Reborn in Russia as a Big Shot

Marina's career has been on a downward spiral ever since she got Li Xiang as a debuff.

The resources of the Kremlin were kept at a distance from her.

She wasn't included in any of the resources available to Gusinski.

The only good news is that Li Xiang has made it big!

Having acquired VKontakte, and with his own Shopee website also in talks for funding, if he's willing to stay in Russia long-term, sever ties with Khodorkovsky, and pledge allegiance to the Kremlin, he could become a rising oligarch in just a few years.

But for Marina, this good news wasn't so good.

Because Li Xiang has disappeared.

The last time they met was when they were having an affair at the Shangri-La Hotel in Moscow. Li Xiang said he had to go back to St. Petersburg, and left after that, and they never contacted each other again.

Marina's previous strategy was to wait until Li Xiang had achieved success in his career and accumulated some capital before officially establishing their relationship.

What was unexpected was that Li Xiang's rise was like a rocket launch, with no buffer period at all; he went straight up.

Even though she missed the best time to invest heavily, it's not too late to catch up now. Marina has decided to take the initiative and go to him. Since Li Xiang isn't looking for her, she'll go to him.

But his value is still too low based solely on his celebrity status.

Beauty?

For oligarchs, the one thing they have no shortage of is bedding; if they like to change it, they can change it every day.

To gain Li Xiang's attention, one must be able to help him in his career.

As the saying goes, perseverance pays off, and Marina finally got her chance.

Marina met her idol, Elena Battulina, the wife of the mayor of Moscow, at an opera performance at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

This is certainly no coincidence!

Marina, a rising star in Russia, was the most dazzling person at the event, causing a stir as soon as she appeared.

Although she bought her own ticket and wasn't in the VIP section, people naturally made room for her after she recognized Batulina.

This makes it easier for the two of them to talk.

When going to the opera, you should definitely put your phone in your bag, but Marina held her iPhone in her hand and intentionally or unintentionally showed it to Batulina.

Batulina was able to transform from an office secretary into the wife of the mayor of Moscow through her shrewdness, not her good looks.

She's an "auntie" now, and she wasn't exactly a beauty when she was young.

"You use an iPhone too?" Batulina deliberately fell for the trap, giving Marina an opportunity to start a conversation.

"You use it too?" Marina was overjoyed, but dared not show it.

Batulina truthfully stated, "A friend helped me bring one back from Germany."

Germany was the first overseas market for the iPhone, but because it was only sold on contract, German consumers were very resistant.

Under pressure, Apple released a batch of regular iPhones, but this only lasted for less than two weeks before it went back to selling only contract phones.

Marina said, "I bought this one online."

"I heard that local e-commerce sites sell it too, what's it called..." Batulina tried hard to remember but couldn't.

Marina said with a big smile, "Shopee, I know their boss, he's Chinese."

"Li Xiang?" Batulina said subconsciously.

"You know him?" Marina said, slightly taken aback.

Batulina truthfully stated, "The Khodorkovsky tax recovery team transferred a group of people from the Moscow tax office to St. Petersburg to investigate his tax issues and imposed a hefty fine on him. I heard about it from my husband."

"The moment you mentioned Chinese people, I immediately thought of him; it must be him."

Batulina whispered in Marina's ear, "I accidentally let it slip. You and Li Xiang are friends, so don't go and tell him."

"How could I dare to say such a thing?" Marina felt a surge of panic.

Batulina smiled and said, "I'm not kidding you anymore. A lot of people know about this. It's not a secret. Just don't say I told you."

"He's looking for funding. I wonder if you'd be interested?" Marina was surprised that Batulina, "Russia's richest woman," was so approachable and easy to talk to.

Batulina said meaningfully, "Not for now, but it might be available soon. It'll start soon, let's watch the show."

Although Marina was confused, there was one thing she understood: for Batulina, the biggest obstacle to investing in Shopee was politics.

Since she said she can't vote now but might vote in the future, it means that the political risks associated with Li Xiang are gradually dissipating.

It's possible that Khodorkovsky's problem has been solved.

It's also possible that Li Xiang switched sides and gained the favor of some important figure.

Once Li Xiang overcomes this hurdle, he will be accepted by the mainstream political forces in Russia, and from there, he will have a completely different perspective.

Marina didn't dare ask what the catalyst that brought about the qualitative change was.

But she knew she couldn't wait any longer.

Right now, at this very moment, is the last chance to increase the stakes on Li Xiang.

Marina was in no mood to watch the opera. She barely managed to endure until the end, exchanged contact information with Batulina, and headed straight to the airport without even going home.

Meanwhile, another group of people were also heading to St. Petersburg, a little earlier than Marina.

The Russian National Guard and the Federal Security Service, two agencies directly under the president, are secretly heading to St. Petersburg to carry out a mission.

Dealing with Li Xiang wouldn't require such a great deal of effort.

It also requires bypassing the entire police system and deploying the military and special agents.

The target of this secret operation was the Tambov gang.

The Tambov gang was able to run rampant in St. Petersburg and achieve a monopoly on organized crime because they chose sides with the Emperor.

It's like...

After Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, you always mentioned to others that you used to beg for food with him.

The Kumarin family's doom has finally arrived.

-

Cheung Pak-chi did not return to Hong Kong with Yong-ge and Xia Dongyuan.

As for the Russian situation, let it remain in Russia. Since it hasn't left, it must continue.

Yong Ge was somewhat reserved around Zhang Baizhi.

As soon as her father left, she moved into Li Xiang's room.

"I found a movie for you to watch. Come here, just watch a short clip."

It's an old movie starring Lau Tak-wah, "The Tricky Master," the scene where Chung Lai-ti falsely accuses Lau Tak-wah in court and gets imprisoned.

"I've seen it. I know what you're thinking. You're really boring."

Zhang Baizhi imitated Zhong Liti's tone and recited the lines along with her, "Around dinner time, intermittently since last night..."

Li Xiang and Zhang Baizhi were flirting during the movie when suddenly there was a rapid knocking on the door.

"Open the door," said Galina.

Li Xiang was a little slow, and before he could even reach the door, Galina kicked it open and forced her way in.

Galina knew that Zhang Baizhi didn't understand Russian, but she didn't try to hide it, nor did she have time to.

He said very quickly, "My brother has been arrested. I've contacted a ship to Finland, but I don't know if I can escape. I'll leave these keys with you for now. Please keep them safe and don't lose them."