Great Power Reclamation

Chapter 2905 Growth
Yang Xue returned to the cabin with an unprecedented radiance and smile on her face.

Dasha looked at her and smiled knowingly. She didn't ask anything, but simply served her a bowl of hot borscht.

From then on, Yang Xue settled down in Moscow. In her spare time, she began to learn from Dasha how to manage company affairs, handle documents, and get acquainted with the processes and networks of oil trading.

She was intelligent and eager to learn, and soon she was able to help Dasha. In her spare time, she would study Russian, read Russian literature, and try to integrate into life here.

She gradually became acquainted with Sergei, Ivan, and others in Ye Fei's inner circle. Whenever Ye Fei had the opportunity to go out, they would sometimes gather at Dasha's cabin.

Dasha would always prepare a sumptuous meal and warmly welcome them. The cabin was filled with the laughter of young people and their lively discussions about the future and their ideals.

Sergei loudly proclaimed that he wanted to be a general when he grew up, while Ivan, pushing up his glasses, analyzed geopolitics, and Andrei was engrossed in his world of code.

Ye Fei is often the one who listens the most and speaks the most cautiously, but every word he says can make everyone think deeply.

Yang Xue sat quietly to the side, serving tea and water to everyone, occasionally interjecting with a comment that always hit the nail on the head.

Her gentle and inclusive presence seemed to be the best glue and harmonizer for this small group full of masculinity and ambition.

Dasha watched from afar, her eyes filled with relief. She seemed to see the shadows of herself, Yang Geyong, and Ye Yuze and their group from back then.

Times may change, but the passion, camaraderie, and dreams of young people remain unchanged.

Ye Fei gained a warm and brighter outlook thanks to Yang Xue's arrival. And Yang Xue, in turn, found a new world and a sense of purpose in Moscow.

In faraway California, Ye Yuze might still be smoking a pipe, squinting his eyes. On the chessboard, the pieces are moving step by step towards crucial positions, just as he expected, and even beyond his expectations.

Yang Geyong stayed by his side the whole time. Once he knew his daughter was settled, he would probably grin and raise a glass to the north.

Moscow winters are still cold, but the fire in the wooden cabin, the light in the young people's eyes, and the friendship that transcends mountains and rivers are enough to melt away all the ice and snow.

The road ahead is long, but at this moment, they are young and standing side by side, because the future ultimately belongs to them.

Yang Xue's life in Moscow is like a meticulously painted scroll, slowly unfolding, its colors gradually becoming richer.

She entered a prestigious and long-established private school for the elite—the Pushkin International School.

The students here are all from wealthy and influential families; many are descendants of diplomats, oligarchs, or elites from other former Soviet countries.

The curriculum emphasizes multilingualism (Russian, English, French), humanities and arts, international relations, and leadership development, which is quite different from the pragmatic and efficient educational style of the military reclamation city.

At first, Yang Xue felt a little uncomfortable. Although she had no problem with Russian in daily communication, she still struggled with in-depth courses such as literature and history.

The European luxury goods, resorts, and salon parties that her classmates talked about were also quite unfamiliar to her, even though she had grown up in the United States.

But her simple and unpretentious temperament, which she possessed, combined with a touch of Eastern reserve, made her stand out in the crowd. She was even privately referred to by some spoiled classmates as "the little princess from Siberia".

However, Yang Xue's inherent resilience, inherited from her father Yang Geyong, and intelligence from her mother Dasha soon became apparent.

She was not intimidated by difficulties, nor did she blindly follow those frivolous trends.

She devoted most of her energy to studying, often staying up late into the night to read Pushkin's poetry, Dostoevsky's novels, and delve into complex grammar.

Her diligence and rapid progress gradually won the praise of her strict literature teacher.

During a group seminar on Eurasian geoeconomics, the instructor discussed the impact of energy pipelines on regional politics.

Yang Xue, who had been listening quietly, clearly explained how an oil pipeline could influence the economic decisions and even the diplomatic inclinations of several countries along its route, based on the knowledge she had absorbed from Dasha and her own vague understanding of her father's business.

Her pragmatic perspective and unique insights impressed her teachers and classmates. Even the son of the oligarch who had once secretly mocked her had to put aside his disdain.

At school, Yang Xue didn't deliberately try to make friends with anyone, but her humble yet confident attitude, the composure and insight she occasionally revealed that were beyond her years, and her bright eyes that always carried kindness and curiosity, gradually attracted some truly outstanding peers.

She met Aynur, a Kazakhstani aspiring diplomat, and Maxim, a quiet boy whose father was an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and who was obsessed with mathematics. Her campus life began to become rich and fulfilling.

But the real challenge came from helping his mother, Dasha, manage the company's business.

Dasha's company is called "Brother Energy," and its main business is managing the two high-yield oil fields and the oil pipeline leading to Junken City.

This is a vast entity with a complex network of relationships. Dasha didn't immediately expose Yang Xue to core decision-making; instead, she had her start from the bottom.

"Xue'er, follow Aunt Anna for now. She's a veteran of the company and also the CFO. You need to understand how our money flows first."

Dasha's arrangements were clear and prudent.

Anna is a meticulous, serious-looking middle-aged woman with an almost demanding requirement for precision when it comes to numbers.

She was initially suspicious of the "young lady's" arrival, thinking it was just a rich girl's whim.

Yang Xue was not deterred by Anna's coldness. She arrived at the finance department on time every day, sitting quietly to the side, watching how Anna handled accounts, reviewed budgets, and liaised with the bank.

She applied the same dedication she had shown to literature in school, teaching herself accounting basics and international settlement rules. She would write down all the unfamiliar terms and then politely ask Anna for clarification during lunch breaks or after get off work.

Anna initially gave perfunctory answers, but soon discovered that the girl's questions were becoming increasingly insightful, her comprehension speed was astonishing, and she could even occasionally point out a subtle data logic error in the report.

What's even more remarkable is that Yang Xue showed no arrogance whatsoever, and performed even mundane tasks like serving tea and water and organizing documents with meticulous care.

On one occasion, the company had a dispute with a European equipment supplier over the payment terms of a contract. The supplier demanded additional compensation on the grounds of exchange rate fluctuations, using strong language.

Anna is extremely worried about this and is preparing to compromise on some of the terms.

Yang Xue carefully read the original contract and past emails, and whispered to Anna:
“Aunt Anna, I noticed in the supplementary clauses of Appendix Three of the contract that it clearly stipulates that the exchange rate risk sharing will be based on the Moscow Interbank Offered Rate (MIBOR) on the payment date, rather than the fixed exchange rate they are currently demanding. They overlooked this point.” Anna was taken aback, quickly flipping through the thick appendix of the contract, and sure enough, she found the clause that had been overlooked due to its small font size! She looked at Yang Xue in surprise:

How did you notice this?

Yang Xue blushed slightly: "I... I read things rather slowly, and I like to look at things carefully, one by one."

With this discovery, Anna was able to argue her case effectively in subsequent negotiations and successfully protect the company's interests.

Afterwards, Anna showed Yang Xue a genuine smile for the first time:

“Miss, you have an eye for detail, which is very valuable in business.”

From then on, Anna began to sincerely teach Yang Xue, treating her as a true assistant rather than a burden.

As Yang Xue became more familiar with finance, Dasha began to involve her in more core business matters—tax negotiations with local governments along the pipeline route, monthly meetings to coordinate oil transport plans with the military reclamation city, and even some informal communications with agencies under the Russian Ministry of Energy.

These situations are far more complex than those in the office. Yang Xue needs to deal with shrewd and worldly officials and experienced negotiating partners.

She remained a woman of few words, but possessed exceptional observational skills. She could keenly discern the true intentions and subtle emotional shifts in the other person's words.

During a deadlock in negotiations over local environmental protection surcharges, Yang Xue noticed that the other party's representative glanced several times at the specialty dairy products from the military reclamation city displayed on the table.

After the meeting, she secretly asked Dasha to prepare several boxes of high-quality dairy products from Junken City and several bottles of fine Chinese liquor, which she sent over under the guise of "local specialties to express her feelings".

This well-timed and subtle gesture cleverly eased the tension outside of formal negotiation channels, creating favorable conditions for reaching an agreement. Dasha greatly admired her daughter's understanding and sensitivity.

However, the challenges did not stop there. The daily operations of the oil field were not always smooth sailing either.

On a cold winter day, equipment in a remote oilfield malfunctioned due to the extreme cold, potentially leading to a production shutdown.

The site manager's report was rushed, filled with technical jargon and evasive statements.

At the time, Dasha was attending an important meeting in St. Petersburg when she called Yang Xue.

Yang Xue forced herself to calm down. Instead of pretending to know what she didn't, she immediately opened the company's internal system, retrieved the equipment's model number, drawings, and maintenance records, and quickly jotted down key information while listening to the phone call.

“Manager Sergei,” she interrupted his complaint, her voice clear and calm:
"Please tell me the real-time pressure data for Pump Station No. 3, and also, what was the batch number of the seals that were replaced during the last maintenance?"

The manager on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback by the question from the lady at the Moscow headquarters. He was momentarily speechless before hurriedly searching for the data.

Based on the information obtained, Yang Xue compared the system drawings and maintenance manual, and initially determined that the problem was a brittle fracture of the seal caused by low temperature, rather than the complex host failure implied by the manager.

She immediately contacted spare parts suppliers to confirm inventory and expedited shipping routes, while ordering the site manager to activate backup equipment to maintain minimum production and ensure safety measures were in place.

The entire process was well-organized and the instructions were clear. Although the person was a little inexperienced, they demonstrated an undeniable decisiveness.

By the time he returned after the Dasha meeting, the crisis had been largely resolved.

Looking at her daughter's tired yet radiant face, and listening to her assistant's report on the handling process, Dasha felt a surge of pride.

She realized that her daughter was not only studying, but also growing up rapidly and had begun to be able to stand on her own.

Of course, there were also mistakes along the way. She almost caused the company to suffer losses because she trusted a seemingly perfect contract too much, and she also unintentionally offended a potential business partner in a social setting because of her lack of understanding of the local culture and customs.

But for each mistake, Dasha didn't blame her too much; instead, she helped her analyze the reasons and summarize the lessons learned. Yang Xue also learned the importance of caution and how to consider problems more comprehensively.

Ye Fei remained busy, and they saw each other very infrequently. Because military academy life was no different from being in the army, time simply wasn't their own.

But every time they met, Ye Fei could sense the changes in Yang Xue.

When she talked about company business, international oil prices, and pipeline politics, the light in her eyes shone with confidence and composure; she was no longer the little girl who could only look at him from afar on the hillside.

Their conversations, in addition to childhood memories and emotional bonds, included more profound topics about reality and the future.

Ye Fei would discuss with her the impact of geopolitical conflicts on energy security, while Yang Xue would share negotiation skills and observations on human nature. They inspired and supported each other.

The two childhood friends have unknowingly grown up and matured, and the hazy feelings in their hearts have gradually become clearer.

The weekend cabin gatherings continued. Sergei still clamored to be a general, but he would also curiously ask Yang Xue, "Is doing business more exciting than fighting a war?"

When analyzing the political landscape, Ivan began to consciously ask Yang Xue for her views on energy factors.

Even the usually silent Andrei tried to offer some suggestions for Brother Energy's cybersecurity system.

Angela would occasionally take time to attend their gatherings. This seasoned politician's opinions and views were naturally far superior to those of the younger generation.

But one thing is certain: Angela has unknowingly become their teacher, leading them into a completely different world.

But this world is not only filled with the dawn of their dreams, but also with something far more cruel, because the military profession is destined to be anything but glamorous, and separation and death are the norm.

The fireplace in the cabin was still warm, and the aroma of roasted apples and milk tea filled the air.

Looking at this group of energetic young people, and watching her daughter confidently talking and smiling among them, Dasha seemed to see new hope and a legacy to be passed down.

She knew that Yang Xue's chosen path was full of challenges, but she walked it firmly and steadily.

Her world was no longer limited to her longing for Ye Fei, but had expanded to a wider world—a world full of challenges and opportunities that belonged to Yang Xue herself.

And all of this is just the beginning. Bigger storms and more complex games await her in the future, but Yang Xue is already ready with her oars, eager to sail into the deeper ocean.