Soviet Union 1991

A car drove out of the Kremlin in a low-key manner and headed towards the city of Moscow. No one cared about what kind of little person would sit in a dilapidated car. Only some sharp-eyed people would wonder why there would be such a car in the Kremlin. It seemed really unreasonable.

Of course, other people just thought about it and put the question behind them. But Plekhanov, the director of the Ninth Bureau of the KGB, who was sitting in the car, looked frightened, although Yanaev, who was sitting next to him, still had a calm expression and looked at the documents in his hand with interest.

This trip of the top leader was a completely casual and temporary idea. No wonder Plekhanov was so nervous. Although Yanaev kept signaling him to relax a little, Moscow, where the state of emergency had not yet been declared over, was a time bomb that could explode at any time. If a thug rushed out of a corner and happened to recognize Yanaev, the consequences would be disastrous.

Yanaev didn't think too much about it. It was other people's business to ensure his own safety, and he didn't need to teach him how to do it well. At this time, Yanaev was looking at the profile of a person that the KGB had specially obtained for him. There was a photo on the upper left corner of the profile. The man in the photo had a mediocre appearance, a sloppy beard, and nothing special about his resume. Even his background information was just a few words. He didn't look like a potential little man who would be favored by Moscow's top leaders.

"In 1986, he joined the Air Force as a navigator, and then he was sent to the Moscow Military Foreign Languages ​​Academy to study foreign languages. In 1988, he entered the Moscow Military Foreign Languages ​​Academy to study foreign languages. He is proficient in Russian, Uzbek, English, Portuguese, French and other languages, and even knows a little Chinese. Well, he does have a very high language talent as the legend says, and he is indeed a very good candidate." Yanaev closed the file and said to himself.

"Who is this person? It is worthy of the General Secretary to meet him in person. No matter how you look at his resume, he is an ordinary air force ground crew member." Plekhanov asked in a low voice. After stepping into the ranks of Yanaev's confidants, he also had his own say on some issues. But Plekhanov spoke carefully, because he didn't know what Yanaev was really planning.

"Oh?" Yanaev turned around and said to him in a methodical manner, "This guy named Viktor But is indeed a mediocre guy. No matter how you look at his appearance and resume, it's just that. But Plekhanov, you have to remember that the most important thing about a person is not what he did in the past, but what he can and will do in the future."

For Yanaev, Viktor But's past is not important, but he will have a very special nickname in the future, "The Merchant of Death." From engaging in arms business in 1992 to becoming one of the world's few arms dealers, in less than ten years, his net worth has reached 6 billion pounds. And his deeds have even been made into a movie, yes, that is "Lord of War" starring Nicolas Cage.

In Yanaev's plan to save the Soviet Union, Viktor But is also an important chess piece.

Of course, none of these things could be told to Plekhanov. Since Victor was an outstanding businessman, Yanaev, who had always been unconventional in employing people, did not mind letting him be responsible for some shady black deals of the Soviet government, even though this man was still poor and lonely. What's more, Yanaev was also very curious about what this legendary arms dealer looked like at the beginning.

The car stopped in front of a dilapidated apartment. The driver turned his head and said to Yanaev, "Mr. President, we're here."

"Oh, okay. You can wait for us downstairs." Yanaev nodded. He and Plekhanov got out of the car at the same time, stepped onto the garbage-filled stairs, walked through the smelly corridor, and the two came to a dilapidated iron door. Plekhanov glanced at the house that was obviously a poor person's house, and then knocked on the iron door.

"Who is it?" A rough voice sounded behind the iron door, followed by the noise of knocking over something, and vaguely with a man's cursing complaints. If the voice coming from someone was not obviously from a person, Yanayev would have thought that there was a Siberian brown bear locked behind the door.

The door was opened, and a man with messy hair poked his head out. He glanced at the two people standing outside the door and said impatiently, "Didn't I tell you? I will return it to you in a few days. Why are you so annoying! Is it that serious?"

Seeing that the other party had obviously misunderstood something, Plekhanov took out his KGB ID from his arms and said coldly to the drunk at the door, "I'm not interested in who you owe something to, but you'd better take a good look at who we are."

Victor Butt's eyes widened when he saw Plekhanov's ID. He was also instantly sober from the alcohol. He waved his hands in panic and said, "Sir, listen to me, what I said just now was not directed at you..."

"Is it directed at me? Comrade Victor." Yanaev suddenly blurted out a paragraph of fluent Chinese, "Standing next to you is Plekhanov, the leader of the KGB's Ninth Bureau. Are those offensive and disrespectful words you just said enough for the KGB to send you to jail?"

Not to mention Victor's face of astonishment, even Plekhanov was surprised. Because Yanaev never claimed that he had learned Chinese, how did he suddenly become fluent in Chinese?

Now that the other party has spoken, Victor has to reply to Yanayev in Chinese, "I'm sorry, sir, I apologize for my rude behavior just now. If he is really the leader of the KGB Ninth Bureau, you must He must be a big shot."

Yanayev smiled slightly, walked directly past Victor and walked into the hut he had wandered into the garbage dump. This time he turned back to him and said in Russian, "You should really watch the news, Comrade Victor. Standing before you is the newest leader of the Soviet Union. Oh, and my name is Yanayev."

Yanayev looked around and saw the MON-50 placed on the table, and his expression immediately changed slightly. In order to prevent Plekhanov from having any grudges, he gently picked up a piece of clothing and covered it before Plekhanov came in, and then said to Victor, "It seems that you are very worried about your creditors, but I won't pursue it." Where did the stuff on your desk come from? According to the law, it is enough for you to spend the rest of your life in a colder and damper cell."

Victor's expression instantly became very exciting, and Yanayev casually changed the subject, "But you just like to have the supreme leader standing in your hut so embarrassed. Oh, to be honest, how many days have there been no Has it been cleaned?”

Victor woke up from a dream and quickly came in to clean up the room and make a place for Yanayev to sit. After Yanayev sat down, he asked straight to the point, "Let me ask you a question, are you interested in working for me?"

Plekhanov was a little stunned. He didn't expect that Yanayev would go out of his way to find an unknown person to do things for him. It was incredible. He originally wanted to advise the General Secretary, but after thinking about it, he decided to wait until later.

Yanayev's words were so straightforward that Victor didn't know how to answer. He coughed awkwardly and asked, "To be honest, Mr. President, I don't quite understand what it means to sacrifice my life for you?"

"You only have one intention, to sell arms for me." Yanayev said his purpose without concealment, "If you agree, then from today on you will leave this cramped hut and live in A big, splendid house, and expensive suits that are well-tailored. You don’t have to wear these anymore. I don’t know how many days the clothes will be stained with oil.”

"Yes, I do." Victor's answer was also straightforward.

"Aren't you curious about the price? Forget it, you must know it better than me. Okay, then I will give you the first task, which can also be regarded as a small test. It is for the three Baltic countries to oppose their governments. The nation sells firearms." Yanayev pointed at Victor and revealed the first step of his plan.