Question: I have a question about your thoughts on my work. It's not about whether it's good or not, but rather how you feel when I write about real-life figures in an alternate timeline. Do you find it uncomfortable if I include Putin or any other figure you dislike? Your preference—whether you like or dislike Russia—will inevitably influence how I portray them in this fictional history.

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Note: This work is entirely fictional and belongs to the Alternate History genre, using historical characters and events in a fictional context. All content is a product of imagination and does not reflect reality or any political or military stance.

The story contains sensitive elements such as violence, large-scale warfare, tense political conflicts, and alternative historical depictions. It is not suitable for readers under 16 years of age or those who may be psychologically affected.
Continuing to read implies acceptance of all controversial elements within the work.

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After receiving the invitation, they decided to assess Russia's technological capabilities and headed to Melkov port, where the cruiser Varyag was anchored. Currently, there were quite a few people admiring the ship. From there, Stalin and Ikanovih could also hear the chatter of the crowd.

"Is that a new ship?"

"It looks like a light cruiser, but the turrets are too small."

"And what are those tubes for?"

All were speculating about the ship's strength. The four of them approached the Varyag; its impressive size gave Fil a better impression of Russia, while Magnus, who didn't know much about military matters, especially naval ones, remained silent.

A gangway was already set up for boarding. They quickly stepped aboard. The first impression upon stepping onto the ship was very strong. It was detailed with things they weren't even sure of the purpose. However, they could still recognize some familiar elements.

Notably, its pitifully small turrets; in military terms, they were too weak to inflict significant damage. The tubes mounted on either side made the overall appearance of the ship quite odd. But as previously discussed, Russia prioritized practicality, so everything on the ship was there for a reason.

Two of them noticed a man standing still in front of them. The two Russian diplomats approached and shook his hand, after which Stalin turned to introduce: "Allow me to introduce Mr. Gagarin, a weapons specialist; any questions about the ship will be answered as we proceed."

Magnus quickly stepped forward to introduce himself: "Call me Magnus, a diplomat from MU; and this is Fil, a military officer here to assess."

"Nice to meet you both. Today, we will address any questions regarding this ship. So as we move, any inquiries within the scope of the ship will be answered to the best of our ability," Gagarin said, his smile creating a friendly atmosphere that no one could refuse.

Even Magnus, who had no interest in military matters, was genuinely eager to learn about it. With that urge, he said, "Then please give us a brief explanation about this ship."

Gagarin quickly responded, while Fil used his camera to record the necessary information: "This is the Varyag cruiser, one of the heavy cruisers of the Slava class, a missile cruiser of the Pacific Fleet, designated K-011. It was launched in 1983. Our current year is 2020."

"Wait, does Russia have its own calendar system?" Magnus asked. He was surprised that Russia had something different, as he still didn't believe the story of Russia being a displaced nation, but he gestured for Gagarin to continue.

"Exactly, but it only differs in the year; the day and month match, so it doesn't matter which calendar we use. Moving on, the ship's maximum speed is thirty-two knots, with a range of 7,500 nautical miles, or 14,260 kilometers. The crew consists of about five hundred people with various duties," Gagarin explained. This was basic information for Russia, but somewhat not for MU. Revealing the speed was a significant loss, as enemies could exploit that to gain an advantage.

"Now, next is about the weapons, so listen carefully, as they will all be demonstrated when we reach our destination." This time, Fil couldn't contain his composure and shouted.

"How can you disclose information about the weapons? Just revealing the speed is already a huge advantage, but now you're talking about the weapon systems. Does Russia have a problem or something that you..."

Before Fil could say anything more, Gagarin's hand stopped him. He looked at the face of the man before him; a person who should have experience in this matter was behaving inappropriately. But Gagarin calmly explained for both to understand.

"I don't know how the world works, how the military operates. But... in our world, it's different; a world where specifications are always provided for nations to see. For us, knowing about weapons doesn't make much of a difference. It all depends on tactics and other conflicts," Gagarin said, taking a deep breath before getting to the point.

"We only care about core technology, meaning everything on a naval ship has different details regarding engines, technology... In general, even if we disclose all the weapons Russia has, it wouldn't affect anything. I hope you understand."

Now the two had nothing more to say; it simply contradicted the common sense they lived by. There was a country that disclosed all specifications of its weapons without worry, along with core technology. This hinted that the ship might contain something even more suspicious.

As the two were silently pondering, Gagarin asked them, "Is this the island you mentioned?"

Fil looked in the direction Gagarin pointed; indeed, it was. The island that MU had used to test weapon performance; it was called Ebe ule, meaning testing ground, and it was so famous for its desolate appearance that it was unrecognizable as an island.

"Yes, this is it," Fil confirmed.

"Good, now we need to go to the bow of the ship for a better view and to ensure safety."

All five moved to the bow; Gagarin took something out and handed it to the two. Although they didn't know what it was, by the way the Russians wore it, they could guess it was for ear protection against loud sounds, Magnus thought. "Very considerate."

Gagarin took out a radio and spoke into it: "Ak-130 cannon, fire at the target at ten o'clock."

The Ak-130 turret turned towards the target. Magnus and Fil looked at it with little hope, as with such a small caliber, it couldn't inflict significant damage on their ship. But using it to disrupt enemy vessels made much more sense, as it was, after all, a cruiser; perhaps a light cruiser, so that role was reasonable. However, Fil was somewhat confused about what the missiles were for, but it was still worth watching.

The Ak-130 continuously fired at the island; the sight of a warship's turret firing rapidly was something Magnus and Fil could hardly imagine.

"If I may say, its role would be even greater," Fil, with rising excitement, immediately turned to ask.

"Mr. Gagarin, how can this turret fire so quickly? Although the caliber is smaller than naval guns, it's still too large to be at a lower level. Even I can't fathom how it can do that."

"What you are asking is classified, so we cannot explain in detail. But I can summarize that it is due to the fire control system responsible for it. Let's save this question for later, as next is the ship's main weapon." At this point, Gagarin was smiling; it wasn't a friendly smile but rather a boastful one.

This was the moment the strength of the two militaries was showcased. In the old world, this would be seen as an unfriendly act and would be condemned. But in this world, there were only the law of the jungle and no clear connections except for some communication methods, which he found quite strange but not overly impactful.

Magnus also noticed Gagarin's smile, the confident smile of a victor. No one was unaware of MU's strength; although they were two levels below Milishial, they were still one of the powerful forces to counter any invasions from hostile nations, thus earning the title of superpower. However, that had become a weakness in diplomacy when arrogance was clearly present.

But it was best to focus on the present. The group was concentrating on the island. Suddenly, a bright light occurred behind them. Fil and Magnus turned to check but were too late. It had already flown away, leaving a white smoke that made them cough. This was unexpected; as the smoke cleared, they looked in the direction of what had just flown away.

A massive explosion occurred at the island. It was enormous; even their current naval guns couldn't create such a large explosion. This raised questions for the two: How did Russia possess such powerful weapons? But with such great power, why did Russia prioritize diplomacy over using that strength to conquer? Papaldia was like that, but Russia was entirely different: friendly, humble, though not entirely, but much better than Papaldia.

"You have seen enough; we will not disclose anything further. Now I will explain the types of weapons we have demonstrated." Gagarin began explaining the two types of weapons, which made Fil very excited, to the point that it showed on his face.

First was the AK-130 cannon, an automatic multi-functional gun. It could be used for anti-ship, air defense, and ground support in certain situations. But the most notable feature was its air defense capability; that was a feature they couldn't meet, so they had to increase the number of anti-aircraft guns to compensate.

Additionally, it increased accuracy through its advanced radar system, with a firing rate of about ninety rounds per minute. However, that was just the average rate, and it could use various types of ammunition to meet different situations. This was merely a secondary weapon, so it wasn't rated as highly as what came next.

The P-1000 Vulkan anti-ship missile was indeed a strange name and concept. What is a missile? Is it a type of projectile that can shoot fire from behind to fly away? That was the initial thought when seeing them. But now, hearing about it, Fil's perspective had completely changed; just the first line describing it already indicated its power.

The P-1000 Vulkan is a supersonic cruise missile developed by Russia, an upgraded version of the P-500 Bazalt missile system. It has a range of 700 to 1,000 km, farther than the Bazalt; this makes it one of the long-range anti-ship missiles. But what was even more terrifying was that the P-1000 had a speed ranging from Mach 2.5 to 2.8 (about 3,000 km/h); that was a concept the two had never heard of, so Magnus immediately asked.

"Excuse me, but what is Mach? It's a unit of yours, so we don't understand. Please explain it."

"Mach is a unit used to measure the speed of an object, defined as a dimensionless value obtained by comparing the speed of the object to the speed of sound in the medium. Essentially, it is used to designate objects that can fly faster than the speed of sound," Gagarin explained.

The two were genuinely surprised. Faster than sound? So does this help Russia achieve any goals? But it could be inferred that, regardless of the purpose, it was still a powerful weapon used to destroy a ship. With such range and speed, just this ship alone would be enough to defeat their strongest warships.

After experiencing many intense feelings, their views on Russia had completely changed. Magnus now evaluated Russia differently than before. He thought Russia was just an emerging nation, merely exaggerating its capabilities, but after witnessing what that ship could do, Magnus decided: "If Russia can produce this and it all relies on science, then it truly exceeds imagination."

Fil hurriedly left with the camera; now it was just him to carry out the rest. He opened the conversation to take the initiative in this highly potential diplomatic relationship.

Returning to Melkov, he faced the two Russian diplomats. He was trying to think of the most suitable proposal for Russia. A country capable of building such a ship was not to be underestimated. But that also raised many questions, such as: Are there one or more ships like this? What is Russia's economic strength? He hadn't asked that while on the ship.

Now it was nearing the end of the day, and the main task was still unfinished. Verification would have to wait; for now, the priority was to turn Russia into an ally or at least a friendly nation to avoid unnecessary conflict. To achieve that, trade was the key point of this matter.

"I have witnessed enough to understand that Russia must have a fairly solid economy, at least until it was displaced as you said. But the time isn't long, so Russia must have some valuable goods to export to us?" Magnus said seriously.

Stalin, with an excited expression, replied: "I think so too. Our goods can be very diverse for export, but we will prioritize what our partners need. So does MU have anything it needs that it cannot produce or is insufficient?"

"Well... It's almost winter now, and the winter issue is quite serious due to the harsh cold. What we need is warmth and food, although food can temporarily be resolved by trading with Papaldia, which has a much warmer climate," Magnus said. He thought for a moment and then asked.

"Russia is in a better position than Papaldia, so agriculture must be very developed, and with such a large area, resources must be abundant, right?"

"Of course, we can meet those two needs if that is what MU requires," Ikanovih said with a confident smile.

"Really? What about mineral resources?" Magnus asked in surprise, which left Stalin and Ikanovih somewhat confused, as trading in mineral resources was not uncommon; it was quite common, as it was a very effective opportunity for technological cooperation in resource-rich countries.

"That is true, but based on your inquiry, may we ask about it?" Ikanovih asked with a doubtful expression.

"Oh, right, you are not residents here. Let me explain." Magnus took a deep breath and said. "Resources, which are extremely important to all nations here. Even Milishial, the strongest producer, lacks resources, and nations do not trade in resources."

"The reason is that resources are insufficient for everyone, or they are too deep to reach," Magnus declared. This surprised the two, as research was still ongoing, and that wasn't their area of expertise, so it was understandable that they wouldn't grasp the issue.

But that wouldn't affect the process; on the contrary, it was a tremendous opportunity to help the country escape the increasingly severe crisis. If it weren't for the gold obtained from abroad, the inflation rate would be even worse than initially. Keeping inflation at 45% also helped slow down the economic collapse, but it couldn't replace the paralyzed energy sector.

Thanks to MU's favorable conditions for Russia, the situation could stabilize. With overflowing confidence, Stalin asserted one last time to Magnus: "Mr. Magnus, the Russian Federation is always ready to support its partner nations with its capabilities in a spirit of mutual benefit. We are always ready to sell resources to MU, all refined, not raw materials."

Ikanovih chimed in: "And food too; we have agriculture with superior self-sufficiency. To date, Russia is the main food supplier for over eight countries."

"Outside or within the civilized area?" Magnus asked.

"We don't pay attention to that, but according to compiled documents, there are two countries in civilization number three, and the rest are outside civilization. But I must say, this system is quite ridiculous and very unreasonable when it comes to foreign relations."

Ikanovih said, expressing his views when mentioning it. Magnus could also understand what the person before him was thinking; the issue of dividing civilized areas was utterly unnecessary if nations wanted to cooperate externally. Russia had also done well in trading without encountering any conflicts.

"Then let's continue discussing related matters. Besides food and mineral resources, what else can you provide to MU?"

"In addition to those two, we can also export heating devices to you to solve the heating issue," Stalin said, making Magnus feel intrigued. He asked further, "Heating devices? What are they like?"

Stalin coughed a few times and then said: "The heating devices here are oil-based; they use oil as a heat transfer medium. This is a fairly common heating method, alongside some other methods, and it will make it easier for MU to get through the winter."

"Oil? Do you really use that precious resource for heating?" Magnus couldn't help but be astonished. How rich in resources must Russia be to use such a valuable commodity for civilian purposes? This made Magnus think more about the richness of Russia's resources on many levels.

This was truly wonderful. In such a strong development phase, having Russia's support in this regard would make MU stronger, to counterbalance Milishial and no longer depend on Papaldia as much as before.

"Then we will discuss some other areas to make this more certain, shall we?" Magnus said. This was the result both sides desired. He discussed many other things, and very quickly, everything reached a consensus. He stood up, and both sides shook hands.

But to officially establish diplomatic relations, MU's foreign ministry needed to formally add Russia to their partner list. Magnus took the two to a hotel to rest before heading to the capital the next day. A shared room was booked, and Magnus left afterward to allow the two to relax in the room.

"MU isn't too bad, is it? At least compared to those civilized countries," Stalin said, sitting on the bed looking out the window.

"Not really; he's just friendly with that man. But we'll let tomorrow decide," Ikanovih replied.

Ikanovih looked around and saw some very classic items, fitting for a country at the beginning of the 20th century. The type of landline phone seemed very common in MU, indicating a good social welfare system that could realize this.

"We need to make MU a partner, preferably a country that depends on us as much as possible," Ikanovih said, catching Stalin's attention.

"Not to that extent; we just need less developed countries to help make that happen."

"Countries like those medieval ones would be a loss that wouldn't even cover the costs."

"Alright, we still need to wait until tomorrow to assess the internal situation," Stalin added, but was interrupted by a knock on the door and the voice of a young man.

"This is dinner, gentlemen."

"Okay, we'll leave that for tomorrow. For now, let's eat; it's been a tiring day, so let's stop here. Come in!"

...

November 12, 2020/4017 Fourth Era.

The next day, they left the hotel, with Magnus waiting by the car below. He signaled, and the two got in, and he began discussing the current situation. "Today we will go to the capital Mykol to officially sign the establishment of diplomatic relations."

Ikanovih asked in surprise, "So soon? Didn't we just discuss this yesterday?"

"Yes, but I discussed it over the phone. They have generally grasped the situation and the agreements between both sides. Now, you just need to go there and sign the prepared document for both sides to officially become partners."

"So no one is opposing it?" Stalin asked skeptically.

"No, who would be sober enough to refuse? Since this is a crucial matter, it must be prioritized," Magnus said, then sighed, seeming to have had a sleepless night to complete those tasks. Now they just needed to go and sign; everything would be resolved relatively, and then they would think about other matters.

The car quickly arrived in Mykol. From the outside, the two saw a familiar architectural style, Gothic architecture, with houses featuring stained glass windows, symmetrical doors, and other elements typical of this style. But that wasn't the only highlight; there were also factories with chimneys scattered everywhere. Thus, the entire city resembled a concentrated industrial area more than a real city. The streets were bustling with people, resembling early 20th-century streets; workers heading to factories, men in suits walking elegantly, and women in long dresses. Compared to this scene, what had happened before felt much more professional.

The car continued through the streets, the scenery of Mykol was lively and vibrant, in stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere of Moscow, which was going through difficult times. It was hard to explain, aside from the fact that unemployment was rising. Additionally, winter was approaching, with the harsh temperate cold making heating a top priority. Other sectors would find it very difficult to fully recover. But there would still be opportunities if reasonable policies were implemented, although the government maintained military spending at 4% of GDP, a rather puzzling action that would be explained later.

When they arrived at the central building, where MU's government was located, it wasn't particularly special from the outside with its Gothic architecture. The three quickly entered inside. Along the way, Stalin and Ikanovih continuously received strange looks from those around them. The two didn't understand what that meant, but it shouldn't be something to be concerned about.

Inside the building, the atmosphere became more formal. Large paintings hung on the walls depicting the history and culture of MU, along with symbols of the nations that had once been their partners. Magnus led the way, bringing the two Russian diplomats to a grand hall, where President Sten of MU was waiting. The hall was lavishly decorated, with warm golden light from large chandeliers creating a solemn atmosphere.

As they entered the room, everything proceeded very simply: both sides met and greeted each other; introductions, signing, handshakes, and photos. The photo captured was of Stalin shaking hands with President Sten, with Ikanovih beside him wearing a slight smile. The flash of the camera lit up, capturing the important moment of this historical event. A sense of excitement filled the air, as if both sides recognized they were standing at a new crossroads in international relations.