Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2536 Tetris (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
In the Moscow afternoon, a cold wind blew snowflakes onto the asphalt road, casting a cold white hue over the gray streetscape.

After parking her car in the underground parking lot, Natasha, wearing a dark fox fur coat, paused briefly in front of the glass doors of the Carrefour supermarket before pushing them open.
As you push open the door, a scent of buttered bread, freshly ground coffee, and tropical fruit wafts out, a stark contrast to the frigid -10°C air outside.

This is one of the few supermarkets in Moscow that allows foreign goods to circulate. The shelves stretch from the entrance all the way to the back, and the wide variety of goods is distinctly different from those in ordinary supermarkets. All sorts of Western products are displayed on the most prominent counters.

This place sells not only a wide variety of Western goods, but also in-demand domestic products, though the prices are slightly higher than in the market.

Although the prices are a bit higher, you can always find everything you need here.

The people in the aisle were well-dressed. Natasha glanced at them casually and then headed towards her target area.

Natasha's eyes swept lightly across the shelves, and in the end, she bought a lot of snacks, all for the children. Of course, before leaving, she didn't forget to pick up a beautifully packaged SEA hand cream.

As she walked to the cashier, she casually placed the items on the counter. After the cashier announced the price, she readily paid and settled the bill.

Then Natasha, carrying shopping bags, took the elevator to the underground parking lot, just like when she arrived.

But instead of heading to her car, she walked around it and entered another passageway. Then she climbed the stairs to the next floor. At the end of the passageway, she knocked lightly twice on the wooden door and then turned the lock.

Natasha paused for a moment as she pushed open the door.

Li Yitao sat behind the desk by the window, wearing a gray wool sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and was writing something with his head down.

Hearing the noise, Li Yitao looked up, and a smile spread across his face when he saw her. He had come all the way to the Moscow branch just to be with her.

Actually, the company doesn't have much business in Moscow, so he doesn't need to come here in person, but this is for her and the child.

Without saying a word, Natasha walked quickly over, dropped her shopping bags, and threw herself into his arms.

His embrace was still so warm, with a faint smell of tobacco, the scent she had been longing for all week.

She tilted her head back and, before Li Yitao could speak, stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

Longing was like a flame ignited; a week's worth of waiting, worry, and anxiety all transformed into burning passion in this kiss. Li Yitao's arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer to him, his kiss deep and urgent, as if he wanted to fill in the void of the past week.

The cold wind outside made the blinds rustle softly, and snowflakes accumulated in a thin layer on the glass. But inside this small office, there was a warm and affectionate atmosphere, with only their rapid breathing and undisguised deep feelings remaining.

Several tens of minutes later, they were lying on the sofa, covered with Natasha's fur coat, with Natasha's head resting on his chest, her fingers gently circling his body, and then she said:

"We may have more opportunities to connect in the future."

"Huh? Really?"

Li Yitao looked at his lover in his arms with some confusion.

This country was completely different from any other country he had ever been to. As a foreigner, he was under surveillance here. And that's why they could only meet secretly, avoiding everyone, just like they were now.

If it were exposed, it would not only cause trouble for him, but also for her.

Therefore, they can only meet secretly like this, and they are very careful to avoid being discovered by outsiders. For this reason, he even specially renovated his office.

"Yes, I will be taking up a position in the Cultural Liaison Department next week, and then our work will require us to meet more often."

Looking at her beloved man, Natasha's eyes were filled with undisguised love.

She truly loved him, and she also knew the risks he was taking for her—after all, in this country, foreigners are inherently risky.

If their secret were discovered, he might even be considered a spy.

"It's a pity we still can't see each other every day."

Li Yitao's tone sounded somewhat helpless. Countless times, he had wanted to take the women and children with him, but... it was not realistic now, after all, she was the marshal's daughter.

If only she were an ordinary person's daughter!

That way he could ask his father for help in taking them out of the country.

In fact, the company itself could do this. After all, it has business dealings with this country worth hundreds of millions of rubles every year.

If you want to take someone, or even a whole family, away from here, you can do so through official channels.

But her identity shattered all of that.

"Hey,"

Curled up in her lover's arms, Natasha sighed helplessly and said...

"Let's cherish the present moment, darling."

She didn't mention that she was going to Ukraine next year.

At that point, they wouldn't even be able to continue their trysts. Because he couldn't possibly go to Ukraine.
Despite her deep reluctance, Natasha had to go.

Of course, the reason she went was not because it was her father's arrangement, but because it was her choice as a mother. Only if she herself rose to a high position could Andrei and Nina have a better future.

That's how things always are in this country.

Of course, she could also choose to leave the country with her children, in which case the family could live together openly and honestly.

However, things are never that simple.

With a touch of regret and reluctance, nestled in her lover's arms, all Natasha could think of at that moment was to cherish the present.

Holding the woman in his arms, Li Yitao thought for a moment, then asked:

"By the way, what does your department handle? Is it cultural exchange? How can I deepen our communication?"

"Basically, I'm in charge of everything related to culture and diplomacy."

Natasha then explained the responsibilities of her department and told her lover what he should do to give them more opportunities to meet.
……

"The aircraft carrier Minsk has arrived in Syrian waters to support international counter-terrorism operations..."

Alexei Pajitnov, sitting on the subway, glanced at the news in the newspaper, merely raising an eyebrow. As an engineer, he wasn't particularly interested in this kind of news.

As for reading newspapers, it's just a way to pass the time while riding the subway.

"According to the current schedule, it will be about 6 months before I can buy my own 'Riguli'..."

The Zhiguli, also known as the "Lada," was the best car in the Soviet Union. Although it hasn't seen many improvements in over a decade, it remains very popular due to its low failure rate and reliable performance. While it was a bit pricey, it has always been a favorite among Soviet citizens.

For this reason, there is a waiting list to buy it. Even Alexei, an engineer at the Computer Center of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, has been waiting for six months. However, he will have to wait another 12 months before he can get his hands on it.

"It's just another 6 months..."

He pondered this in his heart, looking at the newspaper with a sense of helplessness. As everyone knows, these newspapers don't carry any news, only information that they need to know.

Just like the news about supporting the anti-terrorism operation in Syria, the newspapers only praised the Minsk aircraft carrier and the bravery of the Soviet naval officers and soldiers, but made no mention of the risk of triggering a war.

Although it's supposedly for international counter-terrorism, everyone knows that it's just using the guise of counter-terrorism to support Syria.

Is it worth it to go into conflict with Western countries over Syria?
Alexei had no answer in his heart; he was just an engineer.

Actually, if possible, he hopes to have the opportunity to travel to Western countries and see them for himself, including the SEA.

But this is obviously impossible.

After all, he was an engineer at the Computer Center of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, or, in Western terms, a "programmer," and was one of the people prohibited from leaving the country.

As for whether there will be an opportunity to go abroad in the future, who knows?

Soon, the subway arrived at the station.

Upon arrival, Alexei disembarked as usual, stepped onto the ground, and headed toward the Computer Center of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

The computer center mainly undertakes scientific research in the fields of computational methods, mathematical modeling, computer program software, and applications of computer science and technology. Alexei's job as an engineer is not complicated; he simply designs computer program software as needed.

In the computer center corridor, Alexei Vasilyevich was chewing the last bite of black bread as he hurried towards his workstation. Winter sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting long, dappled patterns on the floor, and the air was thick with the warm glow characteristic of electronic equipment.

“Alexei, your ‘bricks’ are really fun to play with.”

Nadya, from the next workstation, raised her hand in greeting. Colorful blocks were flashing across her computer screen; with each mouse click, the blocks landed precisely in their designated spots, emitting a crisp electronic beep when they were eliminated. Alexei smiled and nodded, pulled out a chair, and expertly turned on the Ural-4 computer on his desk.

This is an electronic computer modeled after Wang Laboratories' computers. Because of its simplicity and practicality, it has been promoted in many departments in the Soviet Union.

However, this electronic computer, which was worth thousands of rubles, has now become a toy.

Whenever they have free time, the staff at the center use it to play games, and the most popular is the program icon that Alek often writes—a simple pattern made up of blocks of various shapes. This is a block game he modified from children's jigsaw puzzles. It has no complicated rules; you just need to piece together the falling blocks to complete a row and score points. He gave it a simple name:

"Square".

However, Alexei's colleagues called it "the brick," which was just a compliment.

"Nadya, what do you think of this game?"

"I think it could be made a bit more complicated..."

Nadya was very focused on the game, saying as she played:
"It's too easy, so it's not fun to play..."

(End of this chapter)