Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 1241 Special Dinner

After the press conference, Sergei Mo unexpectedly walked towards Su Zhengyang.

"Mr. President," the old diplomat said with a sincere smile, "I wonder if you are interested in tasting an authentic Russian dinner? The "Winter Palace" restaurant in Beilongcheng is opened by an old friend of mine. The borscht and caviar there are both excellent."

Zhang Luanyu immediately became nervous and subconsciously stood in front of Su Zhengyang: "Minister Sergei, this..."

"Why not?" Su Zhengyang interrupted Zhang Luanyu with a smile, "I have always wanted to try authentic Russian cuisine."

After Sergei left, Zhang Luanyu immediately expressed his concerns.

"Mr. President, this is too risky," he said in a low voice, "We have embarrassed the Russian Empire today. Who knows if they will..."

"Luan Yu," Su Zhengyang shook his head gently, "You underestimate Sergei."

&34;But...&34;

"How could someone who could respond so tactfully at a press conference," Su Zhengyang said leisurely, "be so stupid as to play tricks at a time like this? Not only would that make the treaty a waste of paper, it would also make Tsarist Russia completely lose its international credibility."

He picked up the teacup and took a sip: "Besides, can't you see? Today, Sergei has completely let it go. It is precisely because he has let it go that he can face reality with a completely new attitude."

Zhang Luanyu was still a little worried: "Then at least let me bring more security personnel..."

"No need," Su Zhengyang said with a smile, "Just follow the usual standards. Excessive precautions will only make us appear too nervous. Remember, this is not a political meeting, but a simple dinner."

He looked out the window: "Sometimes, being humble can bring unexpected results. Just like today's press conference, didn't Sergey perform brilliantly?"

Zhang Luanyu nodded thoughtfully.

"Tell the chef," Su Zhengyang stood up and prepared to leave, "You don't have to prepare dinner tonight. I'm looking forward to trying authentic Russian cuisine."

At seven o'clock in the evening, Su Zhengyang arrived at the "Winter Palace" restaurant on time.

Sergei was already waiting at the door. When he saw Su Zhengyang coming, he immediately went to greet him. At this moment, he had lost the fatigue of the day and seemed relaxed instead.

"Mr. President, welcome." Sergei made an inviting gesture, "I have asked the chef to prepare the most authentic Russian cuisine."

The interior decoration of the restaurant is very much in Tsarist Russian style. The crystal chandeliers reflect soft light and there are several oil paintings of St. Petersburg hanging on the walls.

"Please take a seat," Sergei led Su Zhengyang to the window. "You can see the night view of Beilong City from here. It's also the best seat in the entire restaurant."

The waiter then brought the first appetizer.

"This is our appetizer, the 'Russian cold meat platter,'" Sergey said, "smoked salmon, pickled beef and herring marinated in vodka. Served with black bread, it's the most traditional Russian combination."

Su Zhengyang took a bite and nodded in approval: "The salmon is just the right amount of smokiness."

"Next is borscht," Sergei said as the waiter brought a bowl of brightly colored soup. "This is our national dish, with beetroot, beef and sour cream. In Moscow, every restaurant is proud of its borscht."

"The aroma is everywhere," Su Zhengyang gently stirred the spoon, "I heard that this soup best reflects the essence of Russian cuisine?"

"That's right," Sergei said with a smile, "Just like Chinese people can't live without rice, Russians can't live without borscht."

Then the waiter brought the main course: "This is 'Kiev Fried Chicken'. Although the name has Kiev in it, it is actually the most popular main dish in St. Petersburg. It is covered with butter and herbs, with a crispy skin and tender inside."

"There is also this 'noble beef stew'," Sergei continued, "which is double-seasoned with vodka and red wine and stewed for six hours. During the Tsarist era, this was a must-have dish at court banquets."

Su Zhengyang noticed that Sergeimo introduced each dish with a bit of pride, as if he was showing his cherished culture to his friends.

"Finally," Sergei signaled the waiter to bring an exquisite glass plate, "the top-grade Beluga caviar. This batch of caviar was specially shipped from the Caspian Sea and is hard to find in the entire Far East."

The night outside the window deepened, and the lights of the city lit up one after another. In this exotic restaurant, two people who should have been rivals showed completely different sides in the atmosphere of food.

Halfway through dinner, Sergeimo wiped the corners of his mouth gracefully and raised his glass.

"Mr. President," he said in an unexpectedly calm tone, totally unlike the traditional image of the irascible Tsarist Russians, "To be honest, today's press conference was indeed a humiliation that will be remembered in history."

Su Zhengyang raised his eyebrows slightly, but did not interrupt him.

"But," Sergei said, gently swirling the vodka in his glass, calmly like a true English gentleman, "I must admit that I learned a lot from it."

"Oh?" Su Zhengyang showed an interested look.

"Yes," Sergei's eyes became deep, "For example, when a person really lets go of his burdens, he can see more possibilities. At the press conference, when I decided not to care about my face anymore, I found the best way to deal with it."

He paused and continued: "More importantly, I understand a truth - in this era, strength is the real bargaining chip. In this way, you told the world that China is no longer a weak country that can be bullied by others."

Su Zhengyang listened quietly with a faint smile on his face.

"I have been dealing with the diplomatic battlefield all my life," Sergei said, "but today, I have to admit that I have met a truly brilliant opponent. Every move you make is just right, without losing grace and hitting the nail on the head."

He raised his glass and said, "A toast to you, President Su. You have given me, an old diplomat, a final lesson in my twilight years."

Su Zhengyang also raised his glass, but did not clink glasses immediately: "Minister Sergei, you are too modest. I was also impressed by your performance at today's press conference."

"That's just a broken pot," Sergei said with a smile, "but you are so young and have such means, which is admirable."

The two people's wine glasses collided in the air, making a crisp sound.

Outside the window, the lights of Beilong City were on and people were coming and going on the streets. In this elegant restaurant, two people who should have been rivals showed a mutual understanding that transcended national positions while toasting each other.

This may be the charm of diplomacy - even after the most acute confrontation, one can still maintain an elegant and rational dialogue.