"Committee Member Grigory, the Central Committee is currently under great pressure. Some comrades believe the Soviet Union has the capability to provide sufficient Soviet products for all the people." Kirov finished speaking, raised his glass, and drank another one.

Committee Member Grigory wanted to raise his glass, but the unhappiness in his heart made him pick up a pickled gherkin and put it in his mouth to refuse. Stimulated by the salty and sour taste, his mood was temporarily relieved. He heard Kirov continue, "I think those people are indeed causing trouble, but this is also their chance to gain a voice."

Grigory certainly knew that those people were currently striving for a voice, and using nitpicking methods, starting from emotional angles. Because the space left for them was only this much. As for the consequences that inciting such emotions would lead to, these people actually didn't care. Grigory, like Kirov, was a committee member highly regarded by General Secretary Stalin. Grigory had to try to confirm Kirov's stance. "Committee Member Kirov, do you think our line needs adjustment?"

Kirov shook his head immediately. "Since Committee Member Grigory believes we can't do it, I will unconditionally support your view. A large reason for what I said just now is hoping to avoid some meaningless arguments. We need to ensure Party unity on non-principled issues."

Grigory shook his head. "Comrade Kirov, my view is different from yours. Those comrades are the ones who should consider maintaining Party unity."

Kirov nodded slightly, but the purpose of his trip was to persuade Comrade Stalin's faction, not to purge dissidents. Even understanding Grigory's displeasure, Kirov still tried to persuade him. "Comrade Grigory, we have already achieved success in the direction of the line. Facts have proven that socialism in one country can be built. Now, it is our turn to pull those comrades back to the correct path, rather than standing on the correct path and criticizing those comrades."

Grigory shook his head. "I don't think they have truly understood where their mistakes lie."

Kirov filled his glass with wine before answering, "If we shut them out, they will never understand their mistakes. Comrade Grigory, only by letting these comrades walk on the correct path together can we truly reverse their views."

"What do you mean? Let them become persons in charge again? Do you think they can do the job well? If they could do it well, no one would have touched them."

Kirov raised his glass. "I am not referring to those who have been proven incompetent. I am referring to those comrades who are competent but lost opportunities because they were considered opposed to the 'socialism in one country' line. Comrade Grigory, don't you know such comrades?"

Grigory hesitated for a good while before reluctantly raising his glass and clinking it with Kirov's. Although he thought Kirov's view indeed made sense, Committee Member Grigory didn't speak, because admitting such a view made sense seemed like a certain degree of wavering. A certain degree of wavering might be considered disloyalty to Comrade Stalin.

After finishing the drink, Kirov stood up to take his leave. Back in his office, Kirov continued to handle his work. Recently, the internal discipline organization had uncovered a batch of parasites. Many of these parasites had obtained their current positions by supporting Comrade Stalin's line. Therefore, Kirov believed it was necessary to use a broader selection field to fill the cadres in these positions.

Two days later, Kirov received a call; Comrade Stalin wanted to see him. Kirov walked into Stalin's simply furnished office and saw Stalin sitting behind an old desk, looking up briefly before lowering his gaze again, silently filling his pipe with tobacco. Kirov walked to the old desk. "General Secretary, I have come as ordered."

Stalin pointed to the old sofa. Only after Kirov sat down did he say, "Some people were recommended by you. I am very surprised by this."

Kirov answered frankly, "General Secretary, many competent comrades do not have such a clear understanding of the line. They believe they have been treated unfairly, and the reason comes from personnel struggles rather than line struggles."

Stalin put down his pipe and asked in a flat tone, "Comrade Kirov, do you believe the cadres you nominated are not opposing just to oppose me?"

Kirov noticed Stalin didn't mention 'line struggle,' which wasn't a good sign. But Kirov believed he needed to make his thoughts clear. "General Secretary, continuing to execute the current line is the most important work at present. Many people themselves are unqualified cadres. To keep their positions, they propagate their dismissal due to incompetence as a personnel struggle. Engaging in a propaganda struggle at such a time will only waste resources and destroy unity. General Secretary, the current economic policy is moving from one success to greater success."

Hearing Kirov mention the success of economic work, Stalin's gloomy expression softened. He picked up his pipe and started smoking again. The sufficient supply of light industrial goods in the past two or three years had indeed made some wavering Central Committee members choose to stand on Stalin's side. If economic work could be carried out more successfully, Stalin believed he could thoroughly drive the Trotskyist faction out of the Central Committee.

As for Kirov's intention, Stalin believed Kirov's goal was definitely not to let Trotsky's gang take power again, but rather to continue weakening the Trotskyist faction. Although Kirov's proposal indeed didn't fit Stalin's character, judging from experience, pulling the competent ones among the Trotskyist faction to his side was equivalent to completing the expulsion of the Trotskyist faction.

Finally, Stalin tapped out the ash and smiled. "Comrade Kirov, if there are problems with those people's work, you must take responsibility."

Kirov answered immediately, "If they are unqualified cadres, they should step down."

Stalin smiled. If Kirov could really do this, the blow to the Trotskyist faction would be very ruthless.

In the half-month following this meeting, Kirov continued his work, but fewer and fewer people came to see him. However, half a month later, as Kirov continued to maintain a good relationship with Comrade Stalin and continued to arrange personnel work, as if a signal had been turned on, the number of people hoping to see Kirov increased rapidly every day.

Many of them were from Comrade Stalin's faction, and those cadres recommended by Comrade Kirov also came to see him one after another. Just a month ago, these cadres still regarded Kirov as a political enemy.

Kirov met with these comrades cordially. He didn't promise them anything but expressed in a genial tone that these comrades were competent and hoped they could shine in their work. After receiving Kirov's clear attitude, although these cadres were still worried about whether Kirov had any conspiracy, they had confidence in their own work ability. As long as Kirov didn't engage in framing and planting evidence, they could indeed achieve results.

Time soon reached April 1930, the time for trade settlement between China and the Soviet Union. The cadres assigned to the foreign trade department showed considerable work enthusiasm. So much so that when Comrade Kirov met the head of the Chinese business delegation, he thought they could chat relaxedly. However, the Chinese business delegation head opposite him didn't look very friendly. He asked, "Comrade Kirov, if the Soviet side has any dissatisfaction with the import and export quotas, you can raise it directly. Are the methods adopted by some of your cadres too excessive?"

Kirov was stunned, not understanding what this meant. Without needing him to ask, the Chinese delegation head recounted various recent 'misdeeds' of the Soviet side, such as 'gambling on whether the price could be lowered' through forced drinking, and using various petty tricks to try to make things difficult for the Chinese side, despite obviously knowing the Chinese side wouldn't concede.

Hearing the impatient performance of those cadres, Kirov answered frankly, "We will inquire into this matter. Please rest assured, Chinese comrades, we will definitely deal with it seriously."

After the meeting ended, Kirov didn't really deal harshly with those cadres but ordered the business negotiation department to submit a work manual, letting them formulate the methods adopted in negotiations themselves. Sure enough, the person in charge came to Kirov's office in person the next day, sincerely requesting Comrade Kirov's guidance.

Seeing these guys so sensible, Kirov then told the person in charge about the Chinese side's dissatisfaction. After listening, the other party said, "Committee Member Kirov, we understand. We won't do this again in the future."

Kirov advised, "Comrades, we have comrades who went to the United States. Why don't they do this to people over there? How do you think this should be explained?"

There was nothing to explain; personnel visiting the US dared not offend Americans. So the person in charge of trade negotiations with China immediately made a self-criticism. "Comrade Kirov, we will definitely respect the Chinese comrades. Please rest assured, such things will never happen again."

Kirov nodded. "We have closer trade cooperation with China, and negotiations have already formed a convention. Breaking the convention will cause misunderstandings!"

After beating some sense into this group, Kirov started reading the report on the United States. The economic crisis in this capitalist country was expanding. The US stock market did rebound after the crash, but in the end, it was an even bigger drop. The US media initially thought 'speculation had been curbed,' but didn't expect the stock market to fall to such an extent. The financial crisis quickly expanded to the production sector, and the economy had been falling for nearly half a year. Now, everyone in the US began to panic.

But news sent back by personnel the Soviet Union wanted to send to purchase goods taking advantage of this opportunity showed that US companies didn't lower prices because of this. Instead, because the Soviet side expressed an intention to purchase in large quantities, they tried to use this opportunity to make a killing from the Soviet Union. On the contrary, the equipment the Soviet Union purchased through China was delivered to the Soviet Union on time.

The style of capitalist countries made Kirov very unhappy; even at such a time, capitalists were still so greedy. Since capitalists were like this, the Soviet Union had no reason to buy their products and equipment... After all, American merchants demanded the Soviet Union pay in US dollars, or if not, pay in gold. In contrast, China continued to conduct trade on credit with the Soviet Union. For the Soviet Union, which lacked hard currency, there was absolutely no reason to choose direct trade with the United States.