Maslyukov was urgently summoned to the Kremlin, and he was accompanied by a skoblelin who was in a state of panic. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Gorbachev was not in the Kremlin for the time being, and the meeting was convened by Vice President Yanayev. Yanayev, who is already young, is a man who is not willing to take risks, and as he did in the 819 incident, his lack of courage is his biggest problem.

But under the Soviet bureaucracy, he did not lack the courage to hold the lower bureaucrats accountable.

"Deputy Prime Minister Masklyukov, can you explain to me why this is happening?"

Yanayev's tone was very angry, but Maslyukov was not frightened by this, he was of a completely different rank from Skoblelin.

"Because the Politburo made the wrong decision. ”

Maslyukov's words made the faces of the Soviet leaders present at the meeting change color.

Going so far as to openly attack the Politburo's decision-making? Is Maslyukov crazy?

Of course not, Maslyukov had his own bitterness, and he had to do so. Because the strength of the military industry and heavy industry system he represents is forcing him to the point where he has to fight again.

"Deputy Prime Minister Masklyukov, what do you mean by this, are you openly questioning the decision of the Politburo?"

"Your Excellency Vice President Yanayev, it's not me who is questioning the decision of the Politburo. ”

Maslyukov walked to the window of the conference room, suddenly pushed it open, and pointed outside: "It is the citizens of the USSR who are questioning the decision of the Politburo!"

As Maslyukov opened the window, a deafening shout suddenly came from outside the window.

Tens of thousands of workers at the Moscow steel plant and others were gathering outside to shout slogans.

Boris was the president of Russia who was elected by virtue of a campaign that fully conformed to Western rules after the Soviet Union's democratic reforms the previous year.

At the level of mobilizing the people, Boris can be said to have thrown these old people in the Soviet upper echelons more than a dozen streets. When he seizes the opportunity, whether it is a campaign or a walk on the street, he never forgets to promote his image.

Outside the window that Maslyukov opened, the crowd was constantly shouting at this time. The workers of the Moscow Iron and Steel Plant were still shouting for the planning committee to come out and explain, but as they shouted, the tone changed for some reason.

From the beginning of the more people holding slogans to the more people holding Boris's head, from the workers of the Moscow steel plant to the people pouring into the square from all directions. From shouting at people's voices, to tape recorders and megaphones gradually appeared.

The parade is changing from disorder to order, and people are starting to wear the same style of clothes and shout the same slogan. By noon, some people even began to distribute lunch and water to the crowd.

Boris stood on a makeshift podium and spoke passionately to the crowd.

"We can't allow the interests of our citizens to be sold, who is taking the wealth from our pockets, who is leaving the shelves in the stores empty? This country is sick, this is a problem of the system, we must reform the system, otherwise similar things will continue to happen at the Moscow Iron and Steel Plant! Citizens, can you allow your business to be sold to foreigners?"

"No!

"Yes, no! We need to unite so that those who want to take advantage of us will not be able to do anything!"

......

Maslyukov snapped and closed the window again, and the sound outside suddenly became inaudible.

"Comrades members of the Politburo, this is not the first parade that took place in the USSR this year. In Komsomolsk, a few days ago, a larger parade took place on a scale even larger than this one! We should rejoice that Komsomolsk is too far away from Moscow!"

The significance of Maslyukov's existence in the Central Committee of the CPSU is to speak for the interests of the military-industrial system, and it is impossible for him to betray his mission. At this time, it is indeed necessary to fight back.

"I don't understand, why does the Politburo have to shoehorn the MiG-29 to the Chinese, and not the Su-27 they want to get?"

"Even if the Chinese get the Su-27, will they have the ability to threaten the defense and security of the Soviet Union? Use the fighter planes we produce to fight the Soviet Union? The IQ of the Chinese is not so low, right?"

"Until last year, the Sukhoi company had not received payment from the Ministry of Defense for two consecutive years, and the workers in Komsomolsk had not received their wages for three months. Since you want Su-27 to stand aside, do you ask you to settle the payment for Sukhoi so that our workers can have something to eat. ”

Yanayev, the vice president of the Soviet Union, was speechless when asked by Maslyukov. It was not until Defense Minister Yazov stepped forward that his embarrassment was relieved.

"There is no precedent for the export of Su-27 fighters, and even our Soviet Air Force is still just a small number of such advanced aircraft. If it is exported to the Chinese, it is likely to lead to a leap forward in China's aviation technology. ”

Maslyukov was out firing today: "Your Excellency Marshal Yazov, does the Soviet Air Force want to continue to equip more Su-27 fighters in the future?"

"Of course. ”

"Of course what?" Maslyukov waved his hand: "After starving Sukhoi to death, will your air force produce Su-27 fighters by itself? The air force is so poor that it doesn't even dare to pick up new planes, so it's so difficult that Sukhoi is not allowed to produce to save itself?"

"But this is about the defense strategy of the USSR. "In the past, Marshal Yazov, whose voice was comparable to thunder, spoke in a voice that was seriously lacking in confidence.

"Marshal Yazov, those who starve to death will not be able to carry out any national defense strategy. ”

Maslyukov held his head high: "Either the Ministry of Defense immediately settles the payments owed to Sukhoi for the past two years, or please stop embarrassing our military-industrial workers." ”

Speaking of this, Yazov, who was shy in his pocket, had no choice but to sit back in his seat and have no shame to confront Maslyukov again.

However, with the time that Yazov had gained, Yanayev was somewhat relieved and asked with a frown.

"Except for the Su-27 fighter, is it difficult for us to export other products to China?"

"It's not impossible, but the problem is that this billion-dollar loan is used to repay the interest on foreign exchange loans of banks in Western countries. What do we pay to companies that produce products for export to China? If we take the finished product or sell the factory, the Moscow Iron and Steel Plant is the best example. You know, this is a billion dollar loan, and we don't have that much budget to plug this hole. ”

"So ......"

Yanayev looked at the other Politburo members and could only sigh.

"Selling the Su-27 to China is the only option we have now, unless the Politburo intends to afford a debt default and the credibility of the USSR goes bankrupt. In that case, we would have paid more than a billion dollars, or Su-27 fighters. ”

Maslyukov's tone was cold: "As for a parade like today's outside the window, it will develop into a commonplace. ”

"Comrades, we cannot afford this price. We need foreign exchange, and we need the resources of the international market. If the debt defaults, international transactions will be made only through cash or precious metals, and the domestic grain market will collapse immediately after a single crop failure. ”

"We cannot afford to exchange oil exports, and our international trade will be pushed back to the primitive level of barter. Even if we were to reach a debt restructuring agreement with Western banks, we would only pay a greater price than lending to the Chinese. What's more, we can pay for China with fighter jets, but it is always impossible to export weapons to Western countries. ”

Vice-President Yanayev fell completely silent under a series of words from Maslyukov. This group of old men of the Central Committee of the CPSU felt timid in the face of this scene he described.

If such a thing really happened in the Soviet Union, there is no doubt that now these decision-makers will have to bear huge responsibility. And the political philosophy that they can survive is to never take any responsibility.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is clear that this is a price we cannot afford. ”

Yanayev sighed: "Is it really the only option to export the Su-27 to China? Is the MiG-29 really unable to meet their needs?"

"Well, I think we can listen to the views of the Foreign Military Cooperation Bureau?" Yazov suggested: "They have been negotiating with the Chinese, so they must know the situation better." ”

"Well, then listen to their opinions. Yanayev said to Yazov: "You call them and ask them to send someone over as soon as possible." ”

"Okay. ”

Yazov simply started to make a phone call in the conference room, he picked up the microphone and asked the operator to answer the phone of the Foreign Military Cooperation Bureau for him.

"Hey, is this the Directorate of Foreign Military Cooperation? I'm Defense Minister Yazov, I'm in a meeting in the Kremlin, and you asked General Vladimir Ishutko to come over!"

Yazov hung up the phone and sat back in his seat. For a while, the committee members in the conference room were no longer interested in talking.

Soon, Ishutko rushed over. The summons of the Politburo is the most urgent order for anyone.

Kremlin guards sent him to the room where the Politburo was meeting, and as soon as he entered, he snapped a military salute.

Yazov nodded with satisfaction, Ishutko was a hardliner on the export of MiG-29s to China. With him to answer Yanayev's question, he will definitely be able to get an answer that satisfies him.

"General Vladimir Ishutko, you are a first-hand witness to negotiations with the Chinese. We now have a question for you, and you have to answer it carefully. ”

"Yes, Marshal Yazov!"

"Do you think that in negotiations with the Chinese, is it possible for the Chinese Air Force to accept the MiG-29 instead of necessarily introducing Su-27 fighters?"

Ishutko looked down and thought for a moment.

"Report Marshal Yazov, I think that the course of the negotiations is enough to show that there is not the slightest possibility of this!"

(To be continued.) )