[uploadedimage:113649]

　　 特雷古波娃給蘇聯最高蘇維埃主席團主席維克托·瓦西里耶維奇·格里申放下茶，蘇聯共產黨中央委員會總書記兼國防會議主席羅曼諾夫示意說：“格里申同志，試試這杯茶吧。”

　　 格里辛咕噥著，抓起一杯茶，呷了一口。“好喝，”他說。

　　 “我很高興你喜歡它。”

　　 羅曼諾夫坐下來，呷了一口茶。

　　 房間里一片寂靜，只能聽到杯子叮當作響和蒸汽滲入空氣的聲音。

　　 格里辛咕噥了一聲，又喝了一口茶。

　　 羅曼諾夫清了清嗓子說：“如果來自阿富汗前线的最新報告准確無誤，我們可能面臨嚴重局勢。”

　　 “你是什麼意思？”

　　 “美國支持的阿富汗聖戰者又重新開始襲擊駐阿富汗的蘇聯軍隊，我需要你的意見。”

　　 “我的意見？你想要我的意見？”

　　 “是的。我們必須決定這場戰爭是否應該繼續，是否應該增派軍隊。”

　　 格里辛咕噥著說：“增派部隊？我們不增派部隊！我們要撤軍！”

　　 “撤退？但是戰爭進行得很順利！你為什麼要撤退？”

　　 “順利？不，我們在國際社會與經濟上輸了這場戰爭，阿富汗沒有任何價值。我們只是浪費資源與生命，卡爾邁勒的阿富汗人民民主黨連土地改革與解放婦女都沒有做到！他們進行土地改革均分土地卻不從地主階級那里分配生產資料？！他們面對阿富汗宗教勢力不斷妥協並減緩改革。這場戰爭是不可勝利的。”

　　 “我們唯一應該擔心的是戰爭很快就會結束，我們需要在戰爭結束之前討論和平的條件。”羅曼諾夫撓撓頭說：“要麼，我們需要跟美國達成撤軍協議。要麼，全力支持阿富汗人民民主黨並由蘇聯進行全方面社會改革。前者對國家利益更有利，但是誰會承擔戰爭失敗的責任？”

　　 “這是誰會輸得更多的問題，而不是誰贏誰輸的問題。不管怎樣，我們都會輸。我們將失去我們的國家。”

　　 “那麼我們必須贏，”羅曼諾夫說，“據我所知，你相信美國會贏。”

　　 “不，我不這麼認為。蘇聯將屹立不倒，並將贏得勝利。但是阿富汗是一場零和游戲，只是消耗我們的資源與意志。我們贏不了。我們不能輸。”

　　 “我們需要跟美國會談解決這個問題，還有什麼事嗎？維克托同志。”

　　 “說吧。我們不能增派軍隊，因為那樣會把錢一大筆一筆地扔掉。我們最好與美國談判撤軍。還有其他事情，你知道，國有企業股份化與新的私營銀行是很危險的。前者會創造我們無法控制的經濟力量並改變社會主義思想。後者，對外貿易部很不滿；畢竟，已經有了股份制的蘇聯對外貿易銀行。為什麼還要重新建立合資銀行呢？”

　　 “我不認為這些事情有那麼糟糕，”羅曼諾夫說。“但我們可以做得更好。財政部一直抵制變革，認為政府應該只投資國有企業。當然，私營企業可能不那麼符合社會主義制度。然而，有很多方法可以解決這些問題。例如，我們可以將私人銀行國有化，然後由國家運營。這不是一個壞的妥協。我們可能無法完全滿足意識形態上的對手，但我們會做得更多。”

　　 “這是個壞主意。人民不會容忍的，我們將失去私營部門的支持。如果我們這樣做，我們很可能繼續掌權，但我們將失去我們的國家。”

　　 “不，我們不會。國有企業股份化還在協商過程，當然我們也可以無限期推遲。那麼，必須晉升一些年輕人上來…但是，年輕人不像老人一樣經歷過戰爭。我們不能讓蘇共二十大的產兒來繼承我們的職位。”

　　 “這是個壞主意。你的思維不清晰。這不是什麼學術活動……我們不能後退。這是我們的家，我們的國家，我們的未來。”

　　 “沒有阿富汗，我們的國家可以生存。”羅曼諾夫說：“我們的國家和其他任何國家一樣，對自己負有責任。我向你保證，我會考慮放棄國有企業股份化。維克托·瓦西里耶維奇·格里申同志。”

　　 “總書記。”

　　 “是的。如果你想從阿富汗撤軍，我不會反對。但是，我需要你的支持。你會支持我嗎？”

　　 “我會的。”

　　 “格里申同志，謝謝。”

　　 ------

　　 格里申離開後，特雷古波娃看著羅曼諾夫思考問：“怎麼了？”

　　 “我們需要重新考慮這一點，”羅曼諾夫說。“這些部委每一個人都不是單一的人，而是一整個官僚集團。我需要改革又要防止官僚集團的個人利益損傷。”

　　 “哦，那就是你進來的地方，不是嗎？”特雷古波娃問。

　　 “是的，但你知道我們必須悄悄地這樣做，否則會損害我們的利益。”羅曼諾夫嘆氣說：“我需要讓我的列寧格勒派系控制整個政治局與蘇聯，我不能像赫魯曉夫一樣直接廢除部委與依靠特供制度來收賣官僚。”

　　 “不，當然不是，”特雷古波娃同意。

　　 “對了，你的人脈關系怎麼樣？”羅曼諾夫打起精神問，他試探她會說謊還是實話。

　　 “我的……關系？”特雷古波娃問道，不安地移開視线。“它們很好。為什麼？你認為會有問題嗎？”

　　 “你需要對我說實話，我需要的是忠誠與誠實的秘書長。”

　　 “不會有問題的。你認為我是怎麼這麼快被提升的？體制並不像你想象的那麼腐敗。我相信你會在各部找到很多支持者。”

　　 “我希望如此。”

　　 “不管怎樣，我可以幫你制定計劃，但這需要一些時間。你有足夠的時間嗎？”

　　 “我相信是的，”羅曼諾夫說。“過來坐我腿上，你收了多少錢與禮物？”

　　 “100萬。”

　　 “嗯，你知道如果我不讓監察部門隱瞞這件事，你會在監獄里待多少年？”羅曼諾夫問道。

　　 “我不知道，”特雷古波娃說，用胳膊摟住他的腰。

　　 “可能是你的余生。現在，我們去睡覺吧。”

　　 特雷古波娃坐在膝蓋上，他對整個情況感覺好多了。他主要關心的是特雷古波娃對他誠實，他不會把她的生命置於危險之中。他不能保證後者，但他可以努力保證前者。特雷古波娃不得不相信他。他們畢竟是盟友。

　　 第二天，情況依然如此。特雷古波娃仍然站在他的一邊，他正在通過各部工作，試圖鞏固大多數人對他的計劃的支持。然後，他將不得不讓反對他的各派保持沉默。盡管如此，它進展緩慢，而且有很多繁文縟節。試圖加快這一進程將是浪費時間。

　　 ------

　　 列寧格勒是一座很特殊的蘇聯城市。

　　 正如蘇聯對俄羅斯蘇維埃的有意遏制一樣，莫斯科也對列寧格勒進行遏制。這可能是歷史遺留問題，列寧格勒在它作為聖彼得堡與彼得格勒時期以及蘇聯前幾十年發生了很多政治陰謀與案件。列寧格勒位於芬蘭灣，地理位置優越，曾是一個主要港口，因此成為天然的貿易中心和走私中心。單憑這些因素就可能解釋這座城市作為政治陰謀和犯罪溫床的地位，以及它作為黑市中心的聲譽。但這些並不是其歷史上的唯一因素。

　　 在第二次世界大戰之前、期間和之後，這座城市目睹了人類歷史上對平民和軍人犯下的一些最可怕的行為。

　　 衛國戰爭結束後，被斯大林內定為繼承人的日丹諾夫使列寧格勒派系影響力迅速擴大。但在日丹諾夫死後的列寧格勒案件清洗使列寧格勒派系重新遭到嚴重打擊。

　　 之後，弗羅爾·羅曼諾維奇·科茲洛夫成為了列寧格勒派系的領導者並最終成為了赫魯曉夫支持的繼承人，並得到勃列日涅夫與謝列平的支持。然後，1963年科茲洛夫中風並於1965年逝世。

　　 列寧格勒派系逐漸喪失了權力也遠離了權力中心。從1970年到1983年，羅曼諾夫擔任了列寧格勒第一書記並掌握了這里。他還被授予蘇聯中央委員會總書記的頭銜。他是黨和國家的領導人，做出所有決定並確保他們遵循黨的路线。

　　 -------

　　 列寧格勒科研中心

　　 列寧格勒科學研究中心位於城外，是一個大型建築群，大部分是行政大樓，就像你現在所在的那座，還有一家酒店、幾家餐廳、會議室，一個現場醫療中心，一對大型、現代化、設備齊全的實驗室，甚至一所現場學校。

　　 羅曼諾夫從一扇有警衛的門進入，受到警衛的歡迎。

　　 “先生們，您好。我是格里戈里·瓦西里耶維奇·羅曼諾夫同志，蘇聯中央委員會新任總書記。您是……”

　　 “尼古拉·尤杜什卡，我是斯柯達工廠的工程師。”

　　 “很好，請讓格列博夫博士過來見我。”

　　 “當然可以，請進。”

　　 羅曼諾夫走進大樓，被帶進一個大會議室，在那里擺著一張圓桌。桌子周圍有一些舒適的椅子，但很明顯，這是一個人們不常見面的地方。

　　 蘇聯部長會議副主席兼國家計劃委員會主席尼古拉·康斯坦丁諾維奇·巴伊巴科夫與國家科學技術委員會新任主席庫爾特·施莫克博士共同出席了會議。

　　 “格列博夫博士？”

　　 格列博夫迅速進入並鞠躬。這是他升職的終點，但他似乎很享受。

　　 “沒有必要進行非正式討論。我們都清楚這些問題，我的職責是提供建議。你有一項任務要完成。”

　　 “當然可以，主席。”

　　 “任務很簡單。美國正處於第三次工業革命的規模。我們必須這樣做。我們必須把自己置於與美國人相同的技術基礎上。要做到這一點，我們必須創建一個科技強國。我們必須創建一個太空經濟。”

　　 “是的，主席。我們應該這樣做。”

　　 “現在，我想聽聽你對這件事的看法。”

　　 格列博夫轉向羅曼諾夫。

　　 “總書記同志，作為一名科學家，我有興趣了解美國在做什麼。我相信你能理解。”

　　 “當然，我相信你們已經建立了聯系，但美國人似乎對太空非常感興趣。他們已經取得了很大的進步。更重要的是，他們已經在科技超過了我們。20世紀70年代美國的技術革命使法國和蘇聯看起來像石器時代。我們必須趕上或超過他們的技術發展水平。這是保持競爭力和避免落後的唯一途徑。太空是我們的未來。”

　　 格雷波夫點點頭說…

　　 “我明白你的意思，總書記同志。但是蘇聯的科技尤其是計算機技術還在70年代，我們停留在晶體管計算機，但美國已經研發了集成電路電子計算機。自20世紀70年代以來，美國生產了一些世界上最先進、功能最強大的計算機，包括一些世界上功能最強大的超級計算機。我們不能允許這種情況繼續下去。我們必須采取措施改變這一趨勢。”

　　 “我們必須做得更多。政治局已經看了提交的集約化1995計劃報告，我們需要知道到1990年列寧格勒能建立多少全自動化生產工廠與工業機器人？”

　　 “到1990年，我們有足夠的技術人員僅在列寧格勒就建造了三座這樣的自動化生產工廠。如果我們把擴張潛力包括在內，那麼總共是十個工廠。不過，我相信我們可以做得更好。我們有一些非常有才華的工程師和科學家。有了適量的投資，我們就能顯著提高勞動力的生產率。通過使用最新技術，我們可以將工廠的產量提高30%。我們必須嘗試一下這項新技術。我們不能依賴過去。我們必須創新。這是我們競爭的唯一途徑。”

　　 “我理解你的沮喪，博士。我們需要盡快看到成果，你可以離開了。我們需要討論一下。”

　　 格列博夫在離開前鞠躬。他走出房間，從後門溜了出去。

　　 現在只有羅曼諾夫和巴伊巴科夫一人。

　　 “美國領先於我們，我們必須在1987年前在各部門與地區建立計算機中心與為人員配置電子計算機、計算機培訓。到1995年，我們必須有一個全國性的超級計算設施網絡，每秒至少能進行一百萬次計算。我們必須實現這些目標。”

　　 “目標雄心勃勃，但目標似乎很難實現。”

　　 “財政部門會撥款、其他部門必須全力配合科學院。還有，將計算機中心建設與人員計算機培訓來完善物質平衡表的計算納入考核指標。”

　　 “此外，我們還有一些備用資金，我們可以增加自己的研發支出。這有助於我們更快地實現一些目標。”

　　 “這是一個好主意。我們將確保資金得到合理有效的使用。”

　　 羅曼諾夫站了起來。

　　 “現在，我必須走了。我還有更多的工作要做。”

　　 “當然，羅曼諾夫同志。”

　　 ---

　　 在1985年，羅曼諾夫如果需要成為蘇維埃帝國的新沙皇而不是失敗者或者小丑到底需要什麼呢？首先，他需對官僚體制進行改革並掌握軍隊與克格勃。

　　 克格勃是一支特殊的力量，它只直屬於蘇共總書記的命令。即使是歷史上的戈爾巴喬夫也可以駕馭它並利用它。

　　 軍隊需要思想、威望與利益，思想將讓軍隊忠於職責、威望將使羅曼諾夫能領導它、利益將會導致它們不背叛羅曼諾夫。

　　 而官僚體制改革則更特殊，它需要領導者擁有魄力、能力、威望與利益。沒有魄力與能力的領導者將沒有決心與成功的可能，威望能保證政治穩定與野心家的政變，利益都來換取官僚集團的支持。

　　 羅曼諾夫需要做的是，分化官僚集團並一手扔肉、一手拿著屠刀與鞭子。問題在於，官僚特權在斯大林時期就開始不斷加強。進行改革必須要先拉攏與打擊官僚集團並扶持自己的列寧格勒派系。可惜的是，羅曼諾夫沒有什麼利益滿足高層官僚集團。

　　 漲工資發津貼與分配別墅只能拉攏基層組織，要滿足高層官僚集團來換取政治支持就需要更大的利益。斯大林給高層發幾倍工資紅包的制度或者赫魯曉夫的特供制度早就過時了。這個制度需要從頭開始改革。

　　 在許多方面，羅曼諾夫將注意力集中在金字塔的頂端是正確的，因為系統已經將注意力集中在同一件事情上太久了。目前，只有較低級別的公務員受到改革的重大影響。

　　 官僚與資本家在某一種生活方式是高度同質的，那就是剝奪與壓迫人類方面。如果制度要真正自我改革，就必須自下而上進行改革。

　　 問題是，誰將領導這樣一場運動？誰來團結基層？

　　 ---

　　 列寧格勒州委第一書記阿納托利·杜馬喬夫緩慢跟著羅曼諾夫在走廊里散步。

　　 “我們在意見上有很多分歧，但我們在原則上都是一致的，這才是最重要的。我們應該表現出一些團結，如果沒有政治家們的一些讓步，這是不會發生的。”

　　 “我們會有分歧的，杜馬喬夫同志，但我們都會共同對付共同的敵人。”羅曼諾夫停頓了一下又說：“我需要你的幫助，你認為誰能擔任莫斯科市委第一書記？”

　　 杜馬切夫想了一會兒。

　　 “我想你的想法在莫斯科可能更有吸引力，同志。也許，派個人去那里試一試是值得的？”

　　 “我同意這一點，弗拉迪米爾·雅科夫列維奇·霍迪列夫怎麼樣？”

　　 “我認識這個人，他工作努力，但不是最聰明的思想家。我認為他在莫斯科不會受歡迎。”

　　 羅曼諾夫點點頭說：“好，那就扎伊科夫擔任吧。”

　　 “最好對他施加一些限制。他是個無賴。”

　　 “什麼樣的限制？”

　　 “沒有報紙，沒有新聞自由。讓他只在集會上講話，諸如此類的事情。”

　　 “明白了。”

　　 “就這些嗎？”

　　 “是的，現在。”

　　 “好，我得走了。”

　　 杜馬切夫走開了，留下羅曼諾夫思考。

　　 當走廊的門關上時，羅曼諾夫自言自語地說：“好吧，現在我該怎麼辦？我要麼屈服於人民的奇思妙想和他們的要求，要麼站在正確的立場上。嗯…”

　　 這是一個微妙的局面。體系不能這樣繼續下去。一定會有東西給你的。問題是，誰先給？

　　 ---

　　 沿著走廊走了很長一段路後，蘇聯中央委員會總書記羅曼諾夫走進房間說：“維克多·阿爾卡季耶維奇·秋爾金同志？”

　　 “是的，先生？”年輕的官僚回答。

　　 “你現在是列寧格勒市委員會代理第一書記。”

　　 “什麼……”

　　 “祝賀你！”

　　 羅曼諾夫拍拍他的肩膀說：“你是一個非常有才能的人。”

　　 “謝謝你，先生。”

　　 “請坐。”

　　 秋爾金坐下來，羅曼諾夫盯著他。

　　 “你的上級杜馬切夫同志向我推薦了你。”

　　 “是的，先生。”

　　 “但是，職責非常繁重，你需要更有經驗的人來幫助你。更重要的是，你知道像你一樣年輕的人在這個年齡到這個職位是難以不被抨擊的，你需要功績才可以合適地更進一步。”

　　 秋爾金的眼睛隨著他的理解而變大。

　　 “明白。我准備為蘇聯的黨和人民服務。”

　　 “很好，集約化與社會經濟區計劃是未來發展的重點項目。列寧格勒科研中心、科學與生產企業的建設與生產要全力做到，列寧格勒必須成為第一個集約化計劃經濟社會經濟區。不要讓人民失望。”

　　 “明白了，先生。我不會讓你失望的。”

　　 “這很好，因為這個國家的未來掌握在你們手中。確保你了解自己處境的嚴重性。你必須做好做出艱難決定並承擔後果的准備。明白嗎？”

　　 “明白了。”

　　 “很好。”

　　 “你應該想想你的家人，如果你失敗了，她們的生活會是什麼樣子。”

　　 “我明白，先生。我會盡力的。”

　　 “就這些。”

　　 羅曼諾夫站了起來，什麼也沒說就離開了。

　　 “現在……請原諒，我要參加一個會議。”

　　 秋爾金盯著總書記看了一會兒，然後他也站起來離開了。

　　 ---

　　 德米特里·烏拉帕拉坐在一間昏暗的辦公室里，盯著城市地圖。房間里幾乎沒有自然光，因此，窗戶被一個沉重的遮光百葉窗遮住了。此刻，她的注意力集中在地圖盡頭的里加市。

　　 百葉窗半開著，她可以透過縫隙看到天空完全是陰沉沉的，好像一條厚厚的毯子覆蓋了上面的藍色區域。預計未來幾天將有強風暴。

　　 房間的另一邊放著一張桌子，部分擋住了側門。桌子旁邊的地板上放著一瓶半瓶的伏特加和一個溢出的煙灰缸。桌子上濺滿了城市地圖，其中一些地圖被突出顯示並弄皺了。桌子和里面的東西亂七八糟。

　　 烏拉帕拉已經在桌子旁坐了幾個小時，一邊喝酒，一邊看城市地圖。

　　 “很好，你會做這個工作。順便說一句，你的已經被銀行雇用了。”

　　 “我知道，那又怎麼樣？”

　　 “不，你似乎對此並不特別高興。”

　　 “嗯，我不是。”

　　 羅曼諾夫點點頭走到她面前說：“我相信你的MBA學位，你幫助我掌握列寧格勒銀行，我幫助你成為經理…然後是銀行董事與股東。”

　　 “是嗎？”

　　 “這是‘嗯，當然。’”

　　 “很好。”

　　 羅曼諾夫抓住她的下巴說：“抬頭看我，張開嘴巴。”

　　 “抬頭看著我，張開你的嘴。”

　　 烏爾帕拉照辦了。

　　 “好姑娘。現在，盡可能多地呼吸空氣，然後……”

　　 他打了她一耳光。

　　 “說‘啊’。”

　　 “啊！”

　　 “很好。那好多了。現在……你很快就會為我們工作了。”

　　 “我知道……但這對我的家庭意味著什麼？”

　　 “我知道你的家庭很富裕，你不是像特雷古波娃一樣隨便給個職位就能自行成為我的玩具。如果你願意幫助我，我也會肯定你。”

　　 烏爾帕拉睜大了眼睛，問道：“你會怎麼做？”

　　 “我要你，我年輕漂亮的女奴隸。”

　　 “我……我不知道該說什麼……”

　　 “說‘接受，我接受’。”

　　 “但是……”

　　 “說吧！”

　　 “我……我接受。”

　　 羅曼諾夫滿意地點點頭說：“好，在我們交易完成之前需要聽聽你的看法。你對蘇聯現在發展股市與彩票、合資銀行什麼看法？”

　　 “我認為這些想法很好，但它們需要數年的時間才能啟動和運行。”

　　 “您認為實施這些計劃有任何障礙嗎？”

　　 “沒有。”

　　 “真的嗎？我認為蘇聯與其他社會主義國家的群眾根本不了解金融經濟與資本有多邪惡。”

　　 “他們很好地理解這一點，但他們不會反對這個制度。人們被洗腦太多，興趣太多，無法與這個制度合作。”

　　 “有趣。總之，我可以在金融領域做任何我想做的事情，只要需要5年、10年甚至20年才能完成？就這樣嗎？”

　　 “嗯……不完全是。我認為前面會有政治問題，但如果你足夠努力，你可以解決這些問題。畢竟，如果制度有缺陷，你可以自由地摧毀它。”

　　 羅曼諾夫嚴厲地說：“蘇維埃制度已經運行了幾十年，沒有人能應該在幾年內摧毀它再讓自己成為富有的人。哪怕，蘇聯年輕人已經不理解資本主義國家醫療保險、房租與學費的價格。”

　　 烏拉帕拉聳聳肩。“這個系統最終會失敗，因為一個基於無知的系統不可能永遠持續下去。你越早實施這些變革，世界就會越美好。”

　　 “有意思。我相信你的話，因為你有能力讓我做任何事。我也會接受你的提議為我工作。跪在我面前，張開嘴。”

　　 烏拉帕拉猶豫了一下。

　　 “烏拉帕拉！”

　　 “哦，很好，我會的。但是我希望有一份豐厚的收入，還有許多額外的津貼來解決我的麻煩。”

　　 “我會注意的。”

　　 “現在，讓我們來詳細介紹一下你的新職位。”

　　 烏拉帕拉不知道她會做什麼，因為她所有的知識都來自書本，而不是經驗。烏拉帕拉張開嘴，雙手放在桌頭上，感到頭頂上的空氣向她撲來。

　　 “讓我觀察一下你的牙齒，舌頭別動。”羅曼諾夫抓著她的下巴說，並解開自己褲子的皮帶。“你沒有蛀牙，是嗎？”

　　 “不，我沒有。”

　　 “不，這似乎不是問題。事實上，你只比我第一次見到你時更漂亮。”

　　 “謝謝你。”

　　 烏拉帕拉緊張地吞咽。羅曼諾夫走近一步，把他那悸動的勃起壓在她的臉上。

　　 “把它弄濕，親愛的。”

　　 烏拉帕拉深吸了一口氣，服從了。她自己唾液的味道讓她吃驚，太咸了。她照辦了，舔了舔他的陰莖下面。羅曼諾夫贊許地噓了一聲，說：“好，現在我來教你怎麼做。”

　　 他抓住她的頭，引導她的嘴從他的頭部頂到他的底部。

　　 “吮吸，”他說。

　　 她張開嘴，把他叼進嘴里。她的嘴感到干燥，他的長度和腰圍撞擊她的喉嚨後部的感覺使她感到一陣愉悅。

　　 “嗯，你這個該死的美人。這就是我想要的。”

　　 她感到他強烈的欲望在她的臉上和脖子上。他緊握著，開始往她的嘴里塞。他的陰莖在她喉嚨上滑動的感覺導致更多的濕氣出現。她喜歡他的槍杆抵著她的嘴和喉嚨移動的感覺。

　　 “哦，是的，感覺……很好……做吧……做得更努力……更努力……好吧，好吧，”她掙扎著呼吸著說。

　　 他把手伸向四周，引導她的頭部，將她的嘴定位為他悸動性勃起的目標。她感覺到他的手指放在她的頸背上，在他繼續推搡的時候把她拉向他。

　　 “好了……現在深呼吸……然後……然後……把它放出來。”

　　 她照吩咐的做了，用鼻子深吸了一口氣。進…出…進…出…她重復這個過程，直到她的呼吸順暢均勻。

　　 “好……好……”

　　 羅曼諾夫退出她的嘴巴，穿上褲子說：“站起來，交易完成了。去幫我拿瓶伏特加過來。”

　　 她從桌子上站起來，走進廚房。她抓起一瓶伏特加，倒進一些透明的液體，然後把它拿回到桌上。她把它放在主席旁邊。

　　 “謝謝你。”

　　 “當你給我升職時，謝謝我。”

　　 “升職？”

　　 “是的。你聽到我說的了。現在，干杯吧，我們有很多工作要做。”

　　 烏拉帕拉喝完了剩下的酒瓶，說：“我需要幾分鍾來放松一下。”

　　 “不，你沒有，”羅曼諾夫說。“現在，開始工作吧。”

　　 她坐在桌旁，聽他喝完剩下的酒瓶。然後她拿起瓶子，把剩下的東西都喝光了。

　　 “現在，去工作吧。”

　　 她站在他那一邊的桌子上，凝視著爐火。溫暖貼在她的臉上感覺很好，她感覺不那麼……陰暗。“跟我說說你自己，你是哪里人？”

　　 “我出生在列寧格勒，但十幾歲時搬到了莫斯科。”

　　 “你父母還住在那里嗎？”

　　 她點了點頭。“我父親還在那里，但我年輕時母親離開了。我父親是工程師，我妹妹是醫生。”

　　 “我明白了。你想要我做什麼？”

　　 她聳聳肩。“我不知道。我想成為……某個人。”

　　 “你不是什麼？”

　　 “我不是小偷。我不是騙子。我不丑。”

　　 “當然，我想知道你同意我們的合作嗎？”羅曼諾夫向後仰在沙發椅子上，伏特加的味道有點刺激他。

　　 “你是什麼意思？”

　　 “代價很簡單。你遵守我的所有要求；我給你金錢、權力和尊重。如果你拒絕，我就向你釋放狼。”

　　 她皺著眉頭。“什麼是……狼？”

　　 “仔細想想，我如果只是需要一個人來控制銀行幫我獲得金錢的話，我需要冒風險挑選你而不是直接選擇其他人嗎？”

　　 “我不是……”

　　 “想想看。”

　　 烏拉帕拉思考著這個問題。她環顧房間，仔細觀察他的臉，看是否有任何欺騙的跡象。

　　 “我不會讓你騙我做任何事。”

　　 “好，那我們就有協議了。”

　　 “不完全是……”

　　 羅曼諾夫雙手交叉盯著她說：“你要無條件服從我需要你做的事情，你必須知道這一點。”

　　 “是的。”

　　 “如果你不遵守我的意願，你會被殺的。”

　　 烏拉帕拉哽住。她試著屏住呼吸說：“是的……”

　　 “很好。這就是精神。現在，我們達成了協議，所以你一定要堅持到底。”

　　 “是的。”

　　 “現在，去給我拿件外套……”

　　 她顫抖著離開房間，走向衣櫃。她抓起一件深藍色的外套帶回房間。

　　 “來，穿上這個。”

　　 她照吩咐的做了，回到廚房。他目不轉睛地盯著爐火，表情難以辨認。

　　 “它怎麼合適？”她問。

　　 “它合適。”

　　 “我能問你一個問題嗎？”

　　 “什麼？”

　　 “你為什麼這樣對我？”

　　 “做什麼？”他問道，沒有看著她。

　　 “讓我……”她停下來，試著想想這個詞。“與你合作。”

　　 他沒有回答。

　　 “你能告訴我為什麼嗎？”

　　 “你真的需要知道嗎？”

　　 “我不想做我會後悔的事。”

　　 “那就不行了。”

　　 “你為什麼要這樣做？”她又問。

　　 “因為我想這樣做，我需要你。你把你交給我，我交給你金錢與地位。幾年後，你會成為列寧格勒銀行的董事與股東。在對外貿易銀行之外，我需要列寧格勒銀行成為我進口與走私軍火的通道。”

　　 “這是你正在計劃的一個非常大的企業……”

　　 羅曼諾夫點點頭。

　　 “一些奢侈品與消費品、文學作品與電影的進口會讓你賺很多盧布，軍隊淘汰的軍火也要倒賣出去給西歐的黑幫與全球的軍閥來換取美元。蘇聯需要的消費品與技術設備只能用美元買到。”

　　 “是的，所以？”她問。

　　 “所以，如果你與我合作，你將比與這些……強盜合作賺更多的錢。”

　　 烏拉帕拉點點頭。“我怎麼知道這不只是另一個把戲？”

　　 “你不需要。你只需要相信我。但是，我不是在利用你。我在利用像你這樣的人。”

　　 烏拉帕拉皺眉頭。他在利用她嗎？

　　 “把我看作是一個管理實驗。你希望像我這樣的人如何作為一個管理實驗？”

　　 “我不確定……”她對自己沒有信心。

　　 “明年，10億盧布將被存入列寧格勒銀行。你能吃下這些錢嗎？”

　　 “我不知道……”

　　 “不。當然不是。但是，你將擁有權力和尊重。你將成為俄羅斯和蘇聯最富有、最有權勢的人之一。”他微笑著說。“你再也不用擔心任何事情了。現在，你到底要不要和我合作？”

　　 “是的……”

　　 “乖女孩。現在，我的老二……”

　　 烏爾帕拉臉紅了，把目光移開。

　　 “好吧，我們開始談正事吧，好嗎？”

　　 她點點頭。她點點頭。她脫下外套，他從她身上拿下來，放在椅子上。

　　 “坐下。”

　　 她照吩咐的做了，盯著自己的膝蓋。外套打開了，露出了她的白色及膝連衣裙和黑襪。

　　 “告訴我你需要什麼。”

　　 “首先，我需要一條安全线路。我會給你電話號碼，你會打電話。如果有人在竊聽我們的談話，請告訴我。”

　　 “加密電話呢？”

　　 “很好。但是，只有當它是最先進的。先進的技術。世界上只有少數人能解密的東西。”她抬頭看著他。“那是你的專長嗎？”

　　 “你覺得怎麼樣？”他問道。

　　 “嗯，你是個相當聰明的人。我相信你會想出辦法的。”

　　 他點點頭手放在她的脖頸上就想安撫小貓一樣說：“我會讓特雷古波娃負責聯系你與准備特勤裝備，還要什麼？”

　　 她向他微笑。他給了她這樣的責任，真是太好了。“我需要一輛車，一輛可以高速行駛，但也可以去任何地方而不被發現的車。一輛可以在需要時融入其中的車，一輛舒適的車。我還需要一套好的假證件。我不需要任何花哨的東西，只要能幫我通過海關。哦，還有一雙好靴子。”

　　 他笑了。“你不是間諜，你只是幫我走私。這有多難？”

　　 “我想。你拿到車和文件後，我需要。在那之前，我將在你的銀行臨時值班。”

　　 “很好。我會讓特雷古波娃聯系你。與此同時，放松。遠離別人的視线，記住你越令人討厭，你的目標就越大。這就是全部。這就是全部。再見。”

　　 羅曼諾夫離開後，烏拉帕拉看著那堆現金，那堆鈔票太大了，溢到了地板上的公文包里。要多久她才能有足夠的影響力奪回銀行的控制權？她甚至需要嗎？

　　 她搖了搖頭，開始工作。他撿起它們時，她微笑著，她抬頭看著天花板，心想：“你不知道我能做什麼。”

　　 她咳嗽了一聲，然後抬頭看了看天花板。天花板上有一條很大的裂縫，一直延伸下去。

　　 “該死的，我希望我知道那是怎麼來的。去他媽的赫魯曉夫樓。”

　　 [newpage]

　　 Tregubova put down tea for Viktor Vasilyevich Grishin, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and Romanov, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USSR and Chairman of the National Defense Conference, gestured, \"Comrade Grishin, try this cup of tea.\"

　　 Grishin grabbed the cup of tea, and took a sip. \"Delicious,\" he said.

　　 \"I\u0027m glad you like it.\"

　　 Romanov took a seat, and sipped tea.

　　 The room was silent, and only the sound of cups clinking and steam permeating the air could be heard.

　　 Grunting, Grishin took another sip of tea.

　　 Romanov cleared his throat, and spoke, \"If the latest reports from the Afghan Front are accurate, we may be facing a serious situation.\"

　　 \"What do you mean?\"

　　 \"The U.S.-backed Afghan mujahideen have resumed attacks on Soviet troops in Afghanistan, and I need your opinion.\"

　　 \"My opinion? You want my opinion?\"

　　 \"Yes. We must decide whether this war should continue, whether we should send more troops.\"

　　 Grishin said, \"Send more troops? We\u0027re not sending more troops! We\u0027re withdrawing!\"

　　 \"Withdrawal? But the war\u0027s going so well! Why would you withdraw?\"

　　 \"Going well? No, we lost the war internationally and economically, Afghanistan has no value whatsoever. We are just wasting resources and lives, and the PDPA in Kalmail has not even done land reform and emancipation of women! They have carried out land reform to equalize the land but not to distribute the means of production from the landlord class? They keep compromising and slowing down reforms in the face of the religious forces in Afghanistan. This war is not winnable.\"

　　 \"The only thing that we should worry about is that the war will be over soon, and we need to discuss the terms of peace before that happens.\" Either we need to reach a withdrawal agreement with the United States,\" Romanov said, scratching his head. Either that, or full support for the PDPA and full social reform by the Soviet Union. The former is better for the national interest, but who will bear the responsibility for losing the war?\"

　　 \"This is a question of who will lose more, not of who will win or lose. We will lose, regardless. We will lose our nation.\"

　　 \"Then we must win,\" Romanov said. \"As I understand it, you believe that the U.S. will win.\"

　　 \"No. I don\u0027t think that. The Soviet Union will stand, and will win through to victory. But Afghanistan is a zero-sum game that just saps our resources and will. We can\u0027t win. We can only not lose.\"

　　 \"We need to talk to the U.S. to solve this problem, anything else? Comrade Viktor.\"

　　 \"Talk. We can\u0027t send more troops, because that would be throwing good money after bad. Better that we should negotiate a withdrawal with the U.S. Say it. We can\u0027t send more troops because that would throw a big chunk of money away. We\u0027d better negotiate with the U.S. to withdraw our troops. There are other things, you know, the demutualization of state enterprises and the new private banks are dangerous. The former would create economic forces beyond our control and change socialist thinking. The latter, the Ministry of Foreign Trade was upset; after all, there was already a joint-stock Soviet Foreign Trade Bank. Why re-establish joint venture banks?\"

　　 \"I don\u0027t think these things are that bad,\" Romanov said. \"But we could do a better job. The Ministry of Finance has been resistant to change and believes that government should only invest in state-owned enterprises. Of course, private enterprise may not be as compatible with the socialist system. However, there are many ways to work around these problems. For instance, we could nationalize the private banks, and then simply have the state run them. It\u0027s not such a bad compromise. We may not be able to completely satisfy our ideological adversaries, but we\u0027ll get a lot more done.\"

　　 \"It\u0027s a bad idea. The people won\u0027t stand for it, and we will lose the support of the private sector. If we do this, we will most likely stay in power, but we will lose our nation.\"

　　 \"No, we won\u0027t. The demutualization of state-owned enterprises is still in the process of negotiation, and of course we can postpone it indefinitely. Then, some young people must be promoted up...but young people have not experienced the war like the old people. We can\u0027t let the spawn of the Soviet Communist Party\u0027s 20th Congress succeed us.\"

　　 \"This is a bad idea. You\u0027re not thinking clear. This isn\u0027t some academic exercise where... we can\u0027t retreat. This is our home. Our nation. Our future.\"

　　 \"Our nation can survive without Afghanistan,\" Romanov said. \"Our nation, like any other nation, has a responsibility to itself. I assure you that I will consider abandoning the demutualization of state enterprises. Comrade Viktor Vasilievich Grishin.\"

　　 \"General Secretary.\"

　　 \"Yes. If you wish to withdraw from Afghanistan, I will not oppose it. However, I will need your support. Will you stand with me in this endeavor?\"

　　 \"I will.\"

　　 \"Comrade Grishin, thank you.\"

　　 ------

　　 After Grishin left, Tregubova looked at Romanov thoughtfully and asked, \"What\u0027s wrong?\"

　　 \"We need to rethink this,\" Romanov said. \"Each of these ministries is not a single person, but a whole bureaucratic group. I need to reform yet prevent damage to the personal interests of the bureaucratic group.\"

　　 \"Oh, that\u0027s where you come in, isn\u0027t it?\" Tregubova asked.

　　 \"Yes, but you do understand that we must do this quietly or else it will be detrimental to our interests.\" Romanov sighed, \"I need to give my Leningrad faction control over the entire Politburo and the Soviet Union, and I can\u0027t just abolish ministries & rely on the special supply system to collect and sell bureaucrats like Khrushchev did.\"

　　 \"No, of course not,\" Tregubova agreed.

　　 \"By the way, how are your connections?\" Romanov asked, fighting the urge to test whether she would lie or tell the truth.

　　 \"My... connections?\" Tregubova asked, looking away uncomfortably. \"They\u0027re fine. Why? Do you think there\u0027s going to be a problem?\"

　　 \"You need to be honest with me, I need a loyal and honest secretary general.\"

　　 \"There won\u0027t be a problem. How do you think I got promoted so quickly? The system isn\u0027t as corrupt as you think. I\u0027m sure you\u0027ll find plenty of supporters in the ministries.\"

　　 \"I hope so.\"

　　 \"Anyway, I can help you with your plan, but it\u0027s going to take some time. Do you have enough time?\"

　　 \"I believe so,\" Romanov said. \"Come sit on my lap, how much money did you receive with the gift?\"

　　 \"1 million.\"

　　 \"Well, do you know how many years you would have spent in prison if I hadn\u0027t let the watchdogs keep this under wraps?\" Romanov asked.

　　 \"I don\u0027t know,\" Tregubova said, wrapping her arms around his waist.

　　 \"Probably the rest of your life. Now, let\u0027s go to bed.\"

　　 With Tregubova settled in his lap, he felt better about the entire situation. His main concerns were that Tregubova be honest with him and that he not put her life at stake. He couldn\u0027t guarantee the latter, but he could work to assure the former. Tregubova had to trust him. They were allies after all.

　　 The next day, the situation remained the same. Tregubova was still at his side, and he was working through the ministries, trying to solidify a majority in favor of his plan. Then he would have to silence the various factions that opposed him. Still, it was slow going, and there was a lot of red tape. It would be a waste of time to try to speed up the process.

　　 ------

　　 Leningrad is a very special Soviet city.

　　 Just as the Soviet Union had deliberate containment of the Russian Soviet Union, Moscow also had containment of Leningrad. This may be a historical legacy, as Leningrad was the scene of many political intrigues and cases during its time as St. Petersburg and Petrograd and the first decades of the Soviet Union. Leningrad\u0027s position on the Gulf of Finland, its geographic location and its former status as a major port made it a natural trading post and smuggling hub. These factors alone would probably explain the city\u0027s status as a hotbed of political intrigue and criminality, as well as its reputation as a center for the black market. But these were not the only factors in its history.

　　 Before, during and after the Second World War, this city saw some of the most horrific acts in human history perpetrated against both civilian and military populations.

　　 After the end of the Great Patriotic War, Zhdanov, who was designated by Stalin as his successor, rapidly expanded the influence of the Leningrad faction. However, the Leningrad faction was badly hit again by the Leningrad purges after Zhdanov\u0027s death.

　　 After that, Frol Romanovich Kozlov became the leader of the Leningrad faction and eventually became the successor supported by Khrushchev and backed by Brezhnev and Serepin. Then, in 1963 Kozlov suffered a stroke and died in 1965.

　　 The Leningrad faction gradually lost its power and moved away from the center of power. From 1970 to 1983, Romanov was the first secretary of Leningrad and took control of it. He was also given the title of general secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Union. He served as the head of the party and the state, making all the decisions and ensuring that they followed the party line.

　　 ------

　　 Leningrad Scientific Research Center

　　 Located just outside of the city, the Leningrad Scientific Research Center is a large complex of buildings, mostly administrative buildings like the one Romanov are in right now, but also a hotel, several restaurants, conference rooms, an onsite medical center, a pair of large, modern, well-equipped laboratories, and even an onsite school.

　　 Romanov enter through a guarded door and are welcomed by the guards.

　　 \"Good day, gentlemen. I am Comrade Grigory Vasilyevich Romanov, the new general secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Union. You are...?\"

　　 \"Nikolai Yudushka, I am an engineer at the Skoda Works.\"

　　 \"Very well, please send Dr. Glebov over to see me.\"

　　 \"Of course. Please come in.\"

　　 Romanov steps inside the building and is shown into a large conference room where a round table is set up. There are some comfortable chairs around the table, but it is clear that this is a place where people do not often meet. Instead, it is more of a holding pen where people await something. A receptionist quickly comes in, takes a seat at the head of the table, and gestures for Romanov to sit in the chair to her right.

　　 Nikolai Konstantinovich Baibakov, Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers and Chairman of the State Planning Committee, with the new Chairman of the State Committee for Science and Technology.

　　 \"Dr. Glebov?\"

　　 Glebov quickly enters and bows. This is the end of his promotion, but he seems to be enjoying it.

　　 \"Informal discussions are not necessary. The issues are clear to us all, and my role is to provide advice. You have a task to complete.\"

　　 \"Of course, Chairman.\"

　　 \"The task is simple. The United States is on the scale of the third industrial revolution. We must do the same. We must place ourselves on the same technological footing as the Americans. To do this, we must create a scientific and technological powerhouse. We must create a space-based economy.\"

　　 \"Yes, Chairman. It shall be done.\"

　　 \"Now, I would like to hear your thoughts on this matter.\"

　　 Glebov turns to Romanov.

　　 \"Comrade General Secretary, as a scientist, I am interested in finding out what the United States is up to. I am sure you understand.\"

　　 \"Of course, and I am sure you have already made the connection, but it seems that the Americans are very interested in space. They have been making a great deal of progress. More importantly, they have surpassed us in technology. America\u0027s technological revolution in the 1970s made France and the Soviet Union look like the Stone Age. We must match or exceed their level of technological development. This is the only way to remain competitive and to avoid falling behind. Space is our future.\"

　　 Glebov nods and says...

　　 \"I understand your point, Comrade General Secretary. But Soviet technology, especially computer technology, was still in the 1970s, and we were stuck with transistorized computers, but the United States had already developed integrated circuit electronic computers. Since the 1970s, the United States have produced some of the most sophisticated and powerful computers in the world, including some supercomputers that are the most powerful in the world. We cannot allow this to continue. We must do something to change this trend.\"

　　 \"We must do more than that. The Politburo has looked at the report submitted on the Intensification 1995 program, and we need to know how many fully automated production plants with industrial robots can be built in Leningrad by 1990?\"

　　 \"We have enough technicians to build three such automated production plants in Leningrad alone by 1990. If we include the potential for expansion, then the total is ten plants. However, I believe that we can do better than that. We have some very talented engineers and scientists. With the right amount of investment, we can significantly increase the productivity of our labor force. We can increase the output of our plants by 30% through the use of the latest technology. We have to give the new technology a try. We cannot rely on the past. We must innovate. This is the only way for us to compete.\"

　　 \"I understand your frustration, We need to see results as soon as possible, and you can leave now. We need to discuss it.\"

　　 Glebov bows before leaving. He exits the room and slips out the back door.

　　 Romanov and Baibakov are now alone.

　　 \"The United States is ahead of us, and we must establish computer centers and staff computers and computer training in all departments and regions by 1987. By 1995, we must have a nationwide network of supercomputing facilities that can perform at least one million calculations per second. These are the goals we have set, and these are the targets we must meet.\"

　　 \"The goals are ambitious, but the targets seem rather difficult to achieve.\"

　　 \"The finance department will allocate funds, other departments must fully cooperate with the Academy of Sciences. Also, the computer center construction and personnel computer training to improve the calculation of the material balance sheet will be included in the assessment index.\"

　　 \"In addition, we have some spare funds, and we could increase our own research and development expenditures. This could help us achieve some of the goals quicker.\"

　　 \"This is a good idea. We will ensure that the money is spent properly and efficiently.\"

　　 Romanov stands up.

　　 \"Now, I must leave. I have more work to do.\"

　　 \"Of course, Comrade Romanov.\"

　　 ---

　　 In 1985, what exactly did Romanov need if he was to become the new czar of the Soviet Empire instead of a loser or a clown? First, he needed to reform the bureaucracy and take control of the army and the KGB.

　　 The KGB was a special force, which was directly under the orders of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Even the historical Gorbachev could harness it and use it.

　　 The army needs ideas, prestige and interests. Ideas will keep the army loyal to its duty, prestige will enable Romanov to lead it, and interests will lead them not to betray Romanov.

　　 The reform of bureaucracy is more special, it requires leaders with drive, competence, prestige and interest. A leader without drive and ability will have no possibility of determination and success, prestige will guarantee political stability and coups of ambitious people, and interests will be exchanged for the support of the bureaucracy.

　　 What Romanov needed to do was to divide the bureaucracy and throw meat in one hand and hold the butcher\u0027s knife and whip in the other. The problem is that bureaucratic privileges began to strengthen under Stalin. To carry out reforms it was necessary to first draw in and fight the bureaucratic bloc and support his own Leningrad faction. Unfortunately, Romanov had little interest in satisfying the top bureaucracy.

　　 Wage increases and allowances and dachas could only bring in the grassroots organizations, but to satisfy the top bureaucracy in exchange for political support required greater benefits. Stalin\u0027s system of giving several times the salary bonus to the top or Khrushchev\u0027s special system has long since become obsolete. The system needs to be reformed from the ground up.

　　 In many ways, Romanov was correct to concentrate on the top of the pyramid, as the system has been concentrating on the same thing for far too long. As it stands, only the lower ranks of the civil service are significantly affected by the reforms.

　　 Bureaucrats and capitalists are highly homogeneous in one way of life: in terms of dispossession and oppression of human beings. If the system is to truly reform itself, it must reform from the bottom up.

　　 The question then becomes, who will lead such a movement? Who will unite the grassroots?

　　 ---

　　 Anatoly Dumachev, the first secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee, slowly followed Romanov for a walk in the corridor.

　　 \"We have many differences in opinion, yet we are all agreed in principle, and that is what counts. We should show some unity, and that is not going to happen without some concessions from the Politicians.\"

　　 \"We will have our differences, Comrade Dumachev, but we will all work together against the common enemy.\" Romanov added after a pause, \"I need your help, who do you think could be the first secretary of the Moscow City Council?\"

　　 Dumachev thought for a moment.

　　 \"I think your ideas might have more appeal in Moscow, Comrade. Perhaps, it might be worth sending someone over there for a trial run?\"

　　 \"I agree with that, how about Vladimir Yakovlevich Khodilev?\"

　　 \"I know the man, a hard worker, but not the most brilliant of thinkers. I don\u0027t think he would go over well in Moscow.\"

　　 Romanov nodded and said, \"Okay, then Zaikov will serve.\"

　　 \"Better put him on a few restrictions. He is a loose cannon.\"

　　 \"What sort of restrictions?\"

　　 \"No newspapers, no free press. Let him only speak at rallies, that sort of thing.\"

　　 \"Got it.\"

　　 \"Is that all?\"

　　 \"Yes, for now.\"

　　 \"Good. I must go now.\"

　　 Dumachev walked away, leaving Romanov with his thoughts.

　　 As the door to the corridor closed, Romanov said to himself, \"Okay, now what do I do? I can either give in to the whims of the people and their demands, or I can stand for what is right. Hmm...\"

　　 This was a delicate situation. The system could not go on like this. Something was bound to give. The question was, who was to give first?

　　 ---

　　 After a long walk down the corridor, the General Secretary of the Central Committee for the Soviet Union Romanov entered the room and said, \"Comrade Viktor Arkadyevich Tyurkin?\"

　　 \"Yes, sir?\" The young bureaucrat replied.

　　 \"You are now the acting First First Secretary of the Leningrad City Committee.\"

　　 \"What...\"

　　 \"Congratulations!\"

　　 Romanov claps him on the shoulder and says, \"You are a very capable and capable person.\"

　　 \"Thank you, sir.\"

　　 \"Sit down, please.\"

　　 Tyurkin sits down, and Romanov stares at him.

　　 \"You were recommended to me by your superior, Comrade Dumachev.\"

　　 \"Yes, sir.\"

　　 \"However, the responsibilities are very heavy, and you need more experienced people to help you. More importantly, you know that it is difficult for young people like you to be criticized when they reach this position at this age, and you need merit to go further.\"

　　 Tyurkin\u0027s eyes grow large as he takes in the implications of this.

　　 \"Understood. I am ready to serve the Party and the people of the Soviet Union.\"

　　 \"Very well, the intensive and socio-economic zone program is a key project for future development. The construction and production of Leningrad scientific research centers, scientific and production enterprises should be done in full force, and Leningrad must become the first intensively planned economic and social-economic zone. Do not let the people down.\"

　　 \"Understood, sir. I will not let you down.\"

　　 \"That is good, because the future of this country is in your hands.\"

　　 \"Make sure you understand the gravity of your position. You must be prepared to make the tough decisions, and to suffer the consequences. Understood?\"

　　 \"Understood.\"

　　 \"Good.\"

　　 \"You should think about your family, and what their lives will be like if you fail.\"

　　 \"I understand, sir. I will do my best.\"

　　 \"That is all.\"

　　 Romanov stands, and leaves without saying anything else.

　　 \"Now... you will excuse me, I have a meeting to attend.\"

　　 Tyurkin stares after the General Secretary for a few moments, then he too stands and leaves.

　　 ---

　　 Dmitri Ulapala sat in a dingy office, staring at a map of the city. The room had little natural light, and as such, the window was covered by a heavy blackout blind. At the moment, her attention was focused on the city of Riga, on the far end of the map.

　　 The blind was partially open, and she could see through it slits that the sky was completely overcast, as if a thick blanket covered the blue expanse above. Heavy storms were predicted for the next few days.

　　 Across the room, a table lay on its side, partially obstructing a side door. On the floor next to the table sat a half-drunken bottle of vodka and an overflowing ashtray. Spattered across the table were maps of the city, a few of them highlighted and crumpled. The table and its contents were a mess.

　　 Ulpala had been sitting at the table for hours, drinking and reviewing maps of the city.

　　 \"Good, you will do the job. By the way, your has been hired by the Bank.\"

　　 \"I know, what of it?\"

　　 \"No, you don\u0027t seem particularly happy about it.\"

　　 \"Well, I\u0027m not.\"

　　 Romanov nodded and walked up to her and said, \"I believe in your MBA, you helped me master the Leningrad Bank, and I helped you become a manager...and then a bank director and shareholder.\"

　　 \"Is that a yes?\"

　　 \"It\u0027s a \u0027Hm, of course.\u0027\"

　　 \"Good.\"

　　 Romanov grabbed her chin and said, \"Look up at me and open your mouth.\"

　　 Ulpala did as she was told.

　　 \"Good girl. Now, take in as much air as you can, and...\"

　　 He slapped her across the face.

　　 \"Say \u0027Aah.\u0027\"

　　 \"Aah!\"

　　 \"Good. That was much better. Now... you will soon be working for us.\"

　　 \"I know...but what does this mean for my family?\"

　　 \"I know that your family is rich and that you are not a random position like Tregubova and you can become my toy on your own. If you are willing to help me, I will also affirm you.\"

　　 Ulpala\u0027s eyes widened, and she asked, \"You will what?\"

　　 \"I will have you. My young and beautiful slave-mistress.\"

　　 \"No!\"

　　 \"Yes...\"

　　 \"NO!\"

　　 \"I will not be a slave!\"

　　 \"You are my property...\"

　　 \"Please...\"

　　 \"I won\u0027t...\"

　　 \"I... I don\u0027t know what to say...\"

　　 \"Say \u0027Acceptance. I accept.\u0027\"

　　 \"But...\"

　　 \"Say it!\"

　　 \"I... I accept.\"

　　 Romanov nodded with satisfaction and said, \"Good, we need to hear your opinion before we finish the deal. What do you think about the development of the stock market and lottery and joint venture banks in the Soviet Union now?\"

　　 \"I think they are great ideas, but they will take years to get up and running.\"

　　 \"Do you see any barriers to their implementation?\"

　　 \"No.\"

　　 \"Really? I don\u0027t think the masses in the Soviet Union & other socialist countries even understand how evil the financial economy & capital are.\"

　　 \"They understand it just fine, but they won\u0027t go against the system. People are too brainwashed and have too many interests to play along with the system.\"

　　 \"Interesting. So, in summary, I can do anything I want in the financial sector, as long as it takes 5, 10 or even 20 years to accomplish? Is that about it?\"

　　 \"Well...not exactly. I think that there will be political problems ahead, but you can deal with that if you try hard enough. After all, if the system is flawed, you are free to destroy it.\"

　　 Romanov said sternly: \"The Soviet system has been working for decades, and no one should be able to destroy it in a few years before making themselves rich again. Even if, young Soviet people no longer understand the prices of health insurance, rent and tuition in capitalist countries.\"

　　 Ulpala shrugged. \"The system will eventually fail, given that a system based on ignorance can\u0027t last forever. The sooner you implement these changes, the better the world will be.\"

　　 \"Interesting. I will take your word for it, since you have the power to make me do anything. I will also take you up on your offer to work for me. Kneel before me and open your mouth.\"

　　 Ulpala hesitated.

　　 \"Ulpala!\"

　　 \"Oh, very well, I will. But I expect a generous income, along with many perks for my trouble.\"

　　 \"I will see to it.\"

　　 \"Now, let us finish the details of your new position.\"

　　 Ulpala had no idea what she would do, as all of her knowledge came from books and not from experience. Ulpala opened her mouth, placed her hands on the head of the table, and felt the air above her head rush toward her.

　　 \"Let me observe your teeth and keep your tongue still.\" Romanov said as he grabbed her chin and unbuckled the belt of his own pants. \"You don\u0027t have any cavities do you?\"

　　 \"No, I don\u0027t.\"

　　 \"No, this doesn\u0027t seem to be a problem. In fact, you are only more beautiful than when I first met you.\"

　　 \"Thank you.\"

　　 Ulpala swallowed nervously. Romanov stepped closer and pressed his throbbing erection against her face.

　　 \"Wet it, my dear.\"

　　 \"Yes, sir...\"

　　 \"Sirs.\"

　　 \"I have one question before I agree to this.\"

　　 \"Ask it.\"

　　 \"What happens if I fail?\"

　　 Ulpala closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and opened her mouth. She stuck out her tongue.

　　 \"Good girl. Keep it still. Take a deep breath.\"

　　 Ulpala took a deep breath and obeyed. The taste of her own saliva surprised her, it was so salty. She did as she was told and licked the underside of his penis. Romanov hissed in approval and said, \"Good, now I will show you how to properly do it.\"

　　 He grabbed her head and guided her mouth from the top of his shaft to his base.

　　 \"Suck,\" he said.

　　 She opened her mouth and took him into her mouth. Her mouth felt dry, and the sensation of his length and girth hitting the back of her throat caused a wave of pleasure to hit her.

　　 \"Mm, you fucking beauty. This is what I want.\"

　　 She felt the intense heat of his desire against her face and neck. His grip tightened, and he started to thrust into her mouth. The sensation of his penis sliding against her throat caused more wetness to appear. She loved the feeling of his shaft moving against her mouth and throat.

　　 \"Oh yeah, that feels...good...do it...do it harder...harder...a\u0027ight, a\u0027ight,\" she said, struggling to breath.

　　 He reached his hands around and guided her head, positioning her mouth as the target for his throbbing erection. She felt his fingers on the back of her neck, pulling her toward him as he continued to thrust.

　　 \"A\u0027ight...now take a deep breath...and...and...let it out.\"

　　 She did as she was told and took a deep breath through her nose. In...out...in...out...she repeated the process until her breath was smooth and even.

　　 \"Good...good...\"

　　 Romanov withdrew from her mouth, put on his pants and said, \"Stand up, the deal is done. Go get me a bottle of vodka.\"

　　 She got up from the table and went into the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of vodka, poured in some of the clear liquid, and brought it back to the table. She placed it next to the chairman.

　　 \"Thank you.\"

　　 \"Thank me when you get me a promotion.\"

　　 \"A promotion?\"

　　 \"Yeah. You heard me. Now, drink up, we have a lot of work to do.\"

　　 Ulpala finished the rest of the bottle and said, \"I need a few minutes to myself.\"

　　 \"No you don\u0027t,\" Romanov said. \"Now, get to work.\"

　　 She sat at the table and listened to him as he drank the rest of the bottle. Then she picked up the bottle and drank the rest of the contents.

　　 \"Now, to work.\"

　　 She joined his side of the table and stared into the fire. The warmth felt good against her face, and she felt less...shady. \"Tell me about yourself, where are you from?\"

　　 \"I was born in Leningrad, but I moved to Moscow when I was a teenager.\"

　　 \"Your parents still live there?\"

　　 She nodded. \"My father is still there, but my mother left when I was young. My father is an engineer, and my sister is a doctor.\"

　　 \"I see. What do you want of me?\"

　　 She shrugged. \"I don\u0027t know. I want to be...somebody.\"

　　 \"And what are you not?\"

　　 \"I\u0027m not a thief. I\u0027m not a liar. I\u0027m not ugly.\"

　　 \"Of course, I want to know if you agree to our cooperation?\" Romanov leaned back in his sofa chair, the smell of vodka irritating him a little.

　　 \"What do you mean?\"

　　 \"The price is simple. You comply with all of my requests; I give you money, power, and respect. If you refuse, I release the wolves upon you.\"

　　 She frowned. \"What are the...wolves?\"

　　 \"When you think about it, if I just needed someone to control the bank to help me get money, would I need to take the risk of picking you instead of just choosing someone else?\"

　　 \"I\u0027m not...\"

　　 \"Think about it.\"

　　 Ulpala pondered the question. She looked around the room, studying his face for any sort of sign of deceit.

　　 \"I\u0027m not going to let you trick me into doing anything.\"

　　 \"Good. Then we have an agreement.\"

　　 \"Not quite...\"

　　 Romanov crossed his arms and stared at her and said, \"You will obey unconditionally what I need you to do, and you must know it.\"

　　 \"Yes.\"

　　 \"And if you don\u0027t comply with my wishes, you will be killed.\"

　　 Ulpala gulped. She tried to steady her breath, and said, \"Yes...\"

　　 \"Good. That\u0027s the spirit. Now, we have a deal, so make sure you keep your end of it.\"

　　 \"Yes.\"

　　 \"Now, go and get me a coat...\"

　　 She left the room, shaking, and went to the wardrobe. She grabbed a dark blue coat and brought it back to the room.

　　 \"Here. Put this on.\"

　　 She did as she was told and returned to the kitchen. He was staring into the fire, his expression unreadable.

　　 \"How does it fit?\" she asked.

　　 \"It fits.\"

　　 \"Can I ask you a question?\"

　　 \"What?\"

　　 \"Why are you doing this to me?\"

　　 \"Doing what?\" he asked, not looking at her.

　　 \"Making me...\" she stopped, trying to think of the word. \"Cooperating with you.\"

　　 He didn\u0027t respond.

　　 \"Will you tell me why?\"

　　 \"Do you really need to know?\"

　　 \"I don\u0027t want to do something that I\u0027m going to regret.\"

　　 \"Then no.\"

　　 \"Why are you doing this?\" she asked again.

　　 \"Because I want to do this, I need you. You give you to me, and I give you money and position. In a few years, you will be a director and shareholder of the Leningrad Bank. Outside of the Foreign Trade Bank, I need the Leningrad Bank to be my conduit for importing and smuggling arms.\"

　　 \"This is a very large enterprise you are planning...\"

　　 Romanov nodded.

　　 \"The import of some luxury and consumer goods, literature and movies will make you a lot of rubles, and the army\u0027s obsolete arms are sold back to the gangsters in Western Europe and warlords around the world for dollars. The consumer goods and technical equipment the Soviet Union needed could only be bought in dollars.\"

　　 \"Yes, so?\" she asked.

　　 \"So, if you cooperate with me, you will be making a lot more money than if you just go along with these...bandits.\"

　　 Ulpala nodded. \"How do I know this won\u0027t just be another trick?\"

　　 \"You don\u0027t. You\u0027ll just have to trust me. But, it\u0027s not like I\u0027m using you. I\u0027m using someone like you.\"

　　 Ulpala frowned. Was he using her?

　　 \"Think of me as an experiment in management. How would you like someone like me as an experiment in management?\"

　　 \"I\u0027m not sure...\" She was unsure of herself.

　　 \"Next year, one billion rubles will be put into the Leningrad Bank. Can you eat that money?\"

　　 \"I don\u0027t know...\"

　　 \"No. Of course not. But, you will have power and respect. You will be one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Russia and the Soviet Union.\" He smiled. \"You will never have to worry about anything ever again. Now, are you going to cooperate with me or not?\"

　　 \"Yes...\"

　　 \"Good girl. Now, my dick...\"

　　 Ulpala blushed and looked away.

　　 \"Well, let\u0027s get down to business, shall we?\"

　　 She nodded. She took off the coat, and he took it from her and placed it over a chair.

　　 \"Sit.\"

　　 She did as she was told, staring at her lap. The coat opened, revealing her white knee-length dress and black hose.

　　 \"Tell me what you need.\"

　　 \"First, I need a secure line. I\u0027ll give you the number, and you will place the call. Tell me if anyone else is tapping into our conversation.\"

　　 \"What about an encrypted phone?\"

　　 \"Fine. But, only if it\u0027s state of the art. Advanced tech. Something that only a handful of people in the world can decrypt.\" She looked up at him. \"Will that be your specialty?\"

　　 \"What do you think?\" he asked.

　　 \"Well, you\u0027re a pretty smart fellow. I have faith that you\u0027ll think of something.\"

　　 He nodded and put his hand on her neck as if to soothe a kitten and said, \"I\u0027ll put Tregubova in charge of contacting you and preparing the secret service equipment, what else do you need?\"

　　 She smiled up at him. How kind he was to give her such a responsibility. \"I\u0027ll need a vehicle, one that can travel at high speed, but can also go places without being spotted. Something that can blend in when needed and something comfortable. I also need a good set of false documents. I don\u0027t need anything fancy, just enough to help me through customs. Oh, and a good pair of boots.\"

　　 He laughed. \"You\u0027re not going to be a spy, you\u0027re just helping me smuggle. How hard can that be?\"

　　 \"I suppose. I\u0027ll need the vehicle and the documents when you have them. Until then, I shall be on temporary duty at your bank.\"

　　 \"Very well. I\u0027ll have Tregubova contact you. In the meantime, relax. Stay out of the sight of others, and remember that the more obnoxious you are, the bigger the target you become. That\u0027s all. See you soon.\"

　　 After Romanov left, Ulpala looked at the pile of cash, the stack of banknotes so large that it overflowed the briefcase on the floor. How long would it be before she had enough clout to wrest back control of the bank? Would she even need to?

　　 She shook her head and got to work. She smiled as he picked them up, her looked up at the ceiling, thinking, \"You have no idea what I\u0027m capable of.\"

　　 She coughed, then looked up at the ceiling. There was a large crack in the ceiling that went all the way down.

　　 \"Damn, I wish I knew where that came from. Fuck the Khrushchev building.\"