Chapter 66

Bear Country is Now Mine Chapter 66

Chapter 66: The Start of the Russian Marriage Information Company/IT (Dot-com) Bubble

In the office of the Black Hole at GUM Department Store in Moscow.

The first-place winner of 'World Ball' was filling out forms while receiving an explanation.

Nikolai was interpreting for him.

Since this was the first time a first-place winner had emerged, Nikolai decided to interpret specially.

"Mr. Kim Min-joon. The prize money will be deposited into your foreign currency account in dollars every month for 20 years. That would be over 37 billion won in Korean currency. The exact amount is stated in the documents."

"Ah, yes."

"And if your bank account changes, please let us know at any time. You can do it online or by phone. We will take care of it after confirming."

"Yes."

"Now that everything is done, how does it feel to be the only winner in the world?"

"I still can't believe it. I couldn't sleep on the plane coming here."

Kim Min-joon still seemed dazed, as if he hadn't fully woken up.

"I never imagined such a day would come in my life."

"Of course. You'll feel more real when you withdraw the money from your account and see it deposited next month."

"Thank you."

"Is there anything you're curious about?"

He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Can I withdraw some money in Russian rubles here?"

"Of course. If you go to the bank with a staff member, we can withdraw as much as you want. Are you planning to spend some time in Russia?"

"Actually…."

Kim Min-joon knew who the person with him was.

He had seen him on the news and searched online.

Nikolai's life was exactly what the man had always dreamed of.

Meeting him in person, he found him so charming that even a man could be attracted.

For this reason, the man wanted to have more conversations and build a relationship with Nikolai.

"I got divorced before coming here. After just two years of marriage."

"Oh…."

"Now, even if I go back, there's no one to meet or welcome me."

"What about your parents?"

"They both passed away while I was in the military. I hardly see my relatives."

Mentioning his parents, Nikolai thought of the people in Korea.

After giving instructions to the Korean branch manager to help them, he hadn't paid much attention.

Now, Nikolai was no longer Korean but a complete Russian.

It took him a few years to adapt to his new life, shedding the thoughts, habits, and actions from his past life, but now he was fully living as a Russian.

Watching the previous winner, old thoughts briefly surfaced but he quickly returned to reality.

After taking a sip of cold water, Kim Min-joon continued.

"So, I'm thinking of finding my other half in Russia."

"Other half?"

"A woman I can truly spend my life with."

"Oh!"

Nikolai looked at the man warmly.

'What a great guy. If I were still a journalist, I would have envied this person.'

Now, with more than enough money and being only 31 years old, he had plenty of time to find a good match.

"You can stay in Russia for two months, can't you?"

"If you wish, we can grant you permanent residency. It's one of the benefits for first-place winners. Your nationality will remain the same, so you don't need to worry."

"I want to apply right away."

"There are a few documents needed. After you finish your business, bring them to us, and we'll process it immediately."

"Understood."

There was no reason to refuse permanent residency, which had completely changed Kim Min-joon's life, and his future plans were also related to Russia.

"May I ask what you did for a living?"

"I worked at a marriage information company."

"Then you must have a good eye for women… Oh, I'm sorry."

Nikolai stopped, suddenly remembering something.

'Even a monk can't shave his own head. You got divorced after just two years, didn't you?'

"It's okay. I want to use my experience to start a marriage information company."

He wanted to help many people avoid the same marriage failure he experienced.

With enough money, he wasn't interested in making more; he just wanted to see couples form and live happily.

"My dream came true in Russia, so I want to connect Russian and Korean people."

"Wow, that's a great idea. Many couples will benefit from Mr. Kim Min-joon's help. While you're in the country, we'll provide you with an interpreter and a bodyguard."

"An interpreter and a bodyguard?"

The man looked surprised at such benefits.

"It's a service we normally provide, so you don't need to worry."

"Thank you."

"No, please enjoy your stay as if you're on a tour. You might even meet a good match."

"Yes, thank you again."

Nikolai thought that if this person couldn't find a match, he might introduce him to someone.

'There were many good women among the winners of the Unicorn Miss and Mister contest.'

The woman he was currently dating, Yeva, was also from there, introduced by Nikolai, so there was no reason not to introduce her to Kim Min-joon.

Most importantly, this person had more than enough money, and with monthly deposits, there was no worry about losing it all at once.

After talking for a while, he seemed like a decent person.

* * *

Dennis had brought some good information again.

So far, Thai companies and banks had been borrowing short-term funds from the U.S.

The repayment period was usually within one year, but now these funds were being quickly recalled by U.S. companies.

- The most noticeable one is 'Elliott Management,' a U.S. hedge fund.

Elliott Management.

There's a famous anecdote about this company in history.

In 2002, Argentina declared default (national debt non-payment).

At the time, Elliott held $630 million worth of Argentine bonds at face value.

The Argentine government proposed a 'debt restructuring (debt swap)' to bondholders and major investment institutions after declaring default.

In other words, it was a thug-like act, saying, "Take this and get lost."

Despite this, over 90% of the related parties reluctantly agreed.

It was better to get a little rather than nothing.

However, 'Elliott' refused.

Elliott gathered other investors and filed a lawsuit demanding full repayment of their investment from the Argentine government.

Not in Argentina, but in British and U.S. courts.

Because Argentine bonds were also sold through British and U.S. markets.

The court ruled in Elliott's favor, but the Argentine government, which had declared default, said it had no money and told them to "cut it out."

In response, Elliott made a bold move.

In October 2012, through its subsidiary NML Capital, it seized the Argentine Navy training ship ARA Libertad, which was docked in Ghana.

The default was declared in 2002, and the ship was seized in 2012, so it had been a ten-year battle.

For Argentina, it was a major blow.

In the end, the UN intervened, and Elliott emerged victorious.

There was also an anecdote related to Korea.

After the dispute over the merger of Ohsung Materials and Jaymo Wool, Elliott, which had sold its shares, demanded improvements in the governance structure of Ohsung Electronics in 2016.

The core of the demand was the split of Ohsung Electronics.

Elliott, known for its tenacity and retaliation, was now the target of Nikolai's plan to strike back.

In any case, the speculative forces were now moving under the leadership of Elliott.

- It seems Elliott is inciting U.S. investment companies. The movement to withdraw investment funds from Thailand has begun. This kind of high-level information is still unknown even in New York's financial district.

"Did a U.S. senator tell you this?"

- You can see how well I've managed things, right?

"That's real, live information. Good job."

This was really important information for Nikolai.

Just discovering that Elliott was inciting things was a significant achievement.

"Brother, there's something else you need to find out. The point when you think almost all U.S. speculative capital has withdrawn and the changes in Thailand's foreign exchange reserves. Can you do it?"

- Of course, I have to, right?

"Right."

- Then I'll do it.

After a moment of silence, Dennis asked in a subtle voice.

- But you're not trying to intervene in the foreign exchange market to help Thailand, are you?

"Why would I help? The Thai politicians and businessmen created this mess. I can't help in such a situation. This is a golden opportunity.

- That's true. Such an opportunity might not come again. I think we can make a big profit this time.

Dennis was starting to see the flow of money.

Compared to Nikolai, he was still far behind, but he was definitely ahead of other experts.

- Oh, by the way, about the IT companies we've invested in.

"What about them?"

- The atmosphere in the U.S. is a bit strange. The rumors floating around Wall Street about you are also a bit off.

"Tell me more."

- Since the news about you acquiring 30% of Yahoo's shares, U.S. media has shown more interest in you. A few days ago, when a 'World Ball' first-place winner was announced, you were in the news again.

"So?"

- Because of that, your name came up again. The list of IT companies we've invested in, including Apple, Yahoo, and Microsoft, was all over the news. They were saying that 'Black Hole Investment' is essentially Russian money.

That was in the news?

- It was a bit ridiculous. A few days ago, when you instructed to support Apple with $150 million, I saw it in the news. By the way, Jobs said that 'Mac OS 8' will be released soon. I didn't understand what he meant, so I just said I knew. But is it okay for the U.S. media to spread such rumors?

"Hmm…."

It's fine. The U.S. media is doing a great job.

The dot-com bubble.

In Korea, it's called the IT bubble.

The stock prices of IT companies started to soar from 1997 and crashed in the early 2000s.

It included all well-known IT companies, including Apple.

Nikolai remembered the major historical events.

Just as Russians remember the year the Soviet Union collapsed and middle-aged Koreans remember the year the IMF crisis occurred.

Having worked in the media for a long time, he remembered these events better than most people.

Nikolai had planned to sell everything at the right moment when the bubble burst.

But the U.S. media was moving so appropriately.

'If we pretend to sell because of U.S. public opinion, it will work. We can act as if we're selling with tears in our eyes.'

After the crash, we can use the excuse of saving dying IT companies to...

'Buy them back.'

This would create a win-win situation.

Nikolai swallowed hard and said,

"Brother, send me the news materials. And try to provoke the U.S. media to keep targeting me."

- Provoking them more? Are you serious?

"The U.S. public opinion needs to push us to sell our IT stocks. But it shouldn't happen too quickly, so control it appropriately."

It needs to build up slowly to create a beautiful picture.

- ...You're scary at times. I don't know what you're thinking. Yahoo's stock price has already skyrocketed. Why sell now?

"Who said I'm selling now? Later."

- Even later, though. You know the stock prices of other IT companies we've invested in are rising every day. I'm scared to look at the charts. They keep going up.

Of course, they will keep rising.

The dot-com bubble has already started.

- Even if we face criticism and pressure, let's hold on until the end, okay?

"Just do as I say. Control the public opinion to keep it going."

- I'll do it because it's your order, but I really don't want to sell the IT stocks.

"It's not about selling now. Also, set up a U.S. branch in New York."

- I thought about that too. Got it. And I have some good news to end with.

"What is it?"

- Amazon is going to go public in May.

Nikolai, who had acquired 30% of Amazon with $1 million.

'Going public in three months…'

It was the perfect timing.

Amazon would benefit greatly from the dot-com bubble.