Chapter 31

The Bear Stew is now my responsibility, Chapter 31

031 Three Mice / Specialized Food Production Area

August 13, 1994.

【Fire accident at the Ussuriysk Industrial Park construction site. 126 deaths. Workers sleeping in Factory 1 and 2 suffocated to death.】

126 workers died?

Even in a fire accident, it's impossible for 126 people to die all at once at this site.

They were sleeping in separate containers.

But it says they were sleeping together inside Factory 1 and 2 when the accident happened?

In August, even if the buildings were completed, the inside of the factory would have been empty.

The machines from Korea hadn't arrived yet.

'This is a bit strange, isn't it?'

In the hot weather of August, the workers who couldn't sleep in the containers might have slept together inside the factory.

However, if they knew about the fire, they would have run outside. How could so many people suffocate to death?

'Hmm...'

There is only one reason for this to happen.

'Someone locked the doors from the outside.'

The more he thought about it, the more chilling it became.

Who could have done such a cruel act and for what reason?

Nikolai was certain that this was not a simple fire accident.

From the content of the news, it was clear.

At that moment, Sasha frowned and entered the container dormitory.

"Why is it so noisy outside?"

"Something big has happened."

"What is it?"

"The workers are causing a commotion, saying they can't work."

"Why now, after doing well until now?"

"The container dormitories are too cold to sleep in, and they want a 50% raise in their wages."

"Have these people gone mad?"

"I don't understand why they're doing this either. I think their current wages are not low. I need to go out and see what's happening."

As Sasha and Nikolai arrived at the construction site, the workers swarmed over.

There were at least 200 people.

Nikolai climbed to a slightly higher place to see all the workers.

Then, one of the workers stepped forward.

"Please change the dormitories immediately! We can't sleep because it's too cold. Rent houses in Ussuriysk or Vladivostok for us. And with the current wages, we can't work. We need at least a 50% raise!"

The others murmured in agreement with the man's words.

"I would like to provide better dormitories, but there's no place nearby that can accommodate all of you. And the dormitories are equipped with heating facilities, aren't they?"

"Even with heating facilities, it's still too cold, isn't it!"

Living in a container after sleeping in a house is indeed uncomfortable.

But it's not so cold that they can't sleep.

When Nikolai pointed this out, the workers became even more agitated.

"Are you saying we're making a fuss for no reason?"

"It's not that. We just need you to bear with us for a little longer. By June, it will gradually get warmer. The construction will be completed by October at the latest."

"We can't do that! And we need a wage increase. If these two demands are not met, we won't work!"

About 200 people, which is about 30% of the total workforce.

If they all leave, the construction will be difficult.

Moreover, these are all Unicorn Construction employees.

Ordinary workers can be replaced, but these are specialized personnel who cannot be easily replaced.

Unicorn employees can be distinguished by their different clothing.

Nikolai couldn't respond to their demands on the spot, so he decided to buy some time.

"I need some time to make a decision. Let's talk again in a week. How about that?"

"Exactly one week. If there's no response after that, we'll stop the construction from that day."

"Understood. Starting from noon tomorrow, for one week."

He had bought a week's time.

During this period, he needed to resolve this issue.

If not, all the planned work would be disrupted.

After touring the site with Sasha, Nikolai returned to the dormitory.

* * *

That evening.

After finishing their work and having dinner, the workers started to return to their dormitories.

Even though Russians are generally healthier than Asians, the hard labor was still exhausting for them.

The workers who entered the container dormitories soon fell asleep, exhausted.

As the lights went out one by one, it was past 11 PM, and most of the lights were off.

However, voices were still heard from one place.

A man was smoking outside the container, looking around as if on guard.

"What if Nikolai accepts our demands?"

"Didn't you hear what he said? There's no place that can accommodate so many people."

"What about a 50% wage increase? The company is in a hurry, so they might raise it, right?"

"There are over 700 employees working on this site. If we raise the wages here, the employees at other sites won't sit still. A 50% increase is impossible."

"...What if it happens?"

"Both demands must be met for the negotiation to work. Don't worry. We just need to incite the people and hold out until the end."

The main instigators were three people.

Two inside the container and one outside on guard.

What do these official employees of Unicorn Construction hope to gain by doing this?

* * *

Around lunchtime the next day, a figure entered the construction site.

Since this person was not supposed to be here, Nikolai smiled and said,

"What brings you here?"

"I thought I'd learn some things from you."

Kirill, the eldest son of Yegor, felt suffocated when he arrived at the construction site.

It was the first time he had walked on a muddy ground.

He always traveled by car, so the dirt on his shoes made him frown.

Feeling annoyed at the thought of staying here for a while, he tried to keep his face as smooth as possible when he saw Nikolai.

"Kirill, learning things? That's unusual."

"I realized something after seeing the success of U-Mart. So, teach me well."

"I doubt you can learn properly. I won't send you away now that you're here, but don't criticize my work. I'll send you away immediately if you do."

Nikolai's words, as if speaking to a subordinate, made Kirill feel a surge of anger, but he suppressed it.

"Have you eaten lunch?"

"I couldn't eat because I came straight from the airport."

"You came at the right time. Let's have lunch then."

There was a large restaurant built a short distance from the construction site, so Nikolai and his group headed there.

Sasha, walking behind, looked at Kirill with a suspicious gaze.

The trays used here were large stainless steel trays imported from abroad.

They were large enough to hold three more side dishes.

These trays were specially ordered for use at Unicorn Construction sites.

After receiving a tray and sitting down, Kirill took a few bites and tilted his head.

"How is it? Is it good?"

"I've never eaten in such a place, but I know the food at construction sites isn't usually this good. Did you order this?"

"People work to live, so the food can't be poor. Especially at my site. That's why I increased the cost per meal."

Meat and vegetable soup are served every day.

There are also two types of fruit and vegetables that are expensive in winter.

Additionally, the storage room is filled with instant noodles, chocolate pies, and other snacks.

Workers can eat as much as they want, but taking them out is prohibited.

Since the ingredients are supplied by companies that supply U-Mart and Unicorn stores, the cost is minimal.

"Will the workers be grateful for this?"

Is it just to hear a thank you?

Nikolai, who had experienced a lot of hard work, started this to ensure the workers ate well.

But Kirill, who had no such experience, only thought about the cost.

"Did you do this just to hear a thank you?"

"Well, but aren't you and the mayor of Icos, Mr. Pyotr, not on good terms?"

Embarrassed, Kirill quickly changed the subject.

"How do you know about him?"

"Mr. Pyotr's son is my college junior."

"Oh, he's also from Moscow University. It's quite a tangled web. It's not easy to connect like that."

His son and Zhenya were connected, and now Kirill is connected too.

It's a funny family.

Just as Nikolai was about to tear into a bone similar to a rib soup, he heard something he didn't want to hear.

"You haven't heard from Zhenya, have you?"

"Why bring up someone who's already finished? It ruins the appetite."

"...I heard from my junior that they broke up, and Zhenya has been locked in her house, not coming out. It's been over half a year."

"..."

"Even if they were engaged, to see a normal person become like a mental patient..."

"What's your point? Are you saying I should take moral responsibility?"

"Well, but once..."

Nikolai put the pig bone he was holding down on the table with a thud.

"Brother."

"..."

"Brother, do you know what happened between us in detail?"

"I don't know in detail."

"If you don't know, just eat your lunch."

Suddenly, Kirill's hand, holding a fork, tightened.

Even though Russians can be friends regardless of age, he is still his cousin.

But Kirill, to achieve his purpose, finished his meal without showing any reaction.

* * *

Two days out of seven had passed.

He needed to resolve this within the next five days.

With no good ideas, he and Sasha brainstormed, and a decent idea came to mind.

"What if we offer to build an apartment complex?"

"That won't help right away, will it?"

"We can't take their words at face value. They're not really saying they can't sleep because it's cold. They're just voicing their complaints. We need to give them something to look forward to, to quell their current complaints."

They are taking advantage of the fact that Nikolai doesn't have time.

So, he needs to suppress them once this construction is completed.

For that, he needs a suitable carrot now.

"What benefits would the employees get if we build an apartment complex?"

"We can promise to give them one each when it's completed."

"Really give them one?"

"Am I crazy? To give such expensive apartments to rebels for free."

"Then you're suggesting we lie?"

"No, I will definitely keep my promise. Clearly."

"What do you mean? You said you won't give them anything, but you're making a promise?"

I will definitely keep my promise...

'Will you still be employees of Unicorn Construction by then?'

Because of what they did, Nikolai plans to fire them all.

But he can't do it right now, so he's setting up this plan.

"I'll promise to give them one after the construction is completed, and then fire them. Once they betray, they'll keep doing it."

"Assuming that, how will you handle the 50% wage increase?"

"Did you think your head got better by following me? It's rusted again."

Sasha's face crumpled.

"Assuming it's rusted. Just tell me quickly."

"If you were offered an apartment, would you care about the current wage?"

"That's true. An apartment is worth a lot of money."

"Exactly. We'll negotiate the wages again after we give them the apartments. It's not the right time to raise wages now, and we need to consider other sites. If we do it this way, they won't keep asking for raises."

Sasha nodded.

"But do