Kapitel 525: Chapter 525: Proceed with Caution
After giving Igor the order to select mercenaries to carry out the operation and head to Vladivostok first, I ended our meeting.
Following that, I took care of my schedule in Moscow.
"Hey, big brother, good work out there."
"Good work, my foot. By the way, Mu-hyeok, do you know anything about this Chairman Maxim?"
The Kremlin appointed a man named Maxim Osipenko as the new chairman of Yugansk.
I shook my head and replied.
"No, not at all. I asked the Black Bear side to look into him, so something should come up."
"Since he's merely a figurehead, there shouldn't be any big problems… Still, it's frustrating not knowing anything. But since you'll look into it, it shouldn't matter too much."
"So, what's the plan for the share distribution?"
For this acquisition, a contract was signed for Dream High to acquire the shares of Yugansk held by Yukos.
All the money has already been transferred to Yukos, and we now own 100% of the shares, making it entirely the property of Dream High.
However, I couldn't enjoy this pie alone.
I had to split the shares and sell 49% to the people designated by the Kremlin.
"For now, people are watching… I plan to finalize the share distribution and hand it over next year. Regardless of whether the value goes up or down, I've discussed transferring 49% based on the acquisition price with Chairman Maxim."
"So, you won't have much to do for the entire year?"
"Exactly. Once the Vice Chairman from Korea and the team arrive tomorrow, I'll pass everything over to them and leave Russia. I really need a month off, right? I hope I won't have to rush off to the U.S. again."
Seeing Han Gyeong-yeong check again, worried he might have to forfeit his precious month-long vacation, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"As long as the world doesn't end and the U.S. economy doesn't crash tomorrow, I won't contact you for a month."
"Hooray!"
Han Gyeong-yeong raised his arms in triumph.
"You really that happy?"
"Of course! What good is money if you can't spend it? I'm going to enjoy it properly this time!"
"Go for it!"
"Aren't you taking time off?"
"I don't have the luxury yet. I keep getting pulled into work and can't rest."
At that, Han Gyeong-yeong, who had been smiling, suddenly frowned.
"You might collapse at this rate. I'm worried you don't know how to take a break. Your job is to allocate personnel correctly, but you always try to do everything yourself."
"Thinking about it, you're right. It probably means I don't have enough trustworthy people. But you trust me, right?"
"Not you, idiot. I'm talking about the others."
His worried tone made me reflect on how few people I could fully trust right now.
Excluding those holding leverage over me or those I collaborated with for mutual gain, I could count on one hand those who genuinely worked for me.
"But that's still quite a few, isn't it?"
"Quite a few? That's nonsense. Just a few friends, Eva, and Manager Ma—does that really count?"
"Hmm."
"You need to trust people more. To meet your standards, there are hardly any left."
"I'll think about it."
Even as I spoke dismissively, I knew Han Gyeong-yeong's words came from genuine concern.
Yet, I had no choice but to keep pushing myself.
"I know that if you take a break or collapse, most things won't progress. Even I experienced pressure from people when working in Russia, knowing you held my trust. You solved all of that in one phone call."
"That's…"
It was inevitable. No matter how much I trusted my people, others would only see them as my representatives.
People couldn't treat me the same as them.
"I can't help but wish you'd take a break and work at a more relaxed pace. The world won't collapse if you do. The U.S. economy can't crash overnight, nor can a world war just spark up…"
"I get it, I get it. Stop nagging me. You're the only one besides Grandma who nags me like this. I'll handle North Korea during this time and take a break. Is that good enough?"
Finally, Han Gyeong-yeong grinned and lifted his glass.
"Alright, it's settled then. Let's drink! Boss!"
Following his playful banter, I laughed too as our glasses clinked.
The next day.
People from Korea arrived.
It was a group led by Kim Jeong-sik, now the Vice President of Jungwoo Energy, which had rebranded from Jungwoo Oil, alongside talented personnel working in the Korean refining industry.
"Hello, I'm Kim Jeong-sik."
"Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Chairman Kim Byung-woo."
When I mentioned the acquisition of Yugansk to Kim Byung-woo, he immediately suggested Kim Jeong-sik, stating that we needed someone with extensive experience in the refining industry.
"No one expected a Korean company would acquire Yugansk. Chairman told me to take charge of Yugansk when he went to Russia, but I was uncertain until he arrived back."
"Haha, it happened. But our operations are very different from those of Korean refineries; are you okay with that?"
"Yes. I worked at Aramco for about five years, so I have some knowledge of oil field development and crude oil production."
"Oh, is that so? Let's sit down and talk then."
In Korea's refining industry, it's rare for someone to have direct experience with oil field development or crude oil production. In that sense, Kim Jeong-sik was truly a valuable asset among the experts.
I led them to the table.
"Thanks for making the long trip. It's not too cold, is it?"
Sensing that they seemed quite tense, I relaxed the atmosphere with small talk while serving them black tea.
After chatting for some time, their tension seemed to ease, allowing me to gradually ease into the business discussions.
"What brought you back from Aramco to Korea? I mean, Aramco is a major, major oil company."
"…The chairman personally sought me out. He mentioned Jungwoo Group was starting refining operations and needed talent."
"Still, did it feel worth leaving Aramco for that?"
Kim Jeong-sik nodded, his expression resolute.
"At that time, Jungwoo Group was on the rise. No matter how well I did at Aramco, I was still seen as a foreigner. I thought if I joined Jungwoo Oil, which was starting fresh and held potential, I could rise to a higher position. So, I resigned from Aramco and came here."
"Thanks to that decision, you've ended up as the Vice President of a major company like Yugansk now."
"Right. But… is it okay for someone like me to sit in such an important position? Even if an acquisition happened, it's still a company in Russia."
Looking somewhat uneasy, Kim Jeong-sik swallowed hard and posed his question.
"That's correct. It's a company in Russia. Hence, we've placed a Russian as the face of the company in the chairman role. However, all executive authority rests with you, Vice President Kim Jeong-sik."
"…"
"There's nothing difficult about it. You can continue as you always have. The system won't change drastically. The reason I called you to Russia is simple: to develop the oil fields that Yugansk has yet to unlock. That'll probably be your main task as Vice President."
Yugansk held extensive lands believed to contain crude oil reserves in the region of East Siberia.
Developing those reserves and increasing oil production was the first goal.
"I'll have to verify the details, but I understand Yugansk is also one of the major oil refineries. I believe they possess sufficient technology, so it shouldn't be too difficult."
"Sounds good. Then proceed with caution. However, remember that with results comes responsibility."
I spoke with a gentle smile, but the weight of the words was unmistakable. I could see Kim Jeong-sik's expression stiffening.
"Chairman Kim Byung-woo personally flew to Saudi Arabia for scouting, so I believe he has ample ability. Yet, apart from that, I genuinely know nothing about the company. I'll be watching closely. If you provide me with satisfactory answers, meeting me could very well be your stroke of luck. I treat those I trust according to their worth, whether it's in money or otherwise."
Kim Jeong-sik nodded. I glanced around at the others, satisfied.
"By the way, who are those accompanying you?"
"They're staff members working in the field. To fully seize the company, I need people who can cooperate with me."
He seemed pretty sharp, understanding what was important.
Knowing that people are crucial for work was enough to earn my approval.
"You did well. Feel free to showcase your abilities. The representative here, Han Gyeong-yeong, will leave for Moscow the day after tomorrow. It's as good as saying there's no one remaining to assist you in the Moscow branch. Completely taking control of the company and operating it will entirely depend on the Vice President."
Kim Jeong-sik swallowed back his nervousness. It must be a heavy burden, yet he stood firm.
It seemed he understood well that this was indeed an opportunity.
"Chairman Maxim, who's above you, won't interfere with your work. The problem lies with whether the subordinates will follow your lead. That's something we also can't manage. You understand that, right?"
"Yes, I understand. I'll do my best."
I shook my head and corrected him.
"Saying you'll try your best isn't important. I prioritize results. Look at Chairman Kim Byung-woo; you should see by now. I don't get involved with management. Instead, just show me results as you gain that authority. Can you do that?"
"Yes. I will definitely show you good results."
Kim Jeong-sik's eyes burned with motivation, and I could also see a glimmer of ambition.
But I didn't mind that. If someone lacked this kind of ambition, they wouldn't accomplish anything.
"Oh, Vice President, may I ask a question?"
"Yes, go ahead."
"Currently, most domestic refineries import most of their crude oil from Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, right?"
"Yes, that's correct. About 70% of crude oil is imported from the Middle East, while the remainder mostly comes from the U.S."
I already knew that Korea primarily imported oil from the Middle East, but 70%? That was surprising.
"Is there a specific reason for that?"
"It's unavoidable. Korea is a country that produces not a drop of crude oil. We had to make choices in the situation of having to import all our oil."
Korea had faced numerous economic crises due to oil shocks.
The options were naturally limited.
"If we could securely import crude oil from Russia, would we need to build a new refinery facility in Korea?"
"No. Though it's optimized for Middle Eastern crude, we can refine all crude oil."
"What if we established pipelines and gas lines connecting Russia to Korea?"
After a brief moment of contemplation, Kim Jeong-sik met my gaze and replied.
"There would be a significant shift in the energy industry. Moreover, if Yugansk can develop new oil fields and Korea can jointly develop—"
With a satisfying smile at his response, I interjected.
"That's right. Then today, let's meet the executives along with the board members. That's all we can do for now."
Han Gyeong-yeong and I led Kim Jeong-sik to Yukos Headquarters.
There, we arranged a gathering with the executives.
As Kim Jeong-sik didn't speak Russian, most conversations were held in English.
Upon hearing he came from Korea, the executives exhibited dubious reactions, but the moment he mentioned his experience at Aramco, their expressions changed.
Although the company hadn't gone public yet, meaning we couldn't know its accurate value, if it did go public, people said Aramco would likely rank first in global market capitalization.
His time at Aramco was nearly every oil industry worker's dream.
Thanks to Kim Jeong-sik's illustrious resume, our initial meeting wrapped up on a warm note.
The next day.
Han Gyeong-yeong left for England, and I flew to Vladivostok.
Hearing that the camp had been set up, I was planning to take a look.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein