"This guy is likely to have climbed up the ranks by bribing his superiors," said Joan, who had experienced similar chaotic times and explained the situation to the two men.
"Based on what we've just seen and the general's situation, under normal circumstances, he would likely have spent his whole life in Russia's Far East, possibly retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel if he was lucky, or as a Major for the rest of his life if he was not."
"But this man's trajectory up the ranks is clearly abnormal, especially being able to jump straight from a small garrison in Central Asia to the capital, St. Petersburg-this is completely not normal."
Normally, Tsarist Russian officers would either stay around cities like St. Petersburg and climb the ranks step by step or spend their entire life bunkering down in distant places like these, so people who take such great leaps are exceedingly rare.
