The wine glass seemed to float as it gently landed on the bedside table to the left.
The bottle of red wine that Lamovic hadn't even dared to drink was slowly poured into the glass.
"Can you move?"
"Can."
"Take it yourself, you don't need me to hand it to you, right?"
"Need not."
The two had a harmonious conversation, just like old friends who had just had a fight.
Gao Feng savored the seemingly decent-looking red wine, but after drinking it for a while, he still couldn't taste anything special.
The reason he said it was good was partly because it was a long time old, and partly because he saw Lamovic's eye twitch, which meant he was probably feeling sorry for him.
Who are you?
After waiting for a long time without Gao Ang saying a word, Lamovic couldn't help himself. He propped himself up against the headboard and asked softly.
"Who I am is not important. What is important is that I hope Mr. Lamovic will cooperate a bit so as to avoid any physical pain."
After saying that, he tossed the small piece of rib he had brought from Langnev's house onto the cabinet.
"I'm just giving you a heads-up in case you don't cooperate. You should know this person, right? He didn't end up in a good situation."
The wine glass, suspended in mid-air, swayed, and Ramovic's heart skipped a beat.
He recognized it, of course; it was a token he had given to Langev.
It's called a token, but it's actually a life-saving charm.
Years ago, Ronnev saved his life during an assassination attempt when Ronnev was a squad leader in the KGB.
He had only taken the first step toward becoming an oligarch; if it weren't for Ronnev, there might not be the Saudi oligarch Ramovich we know today.
Although his life was not in danger, he was still injured.
This rib was the one that had been broken. After the doctor removed it, he made it into several small keepsakes and gave them to a few people he trusted, including Langnev.
Lamovich pondered for a long time before saying, "My relationship with him is merely one of cooperation. He saved my life, and I will guarantee him a lifetime of wealth. If Ronev has offended you, I should be completely unaware of it."
Gao Ang smiled. Was this guy afraid of him?
“It has nothing to do with Ronnev,” he said, adding a little more to his own bowl, then looked up and asked, “Want some more?”
"Thank you, but no need."
Lamovic didn't drink a drop. Normally, he might have savored it, but without any apparent intentions from the newcomer, he chose to remain still.
"Three questions: Green Rabbit, Xiamen, Xia Yu."
Gao Ang only mentioned these three keywords. He believed that Lamovic was not stupid and that once he mentioned these three keywords, Lamovic should know what he wanted to know.
“Sigh,” Ramovich sighed, glancing up at the ceiling. “I knew it. Anyone who could offend a master like you must be involved in something big.”
As if organizing his thoughts, it took Lamovic a long time before he continued:
"The story is actually quite simple. An elderly man, suffering from a serious illness, couldn't escape his fate, no matter how wealthy he was. But he hadn't lived enough; he still had many things left undone. By chance, he discovered a mysterious legend in a distant diary, and with a large sum of money, he assembled a research team. The ideal was beautiful, but reality was cruel; the experiments made little progress. A few years ago, he suddenly received a mysterious email, offering to do research with him for one purpose: information sharing. The sender first shared some information with him, the contents of which shocked him greatly."
He thought he had reached the pinnacle of power, and he believed the outside world's label of him an 'oligarch' was truly well-deserved. But the reality was that the technology he possessed was utterly worthless in the face of that mysterious man.
It's not entirely worthless; at least his legend has some merit. That mysterious person should be the 'Xiamen' you mentioned.
Lamovic is getting on in years, and after saying so much, he was inevitably a little out of breath.
"should?"
Ang Gao squinted and asked, "You mean you've never seen him before?"
“I’ve never met him. He’s elusive; we communicate entirely online. But regarding those two names you mentioned, I vaguely remember the one from Xiamen, as he provided us with some financial support. As for Xia Yu, I’m sorry, this is the first time I’ve heard of that name. Of course, if you trust me, I can ask my people; perhaps they can make some connections.”
"You still need financial support? Aren't you a Saudi oligarch? I heard that you amassed tens of billions of dollars in gold during the last government bankruptcy!"
"Most of those are real estate, and much of it is illicit funding. It takes time to launder the money. In addition, scientific research really costs money. Countless experiments and materials are extremely expensive."
Gao Feng was skeptical of what Lamovic said.
Most importantly, this guy was incredibly cooperative.
He hadn't even used any of his methods yet, and this guy had already started talking to himself.
Have you ever heard of Bureau 303?
"I've heard of it. It's an unofficial organization in the Eastern Kingdom, but I think the Eastern Kingdom is behind it, just like some organizations in the Mountain Kingdom and Sand Kingdom, which are just to make it easier for the government to do some less-than-honorable things."
Lamovic didn't hide anything and told everyone he knew.
These things might be secrets to ordinary people, but for someone like him who is at the top of the human pyramid, there are plenty of people willing to provide information if he wants to know.
"Xia Yu works for Bureau 303, so what I want to ask you is, is Xiamen also under Bureau 303?"
Gao Feng has always had doubts about this issue, but he has never had any evidence.
The withdrawal of those tens of billions of yuan was carried out in this account in Xiamen.
As Lamovic just said, some of the funds from Xiamen must have flowed to him.
The funds of the Harbin cultural relic smuggling gang, which had entanglements with Xia Yu, also flowed here, including to the bar owner.
Therefore, he would never believe that there was no connection between Xiamen and Xia Yu.
"I'm sorry, sir, I really can't answer that question, because I genuinely don't know."
Lamovic shook his head helplessly and spread his hands. "If I say there's a connection, you definitely won't believe me because I have no evidence; if I say there's no connection, you still won't believe me and will think I'm lying. Look at our situation," Lamovic pointed to the high-altitude direction, then to himself lying down, "I'm definitely no match for you, so I have no reason to deceive you, right?"
Gao Feng fell into deep thought.
This is awkward. Through analysis of data such as micro-expressions and heart rate, it's clear that this guy wasn't lying.
Theoretically, it is indeed possible that this person in Xiamen knew Lamovic exceptionally well, or rather, had a firm grasp on his weaknesses, so he felt confident enough to transfer a large amount of funds to Saudi Arabia.
The question is, what does Xiamen want to gain?
"As part of the deal, is Xiamen merely for your legend? And what exactly is this legend?"
After thinking for a while, Gao Ang asked the next question.
"These are two questions, and I'll answer them one by one. Since it's a transaction, it's because both of us believe it's an equal exchange. My information is something he's never seen before, and it's probably something he desperately needs, so I think this legend is worth the price; as for this legend, that goes back to the beginning of the last century..."
It is now the 21st century, which was the beginning of the last century, between 1900 and 1910.
And so, in a luxurious secret room beneath Lake Andrew, an old man told a mysterious yet absurd yet plausible story to a mysterious and ethereal person.
"This is my legend. Do you think it's worth the price?"
Lamovic changed his posture again and asked with a smile.
Gao Ang didn't respond immediately because he felt that Lamovic's secret was worth far more than the price offered by Xiamen, and that he could ask for even more.
Based on Lamovic's explanation, Gao Feng has basically confirmed some things:
Lamovic has little to do with what is happening in the East.
His research findings in Saudi Arabia were shared with Xiamen, so it's understandable that Xiamen was able to utilize those technologies.
Lamovic cared only about his own life and death, and he didn't care at all about the fate of the three petty thieves in the Eastern Kingdom. He had no reason to travel thousands of miles to kill them and silence them.
After finishing the bottle of wine, Gao Li floated in the air, and suddenly felt a little lost.
He thought that once he arrived in the Sand Kingdom, he could find out many of his answers.
But the result disappointed him; the progress of the matter remained unpredictable.
"Thank you very much for your explanation, Mr. Lamovic. Well then... I'll take my leave. No one else will know about tonight's events, will they? Including that person in Xiamen?"
Lamovic glanced in the direction from which the loud voice came, his eyes filled with an indescribable meaning. "If Your Excellency doesn't want a third person to know, then no one else will know. Please rest assured."
Lamovic watched as the empty bottle floated up from the table and drifted to a group photo hanging on the wall.
“Mr. Chenko was my idol back then. I am personally very grateful for Mr. Lamovic’s great deeds back then, and I am also very grateful for your goodwill towards the East.”
Gao Ang didn't think Lamovic was a fool. Even if he revealed his identity as an Easterner, and even if Lamovic guessed something, he didn't think Lamovic would be foolish enough to dwell on his true identity.
Because he was about to die.
If this experiment is not completed, he will really be dead.
"Are you from the East?"
"That's right."
"It seems you're not from Bureau 303. Well, with such advanced technology at your disposal, Bureau 303 certainly doesn't deserve your attention."
Lamovic naturally assumed that the person in front of him was a product of high technology, capable of breaking through all his security defenses and even becoming invisible.
"Mr. Ramovic, if Xiamen contacts you again..."
"You want me to inform you?"
Before Gao Ang could finish speaking, Lamovic already knew what Gao Ang wanted to say and revealed his thoughts in advance.
“That’s right, this person probably doesn’t have good intentions towards me, so I’m curious to know who he is.”
Lamovic sighed, and said hesitantly, "I'll say it again, if I agree to your request, it's a lie. You know my situation, right?" Lamovic pointed to himself, "I could be buried at any moment. Do you think I'd cling to that straw in Xiamen? Of course, you can threaten me, or even kill me right now, but I'll still say that I have to guarantee Xiamen's safety, because my cooperation with him is related to my personal safety. You should understand that, right?"
Gao Ang could understand, but he still felt a little uneasy.
You traveled all the way to your Saudi Arabia and used so much energy to perform soul-searching on your underlings, but now you, as the boss, are not cooperating at all. This makes things very difficult for Ramovic.
After much deliberation, Gao Ang still did not use the soul-searching technique on Lamovic.
Personal subjective factors are the biggest reason.
As he just said, Mr. Chenko is indeed one of his favorite football players.
Lamovic provided him with a platform to showcase his talent, although the ending wasn't too pleasant...
Moreover, Lamovic genuinely harbors goodwill towards East Korea, unlike other oligarchs who frequently engage in suicidal and reckless actions.
What else could we do but leave?
Before leaving, Gao Ang asked one more question:
“Mr. Ramovich, aren’t you curious about my identity? I can actually tell you my true identity.”
"Don't."
Without a second thought, Lamovic waved his hand and refused, "Your Eastern country has a saying, 'Curiosity killed the cat.' Although my Eastern language isn't very fluent, I still understand this parable. Since you don't want to see me in person, it's better if we maintain this mysterious relationship. Besides, my days are numbered, and I don't have the energy to worry about anything else. I just want to live."
After saying this, Lamovic looked at Gao Liang with a slightly conflicted expression, as if he was having some difficulty speaking.
Gao Ang understood his thoughts, smiled slightly, and said, "Mr. Ramovich, is there anything else you want to say?"
This time, Lamovic finally made up his mind. As if he had mustered up his courage, he resolutely said, "Your technology is at a level ahead of Earth and Yellow Star. I wonder... if you can cure my disease?"
Gao Ang, who had been pacing at the door, stopped upon hearing this and turned to look at Lamovic. "Life and death are predestined, wealth and honor are determined by fate. Mr. Lamovic, you have lived for so long and enjoyed so many years of wealth and power. Aren't you satisfied?"
“I don’t care, but…” Ramovich sat up straight and said very seriously, “I personally am really insignificant. What I care about are my hundreds of thousands of compatriots. I don’t know if they will be purged after I’m gone. You should know the situation in our country. I’m not exaggerating when I say this.”
What Lamovic said was neither alarmist nor fabricated.
Back when I was in high school, Gao Ang was very curious about this person, mainly because of Mr. Qin Ke.
He also knew that this person was an orphan who, by chance, obtained his first piece of the pie from the former Tsarist Empire, thus embarking on the path of an oligarch.
However, everything he did was indeed for his people; he spent billions of dollars on infrastructure and improving people's lives for them...
Having not heard a reply from Gao Feng for a long time, Lamovic couldn't help but become a little impatient and said again, "If Your Excellency agrees, I can share my research results with you completely, with even greater loyalty and thoroughness than my cooperation with Xiamen, a sharing without any reservations."
"You mean... you still have reservations about Xiamen?"
"Of course, you can know a person's face but not their heart. Besides, I've never even met him in person. Don't you have a saying in your Eastern country, 'Don't release the eagle until you see the rabbit'?"
Wow, Gao Feng never expected that this Lamovic actually had some knowledge of Eastern culture; he can recite these rhymes so fluently.
"However, I'm not particularly interested in the legend you mentioned."
"How could you not be interested, sir?" Lamovic was excited. If his body hadn't prevented it, he would have even wanted to get up and shake the man's head vigorously—that would have been a major discovery!
"With this legend, coupled with your current technological advantages, rebuilding another great sand empire would not be difficult at all!"
"Are you trying to fool me?"
Gao Ang was stunned. Just a moment ago he was a refined gentleman, how did he suddenly turn into a fanatic?
The Great Sand Empire...
"I wouldn't dare, I was just telling the truth back then..."
"Stop talking. I'm not interested in any of those empires you're talking about; it's too tiring. I'm not a very ambitious person. All I ever wanted was a wife, kids, and a warm bed. You've probably heard that saying before, right?"
"I've heard of it."
“That’s it,” Gao Ang continued. “I haven’t even figured out my own life yet, how can you expect me to build some great empire? Besides, the way we Easterners think is a bit different from you Westerners. You, once you have a little technology or weapons, think about bullying others or taking something from their homes, and call it: fair trade. What’s even more despicable about you is that you like to impose your values on others. For example, this so-called great empire, in the eyes of you Westerners, may be the most wonderful thing in the world, but in my eyes, in the eyes of us Easterners, peace and a prosperous life are more precious than anything else.”
Gao Feng gave Lamovic a lesson in a righteous and incisive manner, leaving Lamovic completely stunned by his words.
"Perhaps...maybe...this is the difference in our thinking..."
Lamovic muttered to himself, he even began to doubt his own faith.
Fortunately, he was also a formidable figure, and quickly recovered from his brief moment of disappointment. "Let's get back to the point. All I have is this: money or legends. I wonder if you... well, I suppose you're not interested in that either. With such technology, you must be a hidden tycoon. Money is probably just numbers to you... and you don't care about power either... I admit, I have no leverage to negotiate with you."
Lamovic smiled bitterly. He had thought that by finding a lifeline, he could survive and live longer.
He discovered that he had no leverage to make a deal with the other party, and instantly felt utterly hopeless.
Gao Ang gave Lamovic one last deep look before leaving silently.
...
November 8th, Novosibirsk, Saudi Arabia: It was a sunny day, but very cold.
I spoke with Lamovic, but didn't get the information I wanted;
Xiamen remains as mysterious as ever. Xia Yu... is a minor figure, not yet qualified to catch Lamovic's eye.
Xia Yu's identity is probably similar to that of Ronniev or Marsky? Is he also a working-class person?
As for the legends Lamovic mentioned, I really have no interest in them;
We're already so busy with all this, if it's really like he said, we'll be exhausted.
Anyway, this guy doesn't have much time left to live. His illness was probably caused by poisoning, but I didn't tell him.
This is someone else's internal affair, and we will never interfere in their internal affairs.
...
When Gao Ang returned to Changying Island, it was already the early morning of the 9th.
Little Flower was still patrolling the island with great energy. When she saw him return, she darted away and landed on his shoulder.
"Little Flower, I've had a bad start this time. I still haven't found out Xiamen's true identity."
After stroking the little flower a couple of times, Gao Ang looked a little worried.
"Meow." It's alright, we'll find him sooner or later, don't worry, bald guy.
I'm not in a rush, but I feel frustrated.
This was Gao Feng's biggest feeling. Who was he? He was a powerful person with superpowers.
He felt very frustrated that he couldn't even find out who were the masterminds behind the scenes, who were as insignificant as ants.
This pent-up frustration had been building up for a long time, and he himself realized that something was wrong with him.
The killings in Saudi Arabia last night were partly due to the fact that those people deserved to die, but also partly due to a desire to vent one's frustrations.
He had also considered killing Lamovic, since he was the real mastermind behind it all.
But he stopped himself for many reasons; he couldn't let himself be pushed step by step into the abyss of the dragon.
"Your Excellency, organize the things from last night, and send a copy to Zhang Xiaoming containing the parts about Xiamen and Xia Yu, and see what they do."
Xia Yu is someone who disgusts him, so he will definitely trip him up.
While at work, Zhang Xiaoming in Kyoto quickly replied: Xia Yu is suspended from all duties and is under internal investigation.
"Is this investigation going to just fizzle out?"
Gao Feng still had considerable doubts about this.
"So what do you suggest? Shoot him out? Do you have any evidence?"
There is evidence... but it's not strong enough.
Xia Yu's whereabouts are not a secret, and Xiao Ming probably knows about them as well. His financial dealings are also clean.
The reason for investigating Xia Yu was still because of Gao Yuan's influence.
However, in the afternoon, Gao Ang received some bad news.
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