Vasilich, A Support Groupe

by Boris Bakhmetyev

As uncertainty about the future of the company grew amid general turbulence, some responsible employees instinctively began to consolidate around the courageous figure of Cactus Vasilich, who was temporarily filling the position of the top executive — long absent from the workplace due to an unknown serious illness. It would be fair to say that a certain stable support group for Vasilich had formed, and in private conversations they even did not rule out the possibility of nominating his candidacy in some local-level elections, likely within Moscow’s Central Administrative District.

Vasilich’s authority in the team was so high that no critical remarks were directed at him. Well, except that some of the female employees noted he was a bit too prickly. To this, the top executive’s secretary — and Vasilich’s trusted confidante — Iskrina Romanovna responded very originally, saying that one could always shave the cactus. After that, the support group unanimously decided that, should Vasilich participate in an election campaign, Iskrina Romanovna should be appointed his chief image-maker.

But what about Vasilich himself — how did he react to all these public initiatives? Clearly, he behaved like a born, self-assured, strong leader with irresistible charisma. As his true character increasingly revealed itself, he less and less resembled the modest company employee Yevgeny Vasilyevich, who once naively prided himself on his physical resemblance to the top executive.

So how did Cactus Vasilich respond to the people’s hopes? As befits a true leader: he remained mysteriously silent. But he did so with such firmness that he instilled in all his supporters boundless confidence in the future.

Of course, Vasilich wasn’t silent for no reason. He was thinking — about a very important public statement he intended to make in the foreseeable future.

All that remained for everyone else was to wait…

December 8, 2025