Chapter 87

Bear Country is Now Chapter 87

087 Interview with CNN Reporter / Selling All IT Company Stocks

The news that Nikolai was doing something peculiar in the Gobi Desert had already spread widely over the past few months.

Three people arrived at the tent village: a reporter and cameraman from CNN and a Russian interpreter.

The reporter, who had been a correspondent in many places, had never seen anything like this.

Endless rows of tents and several times as many people. The number of solar panels was also impressive.

This place was like...

"It's as if a city has been compressed here."

The cameraman agreed with the reporter.

"That's a perfect description. It seems to have everything."

Though it looked chaotic at first, a closer look revealed that people were moving in an invisible order.

"Can you believe that all these people are North Korean citizens? What on earth is Nikolai thinking by doing such a strange thing?"

"That's why we came all this way to find out."

"This could be a big scoop, don't you think? I have a good feeling about it."

"I agree. Americans have never seen anything like this. When the footage airs, it will attract a lot of attention."

They tried to capture as much footage as possible, both inside and outside the tents.

Nikolai, who had been informed of their arrival, approached them.

"Thank you for coming all this way."

Nikolai could speak some English, but as a Russian businessman, he spoke in Russian.

"...Hello. We're from CNN. We heard that Nikolai is doing something special in the Gobi Desert and wanted to do some reporting."

Before the interpreter finished, Nikolai asked,

"Interviewing is fine, but did you come here just for that reason?"

"Actually, we also wanted to know about the IT companies..."

Nikolai had expected this.

The Gobi Desert and IT companies.

If they came to find him, they could resolve both curiosities at once.

No other networks had come, but it seemed CNN had someone with a good sense of what was happening.

"You want to get an exclusive, don't you? If it goes well, you might even get a promotion."

"..."

Nostalgia for his days as a reporter made him understand what they wanted, so he smiled and said,

"Have you eaten yet? Let's have a meal first."

"Oh, thank you. We haven't even had breakfast yet."

"Good. Let's go to the cafeteria. Sasha, inform the representatives of each block and come to the cafeteria too."

"Sure. I'll inform them quickly and join you. You go ahead."

When the residents saw Nikolai, every single one of them greeted him.

"Leader, hello. Who are these people?"

"They're from an American TV station."

"Oh, Americans?"

"..."

The resident touched his nose, and the cameraman unconsciously touched his own.

For some reason, the residents started calling Nikolai "Leader." He didn't mind, so he accepted it.

"Leader, I planted 500 trees today. Did I do well?"

"Wow, good job. Since it's Jang-ho's favorite bulgogi today, have a lot."

"Ooh, really? I need to hurry."

As soon as the man disappeared, another person spoke up.

"Leader, I'm five months pregnant. What should I do?"

"It's Mi-sun, isn't it? Congratulations. Pregnant women should rest. Don't go to work and take good care of yourself."

There were quite a few women in the early stages of pregnancy here.

Since new life was a joyous event, he provided as much convenience as possible to the pregnant women.

"Leader, the drainage work is complete. I'm going to clean the solar panels now. Is there anything else you need?"

"No. How is Min-sik's toe doing?"

"It's better after applying the medicine."

As the reporter, cameraman, and interpreter watched Nikolai greet over 30 people, they noticed something strange.

"Mr. Nikolai, do you remember the names and personal details of all these people?"

"Yes, somehow I do."

It wasn't just 30 people.

On the way to the cafeteria, he smiled and greeted many more.

"Do you remember the personal details of all these people?"

"I remember most of them. Hey! Hyun-young! Go to the hospital and get some deworming medicine. You didn't eat breakfast, right?"

"Hmm, I don't want to."

He greeted and inquired about the personal details of the people, just like the ones before. There were over 70 people.

"How do you remember all of this?"

"I don't know. I've been told I have a good memory since I was young."

"Is it true that you're a genius?"

"How many people in the world are called geniuses? If you don't work hard, you'll only be good for a short time when you're young."

It also meant that he had worked hard.

Nikolai was just a bit smarter than the average person during his reporter days.

But after getting a new life, he changed.

He gained the abilities of the original body's owner, which gave him a genius-like mind.

With the knowledge of the future and the help of future newspapers, his mind became even sharper.

Of course, he also worked hard to avoid repeating the regrets of his reporter days.

Sasha, who had gone to inform the representatives of each block, stood in line with a puzzled look, wondering why they were surprised by such things.

The reporter, who stood in line with them, looked at the food with wide eyes.

"Did you prepare all this food just because we came?"

"Are you joking?"

"Hehe, yes, it's a joke. Do the residents eat this level of food every day?"

"The nutritionists prepare the meals according to the menu on the wall."

"Do you have nutritionists?"

"The residents need to return to normal physical condition quickly to work, so they need well-balanced meals."

"This level of food is what you'd see in the cafeteria of a large American corporation..."

The more she learned about Nikolai, the more mysterious he became, but she realized that the thoughts of a genius were hard for ordinary people to understand.

A camera was set up next to the table, and the others sat opposite Nikolai.

"I'm going to ask some uncomfortable questions now. Is that okay?"

"That's fine. Can we eat while we talk?"

"Of course. I'll ask questions while eating, so feel comfortable. We'll start with the story about the Gobi Desert and then move on to the IT companies."

"Understood."

Nikolai had already felt the timing was right.

It was time to decide what to do with the IT company stocks.

That's why he wanted to convey his intentions to the United States through the CNN reporter.

"First, how did you bring North Korean citizens to the Gobi Desert?"

"One of the conditions for the loan the Soviet Union gave to North Korea was this."

"I see. So, is this related to the Russian government?"

"No, it's all being done by my company, Blackhole Investment."

"I know Blackhole mainly invests in startups and IT companies. How can an investment company that prioritizes profit expect any returns from the Gobi Desert?"

She gradually increased the intensity of her questions.

There was no guarantee that such an opportunity would come again, and she was personally very curious.

"Startups are companies that are just starting, right?"

"Yes."

"The Gobi Desert is the same. There's nothing visible now, but in the future, it could bring in thousands or tens of thousands of times the investment, like Yahoo or Amazon."

"I understand what you're saying, but it's hard for ordinary people to understand. The idea of greening a desert and growing crops to make a profit is hard to grasp."

"If everyone understood the world, there would be no reason for wars. I'm just doing things my way."

Don't throw a tantrum because you can't understand the thoughts of a genius.

Just because you don't understand doesn't mean this isn't profitable.

That's what he meant.

Nikolai had already envisioned the future when he started this project.

Although he hadn't revealed it to anyone, he was confident it would go as he planned.

That's why he pursued this mysterious project.

"Is the Gobi Desert leased from the Chinese and Mongolian governments?"

"I bought it."

"...Even though it's a useless desert, the Chinese and Mongolian governments sold it?"

"Doesn't the United States also sell deserts to individuals and foreigners? I just bought a large area. Is that a problem?"

If it were really a problem, Chairman Jiang Zemin and the Mongolian government wouldn't have sold it, but they did.

Since it was useless land, and a Russian company was willing to turn it into green land and pay for it, there was no reason not to sell it.

"That's true, but even so, Mongolia is one thing, but China is dealing with ethnic conflicts, and selling such a large area to a Russian company is hard to understand."

"Since it involves the interests of China and Russia, I can't go into detail, but we definitely paid a reasonable amount to help China."

"I understand. Then, let me ask the next question."

After asking many questions about the Gobi Desert, they finished their meal and moved to the site where trees were being planted with Nikolai and his team.

"Make sure to get a good shot. There's dust on the camera."

"Oh, sorry. Seriously, this was a desert just a few months ago?"

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. We've planted so many trees that you can't even see the desert here."

She opened her mouth wide at the vast expanse of trees.

The cameraman and interpreter also blinked in amazement.

"Mr. Nikolai, how much further do we have to go to see the desert?"

"About 30 minutes by car. Let's go."

Everyone got into the car, and it started moving.

During the ride, they saw Russian soldiers patrolling various areas.

"Are those Russian soldiers?"

"Yes."

"Are they here for the safety of the site?"

"Yes. Since it's such a vast area, soldiers are needed to maintain order."

"Hasn't the Chinese or Mongolian government protested?"

"At first, we asked for Chinese and Mongolian soldiers, but there weren't enough volunteers. Who would want to work in a desert? So, we had no choice but to bring Russian soldiers. When we arrive at the site, you'll see some Chinese and Mongolian soldiers too."

"Are the soldiers in charge of security?"

"Russian police are also here."

"I see."

At one site, railway tracks were being laid.

"Are you really laying railway tracks here?"

"Yes. Although the foundation work is difficult due to the sand, it should be usable within about six months."

Since the distance between the residential area and the tree-planting site would continue to increase, he came up with this idea.

After about 30 minutes, the reporter and her team arrived at the site and couldn't help but open their mouths wide.

People were swarming like ants.

"30,000 people are really planting trees?"

"Would you like to plant a few trees as a memento?"

"Sure, that sounds great. It's really impressive. I'm already excited to see how the world will react when this is broadcast on TV."

Following Nikolai's suggestion, she started planting a tree.

A young man approached, smiled, and said,

"You need to support the tree properly with stakes for it to grow well. Leader, I'm right, aren't I?"

"Mr. Kuk-chul is right. You need to hammer the stakes in deep and support the tree well."

"...?"

She and the two others didn't understand North Korean dialect, so they looked at Nikolai.

"He means you need to support the tree with stakes."

"Oh, I see. What time do these people work?"

"They arrive here at 8 AM and work until 12 PM, have lunch until 1:30 PM, and work from 2 PM to 6 PM. That's 8 hours a day."

"What about weekends?"

"They work until Friday and take the weekend off."

"Wow, if you consider this a job, it's really good conditions."

She walked around the site, asking many questions and capturing many scenes on camera.

* * *

Three days later.

She was now facing an important question.

Although she came to report on the Gobi Desert, it wasn't an exaggeration to say she came for this question.

Under the blue tents around her accommodation, she slowly brought up the topic.

"I have many doubts about how a young man like Mr. Nikolai could have such a huge amount of money."

"..."

"In the United States, people think the money came from the Russian government. That's why Americans are worried. What do you think about that?"

Nikolai thought for a moment, then smiled slightly and said,

"The companies I invested in weren't as valuable as they are now. I bought shares in Yahoo and Amazon before they went public, and I secured shares in Apple when it was on the verge of bankruptcy."

"..."

"I invested the money I earned from business in Russia. When I first invested in other companies, their stock prices were mostly at rock bottom. Buy low and sell high. Isn't that the basic principle of investing?"

"..."

"Let me ask you a question. If the money came from the Russian government, would it be impossible to invest in American or global IT companies? Is that illegal?"

"..."

He was asking this of everyone who would see the video.

Is what you think really legal?

"If my investments were illegal, the United States and other countries would have to accept only domestic investments in their companies. Why would there be a stock market then?"

"..."

"I don't see why the source of the money matters. I think Americans are just jealous."

"Jealous?"

"The stocks I bought at their lowest points have risen tens or hundreds of times and are still rising. Americans are jealous that the owner is Russian. It looks like they're trying to pressure me through public opinion out of jealousy."

"..."

"Or someone might be trying to stir up the strange relationship between the United States and Russia."

"Please don't think too extremely."

She had to say this much as an American journalist, so she included it appropriately.

Nikolai, understanding her position, didn't say anything about this part.

"Since the public opinion in the United States is not good, I'll sell most of the stocks I own at this point."

"!"

"Our Blackhole Investment also has a branch in the United States. I hope this kind of thing doesn't happen again if I invest in American companies in the future."

Nikolai was setting up a safety net for his next plan.

"If something like this happens again, I'll sue the U.S. government. If that happens, the U.S. securities market will lose all credibility. I'm curious to see how it will turn out."

The interview continued for about 20 more minutes before ending.

"Are you feeling very upset?"

"No. I wasn't saying it to you, but to the White House and those who are trying to defame me. When will this be broadcast?"

"It will be broadcast within three days after we arrive in the United States in two days."

Nikolai calculated the dates in his head and stood up.

"Today, we have a special meal. Let's go eat."

* * *

That evening, Nikolai called Denis.

"Bro, sell all the IT company stocks."

-Really all of them?

"Yes. I think it will only cause more problems if we keep them. An American CNN reporter came all the way here to ask how we're going to handle the stocks."

-Ah, that's a shame. They went up a lot today.

"Can you sell them all at once without affecting the market?"

-It might drop a bit, but it will recover quickly. There are many institutional and individual investors waiting to buy.

"Good. Don't hesitate and sell them all."

The shares had already been converted into millions of stocks, so there was no problem.

-Well, it's your decision. I understand. I'll sell them all.

"Wait a moment."

-What is it?

"Except for Disney."

-Why not sell Disney?