My Realistic Simulation Game

Chapter 208 Dead End
The noise in the courtyard gradually subsided, and although everyone was slightly tipsy, their minds were unusually clear.

The messy dining table was quickly tidied up and Qin Yuan, Wu Weiguo, Feng Lun, and Pan Shiyi sat around an old eight-immortal table.

The courtyard gate was tightly closed, and the atmosphere suddenly became serious and solemn.

Qin Yuan's gaze swept over every face present, and he got straight to the point: "Everyone is here. You all know what we're going to do in the Soviet Union this time."

"The goal is clear, but the road is full of mines, so we must think through the worst-case scenario before we get there."

He first looked at Pan Shiyi: "Shiyi, after the bank is established, its primary task is to attract deposits with high interest rates. At that time, will you need to thoroughly research the interest rates offered by Western banks in the Soviet Union?"

Pan Shiyi immediately replied, "President Qin, when you mentioned it before, I already had Brother Gongquan provide me with some data. Currently, the annualized deposit interest rates offered by institutions such as Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank in Moscow and St. Petersburg are between 8% and 12%, which is far higher than the interest rates of Soviet state-owned banks, attracting a large amount of savings."

Qin Yuan tapped his fingers on the table, his tone leaving no room for argument: "Our interest rate must be higher than theirs. In the initial stage, it should be at least 15%-18%! Or even higher!"

This number sent a collective gasp through everyone present.

Yi Xiaodi couldn't help but blurt out, "President Qin, this...this is too high! How can we cover such high funding costs? The risk is too great!"

"Risks?" Qin Yuan's gaze swept over him, his tone suddenly becoming more serious. "I sent you here to do things, not to ask questions!"

"Of course I know the risks, but how can you compete with wolves for food without the most tempting bait?"

He looked around at everyone, his voice cold and deep: "We only have one hundred million US dollars right now! It sounds like a lot, but if you throw it into the Soviet Union's soon-to-boil-up financial vortex, it won't even make a decent ripple."

"We must use this money as leverage to tap into dozens or even hundreds of times more of our ruble savings. High interest rates are our only weapon for rapid growth!"

"Money must be carefully managed; every penny must be spent wisely! Shi Yi, I'm giving you three days to produce an extremely stringent budget and timetable for fund usage!"

"I want to see every penny that goes out be converted into ten times the amount of rubles in the shortest possible time."

"any questions?"

His gaze fell on Pan Shiyi.

Pan Shiyi immediately felt a tremendous pressure on his shoulders, but there was no fear or retreat in his eyes. Instead, a flame of excitement ignited within him.

Without hesitation, he replied, "No problem, Mr. Qin, I will definitely do it!"

After a moment's thought, Feng Lun raised another crucial question: "President Qin, how do we solve the specific operational issues of opening a bank in the Soviet Union, such as licenses, site selection, personnel, and compliance? In the Soviet Union, this is probably not something that can be resolved in a short time."

"I'll handle that."

Qin Yuan said in a deep voice, "I know the situation in the Soviet Union better than you do. As long as you are willing to offer enough leverage, someone there will provide the necessary 'favors'."

“But you all need to remember that any ‘help’ offered by these people comes with a price tag and may also contain hidden traps.”

"Never rely on them completely. Be careful when you get to the Soviet Union and discern carefully."

Everyone stared intently and nodded in agreement.

Qin Yuan turned his gaze to Liu Jun and Wu Weiguo, his tone becoming extremely serious: "The second point, and the most important one: safety! The absolute reliability and discipline of personnel are the bottom line!"

"Liu Jun!"

"Here!" Liu Jun straightened his back abruptly.

"You immediately take action domestically, and through all your channels, gather a group of absolutely trustworthy veterans with real combat experience. They must have clean backgrounds, be tight-lipped, ruthless, and obedient to orders!"

"A team of no more than twenty people will be formed, an elite security force. The National Guard will help you obtain business visas, and you will travel with the team to the Soviet Union!"

"You have only one mission: to provide close protection for the core team members, especially the absolute safety of Shi Yi and Xiao Di!"

"As for the Soviet Union, I will hire the best local retired special forces team to handle the perimeter security and site safety, but they are ultimately outsiders!"

"The core security detail must be our own people. Your security plan must be personally reviewed by me before departure to ensure absolute safety!"

"Yes, President Qin, I guarantee to complete the mission!" Liu Jun felt a heavy sense of responsibility and excitement at being trusted.

Feng Lun, however, was somewhat worried, his eyes filled with shock: "President Qin, with such a large-scale personnel transfer, won't the Soviet Union react? I've heard they have secret agencies there."

"This is what I wanted to remind you of." Qin Yuan glanced at him, then looked around at everyone and said, "What we are facing this time is not just business risks."

“We may touch the core interests of Western financial capital, and they will use all means to attack us, including but not limited to commercial espionage, media smear campaigns, and even darker methods.”

“We were playing with fire right under the KGB’s nose; they were everywhere.”

"We also have to face the impending, unpredictable chaos and violence within the Soviet Union! It is now a huge powder keg about to explode!"

"Failure doesn't just mean losing everything; it could mean... disappearing without a trace or being thrown into Lubyanka's basement! Do you understand?"

A chill instantly swept through the entire room.

Everyone truly felt that cold, real threat of death.

"But you don't need to worry. Basic personal safety is not a problem. The Soviet Union is a big country with many opportunities. If you are willing to go and try your luck with me, I will guarantee you a lifetime of wealth. If you are not willing, I will not force you. Just take care of your home in China and you can leave now."

No one moved, and no one left.

Old Zhang accompanied Qin Yuan to Moscow during Qin Yuan's lowest point and took the K3 train.

The reward lies right here in this courtyard house beneath their feet.

With this ready example right here, why would they leave?

Everyone here is a gambler.

This kind of excitement isn't something you can enjoy all the time.

"Very good." Qin Yuan smiled slightly and said, "There is one more thing that I should tell you."

"Binzi and Gangzi are currently in Kuibyshev, carrying out a top-secret mission."

"Their goal is to obtain the core technology or a sample of an NK-32 rocket engine from the Kuznetsov Design Bureau."

"What?!" Feng Lun, Pan Shiyi, and others exclaimed in shock, their faces turning deathly pale.

They never expected that Qin Yuan's reach would be so deep and his actions so drastic!
This has completely gone beyond the realm of business!

Qin Yuan's gaze swept over their shocked faces: "Surprised? Think it's crazy?"

"But this is our key bargaining chip in breaking the deadlock in the Soviet Union."

Pan Shiyi was the first to react: "President Qin, is this related to the remaining 1 billion RMB foreign exchange quota?"

He had learned from Qin Yuan earlier that Far East Trade had used 1.5 billion RMB, but only 500 million RMB was successfully exchanged.

Qin Yuan remained vague about the remaining billion.

In retrospect, this was clearly a transaction with the Bank of China in China.

Only after acquiring the rocket engine—a crucial component and technical blueprint for China—would the central government approve the remaining foreign exchange quota from the Bank of China. Furthermore, this could potentially lead to even greater domestic support. This was Far East Trade's pledge of allegiance to the nation, a safeguard for gaining trust and securing its survival.
But, is there really no risk involved in such a crucial task as transporting rocket engines back to Kuibyshev?

He couldn't help but worry.

Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away in Kuibyshev, a biting cold wind was blowing.

Binzi was wearing a bulky old cotton-padded coat, with the brim of his hat pulled low, and he almost blended into the heavy shadows of the factory area surrounding the Kuznetsov Design Bureau.

The white breath he exhaled instantly condensed into frost.

He had been lying in wait here for nearly four hours, and his whole body was almost frozen.

His gaze was fixed on a heavily guarded old warehouse deep inside the factory area.

The situation was more complicated than he had anticipated.

As the Soviet Union's top aircraft engine research and development institution, the Kuznetsov Design Bureau maintained an alarmingly high level of security in its core area, even during turbulent times.

Exposed sentries, covert sentries, patrol teams with wolfhounds, and ubiquitous surveillance cameras form a tight network.

If the "seller" hadn't been someone within the design bureau who wielded real power and was eager to monetize "idle assets," Binzi would have had no chance to get close to this place.

He has been in Kuybyshev for some time now.

A few days ago, the two hundred train cars of supplies shipped from China arrived one after another, triggering another wave of panic buying in this industrial city.

Unlike the initial tentative cooperation, this time, the major factories in Kuibyshev had a deeper understanding of the strength and reputation of Far East Trade, and almost no one refused Binzi's proposed procurement plan.

Many factories even proactively provide premium materials and rare components in exchange for more urgently needed light industrial products.

It was against this backdrop of citywide unrest and frequent transactions that Binzi was able to propose that extremely audacious transaction idea to certain people at the Kuznetsov Design Bureau through Vasily.

They exchanged ample supplies of scarce goods and hard currency, the US dollar, for the "old engines" in their warehouses that had been abandoned and stored away due to project cancellations.

The compelling incentives quickly secured the approval of certain individuals within the organization for the deal.

The plan went smoothly. Binzi went through the formalities under the guise of importing ordinary car engines, intending to smuggle the real target, the core component of the NK-32 rocket engine, out of the country mixed in with a large amount of ordinary cargo.

However, as the scheduled transaction time approached, Binzi's unease grew stronger.

"Brother Bin, is it time yet? Why haven't those guys from Kuznetsov shipped the goods out yet? Didn't they promise they'd get it done tonight?"

Gangzi's suppressed anxiety came through the walkie-talkie. He was in a dilapidated Lada a few streets away, responsible for providing support and monitoring the perimeter.

Binzi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the desolate warehouse area.

The tension in the air almost solidified into a tangible form.

"Damn it, we can't get in touch with that kid Vasily either, not a sound from him!"

Gangzi couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath, "When I saw those engineers from the design bureau last time, I felt they were all cowards, their eyes darting around when they spoke, they didn't seem like people who could accomplish great things at all! Could it be that they were scared and chickened out at the last minute?"

He was worried.

Tomorrow, the delivery plane from Kuibyshev to Xiamen will take off, which is the most reliable flight in the near future.

If we can't get the goods on this flight tonight, we'll have to wait at least another week for the next Sichuan Airlines flight.

A week is a long time, and anything can happen in the Soviet Union today!

Binzi finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, with a hint of determination: "Wait ten more minutes. If there's still no movement, we'll leave."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "If the covert approach doesn't work, we'll go openly and directly to that Semyonov at the Aviation Administration!"

"Last time he made excuses, saying the procedures were difficult and the risks were too great. He was clearly just trying to raise the price and get more benefits!"

"We must complete the task that Brother Yuan entrusted to us, no matter the cost!"

Binzi's tone was resolute. He understood all too well the significance of this rocket engine to Qin Yuan's overall strategy; it was the most crucial key to securing unlimited domestic support and opening up subsequent opportunities.

However, the instant he finished speaking—

A sudden change occurred!

Two black Volga sedans, without any markings, silently tore through the night like ghosts, speeding into the factory area without slowing down at all, and stopping directly in front of the old warehouse!
The car door opened, and several burly men in dark coats, with clean and efficient movements, quickly got out and conducted a brief but efficient handover with the guards at the warehouse entrance.

The entire process was silent, yet it carried a chilling, authoritative quality.

Binzi's heart sank suddenly, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

He was all too familiar with that unique temperament, that style of doing things.

It's the KGB!

Almost at the same moment, Gangzi's urgent, almost distorted, yet desperately suppressed exclamation came through the walkie-talkie: "Brother Bin, the situation has changed!"

"Oh no, I just saw... I saw Vasily being dragged out of the back alley by two men and shoved into a black car!"

"That car...that car looks like it belongs to the Safety Committee!"

Binzi hid in the shadows, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his blood seemed to freeze completely in that instant!

He looked at the suddenly increased number of KGB guards at the warehouse entrance, their identities obvious, and listened to the devastating news from Gangzi, confirming his worst suspicions...

A huge, cold sense of crisis, enough to completely engulf a person, suddenly swept over them.

conspiracy!

This is a trap that was set up long ago!
They've been betrayed!

He spoke quickly into the walkie-talkie:
"Gangzi, the plan is canceled. Evacuate immediately! Repeat, evacuate immediately! Do not look back!"

"We...we've been sold out!"

Were we betrayed?

By whom?

The moment Gangzi heard these words, his whole body went cold.

Faces flashed through my mind.

Was Vasily, Elena, the Kuznetsov Design Bureau, Alexei, or even the entire Kuibyshev complex a trap?
But before he could even think, he saw a group of Caucasians in black trench coats pinning Binzi to the ground not far away.

Then, a pair of cold eyes looked in his direction.

(End of this chapter)