Chapter 369 Left and Right Brain Fighting (Bug Fix): They only need to defeat the Communist Party
Oligarchs have no money? That's a truly hellish joke.
After all, it is well known that Russian oligarchs are so rich they have nothing but money.
Many European and American films and television dramas love to create a mysterious Russian tycoon character, whose consistent persona is that he is rich and can solve any problem with money.
Unfortunately, these film and television characters generally appeared after the millennium.
Prior to this, at least in 1995, Russian oligarchs were not so wealthy and powerful.
More specifically, before the large-scale privatization of state-owned enterprises, Russia did not have oligarchs in the true sense.
After all, according to economists, oligarchs are monopolistic capitalists and groups of monopolistic capitalists who can manipulate the lifeline of the national economy and effectively control the state power.
For example, consider the typical South Korean chaebols. As is well known, everything in South Korea is controlled by the chaebols.
But in Russia in the summer of 1995, let alone everything else, even economic activities, those who truly controlled the country's economic lifeline were the "red factory directors."
Yes, those factory directors and managers who were heads of state-owned enterprises during the Soviet era.
Don't find it unbelievable. The Soviet Union has been dissolved for almost four years, the Soviets have been dissolved, and the Communist Party has become a thing of the past in this land. So why do these "red factory directors" still have such a strong presence and control?
This completely contradicts the fundamental theory that the economic base determines the superstructure.
Then we need to talk about how the Soviet Union collapsed.
As is well known, the Soviet Union employed a peaceful evolution strategy.
All social changes not accomplished through violent revolution will inevitably face the question of how to distribute the benefits.
In order to maintain social stability and gain the support of the "red factory directors," the newly formed Russian government granted them extremely high power.
In a sense, the government tacitly allowed the factory directors, often referred to as "red," to become the de facto masters of these countries' major industries.
Undoubtedly, this policy of economic appeasement planted a time bomb for the federal government.
The power of the "red factory directors" originally came from the Soviet Communist Party.
In the later period of the Soviet Union, which was effectively under the control of Soviet revisionists, they lived quite well and were a genuine privileged class.
When the Red Giant fell, the history of this land entered the Russian Federation phase, and their lives did not indeed get worse.
But they would never be grateful to the new regime for this, because they knew perfectly well that their generous treatment was not a gift from the new government, but rather the result of the old bureaucratic system they relied on, or more specifically, the remnants of the Soviets.
The government is using appeasement to win them over because it fears the power behind them.
Therefore, without a doubt, they are the ones who most want to return to the late Soviet era, or at least partially return to the regime model of the late Soviet era.
Otherwise, as time goes by and capitalist regimes grow stronger, the forces that the "red factory directors" can rely on will gradually weaken until one day they have no one to rely on and are directly eliminated.
Therefore, against this backdrop, the factory directors and Gennady Zyugalov, the recently rising leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, became, or at least openly, natural allies.
In order to resist this powerful alliance and prevent the nascent capitalist regime from being ousted in next year's presidential election, the Kremlin will inevitably have to take strong measures to swiftly resolve the situation.
The rise of oligarchs is a product of this quick and easy approach.
Honestly, before he transmigrated, Wang Xiao couldn't understand why Russia's privatization was such a mess.
The fact that privatization processes in Eastern European countries were implemented or completed earlier than those in Russia provides the Russian government with many cases to refer to.
Russia is such a large country, it's safe to say it has a wealth of talent. At the very least, Russia's science and engineering programs are quite strong, and there must be many people with excellent logical thinking skills.
With case studies and talented individuals, how could they still manage to make privatization look like a dog bite? How many times have the planners and executors been kicked in the head by a donkey?
But now that she's actually living in this era, she understands the Russian government's bizarre actions.
Just to emphasize, understanding doesn't mean agreeing; it just means figuring out their logic.
In 1995, the Russian government's logic was very simple: to quickly remove the "red factory directors" to prevent them from becoming the economic backbone of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, and to use their strong social connections and influence to pave the way for Zyuganov's rise to power.
To achieve this goal, they can stop at nothing.
The main point is that regardless of whether you can raise the child well, you won't have custody.
Wang Xiao touched his forehead with his free hand and let out a long sigh.
Why do intelligent people repeatedly do foolish things? The core reason is that they haven't set realistic and achievable long-term goals.
They're always robbing Peter to pay Paul; it would be truly bizarre if the house that was originally meant to shelter from the wind and rain didn't end up falling apart.
Wang Xiao felt sorry for the president. It was one thing for him to be short-sighted, but none of his advisors were reliable. They were all coming up with terrible, short-sighted ideas.
As a friend of the Kremlin, and someone who had pledged to support the president's re-election, she felt it was now necessary to step in.
After rubbing her forehead a few times, she began to give orders: "Inform our Major General that the Ministry of the Interior should take action. There are unscrupulous businessmen spreading rumors all day long, trying to undermine our President. It's outrageous!"
She said with great seriousness, "Don't they realize that their current status is thanks to the Russian Federation government led by the president? Now they're spreading rumors about the president just to scare away their competitors. They're such ingrates."
The assistant quickly wrote it down.
As he picked up his pen to write, he subconsciously glanced out the window.
There, the land is lush and green, filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, and echoes with joyful laughter.
The vibrant tulips have just faded, and roses, lilacs, geraniums, marigolds, and other flowers are now in full bloom. The lush greenery and dazzling sea of flowers showcase the city's most beautiful time.
Summer in Moscow is the season for vacations.
Wang Xiao noticed this and immediately retorted righteously, "What vacation? Opportunities are for those who are prepared. While everyone is busy on vacation and spreading all sorts of unfounded rumors, it is the perfect time for the Ministry of the Interior to pledge allegiance to our President."
Are you on vacation?
Did you see her on vacation? She's still in a brace and recovering from her illness.
She can't even go on vacation, so why should Punoning be able to? Dream on.
Ivanov nodded vigorously beside him, "That's right, that's right!"
They thought the path to the presidency would be easy.
From now on, Flamkiel, you can forget about such wonderful things as vacations.
The assistant silently looked away and replied respectfully, "Yes, boss."
What could he say? As the one doing the work, he naturally had to obediently carry out his boss's orders.
Poor Mr. Punoning, his summer vacation this year will probably consist of nothing more than taking off his swim trunks and posing for a few photos on the beach.
Ivanov didn't feel sorry for Punonin at all; at least Punonin could go to the seaside, unlike him and Wang, who could only stay in their house in Moscow and couldn't even go boating on the Moscow River every year.
He turned his wheelchair to Wang Xiao's side and reached out to cover her eyes: "Sleep, sleep, you need to rest, get some rest."
In Moscow summers, you can't work from sunrise to sunset, or you'll be worked to death.
Around the summer solstice, during the longest period of daylight in the year, Moscow experiences the famous "white nights" phenomenon.
The nights at this time are so short they are negligible, with dusk and dawn almost merging together.
The clock had already struck 10 p.m., but the setting sun lingered on the wall, reluctant to leave, as if making up for its long absence during the winter.
Wang Xiao smiled and removed Ivanov's hand: "It's okay, I'll go to sleep if I'm sleepy."
At this moment, her passion burned as brightly as the Moscow sun.
The opportunity she had been planning for so long was finally about to arrive; how could she not be excited?
That's a huge fortune, a fortune measured in tens of dollars.
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao weren't sleepy either.
The two bodyguards stayed in the room with their boss all day, with nothing much to do, and they would often take a short nap, so naturally they didn't feel tired.
What's more, there's another problem troubling them, leaving them completely baffled and making it even harder for them to sleep.
After struggling for a while, Xiao Zhao brought the boss a glass of milk.
Drinking more milk is good; it helps with calcium intake and strengthens your arms.
Wang Xiao picked up the cup with his left hand and glanced at the bodyguard: "If you have any questions, just say them."
Xiao Zhao immediately felt embarrassed and stammered out his doubts: "Boss, you said that ordinary workers don't have means of production or resources, so if they don't have a common belief to unite them, they're just a disorganized bunch and can't pose any threat to the government. But don't the 'red' factory directors have means of production and resources?"
Xiao Gao added, "If they unite, they will be a tremendous force, capable of completely defeating the government's power."
Frankly, after they realized this, they also felt that Zyuganov was very likely to be elected.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is indeed in a bad situation and has been severely hit.
But at the same time, no new political party in Russia can unify the country.
Even the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States still have their own traditional strongholds.
Russia's new political parties have nothing to offer and are constantly being reorganized, leaving the public confused about who's who in the blink of an eye.
In comparison, the Communist Party has the strongest presence.
It's perfectly normal for the Mitsui Group to think that the Soviet Red Army would make a comeback.
Wang Xiao laughed out loud and took a sip of milk.
Yes, the milk from the Moscow farm certainly has a rich and creamy taste.
Instead of answering their questions, she offered a suggestion: "You can ask Lyuba about this."
In a flash, the two of them turned their heads like windshield wipers, directly towards their colleague.
It made Wang Xiao laugh.
Seeing their reactions, Lyuba rolled her eyes and said irritably, "You've been talking about Soviet revisionism for so long, don't you understand the difference between Soviet revisionism and the Soviet Union?"
She said expressionlessly, "No matter how many portraits of Lenin hang in the offices of these 'red' factory directors, they are no longer true Communist Party members."
Perhaps they were once, but when the whole society is pursuing money and everyone assumes that anything is acceptable as long as it brings in money, how can a Communist Party member with a weak will not fade away?
Lyuba lacked a firm stance to criticize them because she herself had long since left the party, and she could not be said to have a firm party spirit.
But she was certain: "Those who are not pure Communist Party members cannot lead and organize the masses. The red factory directors are no good; deep in their souls, all privileged individuals fear the people."
Only outsiders, those who don't know the situation, would think they belong to the same camp.
But no, they are actually enemies.
Ivanov sighed beside him. To put it bluntly, the Soviet Union was too powerful in the past, so much so that everyone has overlooked the various contradictions that were intertwined within it.
This time, Wang Xiao raised her free left hand and covered his eyes: "Okay, let's rest. I'm sleepy too. Everyone, let's rest."
Ivanov smiled, took her hand, pressed it against his face, and nodded: "Okay, let's rest."
The freshly shaved stubble was hard and itchy as it rubbed against her palm.
Wang Xiao withdrew her hand and patted his head: "Good night."
But after returning to her room, she couldn't fall asleep.
Tiredness wouldn't come, so she could only draw back the curtains and stare blankly at the sky.
The sun finally sank reluctantly, but the earth did not fall into darkness.
Because the sky was a deep blue-purple and soft pink-orange hue for a long time.
Even at midnight, the sky still twinkled with a faint light.
The vast city of Moscow was not shrouded in darkness, but rather completely immersed in a tranquil, mysterious, and slightly melancholic state of "half-light and half-darkness".
The saying goes that the environment shapes the people, and this probably encapsulates the national character of Russia.
As dawn broke, Wang Xiao drifted off into a deep sleep.
Before she closed her eyes, the last thing she saw was the golden dome of the Orthodox church outside the window, reflecting a soft light in the morning glow, contrasting beautifully with the deep blue sky.
She had to admit, the painting was absolutely stunning!
Russian summers have long days, giving those who want to work more time to work.
The tax police major general was quick on his feet.
No sooner had Wang Xiao reminded him than a list was delivered to the Kremlin president's desk as a summer gift.
It demonstrates the loyalty of the Five Continents Group, the Tax Police, and the Department of the Interior to the President.
The latter, in particular, demonstrates that no matter what rumors circulate or how many voices urge him on, he will remain loyal to the president and help him solve his problems.
This is one of the strategies Wang Xiao devised for Punoning: I make you feel my power and threat, so that my loyalty becomes more valuable.
It is far too early for Punonin to challenge the president's authority; he needs the president's support to do more.
For example, a large-scale investigation into the tax issues of businessmen.
This was within Punonin's duties; as a tax police major general, it was perfectly normal for him to lead tax investigations.
As is well known, Russian businessmen are not immune to tax audits; whoever is audited will be found to have problems.
The Kremlin is using this method to warn businessmen to behave themselves and not try to take advantage of the situation.
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao gave up on becoming the next Tang Yicheng, their focus on economic activities decreased, but they became particularly interested in politics.
The two sat together and discussed for a long time, but then felt something was off. So they went to the cafeteria, laboriously carrying a fruit platter to Lyuba, and said to her, "You know, if these businessmen are kept in check, then the president's crisis is over, isn't it?"
It is precisely because they are hyping it up outside, saying that the next Russian president will be the chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, that the Kremlin is on edge.
Now that these ringleaders of the rumors are gone, the rumors will naturally dissipate, and the president will be much more relaxed.
But now that he's so relaxed, will he still be easy to talk to? At least not to the Wuzhou Group.
Why would the boss do something so self-sacrificing? The boss's relationship with the president isn't that close, is it? It's not like he would sacrifice his own and the company's interests for the president's sake.
Lyuba picked up a bright red strawberry, took a bite, and the sweet juice immediately filled her mouth.
Since the strawberries were very sweet, she took pity on her companion and answered her question: "The president's question is not a rumor; the rumor is just the trigger."
It's like when a celebrity gets into a scandal and then their entire past is exposed.
Even if the initial scandal subsides, if the problems that are later exposed cannot be resolved, he (or she) will still be finished.
To put it bluntly, the core reason why the president is in this crisis is that he has failed to solve Russia's economic crisis domestically and has failed to strengthen the national self-confidence of the Russian people internationally.
On the surface, the Russian government did win the Chechen war.
But so what? Chechnya is just an internal conflict for Russia. Isn't it only natural that Russia, which inherited the most from the Soviet Union, defeated the Chechen terrorists?
In 1995, Russian citizens, who considered themselves citizens of a first-class great power, were not yet inclined to idolize the president, acknowledge his abilities, or be willing to give him more opportunities.
In reality, a significant number of citizens believe that the Chechen crisis should never have existed in the first place. They argue that the current president and government's incompetence is the sole reason for the escalation of the conflict.
Therefore, no matter how powerful Bian Que's elder and second elder brothers were, it was useless. People still believed in and praised Bian Que, who could cure serious illnesses and bring the dead back to life.
This is truly a tragedy for the president.
Bian Que's second brother could only prevent his condition from getting worse, but he couldn't make his body healthier.
"Just wait." Lyuba ate another strawberry and then restrained herself from pushing the fruit plate away.
As a professional bodyguard, maintaining her physique is also a must for her.
She wiped her mouth and concluded definitively, "The crisis for the president and the government has only just begun."
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao both revolve around the boss, their personal freedom almost simultaneously tied to his.
They didn't immediately see the crisis in the Kremlin, but the crisis for Russian bankers was truly upon them.
Just as the boss said, the bankers were in financial crisis.
To be fair, they should be considered wealthy. These days, a billionaire with tens of millions of US dollars is considered rich by any country's standards.
However, even among the wealthy, there are different classes.
Millionaires and billionaires certainly can't eat at the same table.
Russian bankers are now in this awkward position, able to watch but not quite reach.
For example, Berezovsky had long considered the Siberian Oil Company as his own, but now he was unable to bring his dream company into his possession.
Because he didn't have enough money.
He did indeed obtain $30 million through the All-Russian Automobile Union Securities—my God, that's a sum of cash that many large companies couldn't possibly come up with.
But $30 million is just a drop in the ocean compared to the $100 million threshold.
That's right, Siberian Oil Company's starting bid was a whopping $100 million.
Using this Gundam image here is actually quite inappropriate. Anyone with even a basic understanding of the oil industry would know that a starting bid of one hundred million US dollars is simply not commensurate with the true value of Siberian Oil Company.
But this number was enough to give Benezovsky a major headache.
He doesn't have that much money.
He's a banker, but the bank's money isn't his money.
Why set such a high starting price for Siberian Oil Company? The auction prices for those famous car and tractor manufacturers are pitifully low; it's practically a joke.
Then we need to talk about the differences in valuation methods among different companies.
When assessing the value of a manufacturing plant, the main factors considered are its factory buildings, production equipment, production capacity, and sales performance.
Unfortunately, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's manufacturing sector suffered a severe decline. The disruption of industrial supply chains led to the shutdown of numerous factories, and even those factories that managed to maintain production lost their market competitiveness.
Coupled with severe triangular debt and the artificial undervaluation of assets due to the rapid depreciation of the ruble during the valuation process, these large manufacturing factories are not favored by the market.
Investors have no desire to get bogged down in this mess, paying wages that have been owed to tens of thousands of workers for an unknown period of time.
Developing the manufacturing industry requires continuous investment, including investment in technology and capital.
But oil and minerals are different; they can be sold for money as soon as they are extracted, and the international prices of crude oil and minerals are transparent.
As bankers are vying for this coveted prize, and given that the oil company is undervalued, Siberia Oil Company, Russia's sixth-largest oil company, should have a starting bid of at least $100 million.
Therefore, if Benezovsky wanted to acquire his prized possession, he had to solve the $70 million shortfall.
This was no small sum, and Berezovsky could only turn to international financial groups for help.
The auction order from Siberian Oil Company was issued quickly and urgently.
Berezovsky had to raise $100 million in cash as quickly as possible.
To this end, he traveled to Japan, Germany, and the United States, lobbying various large conglomerates to provide him with loans to purchase Siberian Oil Company.
Then tragedy struck: the big corporations stopped paying attention to him, and even those in power wouldn't bother to look at him.
The oil company, which was fiercely sought after in Russia and everyone was practically fighting tooth and nail for it, has inexplicably fallen out of favor.
No one questioned his funding proposal because, in the summer of 1995, he wasn't yet in a position to command extra attention.
The large conglomerates simply ignored him.
Even George Soros, the financial tycoon who appeared in Russia as a philanthropist after the collapse of the Soviet Union, seemed to have suddenly developed a taste for vegetarianism. He didn't approach the offer despite the smell of blood, and instead decisively rejected it.
No, thank you.
Soros did not give a reason for his refusal, but everyone knew that the financial magnate was also afraid of the Soviet Red Army. He worried that if the Communist Party regained power, privatized Russian enterprises would be nationalized again.
The painful lessons learned by American businessmen in Moscow more than half a century ago have not been forgotten by time.
Soros also didn't want to take that risk.
As Wang Xiao listened to his assistant's report, he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Did they end up shooting themselves in the foot?"
How can a person's left and right hemispheres fight each other?
On the one hand, you want to scare away foreign investors, and on the other hand, you expect foreign investors to invest in you. On what basis?
Just because you're the president's favorite, do you think you can freely enter and leave the Kremlin?
Haha, don't forget, the president himself is in a precarious situation right now.
Berezovsky's lack of family background is a good thing for the president, as it makes him easier to control.
But for foreign investors, this is a huge disadvantage. Those without a solid foundation are seen as nobodys and not worth even a second glance.
His so-called bank is not even worth the attention of international financial groups.
That's too fragile. Everyone knows how Russian banks make money; they're all deeply tied to the current government and don't actually have any financial collateral value.
This is the tragedy of those who depend on power—a situation as fragile as a parasitic plant, always at risk of being replaced or crushed.
Wang Xiao sighed and watched the red sun rise again outside the window.
It's a new day again.
She said to herself, "Mr. President, it's time to pay us our dues."
What kind of reward? Of course, it's the reward for reminding him that someone among the businessmen is poaching his businessmen.
It's only been a few days. He can't have forgotten.
As for the content of their compensation? As law-abiding citizens, they would never engage in under-the-table deals or make any unreasonable demands on the president.
Wang Xiao smiled broadly: "We request the president to maintain order and not postpone the auction of Siberian Oil Company."
The meat was already at her lips; she was determined to swallow it.
Wuzhou Group will not give Berezovsky time to find other investors and raise funds.
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Okay, I won't rewrite it; rewriting it just makes it feel even worse. [Let me see...]
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