Chapter 6

The Bear's Country is Now My Turn Chapter 6

006 Loan, Borrow as Much as Possible / Like Walmart or E-mart

The next day, Ivan Yusupov sat with his family. His brow was deeply furrowed.

‘Why did he do that?’

This matter was so significant that it could affect the survival of the family.

And Father Yuri was not the type to make hasty decisions based on anyone’s advice.

Yet, he listened to Nikolai, who had only shown a pitiful appearance until now, disregarding all other opinions.

Even though he was considered the least promising among the grandchildren.

What does this mean?

Ivan glanced sideways at his son, Nikolai, and thought for a long time, but the mystery remained unsolved.

“Well, I never thought Father would make such a decision….”

“I thought Nikolai was out of his mind. How could he speak so calmly in front of Grandfather? Was he so shocked by the broken engagement that he reverted to his childhood self?”

The youngest, Victoria, narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Nikolai from head to toe.

Then the eldest, Denis, with a mischievous look, poked her forehead with his index finger.

“Father, honestly, Nikolai was just temporarily obsessed with painting, but he was known as a genius since childhood.”

Nikolai’s engagement to the Romanov family was largely due to the economic power of the Yusupov family.

However, if the Romanovs had not highly regarded Nikolai’s genius, the engagement would never have happened.

“Is it so strange that Nikolai, who analyzed the economy, did that? I think Grandfather saw it very accurately.”

“That’s true. I also thought that what Nikolai said yesterday was quite logical. What about you?”

Ivan couldn’t immediately answer Maria’s question and continued to think.

He shared a similar view with his wife.

That morning, Ivan had sought advice from three economic experts, keeping all possibilities open.

The currency reform that followed the change in government.

And the adoption of a capitalist market economy and a floating exchange rate.

Russia was facing such significant changes, so an economic crisis was expected.

However, none of the three could predict when it would happen or how severe it would be.

Their so-called advice was no different from what experts on TV would say.

‘Well, who could know? If they did, they would have made a fortune long ago.’

But Nikolai was certain.

As if he had seen the future.

It was too specific to be just a young man’s attempt to show off and seize an opportunity.

“…”

It’s as if he’s a different person.

No matter how he looked at it, it was definitely his second son.

Ivan recalled what his eldest son, Denis, had said.

‘Is it really the genius from his childhood showing again?’

Father, who was well aware of Nikolai’s genius, might have taken his grandson’s words seriously.

If that genius had caught Father’s eye again, his decision would be somewhat understandable.

He himself had been surprised by Nikolai’s insights many times.

But the words that came out of his mouth were different from his thoughts.

“We should be grateful that he didn’t get angry over the broken engagement.”

“Not that. What did Father think of what Nikolai said?”

“…I guess Father saw it positively, so he made that decision. It wasn’t bad.”

In fact, the opinions were at a higher level than those of the three economic experts.

But due to the long-standing estrangement, it was hard to give praise easily.

Maria, who had been sharing the same bed for over 20 years, knew his feelings well and smiled gently.

“Will we follow Grandfather’s instructions and buy dollars and gold?”

“What can we do? We have to follow his instructions.”

Ivan’s gaze returned to Nikolai, who was sitting on the right sofa.

“From what I heard yesterday, it seems you weren’t just painting. Did you study economics separately?”

Not only Ivan, but the other three were also curious and stared at Nikolai intently.

Despite the family’s attention, Nikolai dismissed it as if it were nothing.

“If studying economics could make you understand everything, all economics professors would have successful businesses.”

Ivan had the same thought and chuckled inwardly at his own question.

“Haha. Father, Nikolai is right. You can’t learn that from studying. It’s just that Nikolai is smart.”

“Well, that’s true. It seems you have no plans to return to school. What do you plan to do from now on?”

“I want to start a business, like our family.”

* * *

Maria, who was always gentle and doted on her son, was on the phone with her in-laws, instructing them to buy as much dollars and gold as possible.

Meanwhile, Anton, the third son, who had received instructions from Yuri Yusupov, was harboring different thoughts in his office.

“How many steel companies are on the market?”

“There are three….”

“Pick the best one. We need to buy it now. When will we get another chance like this?”

“…Yes?”

Surprised by the secretary’s reaction, Anton frowned and raised his voice.

“Are you deaf? I said pick one!”

“Yes, I understand.”

“This is a secret between us. If it leaks out….”

He made a cutting motion across his throat with his right hand, and the secretary swallowed hard.

“What if… if the chairman or my brother asks?”

“Do I have to tell you everything? Use your judgment. Anyway, whether you’re young or old, you only know how to collect your salary.”

“…”

Even though he was treated this way, he was still better off than others.

How many friends had already lost their jobs?

The secretary, thinking about his family, suppressed his boiling anger.

“No, we need to be clear about this. If anyone asks, just say we’re buying dollars and gold. Then inform me immediately.”

“…Understood.”

The clear instruction was to convert all funds into dollars and gold.

Until that morning, Anton had said the same thing.

But suddenly, buying a company?

Even if he diverted some funds to buy a company, it would eventually be discovered.

Given that he still wanted to do this secretly, there must be some ulterior motive.

The secretary, stepping out, sighed heavily and thought of his precious children.

* * *

A few days later, Yuri Yusupov arrived at the largest state-owned bank in Russia.

Although it was unnecessary for him to personally handle such matters, the situation was critical, and the amount was substantial, so he had to visit in person.

“I received the call, but I didn’t expect you to come in person, Mr. Chairman.”

“Heh. Borrowing money these days isn’t easy.”

“Oh, come now. We’ve been doing business for decades. Next time, just send your staff.”

“Well, if I stay home, people will say I’m getting old. I came out to see you after a long time.”

“I always welcome your visits, Mr. Chairman. Haha.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Yuri nodded to his secretary, who placed two large envelopes in front of the bank manager.

“All the necessary collateral documents are here. If anything is missing, let me know.”

“I will. However, with a fixed interest rate and such a large loan amount, it will take about ten days. Is that acceptable?”

In such a chaotic period, applying a fixed interest rate instead of a variable one is not easy, even for a bank manager.

But if the client is the Yusupov family, it’s a different story.

“I can wait that long.”

“I’ll inform you as soon as it’s processed.”

“I appreciate that.”

Indeed, trust built over decades doesn’t easily crumble.

If the manager said ten days, the loan would definitely be approved within that time.

Yuri relaxed on the sofa and sipped his tea.

“By the way, Mr. Chairman, may I ask a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Hmm. I heard the Kremlin is selling state-owned enterprises. Why are you giving them up? Is your financial situation so dire that you can’t afford to buy a company?”

After the currency reform, most wealthy people kept their money in private safes rather than banks.

Thus, the bank manager didn’t know the exact financial status of Yuri Yusupov.

“As you know, our family has always supported Secretary Gorbachev. Now that he’s stepped down and Yeltsin is in power, what can I do?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think that far.”

The manager smiled awkwardly and sipped his tea.

What Yuri said was true.

He had enjoyed a smooth path while supporting Gorbachev, but since Yeltsin took power, it had become a hindrance.

The reason the Romanov family, led by Zinaida, brought up the engagement break was that they no longer saw the Yusupov family as helpful.

The Yusupov family wasn’t short of money, but the perception of being distant from power led to the engagement break, which made Yuri grind his teeth.

He vowed to avenge this humiliation.

* * *

In the midst of a world turned white, Nikolai and Sasha arrived in front of an open field in a car.

This place was on the outskirts of Moscow but had a very good location where three major roads intersected.

Most importantly, the price was quite low because there were no buildings around yet.

“How did you find this so quickly?”

“Do you want to see my resources?”

“Really? This is part of your resources?”

“Do you think I’ve been managing those large mansions alone since my teens because your parents felt sorry for me?”

When Nikolai told his parents he was dropping out of college and starting a business, and that he would take Sasha with him, they were very reluctant.

-What about someone else? A quick and efficient person would do. There must be someone you like at the company.

-Nikolai, I’m a bit uncomfortable without Sasha… Can’t it be someone else? Sasha likes to drink, but he’s perfect at work. You know that.

But Nikolai refused.

He remembered Sasha’s thorough and almost mysterious work skills.

…Though he didn’t know the process.

“Well, you’re right. Our parents have a point. You can be a bit more confident.”

“Confident? But why did you ask me to check out this land and buildings?”

“There’s a reason. We’ve seen the land, so let’s eat something and then check out the buildings. Ugh, it’s cold. I really hate being cold, sleepless, and hungry.”

Nikolai rubbed his stomach and got into the car first, while Sasha sighed and asked.

“What do you want to eat?”

“Do you know a Korean restaurant that specializes in Korean food?”

“There’s one about 30 minutes away….”

“Why? Turn the engine on already.”

* * *

After filling their stomachs at the restaurant Sasha recommended, Nikolai kept exclaiming in amazement. It was as if he had tasted grilled beef for the first time after being stranded on a deserted island for years.

The meat and fat stimulated his taste buds, and his entire body responded to the sensation.

“Wow! I never thought I’d eat pork soup in Moscow. You’ve been eating this all by yourself?”

“You refused to eat it with me before. You’ve changed so much in a few months. Your taste and behavior are different.”

“The world changed overnight. I have to adapt. You should adapt quickly too. It will only get worse.”

Nikolai had no intention of being overly cautious.

No matter how much he seemed to have changed, no one would think his core had changed.

“Opening a restaurant is also a good idea. We could franchise it nationwide.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do I have to keep asking my parents for pocket money at this age?”

“You’re really going to start a business?”

“Have I been living a lie?”

“You’ve fooled me too many times.”

“Hmm.”

“So, you asked about the land and buildings for the business? But how will you get the money?”

“What do you think the best thing successful businessmen do is?”

“…?”

“Not using their own money for business.”

“Huh?”

“My money is mine. Your money is mine.”

While Sasha looked bewildered, a burly Russian man was picking a fight with a Korean auntie.

Russians eat pork soup too.

I hadn’t noticed before, but there were quite a few Russian men and women.

“It’s too fishy, and the portion is smaller than last time. But the price has gone up? What’s this? I won’t pay. I absolutely won’t pay.”

It seemed he was trying to get a free meal.

With the economy struggling, local mafia were becoming more active, and some were even trying to eat without paying.

I nudged Sasha’s arm.

“You deal with it. If you don’t have money, don’t eat. Picking a fight for no reason. It’s just good.”

“Who? …Me?”

“Who else is in front of me?”

“Sigh. I knew it. You’re treating me like a slave, aren’t you?”

I know. Slave1.

“Not at all. Fighting is your specialty, isn’t it? Oh, he’s about to hit her. Go quickly.”

At Nikolai’s words, Sasha, who was over 190 cm tall, slowly rose like a bear.

He walked over and grabbed the man’s wrist who was about to push the auntie.

“Think carefully before you speak.”

“What? You!”

“Let’s see. Pork soup is 3 rubles. Drink is 1 ruble. How much is that?”

“Ugh….”

As Sasha tightened his grip, the man’s body twisted, and his face contorted.

“How much?”

“Gah! 4, 4 rubles….”

“You can count? You said you couldn’t.”

Hey, that’s not the right calculation.

Overwhelmed by Sasha’s strength and size, the man quickly paid and fled.

Thanks to this, the auntie was grateful and didn’t want to charge for the meal, but Nikolai paid anyway.

Outside, they visited one of the largest stores in Moscow.

The store was not like the E-mart or Homeplus Nikolai knew, but just a slightly larger local shop.

There was also the GUM department store, built in 1893 during the Russian Empire, but it was different from a large supermarket.

“There aren’t many types of products.”

They just stacked the same items to replenish them when they ran out.

With almost no industrial products, the store was dominated by agricultural products.

‘This is too serious.’

In the future, there were dozens of varieties of instant noodles and snacks.

No matter how different the era, this is just….

‘Perfect. This is the best time to sell products.’

Nikolai’s lips curled up, and Sasha felt a chill.

“What’s with that eerie smile?”

“Do you know what a monopoly is?”

“Of course. But why?”

“Let’s make some money while doing good.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I feel a bit sorry for the people I know….”

First, we’ll start with offline stores like Walmart, and later, we’ll dominate online too.

‘We can devour the world like Amazon.’

I tried not to use your ideas, but I need to survive. Sorry.

“I want to create a huge and impressive store to sell products. We’ll display many items that people here have never seen before. They’ll be amazed. What do you think of my idea?”

“Hmm….”

“…?”

“Are you on drugs? Even if you use other people’s money for business, who will lend you so much?”

“Who else? Yuri Yusupov, our grandfather.”

“The chairman? So much money? He’ll lend it easily.”

Of course, he has to lend it.

Actually, it’s not borrowing but just asking for it.

How much money will the chairman make? He’ll probably agree to everything.

Nikolai saw an old lady putting a few potatoes in her bag but ignored it and thought about the items Russians loved most.

First, the instant noodles that never lost the top spot in sales after their release in Russia….

‘We’ll start with boxed instant noodles. Bring in mayonnaise and other items too.’

Let’s create large supermarkets nationwide!

To invest in stocks or real estate, you need a large sum of money.

By providing what Russia needs most now, Nikolai decided to secure his seed money.