章 500: Chapter 500: I Thought We Were Friends
Leeds United fans, long-suffering, were riding high after their Premier League victory.
The city of Leeds had transformed into a massive celebration.
Every pub in town declared free drinks, and the streets overflowed with fans belting out team chants.
The players' victory parade crawled along at a snail's pace, taking half an hour to cover just 100 meters due to the sheer number of fans.
For these people, football was a life companion. Fathers and sons, dressed in matching uniforms, cheered for their heroes.
I couldn't help but smile at the sight of a young boy on his father's shoulders, clapping and laughing with pure joy.
It reminded me of Korea during last year's World Cup.
"Heh heh."
As I was soaking in the festive atmosphere from my hotel window, Myeong-su's mischievous laughter caught my attention.
He was carefully holding a uniform covered in players' signatures, grinning from ear to ear.
Shaking my head at my reflection in the glass, I walked over to him. I gave him a playful slap on the back and asked,
"You're that happy, huh?"
"Of course I am. This is Ronaldo's game-worn jersey. Just look at how pristine it is. I'm definitely passing this down as an heirloom."
Myeong-su was genuinely thrilled.
I'd given him a hard time earlier, but seeing him so happy after all the stress from work actually made me feel good.
"I should call Hyeon-seong and brag. He's gonna be so jealous."
Myeong-su hugged the jersey to his chest as he headed to his room.
I shook my head, amused at his childlike excitement. As I stood there, Manager Ma approached me.
Manager Ma reported in a hushed voice,
"Boss, there was a call while you were at the stadium. James asked if you could give him a ring when you have a moment."
I checked my watch and nodded. Factoring in the time difference, now seemed like a good time to call.
Taking my phone, I went to my room and dialed Han Gyeong-yeong.
"Hey, I heard you called."
― Yeah, I did. First off, congratulations on the championship. I should've been there. Damn….
Han Gyeong-yeong's voice was tinged with regret as he offered his congratulations.
But the situation in Russia was more pressing right now. I brushed off the pleasantries and got straight to the point.
"You know we need to wrap up the Yukos deal before we start negotiations in the U.S. I heard from Roman that there's strong internal opposition. What's going on?"
― You've heard already? Sigh… The Siloviki seem to be getting greedy.
"Is that so? How's it progressing then? There's no point in dragging this out… Russia probably doesn't want to keep stalling either. What are they asking for?"
― They want nationalization, of course.
Nationalization of Yukos. That would have been the natural course of events.
But that was before I came into the picture. Now, with me as a trusted investor, there was no reason to take on such risks.
"Why is this deal, which he personally approved, still so bogged down?"
― From what I can tell, he's just letting it play out. I had drinks with Medvedev, and it seems he has no intention of forcefully quashing their opposition. Though he did issue warnings during negotiations….
Knowing the Siloviki were causing trouble and just letting it happen….
I wondered what Russia's tsar was thinking. Should I have gone there myself?
"So what do you think? Should we scrap it?"
The benefits of acquiring Yugansk were substantial.
It was even more crucial for my dream of building an oil pipeline connecting Russia, North Korea, and South Korea.
― This isn't about the money. 2 billion dollars? It's a lot, but not a big deal. We could just hand it over and be done with it. But if we let them push us around once, it'll keep happening. We're not going to stop doing business with Russia after this deal. I think we should be prepared to walk away and take a hard stance.
Han Gyeong-yeong shared my thoughts on the matter.
"Alright. Let's be ready to walk away and play hardball. I've told them that if the contract isn't signed before I sit down at the negotiating table in the U.S., we're pulling out of the deal. I'll just leave Russia and take a vacation in the UK instead."
― Are you sure that's okay? It might make things awkward with the Kremlin. They want us to make this acquisition, don't they?
"Then they should have prevented this noise from happening. My proxy went in your place, and if this is how it's going to be, I'm not interested in being taken for a fool."
I had to go to the U.S. this time, so I'd delegated all authority to Han Gyeong-yeong.
He was there representing me to handle this matter, and for things to turn out like this… I wasn't pleased.
"I'll look into it a bit more, but you should act as if the deal's going to fall through. I'll be in touch."
― Got it. Ugh… This is why I hate working with people who are all pride and no substance.
With those words, I ended the call with Han Gyeong-yeong. I held the phone in my hand, lost in thought for a moment.
A soft sigh escaped my lips. After organizing my thoughts, I dialed another number.
The call connected after just a few rings.
― Mr. Kim.
Medvedev greeted me warmly.
"It's been a while, Chief of Staff Medvedev. I trust you've been well?"
― Haha, indeed it has. I know you've been busier than anyone lately. And I'm well aware you haven't forgotten about me, even without calls.
"Thank you. I'll be sure to send you a nice gift soon."
― Your gifts are always something to look forward to. Thank you.
After exchanging pleasantries, I got straight to the point.
"I've heard there's a lot of noise surrounding the Yukos deal. Has his stance changed?"
― Ah… No, it hasn't.
"Then why is the acquisition negotiation dragging on like this? I doubt it's just because of the acquisition amount. This is starting to make me feel a bit upset."
― Mr. Kim, it's not like that. We want you to take Yukos.
Medvedev spoke hurriedly. This wasn't the reaction I was looking for, so I pressed him a bit harder.
"Chief of Staff, I had plans to do a lot of business with Russia. But if you can't even suppress internal opposition, how can I trust Russia to proceed with our dealings? This implies you could overturn any of our business deals at any time."
― That's not it. Absolutely not. How could we do that? Aren't we friends?
"Then why are you complicating this deal in this way? Has the Kremlin's authority diminished so much that it can't even quell this level of internal opposition? Or is there something else going on?"
No matter how I looked at it, it didn't make sense. The Kremlin's power was absolute. Everyone was walking on eggshells, afraid of upsetting the tsar.
But if it was for the one reason I was thinking of, that would be a different story.
― Hah. I guess we can't keep secrets from you. The truth is… we're planning to use this situation to weaken the Siloviki's power.
Just as I thought. It seems this was his directive.
There was no way a Kremlin-backed acquisition deal would hit a snag over mere pricing issues.
It looked like they were deliberately allowing and provoking the Siloviki, creating noise in the acquisition negotiations to use it against them.
It was clear they were planning to deal with both the chairman of Yukos, who was essentially the leader of the oligarchs, and the Siloviki simultaneously.
What a fearsome man. To think he'd plan to strike at two of his political power bases at once….
His firm resolve to prevent anyone from even thinking of challenging his power was evident.
As I expected, talk of long-term rule came out of Medvedev's mouth.
― If we don't rein in the Siloviki now, it could cause problems for the Kremlin's future moves. It's laying the groundwork for long-term rule. We're trying to use this opportunity to definitively settle at least one issue.
His reasoning wasn't wrong.
Currently, the Siloviki and the oligarchs were keeping each other in check.
But if one side grew too strong and the balance tipped, they might start questioning and challenging the Kremlin's authority.
"I see. That explains your actions."
― Thank you for understanding.
Medvedev's voice sounded more relaxed. He seemed to think I would understand their situation and let it slide.
Not a chance. That might be Russia's internal affairs, but I needed a gift to take to the negotiating table with the U.S.
"Of course, I understand. But I need leverage too. I've instructed my people to pull out of the deal and leave Russia if the contract isn't signed before I sit down at the negotiating table in the U.S. This stands."
― Mr. Kim. We didn't mean to….
Medvedev's voice trailed off.
Though we weren't face to face, I could imagine Medvedev breaking out in a sweat.
But he didn't readily answer. There was only one person who could make decisions on such crucial matters.
"I know this isn't something you can decide on your own, Medvedev. But you're the only one who can persuade him to make that decision."
― ….
"Please make sure to convey that this could redefine my relationship with Russia."
― I understand.
Redefining the relationship. Medvedev couldn't have missed the implications of those words.
― Mr. Kim. Please wait for now. I will definitely persuade him.
"Alright. I'll be waiting for your call."
After ending the call with Medvedev, I stood up.
As I looked out the window, a heavy sigh involuntarily escaped my lips.
I wondered what course of action they would take. My mind was in turmoil.
'Will they choose to purge the Siloviki, or will they consider their relationship with me?'
While the atmosphere outside was festive, my heart only grew heavier.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Before I could answer, Myeong-su barged in, saying,
"Hey, let's go get a drink. What's wrong? Are you sick? Why do you look so gloomy, Kim Mu-hyeok?"
Myeong-su's words finally allowed me to relax my tense expression.
I forced a smile and replied,
"Sure, let's go for a drink."
I decided to put aside the complicated matters for later and enjoy the night.
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