The Magician’s Memorial - Chapter 123



Only Krnovel

Episode 123 Before the Storm (2)

Putin knew everything.

He already knew that I was the successor to Taewoo Group and the CEO of SAVE Investment Company, and he was implicitly showing that he knew more information than that.

“This time, I came to Russia on behalf of Taewoo Group.”

“I’ve seen it in pictures many times, but seeing it in person is a new experience. Thank you. “Thanks to you, I was able to get to this position.”

Putin came to shake my hand.

He was truly grateful to me for supporting him even when he was an independent.

“I would be more grateful if it helped.”

“Of course it helps. Thanks to you, I was able to feed my mouth.”

I smiled too and held out my hand.

At that moment, Putin suddenly increased his grip and crushed my fingers as if they were going to break them.

Is this an intention to promote one’s authority?

In the past, Putin was on the receiving end of help, but now it was Putin who let us know through a handshake that things had changed.

“I’ve cleared my schedule for today. “Wouldn’t you like to drink all night long with friends from far away?”

“Thank you for your time.”

Putin raised his drink without changing his expression.

David, who was quick-witted, quickly opened the whiskey bottle and filled the glass with alcohol.

So we filled each other’s glasses and emptied more than three bottles of whiskey.

“ah! “It’s the head.”

Whiskey was a very strong drink.

I was confident when it came to alcohol, but I lost my mind the moment I drank more than three bottles.

I woke up with a severe headache to the sound of birds chirping.

“Are you awake? “If you drink some warm tea, you’ll feel better.”

“thank you.”

Putin personally brewed the tea.

As soon as I smelled the fragrant black tea, my headache disappeared.

But black tea?

Suddenly, goosebumps appeared all over my body.

A bad rumor related to Putin and black tea came to mind.

Rumor has it that poisoned black tea was used as a way to get rid of political enemies.

“Why don’t you drink it? “Could it be possible that I put poison in it?”

“It can’t be. “I will drink it gratefully.”

I couldn’t remember what was being said while drinking all night.

However, seeing as Putin’s speaking tone has become much more comfortable, it seems like a good conversation was exchanged.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“It’s really beautiful nature. “I’m in a place you only see in movies.”

“Russia is a country with so many things. But a few people had it all in their hands.”

“Do you mean oligarch?”

“They are like bugs eating Russia. “I will take away everything they have.”

Honestly, I laughed out loud.

It was true that the oligarchs had Russia’s economy in their hands.

What difference would it make if Putin took that away?

It may be better than today’s Russia, but it doesn’t change the fact that most wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few people.

“I sincerely hope that we can become the Russia that the president wants us to be.”

“Economic officials say oligarchs are a necessary evil. If they disappear, Russia will become more difficult because there will be no one to run the economy properly. “How much money did you get from the oligarchs for you to say that in front of me?”

“Aren’t economic officials afraid of change?”

“So I guess I need you to help me.”

It was Putin who finally got to the point.

The drinking party that lasted all night was just preparation for the present.

The reason I gave a huge donation to him, who was an independent, was for the present.

“Taewoo Group is preparing to enter Russia.”

“That is very welcome. “Right now, Russia is no different from being isolated.”

“We have plans to build Taewoo Motors and Taewoo Electronics factories in Russia.”

“I can take care of all your convenience. “If we can fill the shortage of jobs, what can’t we do?”

The Russian economy was still at its worst.

As less than two years had passed since the moratorium was declared, foreign companies were reluctant to enter Russia.

How welcome would it be to build a large-scale factory under these circumstances?

“Taewoo Motors is in need of a new production base as its European sales are increasing significantly. “As long as an environment for stable automobile production is created, construction can begin right now.”

“Hmm, in the end, we have to quickly sort out the oligarchs before we can move on to the next step.”

Putin wet his mouth with black tea.

I drank tea with him and waited for him to continue speaking.

“It’s not that difficult to organize the oligarchs. The problem is that there is no one to manage the businesses they run.”

“In the case of state-owned companies, things work out somehow. Of course, if you have a good manager, it will run better, but if you don’t, it won’t fail.”

“In order to rebuild Russia, we need someone who can manage state-owned enterprises well on behalf of the oligarchs.”

I tried my best to pretend not to be interested.

If you step out here for no reason, you might be labeled as a snob.

“How can I help you?”

“What does Russia think is the strongest power?”

“Isn’t it a huge territory and a strong mentality?”

“The energy resources that come from our vast territory are the strongest power we have.”

Russia’s natural resources needed no explanation.

Oil, natural gas, etc. It would not be wrong to say that natural resources produced in Russia are warming Europe.

“Are you asking us to help develop natural resources? But I understand that Gazprom is already developing many resources.”

“Russia’s natural resources are only used to enrich the oligarchs. “I am trying to destroy the current structure.”

What is Putin taking so long to give me?

You probably don’t want to give Gazprom to me.

“How are you planning to change the structure?”

“They are trying to create a huge energy company by combining Gazprom and foreign capital. “Please take charge of one axis.”

“Are you asking me to participate in Russia’s natural resources development project?”

“51% of the shares will be held by the Russian government, but the remaining shares may be given to you depending on the investment amount. “If you invest the money to vote for the oligarchs.”

Simply put, it meant asking to become the majority shareholder of Gazprom.

It also meant that I should fill the position that had been pushed out by the oligarchs.

“It will require a huge amount of funding.”

“You will never suffer any loss. “How can I help?”

“Shouldn’t we be together even if we suffer losses? Injecting funds from the SAVE investment company can sufficiently replace the oligarchs. but.”

This time I hesitated.

To be honest, investing the money wasn’t difficult.

Although the oligarchs were said to have a lot of money, in the end they were frogs in the well called Russia.

In this case, it was not about money, but politics and diplomacy, and Putin knew it.

“Are you concerned about opposition from the United States?”

“I guess so. “If a large amount of money from Wall Street flows to Russia, the U.S. government may impose sanctions.”

“The regime I lead will maintain good relations with the United States. Through the IMF, I learned exactly how vicious the United States is. So shouldn’t we at least pretend to have a good relationship on the outside?”

Russia went bankrupt because it did not receive help from the IMF.

Before the IMF’s decision, a large number of economic officials from the White House visited Russia.

However, Russia did not listen to their demands and was eventually ignored by the IMF.

Of course, it was just a passing of responsibility.

If the country had been run properly, the economic crisis would not have occurred.

If the wealth accumulated in the oligarch’s coffers had been dispersed, the disgrace of national bankruptcy would not have occurred.

Through that experience, Putin’s policy views seemed to have been established.

Purge of the oligarchs and reset relations with the United States.

“If it is a problem for the United States, I will try my best. But I would like to ask one more thing. Will the investment be used to develop natural resources? Or is the money needed for preliminary work?”

“You could say it’s both. Wouldn’t it be possible to run a proper business only if we get rid of the oligarchs first? “For that to happen, a huge amount of money is needed.”

In the end, it meant that I would use my money to press down the oligarchs.

As long as you can tap into the oligarchs’ enormous financial power, purging them was not difficult.

But what if you fail?

Even if a huge amount of money was invested, not a single penny could be saved.

“Would an initial investment of about $10 billion be enough?”

“Can you afford to invest that much? Are you planning to form a consortium with Wall Street and invest? Even so, it doesn’t matter.”

“no. “I plan to move independently from SAVE Investment Company.”

“You are a much bigger person than I thought.”

Putin’s proposal was closer to a gamble.

It is also a gamble where if you win you gain everything and if you lose you lose everything.

But since I knew the consequences of gambling, I had no reason not to bet.

“When investing, you need to be sure to avoid regrets. “It’s also the reason I was able to survive on Wall Street.”

“I need someone like you! “If this job goes well, I will definitely give you a stake in a natural resources company.”

The shares in the natural resources company were neither owned by Putin nor by the Russian government.

Russia’s natural resources companies were tightly controlled by the oligarchs.

So, what they were saying was that they were taking away the shares held by the oligarchs and giving them to me, and the funds I was supporting were military funds.

“Can I ask you one favor?”

“Tell me anything.”

“In the case of exporting natural resources produced in Russia, we must follow the company’s policy, but I would like you to give me full authority when it comes to the amount exported to Korea.”

“Of course I should do that. “If you want, I can give you full control of the natural gas we sell to Europe.”

It was a very appetizing offer.

But it was also a poisonous food.

If relations with Europe deteriorated, the blame could fall on us.

And I knew that day would come.

I wasn’t afraid of joining hands with the devil.

But I didn’t want to take all the responsibility on the devil.

“I will be satisfied with Korea. “If one person has too much power, eventually there will be a falling out.”

“You certainly think differently from those well-fed pigs like oligarchs.”

“Taewoo Group planned to invest heavily in Russia. This is an investment of a scale that, if done wrong, could lead to the collapse of the Taewoong Group. So, in order to recoup the investment, Russia must achieve economic growth.”

“You mean Russia and Taewoo Group are on the same boat.

Putin picked up the kettle and refilled his glass.

He raised a cup of ice-cold black tea and proposed a toast to me.

“For a well-fed pig!”

I guess it means slaughtering the oligarchs and sharing them with others.

I don’t know if the meat will reach the Russian people’s dinner tables, but it is clear that it will play a role in fattening the Taewo Group.