Chapter 129: They really came to offer their condolences

On 21 June 2010, the day of the summer solstice, the northern hemisphere experienced its hottest day. And on this day, in Kosovo, northern Russia, an even more important piece of news broke: the commencement of construction on the China-Russia oil pipeline. 

Kosovo is a resource-rich town in the far east of northern Russia, but compared to familiar places like Yakutsk and Vladivostok, it is still quite unknown.

A construction site has been built on a wasteland in the eastern suburbs of Kosovo, and a large stage has been set up at the entrance to the site. On it, a young girl from northern Russia is singing and dancing. Several hundred people have gathered around the stage to watch, which is nothing in the country as a whole, but in this place of Kosovo, it is already a lot of people. After all, this is northern Russia, a sparsely populated place, and Kosovo is even less of a large metropolitan area.

Suddenly the programme on stage stopped, and then several vans arrived here under the escort of police cars. The crowd that had gathered was organised, and some people got off the vans, and the crowd erupted in warm applause.

'Today is a very historic day, because today we will witness the official start of construction of the China-Russia oil pipeline project together here. As we all know, China has always been a country short of oil, and with the rapid economic development since the reform and opening up, this situation has been exacerbated. The construction of this oil pipeline today will greatly improve this situation, and our economic development will also be invincible!'

In the crowd, a CCTV reporter was passionately introducing the project to the camera. Perhaps he was a little too emotional, but what he said was the truth.

While the reporters were conducting interviews, representatives from China and Russia got out of the van. After giving speeches, they took the shovels that had been prepared and dug the first section of the trench together. Amidst the applause of the crowd, the reporters' cameras were clicking away.

Most people just go with the flow, but some still have their own opinions. For example, an American said with emotion, 'China's economic development was already unstoppable, but fortunately it lacks oil resources, so it can use oil as a counterbalance. Now with this oil pipeline, China's development will be even more unstoppable. I really don't understand why Russia would agree to jointly build the oil pipeline with China, and I heard that it was agreed at a very low price. Could it be that the tiger in the Kremlin is taking a nap?'

Hearing the American's sigh, a North Russian sitting next to him said, 'I don't know if the tiger is dozing or not, but I know that if the Kremlin doesn't agree, then none of us Siberian oil workers will agree either.'

The American sounded very surprised when he heard this: 'Why is that? I've heard about the Siberian oil workers going on strike, but wasn't that a small-scale case? Could there be any other inside story?'

'Intrigue?' The Northern Russian said, "I don't know of any intrigue. If there is to be any intrigue, it would be to say that this strike is not an isolated incident, but a decision made by all of us Siberian workers, because we want to repay our Chinese benefactors!'

'Repay?" The American was even more surprised. He stared, his eyes about to pop out of their sockets. He had no idea why such an inexplicable word had suddenly appeared.

But the Northern Russian remained calm. He looked up at the sky, his eyes full of longing, and said in a tone of voice like a pilgrim: 'It's repaying kindness. Twenty years ago, if it wasn't for that Chinese person, if it wasn't for them helping us, I'm afraid we oil workers would have always had the hardest fate! So since the Chinese helped us so much, we must not let them down!'

Twenty years ago? So what happened twenty years ago? How could it have interfered with such an oil pipeline project that almost changed the world's geopolitical landscape?

Not only this American, but in fact the whole world wants to know. However, to know about this matter, we must push back the time to twenty years ago. Siberia in September is much colder than Kosovo in June. Even the Northern Russian Meteorological Observatory is still broadcasting the news that this year is colder than previous years, and it will snow earlier.

The Ferro-Flo oilfield is located in the wilderness, naturally colder than the city, and Zhou Ming and the others were arranged to live in the administrative building of the oilfield.

'I think Pushkin is doing this on purpose. It's so cold here, there's not only no heating, but even the quilts are of poor quality, and the windows don't close tightly. I must convene a family meeting and fire this lawless bastard!'

At 8pm, Domer came to Zhou Ming's room and started cursing Pushkin's arrangement as soon as he opened his mouth. At the end, he changed the subject and then said to Zhou Ming, 'I am originally from the Vladimir family. I am already used to the cold in Siberia. I am just afraid that Mr. Irbedov, Mr. Tong Gang Li Cheng and Mr. Zhou Ming are guests from Krisko. If I neglect you, I will feel too bad.'

Zhou Ming and his entourage were all in the reception room of the administrative building. Dommel went to find a room first and then complained to them when he came down.

Listening to Dommel's words, Zhou Ming secretly shook his head and laughed in his heart. In fact, he knew very well that Dommel was just saying these things.

Of course, this does not mean that Domel has no status in the family and cannot make suggestions to the family, but his status is definitely very limited. Even Eugene would not dare to do such things in front of him. Pushkin would not have opened the gate even though he knew they were here, because this is simply picking a fight. No one can tolerate the hot temper of the northern Russians, and the only explanation for Domel being able to tolerate it is that he simply has no way to deal with Eugene.

On the other hand, Zhou Ming felt that Pushkin did not mean to be difficult on purpose. Although there was a shadow of Eugene in it, some things were really unnecessary.

At least Zhou Ming knew that they were arranged to stay in the administrative building, which was the best reception room in the Ferroflo oil field. Generally, when important rich people or officials came to the oil field, they would basically be arranged to stay here. As for the cold, etc., Zhou Ming did not feel it, but it was just the difference between the suburbs and the city. Now the entire oil field does not have heating, and it seems that heating the administrative building alone is unnecessary.

This was not Domer deliberately picking on the issue, but Pushkin had been here so often that he had neglected these things. Domer was staying here for the first time today, and coupled with the series of previous events, it was natural for him to think about things in this way.

With this in mind, Zhou Ming smiled and said, 'Mr Domer, it's fine. I'm not that delicate, and I think it's better if it's cold here. After all, Siberia is not cold, so how can we go down there to send warmth?'

'Send warmth?' Domer was stunned. It wasn't that he couldn't understand the phrase, but he really felt puzzled. 'Mr. Zhou Ming, do you really want to do this?'

'Of course, otherwise why would I have come all the way from the city to do this? Mr. Domer, you shouldn't underestimate this. Perhaps in the future, our actions can change the world. By the way, our room is upstairs, right?'

Zhou Ming said matter-of-factly, and finally asked about the room before leading Du Peng and Su Han out of the reception room. Behind him, Tong Gang and Li Cheng also got up and said to him, 'I know that Mr. Domel is thinking of us, and we are very grateful to Mr. Domel. As for the rest, I advise Mr. Domel not to persuade anymore. What little brother Zhou Ming decides will not be changed lightly.'

After Tong Gang and Li Cheng finished speaking, they also walked out of the reception room, followed by Irbedov and Sergeevsky.

'Mr. Domer, sometimes I really want to find a needle and thread to sew up your mouth, because the things you say sometimes really make people feel unbearable! What we want to do and think is not something that someone like you can understand, so just do as you're told, study hard, and talking too much will only highlight the problems with your thinking!'

Ilbedov left the reception room after saying this to Domer, and compared to the previous words of Du Peng and Tong Gang, the Jewish man's words were much more direct.

'Mr Domer, you should arrange for Mr Zhou Ming to go down and deliver warmth,' Sergeyevsky concluded.

Domel was stunned as he watched these people leave the reception room one by one. He muttered, 'What the hell is going on? Does Mr. Zhou Ming really want to send warmth to those oil workers? What is he doing this for? Is he really going to change the world order in the future, as he just said?'

In the end, Domel shook his head firmly: 'Never mind, I'll just do whatever these guys want!'

Domer made up his mind and followed Zhou Ming and the others upstairs.

After everyone had gone upstairs to their rooms, a young cadre in the reception room immediately ran to Pushkin's office and told him what he had just heard.

Pushkin was shocked: 'You mean Zhou Ming and the others came to visit those dirty, smelly and sloppy oil workers who looked like wild boars in a swamp? Are you sure you heard it right?'

Pushkin finally added a question, and the young cadre still firmly nodded. Pushkin frowned at the time: 'What's the point of them looking at those people? Do those people really have shares in the oilfield, and can they sell their shares to Zhou Ming and then take over the oilfield? That's just impossible!'

After thinking for a while, Pushkin waved the young cadre to leave the office, and then he immediately called Eugene and reported the matter to him.

Eugene pondered for a while and finally said, 'Since those people want to see it, let them go. Show them the people who have suffered the most in our oil field, and let them express their condolences to those dirty monkeys on our behalf. It might even inspire greater enthusiasm for production!'

'Yes, boss, I understand,' said Pushkin.