Chapter 96

A massive convoy drove along the boulevards of Los Angeles, carrying the Khrushchevs to the Paris Café. "Ross Skouras is the head of 20th Century Fox, and it seems he wants to welcome the First Secretary in a unique way, with Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and...?" Shelepin paused and continued, "Elizabeth Taylor?" Shelepin, sitting in the front, closed his notebook and said, "I believe the FBI agents have made thorough preparations, but we still need to conduct a thorough inspection of the site. I hope Comrade First Secretary does not mind; this is all for your safety..."

"It's all part of the job. Security is your responsibility, and showing the friendliness of the Soviet Union is mine! I won't mind!" Khrushchev, holding his wife's hand, looked out the window at the passing scenery and asked, "Yuri, what is your schedule for the few days you will be staying in the United States?"

"First, I will visit the headquarters of the American Communist Party to understand its operational mechanism! I've heard that the American Communist Party still has over 80,000 members. During the events in Hungary and Poland, over 10,000 people left, but the remaining American comrades are still a significant force! The planned itinerary also includes African American neighborhoods and various entertainment venues!" Shelepin spoke frankly, "These places, where one can easily spot issues, are not part of the First Secretary's tour. I plan to enter the hidden places in America, take photos, and write a detailed report!"

"Very good idea. The Americans always try to prevent me from meeting real American civilians and even installed eavesdropping devices in our residence. It's outrageous! I can leave a team to assist you?" Khrushchev's words were met with continuous nods from Shelepin. As for the fact that he was using radioactive equipment to monitor the American embassy, he had forgotten...

Shelepin declined Khrushchev's offer. "The security personnel I brought will stay with you. As for the schedule for the next few days in the United States, I can have the Soviet Embassy in the U.S. arrange it. Mobilizing about 20 internal troops is no problem. Comrade Nikolai Pavlovich Firyubin will take care of it!"

Nikolai Pavlovich Firyubin is the current Soviet ambassador to the United States, responsible for diplomatic relations with this capitalist superpower. This is a minor matter, not requiring much attention! A more significant issue is that Nikolai Pavlovich Firyubin is the husband of Furtseva, the woman who recently stepped down as the Mayor of Moscow but became a full member of the Central Committee. She is the idol of Shelepin's wife and currently the most influential woman in the Soviet Union.

In Shelepin's memory, Furtseva should have become an ordinary Soviet official after Khrushchev's fall and died under mysterious circumstances. However, now this woman seems to be at the peak of her career, with rumors suggesting she might also take on the role of Minister of Culture. It seems her husband, Nikolai Pavlovich Firyubin, will not stay long as the ambassador to the United States and will soon be promoted and return to the Soviet Union.

The convoy slowed down, and Shelepin knew they had arrived at the Paris Café. He nodded to Khrushchev, opened the car door, and got out. Dressed in a KGB general's uniform, Shelepin appeared before the many Hollywood stars. Before these so-called big shots could react, the secret police soldiers who followed Shelepin out of the car had already lined up.

Shelepin commanded sternly, "Inspect every corner of the venue, including the lawn, shrubs, secret passages, and restrooms! No corner should be overlooked. Be cautious in a foreign country!"

"Yes, Chairman Shelepin!" Dozens of soldiers instantly dispersed, leaving no chance for Shelepin to say he was the deputy chairman.

"Who is this head of the secret police? So arrogant in our country?" Eddie Fisher, hugging Elizabeth Taylor in a black dress, said discontentedly, clearly unhappy with this sudden appearance.

Seeing Shelepin in his military uniform, directing the green-uniformed secret police soldiers in front of the convoy, Elizabeth Taylor's grip on Eddie Fisher's arm tightened, but she quickly relaxed it, as if remembering something. Eddie Fisher felt his wife was frightened by the sudden appearance of the Soviet secret police and patted her arm to comfort her.

Elizabeth Taylor stared intently at Shelepin, who was giving orders with a cold expression, and recalled the words he had once said. "We will meet again. What's wrong with being a spy? You're just a movie star. With our Soviet help, your star dreams will be smoother. Even if our influence in America is limited, it's enough to help you save a lot of trouble..."

And today, years later, Elizabeth Taylor really saw this man again. She didn't understand Soviet military ranks, but anyone accompanying the First Secretary on a visit to the United States was certainly not the colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from a few years ago.

"Is that man's rank very high? What does he do?" Elizabeth Taylor asked her husband. Eddie Fisher, who was more interested in current affairs, definitely knew Shelepin's identity.

"Haven't you heard? The head of the secret police following Khrushchev is said to be the deputy chairman of the KGB! I didn't expect the KGB deputy chairman to be so young!" Eddie Fisher said with a hint of resentment.

"Oh!" Elizabeth Taylor responded softly, her gaze on Shelepin becoming more complex, with a hint of fear in her purple eyes, though she concealed it well.

Since she had inadvertently fallen into Shelepin's trap, Elizabeth Taylor had lived in tension for several months before gradually calming down. But today, seeing Shelepin again, she realized she had never truly let go of her fear of him.

Originally, the matter should have ended there, but after her ex-husband, Michael Todd, died in a plane crash, Elizabeth Taylor, who had been forced by Shelepin to join the KGB, had a rich imagination. She believed her husband, whom she had married for only a year, had been eliminated by the KGB, proving that someone was watching her! Seeing Shelepin, now the deputy chairman of the KGB, Elizabeth Taylor was even more convinced that her husband's death was ordered by Shelepin.

Shelepin, of course, had no idea about Elizabeth Taylor's thoughts. Even if he were the real Yuri, he couldn't imagine such a peculiar idea just by looking at her! How could Shelepin, for a woman who had married eight times, order the KGB to carry out an assassination? Does he think assassins are free to train?

"Comrade First Secretary, you can get out of the car now!" The entire process took less than five minutes. The soldiers who followed only asked the Soviet security personnel already on site and then did a quick inspection.

At this point, Khrushchev finally met the 400 Hollywood stars gathered here. Soft and soothing music played, and Ross Skouras, the head of 20th Century Fox, was already waiting to welcome the leader of America's other global rival in a uniquely Hollywood way.

Before Khrushchev arrived at DreamWorks, the big names in Hollywood had gathered at the Paris Café, eager to meet their "dictator." Even Marilyn Monroe, known for her tardiness, arrived hours early.

Shelepin, following the Khrushchevs, walked to the table where Khrushchev and Skouras were seated. After confirming there were no issues with the Soviet agents here, he pulled out a chair for the Khrushchevs to sit down. This action caught Skouras's eye, and he smiled, saying, "General, do you think there is any danger here?"

"The First Secretary's position is very special, and American law and order are notoriously poor! Otherwise, American prisons wouldn't always be full!" Shelepin put on a remorseful expression, but his mouth was as foul as ever.

"Yuri, this is a private occasion! Don't be so hostile!" Khrushchev calmed his head of security and laughed, "I believe there won't be any problems. You can move around freely or get an autograph from a star or something..."

Shelepin nodded and accepted Khrushchev's order, moving to the outer perimeter to monitor the situation. He gathered a few Soviet agents to assess the venue and began observing the Hollywood stars in the café. There was nothing particularly unusual; the men were handsome, and the women were beautiful. It seemed the American aesthetic of the time was still normal, unlike the prevalence of plastic surgery in later years.

His gaze fell on a graceful figure, and Shelepin immediately asked an agent to take a camera and follow him. He approached Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher, pretending it was their first meeting, and said, "Miss Elizabeth Taylor, Mr. Eddie Fisher, hello. I am a fan of Miss Taylor. Could I take a photo with you? If possible, I would like an autograph to bring back for my wife..."

Eddie Fisher's name was something Shelepin had just learned, but such a minor detail didn't stop him from lying. Dressed in a Soviet general's uniform, Shelepin's request for Elizabeth Taylor's autograph immediately sparked a small discussion at nearby tables. Someone joked, "Elizabeth Taylor's influence can penetrate the Iron Curtain and reach the Soviet Union, which is more powerful than nuclear missiles!"

"If you are interested, you can visit the Soviet Union sometime! Seeing more of the world can help reduce the hostility between our two countries!" Shelepin spoke while putting away Elizabeth Taylor's autograph and then asked the other stars for autographs, acting like a true fan. (To be continued.)

PS: It's up again. The last time it was like passing through a heavenly tribulation.