Chapter 40

The Bear Kingdom is Now Mine Chapter 40

040 Transforming the Best Workplace / Miss and Mister Selection Contest

Energy Hegemony Nation.

The major wars in modern history ultimately began in order to secure energy.

The United States formed an alliance with Saudi Arabia to ensure a stable supply of oil.

Even Germany and European countries, which were once enemies during World War II, joined hands with Russia for gas.

Energy is an element that can determine the survival of a nation, to say the least.

And at the pinnacle of the energy sector stands Gazprom.

Although it is just beginning to emerge and lacks such power now, it will soon exert its influence.

In the Sakha Republic, where the temperature drops to minus 45 degrees Celsius.

Nikolai arrived at the site with Sasha and the deputy director of Gazprom, moving forward without regard for the bitter cold.

He wanted to hear the employees' complaints directly.

"If the salary has been delayed for two months, how do the employees and their families live?"

"...I've suggested it to the government several times, but they only say to wait until it's sold because it's in the process of privatization."

The deputy director sighed.

I could understand a little about the situation.

For the most important site to be in such a miserable state.

Nikolai intended to support everything so that the employees could focus solely on their work.

"Please tell me all the problems and what needs to be improved. I will handle everything that I can solve."

"First, the overdue salaries need to be paid…."

"I will resolve it all by tomorrow. And as a gesture, I will increase everyone's salary by 10%."

"Really?"

Not only the deputy director but also the employees who had gathered upon hearing the news of the new boss were wide-eyed.

"Contact all the employees who have resigned and ask if they want to return. We will need more people in the future."

"Ah, I understand."

"If there are any other inconveniences, please let me know."

"There are no proper accommodations here."

"Hmm. Then where do the employees live?"

"It would be faster for you to see it yourself than for me to explain."

The place the deputy director led him to was a five-story apartment building built during the Soviet era.

It was in a pitiful state.

The cheap insulation and metal sheets on the exterior walls were half-peeled off, and the red water that had flowed down the walls had replaced the paint.

The inside of the building was similar.

The corners of the stairwell walls on each floor had long been invaded by dark gray mold.

The metal doors were so corroded that it was questionable whether they could function as doors.

"Terrible."

"...The inside of the apartments is even worse."

If it's worse here, how did the employees survive?

He steeled himself and entered.

A 13-pyeong apartment.

Two rooms, a small living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

'The smell is really intense.'

A more peculiar smell invaded his nostrils than in the hallway.

The unique odor of decaying meat characteristic of Russians, mixed with various other foul smells, was overwhelming.

If it had been managed properly, it wouldn't have deteriorated to this extent, but who would have cared?

The company had been digging the ground for over five years.

It's surprising that the salary was only two months overdue.

The government had largely ignored Gazprom after the change in the country.

Since the company was not extracting gas or oil, but only spending money, interest gradually waned.

Then, with the start of the privatization trend, interest completely disappeared.

With many employees resigning, Gazprom was practically in a state of closure.

If a German company had seen these conditions after acquiring Gazprom, they would have been quite shocked.

"Have you been living here for over five years?"

"Since there was no way to solve it…."

"I will solve this too."

"…!"

"I will announce that we will build new apartments for the employees within one and a half years."

"…New apartments, in just one and a half years?"

A five-story building that doesn't require an elevator can be built in the shortest time.

In such a cold place, a five-story building is more appropriate than a skyscraper.

With the abundant land, various convenience facilities can be added around the apartments.

"I promise. It will be on par with the Unicorn Apartments in Ussuriysk, or perhaps even better."

"Thank you, boss."

Although his position was deputy director, he had lived a life not much different from the employees.

Seeing the drastic changes brought by the new boss, his eyes involuntarily reddened.

"Anything else?"

"The supplies and food are severely lacking. Since they come from far away, they are expensive, and the employees cannot live comfortably."

"It would be great if everything could be bought cheaply in one place, right?"

"Of course. But realistically, it's difficult…."

"Have you seen the U-Mart in Moscow?"

"Yes, I saw it on TV."

"What if we put one here?"

"…."

The deputy director's mouth was agape, unable to speak.

"I will build it on the scale of Moscow. We can start construction simultaneously with the apartments."

Effortlessly.

With Nikolai as the new boss, nothing seemed impossible.

The problems that had accumulated for over five years were resolved in just a few hours.

The deputy director and employees, who had been worn down by their harsh lives, began to regain their vitality.

"Tell me anything you need. Before I change my mind."

"Ah, I understand. The educational facilities around here are very poor. The employees want to live with their families, but there are no proper schools."

"Sasha, take good notes."

"I've been writing them down since the beginning."

The deputy director and employees began to list the inconveniences they had experienced.

I can sense a sense of relief in their voices.

"The road conditions are also very poor. When the snow freezes, it becomes difficult for cars to move, and as a result, external goods often don't arrive on time."

"We can divert some of the central heating from the apartments to the roads and install heating panels under the roads."

This method was used in the Ussuriysk Apartments, so it is feasible.

"Wouldn't that cost a lot of money?"

Money? Why worry about money now?

In two months, we will be sitting on a diamond cushion, not just a money cushion.

Nikolai, despite his inner thoughts, outwardly spoke as if it was a very difficult decision but that he would not hesitate to spend his own money for the employees.

"If the employees can work in a better environment, I don't mind spending as much money as needed. Without employees, there is no company."

Their eyes, which had regained vitality, began to change in a peculiar way.

Is that a look of admiration?

He has only been here for a short time, yet they already have that look.

Many more discussions followed, but he accepted everything.

All of them could be resolved immediately with money.

"I will solve everything you mentioned today without missing a single item, so don't worry. Deputy Director, please report to me three times a week."

"Understood, boss."

"Then, receive your salary well tomorrow, and I'll see you next time."

Nikolai headed to his mansion in Moscow, accompanied by the employees' farewells.

* * *

Back home, Nikolai called the UK.

Since Moscow is two hours ahead, it was convenient to call at this time.

"What are you up to these days?"

-Our boss Nikolai is working hard on the tasks you gave him.

"German car companies?"

-Yes, they are positively considering building factories in St. Petersburg.

"Oh. Which one is the most interested?"

-Volkswagen is the most proactive, but they have many demands.

Volkswagen would become the world's top car company.

The fact that such a company is interested in St. Petersburg is significant.

Nikolai decided to throw more bait.

"Send me an email about what they are demanding. President Yeltsin is determined to attract foreign companies, so he will likely agree to most of their requests."

-Okay. And Mercedes and BMW are also very interested.

They are all top-notch companies.

If they come, St. Petersburg can become a city specialized in the automotive industry.

Not to mention job creation, the entire city will develop rapidly.

"If these companies come, this project will be a success. So, do your best to persuade them."

-They're not easy to persuade.

"That's your job. Persuade them well."

-Anyway, I'll send you the data by email. Mark the things you can agree to, and I'll meet them again with that.

"But will the German government just stand by?"

-If the companies are going to a place that offers better conditions, what can the German government do?

After all, American companies also moved to China for better conditions.

Korean companies entered Vietnam and North Korea.

There's no reason they can't come to Russia.

-Is that why you called?

"No, it's for something else."

-What do you want me to do this time? You're not overworking me, are you?

As Denis kept acting like his brother, Nikolai sternly said,

"You seem to have a lot of complaints. If you don't want to do it, you don't have to."

I need to snap him out of it.

No matter how much he is his brother, in business, he needs to follow well.

"I'll tell Grandfather to come to Russia. Learn the business at Unicorn Construction. Kirill and Dima are also learning."

He quickly changed his tone.

-Boss, just tell me what you need. I'll do it without a fuss.

"Good. Which company in Russia or the UK can offer such a salary and benefits? Isn't that right?"

-Ah, I was just saying. What do you need me to do?

"Do you know what Apple, Microsoft, Qualcomm, IBM, and Visa are?"

-Of course, I know.

"Buy their stocks. All of them, as soon as they hit the market. Until I tell you to stop."

-...Didn't you spend a lot of money acquiring Gazprom?

Not really.

Gazprom was unexpectedly cheap.

The government also didn't mind. They wanted to sell it as soon as possible to make money.

But there was a bigger reason.

"I acquired it with a loan from Unicorn Bank."

Thanks to that, the dollars are still intact.

-You're the real rich one in Russia, not Grandfather, right?

"Stop it. Anyway, keep buying those company stocks."

Nikolai knew exactly when the IT bubble in Korea burst.

In the early 2000s.

In the U.S., the stock prices of IT companies had been soaring for five years, so now was the perfect time.

They will keep rising until 1999, and then they will crash. The same will happen in other countries.

'If I enter now and pull out everything in 1999, it will be fine.'

And then buy again.

As the saying goes, life is all about timing, and now is the best time.

-It will cost a lot of money to buy all of them. Are you sure it's okay?

"You don't need to worry about money, so buy as much as you can."

It won't be long. The day of sitting on a diamond cushion is near.

When gas and oil start flowing, everyone will be fighting over it. No need to worry about money.

-But why do you want me to buy Visa's stock?

"I want to introduce a card system in Russia. If cards become popular, it will greatly benefit Unicorn Bank and improve the country's economy."

-That makes sense. Using cards means automatic tax collection. Got it. I'll proceed as you said.

After hanging up, Nikolai and Sasha headed to U-Mart.

* * *

The popularity of U-Mart showed no signs of waning.

Now, other countries contact us first to get their products in the store.

Since the store is so large, we accept all good products.

With new, high-quality, and affordable products constantly flowing in, U-Mart's popularity soared.

One might think that the popularity of the store will decline with the spread of the internet, but that's not the case.

In the era Nikolai lived in, the world's highest-grossing company was Walmart.

Despite the popularization of online shopping, the sales of large stores did not significantly decrease.

Nikolai was aware of this fact and planned to expand U-Mart even further.

Entering the store, Nikolai looked around and said meaningfully,

"Now, we need to brand the Unicorn Group."

Surprised by the sudden statement, Sasha tilted her head and asked,

"Brand it?"

"Make it a name that not only Russians but people around the world know."

"How?"

"Look over there."

Waving and smiling, the handsome and beautiful people promoting Bacchus and Spam to customers also waved back.

They had grown closer to Nikolai during their dispatch to Unicorn Construction.

"The employees?"

"Yes. The Unicorn Miss and Mister Selection Contest."

The most beautiful woman and the most handsome man.

To solidify and popularize the company's good image.

Similar to how companies create sports teams.

Nikolai planned to hold the first Miss and Mister Selection Contest in Russia.