Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 333 The Kremlin Controversy
If the White House is teetering on the brink of collapse and Lyndon Johnson's term is officially on its last legs, then the Kremlin is both furious and terrified in the face of this news.

This originated from diplomatic letters from Dobrynin.

Such a major incident occurred when Moscow's highest-ranking personnel in America were completely wiped out, and a wealth of valuable intelligence was destroyed before it could even be extracted from them.

This cannot be explained simply by a phone call or telegram.

The whole matter had to be handled through diplomatic correspondence, carried back to Moscow by a special person on a special plane.

It was already the second day, and Dobrynin was still unable to wake up from this "nightmare." The live footage constantly playing on the television reminded him that it was real.

He himself did not go to Hoover’s mansion, but his staff did, and brought back telephones and guns from there.

The whole process was enough to horrify him.

He took a deep breath and began drafting diplomatic letters:
Soviet Embassy in America

Washington, D.C.

1968 January 9

To Comrade Leonid Ilyich
CC: Comrade Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Subject: America's Latest Intelligence Update - The End of Target A and Its Strategic Impact

Classification: Top Secret (Совершенносекретно)

Encryption code: K-47/68
Dear Comrade Leonard:
It is with deep sorrow that I report that Target A (former FBI Director John Edgar Hoover) was purged by unknown individuals from his private residence (3201 North M Street) in the Georgetown neighborhood of Northwest Washington.

The operation was carried out by an unidentified person who claimed to be V, wearing a black robe and a V mask (hereinafter referred to as V). This person's specific identity is unknown. He is about 1.9 meters tall, has excellent marksmanship, and moves with great agility. I strongly suspect that he has superpowers.

When Dobrynin wrote this, he stopped writing and was caught in a dilemma. He thought it was outrageous, but the movement of the gun made it seem like it might be a superpower.

During the Cold War, many countries genuinely believed in the existence of superpowers.

To be precise, people started trying to find people with superpowers much earlier.

NAZI was carried out by Germany, and later by both the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Among the documents officially declassified by America is a document stating that a certain IA had a project called the Stargate Project, which began in 1972 and was specifically carried out by the Stanford Research Institute. The project attempted to replicate the Soviet Union's psychological energy experiments by recruiting individuals with superpowers, creating cheap human radar superhumans.

(The federal government tested Uri Geller, a person with superpowers, by having him copy invisible drawings. Researchers provided the image on the left, and Uri Geller drew the image on the right.)
The program continued until 1995.

So superpowers seem like a fantasy now, but back then, everyone believed in them.

Superpowers, aliens, psychic abilities, and so on—at that time, a lot of research funding was invested in these areas, and the Washington Special Intelligence Committee would hold meetings from time to time to discuss the research progress of the Stargate Project.

Dobrynin hesitated not because writing about superpowers would make Moscow, who received the top-secret letter, think he was crazy, but because he was considering whether to reveal that the other party had obtained the pistol from the Soviet embassy.

Hoover's address and intelligence came from him, and Dobrynin didn't want to take the blame.

But considering that taking the blame is a minor issue, and with so many people at the embassy, ​​it's uncertain whether he can keep it a secret, his superpowers are a bigger deal.

He continued writing:
"According to the embassy's investigation, the specific details of the other party's actions are as follows: Based on the initial assessment of the KGB's US station, we were forced to provide limited logistical support, including the precise address of Target A and three pieces of standard KGB equipment—the Makarov PM pistol, Pistol Makarova, 9x18mm caliber."

One of the guns was equipped with a PBS-1 silencer, which effectively reduced firing noise to below 60 decibels, ensuring the stealth of the operation.

V anticipated breaching Target A's security system within 10 minutes: six elite FBI security personnel equipped with Standard Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolvers and two German Shepherd police dogs were swiftly eliminated without causing any disturbance in the surrounding neighborhoods.

During the operation, the asset demonstrated superb marksmanship and keen agility. The opponent was very skilled in the use of the Makarov PM pistol, and I strongly suspect that he may have been trained in Moscow. In the end, the asset ended the life of target A with a single 9x18mm bullet.

The scene was marked with the blood-written words "For JFK" and "V," but it is unclear whether its true purpose was to mislead America's intelligence agencies into pointing to an internal conspiracy surrounding the Kennedy assassination rather than external interference.

The most puzzling aspect of the whole incident is that V appeared at the embassy at 1:31 a.m. and used force to coerce the embassy into providing specific information about target A, as well as taking away a gun from him. Target V was expected to die around 2 a.m., from a bullet to the head. Embassy personnel arrived at target A's residence at 2:13 a.m., but the place was already empty.

Based on the guns left at the scene, the bullets were fired from the guns taken from the embassy. This means that V had at most 20 minutes to complete the entire process of leaving the embassy, ​​arriving at target A's residence, and killing him.

Based on the embassy staff's driving journey to the residence at Target A, it would take at least 35 minutes by car.

I speculate that there are two possibilities. One is that V has superpowers that allow him to teleport, which is the fundamental reason why he has never been caught. However, this possibility is too terrifying. If the other party really has such superpowers, then there is no place or person in the world that is safe.

If this is the case, then we need to mobilize all available resources to find V.

Another possibility is that V is an organization, an organization with deep influence in America, and that V is not an individual. In that case, the guns could be explained.

There were two groups of people. V appeared at the embassy and then went to the residence of target A, either personally or with other accomplices, carrying firearms. V notified his accomplices around the residence of target A by phone to prepare to open fire. V's accomplices had prepared various types of Soviet-made firearms. After confirming that the firearms obtained from the Soviet Embassy in Washington were Makarov PM pistols and ammunition types, V's accomplices used the same firearms to eliminate target A.

After V or his accomplices arrive at Target A's residence with firearms, they will fire the corresponding number of bullets from the firearms obtained by our side, ultimately leaving our firearms at the scene to create the illusion of instantaneous teleportation.

In this regard, I also suggest that KGB members in America should mobilize all their resources to uncover the existence of the V organization and reach a cooperation agreement with them.

Professional Analysis: This incident has caused an uproar in America's domestic public opinion. A White House press conference has been held, and President Lyndon Johnson's press secretary, Pierre Salinger, attempted to downplay the incident, but reporters attributed Hoover's death to Johnson's incompetence—accusing him of indecisiveness on civil rights policies leading to laxity within the FBI and indirectly condoning this act of revenge.

This storm has further eroded Johnson's prestige, and the momentum of the civil rights movement has surged, potentially benefiting our agency activities in America.

Meanwhile, the current director, Clyde Tolson, is conducting a full investigation, and we have some control over the matter. However, our intelligence indicates that their focus is on domestic Black radical organizations, rather than Soviet intervention.

Risk Assessment: The probability of exposure is less than 10%, thanks to the target's independent actions and our indirect involvement. However, there is still a risk of exposure, which is mainly reflected in Organization V. Given the intelligence gathering capabilities demonstrated by the other party during the Kennedy incident, I do not rule out the possibility that our journey to Hoover's residence was filmed by them. Once exposed, this would trigger a further media storm.

Recommendation: The Kremlin should continue to monitor America's media activities and express its shock and condolences through diplomatic channels in order to maintain a neutral image.

At the same time, he instructed the KGB to intensify its recruitment of Black people and exploit racial tensions in America to deepen internal divisions.

salute,

Anatoly Fedorovich Dobrynin
Soviet Russian Ambassador to the United States

After Dobrynin finished writing, he repeatedly reviewed and revised it to ensure there were no mistakes before finally copying it onto special letter paper, putting it in a diplomatic envelope, and sealing it with sealing wax to ensure it would not be opened in transit.

When the news reached Moscow, the Kremlin officials were deeply uneasy.

In the past, V was like a ghost hanging over the White House, and now that ghost has reappeared, this time heading towards Soviet Russia.

"The intelligence about Hoover was provided to us by V. After the intelligence was provided, Hoover remained the director of the FBI. It was impossible for V not to have guessed that Hoover had secretly cooperated with us. This time, V used such ruthless methods to purge Hoover. This is not only a slap in the face to the White House, but also a slap in the face to us!"

Andropov had a serious expression and a cold tone, embodying the ruthlessness of someone in charge of the KGB.

Gromyko added: "How do we know for sure that he is V and not someone else?"

V's mask is everywhere, and countless Americans are trying to impersonate V. As for the time when Dobrynin made the phone call, only V knows, but how can you guarantee that V did not provide this information to other forces?

He can even provide us with Hoover's top-secret photos, so what are the intelligences about him and Dobrynin?
Can we really be sure that this V is the same V as last time?

Life in the White House is certainly tough, but life in the Kremlin is not necessarily any better.

This is mainly because of the Prague Spring, and the Prague Spring and the assassination of the professor completely damaged the image of Soviet Russia in the liberal camp.

Soviet Russia intervened militarily in Czechoslovakia's internal affairs, sending troops into Prague, and Warsaw Pact troops occupied most of Czechoslovakian cities.

Following the military operation, Czechoslovakia returned to "normal."

In his memoir, Dubček wrote: "My problem was that I didn't have a crystal ball that could predict the Soviet invasion."

In fact, between January and August 20th, I never believed such a thing could happen.

This incident seemed to have been resolved effortlessly, but its impact was far-reaching. From then on, it became much more difficult for Soviet Russia to obtain intelligence from the liberal camp, and intellectuals, especially in Western Europe, lost all trust in Soviet Russia.

The assassination attempt on the professor was simply another way to pin the blame on himself.

Regarding the assassination of the professor, the Kremlin certainly denies that they did it, while the White House tries every means to prove that it was the Soviet Union that did it.

It's just another disillusionment for intellectuals who were already disillusioned with Soviet Russia.

The Soviet Union and America did so many bad things that no matter how much they deny it, from the perspective of motives, the Soviet Union is the biggest winner. No matter how much you deny it, everyone thinks it was you who did it.

Not to mention, the assassin was a Russian translator.

As for how the Russian translator got into Lin Ran's security team, this time it was Washington's turn to stammer and not dare to speak.

In short, this year was definitely a terrible year for Soviet Russia. It was far from pleasant. Their opponents were unlucky, and they were unlucky too. They even tried their best to assassinate the professor but failed.

They've taken the blame themselves, but the person hasn't even been killed yet, and America already has five GPS satellites.

Kosygin began, “Whoever V is, we need to find him.”

There are many questions that need to be investigated, including whether the other party has superpowers or is an organization, or whether they have both superpowers and are a large organization.

We need to investigate the other party's true identity, motives, and so on. This is a long-term task, and we cannot be optimistic. The FBI has not yet been able to find V's whereabouts, and I don't think we can easily do this with our resources in America.

What we need to do is protect Thorsen as much as possible, forge further cooperation with him, and ensure that his loyalty to the White House is beyond question, even at the cost of sacrificing a portion of our intelligence network in America.”

Kosygin immediately grasped the key point: they did have something on Hoover, but the problem was that Hoover's weakness was also Thorson's weakness.

How can one person engage in homosexuality? It definitely requires two people to accomplish this.

At this moment, everyone in the Kremlin is extremely fortunate that Edgar Hoover's affair was just an office romance, and that Tolson was arranged to take over after he left, so the loss was not irreparable.

As for America's KGB life being used to exchange for Tolson's trust in the White House, no one in the Kremlin would see anything wrong with that.

Shouldn't a small soldier be prepared to sacrifice himself at any time? An individual is insignificant in the face of the behemoth that is Soviet Russia.

Leonid said, "I agree with Comrade Kosygin's opinion. Our top priority is to protect Comrade Tolson. Hoover is 100% suspected by the White House, and an investigation into him has already begun."

We need to ensure that Comrade Thorson can remain in his position as director, while also ensuring that V's actions do not affect Thorson and that his personal safety is guaranteed.

As for V's identity, we can leave it to Tolson to investigate. His investigation is aboveboard, while our investigation would only cause trouble.

That's settled then. We'll assist in the investigation and keep a close eye on things within America's intelligence network. The FBI will handle the specifics. This is a copy of Comrade Thorson's report.

The final investigation results were to be communicated to Moscow in real time by Comrade Torsen.

Andropov nodded and said, "Yes, sir!"

America: The FBI has become an agency under the Kremlin.

"The only thing we need to be wary of is how to explain if Comrade Dobrynin's actions are photographed and recorded by V and then leaked to the media."

But that's easy to handle. We'll just let Dobrynin come up with an explanation. Whether they believe it or not, we'll believe it.

After Leonid replaced Nikita, he became even more unscrupulous than Nikita.

America's disgraceful behavior on the front lines of the Vietnam War gave him complete confidence.

Kosygin asked, "Comrade Leonid, shall I now let Comrade Grushkov in? Shall we begin the next topic?"

Leonid then remembered what else he had to do today.

Yes, they wanted to discuss the progress of the OGAS project.

The project, approved by Nikita and strongly promoted by Kosygin, attempts to integrate the economies and resources of Upodzed, four Eastern European countries, through computer networks. The project has already been launched.

The progress was temporarily halted due to Leonid, but even with the delay, it still showed very good results.

This led Kosygin to hope that the Prague Spring would serve as an opportunity to continue to vigorously promote economic integration in Eastern Europe.

Leonid then realized what was happening: "Alright, let him in."

The embers of Prague are still burning, the liberal camp is mocking Soviet Russia for turning its guns inward, and Soviet intellectuals are questioning the current path.

Kosygin believed that it was impossible to rely on the military to solve these problems forever, as doing so would only create more divisions.

The OGAS project integrates their economy and resources; only when the economy takes the lead can these places truly stabilize.

The issue they were going to discuss today, which Kosygin considered far more important than Hoover, was to give the OGAS project greater vitality: granting the four Eastern European countries greater autonomy, though this autonomy was limited to the economic sphere.

Kosygin beckoned his secretary over and whispered a few words to her.

Then a thin, bespectacled middle-aged man carrying a report with the Russian abbreviation for "National Automated Computing and Information Processing System" printed on the cover walked in.

Besides Grushkov, some comrades from the finance and industry sectors also came in.

Grushkov spoke first:

"Comrades, the Kremlin approved the initial concept of OGAS in 1959. In 1962, the three-layer network system concept was perfected, and the Kremlin officially agreed to advance the OGAS project. In the same year, the four Eastern European countries jointly developed computer hardware, including computing modules based on cybernetics and data transmission equipment."

It has now been piloted in the Soviet Union and parts of Eastern Europe, including at the Institute of Cybernetics in Kyiv.

Through the DISPLAN conversational planning and computing system, we have achieved real-time optimization of resource allocation, supported mathematical models such as linear programming and dynamic optimization, realized inter-industry balancing, and even simulated economic scenarios, enabling multi-level planning from the national to the enterprise level.

This is not just about technology; it makes command-based economies more flexible.

We hope to receive stronger support from the Kremlin, not just financial support, but also greater autonomy. We hope the computing center can be established in Eastern Europe, instead of having to travel to Moscow every time to complete calculations.”

Finance Minister Vasily Galbuzov interrupted, "Absurd! Nikita's approval was risky enough, and now he wants to give Eastern Europe even more autonomy?"

If we move the top-level computing center to Kyiv, what will happen to control of Moscow?
They will use it to pursue 'independence'!
OGAS cannot allow them to arbitrarily create automated networks! Article 15 of the COMECON charter permits technology sharing, but that's centered on Moscow!

There's an interesting detail here: Grushkov mentioned that the Kremlin agreed, while Finance Minister Galbuzov mentioned that Nikita agreed.

This largely reflects the opinions of both sides.

The latter was clearly using the opportunity to remind Leonid that this was Nikita's project!

Grushkov stood up, his fingers rapidly tracing network charts on the report.

"Comrade Minister, I think this is a misunderstanding!"

OGAS is based on cybernetics principles and uses existing telephone infrastructure to achieve broadband communication and message switching.

It does not decentralize power, but rather strengthens integration.

If we grant the four Eastern European countries greater autonomy, such as allowing them to conduct independent planning for their local mid-level centers, or even placing the top-level computing center in a research institute in Kyiv, that would demonstrate our trust.

Kyiv's proximity to Eastern Europe facilitates the flow of data, from Ukrainian coal mines to Polish shipyards, all operating in real time, and even gradually transitioning to a currencyless economy.

Since the project was approved in 1962, Moscow has collaborated with four Eastern European countries to develop the computer. The Prague Cybernetics Laboratory in Czechoslovakia contributed advanced simulation algorithms, the Dresden factory in East Germany provided efficient transistor components, mathematicians in Warsaw, Poland optimized the data encryption module, and the Kyiv Institute was responsible for the overall system integration.

These collaborations have already yielded some positive results in certain areas, specifically in their contribution to economic growth:
First, in a pilot program in a coal mining area in Ukraine, OGAS improved coal allocation efficiency by 15% through real-time data analysis, reduced transportation delays, and avoided previous inventory backlogs.
Secondly, in East Germany's chemical industry, the system simulation optimized the raw material balance, reduced energy consumption by 8%, and shortened the production cycle by 10 days.
Third, at a machine manufacturing plant in Czechoslovakia, DISPLAN supported scenario simulations, helping the company adjust its local targets from national plans, resulting in a 12% increase in output while reducing scrap rates.
Finally, in Poland's shipbuilding industry, we achieved cross-border resource sharing, reduced import dependence, and improved overall supply chain efficiency by 5%.

These data, from our pilot report, prove that OGAS is not just talk, but a real economic booster.

The Kremlin has already invested some funds in the past, and now only needs to add more to quell public opinion in Prague and give hope to Dubček's reformists.

This is not a concession, it's a strategy—an effective socialism network to counter America's Marshall Plan.

The contributions of China are not mentioned here, but in fact, China's contributions to OGAS are enormous.

In truth, Grushkov was very disappointed and even more contemptuous of Galbuzov. The implication of Galbuzov's words was that they also wanted autonomy and computer technology, but they didn't deserve it. Only Moscow could do it, the four Eastern European countries couldn't, and the most advanced technology had to be in Moscow's hands.

This is blatant SHAWEN ideology, a ideology of a major power, and even though he is an expert on cybernetics in China, the other party makes no attempt to hide it from him.

If it weren't for the fact that OGAS is so important, and that its advantages are already beginning to emerge despite its many shortcomings for Eastern Europe, Grushkov would have forcibly suppressed his urge to curse.

Brezhnev thought: Now dissent in Eastern Europe is spreading rapidly underground. It can't be seen in the newspapers, but it's not hidden on the underground radio. OGAS may really be able to revitalize the empire, just as Kosygin told him in private. In addition, Soviet Russia really has a lot to catch up with in the field of computers. If Eastern Europe makes some progress, they can also benefit from it.

He turned to Kosygin: "Is it legally feasible? Can we adjust the terms to give them more freedom?"

Kosygin nodded and took a revised draft from his briefcase.

"Under our Article 72 law, we have the right to expand allied cooperation in the economic field."

Article 15 of the COMECON charter could be amended to allow for greater autonomy, provided that top-level oversight is led by Moscow.

The OGAS project has demonstrated sufficient potential and has developed rapidly in the past. I suggest that we should grant OGAS greater authority, move the top-level center to Kyiv, and give them independent decision-making power in local economic planning, but all data must be reported to Moscow.

This could appease dissidents in Eastern Europe, making them feel that reforms were not just empty talk.

A brief silence fell over the room. Galbuzov sighed and shook his head, but ultimately did not argue further, because it was Kosygin who said it; if it had been Grushkov who said it, he certainly would have refuted it.

Brezhnev stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at Lenin's Mausoleum in Red Square: "I'll think about it some more."

Consider this? The Chinese version of System 360 at the Leipzig Trade Fair will force the Kremlin to face the fact that the Soviet Union is not only lagging behind America in the field of computers, but also behind China.

This led them to decide to provide further support to OGAS, including 200 billion rubles in technical assistance and easing restrictions on the economic autonomy of the four Eastern European countries.

At this timeline, Western Europe had the Coal and Steel Community, and Eastern Europe had the OGAS Community.

　I'll update another chapter tonight if nothing unexpected happens.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)