My Realistic Simulation Game

Chapter 139 Fear of Life and Death
The meeting room was filled with smoke.

In this era, smoking is a must during meetings, and even non-smokers are encouraged to smoke in this environment.

Jiang Pingwen exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and looked at the young cadre who had made the suggestion.

"Xiao Xu, what's your opinion? Why should we open a flight route to Moscow?"

All eyes immediately fell on the young man surnamed Xu.

"General Jiang, you should have read the newspapers and know about the recent rise of the smuggling trade in the Soviet Union."

The young man surnamed Xu was not intimidated: "With the rise of this smuggling trade, trade communication between the two countries has become increasingly frequent."

"Take our ability to buy Soviet planes this time, for example. It was thanks to that big-time trader in the Soviet Union."

Jiang Pingwen took a puff of his cigarette, gesturing for him to continue.

Xu Zhenbang nodded. "From my observation, currently only Air China has one route and one flight in China, between Moscow and Beijing. There are very few routes, and it only flies once a week. The one-way economy class ticket price is between 800 and 1200 yuan. Even at such a high price, the supply still cannot meet the demand."

"As for the train lines, there are two: one is the K3, which goes directly to Moscow via Erenhot, and the other is the K19, which goes via Manzhouli."

"Tickets for these two routes sold out as soon as they were released, and the price of train cars continued to rise."

"If we open a route to Moscow, we can guarantee passenger traffic, and secondly, we can make full use of the advantages of our large passenger aircraft for cargo transport."

Jiang Pingwen stubbed out his cigarette and said solemnly, "You mean you want our planes to perform some cargo transport functions?"

Xu Zhenbang nodded: "The Tu-154 has a payload of 55380 kilograms and a huge amount of space. We can make full use of this advantage to build an air corridor between us and Moscow."

What can be transported by air?
Electronic devices, semiconductors, precision instruments, jewelry and valuables, pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

There are also various fresh produce, beverages, cosmetics, passports, business documents, contracts, etc.

There are too many things that can be shipped, and the shipping fees for these valuable goods are extremely high.

It can be said that Xu Zhenbang put forward a very forward-looking idea.

Just as Xu Zhenbang had predicted.

In 1994, Western Airlines launched a route to Moscow.

Thanks to this route, Xiyu Airlines' revenue increased by 200% within three years, making it one of the most profitable international routes during that period.

The aircraft operated by Xiyu Airlines was a Tu-154 that was leased from Sichuan Airlines.
Because of this Soviet aircraft, the two airlines became entangled in a series of feuds and conflicts.

Although Jiang Pingwen was unaware of these things, he saw a perfect blueprint for the future in Xu Zhenbang's vision.

This bold and radical choice suited the tastes of this demobilized soldier perfectly.

"Okay, Xiao Xu, I'll leave this matter to you."

Jiang Pingwen immediately said, "Write a report outlining your ideas and I'll submit it to the Civil Aviation Administration to see if we can get the route approved."

"After you finish the report, take a few people to Moscow to see the business environment there. It would be best if you could meet with Mr. Qin from Far East Trade and ask him if our new shipping route would be helpful to them."

"Okay, I'll do it right away."

Xu Zhenbang finished the report at 10 p.m. that night.

The above details the necessity and prospects of opening a new air route to Moscow, mentioning that this route will help trade and economic exchanges between the two countries and introduce some key Soviet technologies, etc.

After completing these reports, he and his men boarded the earliest train to Yanjing.

I plan to transfer in Yanjing and take the K3 international train to Moscow.

The Crown Prince and Qin Yuan were naturally completely unaware of these things.

At this moment, Qin Yuan was focused on the information Ivan had gathered about the Rogwarts company and Berezovsky. The cold words on the paper outlined Berezovsky's rise to power.

From a mathematics professor at the Soviet Academy of Sciences to a speculator who smuggled computer parts and resold raw materials to earn foreign exchange, and now a rising star who controls the Rogwarts company and monopolizes Mercedes-Benz's dealership rights in the Soviet Union...

Every step was precisely placed on the cracks before the collapse of the Soviet system, full of wildness and cunning.

“President Qin,” Ivan’s voice broke the silence in the room with a hint of barely perceptible tension, “Berezovsky… his business is very large now.”

“We import goods from China to profit from the exchange rate difference. He, on the other hand, smuggles out scarce Soviet goods like computer chips and rare metals to earn foreign exchange, then uses that foreign exchange to import used and new cars from Germany, and resells them at high prices to those in China who have connections.”

"Moreover, he also obtained the exclusive agency rights for Mercedes-Benz in the Soviet Union, which brought in enormous profits."

Ivan paused, lowering his voice even further, tinged with lingering fear: "However, such huge profits also brought trouble. Just last month, a bomb was planted in his Mercedes parked in the garage... and it exploded!"

"It exploded?" Qin Yuan put down the documents, finally showing a hint of interest. "Who did it? Have you found out?"

“On the surface,” Ivan licked his slightly dry lips, “it was done by a big local Moscow gang, the ‘Tomahawk.’”

"It is said that this is because Berezovsky refused to pay them a huge 'protection fee'."

"It's true, the bomb was indeed planted by a 'Tomahawk'. But..."

Ivan hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "It's hard to say whether there are other people pulling the strings behind the scenes. After all, there are too many people eyeing this piece of fat meat."

Qin Yuan nodded slightly.

A tomahawk?

He had heard a bit about this gang from Binzi; the district leader had been driven out of the train station's sphere of influence by the Caucasians.

There was no retaliation afterwards.

This gang is clearly just a front for thugs.

The fact that someone would dare to use a bomb to attack a newly rich man who holds the Mercedes dealership rights in the heart of Moscow suggests that the interests and power involved are far beyond those of an ordinary gang.

This is more like a warning, a wake-up call from deeper forces.

In his later years, Berezovsky always aspired to gain political influence and curry favor with the powerful.

It is highly likely that this life-threatening explosion caused him psychological trauma.

That's why he's so eager to enter the political arena and to seize power.

Because he probably already knows it.

In the Soviet Union, in Russia.

Money is worthless in the face of power.

However, politics is not something businessmen can meddle in at will.

In the end, he was consumed by power.

He had seen Berezovsky's fate on television.

He was poisoned in London.

But at this moment, Berezovsky's fear of death might not be an opportunity.

Thinking of this, Qin Yuan raised his head, his eyes flashing with sharpness.

“Ivan, help me arrange to meet your teacher and tell him that I can help him resolve his gang troubles.”

(End of this chapter)