Chapter 389 The People Only Follow the Victors: Returning Home
Chubais fell silent.
More than two weeks ago, when he was removed from his position as First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, although he was disappointed, he was still supported by a sense of heroism.
With the State Duma elections lost, someone has to step up and take responsibility. If this architect of privatization doesn't step up, who will?
At that time, what surged in his heart was a tragic and fearless spirit of sacrifice.
But the Vodas Summit was like a heavy blow, cruelly shattering his ideals.
He had never realized the importance of power so profoundly. Without power, he would have no way to achieve his ideals.
The cold indifference and perfunctory attitude from Western business tycoons made him realize with horror just how dangerous his situation was.
He has likely been abandoned, just like Gaidar was abandoned in late 1993, and discarded by the Kremlin.
He had to go back, and find a way to get back to the center of power.
He could not wait any longer; the longer he waited, the more he would be forgotten.
He needs an opportunity, a legitimate opportunity to return to the center of power in Russia.
At this moment, Ivanov's suggestion was like a pillow delivered to someone who was sleepy.
This pride from his past as First Deputy Prime Minister, coupled with the reserve of a politician, prevented him from immediately accepting the businessman's invitation with great delight.
Just three months ago, they were still surrounding him, begging him, trying every possible way to get him to raise his hand so that they could participate in the auction.
Ivanov didn't need his enthusiastic response; this wasn't a job fair.
For him, as long as the other party didn't strongly object, it meant they agreed.
Chubais's silence was enough for Ivanov to continue elaborating on his ideas: "Do you want money, supplies, or people? Mr. Chubais, just tell me what you need. I will fully cooperate with all your plans."
Yura also suddenly woke up and immediately cheered him on: "Yes, sir, what do you need? I'll do my best to help."
That's it. Their actions need a leader; they can't keep going on like this, all haphazardly.
The other merchants were silent for a moment, exchanged glances, and nodded in support.
Their definition of Chubais is different from Yura's; to them, it's equivalent to the board of directors hiring a general manager.
Indeed, although Ivanov, this young man, spoke harshly, he was right about one thing: professionals should do professional things.
Electing a president is an investment, or to put it another way, buying stocks.
They are optimistic about the Kremlin president, so they have to push up the stock price, otherwise their initial investment will suffer huge losses.
And Chubais is indeed the most suitable trader at present.
The businessmen present also expressed their opinions.
Berezovsky went on to emphasize: "Sir, I have never seen anyone more tenacious and decisive than you."
Finally, Chubais, on whom everyone in the room had placed high hopes, spoke up: "Our president has not yet announced his candidacy for the election."
In fact, before he was dismissed, on January 2, at a meeting of the Presidential Group's senior leadership advisory group, more than 90% of the members were not optimistic about the election and believed that there was no need to fight for it.
Public opinion polls show that the president's approval rating is extremely low.
Perhaps in order to achieve a dignified ending, the president will choose to withdraw from the election.
If it weren't for the Communist Party's aggressive advance and the international community's overwhelming support for Zyuganov, which made Chubais feel a serious threat to Russia, he wouldn't know why he would still be sitting here, persisting in the fight.
"Solve it!" Ivanov said decisively. "The president must run for office; we have no one more suitable than him right now."
How tragic that he knew the president was not a qualified head of state.
Let's take a look at the people in this room; they are considered elites in Russian politics and business.
However, their performance at this year's Davos Forum fully demonstrates that the president's dominance of the Kremlin is not simply due to good luck, but rather a case of choosing the best among the worst.
In contrast, he at least understood what power was and the basic rules governing its operation.
Ivanov looked at Chubais: "Sir, this is our first task: to persuade him, to persuade our president to run for office. You can do it, sir, you can do it."
If the president truly did not want to run for office, he would not have hastily dismissed Chubais, the first deputy prime minister, on January 16, placing all the blame for privatization on him.
Anyone who understands Chinese chess knows one principle: sacrificing a rook is for the purpose of protecting the king.
Berezovsky also responded positively: "Anatol Borisovich, we will fully cooperate with you. We can go to the president together and have a good talk with him."
Khodorkovsky immediately followed up: "Sir, this is our battle. The war has begun. We cannot back down. We must meet it head-on."
To persuade the president to run for office, Chubais had to be in charge of the election; he had to return to the center of power.
Because the person who designed the privatization auction plan was Chubais.
They lent real money to the state in exchange for state-owned shares, but now they only have management rights over the oil fields and mineral resources. The share pledge has not been lifted, and they have not yet obtained ownership.
If Chubais really falls at this point and there's no going back, then even if they overthrow the Communist Party, whether the state-owned shares will belong to them afterward remains a big question mark.
Good heavens, after all, everyone knows that the Russian Federation government is unreliable; every new emperor brings a new court, and every official has a new policy.
For the sake of their property, they wanted to protect the president and also protect Chubais.
Everyone surrounded Chubais, each emphasizing that he was indispensable.
The disheartened former deputy prime minister seemed finally moved by the crowd and reluctantly nodded: "Alright, since you believe me, let's fight together. Even if we're empty-handed, we'll fight to the very end!"
The atmosphere in the room heated up, but Ivanov laughed out loud: "Sir, we are not empty-handed. To achieve our goal, we can use all the resources at our disposal. Now, please tell us, what do you need us to provide?"
Those who truly engage in combat unarmed are the guerrilla fighters who venture into the mountains, not those who comfortably reside in luxury hotels during the dead of winter, frantically vying for a larger share of national wealth.
“Five million US dollars.” Chubais, as expected of a financial reform expert in the Russian Federation, pondered for a moment and then presented the figure.
He emphasized, "This money is not for me, but to build a platform to attract talent."
Fearing that the crowd might not understand, he explained again, "From now until the end of the presidential election, it's a war, and we need a lot of talent to win this war."
Ivanov was the first to sign the check: "No problem, $1 million, I'll pay $1 million."
He had only one question: "Is $5 million enough? I mean, I think the campaign funds for the US president are far more than $5 million."
"This is just seed money." Chubais couldn't hide his pride as a financial expert. "I can make a profit on this $5 million in five days at most."
Okay, Ivanov stopped arguing: "OK, I know very little about finance, sir, I trust you."
Chubais nodded: "I will not let you down. It will soon appreciate in value and generate profits. I will carefully select some bonds to make the most of this $5 million."
In an instant, Ivanov thought of that night in the White House in October.
At the time, First Deputy Prime Minister Chubais refused three bankers' offer to use government bonds worth over $300 million instead of cash as a deposit for the auction.
The reason is that the government needs cash, not bonds.
Now, this former deputy prime minister wants to use the profits from government bonds to pay for the president's re-election campaign expenses.
In order to secure the president's re-election and ensure the safety of everyone's property, Chubais had no intention of getting anyone to actually take money out of their own pockets.
No wonder he was chosen as the presidential campaign manager; he's always thinking of them.
Ivanov signed the check on the spot and bowed politely: "Now that it's settled, I'll have to trouble Mr. Chubais with the rest of the work."
He put on his hat, greeted everyone, and said, "I have to go now, or I'll miss my flight."
Yura exclaimed in surprise, "What flight are you rushing for? There are no more flights to Moscow today. The earliest you can catch is tomorrow."
“No, I’m not going back to Moscow,” Ivanov explained. “I’m going to China; I have business to take care of.”
Oh my God! Yura was devastated.
What kind of time is this? He still wants to go to China!
They should return to Moscow immediately, clench their fists, and get to battle.
Berezovsky also gently advised, "Ivan, the most urgent matter right now is the election; we can put other work aside for now."
However, Ivanov looked bewildered: "Even if I go back to Moscow now, what can I do? Criticize Mr. Chubais's work? No, no, no. Since I've invested, I'll trust professionals to do professional work."
“MTV!” Gusinski couldn’t help but exclaim. “Channel One, NTV, and MTV must now unite to campaign for the president’s victory.”
Although Gusinsky deeply disliked Ivanov regarding the Chechen Wars.
That damn guy has been going against NTV, greatly weakening NTV's influence in reporting on the Chechen war.
If it weren't for his meddling, NTV would have been able to stand out in the Russian media landscape.
But things are different now. Now that they have formed an alliance, the three television stations must work together, leverage their respective strengths, and jointly achieve the goal of a successful presidential election.
Ivanov shook his head again: "MTV is an entertainment channel. Getting involved with politics will only provoke resentment from viewers, making things worse."
His detached attitude ignited Khodorkovsky's anger.
The latter already disliked Ivanov's relentless pursuit of Yusko Petroleum Company's auctions.
Seeing that he still wanted to remain unscathed, Khodorkovsky began to speak sarcastically: "Ivan, are you in such a hurry to go to China because you want to invest in both countries? Well, no country would be more eager for Zyuganov to come to power than China."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Ivanov glared at him. "Mr. Khodorkovsky, if you're going to say something like that, I have to retract my judgment of you as an intelligent person. Anyone with even a basic understanding of modern history wouldn't utter such strange words!"
His tone was angry and sarcastic: "In the 1940s, when the Chinese Communists were fighting for power in their country, the Soviet Union didn't give them any support. At that time, the United States had already entered the fray and provided Chiang Kai-shek with a large number of American weapons. Including the Korean War, it was China that entered the fray first and achieved results before the Soviet Union began to provide weapons and equipment support."
"Do you really think they had a good relationship? Don't say such strange things. Their honeymoon period only lasted a total of 12 years. For the remaining 20 years, it was a relationship of confrontation. China even had to unite with the United States to confront the Soviet Union!"
Ivanov grew increasingly angry as he spoke.
God, why is he hanging out with this bunch of idiots who have no common sense, investing in a political proxy?
"What good would it do for China if the Russian Communist Party came to power? Could it be that the Chinese Communist Party would gain a subordinate? If the Russian Communist Party were to become a subordinate, its members would start fighting amongst themselves."
He complained, "So the shrewd Chinese Communists would never do something that brings them no benefit. They are willing to make sacrifices, but they will never make meaningless sacrifices; they will always make the most correct choice."
He issued an ultimatum: "If you continue to insist on this strange idea, then there is no need for us to continue our alliance and fight together."
“Alright!” Yura had to step in. “I vouch for Ivan. If he really wanted to invest in Zyuganov, he wouldn’t be beating around the bush here. He would just make a public statement.”
He waved his hand down forcefully, "Stop arguing! We can't continue to doubt each other. We must trust each other and fight together."
Khodorkovsky pursed his lips, but ultimately said nothing.
He didn't trust Ivanov's character. God, no one here is trustworthy.
But he believed in Ivanov's intelligence; a businessman who could make a fortune without reselling national resources and own three large oil fields at once could not be a fool.
Even if it were for the sake of his own property, he believed Ivan would stand on the Kremlin's side.
Ivanov nodded to the group again: "Then I'll go ahead. Contact me anytime if you need anything."
Chubais nodded to him and saw him to the door, saying, "Have a safe journey."
To be honest, Ivanov was actually relieved that he refused to return to Moscow.
He clearly understood that he was no longer the first vice prime minister, and when he did things, these bosses would likely point fingers at him as investors.
This was something his pride and professionalism found unbearable; he needed space to work independently.
A boss who spends money but doesn't meddle in other people's business is a lucky investment for all the companies that receive investments.
Yurazhe escorted Ivanov down the corridor, complaining, "Does it have to be such a rush back to China? There are still thirteen days until the Spring Festival. Does the King have to be so impatient?"
He didn't believe a word of it that Ivanov went to China to handle business matters.
It must be for the king's sake; the king is going back to his country, which is why Ivan is following him everywhere.
For a moment, Yura didn't even know who she was jealous of.
He blurted out, "I admit I shouldn't have spoken without thinking, but I shouldn't have exaggerated to this extent. God, it's been days already, when is she going to stop? It's just this one thing!"
"Is that all?" Ivanov pressed. "Tell me honestly, how many terrible things has the King experienced in Russia this year?"
First came the Sakhalin earthquake in May, then the Petroleum Regulatory Commission set its sights on their Sakhani 1 project, followed by the hostage crisis in the container market, where he spent several months in the hospital.
Even after the fracture healed, peace did not prevail.
Because of the Surgut oil field, they were chased by gunmen on the street.
What happened after he returned to Moscow? The president suffered two heart attacks, each one putting the king's heart to the test.
Even if her heart were incredibly strong, such repeated shocks would be unbearable for anyone.
“Alright, Yura, stop asking.” Ivanov made a pleading gesture. “Even someone as strong as Scarlett needs to go back to Tara Manor to recuperate. The Queen needs rest; she is exhausted, both physically and mentally. Don’t forget, while you were on vacation this summer, we were in the hospital, working.”
The Soviet labor management system has instilled in Russians a habit of having to take holidays.
So Yura opened her mouth, but couldn't find a rebuttal.
He could only plead, "But you know the situation right now, don't you think everything is terrible?"
“I don’t think so.” Ivanov shook his head, his eyes gleaming with an eerie light. “On the contrary, I’m excited, I’m very excited.”
Yura stared in disbelief: "Are you crazy? Have you taken the wrong medicine?"
The Davos Summit is a gathering place for celebrities, but high society is also a place where the lives of ordinary people are often mixed, and there are plenty of messy and chaotic things happening here as well.
He suspected that Ivan had taken drugs while socializing.
After all, Wang is currently in poor health and doesn't have the extra energy to manage Ivan.
Ivanov felt like a summer insect trying to understand ice: "What nonsense are you spouting? I'm talking about the Soviet Union. I've realized how powerful the Soviet Union is!"
He pointed to himself, then to Yura, and then to the direction of the room he had just left. "The fear of you, me, and all of us proves the strength of the Soviet Union."
He muttered to himself, "When we were in school, we were always taught that the Soviet Union was the most powerful country in the world. It was only after we grew up and were exposed to more foreign information that we began to doubt everything we learned in school. The greatness of the Soviet Union stemmed entirely from lies, and its power was entirely the result of propaganda. But now—"
He shook his head vigorously. "No, our reaction has proven that it is extremely powerful! Otherwise, we wouldn't be so terrified."
Yura was speechless, and it took her a while to find her tongue: "It's terrifying! Our fear stems from its terror, not from its power."
Ivanov, however, remained adamant: "Terror itself is a form of power; anything that can instill fear in us is powerful!"
The sunlight reflected off the snow in the hotel courtyard, falling on his face and making his eyes frighteningly bright. "The strength of the Soviet Union proved that we Russians are not an inferior nation, and we can become strong again."
Yura was so speechless that he spun around on the spot, then swung his arms down forcefully: "Stop, Ivan, you're going crazy."
He thought such madness could only come from the king's mouth.
No, he remembered his conversation with Wang Xiao and immediately seized on a point that could refute Ivanov's argument: "Seven captures of Meng Huo! Zhuge Liang could have killed Meng Huo to show his terror and frighten his enemies, but he released Meng Huo seven times, winning people over with virtue, which is why he truly subdued the tribe."
Yes, that's what Wang Xiao said, that Russia should take the same measures against Chechen illegal armed groups.
He remembers it very clearly.
However, Ivanov gave him a strange look: "Didn't you notice another key point in this story? The key point is that Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo seven times. He was able to capture Meng Huo seven times. That's what makes him so formidable, and that's what makes him so powerful. It was precisely because of this power that he truly subdued Meng Huo."
Try someone else; Meng Huo would never pay him any attention.
Yura was speechless, left only to stare blankly.
Ivanov sighed and reminded his friend, "I'm not trying to criticize Mr. Chubais's actions, but I sincerely suggest that you stop describing Zyuganov as another Stalin. Doing so isn't defamation, but rather glorifying Zyuganov!"
He couldn't take it anymore. "God, if Zyuganov were really Stalin, the Soviet Union wouldn't have collapsed. All Russians would be kneeling on the ground, worshipping him, and kissing his feet!"
Yura reacted again: "What nonsense are you spouting? Don't you know how terrible Stalin, that executioner, was? He had no humanity whatsoever! He orchestrated the massive looting and rape perpetrated by the Soviet Red Army! He brought countless disasters upon the people!"
Ivanov looked at him expressionlessly: "But he brought Russia to unprecedented heights, making it a truly first-class power in the world. There was none before him, and there has been none since his death."
His gaze swept across the snow in the courtyard, and he lowered his voice, "As for the people, the people will always follow the victors, won't they?"
Yura opened his mouth, and the wind and snow in the courtyard seemed to pass through the window and hit his head heavily.
He felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his head, like being pricked with needles. A thousand thoughts, like those needles, were bombarding his mind.
Ivanov patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "So, wish us victory. The victors are always welcome."
He raised his hand to look at his watch, nodded to his friend, and said, "I really should go now."
With the Davos Summit concluded, the lively atmosphere of Syracuse should be returned to the snow and wind.
After Wang Xiao finished packing his luggage, he ran into Yura again at the hotel entrance as he left with Ivanov.
This time, she still didn't say goodbye and left without any expression.
What is too easily obtained will never be cherished.
How can their importance be demonstrated if this election alliance doesn't suffer some losses in Moscow?
There are still several months until the presidential election, so they are not in a hurry to appear.
Wang Xiao is a cunning fellow.
To avoid being nagged by Ms. Chen Yanqiu, the first thing she did after returning to China was not to go home, but to go to Xiaozhou under the guise of a pre-holiday visit.
She was very dedicated, taking Ivanov's team to all of his companies, from factories to sales markets, ensuring that everyone benefited.
She had been running around all day, and it was almost New Year's Eve. She had visited every unit in Jiangbei Province, and even met with all the leaders. Everyone was urging her to go home for the New Year.
Wang Xiao had another sudden idea and slapped his forehead: "There's also the chip factory. Although I went there as soon as I got back, the situation there is different. There are many foreign experts. When we all go home for the New Year, it will be inappropriate for them to be all alone in the factory. I should go and visit them again."
In this way, the time before the New Year would be used up. After getting through New Year's Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year, she could openly go to Shanghai and Beijing to inspect other industries, perfectly avoiding the roaring Ms. Chen.
How can she be so smart?
Vice Mayor Huang also felt that what she said made sense, and that we should indeed pay more attention to the experts from Russia.
If it weren't for everyone working so diligently and tirelessly, the chip factory in Xiaozhou would never have been established.
Currently, the meal cards used in government agencies, universities, and middle schools in Liangjiang Province, as well as the new public transport cards issued after New Year's Day this year, all use products from Xiaozhou Chip Factory.
According to the plan outlined at this year's annual meeting, local bank cards should also be included.
Moreover, Mr. Wang and Mr. Ivanov mentioned upon their return that they plan to build a home appliance factory in Russia to produce rice cookers, washing machines, microwave ovens, and the like, using their own domestically produced chips.
Whether the industry can flourish depends on the chip manufacturers' production capacity and quality.
Instead of taking a break, Vice Mayor Huang took the initiative to accompany the two business owners to the chip factory.
When they arrived at the factory, they found the factory manager and explained their purpose. The manager was initially embarrassed: "I'm sorry, boss, you'll have to wait a while. The experts are having a party meeting."
ah?
Wang Xiao and Ivanov looked at each other, wondering if they had misheard.
A party congress?! What party?
"What other party could it be?" The factory director was even more bewildered than them. "Of course it's the Communist Party."
Wang Xiao felt completely confused.
No, is Zyuganov that amazing? He visited China and immediately established a branch of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in Xiaozhou?
Vice Mayor Huang waved his hand with a smile: "It has nothing to do with Mr. Zyuganov. He didn't come to Xiaozhou. It was our experts who started it on their own initiative."
To be more precise, it was influenced by Ukrainian experts in Xi'an.
It is well known that experts from Russia and Ukraine working at chip factories are at odds and often dislike each other.
Vice Mayor Huang, as the city's leader in charge, was also very troubled by this situation. He really had no way to mediate this ethnic conflict.
When he went out to a meeting, he talked about this matter while smoking with leaders from Xi'an.
The other party found it incomprehensible. These Russian experts, whether they're from the first or second generation of the Communist Party, aren't they all communists? What's there to argue about?
As soon as the Ukrainian experts from Xi'an Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group arrived, they requested to rejoin the Party organization. Any conflicts among them were resolved through the Party organization, with excellent results.
Vice Mayor Huang found this reasonable and went back to talk to the experts from both sides.
Do you want to re-establish your party organization? Don't misunderstand, the first party group in China was established in Paris. We will not interfere with your party organization activities.
To Vice Mayor Huang's surprise, those Russian experts, who looked like towering iron towers, actually burst into tears.
The next day, they established their own Party organization.
The factory manager added, "Now the Russian and Ukrainian experts have each established a Party branch, both under the jurisdiction of our factory's Party General Branch. Today they are holding a meeting to elect their respective Party branch secretaries and branch committee members."
Wang Xiao and Ivanov exchanged a glance. It's no wonder they couldn't understand; the world really is changing too fast.
They've all fallen behind the times.
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Good morning! It's still a hot day. [eating melon emoji]
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