Chapter 399 A Desperate Struggle: Why Are They Doing This?
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao looked at each other, wondering if Russia had become too Westernized and if April Fool's Day had come early.
No, what exactly is the Communist Party of the Russian Federation thinking?
Although they were not Party members, they considered themselves to know Party members well, and they had never seen a Communist Party member who acted on a whim like this.
Lyuba sighed softly, a bitter smile appearing on her face: "That's what they've always thought."
Although she had long since left the party, if she had to say something, her biggest regret in her short and shallow life so far would be the collapse of the Soviet Union.
What true communist wouldn't want to return to the Soviet Union? And who, if they had the ability, wouldn't try every means to prevent the collapse of the Soviet Union?
Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao blinked, genuinely worried for them: "But they can't do this now. We're electing a president, that's the main issue, we need to resolve the main issue. Everything else can wait."
Xiao Zhao gave an example: "Let me tell you, my squad leader retired from the army, and someone introduced him to a girl. She was a very eligible woman, but she required that the man's age not exceed three years of hers. My squad leader was five years older than her, so what could he do? He had to take a roundabout approach."
“In China, we talk about nominal age and actual age. Nominal age is one year old at birth, and you are still considered one year old before your birthday. So his nominal age is two years older than his actual age, right? He reported his actual age, but they are used to using nominal age in their area, so the woman naturally assumed that he was using nominal age. It wasn't until they went to get their marriage certificate that they realized that wasn't the case.”
"But by then, we had developed feelings for each other and our relationship was established. Five years older isn't 50 years older, so why can't we accept it? Now the couple has a great relationship, and my sister-in-law doesn't care about this at all."
"Some things don't need to be taken too seriously. At all times, we should focus on the main contradictions and solve the main problems."
Xiao Gao, listening nearby, nodded vigorously, "That's right, that's right! They couldn't grasp the key points when the Soviet Union was around, and they still can't grasp the key points now. It's really worrying to see them like this."
Wang Xiao rolled her eyes at them, saying, "Heh, you two are really good at giving examples."
She said irritably, "The Communist Party of the Russian Federation isn't really crazy; they're doing this to win votes."
She walked to the window, pointed outside, and saw groups of people gathered on the street, all of them members of the Russian Communist Party giving speeches and campaigning for the election.
Today is Saturday. Russia has had a two-day weekend since the Soviet era. Although spring has not yet arrived in Moscow, it doesn't stop the streets from being full of people.
The audience surrounding the speaker all looked up, their faces full of anticipation and hope, and some even waved their fists and chanted slogans along with him.
“They’re all getting old.” Wang Xiao’s voice, 37 degrees Celsius, spoke words as cold as the March weather in Moscow: “The Communist Party members, and their supporters, are all getting old.”
This is a reflection of the extremely divided state of Russian society.
The elderly are busy reminiscing about the past, about the peak of the Soviet Union that they experienced.
Young people only regret that the Soviet Union died too late, delaying the country's economic development.
Wang Xiao sighed: "Any industry, political party, or group that fails to attract young people will gradually die out."
Life is cruel, regardless of whether it is good or bad.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is currently unable to attract young people, and in order to secure a victory in the general election, it is desperately trying to consolidate its mass base.
Since December 1991, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation has never been in power. The only thing they can boast about is the Soviet era.
So, if you think about it calmly, it's not surprising that the Communist Party of the Russian Federation would suddenly pull this stunt.
That's right. They can't distinguish between primary and secondary issues, and they've mixed up the order. Just like Gorbachev's reforms back then, they'll only push themselves into the abyss.
"Idiots!" Ivanov gritted his teeth. "These bastards still don't understand how they're supposed to win over voters!"
Gennady Zyuganov was among the first to register for the election, and his campaign also started earliest. He had already attracted his core supporters, who genuinely love him and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
So it's already March, and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation shouldn't be focusing its attention on them at all. Because true love is the most inclusive; even if the attitude isn't very enthusiastic, it doesn't matter.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation should really be trying to win over the centrists, those who are disappointed with the government but don't know who to vote for.
Now the Communist Party of the Russian Federation is making a big show of bringing up the Soviet Union, isn't it because they're afraid they won't be able to get rid of the centrists?
You're not recruiting people to join the party, so why are you setting such high barriers? What you should be doing now is uniting all forces that can be united.
Ivanov was furious.
Berezovsky, who was listening nearby, had a slightly somber expression: "My dear Ivan, you seem quite disappointed."
Ivanov replied without hesitation: "Nonsense! Boris, don't you find it ridiculous? Such an idiot managed to turn us upside down. How absurd! The level of our opponents proves our level. I'm ashamed to be compared to them."
Berezovsky raised his hands in a gesture resembling surrender: "God, my dear Ivan, please stop talking without understanding the situation. You have a king who will take care of everything for you, so of course you have nothing to worry about. We don't have such good luck; I'm exhausted. If they're any more powerful, we're finished."
Wang Xiao chuckled and teased from the side, "Then you'd better be prepared, my dear Boris. There will be another presidential election in five years. By then, everyone will be experienced, and those who take office will be all elite troops, none of them easy to deal with."
Berezovsky simply stood by and smiled.
What he was really thinking was that if he could get the president into office this time, then next time he could do the same thing and make whoever he wanted the next president the next president.
The phone rang in the room. The assistant answered it and immediately came over to the boss with the phone: "Miss Wang, Mr. Chubais is looking for you."
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation dropped such a bombshell through the State Duma; the election team will definitely have to discuss countermeasures.
Without hesitation, Berezovsky said, "Anatol, I'll come with the King."
He then called to Ivanov, "Ivanov, come over here."
Ivanov hesitated; he didn't want to go.
Without guessing, he knew that this would be a rally to criticize the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
His cursing of the Russian Communist Party stemmed from his disappointment and frustration, not from his enjoyment of hearing others criticize it. On the contrary, he was utterly disgusted by it.
Wang Xiao readily agreed: "You stay at the company and entertain Mr. Smith. Remember, we have to secure his order."
Berezovsky was utterly speechless: "God, is this the time to worry about such things? Our focus right now is the election, defeating the Communists. Besides, do you think the British are interested in discussing any orders with you right now?"
As if to confirm his words, the British company's CEO came over to say hello: "I'm sorry, gentlemen, I may have to return to England ahead of schedule. As you know, the situation is..."
The final scene was a face that seemed to want to say something but couldn't.
Wang Xiao stepped forward, smiling broadly: "Mr. Smith, are you sure you want to leave now? Only those in Moscow truly understand the situation. No matter who relays the current events to you, no one can provide a clearer picture than you seeing it with your own eyes. As for security—"
Her smile deepened. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about. In October 1993, Europe described Moscow as hell on earth. But in reality, we were all fine; we continued to hold trade fairs and continue to do business. Now, this is just a resolution put forward by the State Duma. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation doesn’t even have an army; what can they do?”
Mr. Smith's expression shifted rapidly, clearly indicating that he was engaged in a fierce internal struggle.
Wang Xiao nodded to him and politely said goodbye: "We'll be going now. Mr. Ivanov will stay and entertain you."
Wang Xiao was exhausted for the rest of the day on Saturday.
Seriously, meetings are a very tiring thing.
You have to express your own views, you have to argue with others, you have to participate in debates, and finally everyone has to get together to discuss how to outline the document and how to emphasize the key points.
As soon as the meeting ended, Wang Xiao rushed back to the second floor of the commercial street without saying a word.
She was exhausted, like a dead dog.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs and finding no one there, she asked in surprise, "Where's Ivan?"
The assistant was completely baffled: "The boss didn't come downstairs; he's been upstairs ever since he came back."
Wang Xiao thought for a moment, then walked straight ahead and pushed open the glass door at the top.
Sure enough, on the large balcony, someone was sitting on a swing chair, staring blankly at the twinkling lights.
Wang Xiao stepped forward, took off her leather gloves, and reached out to touch his face: "Aren't you cold?"
This large balcony is where they enjoy afternoon tea while basking in the sun when the weather is nice.
However, the nighttime temperatures in Moscow in mid-March are quite high, clearly unsuitable for such outdoor recreation.
Ivanov placed his hand over hers, pulled her to sit down beside him, and shook his head: "I'm not cold."
Ha, you create a cloud of white mist as soon as you speak, aren't you cold?
Wang Xiao shook her head as she saw him wearing a hooded hat: "What about your face? Chilblains on your face can really ruin your appearance."
Before she transmigrated, she had never seen a person's face covered in frostbite and rotting. It wasn't until she transmigrated to the 1990s that she saw it with her own eyes. She realized that people could actually get frostbite on their faces, and then it would ooze yellow fluid and rot.
Ivanov looked down at her and smiled: "Disfigured, so you won't want me anymore?"
Wang Xiao shook her head firmly, trying to scare him: "No, I want something pretty."
Ivanov, however, grabbed her hand and slipped it inside his coat, pressing it against his chest, saying with a particularly proud air, "No, because I'm good."
Oh, he's gotten so proud of himself.
Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated: "Why did you decide to sit here so late at night?"
The night view is indeed beautiful.
Looking up, the crescent moon is hazy under the deep blue sky, and the starlight is as dazzling as the Milky Way.
Looking out, the spires of Red Square in the distance are outlined with blurry gold against the dark blue night, and the towers of the Kremlin are lit with scattered lights, like navigational beacons sunk in the deep sea.
But you can see these things from inside the house; it's too cold outside.
“I find them too noisy,” Ivanov frowned. “Smith and Watanabe are incredibly loud.”
The assistants who brought the stove up were startled when they heard the word "noisy," so they immediately slowed their pace, gently placed the stove on the ground, and quickly formed a circle around the swing.
That's right, although the rooms in the commercial street all have central heating, stoves are still provided.
Why wasn't it given to Ivanov before?
Standing in the corner smoking and glancing at the boss's bodyguard, Mr. Nikolai remarked: "Is this really necessary? It's already mid-March. Do Slavic men really need a fireplace just to be outside for a short while? It's hardly timid."
Wang Xiao took the camel wool blanket from Lyuba and draped it over herself and Ivanov. Slightly puzzled, she asked, "Watanabe is here too?"
Ivanov nodded, pulling the blanket closer to her: "He came as soon as you left. God, I don't understand why the Japanese are so afraid of the Soviet Union?"
He complained, "Watanabe and Smith got together and kept rambling on and on. I emphasized to them for ages that I have acquaintances in the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, State Duma members, and several Communist Party members are friends of my family. But they still wouldn't shut up."
Wang Xiao chuckled: "Britain and Japan didn't even stand together in World War II, but now they're on the same side? Those British are really forgetful. They got beaten up by Japan a lot in Hong Kong. In Southeast Asia, the Expeditionary Force had to come to their rescue."
As a long-established capitalist country, the fighting capacity of the British army is truly hard to describe.
Ivanov nodded vigorously: "Exactly, the two of them were terrified and ended up going to a bar for drinks together. When they passed by Communist propaganda teams on the street, they would avoid them."
He looked terrified.
Ivanov found it unbelievable; was it really necessary to be this frightened?
Wang Xiao was overjoyed: "This is the fighting power of the Soviet Union! A steel torrent!"
Ivanov, who had been all smiles, suddenly stopped laughing and became dejected: "I just don't understand how they could be so stupid? Shouldn't Communist Party members who persisted in not leaving the Party after the collapse of the Soviet Union be the most resolute and clear-headed people?"
He stood outside in the cold for half a day, still unable to figure out the Russian Communist Party's bizarre actions.
They had clearly been quite organized before, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to win such a landslide victory in the State Duma elections.
"Didn't they also send Party members to go door-to-door to spread the message? Since they haven't become detached from the masses, why would they make such a stupid mistake?"
The stove was burning brightly, with steam rising high. Wang Xiao thought it would be perfect for an outdoor barbecue, with skewers and milk tea.
Unfortunately, we're not prepared now.
She pursed her lips regretfully, then casually picked up the conversation: "I guess the problem might lie with these propagandists."
Ivanov tensed instantly, incredulous: "Even now, are they still going to be infiltrated like this?"
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation has long been out of power.
“No,” Wang Xiao shook his head. “What I mean is that they may have meant well but ended up doing something wrong.”
She took the fruit tea that Lyuba handed her and sipped it slowly amidst the creaking of the swing.
"The Russian Communist Party members who have persisted in not leaving the party for so many years are either seeking solace and are relatively moderate and seek stability, or they are more radical and eager to change society. The rise of the Communist Party to power has basically been accompanied by violence and revolution."
"And these tens of thousands of party members who went door-to-door to promote their campaign platform were, unsurprisingly, mostly radicals. Only the desire to change society could motivate them to dedicate their time and energy to this without pay."
Ivanov listened and nodded in agreement. Indeed, without radicals, the revolution could not have progressed at all.
He reached out, still wanting to save Wang Xiao from taking a sip of her fruit tea.
Lyuba, quick-witted and agile, handed him another cup of fruit tea.
Okay, this one is good too, the strawberries are sweet and it tastes great.
Wang Xiao continued, "But humans have a common flaw: they only listen to what they want to hear. If someone criticizes me, I'll ignore it. Only when someone praises me or says I'm amazing will I remember it."
Ivanov looked at her seriously: "You're already good and capable."
Wang Xiao laughed out loud: "You see, we all have the same attitude. When it comes to those door-to-door propaganda workers, what they are most willing to hear about, or can have in-depth conversations with, are generally elderly people who miss the Soviet Union. And so, if their research reports have such a thing, the content of the reports is basically about these people."
"What consequences will this have? It will create hidden information cocoons, where the world is all around us."
"The Communist Party of the Russian Federation has been forced to this point. Public opinion is demanding that they express a clearer stance, which means they must choose between the conservatives and the reformists."
"So how do we choose? We need a criterion. The feedback from the door-to-door outreach staff is the first-hand information they get."
"Seeing these materials, reports from all over Russia, the majority of people expressed an urgent desire to restore the Soviet Union. Naturally, the top brass of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation would think that this was the key to attracting voters."
Upon hearing this, Ivanov was at a loss for words.
Can he say that the Communist Party of the Russian Federation lives in a shell? He can't.
That conclusion was reached after tens of thousands of the most loyal party members actively went into residents' homes and had in-depth conversations with the Russian people.
But sadly, facts do not represent the truth, and fragments cannot explain the whole picture.
Wang Xiao scooped up the boiled apples from the fruit tea with a spoon and sighed softly: "During this process, I guess some more rational Party members would raise objections, thinking that we shouldn't be so optimistic. But without investigation, there is no right to speak. They didn't go into the residents' homes, and they were just raising doubts based on newspaper news and television broadcasts. They would be ridiculed for making assumptions behind closed doors."
This is a vicious cycle.
Why is it that the most widely recognized and valuable public opinion polls in the world can only ever be conducted by third parties?
Because any party involved will naturally be biased.
Unfortunately, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation was unable to rely on a rigorous third-party investigation firm to complete this task.
They don't have any money; they've only raised 1.6 billion rubles in campaign funds so far.
However, the budget for a single mass music concert series prepared by Chubais' team for the president of the Kremlin was as high as 2 billion rubles.
How can the Communist Party of the Russian Federation spend money so carelessly?
Upon hearing this, Ivanov could only sigh: "Zyuganov should have been more clear-headed."
He had a fairly good impression of the chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation; the latter’s shrewdness and impeccable manner at the Davos Forum left a deep impression on him.
Wang Xiao continued to shake his head: "He's shrewd enough to see the problem, but it's no use. Because the Communist Party of the Russian Federation isn't a monolithic entity, and Zyuganov might not be able to control so many people."
On the cast-iron flower stand in the corner of the balcony, someone placed a pot of withered geranium. It hadn't sprouted yet, and only the branches swayed gently in the wind. The shadow cast on the wall looked like a bird with outstretched wings, but it couldn't fly away.
Wang Xiao reached out his hand, then pulled his head back.
Once a decision is made, there's no going back. She won't reach out again.
Not maliciously slandering the Communist Party of the Russian Federation was her last act of kindness.
“Zyuganov himself could not be considered a bigwig in the party. I think he was just the spokesperson for the Communist Party of the Russian Federation before. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Soviets, the chairmanship of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation had neither funding nor power, and it was not a desirable position. That's why he was able to be elected smoothly.”
"But things are different now. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation has won a landslide victory in the State Duma elections, and the chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation is very likely to become the next president of Russia."
"Will people who originally looked down on this position now have different ideas? Money can move people's hearts, and power can move them even more."
“Gorbachev couldn’t control the party leaders back then, and Zyuganov’s situation won’t be much better now. When those veteran party members who were once high-ranking officials speak up, they have their own supporters behind them. Can he refuse? In order to prevent the Communist Party of the Russian Federation from splitting before the election, even if he may not agree with the Communist Party of the Russian Federation’s proposal in the State Duma, he cannot openly oppose it.”
Ivanov fell silent upon hearing this.
Human desires are so greedy; these base desires have already destroyed the Soviet Union once, and now they want to destroy the Communist Party of the Russian Federation again.
Lofty ideals seem to exist only in fantasy.
Wang Xiao finished a cup of fruit tea in one gulp, then turned to Ivanov and said, "Let's go out for a walk after the election."
Moscow was torture for her every day.
If it weren't for the large sum of money involved, she wouldn't have been able to endure it at all.
Ivanov hummed in agreement: "Where to?"
Going back to China won't work. Whether it's Beijing, Shanghai, or Jiangdong or Jiangbei, the river water boils under the summer sun; it's too torturous.
“Let’s go to Australia,” he thought. “It’s in the Southern Hemisphere, our summer is their winter, it must be cool there.”
Wang Xiao chuckled and teased, "Are you planning to box with a kangaroo?"
She actually wanted to go to Sakhalin Island, which is far from Moscow and offers opportunities for hunting and fishing.
However, since Ivan had already mentioned the Southern Hemisphere, she had another idea: "Why don't we just go to South Africa? The trade city there is finished, but we haven't been there yet."
Ivanov was astonished: "Do we have a trading city in South Africa?"
Wang Xiao nodded: "Yes, it was done with funds from the Bucharest container market. I heard business is doing well."
Ivanov became interested: "Great, let's go to South Africa this summer. Summer is for vacation!"
It seems like he hasn't had a summer vacation in a long time.
Wang Xiao laughed it off: "Okay, we'll go to South Africa as soon as the presidential election is over this summer."
To be honest, she was also very curious about what South Africa was like in 1996.
Ivanov turned to look at her, a look of shame on his face: "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, you didn't have to work so hard."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Wang Xiao laughed. "Don't overthink it, going to bed early is the real thing."
In any relationship between two people, the one making the decision will inevitably bear more responsibility. This is because rights and obligations are always equal.
She can't be directing others while expecting them to clean up her messes.
That doesn't align with her life principles.
"Let's go back to sleep." Wang Xiao yawned and stood up. "Today was really torturous."
She was exhausted.
She decided that tomorrow, Sunday, she would stay in bed and get plenty of rest.
However, one really shouldn't casually say "flag" (a Chinese internet slang term for a promise or warning), because the very next morning, or rather, almost in the early hours of the morning, she was woken up by urgent knocking on her door.
At that moment, Wang Xiao really wanted to kill someone.
Hasn't she worked hard enough? Can't she even sleep in?
Who on earth is so stupid to dare to bother her at this hour? She's going to fire him, she absolutely has to fire this bastard.
Wang Xiao, his voice heavy with resentment that could swallow the whole of Moscow, asked lifelessly, "Who is it?"
Just wait to die!
A hurried and unfamiliar voice came from outside the door: "It's me, Dyachenko, Miss Wang. I need your help now."
Wang Xiao was stunned for a full half second before he realized, who is Tyachenko? The president's youngest daughter, and also a member of his campaign team.
However, she is Soskowitz's partner.
So, in a sense, she and her are now competitors.
Wang Xiao couldn't understand why the president's daughter would want to see her so early in the morning.
Even regarding the election, she should have gone to Chubais. Chubais is now the mouthpiece of the oligarchic group.
Wang Xiao was utterly bewildered. He forced himself to sit up from under the covers. Good heavens, who knows how difficult it is to do this in the dead of winter?
She then asked the person outside the door, "Madam, what brings you here so early in the morning?"
Dyachenko's voice sounded very urgent: "You are the king, I can't tell you now, but you have to come with me to the Kremlin. God, please hurry, we don't have time."
Wang Xiao hurriedly put on her clothes and rushed out to open the door.
The door to the next room opened, and Ivanov, still sleepy and yawning, asked, "What's going on?"
Dyachenko glanced at him and nodded hastily: "Mr. Ivanov, you should come along too. My father likes you very much."
These words were like a bomb, waking up both Wang Xiao and Ivanov from their half-asleep state.
What does it mean that the president really likes Ivanov? What did Dyachenko mean by saying that at this time?
Could it be that something happened to the president and he wanted to see Ivanov one last time? Or is he already dead?
Oh no! They've already invested so much time, energy, and money.
What would they do if something happened to the president?
Furthermore, did Punonin even know about this? Was he prepared to take over the Kremlin?
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[Eating melon] Good morning. Why did the Communist Party of the Russian Federation do that on March 15, 1996? Because Akin couldn't find reliable information, so his analysis was based on the election situation and may not be the real reason.
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