章節 131: Chapter 131: A Secret Known Only to the Two of Us
Yumashev burst into laughter at the thought of Putin monitoring his activities in Russia.
"Hahaha!"
It was impossible not to laugh; his behavior was the same whether in Korea or Russia.
When no words came from the other end of the line, I quickly apologized.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Feel free to tell me where I'm going and who I'm meeting. I don't have anyone to meet right now, anyway. I was planning to do some sightseeing for a few days…"
—Is that so?
"Aren't I in a position to earn their favor right now? But even so, it's not like the newly appointed Prime Minister Primakov trusts you."
The newly appointed Prime Minister, Yevgeny Primakov, had no ties to Putin.
—I understand. Thank you.
"I hope we can be friends instead of business partners. Still, it's nice to meet you. It can't have been easy to call me."
Putin's power came from Yumashev and the oligarchs.
Without their unyielding support, he would've been destined to rot in the Russian hinterlands.
Still, it was nice of him to give me a warning.
"Let's stay in touch."
—Of course.
Talking to Putin made me fully awake.
I got out of bed, poured myself some wine, and sat at the table. As I gazed out at darkened Moscow, I fell deep into thought.
'He's telling me to report my activities.'
I'd met the person I needed to see in Russia.
Since my main objective was Putin, I didn't have to stay any longer.
I picked up my phone and called Manager Ma.
"Let's go sightseeing in Moscow tomorrow. Talk to Igor and decide where we're going."
"Sightseeing?"
Manager Ma asked back, a little surprised.
I nodded with a smile.
"I guess the country's powerful are wondering about me. As they're curious about my activities, some sightseeing should suffice."
With Igor as my guide, I toured around Moscow.
A few days later, Yumashev finally contacted me.
He wanted to meet alone with no one else around.
"It's good to see you again."
Unlike our first meeting, Yumashev welcomed me with a smile.
"Yes, Director."
I greeted him back, and we made small talk in a pleasant atmosphere.
"How was your sightseeing in Moscow?"
I see.
So you didn't bother to hide the fact that you were watching me? It was probably unnecessary.
"It was quintessentially Russian. The city was like a museum."
"Hahaha! I'm glad you enjoyed it."
My laughter and Yumashev's filled the room as we hid our true thoughts from each other.
Yumashev opened the door to a serious conversation.
"About those bonds…"
"Yes?"
"I think Gazprom corporate bonds would be safer than government bonds. What do you think?"
"Gazprom?"
"Yes. We have new projects that require funding."
New projects, huh?
I smiled internally; Yumashev's motives were all too clear.
"Gazprom is trustworthy, but…"
"We will do our best to accommodate your needs."
It was more reliable than Russian government bonds, but the interest rate is lower.
Still, I couldn't ignore the suspicious smell.
"Have you talked to Gazprom's management yet?"
"Yes. The deal can be processed as soon as President Kim decides to invest."
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the government privatized most state-owned enterprises, selling them off at rock-bottom prices under the pretext of letting oligarchs take over the businesses.
However, they were basically still state-owned enterprises, as the Russian government held over 50 percent of their shares.
Yeltsin treated Gazprom's assets like they were his own personal stash. He would freeze the company's assets, only to release them after they supplied him with money.
The upcoming bond issuance was probably something he thought he could get away with since his people can't just take the government bonds for themselves.
"All right."
"I'm glad to hear that."
In light of my acceptance, Yumashev beamed with joy.
After shaking hands, we agreed to finalize the contract in a few days and parted ways.
I stayed several more days in Moscow and met with Gazprom's management. We coordinated the issuance amount, interest rates, schedule, and signed the contract.
It was a dollar-denominated corporate bond issuance of $200 million. $100 million, three-year maturity, and $100 million, five-year maturity.
"Thank you. Your assistance helped me a lot."
Gazprom's management greeted me warmly.
However, it was obvious that half of that $200 million would go to Yeltsin's family.
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to invest in a good company."
After Gazprom's management left, only Berezovsky and Yumashev remained.
With a broad smile on his face, Yumashev asked me,
"When will the funds be available?"
"When I return to Korea, my staff will come to Russia. That should give us enough time to complete the paperwork."
Yumashev nodded in satisfaction.
"Well then, I must be going. I have another appointment."
"I appreciate you coming here despite your busy schedule, but you didn't have to come all this way just for this contract."
"Haha! Still, I had to witness this historic moment of finally having a investment contract in Russia, after all."
While I prepared to go back to my hotel, Berezovsky suddenly approached me.
"Let's take my car."
Berezovsky suddenly smiled and made a strange suggestion.
"I want to discuss something with you privately."
I wasn't sure what Berezovsky's intentions were.
To those around us, Ma and Igor shook their heads, and Berezovsky added,
"Don't worry. If I wanted to do something to you, I would've done it already. Igor, you know that, right?"
Igor didn't respond but eventually came to a silent agreement.
"We'll talk one-on-one?"
"Yes. Just three of us, including the driver."
"Sounds good."
"Boss."
Manager Ma opened his mouth, but I raised my hand to stop him.
"It's fine."
I got in his limousine beside Berezovsky. He sent his secretary and bodyguard away, leaving just the driver and us.
"Drive."
Berezovsky ordered the driver, and the car slowly started moving.
"Since I'm surrounded by a lot of political enemies, it's best to talk here. It's the safest place."
Even with Yeltsin's powers behind him, Berezovsky's wasn't absolute. The Communist Party still controlled many seats in the National Assembly, and they considered oligarchs like him their enemies.
This was especially true for Prime Minister Primakov.
"What do you mean you'd like to talk one-on-one?"
"Connect me with an investor who can buy up all the companies I own. I want the transfer done as soon as possible."
"Huh?"
That was something I never expected to hear.
"I know you, or rather your subordinate James Han, has many contacts in the U.S."
"I have… connections."
"Well, can you look into that for me? I'd appreciate it if you could handle the acquisitions yourself."
I thought he was going to ask me to connect him with an investor to help him escape the collapsing ship that was his organization.
If that's true though, he should've had no reason to dispose of his company just yet. Why would he need money now?
With no one capable of taking down Yeltsin at the moment, even if there are many political opponents making a move against him, he should at least wait until after Yeltsin's death before disposing of his assets.
After Yeltsin dies in about two months, there'll be the possibility of a massive investigation into the oligarchs.
Their first target will be Berezovsky, the most prominent of the oligarchs.
But for now, isn't it too early for anything to happen?
"It's too big."
"I know. That's why I'm asking you this in secrecy."
"I'll give it a try, but I can't guarantee anything. The companies you own are state-owned enterprises, and I know you acquired them a long time ago after they were privatized. Would the Russian government allow you to sell them?"
"Leave that to me. You just need to connect me with an investor."
Associating myself with Berezovsky was probably the worst thing I could do right now. I already handed him Putin's number, and that was more than enough.
Best to stay out of the sinking ship.
I calmly kept my thoughts to myself and said, "Alright. I will reach out to an investment bank in the U.S. after I get back to Korea. I'll contact James Han."
Berezovsky's face, which had been stiff, finally relaxed.
"Thank you. If this goes well, I'll be sure to give you a nice mansion."
That was the last thing he said before we got out of the car. Berezovsky reached out his hand to me as he and I got out of the car together.
The moment I shook his hand, Manager Ma and Igor reached for their guns.
Bang!
Thick, acrid smoke rose from the hand that wasn't clasped in mine.
A cold smile spread across Berezovsky's face, one I had never seen before.
"Didn't I tell you? Our little secret."
The driver, who had been driving us up to this point, slammed his head onto the steering wheel and began bleeding.
It was a blatant murder committed in broad daylight in the middle of downtown Moscow.
"I expect good news."
After taking his hand off mine, Berezovsky tapped me on the shoulder a few times before getting in the other car that had been waiting behind us.
As his bodyguards moved the driver's corpse, the car carrying Berezovsky drove smoothly away from the hotel.
No one stopped them, including the police guarding the hotel.
It was a clear display of his influence and power in Russia.
"Boss, are you alright?"
As Manager Ma put away his gun, he asked me again.
I nodded, and finally Igor and the others lowered their weapons.
I went inside the hotel, but…
"Igor, is it okay to kill people in the middle of downtown Moscow?"
"With the current state of Russia, it's fine."
I shook my head.
"That felt more like a warning."
"I had the same feeling."
"Now that everything is settled, let's return to Korea tomorrow. Contact the airport and ask for permission to depart—"
"Yes."
Igor saluted and left the room. Manager Ma continued to stare at me without moving.
"Is something wrong, Manager Ma?"
"Don't you ever leave me behind again."
"Worried about me?"
"This isn't a matter of concern; Boss."
"Okay, I'll try not to."
"Yes."
Manager Ma nagged me, clearly still worried about me.
I called Putin to let him know I would be leaving tomorrow.
"I will be going back to Korea tomorrow. I hope we can be friends when I next come to Russia."
Putin didn't give me a direct answer.
—…I hope to see you again next time.
Next time I came to Russia, I expected Putin to be one of the major powers in the political sphere.
Was he still going to be in the position of President? I'd made connections in Russia, but I had no idea what would happen next.
After finishing a simple dinner in my hotel room, I turned on the TV before going to sleep.
While a talk show was playing, the program was suddenly interrupted by breaking news.
Yeltsin had been hospitalized with pneumonia.
I stared blankly at the newscaster sitting at the makeshift desk.
'He's already been admitted?'
Yeltsin's hospitalization was remarkably two months early.
What made the timing move earlier all of a sudden?
Was it a meticulous operation to eliminate him, like the conspiracy theories that had been circulating some time ago?
'Putin will gain Yeltsin's trust much faster.'
If this tactic had started a few months earlier, he would have been much more difficult to approach.
The next day,
After arriving at the airport and finishing the boarding procedure, I headed to the private boarding gate, only to find it still closed after waiting for a long time.
Igor asked a nearby staff member what was going on, but only got vague replies.
"What's going on?"
"They said they haven't received clearance for boarding."
"Didn't we get it yesterday?"
"Yes, everything was processed. They specified both the departure time and flight plan."
"Find out what's going on!"
However, it was unnecessary.
"Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok?"
Two men approached us.
"Who are you?"
Igor stepped in front of me.
"We are from the Prosecutor's Office. We need you to come with us."
"What do you want?"
"You will find out when you come with us. Will you come with us voluntarily, or do you wish to be arrested?"
It seemed Primakov was already on the move.
Was he planning to use me to arrest Berezovsky?
"Let's go. I have nothing to gain by staying idle without clearance to take off."
"You made a wise choice."
When I left the boarding corridor and stepped outside the airport, I saw several hundred armed police waiting for me.
In disbelief, I asked my escort,
"Is there a war going on?"
"Aren't the mercenaries you hired just ordinary people?"
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