The weather is gradually warming up, and the bitter winter has passed.

However, the real cold has just come to this land.

Over time, the people of Russia and Ukraine also gradually woke up from the joy of embracing freedom and began to return to vodka with firewood, rice, oil, salt, potatoes, and bread...... These trivial things are full of daily life.

The red flag that was lowered in the Kremlin not long ago did not bring much change to people's daily lives, and the securities of state-owned enterprises allocated to every citizen under the "500-day plan" were only an increase in ethereal paper wealth, food was still in greater and greater shortage, and light industrial products were also in short supply day by day.

Based on the new policy of Russian President Yelinchin, most laboratories, research institutes, and academies have entered a state of indefinite closure, and even projects such as mathematical research have come to a complete standstill.

Russia, Ukraine and other countries are increasingly struggling with government finances, and even some of the military salaries can no longer be paid, let alone take care of these scientific researchers who cannot create direct benefits, and there are few people left who are willing and able to continue to stick to their jobs and protect those valuable data.

Of course, it's just a matter of being an archivist.

There is no other job than clocking in to work on time every morning, patrolling all the labs as has been the practice for decades, making sure that no homeless people sneak in to cause trouble, or that no desperate unemployed people come in to steal.

After work, these researchers, who were once regarded as treasures by the state, still flock to the doors of bakeries and daily necessities that seem to have no end in sight, waving their elbows and squeezing into the front to buy bread and daily consumables that change their prices every day.

Free trade spread rapidly across the land like a poison wrapped in honey.

While cursing at the black-hearted shopkeepers, people kept pulling out more rubles from their pockets and buying what they wanted at a high price, but fortunately, the red bear still had a lot of savings, and with various thirst-quenching economic stimulus policies, the situation did not completely deteriorate for the time being.

Whether it's a newborn speculator or someone who wants to guard the past, there is still a delicate balance in the embers.

Many times, though......

Relying only on personal efforts, in the face of the tide of the big era, it is still too helpless.

The new capitalist countries that have emerged from the shell of the former Soviet Union, more than any other Western country, are eager to eat the bear meat that has already been put on the table as soon as possible, and the cold winter has come.

............

Russia, Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics.

As the deputy director of the institute, Mr. Alexei's daily life is no different.

Every morning at 7 o'clock in the morning, I run to the institute, count the names of the people who are still in the institute, and occasionally have a small meeting to arrange how if the country is ready to restart the institute's project, if all the processes are up and running again as soon as possible.

In the afternoon, it is to lock all the files according to the norms of the Soviet Institute, or go to the door of the bakery, or to the door of the department store, to see if you can bring home some good things when you get off work.

The only difference may be that recently, there has been a clerk from a foreign company from Austria who has been around him, taking the initiative to help him seize the advantageous terrain in the bakery and daily necessities store in advance, clean up one or two homeless people who want to rush into the institute and snatch out the instruments and computers to sell, or help him repair the exterior wall of the institute that was damaged in the middle of the night......

The most important thing is to be able to help Alexei cover for his family and pretend that the institute is still functioning......

Of course, it would be nice if the Austrian, who claimed to be his old friend, could be a little more mentally normal.

"Mr. Frank, I'm just an ordinary researcher, and if there's anything I need help with, just ask, even a little too much, in a situation like this...... Alas......"

Alexei took the long bread sticks from the man's hand, his face full of embarrassment, and hesitated.

There is no good intention in the world for no reason, and he can step by step to become the deputy director of the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Alexei is not the kind of scientific research madman who does not understand the world, he knows very well that the other party must have something to do with him.

Decades ago, he would have not hesitated to report this ill-intentioned "foreign spy" to the police system, but with the fall of that red flag, the so-called secrecy and counterintelligence have long become a joke - Americans and Britons have become guests of government and business executives, and the military sells weapons and equipment cheaply for daily needs.

Even Alexei, who once firmly believed that he would not compromise, has gradually succumbed to reality unconsciously, in order to maintain the valuable research results will not come to naught, and in order to maintain the daily expenses of the family, he silently accepted the help of the Austrian who appeared next to him, but deep down he still holds the last bottom line.

Though...... He no longer knew what the point of doing this was......

"Really? Have you really thought about it?"

Hearing Alexei's words, the young man named Frank did not have any joy on his face, but showed a slightly tired look, looked at the middle-aged Russian man beside him with a little expectation, and sighed lightly.

Immediately afterward, Alexei felt his vision drift slightly.

The young man's voice was faintly in his ears, the same answer he had heard countless times these days.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Alexei, I don't think you're ready. ”

Shaking his dizzy head, Alexei frowned and looked at the young man standing beside him, and couldn't help but roll his eyes, this is the most helpless part, whenever he wants to ask the other party's purpose these days, this is the answer.

After living for decades, this is the first time he has encountered such a situation, and the middle-aged researcher spread his hands.

"Well, Frank, you can't do that...... Whatever your purpose is, you have to try it whenever you get the chance, right? You don't even tell me anything, so why do you think I'm going to say no?"

"You're an amazing person, I know. ”

Frank thought for a moment, glanced at the shops around him, shook his head and said.

"When Kurt Mayer handed over to me the task of convincing you, he made it clear. But that's what makes you so valuable – all I can tell you at the moment is that we really don't have any ill will. In addition, I also told you that our Destiny Group has a special set of task indicators to calculate, so you don't need to be too worried...... After successfully convincing you, I will be able to pass the probation period and become a full-time employee. ”

"Honestly, it's really hard to believe. ”

Alexei glanced at Frank, who was not in the middle of oil, then at the long bread in his arms, and pouted.

"But judging from the current situation, as a person who has brazenly accepted so much help from you, I don't have much position to question anything, I just hope that after you open your mouth and make a request, we can finally become friends. ”

"As things stand, I think it's promising......"

The young man smiled and was about to continue to say something.

However, before Frank could finish speaking, Alexei's mobile phone in his pocket suddenly rang, interrupting the conversation between the two, as the deputy director of the institute, Alexei was still eligible to have a mobile phone of his own.

"I'm sorry. ”

Alexei's face changed, he nodded politely at Frank, and walked to the side and took out the mobile phone produced by the former Soviet military factory in his arms, which was like a big brick - in this era, the means of communication are not as common as in later generations, and it will definitely not be a trivial matter to contact him through this way.

Not to mention, there will not be too many people in Russia as a whole who know his contact details.

"Where are you, Mr. Alexei?

As Alexei expected, as soon as the phone was connected, accompanied by the sound of electricity, an anxious voice came from the other end of the earpiece, the owner of the voice was familiar to him, it was the security captain on duty at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics.

"Calm down! I'm coming here, what's going on?"

"The people of the government, the people of the government have come to the door...... They came with documents, saying that they were going to completely close down the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, dismiss all the personnel in the institute, and after a while, the government would issue part of the severance pay, and then they would empty the documents and facilities inside from tomorrow......"

"Tomorrow?!so urgent?!impossible, besides, there is no time to transfer the data in such a short time......"

"They...... They said that there was no need to transfer, and that all the files and computers could be destroyed on the spot...... There were also a few Americans present, who had heard that the site would be converted into a ...... One of the branches of Citibank in Russia in the United States does not need to build additional vaults and archives......"

"Сукаблядь!" (Sukabule: "Hello!" in Russian) You stop them first, and I'll come here!"

Alexei's eyes widened instantly, and he roared towards the phone, not even bothering to say hello to Frank who was not far away, and hurried in the direction of the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics.

For a moment, Frank felt as if he had seen a giant white bear running wild in the snow......

"Well, that's what Miss Delisa said...... Is there a solution......"

Frank sighed with mixed feelings, remembering the reply he had received yesterday, shook his head, glanced at Alexei's departing back, looked left and right, and turned into a secluded corner next to no one.

Although I don't know how all this was done, but now that the young lady has already made a move, there is probably no room for maneuver in this matter, and it is almost the final stage of communication......

It's just that he obviously sees that the task is about to be completed, why does he feel a little uncomfortable in his heart?

Frank shook his head and smiled self-deprecatingly, his tone extremely complicated - he didn't expect that in the end, he still needed to help him complete this task through other forces, and when he took on this task, he didn't expect such hardships.

"Just a bunch of stubborn, troublesome, weak and stupid ......"

Crackling.

With a slight crackling sound like a firecracker, the man's figure turned into a distorted black light and disappeared into thin air, leaving only the last word echoing in the empty corner of the city.

“...... Muggles. ”

At the same time, it was a little earlier, a little later......

Similar scenes are happening in all corners of Russia and Ukraine, and with the addition of the goblins, Elena Kaslana and the destiny behind her finally spread their wings in this vast land, making a chilling sound-