Chapter 48: The Battle for the Top of Red Square (Part 1)

The Red Square Building is one of the most famous skyscrapers in Northern Russia. For many places, one name can represent many things, and the name here is also like a symbol of the capital. This alone is enough to show how this building is regarded in Khrushchev.

The Red Square Building is also different from the average North Russian building. It does not have the old onion dome style, although that onion dome style is not unsuitable for skyscrapers. However, the style here is the same as on Wall Street, a very modern skyscraper.

In the conference room on the 20th floor of the Red Square Building, the atmosphere was very dull. A dozen people were sitting here, but they were all just looking down in silence, with furrowed brows, waiting for something with anguish.

These people are no ordinary people. The president of the United Bank, Irbedov, the most influential person in the northern Russian business community, is sitting in the seat of honour, along with other northern Russian business tycoons who have risen with this wave of privatisation reform in northern Russia. It can be said that these dozen people in this meeting room have, through this privatisation reform, directly or indirectly gained control of at least more than 30% of the wealth of this superpower.

Suddenly there was a rush of footsteps outside the door, and they all looked towards the door at the same time. Then the door to the meeting room was pushed open, and a middle-aged man in his forties rushed in. Everyone knew this man; he was Irbedov's secretary.

However, the secretary didn't have time to say hello to the others, and he walked directly over to Irbedov and whispered something in his ear.

Seeing this, everyone's necks extended at once, obviously very concerned.

Over there, after listening to his secretary, Il'yichov nodded slightly, then waved the secretary away before looking up and saying, 'Everyone, my secretary just told me that our President of Northern Russia, Mr. Nikolayevich, has signed an order announcing the establishment of the Financial Securities Company and agreeing to the introduction of a floating exchange rate for the rouble in line with world standards.'

Hearing Il'yichov's words, you could clearly feel the change in the emotions of those present. Some of them let out a cold breath, while others let out a sigh of relief. However, regardless of their changing emotions, one thing was certain: they were all waiting for this news.

The fact that they were waiting for this news did not mean that they were unaware of it. On the contrary, since they were all born out of the system and still had countless connections at the centre, they had actually learned of this news through various connections long ago, and it was precisely for this reason that they had gathered here today. However prepared they were, hearing the news with their own ears was still a very different feeling.

'So, Mr. Il'bedov, does that mean the Western countries are going to get involved too?' one of his fellow tycoons, Sergeyevsky, sitting next to Il'bedov, asked him.

Il'bedov thought for a moment and said, 'If I'm not mistaken, the Western countries must have already gotten involved, and what happens next is definitely something we didn't expect.'

As soon as Irbedov finished speaking, someone laughed from below, 'Mr. Irbedov, did you spend too much time talking to that Chinese guy? Did you pick up some of his bad habits? What's so surprising about this? Those Western countries are not that capable, are they? So we can't do it if we join forces?'

Irbedov was taken aback by this comment. He shook his head in resignation, because he had just told Zhou Ming what he had just said, and since someone had asked, he just blurted it out. He never imagined that it would be picked up immediately. It was not difficult to guess what these people were thinking. They did not like Zhou Ming. Even though Zhou Ming was a very capable person, they were not willing to recognise him, and they wanted to prove their own excellence even more.

Irbeldov's answer, although very reasonable, was also very surprising to everyone. And as if to prove his words, as soon as he finished speaking, the door to the meeting room opened again, and his secretary rushed in. This time Irbeldov told him to speak to everyone.

'Oh no! As soon as the securities company opened this morning, someone started selling the ruble like crazy. In just half an hour, the ruble has already depreciated by more than 30%!'

The secretary's words were like a stone thrown into the water, immediately causing a ripple on the scene. Everyone's expression was very panicked, and there was no longer the arrogance of just now when they questioned Irbedov.

'How could this happen? The ruble has depreciated so much in just half an hour?'

'My God, I must be dreaming, and a very bad nightmare at that, otherwise how could such a bizarre thing happen?'

'Just yesterday, one ruble could still be exchanged for 1.1 US dollars, but today I can't even buy a loaf of black bread with it? What on earth is going on? Why has our ruble become like this?'

'I really should have joined the Dacha Project earlier and sold all my assets. At least then I would have kept my money, instead of being left with nothing...'

The people below him shouted back and forth, each with a look of bewilderment on their faces, and some of them regretted their actions.

Il'yichodov sat in his seat and watched them coldly. Watching this performance of panic and helplessness, Il'yichodov understood their feelings very well, because he was in the same situation. They were all newly minted tycoons in Northern Russia. Although they had obtained their wealth by unscrupulous means, it was still their wealth. Now, they suddenly heard that the ruble had depreciated, and their wealth in their hands was about to shrink. How could they not be heartbroken and panic?

Especially since they have only just become rich, and these are the best of times, how can they bear to see their fortunes dwindle so soon?

'Mr. Irbeldov, what do you think we should do?' someone suddenly asked.

Someone took the lead, and the others followed suit, asking, 'That's right. Mr. Irbeldov, since you just said that the Western countries have already taken action, you must have seen what is happening now and must already be prepared for it, right? So what do you think we should do now?'

Some people asked questions, and naturally there were also those who agreed, and they shouted with raised fists: 'Mr. Irbedov, now that we have formed an alliance, we should stand together against the outside world. We should do whatever Irbedov says, and we must not let those scum from the Western countries get their way!'

Il'yichov sat quietly in his seat, listening. The reason they were sitting together in a meeting today was because they had formed an alliance.

It all started at the banquet in Kuren, when Zhou Ming's speech was a great success. He inspired the fighting spirit in everyone there, making them all want to fight for their wealth. It was from that day that the Northern Russian Business Alliance was formed. Today was the sixth day of the business alliance.

But although the name is the Northern Russian Business Alliance, in reality it has officials, scholars, artists and other miscellaneous identities. This is no surprise, as the privatisation process in Northern Russia has only just begun, and everyone is using their own methods. It is not surprising that they have various identities. The main purpose of their business alliance is to respond to Zhou Ming's plan and to fight against the upcoming Dota plan.

To put it bluntly, it is to fight for their money!

Il'yich'yev himself was no different. Perhaps he was even a little more unlucky than the others, because while their main industries were all real businesses with actual factories, his was a bank, the first place to suffer from financial problems, and it was absolutely essential that it not fail.

But while anyone could talk, not everyone knew what to do. After all, due to the Soviet system in the past, they had been away from finance for a long time, and now suddenly they were being asked to deal with the Western countries that already had mature financial means, which obviously left them completely at a loss as to what to do.

Irbeldov scratched his balding head and said, 'Everyone is right, and that is why we are here today. Some problems need to be solved together.'

As Irbeldov's words bounced back, the meeting room fell silent. Everyone looked at Irbeldov with a difficult expression on their faces, or looked at each other in a daze, obviously not knowing what to do.

In the silence of the meeting room, someone suddenly said, 'It would be good if the Chinese guy were here. I think he would know what to do.'

This remark immediately resonated with the others, and someone immediately chimed in, 'Yes! It was this Chinese person who saw the plan for the turret in the first place, it was he who got Mr. Nikolic to walk out of the White House and give the speech about the tanks, he also had a face-to-face confrontation with Mr. Davidov, he is very capable, and now this little problem surely won't stump him.'

Listening to what these people were saying, Irbedov really didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

Ilbedov could tell just by looking at their toes that the Chinese person they were talking about was Zhou Ming. He never expected that just a moment ago, these same people had only said one thing about Zhou Ming, and they had been mocked and ridiculed. Now that they had a problem, they thought of Zhou Ming. Such a contrast in behaviour was truly shameless and left one speechless.

Irbeldov shook his head and whispered, 'Please be assured that I informed Mr. Zhou Ming of today's meeting, and I believe he will be here soon.'

Hearing Irbeldov say this, everyone let out a sigh of relief: 'That's great, as long as Mr. Zhou Ming comes, he will definitely be able to help us come up with a good solution! Back in the meeting room at Hotel No. 1, even someone as capable as David was at the mercy of Zhou Ming. He was just so-so, and Mr. Zhou Ming is definitely much more capable than him. He will definitely be able to help us!'

Just as everyone was talking enthusiastically, footsteps were heard outside the door again. It was Irbedov's secretary who had entered and said to everyone, 'Mr Irbedov, everyone, Mr Zhou Ming is here!'