Chapter 76: Second Thought (Part 2)

The year 99 was a big day for the old and new in the North Russian Federation. In the general election that had just ended, former President Qin's designated successor, Kimi Viking, was elected as the new president with more than 50 % of the vote. And his goal is to devote himself to developing North Russia and restoring its superpower status during the former Soviet Union. In order to achieve this goal, the first thing he must deal with and clean up is, of course, the financial oligarchs who are taking advantage of the country.

In the Kremlin, the new president, Kimi Viking, is holding a grand banquet. He raises his glass and says to a middle-aged man in his forties, 'Mr. Vanyusha, I have received the documents for your voluntary transfer of shares to the state. It seems that you are very willing to help and support the country's re-emergence. On behalf of all North Russians, I would like to thank you. At the same time, I can assure you that federal law will also protect all your legitimate gains.'

'Thank you very much, Mr. President. I also hope to see a strong country, because I also have Eastern Slavonic blood in my veins. At the same time, I believe even more that my country will never persecute anyone,' said Vanyusha.

Hearing Vanyusha say this, Kimi Viking smiled and took a sip of wine, saying, 'Of course the country will not persecute anyone, but the wealth belonging to the country and the nation, especially those obtained illegally, must still be recovered.'

Faced with this answer from Kimi Viking, Varnusha immediately understood what was going on. So after chatting with Kimi Viking, he hurriedly left the Mulin Palace before the end of the banquet and went all the way to his villa in the suburbs, where a bald Jew was waiting for him, Il'yich Yakovlevich Brezhnev.

Il'yich Yakovlevich Brezhnev hurried up to Varnusha as soon as he saw him return and asked how things were going. Varnusha told him that the President would not necessarily seek his death, but that it was impossible for him to take his property out of Northern Russia.

'That bastard Kimi Viking! He thinks I'll thank him for sparing my life? He's full of shit. We supported him so much, but now that he's president, he's turned on us. He's a mad dog!' Irbedov railed. 'If he's not mad, he'll try to take Katerina's fortune as well!'

'Teacher, are you confused? Is this the same thing?' Vanyusha said with meaning, 'Over there are all of Mr. Zhou Ming's things. If Kimi Viking wants to move them, it's because he doesn't want to stay in the Mulin Palace anymore.'

Hearing Varnusha say this, Irbedov suddenly became silent, because he also understood that what Varnusha said was the truth. In the eyes of the world, the President of Northern Russia was a very remarkable figure, but in front of Mr. Zhou Ming, he was still an order of magnitude below.

Seeing Irbedov like this, Varnusha also sighed. He said to Irbedov, 'Teacher, in fact, if I were to say this, I would not blame Kimi Viking, but you are also asking for it.'

Il'yadov listened with a glare in his eyes, about to say something, but Vanyusha spoke before him: 'Teacher, have you forgotten what you said to me nine years ago in Brighton, USA? At that time, I said that Mr. Zhou Ming from China was the real devil, because he could perfectly manipulate the desires of these demons; but you told me that what was really impressive about Mr. Zhou Ming was his ability to restrain his desires. Even though the situation in the Middle East was bad, he was able to give up oil in exchange for a different way of thinking.'

At the end of the day, Varnusa suddenly changed the subject: 'But teacher, you have always regarded Mr. Zhou Ming as your idol, and you have always told me to follow his example, but why can't you do it yourself?'

'If everyone could do it, then there wouldn't be just one Mr. Zhou Ming in the world!' Irbeldov sighed, 'He is a miracle of this world. Many times I have doubted that he is not from this world at all, because every one of his ideas is so ahead of its time. More importantly, he can perfectly control his emotions and desires. He can always find a way out of the darkest abyss and onto the path to light!'

Vanusha nodded and said, 'Yes, the time I spent in Brighton was the time I gained the most in my life. I witnessed Mr. Zhou Ming's operation with my own eyes, and it was truly a perfect art!'

...

Time travelled back to 2 August 1990, when Old Brook and Will Adams were sitting in the Garden Restaurant in the centre of South Brighton, drinking red wine and eating steak, and of course they couldn't avoid talking about other things.

'Mr Will, do you think our young friend Robert can complete the mission? After all, this Gulf project is not a simple matter, as far as we understand,' Old Brook asked.

In contrast to Brock's concerns, Will Adams was full of confidence and replied to Brock, 'You can rest assured on this point, Mr. Brock. I have known him for almost 30 years, and I know Robert's character very well. He is more headstrong than you can imagine. In his eyes, there is no Gulf Project, only what he wants to do. I think we should just wait for his news.'

'Then there is no one else in the Adams family, such a big family? Just letting a schoolboy be so headstrong?' Brock asked, puzzled.

Will Adams just laughed heartily at the perplexity of the old Brooke and did not answer.

As Will Adams had said earlier, Robert Adams left the Garden Restaurant and hurried back to the Castle Villa in the north of Brighton. Since this place was currently one of the important headquarters of the Gulf Project, no one was allowed in except for the Adams family and those who were allowed in, so Robert hurried back alone.

The first thing Robert did when he returned to the villa was go to the study, which was the headquarters of the Gulf Project. At this time, Caitlin was sitting in her seat, watching the news on TV while comparing the information in her hands.

Then she heard a loud bang as Robert suddenly kicked in the door and rushed over to Caitlin, saying, 'Your Royal Highness, there is something I think I need to discuss with you about the Gulf Project.'

Hearing Robert kick in the door, Caitlin subconsciously frowned, but soon relaxed. Without saying anything more, she quietly closed her documents and placed them on the table before asking, 'Mr. Robert, please feel free to share your thoughts.'

'If I'm to have an idea, I'm sure I can't compare to Your Royal Highness, but I think the current Gulf plan lacks something. It should become more radical.'

Robert said as he walked towards Caitlin: 'Now that the war in Kuwait has ended, and global oil prices have begun to rise due to the impact of the war, it can be said that the world's financial capital is enjoying this feast, so why should they all get a share of the pie from a war that we, the Adams family, have gone to such lengths to provoke?'

'So what do you want, Mr. Robert?' Caitlin asked.

'My idea is very simple. Now that the war has stopped, why don't we take advantage of the calm and invest capital to push the price of international crude oil futures down a little more? This will make those hyenas that come sniffing around for a piece of the pie eat a brick. As long as these beggars suffer losses and dare not enter the market on a large scale, then the biggest beneficiary in the end will not be us?' Robert said.

Caitlin did not speak hastily, but just looked at Robert with a half smile.

Robert frowned unhappily at this, and then continued, 'Caitlin, I do have an idea. You can think about it. You see, just like that damned Chinese guy, he clearly has no skills, and the money in his hands was all borrowed from here and there, and he even came up with such villainous tricks as financial management and insurance, which are like Ponzi schemes.

'Now, the Adams family and the Rockefeller family have finally joined forces to lead the Gulf project, but that Chinese guy is like a dog, sniffing out the scent and coming after it, trying to take a piece of the cake we've made. As a direct member of the Adams family, I absolutely disagree with this!' Robert shouted at Caitlin.

Caitlin just listened quietly to Robert's words, and then asked lightly, 'Is that Mr. Robert's reason?'

Robert raised an eyebrow and asked in return, 'Why is this not a good reason? This is what I have to think about as a member of the Adams family! Even if I really want to target the Chinese Zhou Ming, so what? I know he will definitely try to push up the price of oil after the Gulf War, but at this time I want to make the price of oil fall. I want to make him lose all his reserves, so that when the Gulf War really breaks out in the future, he has no money to spend!'

At the end of his speech, Robert snorted, 'I know Your Highness will think I'm ordering you again, but I want to say that this is not the case, because what I said is what the Gulf Project was originally going to do. I...'

Robert was about to say something else, but Caitlin spoke first, leaving him stunned.

'I see. I understand. Then let's do it as you say, Robert,' Catelyn said.

Robert stared at Catelyn with wide eyes, full of disbelief. He couldn't believe that was Catelyn's answer, because in the past, didn't she always refuse to listen to him because she was a Harburg princess? Now she was so obedient?

Before Robert could figure out the answer to this question, Catelyn asked him again, 'Aren't you afraid that Zhou Ming of China has already prepared a second plan?'

'A second idea? Who do you think he is? He's a stupid Chinese, and I'm sure he's desperately throwing money at the futures market right now because of the situation in the Middle East,' Robert said. "Actually, he's right, but he doesn't know that it's all manipulable, and I'm the one holding the strings!'

'I understand. I'll do it," Caitlin said.

Robert looked at Caitlin in surprise and said to her, 'Your Highness seems to have really thought it through. Then please be assured, if you listen to me, you Harusburgers will be the most honoured guests of the Adams family in Brighton. If you have any difficulties or if anyone bullies you, you can come and tell me and I will definitely help you get even!'

Facing Robert's words, Caitlin just looked at him coldly and didn't say a word.

Robert looked up and down at Caitlin a few times and said, 'Your Highness, you still look very pretty when you listen. Why did you always want to get on my nerves in the past? Maybe if you make me happy, you will have a chance to marry into the Adams family...'

Robert's words were interrupted by a slap from Caitlin. Faced with Robert's angry, almost murderous gaze, Caitlin still said coldly, 'If there is nothing else, then please, Mr. Robert, go out.'

'You little Harrods whore, don't think you can be so arrogant just because I'm talking to you nicely!'

Robert raised his hand to hit Caitlin, but in the end his hand didn't even land on Caitlin's face, because it was stopped by the female bodyguard.

Robert then remembered that Caitlin had never fought back against him in the Adams family, but for Project Gulf and other reasons, no one could hit her. However, Robert could not swallow this humiliation. He said to Caitlin with clenched teeth, 'Fine, you bitch, just you wait. It's only 1990, and autumn hasn't even arrived yet. There will be other times when you'll be unlucky.'

Leaving Caitlin with these words, Robert left the study. A secretary then asked Caitlin what to do next. Caitlin said, 'Start implementing plan B. It's 11am. I want you to put at least 2 billion US dollars into the futures market before 12pm, and release some favourable news about the Middle East to try to drive down the price of crude oil.'