1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 526 I Don't Trust Anyone

Vladimir is an older city than Moscow, and the name Vladimir is one of the oldest names in Slavic history.

A wealth of talented people have emerged!

Lieutenant General Vladimir Mikhailovich Orlov, then commander of the 4th Tank Division in Moscow, was one such example.

Orlov was born in 1948 into a working-class family in Vladimir. His father worked in a railway factory, and his mother was a seamstress.

In 1966, at the age of eighteen, Orlov enrolled at the Leningrad Military Academy, majoring in tank and armored warfare command.
In 1970, after graduating from university, Orlov was assigned to the Vladivostok Border Guard Battalion, a key military post on the Soviet Far East border.

In 1975, Orlov was transferred to the Far East armored forces, where he was responsible for commanding tactical training and military logistics.
The following year, he participated in a military advisory mission prior to the Afghan invasion, providing advisory support for the Soviet Union's strategic deployment in South Asia. This led him to make contact with local military and political officials, gradually building a solid network of relationships.

In 1979, the Afghan War broke out, and Orlov officially participated in actual combat command missions, serving as a combat advisor for a tank division, where he accumulated rich practical experience on the battlefield.

A few years later, Orlov was transferred from the front lines back to headquarters in Moscow to serve as a division commander. He was awarded medals for his outstanding combat achievements and was promoted to commander of the 4th Tank Division.

In 1988, in addition to being in charge of the management and deployment of the 4th Tank Division, Orlov was promoted to lieutenant general. At the same time, he also took charge of coordinating the work between the military and the government, and maintained close contact with the border guards, logistics, and bureaucrats, becoming a very influential figure in the Moscow military.

"Within three years at most, General Orlov will be able to enter the General Staff and influence the decisions of the State Planning Committee."

Military vehicles were traveling on a highway in the suburbs.
In the car, Alexei introduced his superior to Zhai Yuan and continued to promise, "Of course, even now, General Orlov still maintains close ties with the city government, involving issues such as military factories, veterans' resettlement, and housing allocation. Even Mayor Popov has to deal with the military through him."

Zhai Yuan nodded slightly, his eyes flickering when he heard the name Mayor Popov.

Everything the Ministry of Culture and the military did was aimed at establishing a cooperative relationship with the Moscow city government.

Gavril Popov, the first elected leader of the Moscow City Council, was a key figure in both the reformist and radical factions.

"Shouldn't the military represent the conservatives?"

Zhai Yuan leaned back in his chair, turned his head to look at Alexei, and asked with interest, "Isn't General Orlov afraid of causing trouble for the Security Committee, given how close he is to the reformists?"

“Mr. Zhai, the Soviet Union is different from Hong Kong. The Soviet Union is very large. If you look for people according to the factions listed in the documents, you are not familiar with the situation in the country.”

Alexei grinned and, in front of the uniformed driver, said without any hesitation, "An officer's party membership card is red, but their refrigerator needs rubles to fill it, and their children's future depends on housing and schools... We understood this when we were on the Far East front. The KGB Security Committee? They're a bunch of guys who only know how to write reports, monitor phones, and conduct interrogations. They sit in their offices wearing leather shoes, and their guns are more often pointed at their own people."

Alexei paused here, then gave a mocking smile: "Besides, people aren't machines. Even Chairman Kryuchkov's monthly salary was only 400 rubles, which, if exchanged for dollars on the black market, would probably be less than 80 rubles. So when the KGB withdrew from East Germany, they went to great lengths to transport secondhand washing machines, printing paper, furniture, blankets, and sweaters back to the Soviet Union. All that factionalism is irrelevant..."

As Alexei spoke, he pulled a dollar bill from his jacket pocket, leaned forward, and stuffed it into the driver's jacket pocket: "Corporal Alexander, tell me, what is the truth?"

The driver gripped the steering wheel, glanced at the wad of cash sticking out of his chest, looked straight ahead, and shouted, "It's US dollars, Captain!"

Alexei laughed and patted him on the shoulder, then gave Zhai Yuan a mischievous smile: "As long as Mr. Zhai can afford the price, whether they are conservatives, reformers, or radical reformers, they will all become compliant and pragmatic. That's Moscow!"

……

In May, the air in the outskirts of Moscow was still damp and cold, and remnants of snow could still be seen on both sides of the road.

The car slowly drove in along a gravel-paved road.

Outside the car window, the towering Russian-style buildings were gray and heavy, with a rusty iron plaque standing at the entrance, engraved with the emblem of the military district.

Two fully armed sentries stood guard, holding automatic rifles, their eyes scanning the approaching vehicle.

"I have come to see General Orlov."

Alexei led Zhai Yuan out of the car, greeted the sentry with a smile, and knocked on the trunk: "A friend from Hong Kong sent a lot of gifts. Remember to help him distribute them to every proletarian fighter guarding Moscow."

The two sentries greeted Alexei with smiles, opened the trunk of the car, and their faces instantly showed astonishment.

What came into view was rows of neatly stacked Marlboro cigarettes, filling the trunk to the brim with no space left.

For ordinary citizens, cigarettes were more practical than dollars or marks in the Soviet Union, and almost everyone understood their value.

A box of Marlboro cigarettes can be exchanged for two kilograms of white sugar on the black market, or for two AKs in the military region.

A true hard currency!

Depending on Orlov's inclination towards reform, the 4th Tank Division was considered one of the more comfortable units in the military, at least its military expenses were not in arrears.

But for these soldiers, seeing cartons of cigarettes stacked in the truck was no less significant than discovering a gold mine or oil field.

Just as the soldiers were visibly shocked...
Zhai Yuan and Alexei had already walked together into the gray outer wall of the military zone.

With feet firmly planted on the frozen ground, the heavy iron doors were opened one by one.

The two walked through a courtyard filled with armored vehicles, entered the main building, and walked along a corridor covered with a dark red carpet until they arrived at the entrance of a reception room with a half-open door and warm yellow light shining through.

"Mr. Zhai, please come in."

Alexei gave Zhai Yuan a look, pushed open the door and entered, and was immediately greeted by a strong smell of cigarettes and vodka.

In the reception room, several officers in woolen overcoats were talking in hushed tones. As the door opened, everyone turned to look at them.

"General Orlov."

Alexei greeted the other officers, then his gaze fell upon the burly middle-aged man in the center.
He patted Zhai Yuan on the back and introduced him with a smile: "This is Mr. Zhai Yuan from Hong Kong, whom I mentioned to you."

All eyes were fixed on Zhai Yuan.
Zhai Yuan also looked around at his surroundings.

The living room was decorated with old, faded portraits of Lenin and commemorative oil paintings. Several officers sat around a table with vodka and glasses in front of them. The ashtray was piled with cigarette butts, and peanut shells were scattered all over the floor.

Lieutenant General Vladimir Mikhailovich Orlov, who had been talked to by Alexei the whole way,

He was now seated in the center, openly scrutinizing Zhai Yuan from head to toe. "1200 million US dollars!"

Orlov braced himself on the table and suddenly stood up. His towering figure seemed to rise from the ground, making Zhai Yuan unconsciously compare him to Shangguan Yonggan.

The conclusion was that this guy was a head bigger than Shangguan Yonggan.

After Orlov blurted out the figure of '1200 million US dollars' in broken Mandarin, he switched to Russian and mumbled a few words.

Zhai Yuan turned his head to look at Alexei.

Alexei translated in a low voice: "12 million US dollars. You send this money or supplies to the Ministry of Culture to the 4th Tank Division, and the general will guarantee that any business you do thereafter will have a smooth run in Moscow."

Zhai Yuan smiled upon hearing this. They hadn't even exchanged greetings on their first meeting, yet they were already talking about money so directly.

I like it.

“Then tell him.” Zhai Yuan smiled at Orlov and said to Alexei, “If I can meet with the core figure of the reformists, Mayor Gavril-Popov, and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the military, and the city government, and successfully open my own private bank in Moscow, I will give him more than just 1200 million.”

Banks are intermediaries for money.

In 1988, at the instigation of the United States, the Soviet Union relaxed and lifted some restrictions on foreign investment.
This led to the emergence of specialized banks in the Soviet Union for the first time, in addition to the central bank—Savings Bank, Foreign Trade Bank, Commercial Industry and Construction Bank, Housing and Utilities and Social Development Bank, etc.
Further economic liberalization led to the commercialization of these specialized banks, and Kazakhstan soon established its first "Tartu Commercial Bank," followed by the second "Viking Bank" in St. Petersburg.

An economic reform initiated from the top is intensifying.

In 1990, which is this year, the reformists just promulgated two codes last month: the Banking and Banking Operations Law and the National Bank Law.
With the establishment of the central bank's independent status, a diversified system coexisting with national banks, specialized banks, and private banks was formally permitted.
Foreign capital began to pour into the financial sector, and the disconnect from the real economy was accelerating the disintegration of the entire Soviet Union.

A sum of HK$50 billion was insufficient for Zhai Yuan to compete with British-owned trading companies in Hong Kong.

However, this money entering the Soviet Union at this time was undoubtedly comparable to nuclear weapons, enough for him to quickly crush the newly established branches of Anglo-American capital in the Soviet Union, led by Citibank and HSBC, as well as various financial institutions that were still in the stage of testing the short selling of the ruble.

If you hesitate, I'll go all in.

Opportunities are fleeting. The period from 1990 to 1991 was the only time in the 69 years since the establishment of the Soviet regime that there was a fast track to economic privatization.

It was also the last time before the illness became terminal.

Small capital might not be able to get a share, but a super speculative investor like Zhai Yuanqian would be a force to be reckoned with in the Soviet Union.

The prerequisite is to first build a solid defense line; otherwise, we will not only have to deal with the iron fist of socialism from within, but also the heavy machine gun of capitalism from without.

By throwing out $1200 million, he was trying to tell everyone that he was more powerful than Citibank and HSBC, and that as long as they were willing to protect him, he had plenty of US dollars. He built a strong shield for himself from funds to power.

"General Orlov said he could visit Mayor Popov tonight."

Alexei's voice rang in Zhai Yuan's ears again: "In one week, the general will help you get all the approvals for the opening of the banks. He will receive the same compensation as the Ministry of Culture."

"No (No)."

Zhai Yuan looked at Orlov and uttered a sentence in Russian, then laughed and said, "I must personally visit Mayor Popov and every senior executive in the subsequent banking operations, from Viktor Kharansky, head of the Central Bank headquarters, to Foreign Minister Edward Shevardnadze, every single one of them."

Then he added two more sentences: "In addition, General, don't think that my money is so easy to take. The Ministry of Culture has taken my money, so they are my mouthpiece. The military has taken my money, so they must ensure that after my bank is established, it will not be disturbed by any other forces, whether they are black or white. I will not let everyone work for nothing. If the General Staff cannot provide the military expenses, I will provide them."

Alexei's expression changed; Zhai Yuan's attitude suddenly hardened, leaving him momentarily at a loss for how to translate.

Moreover, when did this Hong Kong businessman become so knowledgeable about Soviet municipal departments? He even knows the obscure name of the head of the Central Bank headquarters.

"Captain, what did he say?"

"Yes, General."

Only when Orlov asked did Alexei translate Zhai Yuan's words verbatim.

Orlov exchanged glances with the officers around him, and smiles appeared on their faces.

He stared at Zhai Yuan and said, "You don't believe me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhai Yuan shook his head and smiled, "General, you misunderstand. On Soviet soil, I don't trust anyone."

Orlov leaned forward slightly, exuding an air of pressure; the medals hanging on his chest jingled loudly.
He grinned and said, "Kitay (Chinese, a derogatory term), I can arrest you right now on charges of trespassing on military territory and lock you up with your friends in the Ural Mountains!"

Alexei, with a conflicted expression, translated the sentence to Zhai Yuan.

"Of course, if he's willing to give up an American mansion and a refrigerator full of rubles, then lock me up."

Zhai Yuan knew that the friend he was referring to was Ye Zhiming. He smiled calmly and turned to Alexei, saying, "However, I must remind him to be careful. This morning, government newspapers like Pravda and Red Star mentioned my upcoming trade cooperation and educational exchanges with the Ministry of Culture. East Asian newspapers like September 1st, Lianhe Zaobao, and Ta Kung Pao also praised it as a good example of providing the Soviet planned economy through charitable education. If I get locked up, tsk tsk, I'm afraid it will be a bit troublesome."

"Ah ha ha!"

After listening to Alexei's translation, which he made while wiping his sweat, Orlov let out a low laugh.

"I must admit, you understand the rules better than the Russians."

Orlov smiled, pointed at Zhai Yuan, and raised his glass in a gesture of respect: "Alright, now we're allies, you'll get to see everyone you want to see."

Zhai Yuan strode forward, ignoring the curious glances from the other officers around him, and poured himself a glass of wine.

"cheers!"

He raised his glass and clinked it against Orlov's, downing the vodka in one gulp with a crisp clinking sound.

Suppressing the surging alcohol, Zhai Yuan slammed his glass down on the table and grinned: "For the Fourth Tank Division's military expenses!"

(End of this chapter)