On the next day, Ivan Yusupov sat together with his family. Deep vertical wrinkles marked his forehead.
"Why is he acting like this?" Nikolai wondered.
The situation at hand was crucial to the family, enough to be considered life-altering. Ivan's father, Yuri, was never one to rush into decisions without careful consideration of everyone's advice. Yet, he seemed to be giving serious thought to Nikolai's words, despite the latter's history of being unreliable. Even though Nikolai was the least dependable among his grandchildren, Ivan couldn't fathom the true meaning behind his words.
"This is unexpected. I never thought your grandfather would even consider such a decision..."
"I thought Nikolai had lost his mind. How could he say such things without even batting an eye in front of Grandfather? Is it because he was too shocked by the breakup, reverting to his childish self?" Victoria narrowed her eyes at Nikolai, prompting Denis, the eldest, to give her a disapproving look, poking her forehead with his index finger.
"Father, honestly, Nikolai got lost in his art for a while. He was always famous for being a genius from a young age." Denis explained.
The Yusupov family's economic strength played a significant role in Nikolai's early engagement to the Romanov family. Without recognizing Nikolai's brilliance in the Romanovs' eyes, the engagement might never have happened. "Is it so strange that Nikolai engaged in economic analysis? I believe grandfather saw his point quite accurately." Denis continued.
"That's right. Nikolai's arguments yesterday sounded quite logical to me. What about you?" Maria asked, prompting Ivan to hesitate before continuing his thoughts.
His thoughts aligned with those of his wife. This morning, Ivan had called three economic experts, leaving all possibilities open, seeking their advice over the phone. The currency reform was conducted simultaneously with the change in the country, the adoption of a market economy, and a fluctuating exchange rate – Russia was undergoing significant changes, and they predicted an economic crisis. However, none of the three experts could confidently predict when and to what extent the crisis would occur. Their advice seemed no different from the verbose musings of pundits on TV. "Well, who could possibly know? If anyone did, they would have already made a fortune."
But Nikolai was certain as if he had already glimpsed the future. His analysis wasn't just a result of youthful enthusiasm and the desire to prove himself.
Ivan fell silent.
He seemed like a different person. Despite scrutinizing him from every angle, there was no doubt he was his second son. Ivan pondered various thoughts before recalling the words of his eldest son, Denis. "Has his childhood genius resurfaced?"
Yuri, knowing Nikolai's brilliance well, might have paid attention to his grandson's words. If Nikolai's brilliance had caught his father's eye again, it would explain the decision he made to some extent. Ivan himself had been surprised by Nikolai's sudden inspiration on many occasions. But the words that came out of his mouth were different from what he felt.
"I should be thankful that he didn't get angry about the breakup." he thought.
"That aside, what did Father think of Nikolai's words?" Ivan asked.
Maria pondered. "Well, given how highly Father regards him, he probably made the decision based on that. It's not a bad choice…"
In truth, the opinions were more profound than those of the three economic experts. However, perhaps due to the long-standing strained relationship between them, words of praise didn't come easily.
For over 20 years, Maria had been using the same blanket, but why couldn't she understand such feelings? She gently smiled at her husband's adorable behavior. "We will convert to dollars and gold as you instructed, Father, right?"
"What can we do? We have to follow his orders," Ivan replied.
After finishing his words, Ivan's gaze turned back to Nikolai, who was sitting on the right-side sofa. "From the things you said yesterday, it seems like you've been doing more than just drawing paintings. Did you study economics separately?"
Not only Ivan but also the other two people were curious about that aspect, so they stared intensely at Nikolai's face. Even though the family's attention was on him, Nikolai nonchalantly responded as if asking something trivial. "If studying economics means knowing its contents, then all economics professors should have run businesses, right?"
Ivan agreed, and even after he had asked the question, he chuckled inwardly. "Haha, Father, Nikolai is right. You can't judge someone's knowledge just based on their studies. Nikolai just has a sharp mind."
"Well, that's true. Putting that aside, it seems you have no intention of going back to school now. What do you plan to do in the future?"
"I'm thinking about starting a business. Like our family does."
Anton, the third son, was lost in thought in his office. "How many steel companies are on the market right now?"
"There are three options, but..."
"Pick the most promising one among them. We need to buy it now. When will we get such an opportunity again?"
"What?"
Startled by the secretary's surprise, Anton's expression hardened, and he raised his voice. "Have you lost your mind already? Use your brain and deduce at least one thing!"
"Yes, ah, I understand."
"This is a secret between the two of us. If this leaks outside..."
As if slicing his own throat with his right hand, the secretary swallowed hard. "Um, what if... Chairman or the boss asks about it? How should I respond?"
"Do I have to explain everything to you in detail? Use your common sense a bit. All you need to know is that I receive a salary, whether it's large or small."
"..."
Although he received such treatment, he was relatively fortunate compared to others. Many of his friends had already lost their jobs. The secretary suppressed his boiling anger, thinking about the responsibility of providing for his family. "No, it's not that. We need to be prepared for such situations. If someone asks, just say we are in the process of buying dollars and gold. Then inform me immediately."
"Understood."
Clearly, the directive from above was to convert all assets into dollars and gold. Anton had also said the same thing until this morning. But suddenly, an acquisition of a company? Even if they only embezzled some of the assets to acquire the company, it would eventually come to light. Knowing that, if he still tried to do this secretly, was there something fishy going on? After the secretary left, he let out a long sigh and thought of his ungrateful children's faces.
A few days later, Yuri Yusupov arrived at the largest state-owned bank in Russia. He didn't necessarily need to personally visit, but given the current situation and the substantial amount involved, he had no choice. "
"I received a prior notice, but I didn't expect the Chairman to come in person," the bank manager said.
"Hehe. Borrowing money during times like these isn't easy," the Chairman replied.
"Oh my, why would you say that? It's been decades since we've been doing business together. Next time, just send your subordinates."
"People say you're getting old if you just stay cooped up at home. I came out to see the CEO's face after a long time."
"I always welcome your visits, Chairman. Haha."
After exchanging simple greetings, Yuri Yusupov gestured to his secretary standing by his side. The secretary then took out two large envelopes containing necessary collateral documents and placed them in front of the Chairman. "All the required collateral documents are here. If anything is missing, please let us know."
"I will do that. However, with the fixed interest rate and the considerable loan amount, it might take around ten days. Is that acceptable to you?"
Applying a fixed interest rate instead of a variable rate during the current turmoil was not an easy task for a bank manager. But the situation was different when the client was the Yusupov family. "I can wait for that."
"If things are processed faster, I will contact you immediately."
"In that case, I'll be even more grateful."
Indeed, trust built over several decades doesn't crumble easily. If the CEO said the loan approval would be within ten days, then it would undoubtedly happen. Yuri Yuspov relaxed on the sofa and leisurely sipped his tea. "By the way, Chairman, may I ask you something?"
"Please, go ahead."
"Ahem. I heard that the Kremlin is selling state-owned companies, but why are you giving up on those companies? Has your financial situation become so difficult that you can't acquire even one of them?"
After the currency reform, most wealthy individuals kept their money in private safes rather than depositing it in banks, making it difficult for the bank manager to know the exact financial situation of Yuri Yusupov. "As you know, our family supported Secretary Gorbachev all along. Since he stepped down, Yeltsin took power, and do you think we can just leave the country like that?"
"Oh, I apologize. I didn't think that far," the bank manager replied, forcing an awkward smile while sipping his tea. Yuri's words were true. While they had been on a smooth path with Gorbachev in power, Yeltsin's rise to power became a stumbling block for them.
The Romanov family of Zhenya had initiated the talk of divorce, judging that the Yusupov family was no longer helpful. Though the Yusupovs weren't penniless, the fact that they were now far from power led to the humiliation of a divorce. Yuri was determined to repay this disgrace.
In the midst of the world covered in white, Nikolai and Sasha arrived in a car at a vacant lot. Though it was on the outskirts of Moscow, the location was advantageous as three major roads intersected there, making it easily accessible. Above all, the price was relatively low since there were no buildings nearby. "How did you find this place so quickly?"
"Want me to reveal my secret?"
"Oh, really? What is this secret?"
"Think my parents took pity on me and let me manage such a mansion all by myself since I was in my teens?" Nikolai retorted.
There was certainly no such thing. When Nikolai told his parents that he would drop out of college and pursue a business, he also mentioned that he wanted Sasha to be with him.
He vividly remembered the regretful expressions of his parents at that time. "What about someone other than Sasha? Just find someone quick and efficient; there must be someone suitable in the company."
Nikolai declined. "Other people won't do, will they? Although Sasha enjoys a drink, we handle work perfectly, you know that too... Memories of Sasha's precise and mysterious handling of tasks lingered in his mind...though he didn't know the details of the process.
"Well, you're definitely someone our parents would regret not choosing. You can handle it, right?" Sasha remarked.
"What's the point of strength? But why did you ask me to look into these lands and buildings?"
"There must be a reason for it. We saw the land first; let's fill our stomachs and then take a look at the buildings. Ugh, it's cold. I hate feeling cold, sleepless, and hungry."
Nikolai patted his stomach and got into the car first, while Sasha sighed and asked, "What do you want to eat?"
"Don't you know any Korean restaurants that specialize in traditional dishes?"
"There's one about 30 minutes from here, but..."
"Why wait? Let's not waste time."
In the restaurant Sasha guided them to, Nikolai was impressed as he filled his stomach. It felt like someone who had been trapped on a deserted island and tasted steak charcoal-grilled for the first time in years. Each bite of meat and rib stimulated his taste buds, and it was a sensation that reached every cell in his body. "Wow! Who would've thought I'd be having pork bone soup in Moscow? You've been enjoying this all by yourself until now?"
"When I suggested eating together, you were disgusted and refused. You've changed so much in just a few months. Tastes don't usually change that easily, and your speech and behavior too."
"The world changed overnight."
"I also need to change to fit into the world. You should adapt quickly too. We have more to gain in the future." Nikolai continued.
Nikolai had no intention of being careful with his words. No matter how much he seemed to have changed, Sasha wouldn't have expected that his values had shifted. "Investing in a restaurant franchise nationwide wouldn't be a bad idea. We could spread our business far and wide."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Do you expect me to keep relying on our parents for allowance at this age?"
"You said you wanted to start a business. Is this why you asked about land and buildings? But how do you plan to get the money?"
"Do you know what successful entrepreneurs do best?"
"...?"
"They don't use their own money for their business."
"Huh?"
"My money is mine. Your money is also mine."
Sasha had a bewildered expression, and at that moment, a robust Russian man was haggling with a Korean elderly lady. So, even Russians eat pork soup. He hadn't noticed it before, but now he looked around and noticed quite a few Russian men and women. "The smell is stronger, and there seems to be less meat. But the price has gone up. What is this? That doesn't make any sense."
It seemed he was trying to calculate the cost of the meal. As the cost of living became more difficult, local mafia-like figures were popping up, trying to profit from food prices as well. I nudged Sasha's arm. "You better handle this properly. If you don't have the money, don't eat. Don't start unnecessary trouble. It just tastes good."
"Who?... Me?"
"Is there someone else besides you in front of me?"
Sasha sighed"I knew it would come to this."
"Do you think I brought you along just to treat you like a slave? Of course not, friend. You're the expert in fights, right? Go on, let's hurry."
At Nikolai's words, Sasha, who stood over 190cm tall, slowly rose from his seat like a bear. Then, he walked over to the man who was about to push an elderly lady and firmly grabbed his wrist. "Think carefully before you speak."
"What's wrong with you?"
"Let's see. Pork soup costs 3 rubles, and the drink is 1 ruble. So, how much is it?"
"Ugh! 4, 4 rubles..."
"You're good at calculations, huh? You said you couldn't make sense of it."
Hey, that's not the point. Under the pressure of Sasha's strength and size, the man quickly finished his calculations and hurriedly left the scene. Thanks to that, the kind old lady tried not to accept the payment, but Nikolai insisted on paying. Outside, they visited a large store a few blocks away in Moscow. Although it was called a large store, it was nothing like the E-mart or Homeplus that Nikolai knew; it was just a slightly larger store than the ones in the neighborhood. Here, there was the famous GUM department store built during Imperial Russia in 1893, but it was entirely different from the modern hypermarkets. "There are not many types of goods here."
They just stack up the same goods again as soon as they run out. Consumer goods are almost extinct, and the market is dominated by agricultural products. Interesting...
In the future, there used to be dozens of types of instant noodles and snacks. No matter how different the times are, this is... 'Perfect. Now is the best time to make money by selling goods.'
When both corners of Nikolai's mouth curled up, Sasha felt a strange shiver. "What's with that eerie smile?"
"Do you know what a monopoly is?"
"Of course I do. But why?"
"Let's do something profitable together."
"What do you mean?"
"I feel a little sorry for the people I know, but..."
Starting as a Walmart-like offline store and eventually dominating online as well. We could conquer the world like Amazon.
"Let's create a massive and impressive store to sell goods. We'll display many items that people here have never seen before. They'll be amazed. What do you think?"
"Hmm..."
"What"
"Did you take some drugs? How could anyone lend such a large sum of money, and who would even lend you that kind of money for business?"
"Well, it's who else but Grandfather Yuri Yusupov, our chairman."
"Chairman? Lending that much money? He must be easy to deal with. ."
"Of course, he has to lend it. In reality, it's not really borrowing, it's investing. How much money will the chairman profit? He'll probably give us everything we want."
Although Nikolai saw a grandmother putting a few potatoes in her bag, he ignored it and thought about the items Russian people loved the most. First of all, the instant noodles that have never missed the top ranking in sales since their release in Russia...
"We'll import lunchbox ramen and everything else, including mayonnaise. Let's build large marts all over the country! We need capital to invest in stocks and real estate. "
Providing the most essential things Russia needs right now, Nikolai decided to secure investment money.
Author's Note
Hey there, wonderful readers. I'm thrilled to announce that you can now read the next chapters right now on Toodat!
You can click this link~
writing/detail/4mVoBDbDRnel2EON