Chapter 14

The Bear's Business is Now My Business Chapter 14

014 15 Clauses / War on Crime

On a sightseeing boat restaurant on the Moscow River.

Despite the economic turmoil that was causing Russia to struggle, there were always people with money.

Even on a weekday, the place was bustling with people, with no empty tables.

The boat restaurant was an open space, but there were three rooms that were much more expensive.

In the innermost room, Yuri Yusupov and Makar, Yeltsin's closest aide, had a secret meeting.

"The night view in September is quite something, isn't it?"

As Makar, the chief of staff, sipped his vodka, Yuri's gaze also turned to the window.

"When I look at the Moscow River, I sometimes think back to my childhood. Back then, I used to go fishing with my friends here."

"I used to go fishing here with my father when I was young too. Perhaps I might have seen you by chance. Haha."

It was their first meeting, so they started with casual conversation to set the mood.

After cutting into the medium-rare steak and taking a bite, Makar, the chief of staff, began to bring up the main topic.

"He asked me to convey his gratitude."

"Gratitude? I only showed a small token of my respect."

"A small token? It was a tremendous help. When he was on trial for impeachment, you were the only one to visit him within three days."

Not only did you visit within three days, but you also provided such a large sum of money without asking for anything in return. I was truly surprised.

I thought you were a truly bold person.

The President was also deeply moved by your boldness and firm belief in him.

"Very few people came to see the President. It was only after four months, when September was almost over, that they started to show up occasionally."

Yeltsin's words when he returned to the presidency came to mind.

- The person who gave me the most support to return to this position is none other than Chairman Yuri Yusupov. I will grant him whatever he wants.

That's why I contacted Chairman Yuri Yusupov in advance and came to meet him personally.

"On May 1st, when I was on trial for impeachment, even my comrades who fought against tanks and guns kept their distance. The opposition was so strong, and the citizens joined in the protests, so they thought my impeachment was a foregone conclusion."

"..."

"From May 1st to September 20th, when the impeachment was rejected, those four months were a time when we were drained of all our energy."

"Indeed, it must have been a very difficult time."

"Yes, it was a very difficult time."

The chief of staff frowned, as if recalling those days.

"But, I have a question."

"..."

"How could you be so confident and make such a quick decision? Even I felt anxious that the President might step down."

Yuri smiled, thinking of Nikolai's face.

I could say it was my judgment, but I didn't want to hide it.

It's like a grandfather who wants to boast about his grandson.

Since we are already on the same boat with President Yeltsin, the more help I get, the better, and there's no harm in it.

"There was someone who was certain the President would never step down. Others didn't think so, but this person's belief in the President was firm. Of course, there were various reasons for this."

"Oh! Is there such a person? He must be a remarkable person. Not only I, but even the President felt anxious about himself, yet this person had more faith in him than we did. Can I meet him?"

"I'll take you with me when we enter the Kremlin."

"Please do. And..."

After taking a sip of tea, the chief of staff brought up the most important part of this meeting.

"Did you bring what we discussed on the phone?"

"Yes, I wanted to keep the same mindset as when we first met, but..."

I also received advice from Nikolai on this part.

- When the Kremlin contacts you, refuse a few times.

- What are you going to do if you accept it right away?

- President Yeltsin is not the type to forget a favor. He wouldn't accept it right away just because you refused a few times.

- It's about maintaining formality, right?

- Yes. No matter what you get, you should maintain a certain level of formality.

So when the chief of staff called, I refused a few times.

As expected, the response was to think about what I wanted, saying that the President's intention was firm.

In the end, I pretended to give in, just like Nikolai did, and wrote it down on a piece of paper.

Most of what is written here was written by Nikolai.

"No, I'll be kicked out if I go in empty-handed. Haha."

"Then..."

Yuri Yusupov took out two pieces of paper from his bag and placed them in front of the chief of staff.

"Can I read it for a moment?"

"Of course."

The chief of staff began to read the contents slowly.

1. Joining the WTO and signing an FTA with Russia.

2. Tariff application equivalent to an FTA with Korea (automatically nullified upon FTA signing).

3. Signing a mutual visa-free agreement (2 months) with Korea.

4. Appointing Zahar (maternal grandfather) as Minister of Justice.

5. Appointing Sergei (maternal uncle) as Chief of Staff for Civil Affairs.

6. Approval for the right to purchase government-owned land.

7. Priority purchase rights for state-owned enterprises (priority for energy companies).

8. Approval for the Unicorn Group to acquire a private bank.

9. Comprehensive gun control.

10. War on Crime.

...

The paper listed a total of 15 clauses.

Below each clause, detailed explanations were written.

These 15 clauses were carefully selected from the major issues while the influence was at its peak.

For the second, third, and fourth rounds, I plan to gradually introduce them as opportunities arise.

When Makar, the chief of staff, first read the contents, he was briefly surprised, but after finishing, he put the paper down.

"Hmm. There are three clauses related to Korea. Is there a special reason for this?"

"Among the countries adjacent to Russia, Korea is the only one with a stable political situation and a strong economy. I believe that quickly forming an alliance with Korea will be a great help to Russia."

"True, but what about Japan, which is also an adjacent country?"

"Japan is not a reliable place, especially considering the Kuril Islands issue."

"Ah, that's true. And I know Zahar. I understand he is related to you by marriage."

"Yes."

Zahar, Nikolai's maternal grandfather, served as Deputy Minister of Justice during the Soviet era but stepped down when the Soviet Union collapsed.

Therefore, many people in government circles knew him.

"Do you plan to enter the banking industry?"

"Seeing the banks in a precarious state, I thought I should do something for the country and the people, and I decided that a bank would be a good choice."

"Indeed, you have a deep concern for the country."

The idea to acquire a bank was also proposed by Nikolai.

While it's necessary to sell dollars and gold, acquiring a bank outright would bring much greater benefits.

Moreover, to revive the collapsed economy, nothing is better than a bank.

Currently, Russia does not have a law like Korea's 'separation of finance and industry,' making it possible.

However, acquiring a large bank requires the President's approval, so I requested it in advance.

"What do you mean by gun control and the war on crime?"

"Gun control means prohibiting the carrying of firearms in Russia. If left unchecked, Russia might end up like the United States, which is why I included it."

"Ah, that's a good idea."

"And the war on crime is because the public security has become chaotic. Mafia groups are rampant across the country, causing suffering to the people. I thought it would be good to arrest all the mafia and send them to Siberia as loggers."

Yuri Yusupov felt a bit embarrassed about some of the clauses, but he had to include them because Nikolai strongly insisted they were necessary.

"That's a great idea. Although there are 15 clauses, only five are directly related to you. Even those five, when viewed broadly, benefit the country. I can see your intentions clearly. He is a man who keeps his promises. He will definitely grant these 15 clauses."

"Thank you."

Since Yeltsin is the one who initiated the Bear's Business, he will keep his promise.

Although Russia, as a major power, seemed to be unable to repay the borrowed money, Korea had no choice but to receive weapons instead of money.

However, from Yeltsin's perspective, recognizing that Russia inherited the Soviet Union and trying to repay the debt, he did make efforts to keep his promise.

* * *

Two weeks later, Yuri Yusupov received a call from Makar, the chief of staff he had met before.

- The President has decided to proceed with all 15 clauses. As the first step, clauses 4 and 5 will be announced tomorrow, and clauses 6, 7, 8, and 10 have already been approved. The war on crime will likely be ordered nationwide the day after tomorrow.

Clauses 4 and 5...

4. Appointing Zahar (maternal grandfather) as Minister of Justice.

5. Appointing Sergei (maternal uncle) as Chief of Staff for Civil Affairs.

These two will take up key positions in the government starting tomorrow.

Yeltsin had been seething at the people who turned their backs on him during the four months of the impeachment trial.

So, upon resuming his presidency, he completely reorganized the cabinet.

This included the Minister of Justice.

6. Approval for the right to purchase government-owned land.

7. Priority purchase rights for state-owned enterprises (priority for energy companies).

8. Approval for the Unicorn Group to acquire a private bank.

10. War on Crime.

Since the four clauses mentioned above have already been approved, everything Nikolai wanted has been achieved.

Now, it's time to use what has been obtained to do what couldn't be done before.

* * *

The next day.

"Mr. Architect, what is this?"

"What do you mean? Which part...?"

Nikolai was looking at the design plans for a five-story large supermarket with his father.

However, there were many parts he didn't like.

"Here. Why are there windows? Do you want people to shop while watching the sunset?"

"Indeed! I'm really sorry. I'll revise the parts you mentioned as quickly as possible."

At least this architect admitted his mistake and was willing to make revisions, which was fortunate.

"And why are there no sprinklers? If the place catches fire after all the hard work and money spent, will you take responsibility?"

"I'm really sorry. I'll revise this immediately. But, are you not including a children's playground?"

"Why would I include that?"

"To keep customers in the store for as long as possible, it would be good if children could play without disturbing the shopping."

One knows and the other doesn't.

"If children only play there, how will they buy things? They need to go into the store and look at the items to put them in the cart. Children are also customers. Do you understand?"

"Ah, yes."

"Revise the design and contact me when it's done."

"I'll bring the revised plans as quickly as possible."

"Quickly is good, but make it as perfect as possible."

"Of course."

"Good work."

If you do this again next time, I'll definitely change the architect.

As the architect left, Ivan Yusupov burst into a hollow laugh.

"I have nothing to do. Let's go back."

As Ivan went outside, Sasha, who had been in the garden for a moment, frowned and came in.

"What's wrong?"

"Those guys seem to be the ones...?"

"Who?"

"I just walked around the garden, and I saw the guys I saw before loitering around."

"Who did you see before?"

"The guys I lent money to. I set the repayment period for one year, so why are they here?"

Hmm. They must think it's not going to work out.

Even with a 35% interest rate after one year, it would still be a huge loss, so they want to collect now.

With the ruble's value plummeting and prices soaring.

It's just in time.

My grandfather is now the Minister of Justice, and the war on crime will be implemented nationwide tomorrow.

Nikolai and Ilya went inside and picked up the phone.

"Grandfather, it's me, Nikolai."

-Oh, hello. I was just about to call you. I heard you recommended your uncle and me?

"What power do I have to recommend anyone?"

-I heard the details from Chairman and your mother. I was surprised when I heard it. Thank you, even if it's late. So, what do you want to say?

"Starting tomorrow, the President will issue a special order for the 'War on Crime,' right?"

-Yes.

"Good. There are some people who need to be arrested. I'll change the phone, so please make sure to arrest them."

-You must have a grudge against them. I'll do it.

"Ilya, can you give the address and descriptions of those guys?"

"Ah, yes."

* * *

"What are you guys?"

"What do you mean? We're special police here to arrest bad guys like you. We'll arrest every single one of you!"

"Yes!"

"Let go! Don't let go! What did I do wrong to be arrested?"

"Did you do anything wrong?"

"No!"

"Let's start with a beating. Think about what you did wrong while you're being hit."

Punch! Punch! Punch!

"Ouch! Ugh! Cough! Cough! Stop! I remember! Bastards! Stop it!"

"No, you haven't thought of it yet. Think harder."

Punch! Punch! Punch!

The guys were beaten by the special police with guns and then handcuffed without knowing why.

Not only the four of them but also dozens of their affiliated members.

They were immediately thrown onto the Trans-Siberian train and sent to Siberia as loggers.

The service period was 10 years, with an additional year for each incident.

That day, Ilya and Sonya shed hot tears.

"Thank you so much. Thinking about how I wanted to end my life because of those guys..."

"Uncle Nikolai. Thank you. Dad, don't cry. Sonya is here."

But their faces were filled with joy.

* * *

One day, a few months after September, Nikolai, Yuri Yusupov, Ivan, and Yegor were together.

"Grandfather, it's time to sell. The dollars and gold."