Chapter 1845: The Arm Still Can’t Twist the Thigh
St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, lies on the northeastern corner of the Baltic Sea. Known as the "Venice of the North" due to the numerous rivers flowing through it, St. Petersburg itself is comprised of 42 islands interconnected by 423 bridges. It is also Russia's economic heartland. The Port of St. Petersburg is the most convenient port for communication between Russia and Europe.
But to be honest, the location of this port is quite awkward.
The Baltic Sea has a shallow water layer and a low salt density, so there is a three-month freezing period in winter. The northern and eastern coasts are particularly prone to freezing. If there is severe winter weather, even the entire surface of the Baltic Sea can freeze.
A big reason why Germany conquered Norway during World War II was because the Baltic Sea route was unreliable. Swedish supplies could not enter Germany from the Baltic Sea, so the Atlantic route was needed.
Yet, in such a place, the Port of St. Petersburg is an ice-free port. The numerous rivers flowing into the sea here create a high flow of water, making it less susceptible to freezing. This makes it a highly coveted location in the Baltic Sea. Nearby countries use this port for shipping goods.
However, Russian ships that want to enter the Atlantic Ocean from here must pass through the Baltic Sea and the Kattegat Strait. Ships passing through this channel are subject to surveillance by other countries and are vulnerable to blockades by Western countries in times of war. In the former Soviet era, the Baltic Fleet was so powerful that neighboring countries hid away from it. Now, the situation is different.
Just like the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad Oblast where Fabian and his team are now, maritime supplies have to pass through the coasts of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from Russia. Now, if Russia wants to send supplies to Kaliningrad Oblast, it still needs to be reviewed by the coastal countries.
But there's nothing you can do about it, since you're surrounded by "enemies" anyway.
Although Russia was vast, spanning Europe and Asia, it lacked access to the sea. Its northern part was permanently frozen over by the Arctic Ocean, and after two or three hundred years of fighting for access, Russia's Peter the Great seized this territory. From that time on, the Baltic states were essentially enemies of Russia. For example, Finland to the north, St. Petersburg, wasn't simply besieged by Germany; it was fighting both Finland to the north and Germany to the south. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, now part of the Baltic Sea, were all former Soviet states, and they harbored a deep hatred for Russia.
Anyway, Russia is really feeling frustrated in St. Petersburg right now.
The hottest topic in St. Petersburg these days is the news that a large offshore vessel called the "New Calypso" has sailed through the Neva River, past St. Petersburg, and into Lake Ladoga. This vessel belongs to the famous "salvage king" Xiao Peng.
St. Petersburg is not Moscow. It is closer to Europe. The complete westernization of the Russian Empire started here. So Xiao Peng is not as famous here as he is in Siberia - there, no one would recognize him even if he said his name, but what about here?
His popularity is really high.
Now the people in the city are also very excited: "The 'New Calypso' has arrived, so how far can the 'Salvage King' be?"
The "Salvage King" has arrived here, and his ship has even entered Lake Ladoga and docked at Kirovsk Harbor. What does this mean? Is he planning to search for the remains of the victims of the "Road of Life"?
The facts were just as they had guessed. The Russian official media soon reported the relevant news - Russian officials and Xiao Peng, a Daxia ocean explorer nicknamed "Salvage King", cooperated to search for the remains of the heroes who died on the "Road of Life" that year.
The whole of St. Petersburg was in an uproar when the news came.
The Russia of today is a completely different country from the Russia of ten years ago. Now, the situation here is that "public intellectuals are condemned by everyone". The country's search for the remains of revolutionary martyrs is of great significance to the Russians, especially those in St. Petersburg. Therefore, countless people in Kirovsk have gone to the "New Calypso" to take photos, and the crew members on the ship have also been warmly welcomed by the locals.
But everyone was extremely helpless: Xiao Peng’s ship had arrived, so where had his people gone?
Where is Xiao Peng? On the plane, of course.
But it was not on the Yun-5 small plane, but on a passenger plane flying directly from Yekaterinburg to St. Petersburg.
The Russians are fed up with Xiao Peng's dithering. "Your ship has already reached Lake Ladoga, but your people are still in Yekaterinburg? Your plane is slower than the boat! By the time you're done and reach St. Petersburg, it'll be winter!"
The Russians also had a way to deal with Xiao Peng: someone contacted Xiao Peng directly and told him that his aircraft was military property on Dixon Island and that it was illegally sold to Xiao Peng by officers stationed on the island. The officers involved had already been arrested. The Russian Air Force also wanted to reclaim the aircraft.
Normally, Xiao Peng would be held legally responsible for selling stolen goods, but since ignorance is innocent, they decided to simply reclaim the aircraft without pursuing legal action. As for Xiao Peng's purchase price, it was supposed to be returned after the funds were recovered from the officers involved. However, the Russians, concerned that this incident could not affect further cooperation and their friendship with Xiao Peng, decided to simply refund the money.
Xiao Peng was so angry that he wanted to curse. "Is this a money issue? How can I continue playing if you destroyed my plane?" Then Xiao Peng's phone was almost blown up.
The arm still can’t twist the thigh!
Well, I flew directly from Yekaterinburg to St. Petersburg.
When he got off the plane, Desaryev and his group had been waiting there for a long time. He first arranged for someone to send the tearful Alentova sisters to the Suvorov Military Academy, and then personally drove Xiao Peng to Kirovsk.
"Mr. Xiao, you're so disloyal!" Desarev complained, "I've been scolded every day lately."
Xiao Peng was stunned after hearing this: "Why? Why would he scold you? Did you do something wrong?"
After hearing this, Desarev looked at Xiao Peng's innocent expression in the rearview mirror and waved his hand: "Forget it, just pretend I didn't say anything."
Why was he being scolded? Is that even a question? You think I sent these two girls here to get you angry and you're trying to get back at me?
But what can he do if Xiao Peng refuses to admit it?
Now Desarev is extremely helpless. He understands Xiao Peng's style of doing things. It really makes people feel itchy all over but can't find where it itches.
Xiao Peng perked up. He persisted, "Desalev, why do you say that? What did I do wrong to displease you? Can't you just tell me I'll change... Wait a minute, I have a call. I'll discuss this with you after I get through! Hello, William, what can I do for you?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
