The day after Li Ye attended the wedding, shocking news from the North swiftly spread across the world.
"Li Ye, hurry and look at today's newspaper."
Lu Zhizhang rushed into Li Ye's office holding a newspaper, only to see another copy on Li Ye's desk. Li Ye was staring blankly out the window, a desolate look on his face.
Just yesterday, Gorbachev of the North had suddenly resigned, and Soviet Russia D had been ordered dissolved.
And on that very same day, Ukraine declared independence and became a sovereign nation.
Anyone with eyes could see that Soviet Russia, which had dominated the world for fifty years, now existed in name only.
Yet ordinary people were still muddleheaded and ignorant. Some even cheered in celebration, rejoicing that they were about to become members of the free world.
Even in the land of flowers, far across the sea, many people felt that Gorbachev's move might allow Soviet Russia to "become great again" in another form.
But Lu Zhizhang saw farther than ordinary people did.
"Li Ye, you saw the newspaper too, didn't you? Sigh, why was Gorbachev so reckless?"
"He wasn't reckless. He was a complete idiot."
Li Ye slowly turned back from the window and said in a low voice, "Gorbachev began reforming as soon as he took office, but when he saw no results, he grew anxious..."
"But since Soviet Russia was able to dominate Eastern Europe for fifty years, it must have had strengths worth preserving. You can't just knock everything down and start over. You can only slowly strip away the unreasonable parts while preserving your own foundations and the basis upon which the nation was built."
"..."
Lu Zhizhang froze for a moment, then asked quietly, "Li Ye, I know you see farther than I do. Do