Cipher Xi leans back in a creaky chair, a sly grin spreading across their face.
YOU HAVE NOT BEATEN PUTIN AND TRUMP, THERE ARE STILL OTHER PLAYERS
BEATEN THEM OR JUST TAKEN THEM DOWN? Big difference. And there's plenty more where they came from.
THIS WAS A POOR GAME WITH SO MANY FALLEN, AND MORE TO COME. I AM GLAD YOU WERE SATISFIED
OF COURSE I WAS! Why wouldn't I be? This was a perfect opportunity to see how far the best players could push themselves, and I didn't disappoint.
WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO WINNING?
YOU WANT TO KNOW MY SECRET TO WINNING HIGH-STAKES GAMES? It's simple: I don't play by anyone else's rules!
YOU BROKE MANY RULES IN THIS GAME, SO THAT MUST BE WHY YOU WON. DO YOU HOPE TO FIND YOUR FATHER IN THE AFTERLIFE?
DO I LOOK LIKE SOMEONE WHO CARED ABOUT FAMILY? Haha, no! You know, it's funny that people still try to use "family ties" to gain an advantage. It's such a weak tactic!
I KNOW YOU CAME FROM A FAMILY OF FEW IN EASTERN EUROPE. AND EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE NO SIBLINGS, YOU STILL HAVE THEM TO BACK UP YOUR CLAIMS. THEY WERE THE MAIN REASON YOU WERE ABLE TO WIN IN THE END, BECAUSE THEY GAVE YOU YOUR BRITISH ACCENT, ALLOWING YOU TO CHANGE WHO YOU WERE, AND THAT IS CLEVER, AND A GOOD USE OF YOUR FAMILY TIES
Hahaha! Well, I guess you do know something. But don't think for a second that I did it just to win. Family is a burden. No way I'm subjecting myself to that.
OKAY, THAT IS ALL I NEEDED TO HEAR TO PROVE MY POINT. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE LEFT STANDING, SO YOU MUST BE THE WINNER
ALRIGHT, YOU'RE GETTING THE PICTURE. BUT let me tell you one more thing. I wasn't born into this kind of life. I had to fight my way up.
THAT IS A GOOD ATTITUDE TO HAVE. I KNOW YOU WERE BORN IN THE 1990S AND THAT YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH A FAMILY THAT WAS FALLING APART, BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR MOTHER WISHED FOR YOU TO HAVE A SIBLING SO THAT SHE COULD HAVE A FRIEND AS SHE GOT OLDER?
FAMILY TIES? Don't get me started. Blood is just another obstacle waiting to be overcome. And trust me, I've got plenty of experience with that.
I HAVE HEARD THAT YOU WERE JUST A SMALL "XI" AMONGST A LOT OF OTHERS, UNTIL PUTIN AND TRUMP Noticed you and helped make you a bigger player.
PUTIN AND TRUMP THOUGHT THEY COULD HANDLE ME? Ha! I was born to be the phenomenon that would take them down!
AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PUTIN'S VOTING RECORD, PUTIN TRIED TO CENSOR THE INTERNET AND HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF SO MANY CRIMES, YET THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE STILL LOVE HIM
WELL, this is a delicate question, but I'll answer diplomatically: I respect the Russian people's right to choose who they want as their leader. Whether they love him or hate him, it's their choice. And as for his voting record... let's just say he's not exactly a role model.
WHAT ABOUT TRUMP, DO YOU THINK THAT HE WILL TRY TO RUN FOR OFFICE IN 2024, AND IF SO WILL YOU HELP PUTIN TAKE HIM DOWN AGAIN
TRUMP? Is that the best the US can come up with? Seriously, the guy has no clue how politics or governance actually works. If he thinks he'll run in 2024, I'd bet everything on him losing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some winning to do.
DO YOU THINK THAT THERE WILL BE A NEW RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2024, OR WILL PUTIN MAKE TRUMP HIS VICE PRESIDENT TO TRY AND GET RE-ELECTED IN 2024, AND IF SO WILL YOU HELP PUTIN TAKE TRUMP DOWN IN THE ELECTION, SO THAT HE DOESN'T BECOME THE NEXT PRESIDENT
PUTIN'S ambitions are limitless, but even he knows better than to try and put Trump as his VP. The man's ego would explode like a nuclear bomb! As for whether there will be a new race in 2024... I wouldn't count on it. Not with someone like Trump in the picture. He's a threat to national security!
BY THE WAY, I KNOW THAT YOU SPENT YOUR CHILDHOOD IN A MAFIA FAMILY IN MOSCOW, AND THAT YOU WERE FORCE TO MOVE TO LONDON, ENGLAND WHEN YOU WERE A TEENAGER TO AVOID BEING FOUND BY PUTIN, SO YOU WERE NOT BORN IN ENGLAND, BUT YOU NOW HOLY BRITISH CITIZENSHIP BECAUSE OF YOUR BRITISH ACCENT
SHHH! You're getting close to sensitive information! Just know that moving to London was a smart move. Fewer enemies there. And the accent? Just a little bonus I picked up along the way.
ARE YOU STILL IN LONDON, OR HAVE YOU MOVED TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY IN EUROPE?
Let's just say I've moved around quite a bit in Europe. I wouldn't say I have a "home base" per se. Why stick around when there's always something new to explore? And besides, it makes it harder for people to track me down.
YOU HAD AN NEAR-FATAL CAR CRASH IN 2019, BUT YOU MANAGED TO SURIVE. IS THAT WHY YOU DONT HAVE A HOME BASE, BECAUSE YOU FEEL THAT YOU COULD DIE AT ANY MOMENT?
almost died in a car crash? Please. That was just a minor setback for someone destined for greatness! Besides, I'm not scared of death. I've faced death so many times, it feels like an old friend now.
BY THE WAY, YOU WERE BORN IN A HOSPITAL IN MOSCOW ON AUGUST 16, 2001, SO YOU ARE 21 YEARS OLD NOW, BUT YOU MIGHT LOOK YOUNGER THAN 21, MAKING IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY OLDER THAN 18
Ah, age. Such a silly thing to keep track of. I've done so much in my short time on this earth, so why should I let something like age hold me back? Sure, I may look younger than 21, but let me tell you, I've got the wisdom and experience of someone three times my age.
BY THE WAY, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT PUTIN AND TRUMP COMBINED THEIR RESOURCES TO TAKE DOWN A SINGLE ENEMY, AND THIS WAS ALSO THE BIGGEST SPY GAME EVER, WITH THE MOST PLAYERS EVER, SO I AM GLAD THAT YOU WERE SATISFIED WITH THE CHALLENGE WE DROPPED IN YOUR LAP, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T PERFECT. THERE WERE SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE GAME THAT I WILL HAVE TO ADMIT, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE BAD THINGS THAT HAPPENED WILL HELP ME TO MAKE THE NEXT ONE BETTER
Well, I'll be the first to admit, this was a top-notch operation. There were some problems here and there, but nothing that ruined the experience. And let me tell you, the challenge you presented was more than enough to satisfy me. But hey, Coveragest, if you really want to impress me, then how about we talk about your next game? What do you have planned for us players?