.

Now is a good opportunity to strengthen ties, so why did Boss Wang leave?

Wang Xiao said seriously, "I'm going to Moscow because I miss my fiancé."

Oh dear, now neither of them knew how to respond.

Young people are young after all; their romance is truly undeniable. They thought about it, then flew from Hong Kong to Moscow—just like that, they left on a whim.

This truly showcases the drive and romantic spirit of young people!

Wang Xiao retorted confidently, "I don't understand technology."

Zhang Rujing dared not count on her anymore and laughed, "Then have fun! Moscow is definitely cooler than Hong Kong now."

It's good for her to leave Hong Kong sooner rather than later.

Right now, the microelectronics center is teeming with projects, each one seemingly promising. What if she gets carried away and wants to invest in every single one?

Are you kidding me? The Nasdaq is in a very dangerous situation right now. Anyone who wants to issue new shares to raise funds at this critical juncture is dreaming.

Building a 12-inch chip factory would cost $1.5 billion.

The cost of two 12-inch chip factories is enough to build an aircraft carrier.

Wang Xiao smiled, nodded, and left.

Without any delay, she got into the car and went straight to the airport.

The radio in the car was on, broadcasting news from around the world over the past week.

The female news anchor, with a bright voice, announced in clear and standard Mandarin: "The Democratic National Convention is being held in Los Angeles. The convention officially nominated then-Vice President Al Gore as the Democratic presidential candidate, and Senator Joe Lieberman as the vice presidential candidate..."

Wang Xiao suddenly realized that the Democratic Party in the United States also has a national convention.

The August sun in the port city was scorching, but the dark double-layered heat-insulating glass filtered out most of the heat and glare, turning it into a soft halo that flowed slightly with the car body.

Her gaze followed the shimmering light, as if she were in a cradle, and even the voices coming from the radio seemed to have turned into a lullaby, carrying an indescribable sense of disorientation.

"A federal jury found that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's discrimination against Dr. Martha Cole-Adebayo violated the Civil Rights Act."

"On August 21... it was announced... during a military exercise in the Barents Sea... all 118 people on board the nuclear submarine 'Kursk'... perished. On August 12... the accident occurred... a telegram was sent... expressing deep condolences."

The car turned a corner, and Wang Xiao suddenly woke up.

To the left, the azure Victoria Harbour shimmers with light, ferry ferries leaving white trails on its surface; to the right, a dense cluster of office buildings, their glass curtain walls slicing sunlight into countless fragments.

The car was driving along the East District corridor.

In this situation, is the ferry braving the waves, or is the car parting the sea like Moses?

She didn't know; all she saw were the tops of the skyscrapers in Central disappearing into the thin mist.

So far, yet so near.

The news on the car radio had been replaced by a song, a clear yet melancholic guitar intro followed by the lyrics, "If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one..."

Wang Xiao didn't know what song it was, but she could understand the lyrics: "How fragile we are... How fragile we are..."

We are so fragile.

The car slowed down and entered the airport's departure terminal. The new airport, which opened in 1998, is bright and airy, with its huge arched roof seemingly a metaphor for the future.

Glass curtain walls divide the world into countless pieces, each containing a flowing era.

Light and shadow swirled behind her, while the road ahead led north.

Wang Xiao took a flight that lasted more than ten hours, and then got into a car again. Because of traffic jams, she spent almost an hour and a half wandering the streets of Moscow before finally arriving at the White House.

When the driver stopped the car, he subconsciously waited for his boss to call.

Although such experiences were not frequent, every time the boss came to the White House to see Mr., he would wait for Mr. in the parking lot.

She would never set foot in the White House.

This time, however, the boss unbuckled his seatbelt and, instead of stretching out, went straight to open the car door and get out.

Because the car door was locked, she couldn't open it and even glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

The driver was greatly surprised and quickly unlocked the car door, then watched as his boss and his entourage marched in a grand procession toward the White House.

Oh my God! What happened? Is the boss going to...?

It couldn't be catching someone cheating, could it?

Although the gentleman used to be a playboy, he cherishes his life very much.

Besides, even if he controlled the big head with the small head, Nikolai and the others would definitely stop him.

There's no way they could cause trouble at the White House.

Unfortunately, the driver had to stay at his post and couldn't go inside the White House to see what was going on, so he could only wait with a gossipy heart.

Nikolai was already waiting at the building entrance. When he saw Wang Xiao, he nodded to the security guard, who simply greeted him and let him through without hesitation. Nikolai, unable to suppress his doubts, watched the visitor go upstairs.

Good heavens, Miss Wang is actually going into the White House! She's notoriously bad at anything related to the White House.

Wang Xiao wasted no time and went straight to Ivan's deputy prime minister's office.

The office owner was sitting behind a large desk piled high with documents. He was frowning and expressionless as he buried himself in signing them.

Hearing footsteps and the sound of the door being pushed open, he subconsciously looked up, his brows furrowing even more.

When he finally saw the face that appeared from behind the door, his eyes widened in disbelief: "How did you get here? Weren't you in Hong Kong?"

Yes, the microelectronics center was unveiled, and Wang is busy in Hong Kong. He must be hallucinating.

Wang Xiao stepped into the office, smiling and opening her arms to him: "Because I miss you, I miss you so much I'm going crazy."

Ivan suddenly stood up, but as soon as he stood up, everything went black before his eyes, and he stumbled and fell forward.

Wang Xiao reached out and tried to support him, almost falling over because of him.

Fortunately, the bodyguards were not to be trifled with and rescued the two unfortunate men in time.

She teased him with a laugh, "You're so excited to see me?"

Ivan still felt dizzy. He sighed slowly and tried to hug her tightly, afraid that he was holding air: "I miss you so much, I miss you so much."

Many times he couldn't help but want to call her, and many times he wanted to beg on the phone: Please, please come to me, please come to my side, I can't take it anymore.

But he couldn't.

Wang Xiao smiled and patted his back: "If you miss me so much, then sleep with me. I'm so sleepy, I don't want to get jet lag."

As she spoke, she took a deep breath and warned him, "I don't want to take a shower anymore. You're not allowed to complain about how smelly I am, or I'll beat you up."

Ivan sniffed the top of her hair and smiled: "It doesn't smell bad, it smells nice."

It's the fragrance of flowers released by the sunlight.

Wang Xiao smiled and hugged him tightly: "Then hold your fragrant beauty and get a good night's sleep."

As a 24-hour man at the White House, Ivan naturally had his own duty room, which was slightly smaller than a single room in a hotel, but the bedding was soft from sunbathing and smelled of sunshine.

Almost as soon as I crawled into bed, drowsiness washed over me.

Her hand held his, transferring the warmth of the sun to him. The chill and darkness of being immersed in the deep sea vanished, and he drifted off into a deep sleep.

But the deeper he slept, the more his body seemed to sink downwards.

Before he knew it, he was in the sea again. Pressure came from all directions, squeezing his lungs and clenching his heart. He felt like he couldn't breathe and tried desperately to struggle, but he couldn't break free no matter what.

Suddenly, someone embraced him and lifted him upwards. Sunlight shone through the seawater, illuminating a bright path. He was carried along the path of light until he reached the surface of the sea.

In an instant, the sun shone brightly.

The light, like a pair of warm hands, caressed his body, and his tense muscles relaxed, allowing him to drift off into a deep sleep.

This time, there was sunshine and the fragrance of flowers.

He couldn't tell whether he was on a farm in Cape Town or on the coast of Sakhalin Island; all he saw was a vast expanse of blue sky and white clouds, and plains covered in blooming flowers.

When Ivan opened his eyes again, he was still in a daze, unsure whether he was still in a dream or in the real world.

It wasn't until Wang Xiao, who was holding him, lowered his head and kissed his eyes that the warmth and moisture from his eyelids gave him a real sense of being in the human world.

Then he heard laughter from above: "Awake?"

He is the king, his king.

Ivan relaxed, nodded slowly, and then belatedly noticed the halo of light shining through the curtains before remembering to ask, "What time is it?"

It's 7 o'clock.

He asked again, "Which 7 o'clock?"

Even in late August, Moscow, at its high latitude, is brightly lit at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Wang Xiao smiled and gently patted his head: "Ivan woke up really early at 7 a.m.."

Ivan muttered to himself, "It's 7 o'clock already. I can't believe I slept for so long."

I've been sleeping since yesterday afternoon, probably for a good sixteen or seventeen hours.

Wang Xiao kissed his dry lips: "Are you hungry now? Do you want some rice porridge?"

What's 17 hours? She would much rather he could sleep for three days and three nights and make up for the torment of the past ten days.

But she was also afraid that his stomach would break out.

So now that you're awake, have some thick rice porridge.

The warm rice porridge carried a rich aroma of rice oil. Instead of going to the restaurant, the two sat in Ivan's duty room, heads touching, holding the rice porridge they had just scooped from the thermos and drinking it down sip by sip.

There were also steamed buns on the lid next to it, the kind that are especially soft.

However, after Ivan finished the whole bowl of rice porridge, he only tore off a small piece of steamed bun and soaked it in the second bowl of rice porridge before slowly drinking it down.

Wang Xiao finished the remaining steamed bun without a care, without spreading fermented bean curd or adding any side dishes like sausage, and simply ate it with rice water.

Ivan, having put down his spoon, was stunned again.

It wasn't until Wang Xiao reached out to clear the dishes that he realized what was happening, grabbed her hand, and hesitated, saying, "I want to resign."

On September 9th, the results of the Russian presidential election were officially announced. After three months of competition, a new president has finally been elected.

The president, whose health had been poor for a long time, announced his resignation on the same day the results were announced, and the new president was sworn in the following day, August 10.

According to the rules, on the day he takes office, the current government immediately announces its resignation and then continues to hold its posts in an acting capacity, waiting for the new president to nominate a new prime minister within two weeks. After approval by the State Duma, the president officially appoints the prime minister.

Next, the new prime minister will submit a government structure plan within a week and a list of deputy prime minister candidates to the Duma within two weeks. The Duma will then review and vote on the plan within a week.

After approval, the president signs an order to appoint a deputy prime minister, who then takes office and the previous deputy prime minister leaves office.

In other words, Ivan is no longer nominally the deputy prime minister, but he still wields the power and performs the duties of one. Only when a new person takes over his position will he be able to retire gracefully.

But now he says he doesn't want to do it anymore and he wants to leave.

Wang Xiao had no objections, but nodded and started making arrangements: "Let's take a shower first, and after we're all ready, we'll go say goodbye to Mr. Chernomyrdin and Mr. Sostovets. Oh, and we should also say hello to Mr. Nemtsov. We'll have to trouble him."

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Nemtsov will succeed Ivan, which will be beneficial to the continuation of Russia's economic reforms and the further recovery and development of industrial and agricultural production.

Ivan obediently let her lead him by the hand to the bathroom to wash his hair and take a shower, getting himself all clean and tidy, and even shaving.

If you ignore the dark circles under his eyes, he's a dashing and handsome young man—good heavens, the UN has long said that anyone under 40 is a youth.

Ivan, who served as deputy prime minister for four years, is only 36 years old now.

Wang Xiao was extremely satisfied with her judgment.

She dressed Ivan up nicely, making him look presentable, before taking him to visit Prime Minister Chernomeldin with fruit.

The elderly gentleman, who was over sixty years old, had only been back from vacation for two days when he saw this scene, and he was both amused and exasperated.

He took the initiative to shake hands with Wang Xiao: "Oh, Miss Wang, it's an honor to meet you here."

Wang Xiao smiled and bowed slightly, offering the fruit: "I brought this from Hong Kong. It's not a precious gift, just a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it."

In late August, even in Moscow, fruit was not scarce, so Chernomyrdin gladly accepted the subtropical fruits wampee and wax apple.

He was surprised, but not entirely unexpected, when Ivan expressed his desire to resign.

It was agreed from the beginning that he would officially leave the White House at the end of this month or the beginning of next month.

It's only natural to do things a few days earlier now.

However, according to the rules, it is still appropriate to obtain the president's approval.

Prime Minister Chernomyrdin had always been somewhat tongue-tied, so he only said a few words, then reached out and hugged Ivan, wished him good luck, and let him go.

Deep down, he didn't want to release Ivan, who was his most trusted and relied-upon right-hand man.

It is no exaggeration to say that Ivan saved his political life.

Because at the end of last year, the previous president approached him, suggesting that he resign so that he could focus all his energy on the presidential election.

At the time, he thought the president had chosen him as his successor and would support his campaign. He also felt that he had done a very good job over the years and was very familiar with the situation in Russia, so he was truly qualified to take over the presidency.

But after he tipped off Ivan, the latter hinted that he should think twice before acting.

In the end, he declined the president's offer, stating that he only wanted to do his job in government.

As it turned out, he was never the one chosen; he almost lost his position as the steward of the country and ended up as the temporary steward of a presidential election.

Now that this capable and astute right-hand man is leaving, all Prime Minister Chernomyrdin can do is give him a tight hug.

Deputy Prime Minister Soskowitz didn't say much either, but his embrace of Ivan lasted exceptionally long. They had fought side by side for four years, and had actually stayed until the end of their terms. If you turned back the clock to the summer of 1996, he could never have imagined such a thing.

Having accomplished this much, what more could he possibly want?

The dissatisfied person was Nemtsov, who completely broke down when he heard Ivan say he was about to leave his post.

Good heavens, although Ivan had started handing over his responsibilities on August 10th, the problem was that he wasn't idle either; he was the Minister of Industry, and he still had a ton of work to hand over.

Now that this guy has abandoned the project prematurely, wouldn't that be the end of him?

No, no, I have to stick it out and finish my last shift.

But Miss Wang simply placed the fruit on his desk and announced with a beaming smile, "No, sir, from today onwards, he belongs entirely to me. So, I'm taking him away from the White House today."

Nemtsov had no choice but to raise his hand: "Alright, alright, beautiful lady, you know I can never refuse any of your requests."

But he would still make demands of Ivan, such as requiring him to answer his calls immediately and reply to his emails.

He wasted no more time and asked Ivan to reconsider his decision to remain working at the White House.

Because he knew that after August, everything was beyond repair.

In late August, the sunlight in Moscow was filtered through this forest city, and what fell on the earth was a cool breeze.

The car drove from the White House to the Kremlin. Wang Xiao accompanied Ivan inside. This time, she didn't bring any fruit; she just waited at the entrance of the presidential office.

Compared to the White House, Wang Xiao is more familiar with the Kremlin and has been there more often.

But no matter how many times she came, she felt very depressed here.

It's as if this ancient palace wasn't built of bricks and stones, but rather solidified by the weight and secrets of centuries.

The sunlight, as dazzling as the August sun, shines through the tall, narrow windows of the Kremlin and falls into the winding corridors, turning into a pale and lonely beam.

She was sitting on the sofa in the rest area when her eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar figure flashing by, who seemed to be peeking around.

She nonchalantly looked away, her gaze fixed on the heavy door of the presidential office.

The wall clock ticked away, and it took almost half an hour before the door to the president's office finally opened.

Ivan walked out step by step, his steps slightly unsteady, perhaps because he had barely eaten for the past three days and had eaten too little this morning.

His gaze locked onto Wang Xiao, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

Wang Xiao quickly stepped forward, put her arm around his waist, and looked up with a smile in her eyes: "Now that the job is over, you belong to me."

Ivan hugged her, nuzzling his forehead against her hair, and murmured as if to himself, "It's always been yours."

He paused for a moment before speaking, "It's just a consultant position; I don't need to be in the office."

He cannot completely detach himself from Russian politics; no one can completely extricate themselves from politics.

In the future, he will also serve as an economic advisor to the Kremlin.

“We don’t need to clock in at specific times.” Wang Xiao held his hand, their steps never stopping. “Now that we’re done, let’s go home.”

As the two walked to the end of the corridor and were about to turn, an exaggerated voice came from more than ten meters away: "Oh! Ivan, my dear friend, you've become a spirited and wonderful young man again."

Berezovsky, from afar, spread his arms wide and strode over in his characteristic exaggerated tone, then, as if singing an aria, emphasized, "How I envy you, my fine young man."

Wang Xiao's gaze fell on Berezovsky's face, which was radiant with joy and pride.

He has every right to be proud.

If the 1996 presidential election was a miracle created by Wang Xiao, who turned the tide and achieved what seemed impossible to many, then...

Therefore, the 2000 Russian general election was entirely a one-man show by Berezovsky and Channel One, which he controlled.

Relying on television, he defeated all his rivals for the new president, who had absolutely no experience in running for office and no interest in the process, and brought a new master to the Kremlin.

At this point, he finally lived up to his title as the godfather of the Kremlin.

Wang Xiao looked at him calmly: "Boris, how have you been lately?"

Berezovsky couldn't help but grin, and he burst into laughter: "Of course, you know, there are many, many annoying things. But that's life, that's work, and you have to do it."

He let out another exaggerated sigh, looked up at Ivanov, and said, "Oh, my handsome young man, how I envy you! You've finally gotten rid of all this."

Ivan remained silent.

Wang Xiao calmly uttered the word: "Really?"

Berezovsky was about to laugh reflexively when he suddenly felt an inexplicable chill.

He subconsciously looked at Wang Xiao.

Miss Wang, being an East Asian woman, isn't particularly tall. Furthermore, she doesn't like wearing high heels and was wearing flats today, so she couldn't possibly rely on her height to project an imposing presence and overwhelm anyone.

But at this moment, Berezovsky felt a heavy pressure.

Especially when we meet her eyes.

What kind of eyes were those? Like the Moscow sun in late August, bright yet cool.

The chill crept up Berezovsky's spine and rushed straight into his brain.

He suddenly realized that this was the king, the person standing in front of him was the king.

She is not queen because Ivan became Russia's deputy prime minister. She has always been queen—past, present, and future.

Berezovsky was able to become the godfather of the Kremlin because she, the true godmother of the Kremlin, gave him face and did not interfere in the Russian elections.

She even took the initiative to help hold Gusinski down, ensuring that NTV didn't go on stage to cheer for anyone.

It could be said that she seemed to have done nothing, but in fact, she had determined the fate of the world.

Berezovsky broke out in a cold sweat because he had just made a huge mistake. He had put himself in a superior position and frivolously referred to Ivan, the recently resigned deputy prime minister, as a "good lad."

He knew all too well that Ivan was the Queen's Achilles' heel; she would never allow anyone to disrespect Ivan or make him unhappy.

Berezovsky, not wanting to complicate matters further, could only bite the bullet and try to salvage the situation: "Look at what nonsense I'm spouting! Oh, no, Miss Wang, you know, it's troublesome, it's exhausting. My dear friend Ivan knows this better than anyone. Oh, Ivan, I'll need your help in the future."

He said a lot of nice things, the core message of which was that he had worked very hard and it hadn't been easy for him, and he asked them to sympathize with his difficulties and understand his predicament.

Wang Xiao smiled, sighed, looked at him, and said seriously, "Boris, good luck. I'm serious."

The oligarch standing opposite her is indeed no good, but there are plenty of bad people in Russia, and plenty of bad people all over the world.

Compared to them, he is not so wicked. Why can't he live a carefree life like other bad people?

Berezovsky forced a smile: "Of course, Miss Wang, you are always so kind, thank you for your blessing."

Wang Xiao nodded: "My dear Boris, I'm glad you understand my good intentions."

Berezovsky hesitated for a moment. In fact, he really wanted to ask Miss Wang how to help the Kremlin get through the current public opinion crisis.

Because the new government reacted slowly when the nuclear submarine Kursk sank, it failed to take timely and effective rescue measures and refused the assistance offered by European countries. Ultimately, all 118 officers and men on board the nuclear submarine perished.

The president and the Kremlin are now facing heavy criticism, with the media comparing the sinking of the nuclear submarine to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

This is really bad.

Berezovsky hoped that Miss Wang could give him advice on how to turn the current unfavorable situation around.

But he swallowed the words back.

It's no longer 1996, it's 2000 now. The Kremlin has a new master. It doesn't need its former godmother; it needs a brand new godfather, a true godfather.

So he politely bowed to Wang Xiao: "Of course, how could I not understand your good intentions?"

As Wang Xiao walked up the long steps of the Kremlin, he wondered if Lezovsky knew how dangerous he was.

Perhaps he still can't see clearly that his enormous success has blinded him, making him believe that he can easily manipulate the selection of the Russian president and that he is the master here.

Perhaps he had already realized he was walking a tightrope. After all, he was once a mathematician, and he could never truly lack rationality.

But he had already reached this position, and it was through his title as the godfather of the Kremlin and his special relationship with the Kremlin in the eyes of outsiders that he was able to move steadily in Moscow's high society.

Once he loses this protection, he will be torn to pieces by countless greedy claws.

So even if one end of the steel cable is a wolf and the other end is a tiger, he still has to grit his teeth and keep going.

To be able to withdraw unscathed from the arena of power requires immense composure, extraordinary ability, and incredible luck.

Wang Xiao gripped Ivan's hand tightly and descended the steps one by one.

The Kremlin stood behind them like a towering giant, its cold eyes watching them depart.

Once in the car, Wang Xiao relaxed and smiled as she grabbed Ivan's hand: "Let's go home and see what delicious food you've made for us. What does our big baby want to eat?"

Ivan's hand clenched, and he turned his head, hesitatingly asking, "Could we not be in Moscow?"

He swallowed hard before continuing, "What I mean is, I've been stuck in Moscow for too long, and I want to get out and about."

Wang Xiao readily agreed: "How about we go to Cape Town? Spring is almost here, let's go ostrich riding."

She hasn't been to South Africa for a long time either.

Ivan shook his head: "I want to go to Wuhan."

Wang Xiao didn't ask why, she just nodded: "Okay, let's go to Wuhan."

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[I've figured it out] I believe you will definitely be able to understand this chapter.