War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 2027 Meeting someone
On a sun-drenched coastline in Papua New Guinea, Gorman also received news that Wei Ran was about to "graduate."

"This beast, which could go berserk at any moment, has finally decided to lock itself in a cage," Gorman sighed inwardly.

"Is that Victor that dangerous?"

Not far from him, Uma, who was hiding in the carriage looking towards the Australian continent through a telescope, asked curiously.

"He's practically Belial come to life."

Gorman shook his head wearily. "Look at the public opinion he's been stirring up lately. Now there are even protests in Papua New Guinea."

"Weren't we the ones who instigated this protest?" Liu Yiwan, who was taking care of his pregnant wife not far away, asked in surprise.

There's a Chinese proverb that says Bugs Bunny won't patronize the hay shop in front of his house.

Lazaro from Cuba said, "So the protests in Papua New Guinea were not organized by us."

"What is Mr. Victor's purpose?"

As Liu Yiwan's wife stroked her swollen belly, she asked the question that had been bothering her.

"It's like plucking a bird's feathers."

The metaphors that came out of Lazzaro's mouth all seemed to be related to animals: "Those bloody photos that have been leaked for so long, including that comic book company that I don't know if it also belongs to Victor."

This is like plucking the feathers from a monstrous creature one by one, letting the sunlight gradually shine on its skin, revealing the evil, its true nature, and all its wicked intentions that it has tried so hard to hide.

"And then?" Liu Yiwan pressed.

"Then all we need to do is wait for the right opportunity."

Lazzaro looked at the shimmering sea in the distance and said, "When the memory of hatred is awakened, the seeds of hatred sprout."

Now all that's needed is a spring rain. Those seeds that have taken root and sprouted will bear ten times, a hundred times, more fruit.

"I don't understand what you're talking about," Liu Yiwan sighed helplessly.

Ever since he and his wife arrived here, he has discovered that he is far less intelligent than that old fox named Gorman.

As for Gorman's strategic skills, he's not even worthy of licking the toes of that real madman Lazzaro!
While the outside world was making many speculations, analyses, and attempts to cover up Wei Ran's situation, Wei Ran had just managed to coax Sui Sui, who had had a small drink the night before, to sleep.

He tiptoed into the bathroom of his hotel room, clutching the letter that Old Lady Gao Hongyan had entrusted to Xia Shushi to give to him. Then he activated the timeline and arrived at the farm in Clara's dream.

Looking down at the letter still clutched in his hand, Wei Ran took a deep breath. Suddenly, Wang Cheng's image and data stream appeared beside him.

This was the initial ability he gained after becoming the administrator of this database: he could "invite" data streams that had previously intersected to reunite at any time.

What he hadn't expected was that he could actually bring the letters in; it was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise.

"This is...this is a reply from your wife, Gao Hongyan," Wei Ran said as he handed the envelope to the recipient.

"Thank you!"

Wang Cheng took the envelope with both hands, raised his hand and saluted Wei Ran, who subconsciously returned the salute.

Seeing Wang Cheng standing there reading the letter, Wei Ran sat wearily at the coffee table, patiently and quietly waiting.

After a long while, Wang Cheng sat down opposite Wei Ran.

"Should we reply?" Wei Ran asked.

"No need," Wang Cheng said with a smile, shaking his head. "I have nothing on my mind."

"Is there anything I can tell you?"

"No need"

Still young, Wang Cheng smiled and shook his head, "I have no regrets."

Watching Wang Cheng's data stream merge into the database, Wei Ran silently sighed and left just as decisively.

When everything around him became the hotel bathroom, Wei Ran, with nothing left to worry about, returned to his room and fell into a deep sleep, holding the girl beside him.

As the sun shone brightly over China once again, Wei Ran, Sui Sui, and the others rushed to the airport and boarded a flight to Tianjin.

"Is there anything else you need to do next?" Sui Sui asked, leaning against Wei Ran.

"I don't have anything to do here anymore, but you're about to get busy, right?" Wei Ran asked in return.

"really"

Sui Sui yawned. "I still have a large sum of money that I haven't spent yet. I'm planning to invest it in China."

That's perfect.

Wei Ran thought for a moment and said, "You can spend the money slowly first. I'll go back to Kazan in the next few days."

"Didn't you say..."

"Go over there and make some arrangements, then come right back," Wei Ran reassured her with a smile.

"Shall I go with you?"

"Need not"

Wei Ran shook his head and refused, "You stay in China. Don't go back to Kazan until I return."

With just one sentence, Sui Sui understood Wei Ran's plan. After taking a few deep breaths, she replied energetically, "Okay! I'll wait for you at home. When are you leaving?"

"Today, then."

Wei Ran said with a smile, "I'll set off as soon as I get to Tianjin. Ji Ma has already sent Alili to pick me up in his small plane."

"Let Camille"

"No need, you can leave them to them."

Wei Ran refused, knowing full well that Sui Sui must already know something, but their tacit understanding made it unnecessary to bring it up.

"Alright"

Sui Sui thought for a moment and snapped her fingers crisply. "That's it. Marlene's cocktail party at our castle in Austria has just ended."

I'll have her and Coco meet you in Kazan. Could you please put in a good word for me with them then?

Wei Ran's playful smile immediately made Sui Sui beam with joy.

With this plan in mind, during the short flight time, Sui Sui took the computer handed to her by Lu Xinda, quickly drafted a plan, and copied it to a USB drive before the plane landed, stuffing it into Wei Ran's briefcase.

Next, accompanied by several girls led by Sui Sui, Wei Ran walked through another passage and boarded the private jet that had been waiting for him.

"The parking fees here are too expensive."

Before Wei Ran could close the cabin door, Ali hurriedly taxied off the tarmac, thinking, "Half a day here would be enough for me to marry the youngest and prettiest girl in Inta."

"So what's the matter that's so urgent?" Wei Ran asked curiously.

"It's Mr. Nikolai who wants to see you."

Ali said, "Also, would you like to try the passenger seat?"

Where is your passenger seat?

"I drank too much last night and I'm still sleeping in the last row," Ali said helplessly.

Upon hearing this, Wei Ran simply went into the cockpit and sat in the passenger seat.

After helping Ariel take off, he continued, "In addition, Mr. Culp and Aunt Dalia are also looking forward to meeting you."

Others who want to meet you include Niner and that bastard Dima. Let me think... Mr. Kajik also wants to meet you. And who else, I think? In short, many people need to meet with you.

So where should we go first?

Wei Ran asked a new question. Based on his understanding of those people, he knew they would never group together to meet him.

"First, there's Dima and Greva."

Ali pulled a crumpled notebook from under his buttocks, opened it and looked at it. "Our first stop is Khabarovsk. Sorry, Khabarovsk, our first stop is Khabarovsk."

What were you apologizing for just now?

As Wei Ran spoke, he opened a pack of cigarettes, flicked one out, and handed it to the other person. "It's a regulation of Ta Shipping Company that we must refer to the city as Khabarovsk because we often need to transport Chinese tourists."

"Who made that rule?" Wei Ran asked with great interest.

“Misha” Ali explained, “We must respect God’s customs.”

"Okay, so where's the second stop?" Wei Ran continued to ask.

Ulan-Ude

Aliri placed a glass jar, originally intended for pickled cucumbers, between the two men as an ashtray. "Niner and his wife are waiting for you there."

After you finish talking, we'll fly to Tyumen, where Mr. Nikolai will be waiting for you.

"Is Mr. Nikolai in Tyumen?"

"Of course, and I personally transported him and his motorcycle there."

Ali said, "After we finish talking there, you'll have to take a public flight to Kazan because I'm taking Mr. Nikolai back to Volga!"
Stalingrad—our company policy dictates that certain special cities must use Soviet names.

"This is also Misha."

"It's Her Majesty's rule."

As Ali spoke, he pulled out a small pure silver flask from his pocket and took a small sip of the liquor, which was clearly bought in China. "Call me anytime after you're done in Kazan, and I'll send you back."

"You've really worked hard," Wei Ran said, pretending he was blind and hadn't noticed the other person's drinking habit.

"Victor, are you really going to go back to China and never come to Russia again?"

Ali asked nervously, "Where is Her Majesty the Queen? Isn't she going back to Russia either? What will happen to us in Tajikistan?"

"Do not worry"

Wei Ran also took out a wine flask, opened it, and clinked it with the other person's to reassure them, "We will indeed be living in China for a long time in the future, but we are friends, so we will still see each other often."

And thinking about it, it's obvious that many of our legal businesses, as well as those less legitimate ones in Greva, need people—more precisely, they need Inta people. So what are you worried about?

"I'm relieved to hear that," Ali breathed a heavy sigh of relief. This was great news not only for him, but for the entire Inta.

During a casual chat with Ali, the adorably ugly An-74 aircraft, under the control of two pilots, began its run smoothly with an Afhan-style landing and eventually came to a stop on a parking apron.

"That was terrifying, I thought we were going to have an accident just now," Ali joked.

"You'd better be sober by the time I get back on the plane."

Wei Ran, equally startled, had already stepped out of the cockpit and opened the door himself as he walked down to the tarmac.

"You're finally here! Get in the car!" Ji Ma, sitting in a ground support vehicle, yawned and opened the car door, urging him on.

"How long have we been waiting?" Wei Ran asked, slamming the car door shut as he climbed into the car.

Greta was driving the car, and sitting in the passenger seat was Anna, the egg tart girl from Chicken Tofu. "Wait, you two are together?" Wei Ran asked in surprise.

"That's right!"

Greva proudly showed off the matching rings on his and Anna's hands.

"It's only been a few days?" Wei Ran's eyes widened.

"It's really fast."

Anna said happily, "Also, I'm pregnant, and it's a girl. We'll name her Aurora."

"You're pregnant already?"

Wei Ran asked incredulously, "It's only been a few days? What's the date today? When did these two meet?"

"I always knew I was way better than that idiot Jima."

Grevaco didn't consider Dima to be the boss at all. "However..."

"However, Maya is also pregnant."

"And it's a boy," Dima said proudly. "We're going to name him Victor."

“We’re going to make you the godfather of our children,” the two Allah brothers said in unison.

"The Godfather? Me?"

Wei Ran realized what was happening and shook his head, both amused and exasperated. "I'm not religious."

"It's okay, we're not religious."

Jima, the king of nonsense, said nonchalantly, "Anyway, you have to be the children's godfather. Any religion is fine, even Taoism from your China is acceptable."

"Taoism has a godfather, you know?" Wei Ran felt his head starting to ache. "So you rushed me here just for this?"

"of course not"

Jima said smugly, "Don't rush, we'll talk about the rest when we get home."

Knowing that what Jima was planning to say at home was probably extremely sensitive, Wei Ran simply continued the previous topic, "So Maya didn't come?"

"Of course she came. She's at home preparing dinner."

Jima solemnly declared beforehand, "Given that we already have children, we can't drink alcohol later."

"You're talking complete bullshit. It's not like you're the one who has to give birth."

Wei Ran patted his forehead helplessly. He already had a feeling that his rascal friend was going to cause some trouble later.

"Why didn't Her Majesty come along?"

Greta asked regretfully, "We were also planning to ask her to be our child's godmother."

"Your child isn't a leavened steamed bun; why would they need yeast?"

Feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded, Wei Ran muttered to himself about the pun in the Russian-to-Chinese translation, but asked aloud, "Anna, how is your mother?"

"She's here too."

Anna explained with a smile, "With Greva's help, our dessert shop has not only opened in your library and Time Film Studio, but also in Khabarovsk and Vladivostok."

“We’re going to Greva and Anna’s home in Khabarovsk,” Dima explained from the side.

Looks like we're having unlimited egg tarts today!

“Of course!” Anna replied with a smile.

During a casual conversation about the Godfather and baking powder, as well as children and egg tarts, Greva drove to the underground parking garage of a high-rise building in downtown Khabarovsk.

As they rode the elevator up, Greva explained, "We bought the top three floors and the first floor of this building from a businessman from Warts at a friendly price."

This is now the shipping company's headquarters here, and of course, my home is here too.

"On a clear day, I can see Chinese cities on the other side of the Amur River from my house."

Anna said, "Greva has taken me to China several times recently."

With Anna's cheerful introduction, the elevator went up to the second-to-last floor, and the three of them warmly led Wei Ran into this super-large single-level apartment that could only be described as luxurious.

At that moment, Anna's mother, Monica, was preparing dinner with Maya and Anna from the Red Flag Forest Farm in the large kitchen.

"Teacher Anna, what brings you here?" Wei Ran asked in surprise, as he thought he would have to wait until they arrived in Kazan to see her.

"Of course I came here to see you."

After Anna greeted Wei Ran and Maya, she waved to him and handed the apron she had taken off to Jima as she walked toward the stairs not far from the large apartment.

Seeing this, Wei Ran immediately put down his briefcase and electronic devices, and followed the other person up the solid wood stairs to the top floor of the high-rise building.

“Victor, I’ve come to see you for only one thing,” Anna said as she poured coffee for Wei Ran after sitting down on a large sofa.

"whats the matter?"

Wei Ran took the coffee offered by the other party and asked.

About Aurora

"Is she in trouble?" Wei Ran asked calmly.

It's not that she's in trouble.

Anna shook her head. "It's just that the neighboring autonomous prefecture of Kutsuba needs a capable female governor in a few years."

"You mean her?"

“If she’s interested,” Anna said.

Give up.

Wei Ran shook his head without even thinking, "She has absolutely no interest in this kind of thing."

"Although I guessed that was the case, it still feels very helpless to hear you say it to me in person."

Anna took a sip of coffee and bluntly reminded him, "Victor, my good student, Aurora needs more than just money."

Let's find someone else.

Wei Ran shook his head. "I know her. This kind of thing is like being in prison for her."

"So, is there anyone in mind?" Anna asked with a hint of helplessness, as if she had already anticipated this outcome.

"Jima?"

"Why don't you recommend the esteemed Mr. Gorbachev, who is the security manager at the film studio?"

“It seems you have a better candidate,” Wei Ran said with a smile.

I still prefer you when you were a clueless newbie.

Anna smiled. "Our alternative is Olena."

"You mean"

“That’s right,” Anna nodded. “If you trust her, she might need Aurora’s support.”

If you have better options, like Lola or the twins you're with, you can switch to them.

"Is the key point trust?"

"certainly"

"Then let's go with Olena," Wei Ran said casually.

"Olena said that to express her gratitude for your support, she is prepared to give you a sculpture as a token of her appreciation."

As Anna spoke, she pulled off the red velvet cloth covering the coffee table, revealing a sculpture that looked like it was posing for a photo.

"This is..." Wei Ran looked at the sculpture on the table with a puzzled expression.

"The historian and the women around him"

Ms. Anna suppressed a laugh and said, "In addition, Dima, Niner, and Kalp, including Mr. Nikolai, each bought a replica that is twice the size of this one."

"What do you mean by a replica twice the size of this? And why would she carve something like this in the first place? Why would they buy this kind of thing?"

Wei Ran stared blankly at the sculpture on the table, which was even larger than the reclining Belial.

Aside from his own appearance being exceptionally clear, the women standing around him seemed unfinished, lacking any concrete features.

"how could I know"

Anna answered several questions at once with an irresponsible answer: "Since you have no objections, Olena will be coming over soon to begin her political career."

When she turns 30, after experiencing a setback, she will become the governor of the Jewish Autonomous Region.

"Teacher Anna is truly an excellent prophet," Wei Ran said, both amused and exasperated.

He knew very well, and the other party knew very well, that Olena was said to be a backup, but in reality, she was the chosen protagonist.

This meeting was merely to seek his and Sui Sui's consent, support, and a deeper level of trust.

"Who knows, I might take over the fortune-telling business at your library someday?"

Anna picked up her coffee cup and clinked it against Wei Ran's. "Also, I forgot to tell you, Kalp and I got married on Children's Day."

"Pfft! Cough cough cough! Cough—cough cough!"

After coughing for a while, Wei Ran stared wide-eyed at the other person, "You guys."

"The wedding was held at Marta's House on Golonid Island. I'm sorry we didn't invite you; we only invited the children."

In addition, we plan to use a woman we recently caught who tried to break into your house to help transport a child to raise for fun.

Anna rattled off one jaw-dropping "good news" after another: "Victor, Kalp and I aren't young anymore, so when we're done playing around, we'll leave our child in your care."

"I understand, I will take good care of your child," Wei Ran replied, feeling both amused and exasperated.

He didn't ask why the Japanese soldiers were still determined to sneak into his house, but he knew very well that Anna had just sent a very clear signal through the "children"—they were finally ready to seriously enjoy their retirement, which was also a sign of trust.

It's just unknown what kind of "tragic" education their children will receive.

Thinking of this, Wei Ran's mood improved considerably, and he asked with great interest, "How many female Japanese soldiers did you capture?"

"Two of you, do you need to borrow one?"

Anna asked a question with a smile that was somewhat immoral, but also seemed to require little moral consideration.

(End of this chapter)