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Tang Yue strolled along, thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere of Mosco. "Since it's such a high-class family, how could I not take a look around?"
Dongfang Yi's eyes lit up and he knew Tang Yue's plan immediately. He quickly stepped forward, "Tang Yue, the Alexander family is really a fat sheep. But they don't live in the city; they own a large area of land in the northern suburbs."
In the past, this would have been a noble estate. But now it can't be called that anymore. The decorations aren't as opulent as they used to be.
"Hehe, shall we go take a look now?"
That sounds amazing! A manor? Tang Yue definitely wants to go check it out. "In the northern suburbs?"
Dongfang Yi nodded affirmatively. Tang Yue continued, "Approximately how far is it from here?"
Dongfang Yi thought for a moment, "It should be more than 60 kilometers. Ah! Tang Yue, if we start walking there now, it might be dawn by the time we get there. Sigh, if only we had a bicycle. It would save a lot of time."
Dongfang Yi had completely forgotten how the two of them had quickly walked from the eastern suburbs to what is now the museum. He genuinely didn't feel any difference; they had simply chatted for a while and arrived.
"Let's go then, you know the way, right? Let's set off now."
Without proper transportation, the two had no choice but to walk. As they walked, Dongfang Yi continued to educate Tang Yue. "A colleague from our newspaper once interviewed Ivanov. When he came back, he raved about the Alexander family's estate to the skies."
Because there aren't any houses that nice anymore in all of Moscow. Oh, by the way, Tang Yue, the government doesn't allow the term "manor" anymore, so we can only use that word in private.
Following Dongfang Yi's directions, the two quickly arrived at the northern suburbs. Looking around, Tang Yue felt overwhelmed by the sights; no one can resist beauty, especially not Tang Yue. She hadn't seen many nice houses before, and this was truly an eye-opening experience.
The entire complex covers more than 120 hectares. The main building is in the neoclassical style, with a beige exterior that gleams softly in the moonlight. Six ancient Greek-style stone columns support a solemn portico.
Unlike the Tsarist era, the dome, which was originally inlaid with gold and silver reliefs, has been simplified into a simple flat roof design, and the exquisite carvings on the window frames have been replaced with geometric lines that conform to modern aesthetics.
This renovation preserved the framework of the historical building while also aligning with the Russian emphasis on pragmatism during the socialist construction period.
Tang Yue and Dongfang Yi walked inside, and Dongfang Yi's clicking of her tongue never stopped. It was shocking, truly shocking.
Tang Yue couldn't take her eyes off it either. She wondered if her space was also missing a manor like this. She wondered if this thing could be stored in her space.
Thinking this, Tang Yue's eyes curved into crescents. If only that were possible.
Let's take a look around first before considering this difficult problem.
The interior of the mansion continues the understated luxury characteristic of the Alexander family. In the spacious living room, the huge crystal chandelier still hangs in the center of the ceiling, but the floor, which was originally covered with Persian carpets, has been replaced with more durable linen fabric.
There were no fewer than 20 Chinese artifacts displayed in the entire hall. Tang Yue was dumbfounded. She didn't know how their socialism had come about. But then again, it wasn't fair to say that, as even in China, many people had secretly kept a considerable number of valuable items.
Tang Yue felt that she was right to do this, otherwise, wouldn't there be a break in the history of China? She was not in a hurry to pack up. It was nighttime, and although some nightlights were on, everyone seemed to be asleep.
Tang Yue used her senses to detect voices coming from the study on the second floor of the house. Tang Yue pulled Dongfang Yi along and went over. There was no way she could understand Russian Mandarin after only one day; it was too much to ask.
Inside the study, walnut bookshelves are neatly arranged with Marx's works and ancient books collected by the family over generations, while a desk made from a single piece of granite reveals the owner's preference for heavy industry.
It is worth noting that the decorations in all the rooms deliberately avoided religious symbols, replacing them with metal reliefs symbolizing the worker-peasant alliance.
Ivanov, whom I had met at the auction, was now talking to the man in the black suit. The two were sitting face to face. Ivanov's expression was not good.
"Are you sure they have nothing they can provide us?"
The secretary nodded, her expression equally grave. "Yes, the entire city is empty, and the factories have run out of raw materials. They were working hard to meet the deadline, but all the finished products are gone."
Ivanov tapped his fingers on the table. "Then let them go dig for raw materials now and continue production. Tell them we can postpone delivery for two months."
The secretary frowned. "I've already mentioned this condition to them, but they haven't accepted it. The reason is that all the workers are on strike now, and they refuse to return to work at the factory."
"The workers say that the factory, and even the whole city, is cursed, which is why everything has disappeared. They will not go back to work in the factory until the curse is lifted."
Ivanov knew the disappearances were strange, but he had a hunch that the group seemed to target only the objects and wouldn't harm the humans. "Nonsense! So many cities have lost things, but have you heard of any problems with the people in those cities?"
I think they didn't care about humans at all; they just wanted to take things.
The secretary looked up. "So, sir, what should we do if those workers come back and finish another batch, and then the goods are ordered again?"
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