Chapter 397 Who wouldn't be afraid: A fight broke out.
Punoning's grey-blue eyes paused for a moment, his eyelashes fluttering slightly downwards: "Of course, I look forward to your answer in any case."
The reception room was warm and cozy. The ice cream began to melt slowly, the red strawberry sauce, black chocolate, and snow-white cream blending together and emitting a sweet and tempting aroma.
Wang Xiao's lips curled slightly as he stirred the ice cream with a spoon, his voice slow and deliberate: "My advice is to stay still; it's better to remain still than to move."
Punoning frowned slightly, leaned forward, and brought up his predicament: "But shouldn't I jump out now? I feel like I'm already tied up in this."
He felt hampered by countless hands around him, making everything he did seem incredibly difficult.
“You can’t leave.” Wang Xiao shook his head firmly. “Because the president needs you to fight against the old guard left behind by the Soviet Union. You and Nemtsov are both of that use to him. Under normal circumstances, if you don’t want to be his henchman, you can choose to avoid the limelight, go to the local area to bide your time, and then wait for the right opportunity to strike. That’s fine. But this is not the normal situation.”
She sighed, "You should know the president's health condition better than I do, you should know better than I do."
Heart disease is like a bomb; no one knows when it will wipe out their entire camp.
Even if Wang Xiao is a time traveler, he can't be sure that the president of this world will live comfortably into the 21st century.
After all, in the world she knew before she traveled through time, she hadn't even been born in 1996; she didn't even exist there.
How can she guarantee that the world she lives in now is the same as the world she learned about from the news and documents before she traveled through time?
Even if there wasn't much difference before, it just means she was lucky.
But life isn't just about luck. Besides, good luck is something you have to earn.
“Vlamikil.” Wang Xiao leaned forward, staring at the man opposite him, and lowered his voice, “We have to prepare for the worst. The situation could be worse than it was last October. By then, you will have to get the situation under control.”
Russia does not have a military government, and the Soviet Union, as a socialist country, emphasized the Party's command of the gun.
Just because it didn't happen before doesn't mean it won't happen in the future.
When necessary, we should still have it.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment, and Punonin held his breath.
Neither the cool, sweet aroma of ice cream nor the warm scent of freshly baked tart could penetrate his nostrils.
He could barely breathe. Wang Xiao leaned back, creating some distance, and her voice softened: "Besides, the Soviet Union has collapsed, but its bureaucratic system still exists. Your political struggles are against this system. Staying in Moscow is far more important to you than taking a local post. As for local governance—"
Wang Xiao shook his head. "Russia's geographical environment dictates that unless there is strong state intervention and guidance, as well as basic infrastructure, the population will be concentrated in the European part, while the population in Siberia and the Far East will become less and less."
She sighed, "Without people, there are no consumers or producers. Who will build the infrastructure? Who will produce? Who will consume? Relocating to these places won't develop the economy under the influence of the general trend. Besides, the land is vast and sparsely populated. A state's population is less than 1 million. Even if you do a great job, how many votes will you get?"
Her gaze fell on the silent Punonin's face. "As for taking up a post in a major European city, with a five-year term, it will take you at least two or three years to win over the existing local team. How many years will you have left?"
The tax police major general frowned slightly. Even without Wang Xiao emphasizing it again, he knew that the president might not be able to hold on for another five years.
Wang Xiao sighed: "Give up. Don't even think about accumulating governance experience at the local level."
She gestured, "You see, our chief architect of economic reform also lacks local governance experience, yet that didn't prevent him from taking charge of the central government. On the contrary, his predecessors were all typical examples of those who achieved success at the local level before being groomed as successors. And what was the result?"
Punoning had read extensively about modern Chinese history, so he naturally had some understanding of this period.
Political struggles may be fought without gunfire, but they are exceptionally brutal.
Wang Xiao said slowly and deliberately, "Why did he lose? To put it bluntly, it's because he failed to gain a foothold in Beijing and failed to get the support of the army."
Punonin couldn't help but sigh, "If his mentor had lived a few more years and continued to protect him, things would probably have been different."
The Chinese people have an amazing ability to learn from history. Even though their history of succession is much shorter than that of the Soviet Union, they only suffered one setback before quickly adjusting their policies, ending the lifelong tenure system, and retiring early.
In this way, newcomers have the opportunity to grow and be tested in a more stable environment. And by looking into their eyes, one can see more clearly whether they are suitable or not.
Although Punonin hated the Soviet Union and had left the party early on, he had to admit that his neighbor was doing a good job.
Wang Xiao said slowly and deliberately, "He can do this and then replace him with the next one, always keeping the overall situation stable. The core factor is that he has control of the military."
From a theoretical perspective, the Party commands the gun.
As the top leader of the Party, the Party Secretary must be able to command the military.
But there is another saying: "When a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders."
In fact, the situation is sometimes the opposite. In any period of unrest, the person holding military power is the key.
Wang Xiao reminded him, "Vlamik, don't give up your advantage."
It's pointless to argue about superficial things.
Which of those heads of state who have made their mark on history actually rose to power by conforming to a glamorous template?
Just as Punoning was about to speak, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a biting wind rushed in.
Lydia, her body radiating coldness, cried out in panic, "Your Majesty, hurry! Ivan and Yura are fighting! Go and stop them!"
Punoning reacted even faster than Wang Xiao. His expression changed drastically, and as he rushed out, he shouted, "What are they trying to do? Aren't they causing enough trouble already? None of them are easy to deal with."
Wang Xiao also chased after them out of the room. Before he even reached the small garden, he heard the boys screaming, "Uncle Yura, Uncle Ivan, please stop! Stop!"
After running a couple more steps, Wang Xiao heard muffled punches and low shouts.
The cherry tree hadn't even had a chance to sprout yet, and the sparse branches couldn't hide the two men wrestling together.
The two men, whose combined age was long enough to be retired, were now in a sorry state, their heads and clothes covered in grass clippings and mud.
To be honest, neither of them had received professional combat training, and their fight was completely unorthodox and lacked any aesthetic appeal. On the contrary, the snowdrops and red hibiscus that had finally bloomed nearby suffered greatly, being beaten to a pulp.
Wang Xiao's eyes hurt from looking at it, and she subconsciously told Liu Ba, "Remind me later to replace the flowers here when you're done."
Visiting someone's home and making a mess of their garden, what kind of behavior is that?
Lydia was going crazy: "What do you care about the flowers? Stop them, make them stop fighting!"
Good heavens, another punch! The dull thud of each blow hit the flesh, making everyone watching shudder.
Compared to her stress response, Wang Xiao was practically numb.
She turned to the bodyguard and asked, "Do they have any knives or guns?"
Nikolai immediately assured him, "No, they were unarmed."
Wang Xiao nodded, relieved: "Oh, then let them fight. They'll stop when they get tired."
Punonin had nothing to say. After all, Yura was indeed brainless, and his actions and words were truly deserving of a beating. He deserved to be taught a lesson.
Lydia stared wide-eyed in disbelief, then screamed, "Let them fight? Good heavens! You think it's an honor to have two gentlemen fight to the death for you? Is it something you can brag about?"
The garden fell into a deathly silence. Apart from the sound of fists hitting people, only the cold winter wind and the heavy breathing of the fighters could be heard in the air.
Punonin frowned instinctively, trying to stop his wife: "Lydia!"
Wang Xiao's reaction was to glance expressionlessly at her slightly twitching nostrils, reddened eyes, and trembling cheeks caused by her excessive excitement, before his gaze returned to the two men who were still wrestling. He instructed the bodyguard, "Keep a close eye on them. If anything happens, separate them immediately."
Nikolai immediately agreed.
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao quickly assured them that they would absolutely not let the two men get hurt.
Good heavens, they're all calling for God! What kind of nonsense is this?
Wang Xiao turned back to Lydia, his face still expressionless: "No, ma'am, you're mistaken. I'm only proud when others are taking my company's orders. Like that—"
She shook her head indifferently, "My net worth doesn't increase from that."
Once they're tired of fighting, things will be easier.
Wang Xiao glanced at his watch and estimated that the two men on the grass wouldn't be able to hold on for another five to ten minutes at most.
Their chests were heaving so badly that they staggered and swayed as they walked.
Before three minutes had even passed, Yura was overcome by the aftereffects of his vodka binge. He was knocked in the chin by Ivanov and fell backward heavily into the snowdrop bushes, sending shards of snowflakes flying.
Even so, Ivanov was still not satisfied. He kicked the other man's leg and ordered him to get up and continue hitting him if he was a man.
As a result, the unfortunate guy was also exhausted and dizzy. He kicked twice, lost his balance, and fell to the ground with a thud, tripped by Yura's leg.
Seeing that the two men were unable to move and had temporarily lost their fighting ability, the surrounding bodyguards quickly rushed over and moved them away.
Wang Xiao sighed and stepped forward to help Ivanov treat the wounds on his face.
As a result, the latter turned his head away and refused to cooperate.
Without saying a word, Wang Xiao ordered his bodyguards, "Carry him into the room."
The bodyguards ignored their boss's protests and acted without a word.
Ivanov was no match for them. After struggling for a long time, he could not escape the fate of being carried back to his room in a sorry state.
Once he sat down on the soft cushion, facing Wang Xiao who was holding a disinfectant swab, he sniffled and angrily emphasized, "I'm angry, I'm very angry."
Wang Xiao nodded and first helped him clean the grass clippings off his wound: "I understand."
Ivanov cried out in pain and said angrily, "I'm really angry, not just saying it."
Wang Xiao changed to a new sterile cotton swab and carefully disinfected his wound, speaking softly, "Hmm, did hitting him make you feel better? Does it feel any better?"
Ivanov winced in pain, but still insisted, "I'm better now, a little bit, but I'm still angry!"
Without hesitation, Wang Xiao said, "Then you should rest for a while, conserve your energy, and catch your breath before you go back to fight."
At this point, Ivanov even forgot to grimace, his eyes widening in disbelief: "Aren't you going to advise me to let it go and not stoop to his level?"
Wang Xiaoqi found it strange, and looked at him while holding the cotton swab: "Why don't you take it personally? Who made you angry? I'll beat you until you calm down, why should I let it go?"
This feeling of being on his side, subtly supporting him, inexplicably made Ivanov feel happy.
But he still emphasized: "In the past, we would have dueled, drawn guns, have you ever heard of that?"
"Oh, like Pushkin." Wang Xiao shook her head, continuing to clean the wound on his lip. "That won't do. Swords and spears have no eyes; what if he gets killed?"
She discarded the used, dirty cotton swab and said softly, "This is good. When you get tired, take a break, recharge, and then continue."
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao felt they couldn't listen anymore; the fights they had in the army were much more intense than this.
These two, who are both bosses and high-ranking officials, are beating each other like children playing house.
Ivanov, panting heavily, was still reviewing his actions: "I should have hit him in the chin first."
Wang Xiao nodded and helped him clean the grass clippings from his head: "Okay, we'll fight like this next time."
It was probably the word "we" that gave Ivanov a sense of solid support, and he muttered a few more tactical analyses—or rather, his insights on fighting—which were also affirmed by Wang Xiao.
Once the grass clippings were mostly cleared away, Nikolai brought over the boss's spare clothes.
Wang Xiao took the document and gestured to Ivanov: "Alright, change into clean clothes. I need you to do something."
Ivanov took off his dirty overcoat and asked, "What is it?"
Wang Xiao told him to go inside and change his clothes: "We'll talk after you've changed."
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao exchanged a glance, realizing that their boss really had a tough time.
Each and every one of them needs to be coaxed and persuaded; none of them are easy to deal with.
Even during the brief moment Ivanov was changing clothes, Wang Xiao had to squeeze in another problem to deal with.
What's the problem?
Yurabe.
He's currently in a drunken, erratic state, and Punoning is already yelling, "I'll count to three, and you'd better stand up straight!"
As a result, he remained lying motionless in the snowdrop bushes, like a clump of broken mud.
Punoning was furious and reached out to grab him, but he refused to get up.
Wang Xiao walked up to him, looking down at his lifeless face: "You think you can find peace of mind by giving up on yourself?"
She crouched down, drew closer, and stared intently at him. "No, you have no right. You have no right to give up like this. The person who destroys everything has no right to wallow in self-pity."
She pointed behind her, “You’ve already killed the Soviet Union, and now its offspring, Russia, is a mess. What right do you have to give up like this? You have to stand up, stand up right now, and fight for Russia’s future! You owe the Soviet Union, and you all have no other choice!”
Ivanov had already hurriedly changed his clothes and ran out, calling out to Wang Xiao, "Wang!"
Wang Xiao shook his head: "It's nothing."
She took Ivanov's hand and led him toward Punonin, saying, "You should have a good talk with Vladimir, about what we discussed the day you came back in October."
Ivanov glanced at Punonin, then at Yura who was slumped on the ground, and finally frowned as he reached out his hand.
Punonin immediately kicked Yura, exasperated: "What are you standing there for? Can't you lift your arm?"
The man, as weak as mud, could only obediently extend his arm and be pulled up under such coercion.
Wang Xiao nodded and then instructed Ivanov, "You should have a good talk with Vladimir."
Then she instructed the bodyguards, "Take Mr. Yura to get ready."
She arranged everyone's actions, making sure she wasn't left out either, and reached out to Lydia, who was still standing bewildered under the cherry tree: "Darling, I think we need to talk."
A look of panic flashed across Lydia's face, like a student who had been called on by the teacher in class and didn't know how to answer the question. She subconsciously turned her gaze to her husband.
However, Punonin had already taken a step and followed Ivanov.
Wang Xiao gestured to Lydia in invitation, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Lyuba sighed inwardly, thinking how truly amazing a person's aura was.
Lydia is clearly the owner of this villa, but at this moment, anyone who looks at it can feel that the king has taken over.
Lena was already a middle school girl, and her girlish sensitivity instinctively made her feel uneasy.
She instinctively raised her foot, trying to block her mother's path, her eyes fixed on Wang Xiao, her voice involuntarily tightening: "Miss Wang, what do you want to say to my mother?"
“Work matters are adult matters.” Wang Xiao smiled slightly, his gaze sweeping over her youthful and smooth face. “So, dear Lena, now it’s up to you to entertain the guests. Your mother and I have something important to discuss.”
An inexplicable sense of responsibility instantly welled up in Lena's heart. She subconsciously took a step back and nodded assuringly, "I will take good care of the guests."
Lydia watched her daughter make such a solemn vow as if she were a little adult, and almost closed her eyes in despair.
But she couldn't stop him, and there was no one else to save her, so she could only mechanically follow Wang Xiao back to the reception room.
The ice cream had melted into water, the red, white, and black colors merging into one.
The tarts had cooled down and no longer emitted a sweet aroma.
Wang Xiao invited Lydia to sit down, leaned against the table and looked at her. His first words were: "My dear Lydia, I am very sad because you hate me, you despise me."
Lydia's bottom had barely touched the chair when she heard the sound and jumped up immediately, waving her hands frantically in denial: "No, no, no, Your Majesty, it's a misunderstanding. I was just so worried, I was afraid they would beat each other to death, so I spoke without thinking. Darling, please believe me, I didn't..."
But Wang Xiao interrupted her, raising his eyebrows and scrutinizing her: "Oh, in that case, why don't you let Vlamikl stop them? You know, their muscles are all show and no substance. Vlamikl could shut them up with one punch each."
She bent over, her eyes fixed on Lydia. "This is the simplest, most effective, and most logical solution. Why didn't you call for Vlamikil? Instead, you made me, a woman who can't even kill a chicken, to stop them from fighting?"
Lydia opened her mouth, frantically trying to defend herself: "I... I just thought they would listen to you."
“No!” Wang Xiao decisively rejected her answer. “You just don’t want to cause your husband any trouble, not even the smallest trouble. You just want to tie me to the conflict between Ivan and Yura, so that everyone knows they are fighting for me.”
She sighed, "It's really not dignified of me to have two grown gentlemen fighting over me, and I have nothing to do with being a lady."
Lydia panicked and tears welled up in her eyes. She instinctively denied it: "No, Your Majesty, I really didn't mean it."
Wang Xiao's lips moved, and the words uttered from her soft, rosy lips were colder than the last: "You deny it because you know that such behavior is very dishonorable, and God will not allow you to do it."
Lydia raised both hands, her eyes filled with tears, and pleaded, "No, no, no, Your Majesty, please don't say that, I beg you, please don't say that."
Wang Xiao sighed, opened his arms, hugged her tightly, and patted her back to comfort her: "It's okay, Lydia, my dear friend, I know you're a good person, you never meant to hurt me."
Lydia broke down, tears streaming down her face, and stammered, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I just..."
“You’re just afraid,” Wang Xiao said gently. “Your world has changed drastically, leaving you feeling lost. You wish everything could go back to normal, but you don’t know how, so you’re afraid.
Lydia's shoulders heaved as she cried even harder.
Today is supposed to be her 40th birthday, but at this moment, she is crying like a helpless little girl.
Wang Xiao waited until Lydia finished crying before sighing and gently wiping away her tears. His voice was soft and gentle: "But do you know, Lydia, your husband Flamigil is more afraid than you are right now."
Lydia immediately looked up anxiously, her red, tear-filled eyes filled with worry for her husband: "Why? God, Your Majesty, please tell me, what has happened?"
Her voice involuntarily turned resentful, "He doesn't tell me anything, Your Majesty, Flamigil only tells you everything."
Wang Xiao immediately glared at him, her face full of resentment: "So you two are a match made in heaven! You can't bear to cause any trouble for your partner, and you always just dump the problems on me. I must have owed you something in my past life!"
Lydia blushed and frantically tried to reassure the guests: "No, no, Your Majesty, we just think you are very capable and can handle everything."
Wang Xiao rolled her eyes and said bluntly, "So the capable are always the ones who do more work, and it's my fault for being overworked? Oh no, I won't even get any credit for it."
Lydia was so ashamed she wanted to dig a hole and disappear. She pleaded pitifully, "It's all my fault, it's all my fault, my dear friend, please don't be angry with me."
Wang Xiao sighed and waved his hand impatiently: "Alright, alright, I won't blame you anymore. After all, we're friends. Okay, let me tell you, Vladimir now has a political rival, and he's under a lot of pressure."
Seeing Lydia about to speak again, Wang Xiao shook his head without hesitation. "Don't think about anything. Don't fight or grab. Just live a peaceful life like before. Lydia, the Soviet Union doesn't exist anymore. The Soviet system is no longer applicable. Look at Mr. Gorbachev. If the Soviet Union still existed, a retired General Secretary would never worry about his pension not being enough to support his family."
She counted on her fingers, “You have a job, but your salary isn’t enough to support your family. Your parents, in-laws, and other elders are all getting old and will need more of your support in the future. If Vlamikl is ousted by the president, how will your family survive? He’s such an upright person, and he’s not corrupt. He’s already prepared a way out for his family.”
Lydia was terrified and began to stammer, "Is...is it really that serious?"
“Mr. Chubais, you know him, right?” Wang Xiao used a ready example. “He used to be so high and mighty. Ivan and I chased after him, just to beg him to do us a favor, but he wouldn’t even acknowledge us. But what about now? He’s been abandoned by the president. He’s no longer the first deputy prime minister. Nobody paid any attention to him when he went to the Davos Forum. He’s lost all his government positions. If we hadn’t hired him, we wouldn’t even have anyone to pay his salary.”
Lydia's hidden pride made her subconsciously purse her lips.
She thought that with Vladimir's pride, he would never go begging for food under Ivan's command.
Wang Xiao sighed and emphasized again: "So, stop thinking about meaningless things. We have no way out now. That's why we are all afraid and terrified."
She curled the corners of her lips into a smile. "Do you think Yura provoked Ivan and started the fight because of me?"
Lydia instinctively corrected her: "No, it was Ivan who hit Yura first. Yura didn't provoke him."
However, Wang Xiao waved his hand dismissively: "That's not important. What's important is that Yura is afraid. He's afraid we'll lose, he's afraid the Russian Communist Party will take over the Kremlin. His fear needs an outlet, which is why he fought with Ivan. Ivan is afraid too. The pressure is as heavy as a mountain, making it hard for him to breathe. Otherwise, why would he hit Yura? They're best friends."
Lydia opened and closed her mouth, her mind racing with thoughts, but the first thought that popped into her head was: "But you're not afraid at all. You're always so confident. You're even better than Scarlett."
After saying those words, she felt ashamed again.
Indeed, she is an adult, a mother whose child is already in middle school. She has no right to be willful, and she has tried to regulate herself.
She took Melanie from "Gone with the Wind" as her role model, thinking she could be like Melanie, but tragically, she failed.
Wang Xiao stared in astonishment, her eyes wide: "I'm not afraid? God, my dear Lydia, what are you talking about? Let me tell you, when I got off the plane, I felt like my shoulders were going to collapse. If I hadn't had to, I wouldn't have planned to go back to Moscow so early. My original plan was to come back in the summer."
The sun was setting, and the slanting sunlight streaming through the window shone on her face, making her look a little tired.
Lydia felt a pang of guilt; she knew it was Yura who had called Ivan, begging them to return to Moscow.
Now it's all a mess.
"I'm sorry." Lydia clenched her hands tightly, so ashamed she could barely lift her head. "It was our fault, we caused trouble and dragged you into this."
Wang Xiao shook his head: "It's alright. Even if Yura hadn't made that call, we would still have come back. Hundreds of thousands of workers, so many factory and oil field workers, and so many merchants—everyone needs to eat. Are we just going to abandon them? Impossible. We have to grit our teeth and get through this. We have to win. We have no way out. We can't let down the workers and merchants, and we can't let down Vladimir's trust."
She gave Lydia a wry smile. "We're all scared, but none of us can back down. We're in the same boat now, and we have to stick together. Dear Lydia, hug me. I need your support and help."
Lydia's eyes welled up with tears, and she hugged her tightly, as if she were embracing her own daughter and sister: "God, Your Majesty, it's alright, everything will be alright."
Wang Xiao sniffed, smiled, straightened up, and nodded: "Yes, it will be alright, everything will be alright."
Lydia nodded, as if reassuring herself: "Yes, it will be alright."
Her gaze unconsciously swept across the table, then paused slightly.
Wang Xiao followed her gaze and saw the ice cream and tarts. He asked directly, "Was this specially made for me by Flamkiel?"
That's right, Moscow didn't originally have tarts available.
Because she wanted to eat it, the chef specially prepared it according to her request. And even today, it is only popular in a very small circle.
Lydia subconsciously pursed her lips again and nodded tremblingly.
Wang Xiao had already mentally twisted Punoning's head off and kicked it around like a football.
Is this what you call a straight man? No, this is just plain brainless.
At his wife's birthday party, he even made her make a complicated dessert for another woman.
How many times must someone's head have been slammed in a door to come up with such a suffocating idea?
If any man dared to treat her like that, he would definitely pack his things and get out of here today.
But now, Wang Xiao's political investment is in Punoning, so she has to speak up for Punoning: "Lydia, you have such good taste. You've chosen such a considerate husband for yourself."
Lydia nearly vomited blood; she suspected the East Asian woman in front of her was mocking her.
Wang Xiao, however, said seriously: "Many men think that entertaining guests is the job of the housewife and will not offer any help at all. The housewife has to rack her brains to figure out the guests' tastes in order to ensure the banquet is perfect. Look at how busy Flamikil is, and he still has so many things to worry about, yet he still doesn't forget to give you advice and prepare the banquet."
She sighed, "So, darling, you're so lucky, I'm so envious."
Lydia blushed, a little shyly saying, "Ivan is so good to you, really. I've never seen him treat any other girl as well as he treats you."
Wang Xiao's mind, however, was filled with classic domineering CEO quotes—or rather, classic domineering CEO butler quotes—"Young Master hasn't laughed like this in a long time."
She couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.
So she forcefully raised her chin, adopting an arrogant posture: "Of course, if he dares to treat me badly, I'll break his legs. I'll make him stay paralyzed in bed, and I don't mind supporting him for the rest of my life."
Punoning, standing outside the window, nearly gasped as he listened.
This woman is absolutely terrifying.
He instinctively looked at his friend.
Ivanov, however, proudly puffed out his chest, his face, covered in iodine solution, beaming with smiles.
Did you hear that? Wang will support me for the rest of my life.
Punoning felt pain in his eyes and turned his head away in despair.
Forget it, as long as Ivan can help me win over the king, that's fine.
Otherwise, what more could he possibly hope for in this good-for-nothing?
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[Let me see] Good morning!
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