Less than 500 meters away from the gates of the Shark Design Institute is a newly opened bar street. Dozens of storefronts have opened in the narrow streets, with bizarre neon signs at the doors, and Western-style rock music playing on the loudspeakers, so that the floor tiles on the street seem to be shaking constantly.

Lin Zhenhua, Chen Tian, and Liu Xianghai followed Liu Sha to Bar Street and walked into a bar called "Gulf of Mexico". As soon as they entered the door, everyone frowned slightly, only to see a group of drunken men sitting or standing in the whole hall, dancing and shouting. Colourful spotlights swirled rapidly overhead, striking beams of red, green, and green light on their faces, making their expressions look more and more terrifying. There was a smell of inferior alcohol in the air, and Lin Zhenhua and the others only stood for a short time before they felt dizzy, as if they were drunk.

"André, look, Tuchinov is at the bar, and it looks like he's negotiating a deal with the bar owner." Liu Sha is no stranger to this bar, she pointed in the direction of the bar counter and said to Liu Xianghai.

"Let's go, let's go and have a look." Liu Xianghai said to everyone.

A few people squeezed through the crowd and made their way to the bar. I saw four or five people gathered in front of the bar, led by a man in his early 50s, even from behind, you could see that his hair had been lost more than half, revealing a shiny head. Standing across the bar was the owner of the bar, a shrewd man in his 40s. The two of them seemed to be talking about something, and the hand of the man kept moving, as if he was a little emotional.

"He's Tuchinov?" Liu Xianghai pointed to the man who was crowned with grace and asked Liu Sha in surprise. In his memory, Tuchinov was a handsome and dashing young man, and how he was able to connect the lonely man in front of him with his former classmates.

"Yes, he's become like this now." Lyusa replied, "I'll go and call him over." ”

"Please wait a minute." Lin Zhenhua said: "Mrs. Tuchinov, let's listen to what they are talking about first, understand the situation clearly, and it will be easier for us to persuade him." ”

Liu Sha hesitated for a moment, Liu Xianghai muttered a few words of Russian to her, she nodded, and sat down at a table next to the bar with Lin Zhenhua and the others. Of the few of them, only Lin Zhenhua did not understand Russian, but Chen Tian and Liu Xianghai would translate for him sentence by sentence so that he could understand the conversation between Turchinov and the bar owner.

"I said, Anatoly, how many times do I have to tell you before you are willing to sell me a bottle of rum? Do you think my credit is worth a bottle of wine? Tuchinov curled his tongue and said to the bar owner.

Anatoly is obviously the name of the bar owner, and Liu Sha whispered on the side, this Anatoly turned out to be a handyman at the Shark Design Institute, who quit his job two years ago to open a bar, and because of his flexible brain, he earns more money every month than any scientist in the design institute. After making a fortune, he drove a luxury car to and from work every day, and his wife and children were also dressed in brand-name clothes, and he was a nouveau riche.

"Academician Tuchinov, can I still not know your credit? When I was in the design institute, you were the leader of my leadership. However, as you know, business is too hard to do now, and I can't keep my money going, and if everyone gives me credit, I'm afraid my little bar will close soon. Anatoly pretended to be pitiful and said to Tuchinov. However, his words seemed so harsh to Lin Zhenhua and others.

"TMD, what a play! A handyman just looks at what he has become! Chen Tian muttered in annoyance.

"It seems that the people who make missiles are not as good as those who sell tea and eggs, and it seems that this is not limited to China." Lin Zhenhua sighed out of tune.

Liu Xianghai sighed and said: "This is a kind of sadness, I hope that this phenomenon will not occur in our country again." ”

"I said Anatoly, I won't owe you money." Tuchinov continued to work on Anatoly, "You see, I brought collateral, this is a box of medals, I bet them on you, can't I get a bottle of wine?" ”

As he spoke, Tuchinov took out a large cardboard box from his bosom and spread it out on the bar. A few idlers around came over, looking at the shining box of medals, and sighed. In the Soviet Union, the medal represented a person's merits and a person's status, and there were only a few people like Tuchinov who had so many medals, even in the Shark Design Institute. …,

Anatoly was unmoved, he smiled and said bitterly: "Tuchinov, I'm not a pawn shop here, what's the use of me taking your medal?" Besides, who of us who has stayed in the design institute doesn't have a few medals in their hands? Our great Soviet power has no other ability, and the issuance of medals is the best in the world. Look at this 'Order for Service to the Fatherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR', it's ridiculous. If you go to the United States, they don't talk about serving the motherland at all, they pay attention to the supremacy of the individual, and the country serves the individual. ”

"What's the matter, has he ever been to the United States?" Chen Tian scolded indignantly again, he spoke in Chinese, and he was not worried about the people next to him hearing it.

Lin Zhenhua said: "It doesn't matter if he has been there or not, the important thing is that he has an American heart." I don't think there are many people who worship the United States like him. ”

Stunned by Anatoly, Tuchinov looked back at the people around him and asked: "Guys, does anyone want to buy the medal?" It's a great collector's item. ”

Several people standing next to him glanced at each other, as if they were hesitant to ask the price. At this time, a Westerner in a suit came up and said to Tuchinov in English: "Sir, are you planning to sell these medals?" ”

"Yes." Tuchinov also changed his words to English, and he asked the man: "What, are you going to buy it?" Are you American, or British? ”

"I'm an American businessman." "Some of my friends are a little interested in Soviet-era medals, and I've already acquired quite a few," the man said. Excuse me, do you have anything new here? If it's all ordinary goods, I'm not interested. ”

Tuchinov pointed to the box and said: "See for yourself, I think there will be a medal that interests you." ”

The American stepped forward and pulled his hand in the cardboard box, and his eyes suddenly sparkled. As one of the best designers of naval equipment in the entire Soviet Union, Tuchinov received a large number of medals and a high rank, and there were many medals in this carton, which the American had never seen before. Although the American does not understand the classification of Soviet medals, he can judge their value just from the texture of these medals.

"Oh, that's great!" "Looks like I'm here for the right time, there's something nice here." Let me see, what is the name of this medal of yours? ”

As he spoke, the American picked up a medal in his hand and shook it for Tuchinov to see. Lin Zhenhua and others also looked over, only to see that it was a medal in the shape of a steering wheel, with gold plated on the surface, shining in the light, which was very good-looking.

Tuchinov looked up, and his eyes also flashed with light. He raised his hand, as if to take it back, but hesitated and lowered it. He said in a very nostalgic tone: "This medal, called the Gold Steering Wheel Medal, is awarded to personnel who have made significant contributions to the Navy. ”

"Gold Wheel!" One of the onlookers shouted, "Oh, let me see, I've only seen its name in the newspapers, let me think, this gold steering wheel medal, there are less than 10 medals in total, right?" No, no, there should be only 8 pieces. By the way, I just heard the boss call you an academician, no wonder you have such a medal. ”

"Really?" The American turned his head to look at the interjector, looked at the medal carefully, and then asked Tuchinov: "Sir, how much are you going to sell this medal?" ”

"Well・・・・・・ this" Tuchinov hesitated, obviously a little reluctant to this medal. When the aircraft carrier designed by him was launched, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Leonid Brezhnev personally rewarded him, which is of great significance.

"No, Academician! This medal must not be sold! The man who had just interjected stepped forward and snatched the medal from the Americans. He held the medal in the palm of his hand and looked at it, carefully wiped the stain on it, then handed it back to Tuchinov and said: "Academician, such a medal should not be sold, it is your honor."

"Honor, what's the use of honor?" Tuccinov followed up with the medal and said self-deprecatingly.

"Of course honor works." The interjector said seriously, "Academician, you should know that this level of medal is awarded to personnel who have made significant contributions to the Red Navy, and it not only represents your glory, but also the glory of our Red Navy. "...," the Red Navy? Tuchinov held the medal, looked at the light, and then said loudly with drunkenness: "Where is there any Red Navy!" The Red Navy is finished! ”

"What nonsense are you talking about, academician, how can the Red Navy be finished?" The man said, "Academician, you're drunk, I think you'd better go back and rest early." ”

Tuchinov waved his hand and said: "I'm not drunk!" I am very sober! You just said the Red Navy, right? I'm going to tell you, the Red Navy is finished! Just last week, last week! The last aircraft carrier of the Navy was forcibly decommissioned, and the people above said that Russia is a country that pursues peace, and Russia does not need aircraft carriers. Hahahaha, did you hear me, they say that Russia does not need aircraft carriers! It's the funniest joke I've ever heard! ”

"How is this possible?" The onlookers whispered.

"That's true, but the reason for decommissioning is not because it's not needed, it's because of a lack of maintenance." An insider broke the news.

"The maintenance costs are squandered by the leaders of the losers." Others commented.

Tuchinov's emotions were completely aroused, he turned around, faced everyone, and said in a hysterical tone: "Everyone, think about it, can a navy without aircraft carriers still be called a navy?" Can its fleet still fight? A fleet without aircraft carriers can only become a living target for the aggressor's aircraft in a war. No, don't call these live targets the Red Navy, I will never admit that they are the Red Navy! Because, our Red Navy is proud, invincible, and invincible! ”

Speaking of this, Tuchinov suddenly hid his face and cried bitterly, he cried so unscrupulously, as if all the grievances of these days had been poured out at this moment. He wiped the tears from his face with one hand, waved the gold steering wheel medal with the other, and shouted loudly: "Whoever wants this medal, make a price!" ”

"Academician, if you really don't want to keep it, please sell it to me, I'm willing to keep it, but I can only pay 20,000 rubles." The man who had interjected earlier said.

"40,000." Someone is starting to increase the price.

The new "50,000 ......" mark-up seems to be a little hesitant.

"100,000 ......"

"I'll give you $200." The Americans, who had been listening to the crowd, were the last to speak.

As soon as these words came out, everyone fell silent all of a sudden, and the price offered by the Americans was unmatched by everyone. For more than a year, the ruble has depreciated very sharply, and it is already an absolute disadvantage compared to the dollar. In the days of the former Soviet Union, 1 ruble was worth up to 2 US dollars. By the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, 1 dollar was exchanged for about 90 rubles. After Gaidar introduced shock therapy, the value of the ruble shrank sharply, and in more than half a year, 1 dollar can now be exchanged for almost 1,000 rubles.

The Americans quoted a price of $200, which is equivalent to 200,000 rubles, which made the Russians present dare not increase the price. After all, it doesn't mean much to buy a medal for Russians, people just instinctively want to buy it out of respect for a piece of history. No one wants to make a living in embarrassment for the sake of buying a medal.

"$200, did anyone increase the price?" The American looked at the crowd proudly, then took out two green bills from his pocket and patted them lightly on his hands.

Everyone shook their heads and looked sadly at the gold steering wheel medal in Tuchinov's hand, lamenting that it was about to fall into the hands of the Americans.

"1 million! Dollar! ”

Just as Tuchinov was preparing to make a deal with the Americans, a voice rang out.

$1,000,000!

Everyone present was shocked, and everyone turned their heads to look at the place where the sound came from. I saw a young man with an oriental face standing there, his face full of tears, but there was a look of determination in his eyes.

"I'll give 10,000 dollars! Do you still increase the price! The young man shouted at the Americans as if he were demonstrating.