Paul Kagame, the Vice President and Defense Minister of Rwanda, began his official visit to the USA on July 8. Despite his status as Rwanda's de facto leader, his visit to Washington went largely unnoticed by the media. However, the final day of his visit sparked a flurry of media attention when he left Washington unexpectedly and traveled to the West Coast to visit Simon Westeros at his Dume Point Estate.
Kagame's visit to Dume Point was mainly to represent the Rwandan people in expressing gratitude to Simon Westeros for intervening two years prior to prevent the Rwandan genocide.
From the Woodfield Manor bombing to intervention in Rwanda's civil war, and later to the decisive elimination of an entire mafia family in Italy, Simon had displayed his strength in various ways, including through violence, political influence, and the secretive "Sword of Damocles" initiative completed during the 1994 midterm elections.
But after unveiling his strength, Simon began to withdraw from the spotlight.
With this being an election year in the United States, the Westeros Group was keen on keeping a low profile to avoid any backlash.
Simon had initially been reluctant to host Kagame at Dume Point, knowing that doing so would likely spark speculation about his influence in Africa. However, declining the visit could also generate negative consequences, such as doubts about the Westeros Group's investments and allies in Africa. After weighing the pros and cons, Simon decided to hold a luncheon.
To divert attention, he invited a number of prominent Californian politicians and socialites and allowed media coverage.
Interestingly, media and public focus often lands on trivial details; while few seemed interested in Kagame's Washington meetings, people were surprisingly curious about the luncheon menu Simon served to the African leader.
However, some observers saw a much deeper significance.
Two years earlier, after the Rwandan war ended, Simon's private forces had swiftly withdrawn from Rwanda to allay fears of a Westeros-controlled Rwanda, presenting him as a Robin Hood-like figure dedicated to justice rather than conquest. Since then, many had assumed the Westeros Group's influence in Rwanda had diminished.
It wasn't until recently, when the Westeros Group leveraged the Rwandan government to put pressure on the Chirac administration in France, that people realized the Group's influence remained strong.
As a result, responses began surfacing around the world. For instance, Angola's President dos Santos expelled the arms-dealing team associated with the son of former French President Mitterrand, fully aligning Angola with the Westeros Group.
When viewed from a high vantage point, it became evident that the Westeros Group's influence had subtly spread across the globe.
North America was the obvious stronghold.
In addition, the Westeros Group had steadily established a powerful influence in Asia, Africa, and Europe—China in Asia, Rwanda and Angola in Africa, and Ukraine and potentially even Russia in Europe. These seemingly unrelated moves were beginning to shape the entire geopolitical landscape.
In Moscow, Boris Yeltsin received a report on Simon's luncheon with Kagame on the morning after it took place.
Since winning the July 3 election and securing another term as Russia's president, Yeltsin felt little relief. His health was failing, and he had been suffering from worsening coronary heart disease for two years, with multiple hospitalizations producing only limited results. The demands of the grueling election campaign had further deteriorated his condition to a point where surgery was now almost unavoidable.
On election day, photos had shown Yeltsin calmly voting for himself. However, what the public didn't see was the medical team on standby nearby, ready to administer emergency treatment if needed.
Doctors recommended immediate surgery, but Yeltsin was unwilling to take the risk. With an estimated 80% chance of success, there was still a 20% risk of failure, which would render his recent victory meaningless. He felt he needed to arrange a few more things before going under the knife, a process that could take weeks.
Meanwhile, the political situation in Russia was becoming increasingly chaotic.
Inside the Kremlin, Anatoly Chubais, a key figure in Russia's economic reforms and head of Yeltsin's campaign team, was reviewing the guest list from Simon Westeros's luncheon at Dume Point. Their meeting was supposed to focus on high-level appointments for the new Russian government, though it often felt more like Chubais was relaying information on behalf of the oligarchs.
Chubais, later known as the "father of Russian privatization," had become a liaison between the Kremlin and Russia's oligarchs.
Yeltsin found it hard to determine whether Chubais still held any loyalty toward him.
Moreover, from Chubais' updates, it seemed the oligarchs were becoming bolder and increasingly impatient in their demands.
"Mr. President? Mr. President?"
Noticing Yeltsin's distraction, Chubais raised his voice, a flicker of impatience crossing his face. He suspected that Yeltsin might have ignored medical advice and been drinking again.
Yeltsin looked up from his papers. "Hmm? What were you saying?"
Chubais repeated, "About Berezovsky's request to be appointed as Prime Minister."
Yeltsin took a moment before replying, "And what do you think?"
"I think it's unwise," Chubais said. "Berezovsky has no governing experience; putting him in charge would be disastrous for Russia."
"Alright, I'll consider it."
Chubais hesitated but saw Yeltsin's disinterest. "Mr. President, Berezovsky is also Jewish. This is another reason he might not be suitable as Prime Minister."
Yeltsin waved a hand, signaling that the conversation was over. Chubais gave up and left.
Alone, Yeltsin leaned back in his chair, exhausted. The oligarchs, including Berezovsky and Potanin, had lost any pretense of subtlety, blatantly demanding various rewards in exchange for their support. Even people he once trusted, like Chubais, were starting to show their true loyalties.
Chubais's words were transparent; he had clearly aligned himself with Potanin's faction.
He'd even played the "Jewish card."
In reality, few of the oligarchs were not Jewish—Potanin was one of the exceptions. However, Yeltsin did not believe that Chubais was motivated by nationalism. It was simply a matter of self-interest, as Potanin's primary backer, George Soros, was unmistakably Jewish, and Chubais had close ties with Soros.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts as his younger daughter, Tatyana, entered the office. Closing the door behind her, she looked at her father, sitting alone behind the large desk. "Dad?"
Yeltsin smiled faintly, gesturing for her to sit. After a pause, he asked, "What has he been up to lately?"
Tatyana knew exactly who he meant. "He's been reviewing the Kremlin's property assets."
The Kremlin name often represented more than the Moscow seat of government; Tatyana's reference to "Kremlin property" was actually shorthand for a massive real estate portfolio scattered across Russia and even in foreign countries.
Nodding, Yeltsin hesitated for a moment, then refrained from summoning the man recommended by Simon Westeros—the former Deputy Mayor of Saint Petersburg. Yeltsin had reviewed the man's background extensively, but other than appointing him to a deputy role in the presidential administration, he had shown little favoritism, carefully observing from a distance.
He was cautious.
He couldn't afford to create a Westeros puppet. Despite Simon's assurance that no man in power could truly be anyone's puppet, the risk was still there.
A sudden thought crossed Yeltsin's mind. "Have you been in touch with Mikhail Fridman lately?"
With the election over, most oligarchs had eagerly come to collect their dues. The only exception was Fridman, the Westeros Group's representative in Russia, who, apart from a brief conversation at the victory celebration, had disappeared from sight.
Tatyana nodded. "Yes, I spoke with him yesterday. He's currently in Estonia, working on a telecom project."
Yeltsin raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
She explained, "Alfa Group owns a telecom company called VimpelCom. They mainly focus on mobile communications and have been expanding into Eastern Europe, where they're doing quite well."
Yeltsin nodded approvingly, feeling a sudden surge of distaste for the other oligarchs.
While those men were fixated on devouring Russia's wealth, Westeros's proxy was expanding outward—a stark contrast in ambition and vision.
After a moment, he asked, "Has Fridman shown any interest in the telecom privatization plan?"
Tatyana shook her head. "He said he wouldn't pursue it because… he hadn't received authorization from Westeros."
Yeltsin mulled over her response. "I remember that Cersei Capital is helping a Chinese telecom company go public overseas?"
She nodded. "Yes, it's a huge transaction expected to raise around $4 billion."
Yeltsin paused, then asked his daughter, "Tanya, do you think we could do the same and have Cersei Capital handle an overseas IPO for our telecom company?"
At this point, Yeltsin's resentment toward the oligarchs encircling the Kremlin like vultures had reached a boiling point. If Simon Westeros wasn't interested, he would rather offer the opportunity to him than to the others.
Tatyana, noticing the slightly flushed look on her father's face, felt a surge of sympathy. The oligarchs' relentless demands had placed immense pressure on him. She poured him a glass of mineral water, letting him take a few sips to calm down. But before she could respond, Yeltsin himself sighed and shook
his head, dismissing the idea.
"Forget it. Let them fight over it themselves."
Even in his weakened state, Yeltsin's political instincts remained sharp.
If Simon Westeros accepted the gift, there might be resentment from other oligarchs, but they would likely concede in the face of the Westeros Group's power. But if Simon declined, and Yeltsin withheld the asset from the oligarchs, it would unleash a storm.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]