Chapter 173: Are You Interested in Gazprom?

As I turned towards the voice calling out to me, a middle-aged man stood there.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Alexander Poloshin, the Chief Administrative Officer. The President is calling for you.”

Alexander Poloshin had become the Chief Administrative Officer through Berezovsky’s recommendation.

He had served as the Chief Administrative Officer during Yeltsin’s regime and assisted Putin when he was acting president.

Now, he continued in the same role under Putin’s new government.

“The President is calling for me?”

It sounded almost deliberate as I spoke and asked the people I was conversing with for their understanding.

I could see envy in their eyes.

Inside the room Poloshin led me to, Putin was waiting.

Seated and deeply focused on something, Putin got up as I entered.

“Mr. Kim, it’s been a while.”

Seeing Putin again after nearly a year, he exuded the commanding presence of a leader of a vast empire.

It was the same Putin I remembered.

“Yes, Mr. President. It’s good to see you again.”

“Please, have a seat. I don’t have much time, but I wanted to meet with you first.”

After exchanging brief pleasantries, we sat down side by side.

“You’re still quite busy, Mr. Kim.”

“That’s to be expected in business. The trends change daily.”

“True, though I was surprised by your trip to North Korea.”

“There was an important matter to address.”

“I see. But what did you think of the inauguration ceremony?”

Instead of pressing further about North Korea, Putin seemed curious about my thoughts on the ceremony.

“It was very Russian.”

“Haha, very Russian indeed. That’s a good meaning, right?”

“Of course, Mr. President.”

After finishing our small talk, we quickly moved to the main topic.

“Now, I’ve gained an extra four years. What do you think I’m planning to do, Mr. Kim?”

“You’re dreaming of a strong Russia, aren’t you? You’ll act accordingly to make that happen.”

I recalled Putin’s inauguration speech.

Short and impactful, it clearly revealed his ambitions.

“We can’t divide the world by military might like during the Cold War. Russia lacks the funds for that. It’s an age where economic power defines a nation’s strength.”

Putin’s previously flowing voice had suddenly turned stiff.

When powerful nations go to war like in World War II, the world faces mutual destruction.

Both the U.S. and Russia understood this clearly.

That’s why, instead of physical clashes, they engaged in new wars through trade, tariffs, and exchange rates.

At the center of all these battlegrounds was the U.S.

“The times have changed, Mr. President. Since nuclear weapons emerged, military power has degenerated to merely keeping each other in check. But you know that using nukes means mutual annihilation, right?”

Putin merely hummed in agreement.

It wouldn’t feel pleasant to hear a cold truth he already knew.

“So the remaining option is to pressure the opposing nation with money. Of course, I could use force against nations without nuclear weapons, though.”

“I have no fear of war. If force is necessary, I’ll employ it anytime.”

A sharp light flashed in Putin’s eyes, a reflection of his unwavering power as he aimed to be the Tsar of Russia.

A burning ambition for a new era seemed to dwell within him.

“I’m not a warmonger, but I don’t want to be wary of the U.S. like Yeltsin was either.”

“You’ll do well, Mr. President.”

Before my regression, the Putin I knew was someone who endured economic sanctions from the U.S. and Western European nations while pursuing his own agenda.

At times he threatened Western European countries with underground resources as a weapon, while at other times he took military action.

“By the way… Mr. Kim, you seem quite close to Berezovsky?”

A hint of suspicion passed across Putin’s face, though he feigned casualness.

I chortled, pretending not to catch his drift.

“He’s a business partner. He even served as a bridge to introduce us. Naturally, we appear close.”

“Hmm…”

Watching Putin hesitate, clearly struggling with whether to confide in me, I sensed he had already made up his mind about eliminating Berezovsky.

“Mr. President, if you’re considering taming the oligarchs, feel free to proceed without worrying about me.”

To think Putin would regard me with such caution felt surreal.

The absolute ruler of Russia taking my feelings into account.

“As I mentioned when we first met, I want to be your friend, Mr. President. Whatever you choose to do, I will support you.”

“That’s kind of you. I didn’t bring you here to discuss such matters, haha.”

Putin chuckled heartily, appearing pleased with my words.

He then began to share the reason for calling me.

“Mr. Kim, are you interested in Gazprom?”

“You mean Gazprom?”

“Yes. Currently, the Russian government holds about 38%, with state-owned companies having around 12% of the shares. I want to transfer the remaining shares held by the oligarchs to you.”

“But the 20% share cap for foreign ownership is already taken up by American and European investors, right?”

Yeltsin had privatized Gazprom, handing 20% of Gazprom shares to foreign investors he had connections with.

Since foreign entities could only hold a maximum of 20%, Gazprom stocks weren’t available regardless of how much someone wished to acquire them.

“That’s something we can change by lifting those restrictions.”

His nonchalant response caught me a bit off guard.

This was a privilege that took me by surprise.

Instead of immediately responding, I thought it would be wise to show some contemplative hesitation before asking indirectly.

“Would that be acceptable?”

“Giving shares to another Russian would just create another chaebol. I don’t want to repeat the same mistakes. That’s why I thought of you, Mr. Kim. What do you think of my proposal?”

This was an opportunity I couldn’t afford to pass up.

Investing in Gazprom bonds promised far better returns, plus having a stake in Gazprom would grant me control over the abundance of oil and gas Russia possessed.

Of course, this was before I could speak with Putin.

“I’m surprised by how good this offer is.”

“You’re the only foreigner I trust, Mr. Kim. There will be conditions attached, but I believe it’s a fair proposal.”

“Of course, Mr. President. After all, it’s stock in Gazprom.”

Nodding thoughtfully, Putin stroked his chin for a moment.

“I need to weaken the oligarchs’ power… and loosen regulations, so it may take some time. That said, I can make sure you’ll receive the shares by next year at the latest.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll offer the acquisition funds at a discount. Since it’s seizing the oligarchs’ wealth, there’s no need for you to pay full price.”

“Ah, I understand what you mean.”

“Haha, this is why I find you easy to work with, Mr. Kim.”

He meant he wanted me to use part of the funds you’d receive as slush money.

Acquiring Gazprom stock was a significant deal.

Even if it required extra money, creating slush funds wasn’t an overly hard task.

“If there are any other companies you’re interested in, let me know. If an opportunity arises to sell, you’ll be the first I approach.”

“Thank you.”

Apart from Gazprom, I was particularly interested in Yukos, the largest private oil company.

Other than that, I didn’t have any significant desires.

However, since I was offered Gazprom today, I wouldn’t bring up more topics.

“So let’s end the business talk here. I heard you had drinks with Medvedev yesterday?”

“Yes, he seemed deep in thought.”

“Deep in thought, you say…”

Putin trailed off.

While I didn’t intend to defend Medvedev, I took the initiative to bring him up.

“Rumors have been circulating since he was Prime Minister that he’s quite influential. It seems that was weighing on his mind.”

“Medvedev is just my friend; what do you mean by influential…?”

Though I didn’t want to interrupt the small cascade of his murmurs, I continued speaking.

“He’s probably worried that his actions might disrupt your presidency because he’s your friend. So I shared a small piece of advice with him.”

“Really?”

“He’s a sharp guy, so I’m sure he’ll find his own answer. Just wait and see.”

Suddenly, there was a loud commotion from outside.

Creating a racket where the President was present seemed insensitive.

As expected, Putin’s brows knitted together.

Just then, the door swung open without a knock.

“Mr. Kim, you’re here too.”

Berezovsky stepped through the door.

“Chairman Berezovsky, how rude of you!”

“Ah, Mr. President. My apologies, haha.”

Despite apologizing verbally, Berezovsky’s expression signaled he felt no remorse.

Neither the Chief Administrative Officer nor the bodyguards waiting outside halted Berezovsky’s entrance.

It was hard to tell who was the President in this scenario.

Without being invited to sit, Berezovsky simply took a seat.

Putin’s brow furrowed deeper, but he soon let out a mild sigh and returned to his usual demeanor.

“Mr. President, I came to discuss something with you.”

“…Mr. Kim, let’s talk later.”

Instead of dismissing Berezovsky, Putin sought my understanding.

“It was a pleasant meeting, Mr. President.”

“Let’s arrange to meet again soon…”

“No, that’s fine. Mr. Kim has a stake in this matter, so he can stay.”

Berezovsky interrupted Putin’s words.

I was startled by his audacity and stared at him in disbelief.

Yet to Berezovsky, it didn’t seem to register.

“What’s with that look? Are we not on friendly terms?”

“No, Chairman. You two can converse comfortably. I’ll head to the party first.”

I gently declined Berezovsky’s invitation, making my exit.

Before the door closed, I caught a glimpse of the firm expression on Putin’s face.

‘Is he underestimating Putin or overestimating himself? Now, I understand why Putin wants to eliminate Berezovsky.’

As I returned to the party, I considered what conversation Putin and Berezovsky might be having.

They were likely pressuring Putin to take action against Gusinsky on charges of tax evasion and embezzlement.

I could vividly picture Berezovsky’s excited expression.

More than that, it struck me that Berezovsky was hastening his fate.

“Charlie.”

“Ah, Roman.”

Back at the party, the crowd’s attention once again focused on me.

However, the first one to approach me was Roman.

He led me out of the party to a terrace overlooking the Kremlin Palace at night.

“Did President Putin call you first for his schedule?”

“It seems he summoned me briefly before any official engagements.”

“Haha, all of the President’s schedules are official. You’re lucky, Charlie.”

Roman’s face betrayed an undeniable envy.

Feeling a tad embarrassed, I redirected the conversation.

“While we were talking, Chairman Berezovsky came by to visit.”

Seemingly having an inkling of what occurred, Roman nodded.

“Earlier, while talking to others, the topic of Gusinsky came up, and he said it had to be addressed immediately. So he likely went over to see the President right away.”

“Is it allowed to interrupt the President like that without his permission?”

“Well, it’s possible when it’s a chairman, right?”

As someone who understood how this might be perceived by those in power, I couldn’t help but frown, but Roman seemed unbothered.

“Hmm… Roman.”

“Yes, Charlie?”

Roman looked at me curiously, noticing my serious expression.

“This is just a word of caution for your sake, so don’t take it the wrong way.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Knowing Roman was a perceptive person who normally aligned with Putin’s views, I wasn’t sure if words were necessary here.

However, today’s actions by Berezovsky felt more audacious than I had anticipated.

“Don’t underestimate Putin. What you see on the surface isn’t everything about him.”

With everyone’s attention drawn to Berezovsky’s actions, a clueless outsider might inadvertently disregard Putin.

“You’re smart enough to understand what I mean, right, Roman?”

“…”

“Depending on how you act, you can lose everything you’ve gained in an instant. Keep this in mind always.”

“Charlie, what you’re saying…”

“It only takes a moment to fall from grace again.”

I realized this could come off as meddlesome.

It was also possible it could offend him.

But because I liked Roman, I felt compelled to speak up.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Always keep an eye on the movements in the Kremlin Palace. It wouldn’t be strange for anything to happen there.”

“Let’s put such heavy topics aside and talk about football instead, haha.”

As the conversation turned somber, Roman shifted it towards soccer.

I followed along, enjoying wine and soaking up the party atmosphere.

* * *

On the day Kim Mu-hyeok set out for Russia o attend Putin’s inauguration, Cheon Su-man met with CEO Gong Seung-yeon of a prominent Atlantic law firm at an upscale bar.

“Isn’t this dragging on too much?”

“To be honest, our strategy has failed. We didn’t expect to lose even though we launched an all-out offensive.”

Unable to hide the truth, CEO Gong Seung-yeon spoke candidly.

“The influence of the court cartel outweighs that of Il-sung scholar students, aand our law firm is weaker than Yun & Jang. The judgment will favor Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok.”

“What do you mean? Kim Mu-hyeok can’t win!”

Cheon Su-man had believed he could reclaim everything upon returning to Korea.

But he hadn’t regained anything.

All the businessmen he once thought were his allies in Myeong-dong had already sided with Kim Mu-hyeok.

Seeing everyone who used to bow to him now bending to Kim Mu-hyeok made him furious.

“At this rate, it’d be better for Chairman Cheon to just die. Then we can move on to the inheritance.”

CEO Gong Seung-yeon said this with a light-hearted laugh.

Cheon Su-man felt a surge of anger at the thought that would have seemed unfathomable in the past.

“Are you belittling me, CEO Gong?”

“If someone cares so deeply about Chairman Cheon’s well-being, why complain about lack of progress? I’m just suggesting an easier way.”

“What do you mean…?”

“The death of Cheon Tae-san. It would be the simplest solution.”

Gong Seung-yeon finished her drink in one gulp.