Chapter 407 The Project Failed: Let's Move on to the Next One
The day before they were to pack their bags and head to Sakhalin Island, Wang Xiao and Ivanov received an invitation from the Kremlin to have dinner there.
They were able to receive such an honor because the president was in a very good mood today.
The latest opinion poll results are in, and his approval rating has surpassed Zyuganov's for the first time, reaching 22%, directly jumping to the top of the candidate list.
Consider that before Wang Xiao took over his campaign public relations, the president's highest approval rating in opinion polls was only 8%, so you can imagine how amazing this improvement is.
If they keep this up, and as long as there are no major mishaps later on, I believe the president will definitely be able to have the last laugh.
After all, as the current head of state, he enjoys unparalleled media resources.
Tyachenko personally greeted the guests at the Kremlin gate. She was truly exasperated with Wang Xiao; she had clearly been at the power company that day, and all she knew was a misunderstanding.
No normal person would allow an embarrassing blunder to be broadcast on television, but she not only allowed it to air, but also took the opportunity to dig a hole for the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
After the program aired, viewers unanimously suspected that the party that sent bullets and threatening letters to Ivanov was the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
Even Gennady Zyuganov, the chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, had to take the opportunity of a speech to publicly deny the Communist Party's involvement in the matter; but the public was still stirred up with cold memories of the Soviet secret police in those years.
Media moguls Lezovsky and Gusinsky quickly reacted and actively cooperated with Chubais's team's publicity plan.
In April, just as spring was approaching in Russia, a gloomy atmosphere descended upon the nation.
Who could blame them when the KGB was so capable back then? Everyone suspected they were being watched by a pair of eyes.
Just like East Germany at that time, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germans discovered that they were surrounded by informers and lived their entire lives under the surveillance of the Stasi.
This feeling is so terrible that many people, when interviewed on the street, emphasized unequivocally that the KGB should never be allowed to return to the lives of Russians.
The Kremlin, unusually, once again kept up with current events. During a press conference to announce progress in presidential election preparations, it emphasized that Russia currently does not have a KGB, the evidence being that the government simply doesn't have the funds for it. The government is allocating all its funds to restoring national production; it doesn't have spare money.
In short, this coordinated effort from all sides resulted in the Communist Party of the Russian Federation suffering another heavy loss in silence.
How could Tyachenko not feel great and overjoyed?
Not only her, but her father, the President, was all smiles.
During the day, the president attends music festivals, waving his arms and swaying his body with the young people, enjoying the music.
That evening, at the dinner table in the Kremlin, he even jokingly remarked on Ivanov's impressive physique. Many young Russian men, including soldiers, start to gain weight after the age of 30.
He reached out and touched his stomach, saying seriously, "Just like me."
A burst of laughter erupted at the dinner table.
Wang Xiao also had to admit that, as president, he was indeed approachable. Sitting at the same table with him was like being with an ordinary elder in the family; he was completely unpretentious.
After teasing Ivanov about his physique, he started gossiping about Wang Xiao's reaction on "Our Day," looking quite emotional: "I'm so sorry to have given you such a big shock."
Out of Russian national sentiment, he had to tell himself that he was pleased to see this.
After all, when Chechen hijackers threatened him with guns at the container market last June, Ivan was willing to trade his life for the king's.
If it's just her making one-sided efforts, then the president's nationalistic sentiments might not be able to handle it.
Fortunately, Wang, a shrewd and calm person, actually lost control of his emotions because he was worried about Ivan's safety.
This made the president feel much more comfortable; yes, this is how it should be.
He kept rambling on and on at the dinner table, and wanted to drink, but was refused without hesitation.
Wang Xiao didn't believe he had successfully quit drinking; he probably just didn't want Tyachenko to expose his alcoholism in front of the guests.
Otherwise, it will affect guests' confidence in his re-election.
The president truly adored his youngest daughter, and when refused a drink, he merely turned to Ivanov and grumbled, "Hey! Ladies always like to meddle. So, Ivanov, does the king control everything you do?"
Ivanov said seriously, "I'm just afraid he'll simply ignore me."
The president said meaningfully, "Well, that's just how young lads are."
These statements are actually quite uninformative and completely contradict the public's expectations of having dinner with the president.
If we had to pinpoint the purpose of this meal, the only thing we could glean from the casual conversation was that the president expressed his approval of Wang Xiao.
This kind of affirmation, simply put, is the parents' recognition of their child's friend, hoping that this friend can encourage their child to communicate more and change her shy personality.
The reason Wang Xiao said that the most nutritious part of the dinner was this topic was because after the president finished speaking, he first fell silent, and then his whole body slumped to the ground.
He slid off the chair without falling, and just slid under the dining table.
If it weren't for this meal, Wang Xiao would have almost convinced himself that he was just drunk, even though he ate the whole thing.
But not now. There are no wine bottles on the table, and no smell of alcohol in the restaurant. There are only exclamations and running sounds.
She instinctively turned to look at Ivanov, and saw only terror in his eyes.
Then she finally felt it was real.
It's all over! The project she invested the most money in and the time and energy she spent in both her lives is gone.
Six months after his initial illness last October, the president suffered another heart attack.
Wang Xiao thought that this time, she and Ivanov would be detained in the Kremlin like last time, until Punonin came to take them out.
I don't know how long I'll have to stay up that night.
Unexpectedly, no sooner had the president been carried out on a stretcher than a fully armed presidential guard came over and urged Wang Xiao and Ivanov to get into the car quickly.
Everyone moved so quickly.
Wang Xiao didn't even have time to exchange a glance with Ivanov or discuss what to do next before he was shoved into the car.
In that instant, all she could think of were secret prisons.
Seriously, if you understand Moscow, if you know how dirty and cruel politics is, then you won't think she's delusional.
While no department is officially called the KGB anymore, the Presidential Guard is itself a small, elite KGB.
The car drove past the subway station entrance.
In Moscow, there are subway stations one after another, with countless train cars shuttling underground.
The underground is itself another kingdom.
Wang Xiao felt a weight on the back of her hand. Ivanov grasped her hand and whispered, "It's alright."
He had experienced it once before, and this time it still felt like something was squeezing his heart. But after a while, a strange numbness would set in, allowing him to breathe normally despite his difficulty breathing.
In this respect alone, he's at least better than the president.
How many turns did the car make? Wang Xiao had no idea. She only felt that the night was frighteningly dark, as if all the lights in Moscow had gone out that night.
She suspected the car was deliberately going in circles to confuse them about where it was going.
Otherwise, as ambulance drivers understand, patients should be taken to the nearest hospital.
If the president is having a heart attack and is still spinning around like that, it's as if he's deliberately trying to kill people.
No matter how much she complained in her heart, the car still drove around for 24 minutes before finally stopping.
Yes, even when she was so nervous she was about to explode, Wang Xiao would still search for any information that might be useful.
That's probably an instinct ingrained in her bones.
The bad news was that she had no idea where they were, because they had taken the elevator directly up from the underground parking lot.
The good news is that it is still a hospital, and at least you can see medical workers in white coats.
But the very existence of a hospital means suffering; at least for Wang Xiao, sitting in the blue chair, every second felt like being roasted on a stove.
No, no, no, it's not a stove. It's a charcoal grill.
Have you ever seen Peking duck? It's roasted in a charcoal oven that hangs from the duck. The heat comes from all directions, penetrating every nook and cranny.
Like pressure, like sharp needles, it made Wang Xiao want to roar.
She knew that beneath the calm surface, a major crisis was always brewing.
Throughout the media relations campaign of this election, she dominated her opponent. It was an asymmetrical battle, with the opposing side completely unable to mount an effective counterattack.
One second she was smug, the next she realized that the opponent she saw was never an opponent at all. Her real opponent was the president.
This is like an agent spotting a promising talent, showering them with resources, and just when they're about to become a top star and reward you, suddenly, a major scandal is exposed, and everyone is ruined.
No, no, no, you can handle scandals with public relations, but how can you turn back a person's life through public relations?
Therefore, her life is even more miserable than that of an agent who ends up with nothing.
Yes, yes, she did know all along that the president had a heart condition and was in poor health.
But she never expected it to be this bad. There were absolutely no warning signs today; she hadn't been drinking, hadn't been furious, she was just eating and chatting, and then she suddenly went limp.
If she had known his health was really that bad, she wouldn't have advised Punonin to wait until his next term to take action, but rather to run for re-election in this term.
Anyway, Russia's economy is heavily reliant on international oil prices. As long as oil prices go up, everything will be fine.
The waiting chairs in the hospital are not arranged in a row, but rather separated by metal frames in the middle.
So when Ivanov saw that she was silent, he didn't want to put his arm around her shoulder directly. Instead, he walked up to her, knelt on one knee, and hugged her back: "Your Majesty, it's alright, God will protect us."
He knew that Wang Xiao didn't believe in God, and she didn't even believe in Mazu, whom she worshipped; she only believed in herself.
But at this moment, what else can we do but place our hopes in God? Life and death are in the hands of fate!
Wang Xiao's head bumped against his head. He only closed his eyes and spaced out for a brief three seconds before forcing himself back to his senses.
She pushed Ivanov's head away and whispered, "We can't just wait around."
What if the president can't be saved this time? What if he is saved but paralyzed as well?
She took a chocolate out of her pocket, put it in her mouth, and chewed it heartily.
No one was there to pour her water, but that didn't matter. Her mouth would produce saliva, and she would eventually be able to swallow the chocolate and replenish her brain with enough blood sugar.
After finishing a chocolate, she asked Ivanov, "Is there anything on my lips?"
After receiving a negative answer, she stood up, supporting Ivan's shoulder, and staggered off to find Diachenko.
In the short time she slumped on the waiting chair, her legs went numb, which seemed to suggest that her blood had forgotten to flow.
Dyachenko's condition was even worse than hers; she couldn't even sit down to wait for news and could only pace back and forth in front of the cold metal door.
Wang Xiao reached out to stop her: "Hey, honey, we have to talk."
Tyachenko made a gesture: "God, I'm sorry, I'm so upset right now, I can't listen to anything, and I can't talk about anything."
"You have to listen." Wang Xiao didn't give her a chance to refuse. "If the president can't continue running for office, I mean, if he needs to rest and recuperate, what should we do next?"
She had already used the most tactful way she could find to express it. What she really wanted to ask was, "He's gone, is there any contingency plan?"
But even though she had racked her brains to avoid provoking anyone, the president's bodyguard, Korzhakov, still managed to lash out before Diachenko could: "I told you long ago, this damn election should be canceled!"
Tyachenko instinctively pulled his neck back after being yelled at.
Wang Xiao, however, retorted coldly like a fighting rooster: "Mr. Korzhakov, are you sure you want to argue with me here and call everyone over? When something happens, can you please not just complain the first thing you do? What we need now is a solution!"
She turned her head and continued looking at Diachenko, her gaze intense: "Is there a contingency plan?"
She believes it exists.
The president has already suffered heart attacks so many times. Even if someone might hide the advice given to him by the doctors, just like terminally ill patients are often kept in the dark by their families, as the head of state, he cannot be completely unaware of the crisis and unprepared.
Tyachenko's eyes darted around unconsciously, and she tilted her head slightly, as if she couldn't help but sob: "I don't know, I've never heard my father say that."
She is likely lying.
But it doesn't matter.
Wang Xiao had already turned her gaze to Korzhakov and continued to press, "And you, sir, do you know? If you do, please tell me now so I can immediately formulate the next public relations strategy. We don't have time."
"There is no emergency!" Korzhakov's eyes were bloodshot, as if the mountains of corpses and seas of blood were ablaze. "Canceling the election is the emergency."
Wang Xiao sneered: "Sir, this is not the time for jokes. If the president's condition is no longer suitable for running for office, how can he work? How can the public believe that he can continue to contribute to Russia? Please don't act impulsively; we are solving problems. We are to become the president's tools and continue to carry out his will."
Korzhakov just glared at her, and finally, his tightly pursed lips uttered only a few cold words: "No comment."
“OK!” Wang Xiao’s face also turned frosty. “If there is no contingency plan, then I will have to activate our team’s plan ahead of schedule. In the coming days, we will push Mr. Bered to the next level.”
Korzhakov flew into a rage: "You greedy and horrible investors, do you think you're buying stocks? Buying this one today, that one tomorrow!"
Wang Xiao thought to himself: You're absolutely right, funding a presidential campaign is essentially like buying stocks.
However, she had no intention of further provoking him, nor did she want Tyachenko to feel betrayed or hurt, after all, the president's life was uncertain, and he might still have a chance to turn things around.
“This is a plan we decided on a long time ago,” she said confidently. “More than half of the voters do not want to vote for either the president or Zyuganov because they believe politicians are not trustworthy.”
“There are so many of them, we simply cannot ignore their presence. Otherwise, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation might inadvertently win them over.”
"To ensure that these votes do not go to Zyuganov, we must introduce a new vote-getter, namely General Bered. He is a military man, and in the eyes of the public, he is naturally different from politicians."
Korzhakov had always opposed holding elections this year and was extremely disgusted with Wang Xiao.
Hearing her say that she still wanted to support Bered, he became even more furious: "Isn't this your real purpose? You've been blocking the cancellation of the election all this time just to push him into power!"
Wang Xiao was so angry he laughed: "I don't even know Bered, and I've never met him!"
As a veteran of the KGB, and the leader of the presidential guard, which is supposedly an elite KGB force, could you please do some research before you start accusing people? Don't just spout nonsense!
Seeing that Korzhakov was about to lash out again, Wang Xiao immediately stopped him: "Sir, I have no intention of arguing with you. I am a public relations professional, and I only hope that the work can proceed smoothly. But if you, the client, are not in a hurry, then as the service provider, I have even less reason to be in a hurry."
She sat down on the waiting chair, spread her hands, and stared fearlessly at Korzhakov. "I can sit here, do nothing, and wait. I don't care."
She's not afraid of anything!
Let's get this straight, the initiative is now in her hands.
From her return to Moscow after the Spring Festival until now, the course of the Russian election has fully demonstrated her ability—the ability to crush the opposition like a demon king.
If the president lying in the hospital undergoing emergency treatment doesn't wake up or can't get up, then as a top-notch public relations professional with substantial wealth, she will be highly sought after by various candidates.
Everyone who aspires to the throne is hoping she will choose them, so they can rise to power.
Now that the Kremlin has lost its presidential trump card, it should seriously consider what cards it still has left to play and what can attract her to continue investing.
If not, let's just part ways.
If this project doesn't work out, we can just invest in the next one.
What is she afraid of?
In the summer of 1993, when the president who is now lying in bed being rescued suddenly announced the abolition of the ruble, causing her and Ivanov to lose 1 billion US dollars, she didn't jump off a building.
She can start over anytime!
After making his stance clear, Wang Xiao stopped talking and stood by coldly, clearly distancing himself from the matter.
Even in this environment, she could still think at high speed, considering how to negotiate with Bered to maximize her own interests if she were to help him come to power.
She wasn't worried at all that Bered would be a hopeless case and unable to defeat Zyuganov.
She was confident she could persuade Chubais and the oligarchs to switch their full support to Bered.
The benefits of putting him in power are very obvious: he is a military man who lacks political experience and needs strong external support.
This is a very attractive bonus for oligarchs who have already fully felt the power of the Kremlin president.
Because it means that in the future, they and the newly installed president will be the kings.
So Bered shouldn't be a fool; would he be completely oblivious to the oligarchs' scheme?
What if he realizes this and doesn't want to get involved with the oligarchs?
That only proves that he's not cut out for it and doesn't even qualify to participate.
To reiterate, what do you have? If you have nothing and don't even want to be a chess piece, what makes you think you can enter the chess room and become a chess player?
If he really is so inconsiderate, then just replace him with Punonin.
Although he publicly stated in his speech that he would not participate in this election and that he supported the president's re-election, hasn't the situation changed now? He can completely carry on the president's legacy and continue to advance towards the Kremlin.
The biggest challenge of Plan B is persuading the forces that originally supported the president to accept Punonin as his political successor.
At the very least, the oligarchs would likely favor Bered, because Punonin, who has been based in Moscow, is clearly more familiar with the Moscow bureaucracy than Bered, who was previously stationed in Transnistria.
Moreover, he is a third-generation Red Army descendant with his own background, making him much harder to control than Bered.
Wang Xiao thinks so too.
Which top agent wants their star to be too opinionated?
If Punonin takes office in the summer, it may not be a good thing for her and Ivanov.
However, she could not allow the Russian Communist Party to seize power.
Otherwise, what would they do with the oil companies they acquired cheaply through equity auctions in exchange for loans?
How could she possibly vomit up the fatty meat she had already swallowed?
Wang Xiao was planning the next step when Diachenko finally lost his temper and growled in a tearful voice, "Uncle Korzhakov, what are you trying to do?"
Korzhakov said angrily, "I think you're the one who's confused. How could you let her lead you by the nose?"
Wang Xiao found them too noisy, so she stood up and sat down far away to continue thinking about her public relations plan.
Ivanov stayed by her side, held her hand, sighed, and said the same thing again: "It's alright."
Wang Xiao, leaning against him in a half-squatting position, had only one question: "What's the point of them arguing? Do they really think they can handle something this big?"
Good heavens! Even she, a person with no religious faith, was calling upon God on their behalf.
To put it bluntly, you two are a chief eunuch and a princess with no real power; who gave you the courage to believe that you could control the situation when the emperor falls?
Hurry up and contact the previous dynasty! Without the support of powerful civil and military officials, you two can argue all you want, but you won't get anything done.
Besides, are you two really so confident that you believe you can deceive everyone and that no one can get their hands on you?
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Wang Xiao: [Eating melon seeds] I'm so tired every day!
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