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　　 特雷古波娃给苏联最高苏维埃主席团主席维克托·瓦西里耶维奇·格里申放下茶，苏联共产党中央委员会总书记兼国防会议主席罗曼诺夫示意说：“格里申同志，试试这杯茶吧。”

　　 格里辛咕哝着，抓起一杯茶，呷了一口。“好喝，”他说。

　　 “我很高兴你喜欢它。”

　　 罗曼诺夫坐下来，呷了一口茶。

　　 房间里一片寂静，只能听到杯子叮当作响和蒸汽渗入空气的声音。

　　 格里辛咕哝了一声，又喝了一口茶。

　　 罗曼诺夫清了清嗓子说：“如果来自阿富汗前线的最新报告准确无误，我们可能面临严重局势。”

　　 “你是什么意思？”

　　 “美国支持的阿富汗圣战者又重新开始袭击驻阿富汗的苏联军队，我需要你的意见。”

　　 “我的意见？你想要我的意见？”

　　 “是的。我们必须决定这场战争是否应该继续，是否应该增派军队。”

　　 格里辛咕哝着说：“增派部队？我们不增派部队！我们要撤军！”

　　 “撤退？但是战争进行得很顺利！你为什么要撤退？”

　　 “顺利？不，我们在国际社会与经济上输了这场战争，阿富汗没有任何价值。我们只是浪费资源与生命，卡尔迈勒的阿富汗人民民主党连土地改革与解放妇女都没有做到！他们进行土地改革均分土地却不从地主阶级那里分配生产资料？！他们面对阿富汗宗教势力不断妥协并减缓改革。这场战争是不可胜利的。”

　　 “我们唯一应该担心的是战争很快就会结束，我们需要在战争结束之前讨论和平的条件。”罗曼诺夫挠挠头说：“要么，我们需要跟美国达成撤军协议。要么，全力支持阿富汗人民民主党并由苏联进行全方面社会改革。前者对国家利益更有利，但是谁会承担战争失败的责任？”

　　 “这是谁会输得更多的问题，而不是谁赢谁输的问题。不管怎样，我们都会输。我们将失去我们的国家。”

　　 “那么我们必须赢，”罗曼诺夫说，“据我所知，你相信美国会赢。”

　　 “不，我不这么认为。苏联将屹立不倒，并将赢得胜利。但是阿富汗是一场零和游戏，只是消耗我们的资源与意志。我们赢不了。我们不能输。”

　　 “我们需要跟美国会谈解决这个问题，还有什么事吗？维克托同志。”

　　 “说吧。我们不能增派军队，因为那样会把钱一大笔一笔地扔掉。我们最好与美国谈判撤军。还有其他事情，你知道，国有企业股份化与新的私营银行是很危险的。前者会创造我们无法控制的经济力量并改变社会主义思想。后者，对外贸易部很不满；毕竟，已经有了股份制的苏联对外贸易银行。为什么还要重新建立合资银行呢？”

　　 “我不认为这些事情有那么糟糕，”罗曼诺夫说。“但我们可以做得更好。财政部一直抵制变革，认为政府应该只投资国有企业。当然，私营企业可能不那么符合社会主义制度。然而，有很多方法可以解决这些问题。例如，我们可以将私人银行国有化，然后由国家运营。这不是一个坏的妥协。我们可能无法完全满足意识形态上的对手，但我们会做得更多。”

　　 “这是个坏主意。人民不会容忍的，我们将失去私营部门的支持。如果我们这样做，我们很可能继续掌权，但我们将失去我们的国家。”

　　 “不，我们不会。国有企业股份化还在协商过程，当然我们也可以无限期推迟。那么，必须晋升一些年轻人上来…但是，年轻人不像老人一样经历过战争。我们不能让苏共二十大的产儿来继承我们的职位。”

　　 “这是个坏主意。你的思维不清晰。这不是什么学术活动……我们不能后退。这是我们的家，我们的国家，我们的未来。”

　　 “没有阿富汗，我们的国家可以生存。”罗曼诺夫说：“我们的国家和其他任何国家一样，对自己负有责任。我向你保证，我会考虑放弃国有企业股份化。维克托·瓦西里耶维奇·格里申同志。”

　　 “总书记。”

　　 “是的。如果你想从阿富汗撤军，我不会反对。但是，我需要你的支持。你会支持我吗？”

　　 “我会的。”

　　 “格里申同志，谢谢。”

　　 ------

　　 格里申离开后，特雷古波娃看着罗曼诺夫思考问：“怎么了？”

　　 “我们需要重新考虑这一点，”罗曼诺夫说。“这些部委每一个人都不是单一的人，而是一整个官僚集团。我需要改革又要防止官僚集团的个人利益损伤。”

　　 “哦，那就是你进来的地方，不是吗？”特雷古波娃问。

　　 “是的，但你知道我们必须悄悄地这样做，否则会损害我们的利益。”罗曼诺夫叹气说：“我需要让我的列宁格勒派系控制整个政治局与苏联，我不能像赫鲁晓夫一样直接废除部委与依靠特供制度来收卖官僚。”

　　 “不，当然不是，”特雷古波娃同意。

　　 “对了，你的人脉关系怎么样？”罗曼诺夫打起精神问，他试探她会说谎还是实话。

　　 “我的……关系？”特雷古波娃问道，不安地移开视线。“它们很好。为什么？你认为会有问题吗？”

　　 “你需要对我说实话，我需要的是忠诚与诚实的秘书长。”

　　 “不会有问题的。你认为我是怎么这么快被提升的？体制并不像你想象的那么腐败。我相信你会在各部找到很多支持者。”

　　 “我希望如此。”

　　 “不管怎样，我可以帮你制定计划，但这需要一些时间。你有足够的时间吗？”

　　 “我相信是的，”罗曼诺夫说。“过来坐我腿上，你收了多少钱与礼物？”

　　 “100万。”

　　 “嗯，你知道如果我不让监察部门隐瞒这件事，你会在监狱里待多少年？”罗曼诺夫问道。

　　 “我不知道，”特雷古波娃说，用胳膊搂住他的腰。

　　 “可能是你的余生。现在，我们去睡觉吧。”

　　 特雷古波娃坐在膝盖上，他对整个情况感觉好多了。他主要关心的是特雷古波娃对他诚实，他不会把她的生命置于危险之中。他不能保证后者，但他可以努力保证前者。特雷古波娃不得不相信他。他们毕竟是盟友。

　　 第二天，情况依然如此。特雷古波娃仍然站在他的一边，他正在通过各部工作，试图巩固大多数人对他的计划的支持。然后，他将不得不让反对他的各派保持沉默。尽管如此，它进展缓慢，而且有很多繁文缛节。试图加快这一进程将是浪费时间。

　　 ------

　　 列宁格勒是一座很特殊的苏联城市。

　　 正如苏联对俄罗斯苏维埃的有意遏制一样，莫斯科也对列宁格勒进行遏制。这可能是历史遗留问题，列宁格勒在它作为圣彼得堡与彼得格勒时期以及苏联前几十年发生了很多政治阴谋与案件。列宁格勒位于芬兰湾，地理位置优越，曾是一个主要港口，因此成为天然的贸易中心和走私中心。单凭这些因素就可能解释这座城市作为政治阴谋和犯罪温床的地位，以及它作为黑市中心的声誉。但这些并不是其历史上的唯一因素。

　　 在第二次世界大战之前、期间和之后，这座城市目睹了人类历史上对平民和军人犯下的一些最可怕的行为。

　　 卫国战争结束后，被斯大林内定为继承人的日丹诺夫使列宁格勒派系影响力迅速扩大。但在日丹诺夫死后的列宁格勒案件清洗使列宁格勒派系重新遭到严重打击。

　　 之后，弗罗尔·罗曼诺维奇·科兹洛夫成为了列宁格勒派系的领导者并最终成为了赫鲁晓夫支持的继承人，并得到勃列日涅夫与谢列平的支持。然后，1963年科兹洛夫中风并于1965年逝世。

　　 列宁格勒派系逐渐丧失了权力也远离了权力中心。从1970年到1983年，罗曼诺夫担任了列宁格勒第一书记并掌握了这里。他还被授予苏联中央委员会总书记的头衔。他是党和国家的领导人，做出所有决定并确保他们遵循党的路线。

　　 -------

　　 列宁格勒科研中心

　　 列宁格勒科学研究中心位于城外，是一个大型建筑群，大部分是行政大楼，就像你现在所在的那座，还有一家酒店、几家餐厅、会议室，一个现场医疗中心，一对大型、现代化、设备齐全的实验室，甚至一所现场学校。

　　 罗曼诺夫从一扇有警卫的门进入，受到警卫的欢迎。

　　 “先生们，您好。我是格里戈里·瓦西里耶维奇·罗曼诺夫同志，苏联中央委员会新任总书记。您是……”

　　 “尼古拉·尤杜什卡，我是斯柯达工厂的工程师。”

　　 “很好，请让格列博夫博士过来见我。”

　　 “当然可以，请进。”

　　 罗曼诺夫走进大楼，被带进一个大会议室，在那里摆着一张圆桌。桌子周围有一些舒适的椅子，但很明显，这是一个人们不常见面的地方。

　　 苏联部长会议副主席兼国家计划委员会主席尼古拉·康斯坦丁诺维奇·巴伊巴科夫与国家科学技术委员会新任主席库尔特·施莫克博士共同出席了会议。

　　 “格列博夫博士？”

　　 格列博夫迅速进入并鞠躬。这是他升职的终点，但他似乎很享受。

　　 “没有必要进行非正式讨论。我们都清楚这些问题，我的职责是提供建议。你有一项任务要完成。”

　　 “当然可以，主席。”

　　 “任务很简单。美国正处于第三次工业革命的规模。我们必须这样做。我们必须把自己置于与美国人相同的技术基础上。要做到这一点，我们必须创建一个科技强国。我们必须创建一个太空经济。”

　　 “是的，主席。我们应该这样做。”

　　 “现在，我想听听你对这件事的看法。”

　　 格列博夫转向罗曼诺夫。

　　 “总书记同志，作为一名科学家，我有兴趣了解美国在做什么。我相信你能理解。”

　　 “当然，我相信你们已经建立了联系，但美国人似乎对太空非常感兴趣。他们已经取得了很大的进步。更重要的是，他们已经在科技超过了我们。20世纪70年代美国的技术革命使法国和苏联看起来像石器时代。我们必须赶上或超过他们的技术发展水平。这是保持竞争力和避免落后的唯一途径。太空是我们的未来。”

　　 格雷波夫点点头说…

　　 “我明白你的意思，总书记同志。但是苏联的科技尤其是计算机技术还在70年代，我们停留在晶体管计算机，但美国已经研发了集成电路电子计算机。自20世纪70年代以来，美国生产了一些世界上最先进、功能最强大的计算机，包括一些世界上功能最强大的超级计算机。我们不能允许这种情况继续下去。我们必须采取措施改变这一趋势。”

　　 “我们必须做得更多。政治局已经看了提交的集约化1995计划报告，我们需要知道到1990年列宁格勒能建立多少全自动化生产工厂与工业机器人？”

　　 “到1990年，我们有足够的技术人员仅在列宁格勒就建造了三座这样的自动化生产工厂。如果我们把扩张潜力包括在内，那么总共是十个工厂。不过，我相信我们可以做得更好。我们有一些非常有才华的工程师和科学家。有了适量的投资，我们就能显著提高劳动力的生产率。通过使用最新技术，我们可以将工厂的产量提高30%。我们必须尝试一下这项新技术。我们不能依赖过去。我们必须创新。这是我们竞争的唯一途径。”

　　 “我理解你的沮丧，博士。我们需要尽快看到成果，你可以离开了。我们需要讨论一下。”

　　 格列博夫在离开前鞠躬。他走出房间，从后门溜了出去。

　　 现在只有罗曼诺夫和巴伊巴科夫一人。

　　 “美国领先于我们，我们必须在1987年前在各部门与地区建立计算机中心与为人员配置电子计算机、计算机培训。到1995年，我们必须有一个全国性的超级计算设施网络，每秒至少能进行一百万次计算。我们必须实现这些目标。”

　　 “目标雄心勃勃，但目标似乎很难实现。”

　　 “财政部门会拨款、其他部门必须全力配合科学院。还有，将计算机中心建设与人员计算机培训来完善物质平衡表的计算纳入考核指标。”

　　 “此外，我们还有一些备用资金，我们可以增加自己的研发支出。这有助于我们更快地实现一些目标。”

　　 “这是一个好主意。我们将确保资金得到合理有效的使用。”

　　 罗曼诺夫站了起来。

　　 “现在，我必须走了。我还有更多的工作要做。”

　　 “当然，罗曼诺夫同志。”

　　 ---

　　 在1985年，罗曼诺夫如果需要成为苏维埃帝国的新沙皇而不是失败者或者小丑到底需要什么呢？首先，他需对官僚体制进行改革并掌握军队与克格勃。

　　 克格勃是一支特殊的力量，它只直属于苏共总书记的命令。即使是历史上的戈尔巴乔夫也可以驾驭它并利用它。

　　 军队需要思想、威望与利益，思想将让军队忠于职责、威望将使罗曼诺夫能领导它、利益将会导致它们不背叛罗曼诺夫。

　　 而官僚体制改革则更特殊，它需要领导者拥有魄力、能力、威望与利益。没有魄力与能力的领导者将没有决心与成功的可能，威望能保证政治稳定与野心家的政变，利益都来换取官僚集团的支持。

　　 罗曼诺夫需要做的是，分化官僚集团并一手扔肉、一手拿着屠刀与鞭子。问题在于，官僚特权在斯大林时期就开始不断加强。进行改革必须要先拉拢与打击官僚集团并扶持自己的列宁格勒派系。可惜的是，罗曼诺夫没有什么利益满足高层官僚集团。

　　 涨工资发津贴与分配别墅只能拉拢基层组织，要满足高层官僚集团来换取政治支持就需要更大的利益。斯大林给高层发几倍工资红包的制度或者赫鲁晓夫的特供制度早就过时了。这个制度需要从头开始改革。

　　 在许多方面，罗曼诺夫将注意力集中在金字塔的顶端是正确的，因为系统已经将注意力集中在同一件事情上太久了。目前，只有较低级别的公务员受到改革的重大影响。

　　 官僚与资本家在某一种生活方式是高度同质的，那就是剥夺与压迫人类方面。如果制度要真正自我改革，就必须自下而上进行改革。

　　 问题是，谁将领导这样一场运动？谁来团结基层？

　　 ---

　　 列宁格勒州委第一书记阿纳托利·杜马乔夫缓慢跟着罗曼诺夫在走廊里散步。

　　 “我们在意见上有很多分歧，但我们在原则上都是一致的，这才是最重要的。我们应该表现出一些团结，如果没有政治家们的一些让步，这是不会发生的。”

　　 “我们会有分歧的，杜马乔夫同志，但我们都会共同对付共同的敌人。”罗曼诺夫停顿了一下又说：“我需要你的帮助，你认为谁能担任莫斯科市委第一书记？”

　　 杜马切夫想了一会儿。

　　 “我想你的想法在莫斯科可能更有吸引力，同志。也许，派个人去那里试一试是值得的？”

　　 “我同意这一点，弗拉迪米尔·雅科夫列维奇·霍迪列夫怎么样？”

　　 “我认识这个人，他工作努力，但不是最聪明的思想家。我认为他在莫斯科不会受欢迎。”

　　 罗曼诺夫点点头说：“好，那就扎伊科夫担任吧。”

　　 “最好对他施加一些限制。他是个无赖。”

　　 “什么样的限制？”

　　 “没有报纸，没有新闻自由。让他只在集会上讲话，诸如此类的事情。”

　　 “明白了。”

　　 “就这些吗？”

　　 “是的，现在。”

　　 “好，我得走了。”

　　 杜马切夫走开了，留下罗曼诺夫思考。

　　 当走廊的门关上时，罗曼诺夫自言自语地说：“好吧，现在我该怎么办？我要么屈服于人民的奇思妙想和他们的要求，要么站在正确的立场上。嗯…”

　　 这是一个微妙的局面。体系不能这样继续下去。一定会有东西给你的。问题是，谁先给？

　　 ---

　　 沿着走廊走了很长一段路后，苏联中央委员会总书记罗曼诺夫走进房间说：“维克多·阿尔卡季耶维奇·秋尔金同志？”

　　 “是的，先生？”年轻的官僚回答。

　　 “你现在是列宁格勒市委员会代理第一书记。”

　　 “什么……”

　　 “祝贺你！”

　　 罗曼诺夫拍拍他的肩膀说：“你是一个非常有才能的人。”

　　 “谢谢你，先生。”

　　 “请坐。”

　　 秋尔金坐下来，罗曼诺夫盯着他。

　　 “你的上级杜马切夫同志向我推荐了你。”

　　 “是的，先生。”

　　 “但是，职责非常繁重，你需要更有经验的人来帮助你。更重要的是，你知道像你一样年轻的人在这个年龄到这个职位是难以不被抨击的，你需要功绩才可以合适地更进一步。”

　　 秋尔金的眼睛随着他的理解而变大。

　　 “明白。我准备为苏联的党和人民服务。”

　　 “很好，集约化与社会经济区计划是未来发展的重点项目。列宁格勒科研中心、科学与生产企业的建设与生产要全力做到，列宁格勒必须成为第一个集约化计划经济社会经济区。不要让人民失望。”

　　 “明白了，先生。我不会让你失望的。”

　　 “这很好，因为这个国家的未来掌握在你们手中。确保你了解自己处境的严重性。你必须做好做出艰难决定并承担后果的准备。明白吗？”

　　 “明白了。”

　　 “很好。”

　　 “你应该想想你的家人，如果你失败了，她们的生活会是什么样子。”

　　 “我明白，先生。我会尽力的。”

　　 “就这些。”

　　 罗曼诺夫站了起来，什么也没说就离开了。

　　 “现在……请原谅，我要参加一个会议。”

　　 秋尔金盯着总书记看了一会儿，然后他也站起来离开了。

　　 ---

　　 德米特里·乌拉帕拉坐在一间昏暗的办公室里，盯着城市地图。房间里几乎没有自然光，因此，窗户被一个沉重的遮光百叶窗遮住了。此刻，她的注意力集中在地图尽头的里加市。

　　 百叶窗半开着，她可以透过缝隙看到天空完全是阴沉沉的，好像一条厚厚的毯子覆盖了上面的蓝色区域。预计未来几天将有强风暴。

　　 房间的另一边放着一张桌子，部分挡住了侧门。桌子旁边的地板上放着一瓶半瓶的伏特加和一个溢出的烟灰缸。桌子上溅满了城市地图，其中一些地图被突出显示并弄皱了。桌子和里面的东西乱七八糟。

　　 乌拉帕拉已经在桌子旁坐了几个小时，一边喝酒，一边看城市地图。

　　 “很好，你会做这个工作。顺便说一句，你的已经被银行雇用了。”

　　 “我知道，那又怎么样？”

　　 “不，你似乎对此并不特别高兴。”

　　 “嗯，我不是。”

　　 罗曼诺夫点点头走到她面前说：“我相信你的MBA学位，你帮助我掌握列宁格勒银行，我帮助你成为经理…然后是银行董事与股东。”

　　 “是吗？”

　　 “这是‘嗯，当然。’”

　　 “很好。”

　　 罗曼诺夫抓住她的下巴说：“抬头看我，张开嘴巴。”

　　 “抬头看着我，张开你的嘴。”

　　 乌尔帕拉照办了。

　　 “好姑娘。现在，尽可能多地呼吸空气，然后……”

　　 他打了她一耳光。

　　 “说‘啊’。”

　　 “啊！”

　　 “很好。那好多了。现在……你很快就会为我们工作了。”

　　 “我知道……但这对我的家庭意味着什么？”

　　 “我知道你的家庭很富裕，你不是像特雷古波娃一样随便给个职位就能自行成为我的玩具。如果你愿意帮助我，我也会肯定你。”

　　 乌尔帕拉睁大了眼睛，问道：“你会怎么做？”

　　 “我要你，我年轻漂亮的女奴隶。”

　　 “我……我不知道该说什么……”

　　 “说‘接受，我接受’。”

　　 “但是……”

　　 “说吧！”

　　 “我……我接受。”

　　 罗曼诺夫满意地点点头说：“好，在我们交易完成之前需要听听你的看法。你对苏联现在发展股市与彩票、合资银行什么看法？”

　　 “我认为这些想法很好，但它们需要数年的时间才能启动和运行。”

　　 “您认为实施这些计划有任何障碍吗？”

　　 “没有。”

　　 “真的吗？我认为苏联与其他社会主义国家的群众根本不了解金融经济与资本有多邪恶。”

　　 “他们很好地理解这一点，但他们不会反对这个制度。人们被洗脑太多，兴趣太多，无法与这个制度合作。”

　　 “有趣。总之，我可以在金融领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？就这样吗？”

　　 “嗯……不完全是。我认为前面会有政治问题，但如果你足够努力，你可以解决这些问题。毕竟，如果制度有缺陷，你可以自由地摧毁它。”

　　 罗曼诺夫严厉地说：“苏维埃制度已经运行了几十年，没有人能应该在几年内摧毁它再让自己成为富有的人。哪怕，苏联年轻人已经不理解资本主义国家医疗保险、房租与学费的价格。”

　　 乌拉帕拉耸耸肩。“这个系统最终会失败，因为一个基于无知的系统不可能永远持续下去。你越早实施这些变革，世界就会越美好。”

　　 “有意思。我相信你的话，因为你有能力让我做任何事。我也会接受你的提议为我工作。跪在我面前，张开嘴。”

　　 乌拉帕拉犹豫了一下。

　　 “乌拉帕拉！”

　　 “哦，很好，我会的。但是我希望有一份丰厚的收入，还有许多额外的津贴来解决我的麻烦。”

　　 “我会注意的。”

　　 “现在，让我们来详细介绍一下你的新职位。”

　　 乌拉帕拉不知道她会做什么，因为她所有的知识都来自书本，而不是经验。乌拉帕拉张开嘴，双手放在桌头上，感到头顶上的空气向她扑来。

　　 “让我观察一下你的牙齿，舌头别动。”罗曼诺夫抓着她的下巴说，并解开自己裤子的皮带。“你没有蛀牙，是吗？”

　　 “不，我没有。”

　　 “不，这似乎不是问题。事实上，你只比我第一次见到你时更漂亮。”

　　 “谢谢你。”

　　 乌拉帕拉紧张地吞咽。罗曼诺夫走近一步，把他那悸动的勃起压在她的脸上。

　　 “把它弄湿，亲爱的。”

　　 乌拉帕拉深吸了一口气，服从了。她自己唾液的味道让她吃惊，太咸了。她照办了，舔了舔他的阴茎下面。罗曼诺夫赞许地嘘了一声，说：“好，现在我来教你怎么做。”

　　 他抓住她的头，引导她的嘴从他的头部顶到他的底部。

　　 “吮吸，”他说。

　　 她张开嘴，把他叼进嘴里。她的嘴感到干燥，他的长度和腰围撞击她的喉咙后部的感觉使她感到一阵愉悦。

　　 “嗯，你这个该死的美人。这就是我想要的。”

　　 她感到他强烈的欲望在她的脸上和脖子上。他紧握着，开始往她的嘴里塞。他的阴茎在她喉咙上滑动的感觉导致更多的湿气出现。她喜欢他的枪杆抵着她的嘴和喉咙移动的感觉。

　　 “哦，是的，感觉……很好……做吧……做得更努力……更努力……好吧，好吧，”她挣扎着呼吸着说。

　　 他把手伸向四周，引导她的头部，将她的嘴定位为他悸动性勃起的目标。她感觉到他的手指放在她的颈背上，在他继续推搡的时候把她拉向他。

　　 “好了……现在深呼吸……然后……然后……把它放出来。”

　　 她照吩咐的做了，用鼻子深吸了一口气。进…出…进…出…她重复这个过程，直到她的呼吸顺畅均匀。

　　 “好……好……”

　　 罗曼诺夫退出她的嘴巴，穿上裤子说：“站起来，交易完成了。去帮我拿瓶伏特加过来。”

　　 她从桌子上站起来，走进厨房。她抓起一瓶伏特加，倒进一些透明的液体，然后把它拿回到桌上。她把它放在主席旁边。

　　 “谢谢你。”

　　 “当你给我升职时，谢谢我。”

　　 “升职？”

　　 “是的。你听到我说的了。现在，干杯吧，我们有很多工作要做。”

　　 乌拉帕拉喝完了剩下的酒瓶，说：“我需要几分钟来放松一下。”

　　 “不，你没有，”罗曼诺夫说。“现在，开始工作吧。”

　　 她坐在桌旁，听他喝完剩下的酒瓶。然后她拿起瓶子，把剩下的东西都喝光了。

　　 “现在，去工作吧。”

　　 她站在他那一边的桌子上，凝视着炉火。温暖贴在她的脸上感觉很好，她感觉不那么……阴暗。“跟我说说你自己，你是哪里人？”

　　 “我出生在列宁格勒，但十几岁时搬到了莫斯科。”

　　 “你父母还住在那里吗？”

　　 她点了点头。“我父亲还在那里，但我年轻时母亲离开了。我父亲是工程师，我妹妹是医生。”

　　 “我明白了。你想要我做什么？”

　　 她耸耸肩。“我不知道。我想成为……某个人。”

　　 “你不是什么？”

　　 “我不是小偷。我不是骗子。我不丑。”

　　 “当然，我想知道你同意我们的合作吗？”罗曼诺夫向后仰在沙发椅子上，伏特加的味道有点刺激他。

　　 “你是什么意思？”

　　 “代价很简单。你遵守我的所有要求；我给你金钱、权力和尊重。如果你拒绝，我就向你释放狼。”

　　 她皱着眉头。“什么是……狼？”

　　 “仔细想想，我如果只是需要一个人来控制银行帮我获得金钱的话，我需要冒风险挑选你而不是直接选择其他人吗？”

　　 “我不是……”

　　 “想想看。”

　　 乌拉帕拉思考着这个问题。她环顾房间，仔细观察他的脸，看是否有任何欺骗的迹象。

　　 “我不会让你骗我做任何事。”

　　 “好，那我们就有协议了。”

　　 “不完全是……”

　　 罗曼诺夫双手交叉盯着她说：“你要无条件服从我需要你做的事情，你必须知道这一点。”

　　 “是的。”

　　 “如果你不遵守我的意愿，你会被杀的。”

　　 乌拉帕拉哽住。她试着屏住呼吸说：“是的……”

　　 “很好。这就是精神。现在，我们达成了协议，所以你一定要坚持到底。”

　　 “是的。”

　　 “现在，去给我拿件外套……”

　　 她颤抖着离开房间，走向衣柜。她抓起一件深蓝色的外套带回房间。

　　 “来，穿上这个。”

　　 她照吩咐的做了，回到厨房。他目不转睛地盯着炉火，表情难以辨认。

　　 “它怎么合适？”她问。

　　 “它合适。”

　　 “我能问你一个问题吗？”

　　 “什么？”

　　 “你为什么这样对我？”

　　 “做什么？”他问道，没有看着她。

　　 “让我……”她停下来，试着想想这个词。“与你合作。”

　　 他没有回答。

　　 “你能告诉我为什么吗？”

　　 “你真的需要知道吗？”

　　 “我不想做我会后悔的事。”

　　 “那就不行了。”

　　 “你为什么要这样做？”她又问。

　　 “因为我想这样做，我需要你。你把你交给我，我交给你金钱与地位。几年后，你会成为列宁格勒银行的董事与股东。在对外贸易银行之外，我需要列宁格勒银行成为我进口与走私军火的通道。”

　　 “这是你正在计划的一个非常大的企业……”

　　 罗曼诺夫点点头。

　　 “一些奢侈品与消费品、文学作品与电影的进口会让你赚很多卢布，军队淘汰的军火也要倒卖出去给西欧的黑帮与全球的军阀来换取美元。苏联需要的消费品与技术设备只能用美元买到。”

　　 “是的，所以？”她问。

　　 “所以，如果你与我合作，你将比与这些……强盗合作赚更多的钱。”

　　 乌拉帕拉点点头。“我怎么知道这不只是另一个把戏？”

　　 “你不需要。你只需要相信我。但是，我不是在利用你。我在利用像你这样的人。”

　　 乌拉帕拉皱眉头。他在利用她吗？

　　 “把我看作是一个管理实验。你希望像我这样的人如何作为一个管理实验？”

　　 “我不确定……”她对自己没有信心。

　　 “明年，10亿卢布将被存入列宁格勒银行。你能吃下这些钱吗？”

　　 “我不知道……”

　　 “不。当然不是。但是，你将拥有权力和尊重。你将成为俄罗斯和苏联最富有、最有权势的人之一。”他微笑着说。“你再也不用担心任何事情了。现在，你到底要不要和我合作？”

　　 “是的……”

　　 “乖女孩。现在，我的老二……”

　　 乌尔帕拉脸红了，把目光移开。

　　 “好吧，我们开始谈正事吧，好吗？”

　　 她点点头。她点点头。她脱下外套，他从她身上拿下来，放在椅子上。

　　 “坐下。”

　　 她照吩咐的做了，盯着自己的膝盖。外套打开了，露出了她的白色及膝连衣裙和黑袜。

　　 “告诉我你需要什么。”

　　 “首先，我需要一条安全线路。我会给你电话号码，你会打电话。如果有人在窃听我们的谈话，请告诉我。”

　　 “加密电话呢？”

　　 “很好。但是，只有当它是最先进的。先进的技术。世界上只有少数人能解密的东西。”她抬头看着他。“那是你的专长吗？”

　　 “你觉得怎么样？”他问道。

　　 “嗯，你是个相当聪明的人。我相信你会想出办法的。”

　　 他点点头手放在她的脖颈上就想安抚小猫一样说：“我会让特雷古波娃负责联系你与准备特勤装备，还要什么？”

　　 她向他微笑。他给了她这样的责任，真是太好了。“我需要一辆车，一辆可以高速行驶，但也可以去任何地方而不被发现的车。一辆可以在需要时融入其中的车，一辆舒适的车。我还需要一套好的假证件。我不需要任何花哨的东西，只要能帮我通过海关。哦，还有一双好靴子。”

　　 他笑了。“你不是间谍，你只是帮我走私。这有多难？”

　　 “我想。你拿到车和文件后，我需要。在那之前，我将在你的银行临时值班。”

　　 “很好。我会让特雷古波娃联系你。与此同时，放松。远离别人的视线，记住你越令人讨厌，你的目标就越大。这就是全部。这就是全部。再见。”

　　 罗曼诺夫离开后，乌拉帕拉看着那堆现金，那堆钞票太大了，溢到了地板上的公文包里。要多久她才能有足够的影响力夺回银行的控制权？她甚至需要吗？

　　 她摇了摇头，开始工作。他捡起它们时，她微笑着，她抬头看着天花板，心想：“你不知道我能做什么。”

　　 她咳嗽了一声，然后抬头看了看天花板。天花板上有一条很大的裂缝，一直延伸下去。

　　 “该死的，我希望我知道那是怎么来的。去他妈的赫鲁晓夫楼。”

　　 [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.\"