Chapter 409 Bear Hunt: The Hunt
Good times can indeed erode one's will. Otherwise, how could Korzhakov, a former KGB officer and the Kremlin's chief steward, have become so enraged over just a few words?
Wang Xiao swore that she had been presenting facts and reasoning from beginning to end, without using a single swear word, let alone mentioning any Chinese magical attacks.
Even so, Korzhakov broke through the guards' defenses and directly ordered them: "Take them all away! They are not allowed to have contact with anyone!"
Dyachenko was terrified and instinctively tried to stop him: "Uncle Korzhakov!"
She did want to keep Wang Xiao, but her goal was to get him to help her, not to make an enemy of him.
Wang Xiao stepped aside slightly, leaving the battlefield to Jiyachenko.
If the latter allows her to be taken away today, it means that the president's daughter has no investment value whatsoever.
One possibility is that she was willing but powerless to stop it. What does that mean? It means she's useless. What's the point of investing in someone useless?
The second possibility is that she was cunning and wanted to use Korzhakov to keep her around. He would play the bad cop, and she would play the good cop to gain his gratitude and make him devoted to her.
It might seem unethical, but it's clever. No politician is a moral paragon; that's understandable, isn't it?
What a load of rubbish! Such shallow thinking only proves her viciousness and stupidity.
Why would Wang Xiao get involved with such a vicious idiot? The latter isn't some indispensable treasure.
Korzhakov was still roaring: "What are we going to do? They're running around spreading nonsense! Tatiana, this isn't a little girl's game!"
Dyachenko's face was flushed, and her anger brought tears to her eyes.
“Alexander!” Punonin strode over, his face ashen. “What exactly do you want? Do you have to exhaust everyone like this?”
Korzhakov, believing himself to be on the moral high ground, bluntly retorted: "Vlamikil, if rumors get out, will you take responsibility?"
"What responsibility? What responsibility do you think there will be?" Punonin couldn't take it anymore. "Fine, if you think there is any responsibility, then theirs, I'll take it!"
Everyone present knew perfectly well that he had dispatched guards to protect Ivan and the king. To accuse them of leaking secrets was, in effect, an accusation against him!
Cabinet Minister Kulikov frowned slightly.
Last night, he sided with Punonin, believing that more proactive measures should be taken, such as contacting Prime Minister Chernomyrdin, because according to the law, the Prime Minister is the first in line to succeed the President should anything happen to him.
Although the proposal was ultimately rejected by the other three, his previous statements made him the most suitable person to appease the tax police major general at this time.
He said, "Vlamik, Alexander, don't be stubborn, let's talk this out."
Before the two powerful officials could respond, Wang Xiao sighed, "OK, I think I understand your concerns. But if you don't want any rumors to circulate, then you absolutely cannot keep us here. Otherwise, what will people think if we don't attend the already scheduled signing ceremony?"
She not only planned her own actions but also gave advice to the other party: "Gentlemen, you should do the same. Just do what you need to do and don't be so paranoid. If you all act like you're facing a major crisis, even people who weren't initially suspicious will start to wonder if something serious has happened."
Korzhakov's face was ashen, as if Wang Xiao owed him a hundred million, and he spoke very bluntly: "It's not your place to tell us what to do."
Kulikov remained silent.
Ivanov turned his gaze to Punonin and gestured to his watch: "It's getting late, we need to catch our flight."
Punonin didn't look at his two colleagues again, and simply lifted his foot: "Let's go, I'll take you to the airport."
Diachenko uttered a pleading voice: "Your Majesty."
Wang Xiao turned and hugged her, standing slightly on tiptoe as he whispered in her ear, "Tatiana, you have to hold on. We can't show any signs of anything amiss right now, or the hyenas that smell blood will pounce on us and tear us to pieces."
She instructed her, "There will be an auction this weekend. Please provide an item that is of great significance to the president. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to an orphanage in Moscow."
In fact, as originally planned, the president was also scheduled to attend another outdoor concert this weekend, singing and dancing with young people to showcase his energy and win over more young voters.
This is also one of his advantages.
His main rival, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), lacked sufficient campaign funds to hold a series of concerts; Zyuganov, as CPRF chairman, was also unsuitable for concerts. After all, his loyal supporters were still living in dire straits, waiting for his rescue; how could he be singing and laughing?
Another highly regarded competitor, General Bered, a well-known tough guy, coldly stated to reporters that he firmly believed he didn't like to smile when asked to laugh; he was even less suited to a light and cheerful concert.
Unfortunately, this effective publicity method is clearly no longer suitable for the president. His health simply can't handle it, and he can only make appearances through auctions.
Tyachenko was slightly bewildered. Her current role was somewhat similar to that of her father's campaign spokesperson and liaison. She remembered clearly that there were no auctions scheduled for this weekend.
“Now we have it.” Wang Xiao said without changing his expression. “Last night, when Ivan and I went to the Kremlin for dinner, the President heard that we were going to hold a small charity auction. He was very interested and decided to attend in person.”
Wang Xiao made the arrangements methodically, "I will leave an assistant to liaise with you. If the doctor believes that His Excellency the President is better off resting over the weekend, then you will have to attend in his place."
She looked into Dyachenko's eyes, her gaze full of encouragement, "Darling, believe in yourself, you can do it."
Punonin silently pursed his lips.
He wanted to say that whoever chose Wang as their campaign's media relations representative was incredibly lucky.
She had already planned the next public relations move even before her clients had made any requests.
Compared to her, everyone else who stayed at the hospital yesterday, including myself, was like a wooden stake.
While Tyachenko hesitated, Wang Xiao stared into her eyes and said softly, "You have to go. It has to be you."
Dyachenko felt as if he had been electrocuted, and his whole body shuddered violently.
Only an ambitious woman can understand another ambitious woman.
Yes, she had to go; she had to stand up for her father while he lay in the hospital bed.
Only in this way would she be worthy of being her father's most beloved daughter, and only then would her father see her ambition and talent, thus making him willing to cultivate her politically.
Her father loved her too much and didn't want her to get too involved in the complicated political arena, fearing she would suffer.
But what is bitterness, and what is sweetness? Only those who hold power have the right to decide what is bitterness and what is sweetness.
Wang Xiao held her hand and encouraged her again: "Don't worry, call me anytime if you need anything. My phone is always on for you."
Tyachenko finally nodded with difficulty and stopped blocking Wang Xiao's way.
Korzhakov frowned, about to speak, when Wang Xiao turned and stared at him: "Sir, please maintain your dignity. We, every one of us here, are united by His Excellency the President. We each have an obligation to uphold the President's dignity."
Punonin gestured again: "Alright, let's go, it's getting late."
Before Korzhakov could say anything more, Kulikov spoke first: "Alright, Alexander, we have more important things to do."
He has consistently opposed cancelling the election, arguing that it would undermine the government and the president, and shake the foundations of national security.
Although he also disliked businessmen, he had to admit that at least these two businessmen, who shouldn't have been involved, were trying their best to maintain this stability.
Moreover, Punonin has made it clear that he intends to protect them. At this moment, if they were to fight amongst themselves, it would only make the situation worse.
"Alright, alright, stop arguing. Let them go. We all have our own things to do."
Although Punoning said he would take them to the airport, in reality, he didn't dare to leave the hospital at all.
The president has only just woken up; who knows when he might fall into a coma again?
As the tax police major general helped the two into the car, he casually remarked, "Why are you going to Sakhalin Oblast at this hour?"
Wang Xiao exclaimed in surprise, "Lydia, did you forget to tell me? We're going to sign the contract, the contract for the Sakhalin-2 project. We've already reached an agreement with the Americans, the British, and the Japanese. Signing this contract means that international capital still has full confidence in the Kremlin, and that foreign capital hasn't given up on the Russian market."
That's why she felt that Korzhakov had no sense of the big picture. Didn't the KGB train him about the big picture back then?
However, Wang Xiao had no time to criticize Korzhakov; he was more concerned about someone else: Lydia.
Currently, Lydia's role is essentially that of a part-time personal secretary to Punonin. She must adapt to politics to keep up with her husband's pace.
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Punoning's face like a mud splatter, but he said nonchalantly, "Oh, I think I did say that, I was just too busy to remember."
In fact, he didn't even know how to explain it.
The last time he watched TV with his wife, his intention was to tell her to stop being naive and to tell her that the nature of politics has always been cruel.
However, he made things worse by trying to be clever.
Exposing Wang Xiao's ulterior motives and methods led to his wife Lydia's opinion of him plummeting; she came to see him as a dishonest and cunning person.
Punonin could understand why she was unwilling to relay the king's message. After all, it would be very easy for her to find out the king and Ivan's whereabouts.
The guards around them were all sent by him.
However, Punoning could not reveal all of this, otherwise their relationship would plummet.
Unfortunately, Wang Xiao and Ivanov were both skilled at reading people, and they could catch even the slightest unnatural behavior.
Unable to withstand their relentless questioning, Punoning could only stammer out a little, repeatedly emphasizing, "Lydia likes the King too much, so she can't accept it for a while."
Wang Xiao sneered inwardly, "Don't give me that crap."
If we're talking about being cunning, wasn't she a little cunning when she acted as Lydia and her two children's guardian angel at the Punonin couple's country house last October?
So, when it comes to protecting her family, her strategy is both courageous and resourceful.
But when she's serving others, does she suddenly become cunning and malicious?
Don't you think it's ridiculous to have double standards?
But Wang Xiao didn't show any anger on her face. She only frowned and complained to Punonin: "Give me a break! Flamigil, you really don't know how to teach people. Lydia was supposed to be Melanie's equal. You're so heartless, you won't even let our kind Lydia feel sorry for me? I was so scared, I wanted to lean on Lydia and let her comfort me. No wonder she didn't hug me, it turns out you were just spreading rumors."
The more she spoke, the more resentful she became. "Why do you insist on turning Melanie into Scarlett? Her maternal instincts are her strongest strength. She wants to protect you, protect the children, protect her family, and protect everyone she cherishes and values. Why don't you properly unleash that power? Do you think Scarlett is stronger than Melanie? No! That kind of thinking is too narrow-minded."
Punonin, feeling guilty, made a gesture of surrender: "Okay, it's all my fault. God, I really don't understand the feelings between women."
"What's there to not understand?" Wang Xiao sneered. "Just remember that we women are more loyal to our country."
As soon as the car door closed and the car drove off, Wang Xiao's smile vanished, and she stared gloomily at the passing scenery.
Ivanov comforted her, saying, "Lydia's life is too simple, so she doesn't know how to categorize people."
Wang Xiao suddenly laughed: "Why doesn't she say you have ulterior motives? The encore program was filmed by the two of us. Oh, right, you were originally a righteous and kind person, but unfortunately you were deceived by this bad woman."
Ivanov was shocked and immediately took sides: "No, no, no, it's all her fault, you are absolutely not at fault."
Unfortunately, his positive response did little to improve Wang Xiao's mood.
Damn it, Moscow! Nothing ever goes right.
Lydia is family to Punonin.
Therefore, she cannot give up on Lydia; she must win her over.
If you really can't get what you want, what can you do? Just accept it.
Wang Xiao stared coolly out the window.
Is it really true that no one can survive without someone else? Ha, all roads lead to Rome!
But it's still so annoying.
She kept looking out the window while flying high over Kuye Island.
Ivanov handed her a glass of juice and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about? Do you want to take a nap?"
He didn't ask her what she was looking at, because there really wasn't anything interesting to see outside the window at that moment.
Wang Xiao took the juice, but her eyes didn't leave the window. She only slightly moved her lips and uttered a single word: "Jump."
Ivanov didn't understand and asked blankly, "What?"
Wang Xiao inserted the straw into the juice: "Jump down, I said I want to jump down."
The next second she regretted holding the juice in her hands, because Ivanov suddenly grabbed her wrist, the glass shook violently, and the bright red juice spilled out, like blood.
But Ivanov's eyes were redder than fruit juice, and he was on the verge of tears: "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you? No, you mustn't have such terrible thoughts. Don't jump, don't jump."
While speaking, he tugged at Wang Xiao's arm, trying to hug her tightly.
As you can imagine, the whole glass of juice was spilled.
Keep an eye out, and the first-class flight attendants should come over quickly to help the passengers tidy up.
So the two passengers had no choice but to stand up and give up their seats so that the flight attendants could get back to work.
Ivanov was going crazy. He gripped Wang Xiao's hand tightly, afraid that the other person would really jump.
She will always do it, she will always succeed. Whatever she wants to do, she will do, and she will always succeed.
There aren't many seats in first class combined, and they've all been booked by Wuzhou.
The bodyguard sensed something was wrong and quickly gave up his seat so that the boss could sit down first.
Unfortunately, the boss who sat down wasn't in much better shape either, and he gripped Wang Xiao's hand even tighter.
The arrested person was baffled: "It's just skydiving, why can't I jump?"
She didn't believe Ivanov hadn't skydived. Yura had mentioned before that they went skydiving for thrills when they were teenagers.
The stimulation from the surge of adrenaline and dopamine is truly mesmerizing. Only that life-or-death struggle of a rapid fall followed by a rude awakening can soothe weary nerves and allow all the pressure to be swept away by the howling wind.
Ivanov gasped for breath: "Skydiving?"
Good heavens! He was so scared that his heart skipped a beat. Even without skydiving, he felt the impact of being on the verge of death.
Wang Xiao subconsciously apologized: "I'm sorry, I didn't explain clearly..."
Her mouth was covered by a large hand, and Ivanov pleaded, "Please, don't say it, don't say it again."
He didn't want to relive the terror he had just experienced. He had said that without her, he would die, he really would die.
Wang Xiao didn't say anything more, but reached out and gently patted his back.
Who doesn't experience pressure? Ivan is under immense pressure too, he just doesn't say it.
After what seemed like an eternity, Ivanov's breathing finally calmed down, and he was even able to smile again, saying in a relaxed tone, "Skydiving? Great! We'll skydive when we get to Sakhalin Island."
Unfortunately, Sakhalin Oblast was a failed experimental city of the Soviet Union, a legacy of the Soviet Union that Russia was unwilling to give up but was unable to build.
Not only does it lack skydiving tourism, but even the air force units originally stationed on the island can no longer maintain their aircraft, making it impossible for them to take acquaintances skydiving.
To make matters worse, all that awaited Wang Xiao and Ivanov on the island was damn work; they still had to sign contracts to launch the Sakhalin-2 project.
Even though they were thousands of miles away from Moscow, on an island where it was still freezing cold in April, they still couldn't escape the topic of Moscow.
The direction of the election, the president's health, the results of opinion polls, and so on.
It is no exaggeration to say that in 1996, there were two world-renowned elections, one in the United States and the other in Russia.
From a theoretical perspective, as the global hegemon, the US presidential election should receive more global attention.
But in fact, what captivated the world's political and business circles in 1996 was the Russian general election.
After all, no matter who Americans elect to power, the national policies are largely the same.
But the outcome of the Russian election will determine whether a red tide will return, and it will affect the entire world order.
Unfortunately, neither Wang Xiao nor Ivanov could refuse the interest of the Americans, British, and Japanese. This was precisely their advantage and the fundamental reason why these international conglomerates insisted on cooperating with them.
So Wang Xiao casually mentioned the Kremlin dinner to the businessmen, and talked about how the president would personally attend their charity auction that weekend.
Therefore, Ivanov smiled and told reporters that the signing of the new oil and gas field development project had already proven everything.
The reporter, on his portable typewriter, typed out their conclusion: Without a doubt, in this land once covered by the red flag, connections are essential for everything. And Mr. Ivanov from Moscow was proof of these connections. His good relationships with high-ranking government officials and with the Kremlin ensured the smooth commencement of the Sakhalin-2 project in the deep sea of the Far East.
The contract was signed very quickly, much so that it surprised both Taketa Watanabe of Mitsui and Douglas of ExxonMobil.
They had all dealt with Wang Xiao before, and they knew how pleasant it was to have this East Asian businesswoman as a business partner, but how much more devastating it was to have her as a negotiating adversary.
She would keep raising questions and constantly revising the plan, torturing people to the point of collapse without ever giving in.
It seems that the Russian government's mortgage-for-equity swap program last year really made Wuzhou a profit, otherwise why would they be so accommodating this time?
At the celebration banquet, the representatives from the three consortia, while raising their glasses and exchanging toasts, were also pondering how to further deepen their cooperation with Wuzhou.
While the Sakhalin-2 project has promising prospects, no one knows when it will produce oil and gas. How can it compare to the stable and rapid production of oil and gas from the large, mature oil and gas fields in Siberia?
If you could get a stake in it, it would be a sure-fire way to make money.
While they were still busy eyeing the oil and gas fields in Wuzhou, Wang Xiao and Ivanov, as the bosses, had already begun to indulge in extravagant spending.
Relaxation and excitement were the main themes of Wang Xiao's trip to Sakhalin Island.
Unfortunately, relaxation isn't that simple, and stimulation isn't that easy to obtain either.
When she's dancing, she doesn't want to jump upwards; she just wants to jump downwards.
She skied down the mountain and collapsed on the snow, feeling no sense of ease in her body.
As for karaoke, well, there are karaoke rooms in South Sakhalin, built by a Taiwanese businessman, mainly catering to tourists from Japan.
However, even the karaoke bar, a favorite place for East Asians to let loose, couldn't wash away Wang Xiao's fatigue and boredom.
At this point, Sakhalin's entertainment empire was almost over. Even Wang Xiao himself was wondering if he should hire more male models so that he could be happier the more decadent he became.
There are male models on the island, or more accurately, male escorts. The nightclubs are run by Japanese people and cater to Japanese customers.
Wang Xiao glanced at the male escort a few times; he was not bad looking and had a decent physique.
Ivanov, however, rejected her plan, emphasizing seriously, "No, no, no, Your Majesty, you underestimate yourself. What you want is not this kind of boring pastime. Come on, do you know what we should do? Go hunting! A hunter should hunt."
Wang Xiao's interest was instantly piqued. She had long wanted to go hunting, just like the hunter in Turgenev's story, but due to various unforeseen circumstances, she had never actually gone hunting.
Yes! Hunting is something you should do; it's much more interesting than firing shots at a shooting range.
The two acted immediately.
In mid-April, Sakhalin Island's primeval forests were still covered with thick snow, and the cold wind howled through the forest, filling the air with the chilly scent of pine resin and humus.
The towering coniferous forest blocked out the sun, and the sunlight, like a lost child, struggled to penetrate the gaps, casting dappled shadows on the snow.
This hunting expedition was not much different from the ancient autumn hunt. They not only employed experienced local hunters—yes, a total of three hunters served as their guides—but also had bodyguards and guards who were fully armed, making it look like they were going to ravage the primeval forest.
Unfortunately, it proved the old saying true: "Poor students have too much stationery."
The more aggressive they became, the faster the forest dwellers scattered. Apart from two skinny pheasants who were too weak to fly and were shot down, not to mention any wild beasts, even deer and rabbits disappeared without a trace.
They were left behind in the forest, running around panting like a bunch of idiots.
Oh no, to be precise, she's the only idiot, with Ivanov barely getting along with her.
The bodyguards and guards aren't stupid, and the hunters aren't stupid either; the workers are just cooperating with their bosses.
That familiar feeling of fatigue and boredom surged back like a tide. Wang Xiao was almost losing her temper; she thought she should just go and hire a male escort, maybe she could find some fun that way.
"Quickly!" Ivanov shouted, "Your Majesty! Fire!"
She had only been distracted for a few minutes when her prey jumped right into her eyes without warning.
It was a bear, a fully grown brown bear, much taller than a person when standing. The long winter had consumed a lot of its fat, making it somewhat thin, and it clearly looked like it had been starving for a long time.
Sensing the danger posed by the uninvited guest, the bear let out a deep, warning growl, and white steam billowed from its massive nostrils, emitting a strong, fishy stench.
The hunting dogs were barking wildly, the cold wind was howling, and the air, smelling of fish, seemed to have frozen solid.
Ivanov urged again, "King, fire!"
Time stretched out, each second feeling as piercing as an icicle.
Wang Xiao could clearly hear the sound of his heart pounding wildly in his chest. In that instant, all the blood rushed to his head, and the huge impact made his ears ring.
Fear, a primal, overwhelming fear of facing a apex predator, gripped her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
Her fingers, gripping the shotgun, were icy cold and stiff, almost numb. Not from the cold, but from a loss of blood flow.
"Fire! Fire!"
This time, someone shouted, and the bear seemed to be provoked, roaring as it pounced in their direction.
Wang Xiao instantly regained her senses.
The powerful instinct for survival overwhelmed the fear without hesitation.
Almost instinctively, she raised the heavy hunting rifle with a sudden movement, without thinking or hesitating.
Just as the bear was about to pounce, she slammed her finger on the trigger.
When Ivanov turned around to look for her, he heard a loud "bang."
The immense recoil slammed into Wang Xiao's shoulder, making half of her body go numb. The flames and smoke from the gun instantly filled the air, and the pungent smell of gunpowder filled her nostrils.
Gunshots rang out. Her first shot was like an order, and all the waiting bodyguards, guards, and hunters eagerly began to fire follow-up shots.
The brown bear let out a deafening, painful roar, shaking the snow off the trees.
However, its roar signifies the rapid loss of life.
Its massive body convulsed and shook violently, now transformed into a destroyed fortress. The power receded rapidly like a tide, and it crashed heavily to the ground with a deafening roar.
Scalding blood gushed out from the bullet holes in its body like a spring, quickly staining the snow red, like a bizarre yet bewitching ink painting, exuding a strong stench of blood.
The hunting dogs rushed forward, barking incessantly around the bear carcass.
Wang Xiao stood still, not moving an inch, showing no intention of moving forward.
Her mind went blank. From the moment she pulled the trigger, a violent current surged through her body, making her heart pound wildly.
Blood surges and roars through the veins, and every cell under the skin screams.
All the immense pressure from all directions, all the weariness, boredom, anger, and grievances that had been building up in his heart... it all seemed to be completely released, crushed, and evaporated with the bullet that was fired and with the brown bear falling to the ground.
She felt an unprecedented lightness, her body floating as if she were about to defy gravity. The string deep within her soul, which had been stretched to its limit, snapped completely at the moment the gun fired, bringing not destruction, but a strange, addictive relaxation and pleasure.
This was not her first time killing.
In a container market in Moscow, she once fired two shots without hesitation, taking down the leader of the kidnappers.
But it was survival, self-defense, with a natural and unquestionable legitimacy. After all, the kidnappers threatened her life and property.
But this time it's completely different.
The bear didn't provoke her. It might even have been patrolling its territory or searching for food, which was scarce after hibernation.
It was she who trespassed into its home and disturbed its peace. Its roar as it stood up may have been merely a warning, an instinct to defend its territory. It might not even have had any real intention to attack.
It was she who, without hesitation, pulled the trigger, ending a life that had nothing to do with her.
She is truly cruel, cold-blooded, and utterly unreasonable.
Hunters hunt bears for survival, for bear paws, for their fur, and for their bile.
But she was only after the killing itself.
She had to admit that she felt a thrill that sent shivers down her spine.
She is such a selfish and cruel person that she will not hesitate to hurt the innocent for her own desires.
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[Let me see] Good morning!
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