"A major Spanish fashion group owner originally planned to visit Rivne in the coming days for an investment inspection. If the plan is finalized, it could bring at least 3,000 job opportunities to Rivne. But then, an incident suddenly occurred in Donetsk, causing the investor to hesitate. This is why Simon is angry. Victor, Simon's position is clear: we are businessmen, not politicians, and we don't want to get overly involved in foreign politics. However, as investors who have created significant benefits for the people of Ukraine, our interests should also be protected."
The evening banquet was held at a luxury hotel in the city center owned by the Oldek Corporation. On both sides of the long table sat the core members of the Rivne group, with the sole guest being the president's son-in-law, Viktor Pinchuk.
Viktor Pinchuk was seated next to Celia Miller. Listening to this trusted aide of Simon Westeros explain the situation, Viktor appeared skeptical but maintained a sincere expression. "We are truly sorry for this, Celia. The President has personally intervened in this matter, and I guarantee there will be an explanation in the short term."
"But the negative impact of this incident has already been felt."
Viktor Pinchuk shook his head. "No, it's different. The incident occurred in Donetsk and has nothing to do with Rivne. I believe that, with proper communication, the Spanish investor will understand. Moreover, the President has always paid close attention to Rivne Oblast and greatly appreciates the development led jointly by Andrei, Vladimir, Sergey, and Klim."
"In that case, we are deeply grateful for the President's trust."
Viktor added, "Actually, the President has also taken note of the resettlement community project Simon Westeros is developing in Rivne. This is true corporate social responsibility. Therefore, the President hopes to find time to personally visit, express his gratitude to the project's creators, and extend his compliments."
Viktor raised his voice slightly as he spoke, prompting those present—keen observers all—to chime in with their own expressions of welcome.
The banquet, with Viktor as its sole guest, smoothly bypassed the sensitive topic of the Sherban assassination case. Observing the attitudes of everyone at the table, Viktor Pinchuk was quite satisfied with the outcome of this visit to Rivne. At least on the surface, Simon Westeros showed no intention of switching allegiances. Unless substantial changes occurred, the alliance between both parties would remain stable.
As a server brought out the next course, the conversation paused briefly. Viktor sampled the freshly served grilled sturgeon before continuing. "Additionally, Celia, the President is deeply disappointed with the stagnation and disorder in Donetsk over the past few years. If Simon Westeros is willing to invest in Eastern Ukraine, Kyiv is prepared to offer every possible convenience."
Viktor's tone was sincere. Having spent years navigating the political landscape, Celia quickly discerned Kyiv's underlying intention: they hoped the Westeros Group could help suppress the Donetsk faction, which had become increasingly independent and oppositional to Kyiv in recent years.
The prospect had both advantages and disadvantages.
The downside was clear: if they heeded Viktor's encouragement, the Westeros Group would not only be used as a pawn but would also find Donetsk difficult to subdue. If it were easy, Lazarenko's faction wouldn't have faced repeated setbacks in Donetsk over the years.
However, the advantages were also apparent.
Donetsk Oblast holds over 90% of Ukraine's coal resources, which are vital for expanding the coal-fired power grid in Rivne-centered western regions.
Additionally, Donetsk is a hub for heavy industry.
Inherited from the Soviet Union, this region's robust industrial base includes steel, machinery, and chemical sectors. If it could be acquired, revitalized, and integrated, it might even have the potential to become Europe's "Pittsburgh" in the future.
But for now, these ideas were mere speculation.
Celia had discussed this with her boss, who had decided that the Westeros Group's focus in Ukraine would remain unchanged for the next five to ten years. Their efforts would continue to revolve around Rivne Oblast, prioritizing the development of light industry.
That said, this was an opportune moment. Representatives from the Donetsk faction had proactively reached out, and with Kyiv expressing this attitude, it was an excellent chance to gain some leverage over Donetsk's coal reserves, which could power Ukraine for a century.
With this in mind, Celia maintained her composure, appearing interested in Viktor's suggestion while avoiding any concrete commitments.
Before the evening ended, Viktor Pinchuk brought up the establishment of the "Ukrainian Progressive Alliance Party" by the Rivne group. On Simon's behalf, Celia reiterated that they would not interfere too much in Ukraine's internal politics. Simultaneously, she assured the Rivne group's leaders present that the Progressive Alliance would align itself with Kyiv. Half-jokingly, she added that if the President hadn't insisted on staying away from party politics, Rivne wouldn't have had to go to such lengths.
It was an amusing observation.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Leonid Kuchma had not joined or formed any political party. As such, the Ukrainian President was one of the few non-partisan heads of state in the world.
The banquet concluded on a high note.
Back at the lakeside villa in the southern part of the city, Celia and her assistant Emily Joplin had stayed overnight. The villa's three increasingly independent young residents had recently returned from a trip to Japan. During breakfast, they chattered excitedly with Celia about their experiences abroad. Also at the table was Eve Bessonovskaya, who had quietly arrived after hearing Celia was in town.
Listening to the carefree tones of the three young women, Celia waited for Yekaterina to finish speaking before turning to Natalia Lyudayeva with a smile. "Natalia, if I'm not mistaken, you turned eighteen recently, correct?"
"Yes," Natalia nodded. "Just last month."
As she spoke, Natalia's lips curled into a smile, recalling the birthday gift she had received from a certain man, even though she hadn't seen him in person.
Celia maintained a gentle and concerned tone. "Have you thought about attending college?"
Natalia blinked in slight confusion, unsure why Celia was asking this. Nevertheless, she quickly responded, "I'll follow Simon's arrangements."
"Simon doesn't have time to handle these things for you," Celia replied. "Even if you're content with your current lives and wish to continue like this indefinitely, Simon wouldn't mind. However, you should still think about your future. After all, you can't live like this forever."
Future?
The three young women froze. Only then did they realize that two years had passed in the blink of an eye.
These had undoubtedly been the happiest and most carefree years of their lives.
Celia's words jolted them into awareness.
Yes.
They couldn't live like this forever. But what should they do?
Seeing their enthusiasm dampen, Celia was inwardly satisfied. She picked up her spoon and began eating her oatmeal.
Emily, Celia's assistant for the past two years, smirked subtly as she observed the exchange. She understood her boss's thoughts perfectly: Why should Celia bear the burden of hard work while these young girls lived without a care in the world?
The atmosphere at the table grew subdued. After a moment of silence, Natalia tentatively asked, "Celia, um, when will Simon come to Ukraine next?"
Hearing the question, Eve Bessonovskaya, who had been quietly eating, paused and glanced at Celia.
Celia shrugged. "I don't know. But with Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching in North America, I doubt the boss will have time to visit here before the end of the year."
A wave of disappointment swept across the table.
In truth, the young women faced no restrictions on traveling to North America. However, even if they went, opportunities to meet Simon were rare. After their experience during the Atlanta Olympics, when Janet had summoned them for a stern reprimand, they didn't dare seek him out on their own initiative.
The more they thought about it, the gloomier they became. Even the lavish breakfast spread lost its appeal.
After breakfast, Celia said her goodbyes and reminded Eve that she would visit the northern hot spring estate that evening. As Celia and Emily prepared to leave, Eve Genievna approached them hesitantly.
Celia gestured for Emily to get in the car and took Eve aside.
"It's like this," Eve began, leading Celia to the side of the path. "With the holidays coming up, our family has prepared some gifts—some excellent amber stones. My father hopes to send them to the lady of the house for Thanksgiving. Could you mention it to her for me?"
Celia raised an eyebrow but quickly understood.
Janet personally managed the network of attendants tied to the Westeros household. This meant that any matters involving Eve or Marta Becknatz, the housekeeper at the hot spring estate, could be communicated directly to Dume Cape Manor.
Eve, however, had chosen not to involve Marta or other attendants, opting instead to approach Celia. Clearly, this was a calculated move.
Other girls in Ukraine likely hadn't considered sending holiday gifts to Janet. Or, if they had, they might have dismissed the idea, feeling unworthy or assuming Janet wouldn't care. Eve, however, had acted discreetly to ensure her family would receive more attention from Janet.
It made perfect sense.
After all, generosity rarely goes unrewarded.
As these thoughts crossed Celia's mind, she realized her earlier breakfast conversation might not have been as impactful as she had hoped. Even if the girls
hadn't considered their futures, their families certainly had.
Moreover, with this nudge, the girls could simply bring it up with Simon the next time they saw him. A casual remark from him, and their futures would be set.
Realizing this, Celia felt frustrated. Instead of planting seeds of concern, she had unwittingly helped them.
What a kind person she was, she thought bitterly.
Suppressing her irritation, Celia agreed to pass along Eve's message, earning herself a favor from the Kolkoshko family. "Sure, I'll inform Mrs. Westeros. By the way, do you want me to deliver the gifts? I promise I won't keep them for myself."
"No, no need," Eve replied, then quickly added, "Celia, there are gifts for you as well. I'll bring them to you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow isn't a holiday," Celia said with a teasing smile. "You probably plan to go to North America for Thanksgiving. Feel free to visit my place while you're there."
Caught off guard by Celia's sharp observation, Eve blushed but nodded in agreement.
After leaving the southern villa, Celia had a productive meeting with Viktor Yanukovych, the deputy governor of Donetsk Oblast, later that morning.
Politically, the meeting went smoothly.
Due to industrial ties and ethnic connections, the Donetsk faction had close relations with Russia.
If this were the post-2000 era, with renewed tensions between the US and Russia, cooperation between factions in Ukraine would be challenging. But now, with US-Russia relations in a honeymoon phase, the east-west divide within Ukraine was less pronounced, eliminating ideological barriers.
Moreover, with their leader targeted in an assassination attempt, the Donetsk faction was severely weakened. To curry favor with the Westeros Group, they were prepared to make significant concessions. Celia's team only sought involvement in coal mining operations to secure fuel supplies for the western regions' coal-fired power plants. This modest request didn't touch the core heavy industries of Eastern Ukraine—steel, machinery, and chemicals—prompting Yanukovych to feel as though they were asking for far too little. He even hoped for higher demands, as deeper interests would ensure stronger ties between both parties.
In short, it was clear that Simon Westeros had no intention of deeply involving himself in Eastern Ukraine.
This disappointed many of Rivne's core leaders.
If Simon had been willing, the Sherban assassination case could have been leveraged to form a coalition with Kuchma to eliminate Lazarenko's faction and launch a major expansion into Eastern Ukraine. Such a move would have made it difficult for even Kuchma's group to compete with Rivne.
After the meeting with Yanukovych, Celia, accompanied by key Rivne leaders, spent the rest of the day touring the Westeros Group's investments in the region. They traveled from Rivne's northern industrial district to a recreational zone thirty kilometers north of the city.
As expected, the number of foreign tourists visiting the recreational base had decreased significantly with the onset of winter.
Fortunately, with the opening of a newly constructed ski resort near the hot spring resort, along with increased marketing to local tourists, the area managed to sustain operations.
Ukraine actually boasts some of the world's best ski resorts, but they're located in the Carpathian Mountains in the southwest. In contrast, Rivne's surrounding landscape is mostly flat. The ski resort near the hot spring resort was built on a hill with less than a hundred meters of elevation, making it suitable only for casual recreation rather than attracting professional skiing enthusiasts.
In the afternoon, the group strolled along a forested path next to the ski slopes.
Andrei Vodmyrka, the manager of the hot spring resort, personally briefed Celia on the situation.
"Weekdays are naturally slower. To attract local visitors, we've been offering free weekend shuttles from the city to the resort since late October. The past few weekends have been bustling. Last week, the ski area was nearly at capacity, and our weekend shows, including dances, magic acts, and acrobatics, were almost fully booked. The hot spring baths are in high demand, and the casino is performing decently. Overall, the resort is breaking even."
Celia, who had not yet visited the military-themed amusement park or hunting grounds, wasn't surprised. With Rivne's growth, another demographic—high-income local residents—had emerged, providing a valuable consumer base for the resort.
However, Celia didn't overlook a critical aspect and turned to Alexander Nagiev, the head of the military-themed park. "How much has the number of foreign visitors decreased recently?"
Alexander's face grew troubled. "Across the entire recreational base, foreign visitors have dropped to less than 30% of the previous quarter, mostly concentrated at the hot spring resort."
Alexander didn't elaborate on the situation at the military-themed park, but Celia could imagine. After all, few people would enjoy cold weather outings to explore tanks and aircraft. This was already expected.
That evening, another party was held, this time in Celia's honor. It also served as an informal gathering for the busy Rivne leadership.
During the event, Andrei Vodmyrka and Alexander Nagiev approached Celia again to discuss future plans.
After months of operation and deeper insights into the industry, both managers had come to realize that the hot spring resort should be the centerpiece of the recreational base. With Simon's approval, they had funneled all surplus funds into expanding the resort. The ultimate goal was to transform the hot spring resort into a casino-centered, multi-entertainment destination—a small-scale casino city.
Monaco, a European principality famed for its casinos, spans just over 2 square kilometers. While the Rivne site wouldn't compete with cities like Las Vegas, its scale could easily surpass Monaco's. Shifting from a resort model to a "casino city" model—albeit a miniature one—would significantly boost the base's global reputation and attract year-round tourists from all over the world.
"In recent months, Alexander and I have visited Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Macau, and Monaco. Based on our findings and local conditions here, we've drafted a development plan. Celia, since Simon is willing to invest $200 million in a resettlement community, I believe our project holds even greater commercial potential. If you're available tomorrow morning, can we discuss it in detail?"
Celia shook her head. "Sorry, Andrei, I have other plans for tomorrow morning. However, you're welcome to give me the proposal directly. I'll make sure Simon sees it. Honestly, the performance of the projects here is evident to everyone, and Simon is very pleased with your work. He just doesn't want things to progress too hastily."
Andrei nodded but hesitated before saying, "We've estimated a budget of around $200 million as well. However, if Simon agrees, we would only need $100 million in initial funding and the necessary financing authorization. With the Westeros Group's influence, I'm confident other investors would join us."
Alexander, watching Celia's reaction, added, "The entire development plan would take approximately five years to complete. Early investors would naturally gain larger stakes, ensuring that even with only $100 million, the Westeros Group would retain absolute control."
Celia shook her head slightly. "Honestly, $200 million sounds excessive to me. The $200 million Rivne community project is expected to accommodate 150,000 people, essentially building a new city. I can't imagine where you plan to spend that amount here. But since you're confident, I hope Simon gives you a favorable response."
PS: Regarding a major error from the previous chapter—my apologies for confusing the eastern and western sides of Rivne. For a long time, I mistakenly wrote that the slums were located in the west, when they are actually in the east according to the setting. The west houses the UFMS residential community, while the east is the civilian area. The resettlement community is in the northeast, but I had previously written it as northwest. This has been corrected starting with the last chapter. My apologies again.
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