naruto-story Chapter 374 A Crack in the Door
Chapter 374 A Crack in the Door
Before the car door opened, Fujita got out first. Chizuru walked around to Satsuki's side to confirm the location.
Shuichi then got out of the car. He didn't look angry, but his expression was much calmer than usual.
Satsuki was the last to get off the train.
As soon as I got out of the car, the cold wind immediately hit my cheeks.
Ink was still dripping from the car window, the black ink stark against the snow.
Sobchak walked quickly and stopped a step away from Xiu.
"Lord Saionji, I am very sorry. Leningrad has failed to provide you with the order you deserve."
After the liaison officer finished translating, Shuichi did not smile this time.
He glanced at the protesters still separated by the crowd, then looked at Sobchak.
"Chairman Sobchak, we understand that there will be various voices in a city during difficult times."
"But understanding is not the same as ignoring. The Saionji family is willing to trust their friends, but they cannot leave their safety to luck."
Shuichi was genuinely angry this time. Regardless of whether the accident was under control or not, he didn't want Satsuki to be in danger.
Sobchak lowered his head slightly.
"I accept your criticism. I will explain what happened today."
Satsuki then looked at him.
"Mr. Sobchak," she said in Russian, "the people just now weren't a group."
Sobchak looked up.
"There were workers, young people, people taking photos, and some people who just wanted to slow things down."
"You know this city better than we do, so you should be able to tell the difference better than I can."
Sobchak looked at her for a while.
"Thank you for reminding me, Ms. Saionji. I will make sure I understand."
Satsuki bowed slightly and said nothing more.
Sobchak personally extended his hand, gesturing for them to enter the Winter Palace.
The heavy door blocked out the sounds from outside.
A wave of warmth washed over us, and a golden hall unfolded before us.
The tall pillars, bright chandeliers, and remarkably well-preserved walls and floors create a world apart.
Amy seemed to breathe again as soon as she entered the room, and quietly glanced behind her.
The shouts outside had become indistinct.
But at least for now, if we can't hear it, let's just pretend it doesn't exist.
Sobchak did not immediately lead them into the side hall, but instead personally accompanied them along a long corridor.
Chubais followed behind, while several municipal and museum staff automatically lagged half a step behind.
The unexpected situation just now made all the small talk lose its relaxed tone, which ironically made the conversation more direct.
They walked slowly along a side corridor.
Several historical paintings hang on the walls of the corridor. The officers, flags, and crowds in the paintings are arranged in a grand composition. Many things appear more orderly than when they actually happened because they are framed.
But the Winter Palace itself makes it difficult to fully trust in order. It was once the center of imperial power, and it was also a place that people imagined had to be broken into, occupied, and rewritten.
Those people outside the door were certainly not revolutionaries.
They were too few in number and had no guns.
What could they rely on? Nothing more than some cardboard, a few banners, and a bottle of ink.
But Satsuki could still sense a similar scent.
When life itself begins to lose its certainty, people will seek a target that can be seen.
Palace, foreign guests, foreign capital, reformist officials—these words, when placed together on the same day and in front of the same door, are enough to bring together many people who were originally unrelated.
Sobchak also glanced at the painting on the wall.
His expression quickly returned to calm, but that moment of silence made the road seem even longer than it actually was.
"I won't say that what just happened was just a few people causing trouble." Sobchak slowed his pace. "It would be convenient to say that, but it's not honest."
"Leningrad is currently experiencing shortages, fear, and many people do not believe that reforms will make their lives better."
Sobchak turned slightly to look at Shuichi.
"We need external cooperation, but if cooperation only makes the city hall look respectable, but doesn't ensure that hospitals have medicine, shops have food, and factories can still operate, then people outside won't believe us."
As he spoke, his gaze swept across the high window on one side of the corridor.
The crowd outside the window was no longer visible; only the trampled snow and the shadows of a few guards moving about remained.
The chaos was kept out by the thick walls of the Winter Palace, but Sobchak knew that the real problems were not hidden away.
"Several hospitals in the city have started to postpone non-emergency surgeries because the availability of sutures, sterilization supplies, and disposable consumables is unstable."
"The food supply is even more troublesome. The warehouses aren't completely empty, but the spoilage rate is too high and the transportation is too slow. By the time the goods arrive at the stores, the lines have already stretched all the way to the street corner."
He did not use the figures in the report.
In this context, numbers would seem like he was shirking responsibility. So he only mentioned specific things: medicine, warehouses, teams, and transportation.
"The same goes for ports. Leningrad is close to the sea, but it can't get the goods brought by the sea into the city in time."
"On the one hand, the equipment is too old and there is not enough cold storage; on the other hand, the connection between the railway and the warehouse is also very chaotic."
"We have a lot of information on paper, but in reality, almost every step takes up a lot of time."
Upon hearing this, Xiu finally stopped responding with merely polite expressions.
Sobchak could tell that the other person understood, so he spoke even softer.
"The workers outside certainly don't understand any of this. All they know is that their wages are delayed, there's less meat, and they need to pay for daycare for their children."
"They will be afraid, and they will be taken advantage of."
"But if we can't show them any concrete improvements, then even if we persuade them to leave today, another group of people will be standing at another door tomorrow."
Shuichi's expression finally softened a bit.
"The fact that Chairman Sobchak said that at least shows that our trip today was not in vain."
This statement still maintains a distance, but it is no longer purely a matter of dissatisfaction.
They walked past a huge historical painting.
The figures in the painting are dressed in old-fashioned military uniforms, and the background shows ships and a port. Satsuki glanced at it, then her gaze quickly fell on Sobchak.
"So what your city needs most right now is to let people see the improvements," Xiu Yi said. "Only when they can see the changes will they be willing to listen to reforms, right?"
Sobchak nodded.
"Yes. To be frank, Leningrad desperately needs money right now."
"Medical care, food supply, port facilities, urban infrastructure maintenance, and cultural heritage sites like the Winter Palace—everything requires money."
"But the central government can't provide enough funding, and local governments don't have mature ways to cooperate with foreign companies."
At this point, Chubais took over the conversation.
"Without a formal system, cooperation will just become a bunch of temporary promises."
"Today the municipal Soviet proposes it, tomorrow some department denies it; today the goods enter the port, tomorrow the settlement cannot find the responsible party."
"Foreign investors cannot accept this situation, and we ourselves should not continue to rely on it."
As Shuichi listened to the translation, his gaze shifted to Satsuki.
Satsuki did not speak immediately.
She looked at the harbor painting on the wall, in which ships were docking and the distant sky was painted a pale gold.
That was an era when empires reached out to the sea, a time when dignity, ambition, and violence were all captured in a single painting.
The city still retains that window, but it no longer knows what to use to block the wind blowing in from outside.
"Don't talk about anything too heavy in the first stage," Satsuki finally said.
She didn't look at Chubais, but at Sobchak.
"If we start by focusing on port ownership, corporate restructuring, or asset prices, the fears of those outside will only be more easily exploited."
Sobchak calmly lowered his stance and listened attentively.
Even though he had only met Satsuki twice, he could sense that this girl was the core of the other party.
As Satsuki walked, the others followed closely behind.
"Saienji and your company can consider cooperation in three areas. These can be broadly categorized as medical and food supply, port cold chain and warehousing equipment, and technical exchanges between universities and research institutions."
"The first two can be explained as maintaining the city's operation, and the third can be explained as cultural and academic cooperation. Neither of them needs to be written as purchasing assets, nor does it need to be described as privatization."
She didn't speak too quickly.
Especially at times like these, it's crucial to avoid giving the impression that Saionji is eager to reach out.
Sobchak needed an external channel, Chubais needed an institutional model, and Saionji needed an entrance that wouldn't be burned down by public sentiment on the first day.
"For medical and food supplies, we can start with small-scale pilot programs. A few hospitals, a few food warehouses—the scope doesn't need to be large, but the results must be visible."
"Which hospital the medicine went to, which warehouse the food went out of, and how much the losses were reduced in the process—all of this needs to be written down."
She looked at Sobchak.
"This way, you can tell those people outside that the cooperation won't take anything from them, but rather get the city running again."
Sobchak nodded slightly, without interrupting.
Satsuki then turned her gaze to Chubais.
"Regarding the port, the first phase will only focus on cold chain logistics, warehousing, loading and unloading losses, and transportation coordination. Saionji Corporation can send personnel to conduct an inspection, but the official purpose of the inspection should be the supply guarantee of food and medical supplies, not port operations."
Chubais's eyes flickered.
Satsuki only mentioned universities and research institutions at the very end.
"Technical exchanges are even simpler. Visits, lectures, equipment assistance, and data exchange can all be nominally categorized under cultural cooperation."
"Leningrad has universities and academies of sciences, while Saionji has access to research funding and equipment. Both sides should start with non-sensitive areas, without making everyone think that someone will leave the Soviet Union tomorrow."
She paused for a moment.
"We need to get the city to accept the idea of cooperation first, before we can talk about anything deeper."
Chubais adjusted his glasses.
"But port equipment comes into contact with logistics."
"That's why we're only talking about cold chain and warehousing equipment," Satsuki said. "Food won't walk into stores on its own, and medicine can't be preserved by slogans."
"Cold chain and warehousing may not sound like controlling a port, but they give us a glimpse into how a port truly operates."
Xiu glanced at her but did not interrupt.
Sobchak pondered for a moment.
"This makes it easier to explain to outsiders."
"It also makes it easier for people to see the results," Satsuki said. "If a few hospitals get the supplies first, if some food supplies can be stabilized for a few weeks, if a warehouse in the port can reduce losses, then people outside will at least know that cooperation is not about kicking them out of the factory."
Chubais's gaze lingered on her face for a moment.
"Ms. Saionji takes her words very seriously."
"What people say determines what they see first," Satsuki replied, "especially in Leningrad now."
The sentence was left unfinished.
But everyone present understood that she was referring to the impact just now.
Sobchak finally showed a tired smile.
"Then let's start with projects that can survive."
A group of people followed behind Satsuki.
The exhibition halls in the Winter Palace are connected one after another, with gold and white intertwined, and the deep red walls appear particularly warm under the lights.
Amy gradually regained her spirits, and as she passed by several paintings, she couldn't help but look at them again and again, but she didn't interrupt and just quietly followed behind Satsuki.
Shuichi then spoke up.
"The Saionji family can have people in the business and medical fields prepare a preliminary framework. However, before that, you will need to provide a list."
"Which hospitals are most urgent, which food supply links are most likely to see results, and which port facilities can be publicly included in city cooperation? We will not invest resources in projects without a responsible party."
Sobchak nodded.
"The municipal Soviet will compile the first batch of lists within three days."
Chubais added:
"I will involve the Economic Reform Commission in the format design, and each project will clearly state the proposer, implementer, recipient of materials, and settlement method."
Satsuki looked at him.
"There's one more thing."
Chubais waited for her to continue.
"The first phase of the agreement should not include any clauses that make cutting workers' wages a prerequisite for cooperation."
"We can talk about corporate efficiency later. If we make workers feel from the outset that foreign investment means they will be laid off, then the same thing that happened outside today will happen again."
Chubais did not agree immediately.
He clearly disliked these restrictions because, from his perspective, corporate reforms would inevitably encounter issues of overstaffing and wages sooner or later.
Sobchak nodded first.
"Yes. At least in the first phase, the cooperation must be ostensibly about maintaining supply and stabilizing the city."
Chubais glanced at him but ultimately did not refute him.
They continued walking.
Finally, they stopped in front of a painting depicting the port of St. Petersburg.
The painting contains masts, ships, and water illuminated by sunlight in the distance.
Those ships are sailing in from the sea, bringing wealth to the city, and also bringing uncontrollable winds.
Sobchak stood before the painting and spoke after a moment:
"St. Petersburg was born to open a window."
Satsuki looked at the sea in the painting.
"If the window is open, the wind will come in."
Sobchak did not deny it.
"That's why we need to know which winds allow the city to breathe and which winds ignite a fire."
Shuichi was also looking at the painting, and didn't say anything more.
Chubais stood a little further back and had already written a few lines in his notebook.
Within three days, Leningrad provided the first list of projects.
Saionji Temple is preparing a draft cooperation framework.
Both parties established a closed working group, ostensibly for cultural, humanitarian, and urban cooperation, but actually engaged in preliminary investigations into medical care, food, ports, scientific research, and enterprise transformation.
This was a collaboration without a contract.
In the Soviet system, cooperation without any publicly available documentation could hardly be considered successful.
But Satsuki knew that was enough.
The doors of the Winter Palace were not fully open.
But a crack has already appeared.