Having roughly understood what had transpired, Eve decided not to dwell on the topic further and planned to take her younger sister home first. She also needed to have a serious talk with her father.
Though Eve might not be great at socializing and her personality leaned towards simplicity and meekness, she was far from being naive. Letting her little sister continue causing trouble would only lead her down the wrong path. Eve couldn't control her, but their father could.
Ludmilla, sitting in the back seat, noticed that Eve and Emily had stopped discussing certain topics and shifted their focus elsewhere. Only then did she realize the direction her sister was driving. Considering the smell of smoke and alcohol on her, she couldn't help but shiver at the thought of their strict and stern father. She reached out to touch Eve's shoulder in the front seat and said, "Sister, I don't want to go home. Can I stay at your place tonight?"
Eve kept her eyes on the road and shook her head. "No."
Ludmilla's voice turned even more pitiful as she clung to Eve's shoulder and shook it gently. "Sister, I was wrong. If I go back like this, Dad will kill me. Do you want to see me get beaten to death?"
Being the youngest, Ludmilla was always the most pampered in the family, and it was no different in the Besonovsky household. However, this pampering had made her quite a handful since childhood. Alexander Besonovsky, their father, was not one for many words and preferred a simple and direct approach to disciplining his children—by hitting them. When the eldest son misbehaved, Alexander would whip him with a belt. Later, when the two daughters acted up, he found the belt inappropriate, so the household always kept a cane on hand.
Over the years, most of the punishment had fallen on Ludmilla. Just like the last time, when she wanted to run off to Poland with an unreliable agent to become a model, Alexander brought her back and gave her a good beating. To avoid being punished, Ludmilla had developed a crafty side, behaving like a good girl in front of her family and avoiding serious trouble, but she was far from being a well-behaved young woman.
Eve, having been beaten herself as a child, knew how much it hurt. Hearing her sister's pitiful tone, she couldn't help but soften. "You have to promise me that you'll never go to those places again."
Seeing that her sister's tone was softening, Ludmilla immediately said, "I promise, sister, I promise."
Eve thought for a moment and said, "Then you can stay at my place tonight."
Ludmilla was momentarily stunned but quickly understood. She had been to Eve's apartment near the villa in the southern part of the city, which was a much more luxurious place than the old house their family had bought for just $8,000. However, Ludmilla actually wanted to see the villa in the south. So she tried pleading again, "Sister, can I go there? I promise I won't cause any trouble."
Eve shook her head. "No."
Before she got this job, Eve, like all the other staff members, had to memorize a thick set of professional rules, one of which clearly stated that they were not allowed to bring anyone unauthorized into their workplace. Violating this rule even once would lead to immediate dismissal. This was to prevent unrelated individuals from entering Simon's property and causing trouble.
After training and indoctrination, those who became members of the Westeros family's maid team were highly loyal. However, the same could not be said for their families. Simon had seen too many cases like this. Often, the ones who betray you the most are your own family.
Seeing that her sister was not going to budge, Ludmilla turned to Emily with a hopeful look. After that night in the city in August, Emily was given the same treatment as Eve, allowing her to stay at Simon's property. But Emily wasn't foolish enough to violate such obvious rules, especially not for someone unrelated to her. When Ludmilla looked at her, Emily just shook her head with a smile.
With her plea rejected, Ludmilla had no choice but to give up sulkingly.
Soon, the car arrived at their first destination, a five-story apartment building just 300 meters from the southern villa. Since it was so close to the villa, the living conditions were excellent. Although the building was a bit old, it looked well-maintained, with a marble exterior similar to the quaint buildings often seen in major Western European cities. This was also one of Simon's properties, primarily providing accommodation for the Westeros family's maid team.
Eve originally shared a two-bedroom apartment with another maid, but after returning from abroad last time, she was upgraded to a duplex on the top floor, which inevitably sparked some jealousy and gossip.
After settling her sister in her apartment and spending some time with her, Eve left with Emily to return to the nearby southern villa.
It was already 9 PM.
The three remaining girls had not yet gone to bed, and seeing Eve return seemed to put them at ease. After sending the girls to bed early, Eve dutifully conducted a routine inspection of the villa inside and out before returning to the villa and finding Emily in a downstairs living room, drinking coffee and reading some documents.
Emily motioned for Eve to sit down and poured her a cup of coffee before saying, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask, but I can't guarantee I'll answer them."
The information Emily had revealed in the car on the way back had already given Eve an idea of what was going on, but she still asked, "Can you tell me what happened?"
Emily nodded, took a sip of her coffee, and said, "It's actually quite simple. The boss made a lot of investments in Ukraine and promoted many people, hoping to make some progress here. However, some people betrayed the boss's expectations, not only failing to be loyal to their work but also trying to bleed the boss dry. Do you think such people should be tolerated?"
Eve shook her head and then asked, "What about Annika and the other two?"
She wanted to know how Simon would deal with the three girls who had been kicked out of the villa. After spending so much time together, she had grown attached to them.
Emily replied, "When we accompanied Ekaterina and Natalie on their trip, you know, it was actually the boss warning some people. The Nanas' families were very diligent, so they were rewarded. Unfortunately, it seems no one understood the boss's intentions and continued doing whatever they wanted. The boss had no choice but to get rid of them all. As for the three girls, they and their families will return to their previous lives, but everything the boss gave them will be taken back."
Eve fell silent. She could imagine what "returning to their previous lives" would be like. In Ukraine, ordinary life was not far from hell.
Seeing her expression, Emily added, "This is actually the best outcome. The boss didn't impose any additional punishment on the three girls or their families. But this time, a lot of people are going to end up in prison."
Eve nodded, understanding now.
Her father and brother had taken jobs in the Westeros system's factory—did that count as a violation?
Emily, noticing Eve's anxious expression, guessed her thoughts and smiled. "Are you worried about yourself?"
Eve, feeling guilty, avoided Emily's gaze but couldn't help waiting for an answer.
Emily didn't keep her in suspense and said, "The boss is actually very generous. He'd rather let his own people benefit than outsiders. But the prerequisite is that these people must know what they should and shouldn't do. Take Nana's families, for example. The resources they initially received were all voluntarily given by the boss—a lot, actually. Some people were diligent and, at the very least, knew who gave them everything and where their loyalty should lie. Others didn't know how to be grateful, thinking it was all theirs by right and greedily demanding more. For such people, the boss will leave them with nothing."
Hearing this, Eve felt relieved. Her father had always been a very conscientious person. As an old engineer at the Anasener plant in Kyiv, he could have sought a better job, but he and her brother had only found physically demanding work at a construction materials factory, not wanting to burden Eve with any favors. In today's Ukraine, where many government departments had long stopped paying wages, having a stable job was indeed a blessing.
Having received answers to her most pressing concerns, Eve wisely stopped asking questions. She glanced at the documents Emily was reading and changed the subject, "What are you reading?"
Emily showed her the English documents and said, "Some investment project reports for this area." After thinking for a moment, Emily added, "Are you interested in starting a special livestock farm?"
Eve was puzzled. Not about the farm, but about the word "special."
Emily took another sip of coffee and patiently explained, "This isn't an ordinary farm for raising chickens or cattle, but one for breeding mink and foxes for their fur. The global demand for these materials is huge every year. If done well, it can be extremely profitable, at least a hundred times better than working in a factory."
Eve thought of the rabbit fur hat that was still in her car, a birthday gift she had bought for her sister with the subsidy she received for participating in the Olympics. It was expensive and had always been her sister's treasure. As for clothing and accessories made from mink and fox fur, they were also very popular in Eastern Europe, but the prices were so high that ordinary people like Eve
could only dream of them. So when Emily mentioned that a special livestock farm could be very profitable, Eve didn't doubt it.
However, Eve also knew that things were never as simple as they seemed. If it were really that easy, such furs wouldn't be so expensive.
Seeing Eve's hesitation, Emily smiled and said, "The Westeros system has already invested in a few pilot farms in the northern part of the city, mainly for breeding. Expanding the scale will have to wait until spring. If you think about it, it won't be easy; it will be very labor-intensive and risky. But…" She paused to search through a stack of documents beside her, pulling out one, "I think this might be more suitable for your family—a military-themed amusement park."
Eve looked at Emily with a hint of caution in her eyes.
Noticing Eve's gaze, Emily smiled. "Mrs. Miller is the main person in charge of Ukraine affairs, and I'm her first assistant. So I've seen all of your files."
Eve's expression softened, and she couldn't help but glance at the document in Emily's hand.
Emily didn't hand her the English proposal but instead explained, "This is a project that the boss personally came up with. After Ukraine's massive military downsizing, a large amount of military equipment was left idle. Without sufficient funds for maintenance, many tanks and armored vehicles are just gathering dust in abandoned military bases. The boss thinks these assets can be revitalized, so he plans to set up a large military-themed amusement park in Rivne Oblast. The project has already received approval from the Kyiv authorities, and 20 square kilometers of land have been secured in the northern part of Rivne Oblast. Construction will begin after the new year."
After the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine inherited a total force of over 700,000 troops. However, due to economic collapse, the Ukrainian government couldn't sustain such a large military, and after several rounds of massive downsizing in recent years, only 200,000 soldiers remain. As a result, 500,000 soldiers have been discharged.
During this period, the vast array of military equipment that once supported a 700,000-strong army was left idle. Despite Ukraine's frenzied efforts to export weapons both openly and covertly, it was impossible to get rid of all the inventory. Moreover, many old Soviet weapons were either too outdated for those who could afford them or too expensive for those who wanted them, leaving them to rust in military bases.
The Westeros system had set up a bridge for exporting Ukraine's old weapons to Africa, but Simon had been very cautious about it. After all, being an arms dealer wasn't exactly a glamorous profession. However, recalling a news story about Russian troops secretly letting tourists play with all their military equipment to earn some extra cash, Simon thought that if this could be done on a formal basis, it could have great potential, leading to the idea of a military-themed amusement park.
After listening carefully, Eve hesitated for a moment before asking, "Will people actually come to this amusement park?"
In today's Ukraine, people could hardly afford to eat, let alone have any interest in something like this.
Emily smiled. "This theme park isn't aimed at the domestic Ukrainian market. It's designed to attract tourists from Western Europe and North America. Think about it—it's not just a military museum where you can look at displays but an immersive military experience. Visitors can personally operate dozens of guns, cannons, tanks, helicopters, and even fighter jets. For ordinary people whose lives lack excitement, the appeal is huge."
After thinking it over, Eve couldn't help but feel tempted. Still uncertain, she asked, "Did you mean that our family could run this?"
Emily shook her head. "If it were the special livestock farm, you could fund your family to start one with your current salary. The Westeros system would provide breeding stock, technical support, and handle the buyback. But forget about the military-themed amusement park; that's a joint venture between the Westeros system and the Ukrainian government. I recall… hmm, your brother was in the military?"
Eve nodded, then added, "My father was originally an engineer at the Anasener plant."
Emily said, "That's even more suitable than your brother. When the military-themed amusement park team is formed next year, they can apply for jobs. Eve, I can tell you this clearly—because of your connection, if they're qualified, they'll have a very good chance of being hired in management. But there's one thing—you've seen what happened to Annika and the others. If your father or brother ever do something they shouldn't, you'll suffer the consequences too."
Eve nodded. She thought that was only fair.
After that day, life at the lakeside villa in the southern part of Rivne City returned to normal, and many things continued as before.
Celia Miller and Ken Dixon stayed for a week. After removing the thorn of the Rivne Oblast governor, they also conducted a purge within the Westeros system's influence in Ukraine while simultaneously adjusting many aspects of their operations in coordination with the USA.
In just a week, aside from some key targets of the Westeros system, hundreds of people in the city lost their jobs.
Back in the USA, Simon kept an eye on the situation in Ukraine while dealing with the various complex affairs of the Westeros system at the beginning of the year. This continued until January 17, when he was about to leave for Park City to attend the opening of this year's Sundance Film Festival, but he received unexpected news.
It was about the Levison Group.
Francis Levison had suddenly been arrested by the IRS for tax evasion, leaving Simon puzzled. He hadn't ordered a tax investigation into the Levison Group. His goal was to acquire the company, not destroy it.
After some investigation, he finally understood.
The Levison Group had unknowingly become a bystander caught in the crossfire.
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