HK Composite: Starting from Shenghe Leading

Chapter 583 Motive
Meanwhile, Western businessmen are unable to sell related materials to the Polar Bear Alliance due to national policies.

Even if some merchants dare to risk high profits and successfully break through layers of blockades to smuggle related goods to the Polar Bear Alliance, it is ultimately a drop in the ocean.

After all, as the country with the largest land area in the world, its daily consumption of resources is absolutely astronomical.

Not to mention, many procedures require skimming off a portion of the funds. After such deductions, how much of it can actually be distributed to the lower levels?
In this situation, the only solution is to spend a lot of money to find connections and smooth things over to ensure large-scale and stable procurement.

Looking at the world as a whole, the number of people who are capable of doing this job is absolutely very small.

Lin Zehao is definitely one of them, and he is the most suitable one overall.

Kravchuk pondered for a long time before finally speaking: "You're right. The shortage of the most basic civilian supplies is indeed the committee's Achilles' heel."

"To be honest, the higher-ups are also considering reducing the number of troops. In the absence of a clear war, maintaining such a huge number of troops costs astronomical amounts every day..."

"Moreover, even the army's basic supplies are starting to run out. Perhaps selling the Black Sea Fleet at this time would be a good deal for both of us."

Lin Zehao simply nodded silently, without exposing Kravchuk's lie.

The military's problems are no longer just a matter of being short of supplies, but rather an urgent matter.

As everyone knows, the soldiers of the Polar Bear Alliance can go without food or weapons, but they absolutely cannot go without vodka!

Now, those Russian soldiers have started drinking antifreeze. Under these circumstances, forget about going to the battlefield; they should be lucky if they don't drink themselves to death.

Even more fatally, if this situation cannot be changed, the possibility of mutiny will become increasingly greater.

If the military gets out of control, the consequences will be devastating!

At that point, it would be a matter of ripples spreading far and wide, and it's very hard to say whether external forces might take advantage of the situation to act violently.

Under this premise, the deal proposed by Lin Zehao is not entirely without a chance.

As the saying goes, anything is possible with human effort.

"Then you can start working on it now, and I will start lobbying the major governments in the Western world for you. As long as the committee agrees in principle to sell the Black Sea Fleet to me, we can sit down and discuss the terms."

"As long as the deal goes through, I can guarantee that within a month, all kinds of resources will be continuously transported in by rail, running 24 hours a day, with people resting and trains never stopping."

Lin Zehao wasn't bragging; he had already started preparations, stockpiling countless supplies, just waiting for the day they could be converted into cash.

If he could gain control of the Black Sea Fleet, then his long-held plan could be realized!

As for what the ultimate plan was, he never told anyone, not even the women around him or his brothers.

"Okay, don't worry, even if it's just for our hometown, I will do everything in my power to help you make this happen."

"Wait for my news."

Clearly, Kravchuk has taken this matter to heart and considers it his top priority.

Upon leaving the luxurious estate, he immediately reported to the committee and set off for Moscow.

…………

Moscow.

The vast Red Square was eerily quiet, with a hint of desolation, a far cry from its usual bustling atmosphere.

To the east is the Moscow State Department Store, to the south is St. Basil's Cathedral, and to the west are Lenin's Mausoleum, the Kremlin's red walls, and three towers.

The Kremlin is also the highest governing office of the Polar Bear Union.

The word "Kremlin" in Russian means "inner city." It was the palace of successive Tsarist monarchs and is also the oldest architectural complex in Moscow.

Generally speaking, by studying such significant architectural complexes, one can often learn about the history of a country and its people.

In 1156, Grand Prince Yuri Dolgoruky built a small wooden castle on his fiefdom and named it "Gerginets".

In 1320, Ivan I began building the Kremlin using oak logs and limestone, decorating it with intricate and exquisite carvings, and constructing each roof in a distinctive domed shape.

This move made the Kremlin the center of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, enjoying unparalleled prestige and attracting countless people to come and worship.

In 1472, when Ivan III married Sophia Paleologie, a princess of the Byzantine Empire, he resolved to rebuild the Uspinsky Cathedral built by Ivan I. He then hired the Italian Rudolf Feorovanti as an engineer at a high salary of ten rubles per month.

In 1479, the Uspinsky Cathedral, located in the center of the Kremlin, was completed. Its golden dome and towering spires shimmered in the sunlight, making it a true architectural marvel of its time.

From then on, the Uspinsky Cathedral served as the state church of Tsarist Russia, and all the coronation ceremonies of the Tsars were held here.

In 1491, the Grand Duke's Palace, located on the west side of the square, was completed. It is known for its strict architectural proportions and cubic shape, and is named after the white stone that is cut into tetrahedrons and inlaid on its front.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the central church square was home to the Church of the Assumption, the Church of the Angels, the Church of the Annunciation, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, and the Palace of Facets.

Between 1532 and 1543, a four-story cubic clock tower was built to its north.

In 1660, Ivan's Clock Tower was expanded to five stories and topped with a golden dome.

In 1788, the Senate Building (now the Government House) was completed.

In 1812, Napoleon ordered the Kremlin to be bombed, causing it great damage.

In 1838, the Grand Kremlin was rebuilt entirely by Russian craftsmen using local building materials. It appears to be a three-story building, but it is actually two stories. The first floor protrudes forward, forming an open-air balcony, which later served as a meeting place for the high-ranking members of the Russian Union.

In 1935, the double-headed eagle that had symbolized the Tsar's authority for centuries on the Kremlin watchtower was removed and replaced with the symbol of the new regime, which I won't go into detail about here; those who know, know.

During World War II, in order to prevent the German Luftwaffe from bombing the Kremlin, the Pharaoh Alliance did something extraordinary: they painted the entire 28-hectare Kremlin in camouflage colors, covered the buildings with cloth, and even concealed the glittering gold on the tops of the churches with paint. It was a massive mobilization.

The Kremlin Palace was built in the 1840s, and there are twenty towers around the palace walls.

Among the most magnificent towers in the palace are the Spartacus, Nikolai, Troitsk, Paulowitz, and Waldorfzwod towers.

In October 1961, the Kremlin Great Hall was put into use.

In 1967, a full-body statue of Lenin was erected in the Kremlin gardens to commemorate his achievements.

On November 27, 1978, Moscow experts began restoring the Kremlin buildings under orders from above. The entire restoration project lasted until the 1980s before it was finally completed.

In 1990, this year, the Kremlin and Red Square were inscribed on the World Heritage List. Recalling historical events, Kravchuk pulled his hat down and stepped into the Kremlin into the snow.

It's currently winter, and the Russian climate goes without saying; temperatures of minus ten or twenty degrees Celsius are the norm.

Led by a guard, Kravchuk arrived at his office.

He stood at the door, tidied his appearance, and then began to knock.

Tuk-tuk-tuk.

After three calls, the secretary opened the door and gestured for him to come in.

Upon entering, one sees Gorbachev in a suit, reclining on a leather sofa.

He looks much older in person. I thought he was already quite overweight in the photos, but he's actually a whole size bigger in real life.

"Leonid, you've arrived. Please have a seat."

Gorbachev first handed the documents in his hand to his secretary, then picked up a cigar and began to smoke with Kravchuk.

Unlike his loving father, who enjoyed smoking pipes, he explicitly forbade his subordinates from smoking pipes during his reign.

In layman's terms, this is decentralization; the prestige of the former, or even the former ex-predecessor, must not be allowed to affect the current one.

The knowledge involved is extremely profound, and only a master in this field can comprehend even a fraction of it.

After a polite greeting, Kravchuk sat down on the sofa.

Although in terms of actual status he was not much lower than Gorbachev, he was still subordinate in terms of relevant positions, and the necessary procedures still had to be followed.

"It seems this plan has really convinced you, otherwise you definitely wouldn't have come to me so quickly to report on your work."

Gorbachev just smiled with his eyes narrowed, looking like a magnanimous Maitreya Buddha.

"You know me best. I gave you a brief report over the phone, but some things are better discussed in person."

Kravchuk didn't feel like he was meeting his boss alone; it felt more like two friends, or colleagues, chatting.

As is well known, the Polar Bear Alliance is an alliance with various member countries, but the leader has always been Russia, while the second-in-command is Russia.

Gorbachev can be considered the top leader of Russia, or even the top leader of the entire Union.

Kravchuk was the top leader of the two Maos, which can be simply understood as second only to one person and above ten thousand others. Of course, this is definitely not entirely accurate, but the general idea is similar.

Therefore, aside from some foreign visits, the two were actually evenly matched in terms of power.

Especially towards the end of the union's term, Gorbachev's actual power was not necessarily more than Kravchuk's.

After all, the latter could truly control Er Mao completely, while the former was only a nominal big shot. In his heyday, it was fine; when the emperor raised his arm, no one in the country dared to disobey.

However, with the decline of the Polar Bear Alliance, many of its subordinates have become compliant but disobedient.

You can't blame these underlings for being disloyal. Anyone who follows their boss will only get worse and worse. Not only will they not gain any benefits, but they will also make a lot of inexplicable enemies. In the end, they won't even be able to eat.

Most people would do the same thing in this situation.

"Go ahead and say it, I'm listening."

As Kravchuk recounted the whole story, Gorbachev's brows furrowed tightly.

Of course, he only said what was appropriate to say, and he chose to automatically hide any inappropriate parts.

"The Black Sea Fleet?!"

"A businessman actually dares to make such an outrageous demand to buy the Black Sea Fleet?!"

"impossible!"

“Absolutely impossible!!!”

"Are you sure this is Lin Zehao's own idea, and not that he acted as a middleman, and the actual buyer is someone else?"

Gorbachev was immediately outraged, his words overflowing with doubt and his face filled with disbelief.

He now has strong reason to suspect that Lin Zehao is just a middleman, and the buyers behind him are likely Western countries led by the United States!
Once the Black Sea Fleet falls into the hands of these people, the international situation will shift dramatically, and who knows what unexpected things might happen.

With this in mind, Gorbachev stared intently at Kravchuk, trying to find a clue in his expression.

“I can guarantee in the name of Lenin that Lin Zehao does not represent any one person; he just wants to arm his own forces.”

Kravchuk spoke without the slightest hesitation, his words resounding with unwavering conviction.

He had dealt with Lin Zehao so many times, so he trusted him to some extent.

Moreover, if Lin Zehao really intends to use this as a pretext to actually sell the Black Sea Fleet to Western governments, then he can forget about doing business within the sphere of influence of the Polar Bear Alliance from now on.

Because this no longer falls under the commercial category, the committee could arrest Lin Zehao on charges of attempting to commit war crimes.

Kravchuk believed that a smart man like Lin Zehao would not make such a one-off deal, thus cutting himself off from the Southeast Asian market.

"Alright, Leonid, even if I believe your story, tell me, what would a businessman need the Black Sea Fleet for?"

"Are you planning to attack India and kill all those female rapists who eat with their left hand and wipe their butts with their left hand?"

"I'm not bragging, but once Lin Zehao has the Black Sea Fleet, he will definitely leap to become one of the top five naval powers in the world!"

"Tell me, Leonid, what is the point of a merchant like you wanting these things?"

Although it was only a brief negotiation, Kravchuk understood that if the price was right, Gorbachev would probably actually agree to the deal.

Because he only asked about Lin Zehao's motives from beginning to end, and never mentioned anything else.

What does this mean?
This shows that, deep down, Gorbachev actually tacitly approved of the deal.

(End of this chapter)