Becoming a Russian Oligarch After Rebirth
Chapter 1151 - 975 High-Level Reception_2

Chapter 1151: Chapter 975 High-Level Reception_2

This thing really gets you hooked!

Initially, I planned on doing some business, making money, and then returning home to enjoy myself. Later, by some accident, I entered the political arena and found that holding office is much more interesting than doing business!

Didn’t a great man once say, "The joy of battling with others is endless"?

Of course, Wang Ye didn’t enter politics to "scheme" against others or fight with them.

He derived a sense of achievement from it.

The feeling of being able to alter the development of a country and the course of the world with a single command is quite mesmerizing...

Seeing Wang Ye looking somewhat distracted as he gazed out the car window, Yulia misunderstood and sighed,

"Kiev now, compared to over a decade ago, seems to have declined a lot.

Apart from the buildings becoming more dilapidated, there doesn’t seem to be any other change.

Over these past years, not just Kiev, but the whole country seems to have stood still in time..."

Indeed, during the former Soviet era, Kiev was prosperous, at least more so than now, I suppose.

Hearing Yulia’s sigh, Wang Ye came back to his senses and smiled, "Isn’t this precisely your and Yanukovych’s responsibility? I believe that in a few more years, Kiev will undergo earth-shaking changes!"

"Let’s hope so. Only when you actually sit in this position do you realize that there are countless things to manage, and sometimes you don’t even know where to start.

Running a country is far more complex than managing a company.

Sometimes I really envy you. The situation in Moscow is even more complicated than here, but it seems like everything becomes effortless in your hands, as if there’s nothing that can pose a challenge to you.

If you were to manage this country, then..."

Yulia had just gotten to this point when Wang Ye interrupted her with a raised hand.

Wang Ye shook his head with a smile, "Stop right there! Don’t try to butter me up; I am merely the Deputy Speaker Duma. I am neither in charge of the Kremlin nor holding a role in the cabinet, so my work is relatively less complicated."

Yulia gave him a glance but didn’t continue.

On the surface, Wang Ye indeed appears to be just the Deputy Speaker Duma, seemingly unremarkable.

In the normal order of things, in Moscow, he would rank in the top five, or maybe even beyond the top ten...

But let’s not forget, the Duma now is not the same as it was a few years ago!

It’s no exaggeration to say that the Duma now seems to be on a par with the Kremlin...

And this young man in front of us, although only the first deputy speaker, his actual power and influence have long surpassed that of Vice Speaker Grezlov!

So, in terms of actual power, he is the second most powerful man in Moscow...

It’s just that he prefers to stay out of the limelight.

...

As they chatted, the motorcade had already arrived at the Presidential palace.

Here too, everything was freshly arranged; a red carpet extended from the steps outside the entrance all the way into the hall.

On both sides of the red carpet, the honor guard stood erect with their rifled bayonets and dressed in ceremonial military attire.

And Yanukovych, along with a group of executives, was already waiting on the steps.

The motorcade came to a stop, and the Extended Mercedes Wang Ye was riding in stopped directly in front of the steps, a location chosen with care.

As Wang Ye was the core figure of the visiting delegation, the car he was in had to stop right where the door could open onto the red carpet.

This facilitated the welcoming approach from Yanukovych.

After all, it would be inappropriate if the car Wang Ye was in stopped a hundred meters away, leading to him disembarking and waving to Yanukovych from a distance...

No sooner had the car come to a complete standstill, than someone quickly stepped forward, bowing to open the door for Wang Ye. Simultaneously, Yanukovych descended the steps, coming forward to greet him.

This reception was a tad too high in its standards.

According to proper protocol, Yanukovych was expected to wait on the steps and allow Wang Ye to come up on his own.

After all, his position was superior to Wang Ye’s.

But that’s the way diplomatic protocol is, so intricate that every detail counts.

Of course, Yanukovych, being the "host," could afford to appear a bit more enthusiastic without it being excessive.

So, when Wang Ye arrived in Kiev today, Yanukovych didn’t go to the Airport to receive him but sent Yulia instead.

But when Wang Ye arrived at the Presidential Palace, he personally descended the steps to greet him...

Such a gesture was not overly extravagant, yet it conveyed his welcome and anticipation for Wang Ye’s arrival.

Yanukovych was quite skilled at handling these nuances.

In fact, Yanukovych held genuine respect for Wang Ye in his heart, and there was also a tinge... of fear!

Respect, because during the election campaign, when it seemed that he was close to losing, Wang Ye’s visit helped him reverse the situation in one fell swoop.

It was akin to personally escorting him to this position!

Fear, too, because throughout the whole election process, he had witnessed the young man’s capabilities...

He certainly did not want to become this person’s opponent or enemy!

...

At the bottom of the steps, on the red carpet, the people following Yanukovych, along with Wang Ye’s entourage, all stood aside sensibly, leaving the center stage for the two of them.

Yanukovych and Wang Ye’s faces were both adorned with radiant smiles, their hands tightly clasped together.

The flashbulbs twinkled like stars, and this image of the two shaking hands was likely to appear in Ukraine’s major media outlets tomorrow.

"Director Mikhail, welcome to Kiev,"

Yanukovych said, "I’m delighted to see you again,"...

Since this visit, Wang Ye came in his capacity as the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, so Yanukovych addressed him as "Director" rather than "Vice Speaker."

Having multiple titles is quite advantageous as they can be flexibly utilized, allowing one to visit in whatever capacity is needed!

Without this director title, Wang Ye, as the Deputy Speaker of Duma, would have found it rather improper to discuss these matters.

But as the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, his jurisdiction was broad.

As long as it related to other countries, it could be categorized under "foreign affairs," which meant he could step in!

...

After an exchange of pleasantries, they introduced the people behind them to each other.

Following closely behind Wang Ye was, of course, Shao Yigu, whose name Yanukovych had clearly heard of.

He also knew that Shao Yigu must be a truly trusted person in Kremlin, otherwise, he would not have had such a meteoric rise after stepping into the military halfway through...

Thus, his treatment of Shao Yigu was very warm.

After a brief introduction, Yanukovych and Wang Ye walked side by side along the red carpet to the grand banquet hall on the first floor.

The hall was already prepared.

First, Yanukovych delivered a welcoming speech, followed by Wang Ye speaking about the brotherhood and bright future between the two nations.

These ceremonial remarks were essential, mostly for the media reporters to report the news.

The real business would take place behind closed doors later on.

After the completion of the welcoming ceremony, it was time for lunch.

The state banquet was naturally prepared.

Although Ukraine’s economy wasn’t very strong, they could not neglect etiquette on such an occasion, so the grand banquet hall was decked out with eye-catching decorations, and a vast array of delicious dishes was available.

As for the food itself, the eating habits in Ukraine and Russia were quite similar.

It was just the usual fare like Russian soup, caviar, steak, and black truffles.

In Wang Ye’s view, these were all very ordinary, none as tasty as the red braised pork his father had made when he returned home a few days earlier...

But regardless, to welcome Wang Ye’s arrival, Ukraine showed great enthusiasm and respect, and they did their utmost within their capabilities.

If it had been someone else, no one but the father-in-law himself would have enjoyed such treatment...

...

Formal negotiations began only after lunch.

There were many accompanying personnel, and the agenda was packed.

It wasn’t a case of everyone sitting together to discuss things one by one; instead, Wang Ye would talk with Yanukovych privately, while the rest had corresponding Ukrainian negotiation partners to engage with.

Multiple meetings started at the same time!