To be precise, the tsar most despised and lowest-rated by both the Russian public and historical academia was universally acknowledged to be Nicholas I, followed closely by Nicholas II!
Wait, how did Lin Xiyue know I was going to buy gear?
C: Lin! Xi! Yue! I'm warning you, if you ever dare peep on me again, don't blame me for being ruthless!
L: *Hee-hee~*
Chen Ge's expression twisted in rage, yet he was utterly helpless. There was simply nothing he could do against this unhinged weirdo.
L: Almost forgot to mention something. Prigozhin might look shrewd on the outside, but deep down he's a total bonehead. He doesn't understand the true nature of power in the slightest. Wagner's military might expanded far too quickly, and his ego swelled right along with it. He actually thinks he's an irreplaceable partner, but in Chief Putin's eyes, he has been nothing more than a tool from start to finish. Tools can be replaced, but a tool can never turn on its master. The moment a tool starts threatening the master's safety, the first thing the master does is cast it into the furnace.
L: Prigozhin clearly doesn't get this. His conflicts with the Russian military high command are growing sharper by the day. After capturing Klishchiivka Heights last night, he got even more carried away. As of right now, he's already posted three updates in a row on social media, barely giving a passing nod to the full support provided by the Russian Aerospace Forces last night while relentlessly hyping up how formidable and unstoppable Wagner is, even boasting that they'll take Bakhmut in three months. I'm completely dumbfounded—is this guy Wagner's inside saboteur or what? Is he so terrified the Russian military won't hate Wagner enough? Keep your guard up around the Russian army; don't get stabbed in the back.
Lin Xiyue's warning left Chen Ge both startled and speechless.
Startled, because Lin Xiyue possessed such sharp political instincts.
Speechless, naturally, because that brain-dead Prigozhin was going to run Wagner straight into the ground—a textbook case of courting one's own doom.
He truly loved putting on a show. Just last month, the Russian military had suffered a catastrophic rout in Kharkiv, losing the entire eastern front, and their tempers were already boiling over. Right now, he should have been keeping a low profile.
You could win, but you shouldn't win too brilliantly, let alone trumpet to the entire nation that you were the one who won.
Loudly boasting about Wagner at a time like this was tantamount to telling the Russian people and the entire world that the Russian army was trash, while Wagner was the sole pillar holding up the sky.
What was worse, Prigozhin repeatedly insinuated that certain high-ranking Russian military officials were traitors, deliberately withholding ammunition, leaking intelligence, and sending Wagner men to their deaths.
Such moronic behavior struck right at the Kremlin's most sensitive nerve.
If even the top brass of the Ministry of Defense were moles, how could the war even be fought? Maybe he had evidence, or maybe he was just slinging mud, but blurting it out shattered the rules of the game.
The silver lining in this misfortune was that Chen Ge's contract would expire next April; he wouldn't be around to participate in Prigozhin's "March for Justice."
C: Great minds think alike. I noticed the issue too, and it's quite a headache. Fortunately, I have confidence in my own abilities. I should be able to survive until my contract ends.
L: Not "should"—must! I'm still waiting to conquer the skies with you. When the two of us join forces and build our empire, the global PMC industry will meet its strictest daddy!
Chen Ge let out a chuckle. He had to admit, Lin Xiyue's personality suited his tastes down to the ground.
L: By the way, what should we name our company?
Wasn't it a bit early to be discussing this?
Still, Chen Ge wasn't one to spoil the mood. Lin Xiyue's sheer drive for business gave him the feeling of having found a true kindred spirit.
He was also a career-oriented man who wanted nothing more than to build an enterprise, make serious money, and become wealthy.
Before his transmigration, he had harbored only one thought: he had to make a name for himself, no matter what!
To earn more money, he had worked like a madman, averaging fourteen hours a day, gritting his teeth and pressing on whether through wind and rain or blistering heat and freezing cold.
He had always believed that the lazier a person was, the lower their energy would fall, and the messier and further downhill their overall state of mind would slide.
The stronger one's execution, the higher their intelligence, perspective, and physical health would climb.
Only by committing yourself entirely—being pure enough, focused enough, and devoted enough—could you succeed!
His goal had been to save 500,000 yuan, working as a food delivery driver while diligently studying English, planning to venture abroad and carve out a future.
He had almost reached that goal, having saved 410,000, when a spiked cake hurled him straight into this parallel world.
Ever since his transmigration to Syria on January 24, one question had constantly plagued his mind!
Where had his parallel-world counterpart, "Chen Ge," gone?
Had they swapped places?
If so, that would be pretty great. It would allow "Chen Ge" to enjoy a fulfilling life, blessed with the warmth of two loving parents.
More importantly, with "Chen Ge's" intellect and eyesight that far surpassed ordinary men, he would definitely accomplish great things! He would surely take good care of their parents.
L: Speak up! What's the company name?
Lin Xiyue's prompt popped up in the chat room. Chen Ge snapped back to reality, pondered for a few seconds, and came up with a solid name.
C: Pinnacle Defense Company. In English, Pinnacle Defense Company, abbreviated as PD or PDC!
L: Hmm... That's pretty good, but I strongly suggest Lin-Chen Defense, or Yue-Ge Defense, or even Xi-Ge Defense!
Chen Ge's face scrunched up in disgust. Tacky and vulgar aside, why on earth should her name come first?
C: Your suggestions are noted, but please stop making them. Denied. It's PD!
L: Fine, you're the boss, you call the shots. Where do we register the company? I recommend the United Arab Emirates. As long as all service contracts are signed and fulfilled abroad, and all personnel and project operations take place outside the UAE, the UAE entity will only handle revenue collection, project management, cross-border consulting, and fund centralization. Since no services will be provided within the UAE and no permanent establishment will be set up locally, it's zero tax. Tons of Russian, European, and American PMCs set up shell companies in the UAE—contracts are signed in the UAE, funds flow through UAE banks, and operations are carried out abroad.
Chen Ge was slightly surprised. Lin Xiyue even knew about this?
Excellent. Having a trustworthy and highly capable partner like this really spared him a world of worry.
C: Great suggestion. We'll register the company once my Wagner contract is up.
L: Mhm. What about the company's line of work? From what I see, the Russia-Ukraine war won't be ending anytime soon. Russia's performance is practically an eyesore; it'll probably drag on for two or three years. I suggest we put together an elite squad first, something like the Falcon Hunting Team, and fight for whoever pays the most.
The corners of Chen Ge's mouth curled up. Lin Xiyue's way of thinking wasn't merely similar to his; it was virtually identical.
Pro-Russian? Pro-Ukrainian? He favored neither side. He only wanted to make money!
However, taking on combat contracts for Ukraine was out of the question. If Russia ever found out, they would ruthlessly wipe him out without hesitation.
They could figure that out when the time came. In any case, their company could handle plenty of other work: cybersecurity services, intelligence analysis, mine clearance, and explosive ordnance disposal.
Using his danger sense for mine clearance and EOD—every sweep would hit the mark with pinpoint accuracy.
Demining was even more lucrative than fighting. Governments of war-torn nations put post-war reconstruction demining contracts out for bid, with individual contracts starting at hundreds of thousands of dollars, and plenty running into millions or even tens of millions.
Private oil and mining enterprises and energy corporations—such as BP and Shell, with facilities across the Middle East and Africa—would pay top dollar to hire specialized firms to clear areas built on historical minefields or contaminated with unexploded ordnance.
Right. Start with mine clearance to secure some startup capital, then recruit men, acquire arms, and expand the empire.
C: I have my own plans. Just follow my lead. I'm going to stop chatting; need to buy some gear. My ballistic plates took three lead peanuts last night.
Chapter 32