Chapter 27: Vodka caviar Discussing current affairs

'Do you want to hide like cowards in the basement, or do you want to fight like men!'

These were the words shouted by Zhou Ming. When he shouted these words, everyone was stunned. Everyone looked at Zhou Ming with wide eyes. They didn't know Zhou Ming, but they all understood that these words were directed at Mr. Nikolic, who was preparing to go to the basement.

There was silence, as if time had stopped. Everyone remained in their surprised positions, looking at Zhou Ming.

Is this Chinese guy crazy? How could he have shouted such words?

This was the thought in everyone's mind at the moment, while Kareina regretted teaching Zhou Ming this sentence in Russian, and Zhurayeva thought that it was all over. As someone from within the White House, she knew very well the extent of the pent-up emotions in the room. Despite the high calibre of the people here, after the suppression of the past few days, their emotions were on the verge of breaking, and they were capable of anything.

Except for Kalelina and Zhurayeva, **also silently took a step forward, always ready to help Zhou Ming ward off any possible danger.

This silence did not last long. The Minister of Internal Affairs who had just reprimanded Zhurayeva immediately came over angrily, pointing at Zhou Ming's nose and scolding, 'Where did you come from? Who gave you the authority to speak here? Do you know how big a mistake you just made?'

At the end of his speech, he shouted, 'Where are the guards? Hurry up and get this person who is causing trouble here out of here!'

However, Zhou Ming simply ignored him, fixed his gaze on Nikolaevich over there, and repeated what he had just said.

Nikolaevich's cold eyes looked at Zhou Ming, and Zhou Ming's eyes did not retreat. Their gazes clashed fiercely in the air.

Several military police in northern Russian uniforms entered at the call of the Minister of Internal Affairs. They were armed with rubber batons and handcuffs, and they stepped forward towards Zhou Ming. handcuffs, stepping closer and closer to Zhou Ming.

Seeing this, Rulayeva quickly responded, 'I'm sorry, Mr. Minister, he is a journalist friend from China. He doesn't understand our language, and what he just said was probably just an unintentional slip of the tongue. He didn't know the meaning of the words, so he offended Mr. Nikolayevich. I apologize to you on his behalf, and I hope you can explain to Mr. Nikolayevich that he definitely didn't mean any harm, and he is not a hostile element.'

But the Minister of Internal Affairs refused: 'I don't care who he is. What he just said has seriously affected Mr. Nikolic's reputation. I must ask him to leave for Mr. Nikolic!'

Seeing that several military police were getting closer and closer, Kalelina and Zhurayeva were very anxious, and ** also tensed his nerves and was ready to intervene at any time.

However, Zhou Ming was ultimately not threatened by the military police. When these military police came over, Zhou Ming suddenly burst out laughing: 'It seems that Mr. Nikolic is not so great after all. I originally thought that a North Russian who dares to voluntarily withdraw from the party and oppose the entire Soviet Union is how outstanding, but now it seems that no matter how strong the Ural Mountain Eagle is, it can only accept non-offensive interviews with reporters in a safe basement.'

Katerina quickly translated this sentence, and Nikolayevich heard it over there and immediately raised his hand to stop the White House military police from arresting Zhou Ming.

His actions surprised everyone, and no one expected Nikolayevich to be convinced so easily. However, only Zhou Ming and Katerina knew that at this time, the military police had already entered the range of Zhou Ming's attacks. If he did not stop in time, it would be hard to predict what would happen afterwards.

Nikolaevich walked towards Zhou Ming, looked him up and down, and asked, 'You say you're a journalist from China? But those words just now don't seem like something a journalist should say.'

'That only shows that I'm not an ordinary journalist,' Zhou Ming said with a smile.

Nikolaevich also laughed heartily, 'A good one is not an ordinary journalist, then this comrade journalist, I'm curious about your purpose here.'

'Actually, I don't have any particular purpose, I just want to invite you, Mr. Nikolic, to have a drink, that's all,' Zhou Ming replied, holding up the vodka and caviar in his hands.

If the sentence just shouted by Zhou Ming just now only surprised everyone, then this request made by Zhou Ming at the moment confused everyone's thinking. Not to mention the officials in the White House, even the reporters who were interviewing Nikolic and did not have to worry about their names were all full of question marks. They couldn't figure it out at all. Surrounded by thousands of troops outside, ready to charge in at any moment, at this critical moment, where did this Chinese person get the mood to drink alcohol here? Either he is crazy or the world is crazy!

Nikolaevich was also stunned for a moment, but he quickly recovered and nodded, saying, 'Since our guest from afar has such thoughts, then as the host, I of course have to comply.'

Afterwards, Nikolaevich ordered the Minister of Internal Affairs to prepare a small dining room, where he would host the banquet.

The poor Minister of Internal Affairs still couldn't wrap his head around it. He couldn't imagine how this crazy Chinese guy, who came from nowhere, had made Nikolajevich go crazy too.

But no matter what, the President's orders had to be carried out, so he could only pull his hair and desperately suppress his doubts in order to carry out the order.

'I'm sorry, my dear friends from the press, but I'll have to excuse myself,'

Nikolaević said to the reporters, and then led Zhou Ming to the dining room in front of the reporters. The reporters just looked at them blankly, and it wasn't until they disappeared at the end of the corridor that they exploded.

'Oh my god! What am I seeing? Mr. Nikolaević actually took the Chinese to the dining room. What's going on? Isn't there a coup going on outside? Why are they still in such a carefree mood?'

'I can't believe my eyes. Just who is this Chinese guy? How did he manage to convince Nikolaevich? Oh yes, he is Chinese, from the great Eastern country. They have always been allies. Maybe the Chinese guy is the ambassador sent to discuss the future of the Soviet Union with Nikolaevich, or the Eastern support Nikolaevich is seeking!'

'Look what we've missed! This could be a conversation that changes the world, and we're stuck outside. How can we live up to our responsibilities as journalists...'

In the hallway, the reporters were exclaiming and sighing. They wanted to go over and interview them, but the White House guards stopped them. At this time, Zhou Ming and Nikolajevich had already arrived at the dining room.

If Zhou Ming had heard the exclamations of these reporters, he would have snickered, because he did not have that much status. If he had to say something about status, he was just an opportunistic businessman who came to loot the wealth of this powerful country. It's just that this time, his speculation was particularly large.

However, these reporters were right about one thing: this conversation between Zhou Ming and Nikolajevic would indeed change the world.

After sitting down in the dining room, Zhou Ming opened the vodka, while Katerina and Zuraeva helped pour the caviar and cut the black bread. Nikolajevic also asked the kitchen to prepare some grilled meat and pickled cucumbers.

During the preparations, Zhou Ming only briefly introduced the caviar he had bought to Nikolajevic, and joked, 'When I bought it, the merchant said it was the best caviar in the world. If it wasn't, I would have to complain to you, Mr. Nikolajevic. How can there be consumer fraud in Krisco? This situation is really bad.'

Nikolajevic just laughed in agreement, and then couldn't help but ask Zhou Ming, 'I don't know who you really are. Why did you say those things just now? What is your real purpose?'

Zhou Ming did not rush to speak, but first looked at Nikolaevich twice. These two looks made Nikolaevich feel a little guilty. As a politician, he of course understood that speaking first at this time was a sign of weakness. However, he was also truly panicking. After all, he was in a building surrounded by a large army, in danger of his life at any time, and had been in a state of high tension for several days. No matter how good his psychological resilience was, it had reached its limit.

Of course, Zhou Ming didn't mean to make fun of him. He said to him, 'Mr. Nikolic, please forgive me for being blunt, but you are asking the wrong question. You shouldn't be asking who I am, you should be asking yourself who you really are. What is your real purpose here?'

Zhou Ming's question left Nikolic confused. He looked at Zhou Ming blankly, his mind replaying the meaning of Zhou Ming's words. Zhou Ming was in no hurry to rush him, so he just quietly poured a glass of wine for himself and Nikolaevich.

After pouring the wine, Zhou Ming asked Rulayeva to serve it to Nikolaevich, then raised his glass to indicate to him, and took a sip himself, saying, 'This vodka is truly one of the strongest in the world, and it's true that you're not used to it the first time you drink it!'

Nikolaevich took a sip over there as well. Compared to Zhou Ming, he was already used to drinking it, but he didn't know what to say to Zhou Ming.

Instead, Zhou Ming still calmly told him, 'Mr. Nikolic, I don't know if you've heard of it, but in our country there is an old story about heroes drinking plum wine. It is said that 1,800 years ago, the world was in chaos, and two great men who were qualified to rule the world were drinking in a pavilion. In the end, they did divide the world between them.'

Nikolic narrowed his eyes: 'What are you trying to say?'

'In fact, what I want to say is very simple, because I feel that the situation here is different from that story, but it is very similar. They were discussing heroes over a cup of plum wine, and we are discussing current affairs over vodka and caviar,' Zhou Ming said, "The heroes of the world are only you and Cao, I don't want to say who I am, but at least you, Mr. Nikolic, should understand who you are, right?'

'Are you asking me to change all this?" Nikolic said with a bitter smile, 'This is simply impossible. As you saw when you arrived, there are so many troops outside...'

Before Nikolaevich could finish, Zhou Ming interrupted him, 'How will you know if you don't try? Before I came, everyone said it was impossible for me to get in, but I did anyway. So very often, if you don't just think about it, you'll never get an answer. If you want a result, you have to do it.'

Zhou Ming thought for a moment and then said, 'Of course I know you have concerns, so I brought you some vodka, Mr. Nikolaevich. You can drink a few more glasses and maybe you'll find the courage.'