Dragon Raja 5; Chapter 180: Leviathan’s Song (17)

Dragon Raja 5

This was an authentic family dinner, just like when the granddaughter who studied abroad came to visit her grandfather, bringing along her classmates. The grandfather excitedly told stories about how great he was when he was young, but the granddaughter disdained it and didn’t want to listen, so she just drank her soup. However, the classmates had to listen with a smile on their faces, and from time to time they would praise her with a “Hera smile” in their newly learned Russian.

But Lu Mingfei was quite happy. He was immersed in the atmosphere of the family dinner, feeling peaceful and happy. He even took the time to miss his uncle and aunt.

According to Vatutin, Zero was actually his “business partner.” After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he raised a considerable sum of money from his former military colleagues and, leveraging his connections, entered the business world, quickly becoming one of Russia’s leading tycoons. He sold aircraft to China, oil to Europe, and diamonds worldwide, becoming a powerful figure. The Romanov family, originally based in Europe, sought to enter the Russian market and partnered with Vatutin. Vatutin readily accepted this ally, but he was unaware that the Romanovs sent a little girl barely taller than a suitcase.

At one point, outsiders believed Zero was his adopted or illegitimate daughter, but he didn’t deny it, keeping their collaboration secret. Over the course of several years, the Romanovs’ money poured into Russia like crazy, leveraging Vatutin’s connections to acquire companies and land, propelling him to become Russia’s largest financial oligarch.

But the good times didn’t last. Government regulations arrived like a blizzard, bringing down financial oligarchs one after another. Some were able to flee overseas, while Vatutin had all his assets confiscated and remains under house arrest to this day. The Romanov family, however, has survived by hiding behind Vatutin and remains the invisible leader of Russia’s financial industry.

Despite experiencing such ups and downs, Vatutin did not seem to care much. He talked most about the Soviet era. It seemed that the career of a financial oligarch was just a hobby for him, and he was always a member of the Soviet Red Army.

As Vatutin poured glass after glass of vodka and heated up his can of braised beef while it cooled, he was about to talk about the Cuban Missile Crisis for the third time when Zero suddenly spoke up, interrupting Vatutin’s excitement. “I came here to ask you about Project Delta.”

The warmth and happiness in the room seemed to be cut off by a knife. Vatutin stopped his endless story and the wine glass he raised stopped in the air.

Lu Mingfei was stunned for a moment. He had originally thought that Zero had brought him here to ask General Vatutin for some passes to the restricted military zone. What was “Project Delta”? Why did the moment he uttered the word, it was as if a cold wind had blown into the cabin, and the temperature had plummeted.

But Zero gestured to him to shut up.

The wine glass slowly fell back onto the table. Army General Vatutin slowly turned his head and looked at Zero. “The last time you asked me this question was ten years ago. I didn’t answer, and I thought you wouldn’t ask again. But today you brought this boy here and asked the same question. Are you asking it on his behalf?”

At this moment, he should be respectfully addressed as “Army General Vatutin”. The majesty of the old era suddenly returned to this old man, and a dazzling light shone through his eyes, which were cloudy due to drinking too much vodka.

“I’ll tell him everything I know anyway, so it’s the same whether you tell me alone or in front of him.” Zero said lightly.

“who is he?”

“You don’t need to know this.”

The two men had a sumptuous family dinner like grandfather and grandson, but in an instant they returned to the conversation mode between business partners. The powerful auras of the two collided through Lu Mingfei, and they were evenly matched.

“That’s a state secret!” said Vatutin.

“Your country is long dead,” Zero said. “That secret is important to my friend. I will offer you a price that satisfies you.”

“A price I’m satisfied with?”

“Tell me everything you know about Project Delta, and I’ll use all my connections to get you out of Russia. You can go to Spain or France and live out the rest of your life in freedom.” Zero stared into Vatutin’s eyes. “You’re not afraid of loneliness or death, but for someone like you, dying of old age in this cage is too humiliating.”

Vatutin was silent for a long time. “I shouldn’t have let you know so much about me.”

He poured himself a full glass of vodka and drank it slowly while looking at the fire. After a few minutes of silence, he began to tell his story.

“Cicero said, ‘The state is the people’s business,’ but that’s just politician rhetoric. The state is the largest institution of violence ever established by mankind, and a superpower is an institution of violence within an institution of violence.” Vatutin’s voice was hoarse and drawn out, like a seasoned bard. “Violence is fascinating. Once you achieve a goal through violence, you become increasingly dependent on it, like an aging man relying on sex, or Faust relying on the devil.”

Lu Mingfei was slightly shocked when he heard the last sentence. Maybe Vatutin just said it unintentionally, but Lu Mingfei immediately thought of Lu Mingze.

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