Chapter 1755 Tour Guide Gregory
Xiao Peng and Kaxin didn't know what to say.
Do you need a guide in Vorkuta? In Xiao Peng's imagination, this so-called city wouldn't even be as big as a village in Daxia...
And their car was an Internal Security Force vehicle. Someone was volunteering to be their guide? This didn't seem right no matter how I looked at it.
Perhaps sensing Xiao Peng and the others' confusion, the man shouted, "Vorkuta rarely sees outsiders. Don't expect a welcoming crowd. Regardless of your status, having a local who's familiar with the area is definitely better than just barging in. Anyone visiting Vorkuta for the first time needs a guide. And no one on this planet knows Vorkuta better than Grigory Kirkorov."
Xiao Peng was stunned and asked, "Who is Grigory Kirkorov?"
The man pointed at his nose and said, "I'm Grigory Kirkorov, just call me Grigory. You guys need to know where to eat and where to have fun here, right? I'll be your full-time tour guide for just 2,000 rubles a day. Trust me, it's worth it!"
Xiao Peng thought for a moment and said, "Okay, but I have a request."
"What's the request?" Gregory asked happily.
Xiao Peng pointed at Gregory's driveway and said, "You need to let me drive this monster of yours!"
"This? No problem. If you really like it, I'll sell it to you for 100,000 rubles!"
"……don't want!"
"It's okay if it's cheaper!"
“…”
In this way, Xiao Peng and his friends had an extra tour guide and experienced this magical "car" firsthand.
Let’s just call it a car.
In Vorkuta, where snow falls for about nine months of the year, residents crave vehicles that can handle the snow. Given the current economic challenges, many locals build their own vehicles by sourcing parts and modifying them, including tractor tires, tank chains, and anything else they can find.
Xiao Peng gave up after driving Gregory's car for a while - this thing is not meant for humans to drive!
He first confirmed: This thing is indeed a converted tank! Its operation is as simple as that of a Russian tank: the old diesel engine starts with the push of a button, the car has four gears with a push-shift system: push to first gear, then second, third, and fourth gear. Just like a car, you use the accelerator, brake, and clutch. However, unlike a car, there is no steering wheel, but two levers that are pushed and pulled to control the steering: push the left lever forward and the right lever backward to turn right, and vice versa for left. You also have to keep an eye on the temperature gauge to make sure it doesn't exceed the temperature - but this is not a problem in Vorkuta, after all, the temperature here is very low.
Why does the car keep emitting black smoke? As soon as the car starts and the accelerator is stepped on, the whole car is filled with black smoke. Even though it is so cold, you have to open the window a little to let in some air.
But Gregory doesn't care. The Russian philosophy is - as long as the car can be driven, it's fine!
Another advantage is that the car is warm, unlike Xiao Peng and his friends' car, where even if they turn on the heater, they still have to wear thick coats to keep warm after staying in the car for a long time - the temperature of minus forty degrees Celsius is really hard to bear.
Xiao Peng had originally thought he didn't need a guide in Vorkuta, imagining it as a small Arctic city. But upon arrival, he discovered—this city is incredibly large! It's at least twice the size of Noyabrsk! But now, it feels like a "dead city": most of the buildings are empty.
"Come down and take pictures!" Gregory stopped the car and waved to Xiao Peng.
Xiao Peng got out of the car and asked, puzzled, "Why are we taking pictures? What are we taking pictures with?"
Gregory pointed behind Xiao Peng and said, "Of course it's this."
Xiao Peng looked back and saw that it was a statue of Lenin!
Gregory said, "This is the only place in Vorkuta where tourists can take photos. Let me take a couple of photos for you first."
Xiao Peng handed Gregory his phone and asked him to take a photo of him and Kasim. Then he asked curiously, "Gregory, this city is much bigger than I imagined. Why is there no one here? I see many buildings are abandoned!"
Gregory's face darkened after hearing this. "Friend, don't underestimate Vorkuta, it's an Arctic city. When I was a kid, it was actually very different. Can you believe it? Back then, Vorkuta was one of the wealthiest cities in all of Russia, even rivaling big cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg! Back then, the permanent population was four or five times larger than it is today, which is why the city was so big. Back then, these houses were full of people... But now, sigh."
"Why is this happening?" Xiao Peng asked in confusion.
Gregory explained, "We used to be the coal mining center of Russia. However, due to the harsh climate, the Soviet Union offered salaries twice as high as elsewhere to attract a large number of workers. That's when rows of apartments were built, and the city became fully equipped with hospitals, schools, entertainment centers, and shops. Despite the harsh cold, living here offered high salaries and a healthy social environment. Therefore, from the end of World War II until the collapse of the Soviet Union, this city remained a wealthy one."
Xiao Peng asked, "How did it become like this?"
Gregory said, "After the collapse of the Soviet Union, eight of the thirteen coal mines here closed, and the remaining five went from state-owned to private. Miners' wages have shrunk significantly, and life here is no longer as good as it once was. About three-quarters of the people have left the city, and this number is increasing year by year. If this continues, this city may be completely deserted in the future. That's not right. Don't you know about this situation?"
Xiao Peng was stunned: "Why should I know this?"
"You're not a Nenets?" Gregory asked.
Xiao Peng coughed twice and said, "You're mistaken, okay? I'm from Daxia!"
Gregory slapped his forehead and said, "It's over, it's over."
"What's wrong?" Xiao Peng was puzzled.
Gregory sighed and said, "I didn't know you were a foreign tourist and thought you were Nenets. If I had known you were from abroad I would have charged you more. My God, I thought you were Russians."
Kashin said: "I am indeed Russian."
Gregory said with a bitter face, "Vorkuta doesn't get more than a thousand tourists a year, and probably no more than fifty foreign tourists. And I missed out on such a great opportunity to make a fortune... Friend, can we add some?"
Xiao Peng laughed and said, "If you can find us a place to warm up right now, I'll give you more money! My requirements are not high, just a comfortable stay and good service!"
Gregory showed a knowing expression after hearing this: "I understand, no problem!"
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