As Janet continued leafing through the files, she asked, "What do you think about Tymoshenko's plan for a theme park in Kyiv?"
"Rivne's park is just a sideshow, bringing in tens of millions annually," Simon replied, shaking his head. "But it could lead to some safety issues, which would be a hassle."
"Safety issues?"
"Yes, it's not a regular theme park; it's military-themed. I personally oversaw the safety regulations for the park in Rivne to ensure maximum visitor safety, even at the cost of some amusement. In Kyiv, there's no telling how they'll handle it. If they mess it up and visitors get hurt, it could create a backlash that might affect the Rivne park as well."
Janet nodded. "That could be a problem."
"Then again," Simon said with a smile, "even if the investment isn't on the scale of Universal Studios, Tymoshenko's plan requires tens of millions. She doesn't have that kind of money and will need to take out international loans. If there's a shakeup in Ukraine's leadership over the next few years—say Lazarenko gets ousted by Kuchma—the project might get abandoned."
Janet closed her file. "I don't think so. Even if Lazarenko loses his influence, Rivne's military theme park has proven so profitable that someone, like Kuchma, might want to take over the project."
Simon shrugged, acknowledging the possibility.
The rift between Kuchma and Lazarenko ultimately stemmed from conflicting interests.
The reason their rivalry hadn't spilled over into Rivne was that both were currently vying for East Ukraine's more lucrative heavy industries. These assets were mainly in the heart of the Dnipropetrovsk region and the famous Donetsk region. Situated near Russia, East Ukraine held the bulk of the Soviet Union's heavy industry. Ninety percent of Ukraine's coal reserves were located in Donetsk.
Contrary to the popular perception of Ukraine as an energy-deficient country—largely due to gas issues—its vast coal reserves in the east could easily sustain it for a century. Unfortunately, the country's prolonged turmoil and the conflicting interests surrounding it had prevented effective utilization of these resources, forcing Ukraine to rely on costly gas imports from Russia and thus remain under its thumb.
In the prosperous Rivne region of West Ukraine, Simon had initially acquired a large portion of local state-owned assets through Sergey Komarov's shell company, Auldecco. Most of Rivne's industries were built from the ground up, funded by Simon's substantial investments. Rivne also had a unique demographic boost: the high-income employees of the UFMS private military force, who earned over ten times the local average, contributing significantly to the region's economy.
Janet set aside the documents on various Ukrainian figures and events, picking up a black file box filled with dossiers in manila envelopes. She pulled one out with "Banshikov Family" marked on the cover. Inside, the first page showed a girl named Galina Banshikova, aged sixteen, whose ID photo revealed a doll-like face with fair skin, large eyes, and chestnut hair—perfectly matching Simon's tastes.
Waving the file at Simon, Janet said teasingly, "So, is this your next batch of…well, let's call it 'external family'?"
Simon was generally transparent with Janet about his plans.
Seeing the file, Simon glanced over and nodded. "That family has been dropped, actually," he remarked, noticing the name.
Janet, who often managed family intelligence operations, already knew some details and rolled her eyes. "Don't think I don't know that you had his wife and daughters brought to the spa estate."
Simon didn't respond, feigning ignorance as he continued reviewing the Russian election materials.
Janet only pretended to be mildly annoyed. She moved past the record on Maksim Banshikov, who had cut short his own prospects, and examined the other profiles.
There was Natalia Banshikova, thirty-six years old. With a daughter as beautiful as Galina, it was no surprise that the mother was just as attractive, with her ID photo showing a similarly appealing face.
The last was Eva Banshikova, fourteen. Unlike her older sister's height of 169 cm, Eva was petite at 153 cm, still awaiting a growth spurt.
Janet clicked her tongue in mock disapproval and asked, "Speaking of 'external family,' does that mean our family is one too?"
Without hesitation, Simon answered, "Of course not."
He didn't add anything further, but Janet, satisfied with his response, gave a pleased smile. Of course not. If it weren't for her father's respect for Simon's power, Simon would probably be "Simon Johnston" today, given that their families were practically intertwined from the beginning.
Leaning in closer to him, Janet continued reviewing the files, remarking, "Out of these fourteen families, the immediate relations are somewhat limited, but there's room to expand with more distant relatives. How do you plan to use them?"
"Place them wherever they're needed. If they don't work out, they can be replaced. Specifically, for Ukraine's parliamentary elections two years from now, we'll aim to secure representation for Rivne. Last time wasn't the right moment, but this time, I intend to secure seats."
Janet pondered. "Ukraine's parliament has 450 seats across 25 regions, with Rivne having only 18. That doesn't seem like much; we could practically fill them all with people we trust."
Unlike the U.S. Congress, Ukraine's parliament was unicameral, using a mixed electoral system. Half of the 450 seats were allotted to regional constituencies, while the other half was distributed among the parties based on vote share. Therefore, each region's parliamentary seats weren't as proportionally allocated as in the U.S.; stronger regions could hold 40 or 50 seats, while weaker ones had only a handful.
Given Rivne's current strength, Simon could aim for at least 20 parliamentary seats in the 1998 election.
Janet said, "Why not just have your girlfriends run for parliament? Now that would be chaotic."
Simon maintained a straight face and corrected, "It's their parents."
Janet playfully swatted his shoulder.
Simon continued, "Over the next few years, Ukraine's economy will continue to decline, and internal politics will stay volatile. The focus will remain on Kuchma, so few people will care who's in parliament."
Ukraine's political landscape was, in many ways, peculiar.
In the previous timeline, the wealthiest man in Ukraine, Akhmetov, had put his driver, bodyguards, and even his dentist in parliament, and no one objected. Later, a comedian president filled the legislature with actors, producers, and colleagues from his TV show.
Upon learning more, Simon came to see that the more capable representatives in Ukraine were better suited to higher positions than parliament. For example, he had initially planned for Evgenia's father, Vladimir Korkoshko, to enter parliament. However, Vladimir had demonstrated potential in Rivne's local government, leading Simon to consider positioning him as a future governor. As for parliamentary seats, obedient stand-ins would suffice.
Janet finished reviewing the fourteen files, marking a few notes before glancing over to see Simon still reading about the Russian elections. She moved closer and asked, "What's the situation in Russia?"
"Yeltsin's victory is assured."
The two had previously discussed Russia, including Simon's quiet dealings with a certain influential "grey cardinal" in Saint Petersburg. Familiar with Simon's strategies, Janet remarked, "I still think we could handle Russia the same way we're handling Ukraine."
Simon smiled, nudging her slightly. "Isn't our current plan obvious enough?"
"True."
"Without an external focus, Washington would turn its attention to us. That's why I reached an understanding with the Bush family. In the next election, it's better to have Bush in office than Gore, as the Bushes tend to focus on international matters."
Janet added, "And they like war."
"Exactly," Simon nodded. "Aside from the U.S., most major economies are struggling. A global recession could be on the horizon. If Gore succeeds Clinton and continues the 'it's the economy' strategy, we may see the U.S. economy reach unprecedented highs. When the economy is booming and there's no threat of unemployment or tax hikes, politicians are likely to start targeting us. So we need the Bushes to shift the focus outward, potentially even through war, to weaken the U.S. economy."
After Simon finished, Janet leaned in, resting her cheek against his. "Simon, doesn't thinking about all this exhaust you?"
"Not at all," Simon replied, smiling as he held her close. "Because I have you."
Janet didn't press him on whether he meant "you" singular or plural. Instead, she said, "I know you hope to make the world a better place."
"Maybe. But not necessarily."
"Hmm?"
"There's an old fable," Simon said, his smile tinged with irony. "A hero slays a dragon and is crowned king. In time, he finds dragon scales growing on his own skin."
Janet, familiar with the story, snuggled closer. "I'd rather you become a dragon than a hero."
Simon kissed her cheek and said, "I do want the world to improve, but I only do what's within my power. I've never aimed to be a hero. Maybe I was always a dragon entering this world."
Janet sensed that Simon sometimes spoke with a certain cynicism and dark humor, occasionally pushing things forward just for the spectacle. Beneath it, though, she felt a profound sadness—a deep disappointment in the
world.
Perhaps this disappointment was why Simon's priorities had gradually shifted in recent years.
Where he once focused on primary education, he now turned to broader, existential challenges like space colonization, nuclear fusion, and solar energy. It was as if he was preparing for the worst, hoping these advancements would keep humanity's future afloat should the worst come to pass.
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