Chapter 12

"Isamotni? Lukani? I’m so grateful for how you’ve taken care of Yuli at the office!" Valia’s expression stiffened for a moment, then she forced a smile, greeting Cherov’s chief secretary and personal secretary with a familiar demeanor.

"Madam, you truly shine!" Isamotni greeted Cherov’s official wife with a beaming smile.

The feeling of being ignored did not bother Cherov in the slightest. According to his usual nature, he should have been intimidated. The fact that he could stand and speak was already a remarkable feat. He felt incredibly lucky that both parties could hide their inner discomfort, and he had no reason to be dissatisfied.

As a man, Cherov had his flaws, and his lust was one he could not overcome. However, he also hoped to take good care of the women in his life. This constant internal conflict between his desires and his sense of responsibility tormented him. Despite his inclination to act on his desires, he was not a complete scoundrel.

In such a situation, Valia and Cherov’s two secretaries maintained a superficial calm. Their goals were different: Isamotni and Lukani did not want to remain in the shadows, while Valia needed to maintain her status as a wife. This compromise was within Valia’s tolerance.

"Madam, you truly shine! I feel so much more confident when I’m with you in a crowd!" On the way home, Cherov continuously flattered her.

"I won’t cause you any bad influence in public; after all, you are my man!" Valia sharply turned the steering wheel, her white hands gripping it tightly, like a skilled race car driver.

"Venus, are you angry?" Cherov reached out without a care, completely disregarding the possibility of causing a traffic accident. He was always unusually bold when in a car, but only if he wasn’t the one driving.

"I’m driving; let’s talk about it when we get home!" Valia coldly rejected Cherov’s advances. She knew this man all too well. If she confronted him directly, she had her ways, but Cherov always backed down at the crucial moments, leaving her with no temper. Apart from his infidelity, this man was almost flawless.

After a long journey, they returned to their apartment complex. As soon as they parked the car in the garage, Cherov picked up Valia, ignoring her struggles as he carried her, saying, "I’ve been working out lately, so carrying my beautiful girl is no trouble at all..."

This man! Valia struggled a bit but eventually resigned herself, wrapping her arms around Cherov’s neck, thinking, "I’ll forgive him this time!"

Yelena had taken Valia and Cherov’s daughter to Ukraine, back to Valia’s parents’ home. This was because the three of them were very busy and had to entrust the care of little Yuliya to Valia’s parents.

"Furtselova wants me to work in the Ministry of Education!" In the middle of the night, after enjoying the pleasure of her company, Valia lay contentedly in Cherov’s arms, her fingers tracing circles on his chest, occasionally tugging at his chest hair.

Furtselova was arguably the most powerful woman in the Soviet Union, having served in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture. She was a candidate member of the Central Committee and the First Secretary of the Moscow City Committee, undoubtedly an idol to all Soviet women.

"Furtselova has no solid base, but where does she want you to go? What do you think?" Cherov patted the woman’s shoulder affectionately.

Cherov originally wanted to say that Furtselova would eventually fade into obscurity, but considering Valia’s feelings, he held back and chose a topic she could accept.

"I hope to go to Ukraine; it’s my hometown! I don’t think there would be any problem with me becoming a deputy minister in the Ministry of Education of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, right?" Valia was straightforward, as she was Ukrainian and also hoped to contribute to the Soviet Union in another field.

Of course, there was no problem. In Cherov’s eyes, even if Valia wanted to be the Minister of Education of the Soviet Union, it wouldn’t be an issue. Given Furtselova’s current status, arranging for a deputy minister in a republic was not difficult. Cherov, however, had more on his mind, particularly about education.

Cherov’s unpredictable expression did not escape his bedmate. "What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?" Valia asked cautiously, thinking her jealous husband was afraid of other men getting close to her.

Valia only considered one aspect, but for Cherov, having a beautiful wife far away in Ukraine was not entirely reassuring. However, this concern could be resolved by assigning a few female agents from the KGB. One name frequently came to mind: Great Russianism...

The most direct inheritor of Great Russianism was not the Russian ethnic leaders of the Soviet Union but the minority Soviet General Secretary, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, who was Georgian.

"Madam, Ukrainians and Russians are both Slavs. Why can’t we use the same script and speak the same language?" Cherov spoke carefully, as Valia was Ukrainian.

Valia was much smarter than Cherov imagined. Considering his work in the KGB, she instantly understood the implications of his words: to eliminate the possibility of Ukraine seceding from the Soviet Union. She straddled Cherov and said calmly, "My man, you want to Russify the Ukrainians, right? You’re afraid that the western Ukrainians will oppose the Soviet Union, just like during the Great Patriotic War?"

"Every Soviet citizen should be equal. If we are equal, there should be no distinction between major and minor ethnicities!" Cherov sincerely told the woman, "Our country should not have ethnic divisions; there should only be a distinction between Soviet citizens and non-Soviet citizens, with no difference between Ukrainians and Russians..."

Cherov spoke from a moral high ground, trying to downplay his stance on ethnic issues. Valia, observing the subtle changes in Cherov’s expression, pondered for a long time before firmly stating, "If I oversee education in Ukraine, I will immediately revise the textbooks, gradually reducing the use of the Ukrainian language and expanding Russian education. Every three years, we will advance Russian education, starting with universities, then secondary schools, and finally establishing a comprehensive Russian education system across all levels of schooling..."

"Don’t push yourself; I’ll handle it!" Valia was Ukrainian, and Cherov did not want her to be caught in a moral dilemma by targeting her own people.

"I am a Soviet citizen, and I will do what benefits the Soviet Union!" Valia declared seriously, "I will do the same as you in maintaining national security. Anyone who opposes my educational policies will go to Kazan..."

Cherov was taken aback and chuckled bitterly, "Madam, you are so formidable. Do the Ukrainian people know this?"