"No, you must learn these."
Grindelwald was very persistent. He looked at Audrey firmly. "While I am still here, my people naturally won't have any ulterior motives. But what if I am no longer around?"
He continued, "To ensure your subordinates do not embezzle your property, you must either show absolute leadership and deterrence so they dare not act recklessly, or be professional and diligent enough yourself so they find no opportunity to exploit."
"I am already over a hundred years old, child. I can only protect you for a few more years."
"Do you really want to experience the taste of being betrayed by your subordinates again?"
The last sentence was a total clincher. Grindelwald, who deeply understood the human heart, had accurately grasped another of Audrey's weaknesses from Dumbledore's description of the Basilisk's death.
Audrey closed her eyes in silence.
After a long moment,
She opened her eyes, the look of tragic resolve in them expressing her attitude:
"Fine, Teacher, I'll learn!"
However, in the next second, her large eyes instantly became teary.
"But can we make it so the daily study time doesn't exceed four hours?"
...
...
Usually, when looking at the financial statements, Audrey had a general idea of how many industries she owned.
But when she actually got started, she realized,
She had underestimated herself.
Even though the cores of those military and heavy industrial enterprises had moved to China, her influence in Ukraine at this time was still terrifyingly large.
Her industries spanned all walks of life.
In every city and every village, more than half of the people were working for her!
Talk about an explosive sense of accomplishment.
If she wanted to, she could become President at any time and push Leonid Kravchuk off the stage.
Leonid Kravchuk (hereafter referred to as Mr. President),
was the first president of independent Ukraine, the culprit behind the collapse of the Ukrainian economy, and one of the executioners of the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Our Mr. President was actually Polish. Poland was originally partitioned by Germany and the Soviet Union, so he became a Soviet citizen.
After reaching adulthood, he entered politics. He was a standard ivory-tower politician; his statecraft was lackluster, but he was a master at forming factions and stirring up trouble.
As the second strongest member of the Soviet Union, Ukraine's attitude during the most turbulent years of the Soviet Union was crucial to the survival and development of the USSR.
But as a Pole whose 'nation had been destroyed,' Mr. President clearly did not stand on the side of the Soviet Union. He eventually cooperated with Yeltsin and others and successfully dismembered the Soviet Union.
But after the Soviet Union fell, he realized that without the protection of the Big Brother, he was nothing!
Even if he held powerful military force and immense authority.
Economic and developmental issues left him overwhelmed and helpless. So he blindly believed in the 'guidance' of Western countries and adopted 'shock therapy,' rapidly converting state assets into private ones, creating many oligarchs while the lives of ordinary people went from bad to worse.
He hoped the West, led by the United States, would grant Ukraine loans. When the United States proposed the scrapping of all nuclear weapons as a condition for the loans, Leonid Kravchuk agreed without hesitation.
Stripping away his own defenses and causing economic collapse, he instead created many large financial magnates who controlled the national economy. The country was eventually left in a complete mess by him.
This time, before those Western agents could make a move, Audrey emerged out of nowhere and, through legal or illegal means, seized a vast amount of wealth.
The person who truly had the final say in Ukraine today,
was the little witch in front of him, scratching her head until smoke almost came out.
"Grandma Rosier, let's stop here for today! I've already finished eighty percent of the industry reports. I have the gist of it!"
"No, you don't," Vinda Rosier said without a hint of a smile on her face. "You must finish reading all the materials before this afternoon. In the following days, you need to personally inspect your subsidiaries!"
The old lady said solemnly, "After the inspection, you must write an industry investigation report and a future development plan. I know you're a smart girl; this won't be difficult for you!"
Audrey truly admired the old woman before her. Before coming to Ukraine, Vinda had always lived a pure wizarding life.
Yet for Grindelwald's sake, she had actually self-studied to become a management expert in just one year!
Although a wizard's brain is more developed than a Muggle's, she was simply too diligent!
Having a diligent person teach someone in the late stages of 'lazy cancer' was not a pleasant experience for either party.
"No—"
Audrey wailed as she picked up a report from the top of the four-and-a-half-foot-thick pile of documents.
"I think I need a secretary, an assistant. I think Edmond would be quite good!"
Vinda sneered, "Edmond has many important matters to handle. He has no time to accompany an elementary student like you to learn from scratch."
While Vinda turned around to pour water, Audrey made a face at her back.
Blehh...
...
The door was pushed open, and in came the guard of the AA Group building.
This office building was originally the site of the Kiev Grain and Oil Trade Commune, but now it was the headquarters of the Ukrainian AA Group.
Why AA?
Audrey Astley.
"Ms. Rosier, Mr. Leonid Kravchuk is here to visit!"
"Mr. President?"
Vinda looked at Audrey. "Let's go, our little boss. You should meet Mr. President as well."
Audrey met with Mr. President reluctantly.
A gray-haired old man flattering a girl who wasn't even eighteen yet—that scene would cause discomfort, so let's not elaborate further.
The general content was hoping that the AA Group could invest more in public infrastructure, increase employment rates, and strive to achieve Ukraine's economic recovery.
But when asked what rewards the Ukrainian government could give in return, Mr. President was hesitant and vague.
Good grief, another freeloader!
After seeing Mr. President off, Audrey turned and asked Vinda:
"How is our cooperation with the military going?"
"Progress hasn't been very smooth. Our people did use the Imperius Curse to control a few middle-ranking officers, but it doesn't help much with the overall situation."
Audrey's brow furrowed slightly. She tilted her head a little and looked at Vinda out of the corner of her eye.
This expression made Vinda Rosier feel for a moment as if she were seeing the Gellert Grindelwald who had dominated the world decades ago!
"Didn't I tell you to recruit more Squibs? Your 'Wizard Supremacy' ideology is too strong; negotiations with Muggles are often condescending, which ruins things! But Squibs are the most perfect catalyst between wizards and Muggles!"
Vinda asked, "Audrey, what do you want to cooperate with the military on?"
Audrey looked at Vinda with a face full of disbelief.
"Grandma Rosier! You don't actually think we can control the whole of Ukraine with just a few hundred wizards, do you?"
She pointed out the window. "Mr. President may seem humble today, but in reality, his confidence is stronger than anyone's! Because he controls the army! If we don't cooperate with him, his measures will become increasingly aggressive until he labels us traitors and then has the army directly take over our industries!"
"The army, only the army!"
Audrey said passionately.
"Only when we form an inseparable community of interests with the Ukrainian military can we remain invincible!"
"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun!"
Vinda was still puzzled. "But we have enough weapons and enough people. If it really comes to a fight, we aren't afraid of the Ukrainian government at all!"
Audrey shook her head. "Even if we win, so what? What we'll get is a devastated Ukraine! Spend my money to destroy my own assets? Isn't that brain-dead?"
"Grandma Rosier, time waits for no one. Mr. President has already taken action; we must immediately increase our control over the army!"
"Alright, I'll go arrange it immediately."
Vinda hurriedly walked out of the office. Reaching the door, she suddenly stopped and looked back, her expression somewhat complicated.
"Audrey, while I am away, your studies cannot stop! Keep reading the materials. After you finish everything, go on that inspection for me! I'll be waiting for your industry report and development plan!"
Vinda left, and Audrey slammed the table in anger.
Dammit!
She thought that by finding an excuse to send Vinda away, she could relax for a couple of days!
Audrey lay face down on the desk, looking like life wasn't worth living.
While she was suffering here, Isaline and Rick were enjoying themselves at the lakeside villa...
"Isaline?"
Audrey's eyes lit up. This girl was born of royalty; wouldn't it be a waste not to utilize such a good source of labor?
Crack!
...
...
Inside the lakeside villa.
Isaline was on the balcony of her second-floor room, setting up an easel. She was humming a little tune while painting.
She wanted to paint the beautiful lake view.
Then she would give this painting to Edmond as this year's Christmas gift.
Crack!
Audrey appeared behind her.
The violent bang of Apparition gave Isaline a huge fright.
"Oh, it's Audrey. Aren't you at the company learn—"
"Save the talk, come with me!"
Without allowing any argument, Audrey grabbed Isaline's wrist. Space twisted, and the two vanished from the balcony, leaving only the breeze to flutter the edges of the painting.
In the painting, a man and a woman were strolling hand-in-hand by the lake. The woman vaguely resembled Isaline herself, while the man's features were quite blurry.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]