Chapter 498 A New Era (Correction): He Could Not Abandon His Ambition to Become a First-Class Power
Dr. Zhang lived a very frugal life. Even when he ate a late-night snack, he would only have a bowl of rice soaked in water and a plate of shepherd's purse mixed with dried tofu.
Unlike Wang Xiao, who has barbecue in one hand and spicy hot pot in the other—a movie released last year called "Spicy Hot Pot Love" made spicy hot pot popular, and even the milder-tasting Xiaozhou Night Market started selling spicy hot pot.
Her lack of self-control, indulging in food and drink late at night, will surely come at a price.
After eating late-night snacks for three days in a row, she tragically discovered that she had gained weight—she didn't actually have the habit of weighing herself every day, and she had no idea how many pounds she had gained, but she just couldn't zip up her new dress.
But whether it was the bodyguards or the assistants, they all blatantly lied, each one more serious than the last, swearing that she hadn't gained weight.
The skirt won't fit because it shrunk after washing.
Wang Xiao could only chuckle.
That evening, when she called Ivan, she sighed with genuine emotion: "I've discovered that it was really difficult for emperors in ancient times to avoid becoming tyrannical rulers."
Everyone surrounds you, everyone says things to please you, everyone affirms you, and you are given plenty of emotional value.
Over time, it would be strange if your self-awareness and self-evaluation abilities didn't decline rapidly.
Ivanov took off his shoes, holding the microphone, and quickly stepped on the scale to weigh himself. After seeing the number that appeared, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and could also happily comfort his fiancée: "They weren't lying. You've worked so hard, you can't possibly gain weight."
Wang Xiao chuckled and turned around: "Touch your heart, doesn't lying hurt?"
Ivan quickly pleaded, "Mom is right, we need some meat so we can hold our own if we get sick."
To avoid being pursued, he cunningly changed the subject, "How are the Korean engineers doing? Are they still causing trouble?"
If this continues, his patience will run out.
Wang Xiao then snorted and got down to business: "Behave yourself, stop causing trouble, and take the initiative to say that you will speed up the work progress."
Although there are signs of economic recovery in South Korea, they are only signs. Quick-reacting conglomerates are busy selling assets, issuing convertible bonds, and bringing in strategic investors in order to survive.
LG Electronics simply does not have the capacity to buy back its semiconductor division.
The Blue House is also fully implementing the "Big Deal" policy, promoting the exchange of businesses among conglomerates, reducing redundant investment, and consolidating core industries.
It is even less likely that LG Electronics will be supported in buying back and selling its assets.
The government believed that it was not possible for three competing semiconductor companies to coexist domestically, and that they should be integrated to counter foreign companies in a two-headed snake-like fashion.
With Hyundai's chip division and Samsung Electronics in place, why should the Blue House (Presidential Office) cause any more trouble?
In fact, LG Electronics' engineers were well aware of all this, but they simply carried an air of arrogance stemming from their technological superiority.
But when the new boss turned on them and started making 0.18-micron wires, their arrogance crumbled. After all, the northwest wind can't fill an empty stomach, and losing their job could really mean starving their entire family.
Ivan laughed, then said defiantly, "Once we have our own engineers, who will want them?"
Wang Xiao instantly felt refreshed; otherwise, how could she and Ivan have stayed together for so long? Out of so many people, only Ivan immediately understood what she meant.
She wasn't angry that LG Electronics' Korean engineers dared to act superior, but that they actually had the right to act superior at one time.
I love you to death!
Ivan's laughter on the other end of the phone made it feel like spring had arrived early in Moscow.
"Oh, oh—" Nemtsov strolled into his office, saw how worthless he looked, and immediately made a strange clicking sound, his eyebrows and eyes all scrunched up.
Hearing the noise, Wang Xiao said goodbye, "You go ahead with your work, I'm going to sleep."
Ivan, who had been hung up on, was furious. His face hardened, and he glared at Nemtsov menacingly: "My sir, you'd better have something to do."
Nemtsov readily agreed and handed over the documents: "Sign it, my Mr. Ivanov."
Ivan took the document, glanced at it, and picked up a pen from the table while complaining, "You could easily be the advisor yourself."
Nemtsov's gaze had already fallen on the scale, and he clicked his tongue in admiration. Men understand men best; men only pay so much attention to their appearance when they are in love.
He casually replied, "What use am I? I have neither a fortune nor a rich woman interested in me, and the factory doesn't believe in my abilities."
He was just a figurehead Minister of Industry.
Ivanov signed his name and tossed the document to him: "Alright, enough nonsense. How's production going? Will we get new ballet tutus this month?"
Nemtsov was startled: "This is nothing! You're already expecting to get the goods delivered?"
Good heavens! Even the gods couldn't have been this fast.
The Vice Premier rolled his eyes at him, annoyed: "What do you think? Chinese businessmen go to Europe for tourism, make a purchase on the same day, send the goods back to China, and can get them shipped out in ten days. And that was before; now the time has been compressed to one week."
Why? Because before, we had to bring the clothes back with us, but now those of us who are smarter have already transferred the photos directly using our computers.
Nemtsov gasped, “My God, my God.”
He knew that China's light industry was developing very rapidly, but he didn't expect it to be this fast.
"Hurry up," Ivanov urged him. "You're not planning to drag this out until I step down next year, are you? By then, I won't be of much use as an advisor."
Nemtsov straightened his expression, his joking smile vanishing: "I'm serious, Ivan, are you really not considering continuing?"
Ivanov shook his head firmly: "No, I have no interest whatsoever."
The Minister of Industry tried to persuade the Deputy Prime Minister: "If you're not interested in the Kremlin, you can continue working at the White House."
Ivan turned to look at him seriously: "When you think I can go to the Kremlin, I can no longer stay in the White House."
Nemtsov was taken aback, and suddenly thought of an old Chinese proverb: "How can one allow others to spy on one's own bed?"
Oh no, perhaps a more appropriate saying is: "A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."
A person who is widely regarded as a strong candidate for president may not actually be able to become prime minister.
Not many presidents can tolerate a prime minister like that.
While he was still in a daze, the phone rang.
Chubais called out from the other end, "Ivan, who's here?"
After hearing Ivan's answer, he gave the order directly, "Then all of you come here. You, Boris, come here."
Ivanov pressed on, "And what about Mr. Chernomyrdin?"
This time, however, Chubais refused: "He's too busy, please let him continue."
The phone call ended, and Ivanov went to the coat rack to get his coat, urging Nemtsov, "Hurry up, let's go in one car."
This is a good opportunity for him to inquire about the progress of the joint venture factory.
Nemtsov followed him, complaining, "That damn Anatoly, he thinks we're just sitting around doing nothing."
Ivan smiled without saying a word, silently thinking to himself: Who could really be a fool? Look at Boris, how eloquent he is.
It was clearly the president who was wary of the prime minister, so he always intentionally or unintentionally marginalized Prime Minister Chernomyrdin. But when Boris Johnson said it, it became the implication that the prime minister was a pillar of stability and could not be easily moved around.
Hearing Nemtsov still muttering to himself, he casually replied, "Yeah, what do you want from us? We could have talked on the phone. You're just wasting time."
When the domestically produced armored limousine took them from the White House to the president's villa, and they sat in the spacious living room that served as a conference room, Ivan's casual complaint turned into a genuine exclamation.
Oh God! Why did you call him here?
He, and Nemtsov, had absolutely no need to be here.
Because today's topic is the Kosovo issue.
It's not that the Kosovo issue isn't important, or that it's not worth a deputy prime minister and an industry minister like Nemtsov making a special trip from the White House.
In fact, since the breakup of Yugoslavia, Albanians in Serbia have been seeking independence. On February 28 last year, Albanian militants clashed with Serbian police in a large-scale bloody conflict, and armed clashes have continued ever since.
It is no exaggeration to say that it is a landmine with a power no less than that of a nuclear weapon, which could trigger unrest at any time and even affect the situation in Europe and the world.
How could such a problem not be serious?
If it weren't important, the Rambouillet talks, specifically convened in Paris, France, on February 6th of this year, wouldn't have been held to try and resolve the Kosovo issue.
But no matter how important it is, it's not within Ivan and Nemtsov's scope of work.
They were in charge of domestic affairs; military and foreign affairs were not their job.
Unfortunately, the president not only dragged them both out of the White House, but also didn't want them to be wallflowers.
The wood crackled in the fireplace, and the roaring fire created a cozy, homey atmosphere.
But the president has been suffering from a cold and cough for more than ten days, and his living room has long since become another office space. So where is the home and leisure?
He moved a little slowly, turned his head slowly around, and finally fixed his gaze on Ivan's face, calling out his name: "My dear lad, please tell me your opinion."
What's your opinion? News has just come back from the second round of talks at the Paris Peace Conference on the Kosovo issue that the talks have adjourned, failing to reach a result that satisfies all the participating parties.
Previously, NATO's stance on the Kosovo issue was primarily peace talks, with military action as a secondary measure.
If talks fail to reach an agreement twice, NATO will likely prioritize military action over peace talks.
Reversing these two strategies would mean a dramatic change in the situation in the Balkans.
Yugoslavia was a traditional ally of the Soviet Union and a political legacy that Russia inherited from the Soviet Union.
NATO's intention to use force is a provocation against Russia.
With Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic already a foregone conclusion to join NATO, it has now brazenly extended its reach into the Balkans.
This seriously threatens Russia's geopolitical interests, international standing, and influence.
This means that if NATO really gets involved and takes military action, Russia will have to react, or it will become an international laughing stock.
The wood crackled in the fireplace, and the room was so warm that Ivan felt that even taking off his coat wasn't enough.
If he had known this would happen, he should have taken off his cashmere sweater too.
He took a sip of water to relieve the heat before speaking: "My view is that unless the United States intervenes, it's all bark and no bite; there won't be any real military action."
An elderly general with graying temples and dressed in full formal attire stared at Ivan.
My God! His gaze is truly like that of a hawk.
His words were also very authoritative: "Sir, how do you know the United States won't get involved? Intervening in Yugoslavia and stirring up trouble in the Balkans is very much in the United States' interest."
Ivanov nodded: "Sir, you are right. Creating turmoil in the heart of Europe, through a collective action, to reaffirm the proposition that 'European security is inseparable from the United States,' and to strike at Europe's ambition for strategic autonomy, is crucial to maintaining American interests in Europe after the Cold War. Moreover, it can warn global capital that Europe is not safe, preventing European capital from returning home and global capital from flowing into Europe."
The generals opposite him didn't seem to notice the latter part of what he said.
Only those like Chubais and Nemtsov, who participated in financial reforms and paid close attention to the international economic situation, truly understood the value of it.
On January 1st of this year, the euro, the single currency of Europe, was officially launched in the 11 EU member states. This signifies that European integration, which has been talked about for decades, has taken a truly important step forward.
The emergence of the euro has seriously challenged the status of the dollar.
The United States cannot ignore it.
Ivan did not elaborate on the issue, but instead concluded: "The military-industrial complex, financial interest groups, and foreign policy elites in Washington all have an incentive to push the government to take action."
The general, his temples graying, nodded: "So we can't be blindly optimistic. The United States is very likely to get involved. The Balkans are more important to it than Iraq."
Last year, the United States deployed aircraft and warships, which terrified the Arab world, prompting them to rush to buy American weapons as a way of showing their loyalty.
What about this year? What kind of storms will it stir up this year?
Ivanov didn't follow up on what the other person was saying, but instead said seriously, "American interest groups want the US to get involved, but right now, the Washington government is most likely unable to get involved. Because their president is a sexual harassment offender."
He spoke in a serious tone, but a burst of laughter erupted in the room.
Good heavens, very few heads of state can truly withstand scrutiny in their private lives, but the US president is probably the first person in history to be directly convicted of sexual harassment by the court while in office.
This is his eternal shame, a crime that will haunt him for the rest of his life.
Ivanov didn't laugh along, but continued his analysis seriously: "A sexual harassment offender, as president, is a disgrace to Americans in himself. Any military action he leads will immediately be labeled 'yet another war to divert attention' by domestic political opponents and the media. This will make the legitimacy of the action questionable from the outset, making it difficult to build domestic consensus."
He emphasized, "The President of Washington has no way to persuade the skeptical public and Congress with his high approval ratings and moral authority. Every time he appears on television to talk about Kosovo, people think of his sex scandals and perjury."
"The public will be outraged, angry that national interests are being risked just to consolidate his political position. America's European allies will also become suspicious and unwilling to cooperate with Washington's actions. After all—"
He smiled and said, "Europe, especially the old Europe represented by France, is by no means a naive pawn. They are fully capable of seeing through the strategic intentions behind the US actions to suppress the euro."
In international politics, since the Soviet era, Russians have suffered many losses at the hands of Europe, and those of you here certainly do not regard Europeans as fools who can be easily manipulated.
However, the military still has its own perspective: "Even if the United States doesn't get involved, Europe won't stand idly by. The Balkans are the heartland of Europe."
They've already been very subtle in their words.
In fact, Yugoslavia was indeed experiencing a humanitarian disaster.
Even if Europeans can treat moral integrity as a worthless piece of paper and ignore reports of ethnic cleansing, the continuous influx of refugees and the risk that the war may spread to Albania and even Macedonia will still deal a direct and unbearable blow to Europe's stability and security.
This is an imminent fire, and Europe cannot simply stand by and watch like the United States.
Ivanov calmly looked at the old general: "So what if we're in a crisis? Does Europe really dare to start a fire in the Balkans? Gentlemen—"
He cautioned them, "Military intervention in the Kosovo crisis means Europe will face the wrath of Russia head-on. Do they have the guts?"
Someone in the room laughed again.
The Soviet Union was a traditional military power, and even today, people still believe that the Soviet Union did not lose in the military competition, but rather suffered a major economic setback, which led to its utter defeat.
If it were the United States that took action, Russia would have to consider its own strength and that of the other side. But if it were Europe, God, where would they get the guts?
Fear of the Soviet Union and fear of Russia have become terrifying memories etched into the very bones of Europe. To directly confront Russia over Kosovo would be an extremely risky test of their courage.
Moreover, even if they were brave enough, Europe at present does not possess any decent military strength.
Without the United States' strategic airlift, intelligence gathering, command and control systems, and precision-guided munitions, Europe is currently unable to effectively organize a high-intensity, sustainable air campaign.
Ivanov's understanding of military affairs was far inferior to that of the generals.
So instead of showing off his limited knowledge, he started counting on his fingers: "Besides, Europe isn't a monolithic entity."
"Germany has been committed to establishing a stable relationship with us since the end of the Cold War. Its industrial development requires our energy supply. The reunification of East and West Germany requires an even more stable environment."
"Greece and Italy are even less willing to get involved in a war."
"France may be eager to try, but it has neither the strength to stand in front and bear the main geostrategic risks, nor does it have enough political weight and leadership to suppress different voices within the alliance and unify the pace of action."
This is NATO; without the United States, it is nothing but a disorganized mess.
This is the kind of NATO that the United States hopes for and allows to survive.
As the head of the Kremlin office and the reviewer of the minutes of high-level meetings, Chubais confirmed again: "You mean the United States won't get involved, and Europe won't dare to launch a large-scale military operation?"
Ivanov nodded in confirmation: "Yes. Everything right now is just bluffing. NATO will ultimately choose diplomatic means to resolve the issue."
Good heavens, this makes the problem even more complicated than it seems.
Lacking the leverage of military pressure, the international community, represented by Europe and the United States, will be at a disadvantage in negotiations with Serbia.
President Milosevic will take a tougher stance, and any peace agreement will be more favorable to Belgrade. Kosovo's prospects, whether it seeks autonomy or independence, will be bleak.
This is clearly not the outcome NATO wants to see.
But this is in Russia's interest.
The staff brought in fresh tea and snacks and served everyone fresh tea.
After everyone finished their tea, they said their goodbyes and left.
As Ivanov put on his coat and prepared to leave, the president called out to him, "My poor lad, you're all alone again."
The people inside laughed, and Nemtsov even punched Ivan on the shoulder, signaling that he would go out first.
The crowd left in twos and threes, and soon only Ivan and the president remained in the room.
The president, slumped in his large chair, looked at him silently, then suddenly spoke: "Is there anything else you want to say to me?"
Ivanov looked bewildered, thought for a moment, and managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Please take care of yourself. Russia needs to play a key mediator role in the Kosovo crisis. You can't afford to fall ill."
The president coaxed, "Is there anything else?"
Ivanov shook his head: "No, sir. Please take care. You represent Russia."
The president paused for a moment before nodding and gesturing, "Go and attend to your business."
Ivanov stood up, nodded to him, put his hat back on, and went out the door.
As he stepped out of the room, he ran into the head of the National Security Agency, who was another Vlamikl.
My God! Russia really has a lot of Vlamikl.
He nodded to the other person, stepped aside, and walked forward.
When the FSB director entered the room to report, he keenly noticed that the president was distracted.
The latter's gaze followed the First Deputy Prime Minister's retreating figure through the window.
That is the presidential candidate who is currently receiving a very high number of votes in the polls.
He was standing under a withered tree, talking to the president's grandson, who is currently studying in the UK.
The security chief suspects that the first deputy prime minister is also the president's preferred successor.
As the president watched Ivan's figure recede into the distance, his regret deepened.
If Russia is a second-rate country, or if he has given up on bringing Russia back to the ranks of first-rate countries, then Ivan would be the most suitable presidential candidate.
Not because he was particularly successful in economic reforms—he successfully prevented Russia's GKO from going bankrupt and following in South Korea's footsteps.
Rather, it was his audacity; he didn't blindly follow authority. He dared to target and scheme against the United States.
My God, what a rare quality! Which of Russia's elites would dare to even entertain such a thought, let alone actually carry it out?
Yes, he knows everything.
The KGB reports directly to the president, and the president can know anything the KGB does if he wants to.
He also knew that Wang must have been involved, and she had made a considerable profit.
But he understood even better that Wang was merely playing the role of strategist; it was Ivan who truly made the decision to take action.
God, how much He loves this young man!
Because he is kind enough, if he were to succeed as president, he would certainly not be so ruthless as to eliminate himself.
Unfortunately, Russia has never relinquished its status as a first-rate major power.
The heads of state of a first-class power cannot be peace-loving, especially in a country like Russia with a harsh environment. Its head of state must be able to take the initiative to provoke war at critical moments.
The president slowly withdrew his gaze.
He thought he had to thank this young man, because his audacity and recklessness had plunged the United States into internal strife, thus easing Russia's international political pressure.
Ivanov noticed someone watching him from the window, turned around, waved to the president, and then pointed to the car, indicating that he was leaving.
Nemtsov got on the bus early and asked him curiously, "What did they, the grandmother and grandson, ask you?"
Ivanov shook his head: "They're just talking about everyday things. The president said I'm a poor bachelor, and his grandson wants to discuss a trip to Europe with me."
"God!" Nemtsov exclaimed in envy. "I had time when I was in college, but it was so difficult to go abroad back then, I couldn't travel around the world."
By the time going abroad became easy, he no longer had time to indulge in carefree living.
Ivanov smiled and rubbed his eyebrows.
He was thinking that Russia's international standing was declining rapidly.
During the height of the Soviet Union, roughly half the world's population aspired to study in Moscow.
Now, even the Russian president's grandson is going to study in the UK.
If this continues, will Russia one day become like India?
On the surface, it is an independent country, but the elites who rule the country have all studied in Europe and America and use European and American thinking.
If then another Gandhi emerges, a saintly figure who solemnly advises the Chinese not to resist, but to end the war once the Japanese have become numb to killing and no longer want to kill; that would be a huge joke.
After complaining about his miserable college years, Nemtsov suddenly asked, "Is the United States really willing to stay out of the fray?"
Ivanov casually fiddled with the gloves on his hands, saying nonchalantly, "So what if I'm unwilling? The world isn't ruled by it alone, nor does it have the final say. It also needs balance."
Look how amazing!
There can be such a direct and cruel connection between a person's private morality and the public good.
How chilling!
Nemtsov began to sigh: "It's terrible, the Queen isn't here, otherwise I really wanted to talk to her."
Ivanov refused outright: "She's busy. She's waiting for your goods to be on the shelves so she can start the first round of sales."
No one can be cheerful when they're being chased for their work progress, and Nemtsov was instantly speechless.
What was Wang Xiao doing, given the six-hour time difference? Sleeping, of course.
What to do after waking up? Fly to Shanghai, of course.
What was she doing in Shanghai? Visiting her drone factory.
Since she officially started investing in drones four years ago, her boss has been nothing more than a big spender, only providing funds without any tangible results.
I don't know if it's because the chip factory is doing so well, putting pressure on the drone project manager who was afraid of being abandoned like the Korean engineer, but the drone project actually invited her to see their work results.
Oh my! Suddenly, Wang Xiao really felt like he had a pretty high status.
She really wanted to see how far the drone technology had progressed, and ideally, they would put on a large-scale fireworks show this year; she was already incredibly eager to see it.
Pudong Airport is said to be opening to traffic this summer, so planes will still land at Hongqiao Airport.
It was quite a coincidence that the news on the airport TVs was broadcasting about the Kosovo crisis.
This crisis lasted all year and reportedly caused more than 2,000 casualties.
An older woman who had just gotten off the plane was discussing with the person who picked her up: "The Americans are definitely going to take action. Isn't that how their president is? After a few more fights, people will forget that he's a groper."
A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.
Wang Xiao smiled too.
But she estimates that the United States will not actually intervene. For the president in Washington, he has already exhausted his political career and is incapable of launching a large-scale military operation; he can only fan the flames from behind the scenes.
For example, by supporting the Kosovo Liberation Army and waging proxy wars, Serbia has been gradually forced to bleed itself dry.
Doing so would naturally not have the same deterrent effect as the actual historical bombing of Yugoslavia for more than 70 days, nor would it be appropriate to openly demonstrate the United States' powerful military strength.
That's the unpredictable nature of history.
It is not always determined by slow, inevitable macro trends. At specific historical junctures, the character flaws, personal desires, and survival instincts of an individual wielding key power can act as a giant lever, influencing the direction of the entire world.
But this time, did the United States really suffer a loss?
No, at most it's just superficial frustration.
For the United States, taking action in Kosovo, besides slapping Russia in the face and driving Russian influence out of the Balkans, is primarily aimed at curbing the rise of European integration.
Now that the US isn't taking swift and decisive action and isn't directly intervening, given Europe's current fragmented state, it simply lacks the capacity to launch military action to directly intervene in the Balkans.
Thus, at this crucial juncture of the euro's birth and the EU's pursuit of expansion and deepening, a crisis that cannot be resolved on its own doorstep will starkly expose Europe's military and diplomatic incompetence.
This will deal a heavy blow to Europe’s political ambitions as a world power, forcing them to become more dependent on NATO in the future—that is, on the United States.
A Europe constantly drained by issues such as refugee costs, energy security, and border control will have its economic vitality and industrial competitiveness against the United States greatly weakened.
The United States has still achieved its core objectives.
As expected of a former British colony, it has surpassed its predecessors.
The "offshore balancing" strategy, which Britain has been adept at since the Napoleonic era, is now being mastered by the United States.
As long as powerful European nations such as Germany and France remain bogged down in the troubles of Eastern Europe, they will be unable to challenge the United States' global leadership.
So what if we don't get involved? By taking a proactive and strategic approach of letting go, we can still control the overall situation, and even better control it.
When you have enough powerful cards in your hand, your opponent has no way to escape your grasp and can only play by your rules.
So, is Wang Xiao angry?
What's there to be angry about? This is how great power politics have always been; who can really be a fool?
Furthermore, if the United States doesn't intervene, even if Europe were to launch a symbolic airstrike, they wouldn't dare to bomb the embassy of one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council in Yugoslavia.
A humiliation that will forever remain in the memory of the Chinese nation will probably never happen again.
A brand new era is about to begin.
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[Starry eyes] Good morning! Writing this, I feel that our boss Wang is truly a man of great merit and fame.
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