1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 538 Testing
In the early hours of the morning, the lights were still on in a rest room at the Ural military camp.

A hissing sound came from the receiver.

Alexander stood at his desk, bowing slightly, holding the phone. His face was still flushed with alcohol, but he tried his best to make his voice sound sober as he clearly reported everything that had happened at the hotel that night.

"You mean, Guberko made a special trip to Yekaterinburg to see Zhai Yuan?"

Compared to Alexander's efforts to conceal his drunkenness,
Another man's voice came through the receiver, his drunken tone barely concealed, the stench of alcohol seemingly about to spray onto Alexander's face through the telephone line.

"Yes, Chairman Ye."

Alexander said respectfully, "Although we have close ties with officials in the Ministry of Culture, I am still worried that tonight's banquet may have ulterior motives, given the pervasive nature of the KGB."

The clinking of glasses came from the other end of the phone, clearly indicating that the alcoholic chairman was still pouring himself a drink.

“You have considered everything very thoroughly, Alexander. That’s why I feel comfortable leaving you in Yekaterinburg.”

After a burp, Ye Liqing's voice came through the phone again: "The KGB strikes fear into the hearts of everyone in this country, including Guberko. In these extraordinary times, we must thoroughly investigate any outsiders who approach us... including that so-called Far East Club. My youngest daughter, Tatiana, always speaks highly of Zhai Yuan, but these young people have never experienced the Yuri Andropov administration. In short, until the election is over, even if Zhai Yuan is our moneybag, we must keep an eye on his every move."

After a pause, Ye Liqing's voice rang out again, drunkenly laughing, "Very good, Alexander, just like today, report everything that happens in Yekaterinburg to me in a timely manner."

Alexander let out a soft breath, secretly relieved.

If it weren't for Ye Zhiming's joke about Yanzi tonight, he definitely wouldn't have reported Natasha's matter.

Even if there's only a one percent chance that Natasha is a KGB agent, his position as a so-called general will most likely be over.

Although Alexander still doesn't think Natasha has any problems, he informed Ye Liqing about the matter truthfully so that he wouldn't have to take the blame if problems arose in the future.

Alexander tentatively asked, "Shall I immediately take men to the Far East Bank and bring that woman back for interrogation?"

"Being vigilant is certainly the right thing to do, but there's no need to be overly tense, lest we startle our distinguished guest from Hong Kong."

After a brief pause on the other end of the phone, Ye Liqing chuckled softly: "It's just for one night. After dawn, have people keep an eye on that woman named Natasha. She's come all the way to Yekaterinburg, so she should stay here for now and not go anywhere else. As for whether she's an agent who flew out of the Swallow Camp, I'll have someone else verify that. By the way, let Vitaly (the KGB chairman) and Ryzhkov see clearly that they're not the only ones with allies supporting them..."

…………

“Mr. Zhai, now that there are no outsiders present, I might as well make myself clearer.”

Natasha brushed a stray hair from her temple, gave Zhai Yuan a captivating look, and said with a slight parting of her red lips, "Far East Bank has only been established for a few months, yet it has already provided loans to many state-owned enterprises. The interests involved are too deep, and I dare not ask any more questions."

"But if the Ministry of Culture can cooperate with 91 Entertainment, it can also cooperate with the Far Eastern Bank. No one will really care how Soviet film and entertainment develop, just as no one cares about the Tsarist legacy piled up in the State Art Museum, the Kremlin, and the Gorky Art Museum."

"Odessa Film Studio can provide your company with tanks, airplanes, and ships as filming props, as well as jewels used by the Tsar, manuscripts by Leonardo da Vinci, the Holy Grail from Byzantium, and antique collections unearthed from ancient Greece as filming props."

Natasha's eyes were like water as she took Zhai Yuan's hand, scratched his palm with her fingertips, and said in a soft voice, "Mr. Zhai, we have a lot of Tsarist assets piled up in the warehouse and no one cares about them. We need someone who understands their value to bring them to the light of day again."

Zhai Yuan felt the soft warmth of the palm in his hand, and a wave of emotion surged within him. Using film production as a pretext to smuggle national treasures—good heavens, the Ministry of Culture's audacity was no less than that of those state-owned enterprise factory directors!

This time, I really got one piece from the Winter Palace for myself!

It's unclear whether this was Minister Guberko's personal opinion, a majority vote within the Ministry of Culture, or something else entirely...

Zhai Yuan cupped his palm around Natasha's small hand, half-pulling and half-leading her into his arms.
Upon closer inspection, Natasha did not have the strong odor that most White Russian women exude. Instead, she had a faint milky scent, which complemented her fair skin with almost no body hair.

Zhai Yuan wore a mocking smile: "The Ministry of Culture actually entrusted Miss Natasha with the responsibility of handling such a serious matter that could result in death by hand?"

Natasha was clearly caught off guard by Zhai Yuan's sudden attack and instinctively tried to push him away.
But when she met Zhai Yuan's seemingly amused gaze, she felt a sudden tightness in her chest and instinctively leaned into the man's arms, her face beaming with a seductive smile: "Mr. Zhai, didn't you meet Minister Guberko tonight?"

"Yes~" Zhai Yuan embraced the woman in his arms, his fingertips sliding down her spine to her buttocks through her thin shirt.
Noticing Natasha's slightly trembling body, Zhai Yuan's smile remained unchanged: "That's even stranger. I really can't think of any important matter in Moscow that would make Minister Guberko feel at ease entrusting such a national treasure to a mere section chief like you."

Natasha raised her delicate face, her sapphire eyes sparkling, and replied slowly, "Everyone is aware of the risks involved, but by having a woman from Kiev, far from the center of power in Odessa, in charge, even if things come to light in the future, by the time the investigation team arrives in Odessa, those officials in Moscow will have ample time to make backup plans."

"That seems to make some sense."

Zhai Yuan gently kneaded the woman's waist and hips, then whispered in her earlobe, "But Miss Natasha is so willing to be a sacrifice?"

"So that's what you were thinking."

Zhai Yuan narrowed his eyes, his sense of unease deepening.

There's no profound reasoning involved; it's just that it's understandable for a woman to be greedy and materialistic, but judging from Natasha's behavior and demeanor throughout, she's completely at odds with the persona she's currently projecting.

After all, he's seen and experienced a lot of women. I can't speak for other things, but in this area, Mr. Zhai is definitely an expert.

A thoughtful look flashed in Zhai Yuan's eyes. He curled the corners of his mouth, tightened his arm around Natasha's waist, and pinched her chin with his other hand.

He forced the woman to look him in the eye and said with a smile, "I have plenty of money, but compared to the cold, lifeless treasures in the museum, I prefer you, Miss Natasha. If it's just for a hundred dollars and Benjamin Franklin's old face on it, I really can't bear to let a beautiful woman like you take such a big risk."

As he spoke, Zhai Yuan's hand slid down along the cleft of her buttocks again, reached out and lifted the hem of Natasha's skirt, leaned forward, and pressed Natasha down onto the sofa.

Amidst the panic reflected in Natasha's sapphire eyes
Natasha's eyes widened instantly. She arched her back like a fish out of water, unable to bear it any longer. She braced herself against Zhai Yuan's chest with both hands and pushed him off her. Her body slid instinctively toward the edge of the sofa, hugging her knees and curling her toes. Her eyes were filled with both disgust and fear.

Zhai Yuan was nearly knocked off the sofa by the sudden push, and he realized even more that this seemingly weak woman was not so simple.

The atmosphere in the room froze for a moment.

Zhai Yuan glanced at Natasha's pale face, wiped his mouth, and his smile remained mocking: "What? Don't you like me being so direct? Do you want me to put the money in front of you first?"

(I've been revising previous chapters, so I'll post 2K first and update another chapter later.)

(End of this chapter)