Chapter 52

The Bear Republic is Now Mine Chapter 52

052 Other Companies / White Flag

The voting, which was conducted in writing, finally ended after 2 PM the next day.

Most people had predicted Yeltsin would come in first.

His vote count was 26.6 million, or 35.28%.

Tanya, who was watching TV at the presidential residence, bit her lip tightly.

"Ultimately…."

Yeltsin did come in first.

However, he did not reach the required number of votes for a win.

It was the result Tanya had hoped to avoid.

Her mind went blank.

Makar, the chief of staff, was equally shocked.

"I didn't expect Zjuganov's approval rating to drop this much."

At the beginning of the election, Zjuganov had been close on Yeltsin's heels.

He had been in second place but fell to third in the later stages, receiving 10.7 million votes, or 14.52%.

Tanya shook her head while still staring at the TV.

"It's not that Zjuganov's approval rating dropped, but that Zahar's rose."

"That's true."

"Zahar received 24.2 million votes."

With a 32.03% vote share, he was only 3.25% behind Yeltsin.

Compared to not reaching the required number of votes for a win, this was a devastating result.

Despite her doubts, she had still carried out interference operations against Zahar's campaign, yet this shocking result emerged.

"Even if there's a second round of voting, there's no guarantee we'll win…."

Zahar had declared that he would go his own way.

Given this outcome, the problem was that while Yeltsin's approval rating was almost stagnant, Zahar's continued to rise.

"At that time, we shouldn't have accepted that."

"What are you referring to?"

"When Zahar demanded a written vote when we promised to meet all his conditions if he joined our side."

If electronic voting had been implemented, the government could have forcefully prevented this result.

"We should have conducted the election electronically."

The historical evaluation is a secondary issue.

We need to survive and win in the present.

If we regain power, we can change the historical record.

Thinking this, she felt immense regret.

She had only seen Zahar as a sacrificial pawn to be used and discarded, so she had accepted all his demands, which now came back to haunt her.

"I never dreamed this result would happen…."

"Could Nikolai have predicted this?"

Given that he had been appointed as a senior committee member at a young age, he must have been advising Zahar from the beginning.

"Perhaps, but it might have just fallen into place by chance."

She thought it was too much to predict that Zahar would come in second, especially by such a narrow margin with Yeltsin.

Zahar must have made many demands to negotiate with Yeltsin.

The chief of staff and Tanya had different thoughts.

'The result is too coincidental. If they declared war on the current president, they must have had some confidence.'

If this was the result they had predicted?

If they had foreseen this and demanded a written vote?

Nikolai would be a truly terrifying figure.

But it could have been a lucky guess, as the chief of staff suggested.

'There's a bigger problem now.'

Her anxiety wasn't just about this.

If they could force electronic voting in the second round, they could win.

There would be public backlash, but it would be better than losing.

If the backlash was too severe, they could still find a way to win with a written vote.

But then something happened that even Yeltsin and Tanya couldn't handle.

She turned her head back.

The door, firmly closed, led to Yeltsin's room.

"When will Father wake up…."

Yeltsin had been unconscious since he collapsed yesterday.

A heart attack.

His doctor said he could die at any moment.

Yeltsin's excessive love for vodka had led to this tragedy.

At that moment, the phone rang in the quiet living room.

"What is it?"

The chief of staff's expression grew more and more troubled as he answered the phone.

After a moment, he carefully said:

"…It was a call from Zahar's campaign."

"What for?"

"He wants to meet the President and proposed a TV debate."

"Really?"

"He said he would contact us later, but what should we do?"

"What do you mean, what should we do? No one must know that Father is unconscious."

Especially not Zahar's side.

"I understand that, but how long can we hide it? He needs to go on the campaign trail before the second round and show his face if he wins. If he refuses to meet and doesn't participate in the TV debate, it will look suspicious."

"Ugh…."

She knew this was a fact.

Her fears were gradually becoming reality.

"First, air past recordings on TV. Since he can't go on the campaign trail, make sure no one who knows he's unconscious talks."

"…Understood."

Even if they won, it would be a problem.

* * *

Two days later, the phone rang again.

This time, it was Nikolai, not Zahar.

-Release the TV station director immediately.

"You're Nikolai. I wanted to meet you, and you called directly."

-Why is the candidate avoiding meeting the President?

"Avoiding? We haven't done that."

-We're coming to the presidential residence. We're outside now.

"Ah…! Wait a moment."

Surprised, Tanya quickly asked:

"Why do you want to meet?"

-To release the TV station director.

"Is that the only reason?"

-There are other reasons, but this is the main one now.

Fortunately.

She had been worried that he knew something.

"Alright. I'll release him. And if you need to talk in the future, contact me."

-Thank you.

After hanging up, she was suspicious of Nikolai's actions.

"Has any information leaked?"

"Absolutely not. We are strictly controlling the media."

"But isn't it strange that Nikolai is so confident? It's as if he knows something."

"He must be close to the TV station director."

Tanya decided to believe the chief of staff.

People often believe what they want to believe, and she was falling into this trap.

* * *

In the TV station director's office.

"Mr. Nikolai, thank you. I thought I wouldn't be able to get out."

Seeing how gaunt he had become in a few days, Nikolai felt guilty.

"I'm sorry. This is our fault."

"No, I expected this to happen from the start. At least my family is safe because I evacuated them."

"How much control do they have over the media?"

"All political content is subject to prior censorship."

It was like the 5th Republic in South Korea.

Given this situation, using domestic media was no longer feasible.

"Then, I have one last request."

The director's Adam's apple moved rapidly.

"…What should I do?"

"Broadcast this material and then hide somewhere quiet."

The director's hand trembled as he took the paper.

"Is this all I need to do?"

"Yes, this is my last request."

"…They won't arrest the staff, will they?"

"They can't do that. Just say I ordered it. But just in case, you should hide."

"Hmm… I'll broadcast it on the evening news in two days."

* * *

That day, Nikolai called Denis in the UK after a long time.

-Zahar must win. How's the mood?

"The mood is what we create. I've sent you the materials, so spread them to media outlets and newspapers worldwide."

-Wait a moment. I'll read it quickly.

A moment later, Denis's excited voice came through.

-Is this for sure? Otherwise, it will be hard to handle.

"It's for sure. Just spread it."

-The election is really interesting. Am I really going to have to go to the Kremlin to see Grandpa?

"If Grandpa doesn't become president, we're finished."

-Of course, I know. But it feels unreal. Alright, I'll spread it. Let me know how Russia reacts later.

"By the way, in the second email, I sent a list of companies to invest in and the required investment portfolio."

-Another investment? Isn't that too aggressive?

"Yahoo! What do you think after seeing the results?"

-Sorry. I sometimes forget. I'll check the email and proceed immediately.

The portfolio Nikolai sent included a list of companies that had survived until the regression and were among the best in the world.

It included new IT companies and companies from other industries.

With funds continuously accumulating, he planned to aggressively buy stocks when prices were low.

'First, I'll buy Nokia stocks and then target American, German, and Japanese companies.'

The rest of the funds were being used to accumulate dollars.

* * *

The next day.

In the inner office of the election camp, Zahar, Yuri, and Nikolai were having a serious conversation.

"There's definitely a problem with Yeltsin's health."

"How can you be so sure?"

Yuri asked, and Nikolai explained about the TV station director.

"He refused to meet us even when we asked directly and only released the director after pressure."

"Yes. But just to be safe, I plan to apply more pressure."

"How?"

"Soon, news that Yeltsin is unconscious will spread worldwide. I'll also shake things up domestically. We can confirm by seeing Yeltsin's side's reaction."

Domestically, one push is enough.

That's why he asked the TV station director.

"Heh, that's a surefire method. If Yeltsin is healthy, he has to show his face."

"Exactly."

"If it's confirmed that Yeltsin is unconscious, what do you plan to do?"

Nikolai smiled.

"We need to demand what they demanded from us."

You join us.

If you do, Yeltsin and Tanya.

'I'll save you.'

* * *

The evening news about Yeltsin being unconscious swept across Russia, and the same news appeared in newspapers nationwide at dawn.

The public was skeptical, but Nikolai didn't stop there.

He plastered banners, distributed flyers, and pressured Yeltsin's campaign.

-TV debate proposed, but no response.

-Meeting with Yeltsin proposed, but no response.

-All current TV appearances are old recordings. You can see the same footage if you look closely.

-Why isn't Yeltsin showing his face?

At the same time, international media reported that Yeltsin was unconscious, causing chaos in his campaign.

"Block everything! Use any means necessary!"

"…It's too much. People are already suspicious."

"Deceiving the public isn't new. Think of a solution."

"The problem is foreign leaders. We keep getting calls from around the world. What should we do?"

"…."

Cornered, she even considered a dangerous idea.

If we can deceive the public, can't we deceive foreign leaders?

It might even be easier.

Who would think it's not President Yeltsin?

"Can't someone else take the calls?"

"We can't. Over 70 countries have called. If this leaks, our relations with those countries will be ruined."

"Right…."

She couldn't do this, even for the future, so she dismissed the idea.

While she and the chief of staff were brainstorming solutions, the phone rang.

The chief of staff's face crumpled as he answered.

"Put it through."

"Give it to me."

Nikolai's confident voice came through.

-Three days. Surrender to our side within three days.

If it's revealed that Yeltsin is a fake, Zahar will automatically become president without a second round.

"What did you say!"

-Otherwise, I can't guarantee Tanya's future.

It was a final offer.

-Believe in your father or believe me and surrender. The choice is yours.

"…."

-I said three days.

He hung up.

"This guy…!"

"What do you plan to do?"

"…Do you think Father has a chance of waking up?"

"The doctor said we should prepare…."

Even without the doctor's words, Yeltsin's condition seemed hopeless.

Anyone would think so seeing him struggle to breathe even with an oxygen mask.

"Phew…."

She went to the window and looked at the red sky, lost in thought.

'I found out too late. Who Nikolai is…'

She looked at Yeltsin's room again and made her decision.

'I have to surrender.'

Even if her father passed away, she and her family had to survive.

The sooner she surrendered, the better.

The next day, she sat at the negotiation table prepared by Nikolai to survive.