Chapter 71

Bear Soup is Now My Turn 71

071 Forced for 50 Years / The Second World Ball First Prize Winner

The next day, Olga, Kirill, and Dima gathered in Yegor's 'Unicorn Steel' office.

Olga was still fuming from the previous day.

With a venomous expression, she vented her frustrations at her older brother Yegor.

"Sure, Ivan is Nikolai's father, but did you have to take Nikolai's side right there?"

"I'm tired today. Let's stop this talk."

"I'm just as tired."

"If you're tired, go home and rest. Why do you keep bothering people?"

Yegor frowned and sank into the sofa.

But Olga ignored him and continued.

"Didn't Father say before?"

"What?"

"He said he would give us a chance. This means he would provide us with business funds, right?"

"He did say that. He said he would give opportunities to his grandchildren, like Nikolai. But…."

Yegor, knowing what Olga was getting at, smiled bitterly and continued.

"You won't be included in that, will you?"

"You're all so unfair. I'm your sister, right? Am I worse than the grandchildren? You should help me out in times like this, shouldn't you?"

"Lower your voice."

"You're no help at all."

Olga's excited voice made Yegor glance at his two sons.

"You, you're being too harsh in front of your nephews. You're so old, yet your tone is like this? Watch your words."

"What should I watch? You saw how Nikolai treated me in front of Father yesterday, didn't you?"

"You're really something. How did you end up coming to Father's house after months, just at that time? The timing was bad. And yesterday, even I thought you went a bit too far."

Olga was still fuming.

She was even more upset because they only saw her as a woman in the family.

"Didn't you say that President Zahar would lose when he was a candidate?"

"…Why are you bringing this up now?"

"At that time, when Nikolai became the campaign manager for Zahar, you said he would never win. You even said we should prepare to leave for Ukraine with Anton, didn't you?"

"…!"

"Then you completely took Nikolai's side. Did you think he would throw you a bone or something?"

With a thud!

Yegor jumped up from the sofa and shouted.

"You really have a lot to say, don't you!"

"Does it make you angry to hear this? I felt the same way yesterday."

"Is this the same? What have you done for the family? Have you ever earned money, as Nikolai said? You were just eager to spend the money you brought in!"

Because she was his only sister, everyone had spoiled her and let her get away with bad behavior.

Even after she got married, how much money did she bring to her in-laws?

Yet, Yuri Yusupov and Yegor and his brothers never said a word.

This was the result of the current Olga.

What good does age do? Her thinking is still like a child's. Arguing with such a sister made Yegor feel even more tired.

"When have you ever given me a proper chance? You gave me a small shop, and when I got married, you took even that away."

Yegor, not wanting to stoop to her level, tried to calm down and spoke calmly.

"Try to be cute to Father like Kirill and Dima. Then he might give you another chance."

"What did Kirill and Dima do?"

"You were smart when you were young, but your mind has become rigid since you got married, hasn't it?"

Yegor looked at his eldest son, Kirill.

He was tired, so he wanted Kirill to speak directly.

Kirill, understanding the meaning, recalled the past and spoke.

"I followed Nikolai for almost two years, from the Ussuriysk apartment site to the Gazprom site in the Sakha Republic, and then to Alrosa."

Dima also chimed in.

"I followed him for about a year and six months."

"So, what did you two learn from Nikolai?"

Olga's question didn't seem to be full of hope, but Kirill answered first.

"Even if you don't like the tasks, if you keep doing them, you will learn something."

"I stuck to Nikolai's side to eventually get a business. He said he would help if I followed his instructions well."

"What? Is that what you learned?"

Seeing her incredulous expression, Yegor seemed to understand his sons better.

"Would the nephews do this for no reason? Father's heart is full of Nikolai, so they are bowing their heads and learning. That's why Father said he would give them a chance."

"Having two such sons must be great. I can't do that!"

She got up from her seat.

"I'm giving you a piece of advice. If you don't want to be kicked out like Anton, keep a low profile. If you cause trouble again, you'll be completely out of Father's favor. And think about who Nikolai's grandfather is."

The President of Russia.

With such a grandfather and a grandfather who controls the Russian economy on Nikolai's side, why are you causing so much trouble?

But Olga was still fuming because her words weren't getting through.

In fact, there was another reason for her anger.

The longer this went on, the more she felt her share in the Yusupov family would disappear completely.

Her in-laws were also giving her hints.

Why haven't you received anything from such a wealthy family?

Olga thought about trying a different approach.

She remembered how much President Zahar had doted on her when she was a teenager.

Only then did she smile.

Yegor, who had seen his sister for decades, gave a final warning.

"Don't even think about going to see President Zahar."

"…!"

Olga's true intentions were exposed.

"If Father finds out, he won't let it go. I warned you. And not today."

"Why not today?"

"You were really planning to go, weren't you?"

"Why not today?"

"Today, the Prime Minister of Thailand is coming. I warned you, so don't go."

She left, her mind racing as it did when she was young.

* * *

Thailand imported gas and crude oil from various countries.

The main gas import countries were Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar.

These countries are resource-rich and geographically close, making imports easier.

Natural gas is a crucial energy source, producing 55% of Thailand's electricity.

Crude oil is imported from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq among Arab countries.

It is also imported from Angola, Nigeria, and Venezuela.

However, Thailand's sources of gas and crude oil can change, depending on international market volatility or changes in agreements….

But that change was happening today.

As the 'East Asian Financial Crisis' that started in Thailand hit Indonesia, Thai Prime Minister 'Chavalit Yongchaiyut' arrived at the Kremlin.

"Welcome. You must be tired after a nine-hour flight."

"The four-hour time difference between Moscow and Bangkok is manageable."

The Thai Prime Minister, a former military man, had a rather straightforward and concise personality.

But this was only true in Thailand; in front of Russian President Zahar, he maintained the utmost politeness.

The temperature in Bangkok in early August was 33 degrees, while in Moscow it was around 24 degrees.

Both countries enjoyed tea, but today, a cool glass of grape juice was more fitting.

"When the weather gets this warm, we Russians find it hard to adapt. Thailand is very hot, isn't it?"

"It is hot, but I've gotten used to it."

This meeting was not for casual greetings.

It was a meeting between a debtor and a creditor.

The loans were clearly taken by Russian companies, Unicorn Group and Gazprom.

On the surface, Thailand seemed to be in the 'A' position.

But the tables had turned, and Thailand was now in the 'B' position, having to bow its head.

The Thai Prime Minister sighed inwardly and brought up the main topic.

"Hmm… You took a two-year loan, but can you repay it now?"

"It's a strange feeling. I didn't borrow the money, and you didn't lend it, yet we're here trying to resolve it."

"It's a very urgent matter…."

"I understand."

This meeting was deliberately arranged by President Zahar.

Nikolai's demands were directly linked to Russia's interests, so he called the Thai Prime Minister directly.

While it was urgent for Thailand, Russia had no urgency, so Zahar was relaxed.

"The IMF's demands are quite something, aren't they?"

"Ha. They lend money and then try to strip us of everything. The demands are too excessive, and we haven't made a decision yet."

"That's understandable. When Brazil faced an economic crisis in 1982, the IMF also made excessive demands while providing funds."

The country with the largest share in the IMF was the United States.

Thus, the IMF had to prioritize the interests of the United States and U.S. companies.

"I remember. They are doing the same thing now."

"While I don't think the IMF's funding is bad, the process is too favorable to the U.S. That's the issue. Anyway…."

President Zahar began to speak about what the Thai Prime Minister wanted to hear.

"Although the repayment is over a year away, it wouldn't be right to ignore the current difficult situation. Therefore, we have decided to repay it early."

"Thank you."

Ironically, the Thai Prime Minister, who lent the money, sincerely expressed his gratitude.

"Once this funding comes in, even if we borrow from the IMF, the amount won't be too large, so we won't have to accept excessive demands. Isn't that right?"

"That's correct. Once this funding comes in, we can breathe a sigh of relief."

"Unicorn Group and Gazprom had to borrow a lot from domestic and foreign banks due to the difficult situation at the time. I heard they have now resolved all issues."

"That's fortunate."

While President Zahar felt a bit uncomfortable saying this, he continued, thinking it was necessary for Russia's interests.

"Then, we will proceed to repay all funds by the end of this week."

"Thank you."

"However, there is a condition."

"…What condition?"

They looked at each other, and there was a moment of silence.

For President Zahar, this had to be successful, and for the Thai Prime Minister, he hoped it was a condition he could accept.

"In the future, the gas and crude oil you import from Thailand must be from Gazprom."

"…!"

The Thai Prime Minister showed a somewhat surprised expression, but it wasn't over yet.

There was one more condition.

President Zahar thought this was a bit much but added it because Nikolai insisted it had to be successful.

"Use Gazprom's gas and crude oil for 50 years. Then we will deposit the funds this week. All in dollars, of course."

"That's…."

"Is it difficult?"

"For crude oil, it's fine, but for gas, there are many countries in Southeast Asia closer than Russia…."

"If it's difficult, I'll have to stand up now."

President Zahar made a move to stand up, not giving more time to think.

The Thai Prime Minister reacted immediately.

"No. Since we have to buy gas and crude oil anyway, it doesn't matter where we buy them. I'll do it. I'll import from Gazprom for 50 years."

Compared to the IMF's demands, this was nothing, so he accepted it immediately.

"Hehe, you made a good decision. I'll send our officials to sign the contract when you return tomorrow."

"…Let's do that."

President Zahar's face was beaming, but the Thai Prime Minister's face was the opposite, as if he had eaten something bitter.

* * *

Until June 1997, the situation in Indonesia seemed far from a crisis.

Unlike Thailand, Indonesia had low inflation, a current account surplus of over $900 million, foreign reserves of over $20 billion, and a resilient banking sector.

However, many Indonesian companies had borrowed in U.S. dollars.

From 1997, the 'Rupiah' became stronger than the dollar, reducing the debt burden on companies that had borrowed in dollars.

When Thailand abandoned the fixed exchange rate for the baht, Indonesia's Ministry of Finance expanded the Rupiah's fluctuation range from 8% to 12%.

This was the current situation, and it would get worse.

In August, the Rupiah was suddenly attacked.

On August 14, the authorities removed the Rupiah's fluctuation range, and its value plummeted.

Ultimately, the IMF proposed a $23 billion emergency financial assistance package.

The Rupiah continued to fall due to the companies' debt, the massive selling of the Rupiah, and the surge in demand for dollars.

In September, the Rupiah and the 'Jakarta Stock Exchange' index hit historical lows.

Moody's downgraded Indonesia's bonds to 'junk bonds,' and Indonesia would lose 13.5% of its GDP that year.

As August approached, Nikolai was watching the speculative forces led by 'Elliott' attack the 'Rupiah.'

It was the same situation as Thailand, so Nikolai just had to wait a little longer.

Once the situation in Indonesia was over….

He had already secured 50 years of gas and crude oil sales to Thailand. Now, he just needed to think about what method to use for Indonesia.

* * *

The 3rd Unicorn Miss and Mister Selection Contest began.

This 3rd