Perhaps due to the time difference or other reasons, Celia didn't sleep well last night.
She woke up in a bedroom on the second floor of the villa before seven in the morning.
After the candid conversation late at night, Celia reluctantly accepted the fact that she would be cooperating with Emily. Mainly because she was indeed overwhelmed with work. It was better to find an ally herself than to have her boss realize this and strip her of her duties to give to others.
However, after chatting with Emily for just over ten minutes, the girl's device started beeping.
This was a pager-like device temporarily provided to Simon's team. A few days ago in Ohio, Celia saw A-girl using it once.
Watching Emily leave, Celia felt a bit sour, maliciously imagining what she might be called upstairs for.
She stayed in the living room until past one o'clock, realizing that she didn't even know where her bedroom was because all room arrangements were handled by Emily.
In New York, August was still summer, but in northern Ukraine, nighttime temperatures dropped below ten degrees Celsius. Sleeping without proper arrangements could lead to catching a cold.
Without the permission of a certain man, she didn't dare go up to the third floor. After some searching on the second floor, she found her luggage in one bedroom and finally rested.
After washing up, she left the bedroom and checked her watch; it was seven ten.
The villa was very quiet.
Just like last night, when she secretly listened on her bed, the villa's soundproofing was excellent, and everything was quiet.
When she went downstairs, she found that those who should be up were already awake.
Emily was busy in the kitchen.
Celia knew her boss wasn't particular about food, just that he didn't like strangers preparing meals for him.
Pretending not to notice Emily's slightly flushed face, Celia stepped forward to help prepare breakfast, casually asking and learning that the man had gone for a run.
Hmph… he must not have lasted long last night, otherwise, how could he have the energy to go running.
Thinking this, she knew she was deceiving herself.
Being in a position to frequently interact with the top tier of the world, Celia deeply understood that most people at the top had incredibly high energy levels. Whether it was the Defense Department where she had worked or the Westeros system now, many people only slept four or five hours a day.
Celia resisted her curiosity, not asking further, and Emily didn't offer any explanation.
However, until the man returned from his run and the three had a simple breakfast together, the six girls from last night did not appear.
They were obviously still resting in the upstairs bedrooms.
After breakfast, Ken Dixon, in charge of Simon's security for this trip, entered the villa with two other attendants, carrying a specially made password box that only Simon could open.
Simon and Dixon went into a study on the first floor, with two bodyguards standing guard outside.
Celia sensibly went to the second floor to organize her boss's schedule.
Simon would stay in Ukraine for two more days. Yesterday, he had visited the UMFS military base. Over the next two days, he would personally review the Westeros system's various layouts in Rivne, including the UMFS family community under construction, some factories Komorov had acquired, and some important meetings.
Compared to the vast Westeros system, many industries here were actually insignificant.
Simon's three-day stay here highlighted the importance he placed on the Westeros system's military layout.
As Celia reviewed the UMFS family community planning, Emily entered the living room with a pot of coffee. After pouring two cups, she sat down beside her. Celia handed her some documents on several factories under Aldek Corporation, managed by Komorov, saying, "You look at these first. You'll explain them to the boss this afternoon."
Emily agreed and took the documents, understanding that her superior was beginning to honor their agreement from last night.
As she placed the documents on her lap, Emily noticed Celia's scrutinizing gaze, smiled, and raised her hand, spreading five fingers on one hand and two on the other.
Seven?
Celia was slightly stunned but quickly understood and rolled her eyes, "Seems you enjoy it."
Emily retracted her gesture, opened the documents, and with a deliberate touch of pride, said, "If the boss wants, how could I refuse?"
Celia couldn't resist asking, "Six weren't enough?"
Emily's slender waist swayed slightly on the sofa, an action seemingly unintentional but carrying a hint of charm, "They're all little novices, clueless. Someone has to teach them."
Celia teased, "I remember you have a boyfriend."
Emily looked up with a broader smile, "He's my ex-boyfriend now."
Celia regretted her words immediately. No matter what, Emily was still single, while she, on the surface, had a seemingly perfect family.
Fortunately, Celia wasn't the type to have a thin skin. Ignoring her previous remark, she didn't delve into their boss's antics last night and shifted the topic to business. Occasionally, curiosity crept in, wondering what the young man downstairs was doing at that moment.
Simon was reviewing detailed information about the Stefano family.
Over these days, through the Westeros family's intelligence team, Simon had gained a deeper understanding of the 'Ndrangheta in Calabria, southern Italy.
Compared to Sicily's "Cosa Nostra" and Campania's "Camorra," the current 'Ndrangheta lagged significantly behind the top mafias, being loosely organized with internal strife.
But that was only for now.
Based on fragmented information in his mind, because the Cosa Nostra and Camorra had been the focus of the Italian government's crackdown for many years, 'Ndrangheta gradually rose to stand alongside them in the new century, extending its reach worldwide.
That was for the future.
Moreover, with the Westeros system's intervention this time, whether 'Ndrangheta could rise according to the original timeline would depend on Simon's attitude.
Simon decided to proceed with this deterrent without much hesitation because 'Ndrangheta was currently weak. If it were the still-powerful Cosa Nostra or Camorra, he wouldn't act rashly.
Two years ago, the assassination of renowned anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone by detonating a ton of explosives was orchestrated by Sicily's Cosa Nostra.
However, following that event, due to the strong backlash from media and public opinion, the Italian government had arrested thousands of gang members, including the current boss of Cosa Nostra, making Falcone's assassination the turning point for the Sicilian mafia's decline.
This clearly demonstrated that gangs were ultimately powerless against the government's will.
High-profile actions were courting death.
As for the Stefano family in Calabria, currently one of the six ruling families of 'Ndrangheta, their strength was only moderate. Although the second internal war of 'Ndrangheta ended three years ago under the mediation of other mafia forces, the two major factions within had not genuinely reconciled.
These were all elements Simon could exploit.
The Stefano family rose to prominence in the seventies through cigarette smuggling. Of the original six brothers who established their empire, only four remained, with the other two falling victim to gang vendettas.
Currently, excluding mistresses and illegitimate children secretly identified by the Westeros intelligence team, the Stefano family comprised 27 people. Among the original six brothers, the eldest, Giorgio Stefano, was 59, and the youngest, Dimitri Stefano, was 35. The current boss was the third brother, Horace Stefano, aged 46.
Since the Stefano family sent bullets to his women and children's home, Simon decided to make the entire Stefano family disappear.
Italian mafia codes included a rule against harming family members.
However, given the brutal internal mafia fights in recent years and the publicized case of an eight-year-old boy being thrown alive into a vat of acid, Simon saw the 'no harm to family members' rule as a joke.
Therefore, when dealing with these people, Simon's bottom line was having no bottom line.
In the first-floor study, Simon discussed various matters within Ken Dixon's jurisdiction with his bodyguard. Based on feedback, he sent a series of encrypted emails to intelligence teams across Italy using his laptop. After dismissing Dixon, he had a video call with Sophia.
Rivne City wasn't connected to the internet, but Simon's security team had set up a dedicated satellite communication system in the estate.
The anonymous email account embedded within the vast Egret email system was encrypted and randomly registered. Even if discovered, or if the contents were decrypted due to an insider's betrayal, there would be no evidence to prove that Simon was the sender. The intelligence teams were unaware of who exactly issued their orders.
This deterrent wouldn't be merely about making the entire Stefano family disappear. The Westeros system had already laid out plans in the Italian political, media, and even mafia circles to ensure that this operation wouldn't have unforeseen repercussions.
Different teams were responsible for different layouts.
In summary, every detail would strictly adhere to Simon's 'splitting execution' strategy.
At nine o'clock, after dealing with matters in Italy, Sergei Komorov arrived, and everyone left the estate in the city center, heading west to Rivne City, where the UFMS family community was planned.
Returning to Rivne City last night, it was already dark, and they couldn't clearly see the surroundings of the city.
This time, as the black Mercedes drove through Rivne's wide streets, the scene outside was desolate.
In the back seat of the Mercedes, Celia, sitting next to Simon, noticed his gaze and explained, "Before the Soviet Union dissolved, Rivne City had a population of about 290,000. According to recent statistics, the city now has only 220,
000 residents, most having moved to the countryside or fled to Western Europe via Poland."
Simon nodded slightly.
No further explanation from Celia was needed; he understood why.
Ukraine's GDP had plummeted by over 30% in recent years. The total economic collapse had led to severe material shortages, forcing many urban residents to move to the countryside to become farmers for self-sufficiency to avoid starvation.
Ordinary people in peaceful and prosperous countries often find it hard to imagine how a modern civilized country could experience hunger.
Especially in a country like Ukraine, known as the granary of Europe, which once supplied the entire Soviet Union and generated significant foreign exchange through agricultural exports.
Such a country should not have material shortages or people starving simply by planting crops.
Neighboring Russia, which occupies the largest territory in the world, shouldn't face such issues either.
So, why does it happen?
The answer is simple.
It's precisely the 'modern civilization' that people subconsciously rely on that causes these problems.
In terms of agriculture.
Modern agriculture is no longer the backward, inefficient self-sufficient farming of feudal times but is closely tied to the national economic system, flourishing together or collapsing together.
Modern agricultural production differs from ancient primitive farming as it requires substantial fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery.
When a country collapses, severe inflation first impacts the industrial system, causing factories producing agricultural materials like fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery to go bankrupt due to currency devaluation, unable to meet the agricultural production needs.
On the other hand, economic collapse means that agriculture itself needs fewer materials.
Because farmers can't afford them.
This creates a vicious cycle.
Unable to afford fertilizers, pesticides, and other production materials, with electricity and fuel for farming becoming scarce, agricultural yields drop significantly. Even the reduced output of farm products can't fetch good prices due to currency devaluation.
Thus, farmers inevitably reduce their production inputs. A farm with 10 hectares of land might only cultivate a fraction, or even just enough for self-sufficiency without surplus.
When this phenomenon spreads nationwide, the catastrophic consequences are predictable.
Currently, Ukraine's GDP has dropped by only 30%, but the complete collapse of the industrial and financial systems has led to more than a 50% drop in agricultural production compared to the Soviet era.
Under such circumstances, material shortages and hunger are inevitable.
Simon remembered that even twenty years later, Ukraine, never fully stabilizing, couldn't regain its status as Europe's granary. Many urban residents still had to spend much time managing their allocated farmland in the suburbs to ensure basic material needs.
Present-day Russia and Ukraine are in identical situations.
Many people mock Putin's unachieved goal of 'give me 20 years,' but compared to Ukraine, still politically unstable, economically stagnant, impoverished, oligarchic, and even in civil war after twenty years, Russians are fortunate to have a leader genuinely striving for their country and people.
Simon certainly had no intention of helping Ukraine change its situation.
Simon firmly believed in a seemingly cold truth: when an avalanche occurs, no snowflake is innocent.
Moreover, the more chaotic this country became, the more advantageous it was for the Westeros system's layout.
For example, this time.
Due to the economic collapse and the mass exodus of residents from cities, the Westeros system could easily allocate vast land on the west side of Rivne City to build the UFMS family community.
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