Mercenary’s War
Chapter 1272: 1255: The Engineer

Chapter 1272: Chapter 1255: The Engineer

The Black Sea Shipyard, the Soviet Union’s only aircraft carrier assembly plant—every Soviet aircraft carrier was assembled here, including the Kuznetsov, now in service with Russia.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia lost access to the Black Sea Shipyard and has since been unable to build aircraft carriers.

On an individual level, Ukraine, which had no need for nor the ability to build its own aircraft carriers, could no longer support a massive team of engineers. Even though those engineers represented an incredibly valuable asset, the truth is straightforward: a small temple cannot house a great Buddha.

Glolov showed no sign of surprise, letting out only a long sigh. Gao Yang, on the other hand, felt a bit taken aback. He knew that since the Soviet Union’s collapse, countless scientists and engineers, struggling to make ends meet, had been recruited in droves by nations with ambition and need. Among them, Huaxia had secured quite a number of talented individuals.

“Sir, I’m a bit curious. After the Soviet Union disintegrated, many countries like Huaxia and Korea offered excellent conditions to recruit talents like you. Why didn’t you leave?”

The old man turned to glance at Gao Yang, then looked away. After a bitter laugh, he muttered in a low voice, “I’m Ukrainian; I didn’t want to go anywhere.”

The car fell into a brief silence. However, not long after, the old man gave a bitter smile once more. “I’m sorry. I think I lied out of pride. Alright, if I had the chance to choose again, I definitely would have left Ukraine. My dreams, my efforts, my late father, my wife, my son, and my daughter—they all hoped I would become an engineer, not end up driving a taxi here. I once chose loyalty to this country, but that loyalty has only led me to become a taxi driver. I guess this is fate. Once, I was a promising and well-respected engineer. Now, I’m driving this goddamned taxi! This goddamned taxi!”

The old man became agitated again, his voice rising unconsciously as he exclaimed angrily, “Gentlemen, I lived through the collapse of the Soviet Union! The homeland I was willing to give everything for vanished! I became a Ukrainian. Fine! Now I have to face all this crap all over again. I’ve watched helplessly as my country has turned into this mess once more, and there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it! I drive this damn taxi to support my family because my barely-enough-to-eat pension doesn’t even reach my hands most of the time!”

The old man lost control and started tearing up midway through his rant. He quickly wiped his face, pulling the vehicle over to the side of the road, rubbing his face messily as his voice quivered, “I’m sorry. I got too emotional. Please don’t get out of the car; it’s too dangerous here. We’ll leave in just a moment, just a moment.”

Glolov said gently, “It’s alright, sir. You can rest here for a while.”

The old man leaned forward, pressing his face against the steering wheel. His shoulders trembled as he sobbed, “It’s all ruined. Again. Everything will be ruined again.”

After about three minutes, he lifted his head, grabbed a rag meant for wiping down the car, and wiped his face. Despite his efforts to compose himself, a self-mocking smile lingered on his lips as he shook his head. “Apologies. I got a little carried away and let you see an old fool blathering and crying. Oh, I can only offer my apologies.”

Gao Yang said softly, “It’s alright, sir. We understand, and you don’t need to feel embarrassed about it. Moreover, I must tell you, people like you, who truly understand the plight of their country, are far too rare. Wise men in this world are often lonely.”

The old man shook his head, grabbed a clean white towel to wipe his hands, then extended a hand to Glolov with a low voice, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for listening to an old man’s complaints. My name is Nikolai Yashkov.”

Glolov said softly, “You can call me Yuri. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yashkov.”

“I’m Peter. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yashkov.”

Gao Yang also stated the alias on his passport, the fake name he intended to use throughout his stay in Ukraine, and shook Nikolai’s hand.

Nikolai forced a smile. “Once again, I apologize. Now, let’s continue on our way.”

As the car started moving again, Gao Yang asked quietly, “Mr. Yashkov, can I ask why you didn’t go to another country when the Soviet Union collapsed? I believe the most suitable position for you should have been that of an engineer, not a taxi driver.”

Nikolai gave a bitter laugh. “Fate. That’s what it is. At the time, I was still young, not yet forty, in my prime years. I was already a senior engineer at the Black Sea Shipyard. Many people left then, but I didn’t, because they saw me as the hope of the Black Sea Shipyard and kept me in my post. Although the pay couldn’t compare to what I could earn abroad, I still wanted to stay.

Back then, many of us held on to fantasies, believing the Black Sea Shipyard could survive, that even producing civilian ships could keep it afloat. But it turned out to be wishful thinking. We were deceived. In 1995, the aircraft carrier was left entirely to the Black Sea Shipyard to handle, but what could we do with it? We couldn’t finish it. That same year, our old captain Makarov retired. The Black Sea Shipyard started to decline year after year. We had no work and had to rely on selling off assets to pay employees’ wages. The meager salaries barely kept us afloat. When there was nothing left to sell, and staff salaries couldn’t be paid anymore, I was forced to retire early in 2000.”

Nikolai waved his hand and sighed. “The Americans screwed us over. Watching the aircraft carrier, into which I had poured half of my life’s effort, be stripped down to a hollow shell and eventually sold as scrap metal just broke my heart. Losing my job and missing out on my pension was nothing compared to the pain of seeing my work dismantled like that. But thankfully, the aircraft carrier found new life elsewhere. Better that than rusting away in the shipyard.

The Black Sea Shipyard was left with nothing. Why didn’t I leave? Because I was valued. Gentlemen, sometimes being valued isn’t a blessing. Besides, I was reluctant to go—my family, my life, everything was in Ukraine. How could I just leave so easily?”

Gao Yang nodded lightly, but before he could respond, Nikolai again gave a bitter chuckle. “Apologies, apologies, I lied again. I’ve told this explanation so many times over the years that I’ve started to believe it myself. Truthfully, where could I go? It’s been too long since I’ve had any relevant work. My expertise has nowhere to be applied. I’m outdated, just like the Black Sea Shipyard. We’ve both become relics. Huaxia, Korea—they’ve already trained their own engineers. They no longer need us, at least not the way they once did. Now, new engineers have fresher knowledge and use modern machinery and equipment. That’s right—new people build new ships in new shipyards. Old men, like me, fade away with the old shipyards and the old ships. That’s the fate awaiting people like us.”

The sorrow was palpable, and even Gao Yang couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. In a heavy voice, he said, “Don’t say that. Every engineer is a priceless treasure.”

Nikolai smiled. “Thank you for your words of comfort, but this is the reality. In 1992, some Huaxia people invited me to go to Huaxia. I didn’t go because I thought the Black Sea Shipyard needed me more. But alas, I missed that chance, and I never got another one. Who would want an engineer with twenty years of no practical experience? Anyone?”

Gao Yang had no answer for Nikolai’s question; it was an area he knew nothing about.

Hearing no response, Nikolai smiled faintly and said, “I was forced to retire, but my pension wasn’t enough to feed my family, and my wife fell ill. That’s when I started driving a taxi. I began in 2003. It’s been eleven years now. In some ways, I’m grateful for this job—grateful that this car gave me work.”

Gao Yang couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t you have any children?”

Though he understood the differences in views on family support, Gao Yang still posed the question.

Nikolai smiled. “I do. My son passed his professional engineer exam last year and became an engineer. I raised him to be an engineer with the money I earned driving this taxi. At twenty-seven, he became an engineer—a greater achievement than I had at his age.”

After he finished speaking, however, Nikolai heaved a long sigh again. “But speaking of that makes me feel worse. My son became an engineer but can’t find a job. Ukraine can’t provide him with opportunities. He’s been job hunting for a long time. And with the way things are, it might take a very long time before there’s anything for him. He thought about driving a taxi like me, but I scolded him out of it. Now he’s given up on that idea. I hope he can go abroad to look for opportunities. Maybe he’ll find a job suitable for him. But it’s tough—very tough.”

After thinking seriously for a moment, Gao Yang said to Nikolai, “Mr. Yashkov, I have a suggestion I hope you’ll consider. Here’s the thing: we’re from out of town and need a reliable driver to take us many places. Compared to others, I think you’re particularly well-suited. What do you think?”

Nikolai hesitated briefly, then said, “You want to hire the car? Hmm, that’s possible. No problem. I just need to check the going rate for a full day’s rental. If you need the car at night as well, the price will be higher. The current situation has driven prices up, so I’m not sure if it will suit you.”

Gao Yang smiled. “Don’t bother checking. How about one thousand dollars a day? Oh, we’re journalists, you know, and sometimes we have to go to dangerous places. If we do, you’ll get a danger allowance on top of that. How about it?”