Chapter 78

On the road leading to the American exhibition, the secret police, wearing large-brimmed hats with red borders, pulled up a half-meter-high police line, which could be easily broken by a child. The crowd watching cheered to welcome the American dignitaries, and regardless of whether the cheers were sincere, the enthusiastic atmosphere was indeed touching.

As soon as Nixon entered the interior of the exhibition, he seemed like a different person, feeling as if he had returned home. With a radiant demeanor, he began to introduce everything he saw to Khrushchev and the surrounding Soviet high-ranking officials. In the previous day's conversation about movies with Khrushchev, Nixon had been at a disadvantage, and now he was using the opening of the exhibition to regain the upper hand.

Nixon was the Vice President of the United States, but this position was far from his goal. He had prepared more thoroughly than any Soviet leader, having spoken at length with Americans who had met Soviet high-ranking officials to ensure he could handle any Soviet official with ease. In contrast, the Soviet side, including Khrushchev, did not take Nixon too seriously, as Khrushchev had said, "He's just a Vice President."

"What is this thing?" Khrushchev was very curious about the object in front of him that looked like a camera. Before Nixon could answer, Yury Chervonenko, who was standing behind Khrushchev, stepped forward past Brezhnev and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Kosygin, and directly answered Nixon, "An electronic camera. The Americans are very unfriendly. Are they trying to surprise us with this new device?"

"An electronic camera? Little Yury, you don't seem surprised?" Khrushchev said in his usual loud voice, which, though it seemed like a reprimand, caught the attention of everyone, including Nixon.

Chervonenko nodded slightly with a blank expression and whispered, "General Secretary, leave it to me!" He reached for a walkie-talkie from his waist and ordered, "Electronic camera!" Within thirty seconds, a man in a suit carrying the KGB's electronic camera appeared in front of the Soviet high-ranking officials and Nixon. Chervonenko introduced it calmly, "Comrades and foreign guests, today's exhibition is of great significance. All our actions will be recorded. The culture and personal charm of the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union will be fully displayed. I didn't expect the American guests to bring an electronic camera as well. This is a good opportunity to showcase the achievements of our two countries!" He then explained a bunch of principles, but don't think Chervonenko really understood them; he had memorized them from experts the night before.

"Let's welcome Comrade Khrushchev, Mr. Nixon, and Comrades Suslov, Brezhnev, Furtseva, and others." Chervonenko quickly read out the other names and returned to Khrushchev's side, diligently performing his duties.

"This juicer allows children to enjoy the purest fruit juice! It saves many traditional steps, making life more convenient!" Nixon, looking at a juicer the size of a watermelon, introduced it to Khrushchev. The table was filled with various household items.

"Oh? It looks good!" Khrushchev listened with a smile, but for some reason, he naturally glanced at Chervonenko, who was fiddling with a serrated knife and didn't see Khrushchev. With his other hand, he held a walkie-talkie and shouted, "Juicer!"

"According to research by our Soviet scientists, the most suitable material for a juicer is stainless steel, which is easy to clean! Everyone, look at the internal blade mesh, which operates on the principle of centrifugal force!" Chervonenko spoke confidently in front of the two electronic cameras, showing no signs of nervousness. This wasn't difficult! Every TV shopping channel would say the same thing. He was just missing the line, "Our phone number is XXXXXX, just XXX, and you can bring a perfect life home..."

"This is a thermos, which can keep the water inside from cooling for a long time!" Nixon patiently introduced.

"The semi-stainless steel electric kettle is divided into two parts: the ordinary kettle on top and the electric heating base on the bottom! This new Soviet electric kettle automatically turns off when the water reaches boiling temperature, preventing accidents due to the owner being busy and forgetting to turn it off!" Chervonenko held the kettle and read from a script.

Chervonenko's walkie-talkie was like Aladdin's lamp. Whenever Nixon introduced an American product, Chervonenko could almost instantly bring out a product that was at least as good, or even better. This was very normal. If Nixon had introduced something like a new fighter jet or a nuclear bomb, Chervonenko would have long since hidden. In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person who had never dealt with such high-tech things, but kitchen appliances? Who hasn't been in a kitchen? Although he wasn't very good at cooking...

Dressed in a major general's uniform, Chervonenko was like a salesman, explaining the principles of these products to the group, mainly the Soviet high-ranking officials, helping Khrushchev's initially shocked vision return to normal, making it feel as if this was how things should be.

Backed by the KGB, Chervonenko showed off with a product from the KGB's research. How could he be afraid of talking? In this timeline, he was the godfather of pyramid schemes, having developed a worldwide pyramid scheme under the First Directorate.

Khrushchev was listening to a major general speak confidently for the first time, and he felt no disgust. Watching Chervonenko seriously act as a salesperson, he seemed to understand why Shelepin always pushed Chervonenko to the front during emergencies. Shelepin had even said in front of some Central Committee members, "People say my friends and the KGB are full of young people, and a major general in his thirties as the head of a directorate has appeared. I want to say that the things Chervonenko handles are enough to make a general ashamed. When something happens, the first person I think of is that major general in his thirties..."

"General Chervonenko, this does not match what I see of the Soviet people's situation!" Nixon thought the difficulty would be the Soviet high-ranking officials and had prepared accordingly. But he didn't expect that none of the Soviet high-ranking officials would speak up, and instead, a secret police chief would come out and embarrass him.

Chervonenko clearly grasped Nixon's psychological state but did not sense his specific thoughts. Otherwise, he would have been dissatisfied, because the KGB was just an ordinary department of the KGB! This was an insult to his work.

"This is very normal, Mr. Nixon! Take the juicer, for example. It's not that the Soviet Union can't produce this thing, but the fruit sales in the Soviet Union are limited. A juicer has a single function, only making fruit juice, so it naturally won't be favored by the people!" Chervonenko suddenly stopped talking and retreated to Khrushchev's side. Khrushchev, the old fox of imperialism, had seized the opportunity of Chervonenko's self-satisfaction. If he continued, he would have touched on the real issue in the Soviet Union: distribution.