1979 My Life in the Era

Chapter 342 1987
Late June of 1987.

In the northern part of Beijing, near Yenching University, a skyscraper rises tall.

The building has a gray cement exterior, a huge base, seventy floors, and is over two hundred meters tall.

At the top of the building is a huge torch, more than ten meters high. When the torch lights up at night, it can be seen throughout the entire capital city.

This Dongyi Building is the newly built headquarters building of Ningweidong Company.

Today is the day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Ning Weidong was dressed in a light gray Zhongshan suit. Eight years had passed since he transmigrated to this world, and Ning Weidong was nearly thirty years old, looking even more composed.

To his left and right were invited leaders from Beijing, as well as senior executives from the company.

At this moment, everyone was in high spirits, but suddenly a young man strode out of the side door of the building.

This person was Ning Weidong's secretary. Seeing Ning Weidong talking to an elderly man in his sixties, he slowed his hurried steps and did not immediately step forward.

Only after a short while, when Ning Weidong finished speaking with the old man, did he seize the opportunity to step forward and whisper, "Boss, Mo Sike's phone call."

Ning Weidong frowned and looked at his watch.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin in about ten minutes.

Ning Weidong and his secretary went into the building. Once inside and no one saw them, they jogged to the front desk.

The call was transferred to the front desk. Ning Weidong answered with a "hello," and his expression changed slightly within seconds.

After a moment, he said "I understand" and then hung up the phone.

Just then, Zhao Ruyi came in from outside and asked as she approached, "Weidong, what happened?"

She was talking to someone outside when she saw Ning Weidong rushing into the building.

At this moment, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was about to begin, and Ning Weidong's sudden departure must have been for something important, so I quickly followed.

Ning Weidong said with a heavy expression, "Just now, Mo Sike called. Half an hour ago, Chernen suddenly fell into a coma and was hospitalized."

Zhao Ruyi was horrified.

In 1982, after Andreobo took office, history did not change much. He died of illness just 14 months later.

Then, unsurprisingly, Chernin took the stage.

But in Qiernike, the appearance of Ning Weidong brought about a change.

Originally, Chernen was also expected to pass away a year later due to his advanced age.

This led to the loss of three leaders in just three years for Sulian.

In this life, however, because Cherny was able to obtain a doctor secretly hired from Europe in advance, his health condition improved greatly.

After taking office in 1984, he experienced ups and downs, but he persisted until 1987.

However, at the beginning of this year, Ning Weidong received news that Chernenko's health condition had deteriorated.

After receiving medical treatment, he recovered.

Unexpectedly, just over four months later, he suddenly fell into a coma again.

Although the specific cause of the coma wasn't mentioned over the phone, Ning Weidong guessed it was most likely a stroke.

Because Kearney had already suffered a stroke once before, the probability of a second recurrence was very high, and once it recurred, the condition would inevitably worsen.

Adding to Ning Weidong's memories, he had a premonition that this time, Chernian was in for a very tough time.

……

Two hours later, after the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Dongyi Building, Ning Weidong immediately went to Zhao's father's office.

"Wei Dong's here!" Zhao's father pushed up his glasses, put aside his work, stood up, and pointed to the sofa under the window: "Have a seat."

Ning Weidong responded and, after waiting for Zhao's father to sit down, followed him down: "Dad, the news I just received..."

Mr. Zhao nodded: "I understand. What do you think?"

Ning Weidong frowned and pondered for a moment: "Qiernike's health has not been very good in recent years. This sudden hospitalization is very likely due to a second stroke."

Mr. Zhao pursed his lips and couldn't help but click his tongue.

He certainly knew what a second stroke meant.

Ning Weidong continued, "I plan to go to Moscow."

Mr. Zhao nodded: "It would be good for him to go in person, as there is still a lot of uncertainty in our relationship..."

Ning Weidong understood Zhao's father's concerns. With each new emperor comes a new set of officials. Once Cherni passed away, whoever took the throne next could bring about changes.

In particular, the calls for Gorba have changed somewhat in the last two years due to the emergence of Ning Weidong, but the historical inertia remains, and Gorba's upward momentum is still very strong.

This was not good news for Ning Weidong.

Because Gorba was not within Chernchenko's system, but rather inherited a large amount of political resources from Androbo.

Ning Weidong's businesses are too closely tied to Chernin.

……

Two days later, Ning Weidong arrived in Moscow by plane.

This time he traveled light, with only four people accompanying him.

As soon as I got off the plane, I saw Kassia and Barzagin.

Ning Weidong was somewhat surprised by Balzaghi's appearance.

As the grandson of Chernenko, Barzagin's relationship with Ning Weidong was only so-so. Firstly, he himself had some prejudice against Easterners, and secondly, there were factions within Chernenko's faction, while Barzagin's father's political ideology was more inclined towards the West.

But in just a moment, Ning Weidong understood.

At this point, with the empire on the verge of collapse, some internal factional differences seem insignificant.

Both Cassia and Barzagin knew very well that once Cherny was gone, the foundation of all their power would cease to exist.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three of them got into a car.

Ning Weidong asked first, "How is the situation?"

The information he had about Chernenko's situation was from the day before yesterday.

Sasia pursed her thin lips slightly and said in a low voice, "The doctor said that it is relatively stable for the time being."

Ning Weidong frowned: "Still unconscious?"

Sasia nodded.

Ning Weidong's heart sank. Several days had passed, and he still hadn't woken up. This was troublesome.

He hurriedly asked, "So what's the situation now?"

Barzagin briefly explained the situation in Mosko.

Although Cherny fell into a coma, his physical condition had not been good beforehand, so he had made some preparations in advance. Therefore, his sudden coma did not cause too much confusion.

Ning Weidong took a deep breath and asked Bakibanov and Barzagin's father what their attitudes were.

Although most people believed that the disintegration of the Speed ​​Alliance was the result of a series of accidents before the time travel, it is undeniable that the Speed ​​Alliance itself had accumulated a considerable number of problems at this time.

If Andrej had lived another ten years, there might have been hope of solving or alleviating these problems, but unfortunately, fate did not give him that opportunity.

After Chernin came to power, he continued some of Androbo's positive policies, but that was about it.

Given Chernian's abilities and prestige, he lacks the capacity and courage to continue Androb's reforms; maintaining the status quo is already his limit.

This is also one of the reasons why Gorba is so popular. Everyone in the Soviet Union hopes to have a young and energetic leader, someone who can hold the position stably for ten or even twenty years.

As for Ning Weidong, he has been wavering these past two days.

Chernen lived for almost three more years. What would have happened if Gorba had succeeded him?
A moment later, the car arrived at a high-end sanatorium.

Ning Weidong met Bakibanov.

Bakibanov was not in good condition; he had dark circles under his eyes and looked exhausted.

It's obvious that he's had a tough time these past few days.

Even though it was anticipated that Chernenko's health would deteriorate, the actual situation still caught everyone off guard.

Bakibanov rubbed his face vigorously with his hand, pointed to the sofa next to him, and said, "Sit down."

Ning Weidong responded and sat down. He first inquired about Chernenko's health as usual before asking about the upcoming power transfer.

In fact, this was the core reason why Ning Weidong came here this time.

After Chernen, who will take the helm of Mosco will have a significant impact on Ning Weidong's businesses in Sulian.

Bakibanov sighed and took a deep drag on his cigarette: "Currently, Gorba is a strong contender."

This is similar to Ning Weidong's assessment. Although Qi Ernian has held supreme power in recent years, Sulian is not a place where he can have absolute authority.

Compared to Andrei Boe, Chiron's prestige and strength were far inferior. Those who tacitly approved of his rise to power did not necessarily support him; it was merely a compromise to maintain stability.

At the time, Androbo was more optimistic about Gorba.

On the contrary, Nazarba, of the Chernian clan, has always been suppressed in the local areas.

Just then, there was a sudden, urgent knocking on the door.

The hearts of the people inside the room trembled.

Logically, Ning Weidong shouldn't be disturbed unless there's something particularly urgent, since he's just arrived.

The most important thing right now is undoubtedly Chernenko's health.

Bakibanov called out, "Come in."

A young man in military uniform pushed open the door and came in.

Bakibanov asked in a deep voice, "What's wrong?"

The young man glanced at Ning Weidong, took two steps forward, and said, "The hospital called..."

Ning Weidong breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this; it wasn't bad news, but rather that Chernyko had woken up. However, to Ning Weidong's surprise, Chernyko specifically requested that Bakibanov take him there.

Ning Weidong was quite surprised. Logically speaking, it was far from his place to take up the old man's last moments at this time.

Is he really getting senile? Let him go.
Ning Weidong, filled with questions, got into the car with Bakibanov.

The hospital where Chernen was located was not far away; the car journey took only fifteen minutes.

However, when Ning Weidong followed Bakibanov to the special ward on the top floor of the hospital by elevator, he unexpectedly met someone.

At this point, Gorba had almost no hair left on his head, revealing a large birthmark.

He was sitting on the sofa in the lounge outside the ward when he saw Bakibanov and Ning Weidong come in, and he couldn't help but frown.

At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses came out of the ward.

Ning Weidong knew that this person was Chernenko's secretary.

The middle-aged man nodded to Bakibanov first, then looked at Gorba and invited him in.

Ning Weidong sat on the sofa where Gorba had just been sitting, pondering the significance of Gorba's presence at this moment.

Although Cherny has regained consciousness, it is largely a temporary resurgence before his death, and sending Gorba over now almost represents his will.

In the end, Chern still chose to compromise.

But then again, it's not surprising that he made this choice given his personality.

Chernen himself was not a particularly assertive person, and it was precisely this personality trait that allowed him to remain undefeated in the later years of Porezhne's reign and during the time of Androbor's rule.

Moreover, this compromise is the best option for him and his family's future generations.

Ning Weidong's feelings were somewhat complicated.

If history continues to follow the same trajectory and Gorba comes to power, what will happen to the SAFRA?

If three years had passed since the original timeline, would Gorba's level and abilities have improved?
After a while, Gorba came out of the ward.

Bakibanov was handed over randomly, but Gorba didn't leave immediately. Instead, he stopped in front of Ning Weidong.

Ning Weidong was somewhat surprised and stood up.

They had met on several occasions, but had no deeper interaction.

Gorba paused for two seconds before saying in a deep voice, "You shouldn't be here at this time."

Although it was just one sentence, Ning Weidong could easily tell that the person was not well-intentioned.

Ning Weidong had just been thinking about how to interact with Gorba if he came to power, but now it seems that the other party clearly has a lot of prejudice against him as a foreigner.

In fact, Gorba's attitude is not surprising. He had previously led some reforms, but the results were not obvious and many problems were created.

At the time, he had brought up Ning Weidong's businesses in Sulian and Eastern Europe, even openly referring to them as a cancer in the published draft.

However, this version was deleted by the newspaper when it was finally published, and replaced with a more moderate version.

But in any case, Gorba's stance is very clear.

And when Chernen was clearly nearing the end of his life, his attitude became even more undisguised.

Ning Weidong's face remained expressionless, and he did not respond.

The two stared at each other for two seconds, then Gorba turned and walked away.

Ning Weidong waited a few more minutes before Bakibanov called him inside.

At this point, Ning Weidong had already made some calculations in his mind, and whether or not he could see or not Qi Ernian was actually meaningless.

Since Chernen decided to go with the flow and agree to Gorba's rise to power, many things were already destined.

Any compromise inevitably means giving up interests.

Of course, the lion's share of the profits they are relinquishing will inevitably come from Ning Weidong, an outsider.

Having figured this out, Ning Weidong, though unhappy inside, didn't show it.

Anyway, it doesn't matter what we say now, and there's no need to get into a conflict with them here.

Upon entering the ward, Ning Weidong finally met Chernen.

The illness had ravaged the old man, leaving him emaciated and almost unrecognizable.

Only with his last ounce of energy remained in his eyes...

Five minutes later, Ning Weidong came out of the ward.

Given Ning Weidong's status and importance, it was an unexpected surprise that he was granted even five minutes.

Just like Gorba said, he shouldn't be here.

Ning Weidong and Bakibanov got into the car, but didn't leave immediately.

Neither of them spoke, just silently smoking. After a long while, Bakibanov finally sighed and said, "It really is true that fortunes change every thirty years, and the wheel of luck turns!"

Ning Weidong was taken aback, not expecting Bakibanov to say such a thing in Chinese.

However, it is quite fitting for this moment.

Ning Weidong asked, "What are your plans?"

Bakibanov took a deep drag on his cigarette: "Father has made his decision. What can we do?"

Ning Weidong nodded, already understanding the attitude of the Chernian family.

At the same time, it is clear why Chernen would make such a compromise.

The truth is, there's really nothing respectable in the Chernykov family, including Bakibanov and Chernykov's two sons. They hold high positions and wield considerable power, yet no one steps forward, and they're used to letting Chernykov make the decisions.

The problem is, Cherny is now an old man in his twilight years. If he has to make the decision this time, what will happen in the future?
Chernen is a wise and experienced woman; she sees things more clearly than anyone else.

Rather than being wiped out later, it's better to exit now and preserve wealth and status by virtue of his influence.

However, this result was clearly not what Ning Weidong wanted.

But he also knew that he couldn't change anything; at most, he could only cut off a little less flesh.

Thinking of this, Ning Weidong recalled his meeting with Gorba earlier.

He knew perfectly well that once the other side came to power, they would definitely target him, a foreigner.

And on the other hand, Chernenko could no longer provide any protection.

Ning Weidong frowned. Although he had been mentally prepared before coming, the current situation was more troublesome than he had expected.

……

The next day, in a villa on the northern outskirts of Mosco.

Tagyan handed Ning Weidong a glass of vodka.

Ning Weidong nodded, took a small sip, and glanced at his watch.

Tagyan said, "I heard you went to the hospital yesterday?"

Ning Weidong nodded. After meeting with Qi Ernian yesterday, he immediately arranged to meet Ye Liqin through Tajiyanna.

The overall situation is now settled, but life goes on. Although Gorba has reached the top, the Speed ​​League is not his sole domain.

Although Ning Weidong was prepared to reduce his interests, he was not going to give them up easily.

He deeply understood that peace can only be achieved through struggle, while peace will only perish through compromise.

Especially in Speedlink, if you keep giving in, the other party will only take advantage of you.

However, to Ning Weidong's surprise, Ye Liqin arrived a dozen minutes later with another person.

Ye Liqin's nose was slightly red, and she had a smile on her face, clearly in a good mood.

And the person who appeared with him was none other than Nazarba!
This was something Ningwei Southeast had never anticipated.

Unlike Ye Liqin, who had always tried to get closer to Qi Ernian, Qi Ernian always valued Nazarba more.

There were even rumors that the Cherny faction planned to push Nazarbab out to compete with Gorba.

However, in the end, Chernen compromised.

The rivalry between Nazarba and Yelichen was suddenly transformed into cooperation due to Gorba's rise to power.

Ning Weidong just didn't expect this change to happen so quickly, and that the two of them didn't try to hide it at all.

However, after a moment's thought, I understood a bit of it.

At this point, they generally cannot afford to show weakness.

Gorba has the moral high ground, but if they show weakness, the people's hearts will be scattered, and the army will be difficult to lead.

Ning Weidong, thinking of Denso, understood even more the significance of Ye Liqin and Nazarbab's joint appearance this time.

I breathed a slight sigh of relief; at least with these two people, we can still maintain the core of Speedlink's business.

Moreover, Gorba's political skills were questionable. Even if the world before Ning Weidong's transmigration was two or three years behind, he didn't think Gorba would have made much progress.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three quickly reached a consensus to redistribute the profits.

With the end of the Chernenko era, and Chernenko's eventual decision to back down, it meant that his family could no longer hold such advantageous resources.

Not only in Ning Weidong's area, but also in Sulian and other parts of Eastern Europe, the tentacles of the Chernenke family will shrink.

Instead, new interest groups have emerged, achieving a new balance.

……

Two days later, Ning Weidong left Moscow by plane.

Instead of returning to China, he flew to Khabarovsk.

The Far East is his stronghold at Speedlink, his base of operations, and he must maintain it.

Although Chernenko's condition has been relatively stable these past two days, it's clear to everyone that his time is running out.

(End of this chapter)