Chapter 89

The Bear's Stew is Now My Pleasure 89

Chapter 89: North Korea's Choice / Clinton Seizes the Opportunity

It was hot during the day, but cold at night in the Gobi Desert.

In the desert, devoid of wind and moonlight, a deep orange flame was burning fiercely.

Tick. Tick.

"Ah, it's warm. It feels like when I used to play with fire as a kid."

Shasha threw something into the fire.

"Be careful not to wet the bed when you sleep."

"You say the strangest things. I won't sleep."

"I will."

"Why did the President ask you to come?"

"Someone came from North Korea."

"You don't mean Chairman Kim, right?"

"No, someone else. Let's go in."

"Go ahead. I'll finish burning this and come in."

Nikolai stood up and brushed off his buttocks.

When he goes to Moscow tomorrow, he will hear the story that will determine the fate of the Korean Peninsula.

'North Korea should give up its nuclear weapons...'

Shasha watched Nikolai enter the tent and then poured the remaining things into the fire.

"Please stop, Japanese kids. It's the first time I've made a bonfire with paper."

* * *

Moscow, Kremlin.

President Zahar and Nikolai were lost in thought as they looked at a man.

The man, somewhat nervous, said while looking at the two of them.

"In order for us to give up our nuclear weapons, we must first officially declare that the war on the Korean Peninsula has ended. Internationally, the Korean Peninsula is still at war."

"Are you a few months late for the appointment you promised?"

Nikolai pointed out that they had not heard from them since they promised to contact by the end of last December.

"Hem. As you know, it's a very significant matter."

Jang Seok-tae, who came in place of Chairman Kim, took a sip of tea and continued.

"Allowing the Trans-Siberian Railway to pass through the Korean Peninsula is also part of the same context, so we need international recognition that the war has ended."

"Then we need the approval of the United States and China, right?"

"That's right. South Korea will naturally welcome it, but we don't know how the United States and China will react."

Approval from the United States and China.

While China might, would the United States really approve?

It was a perplexing issue for Nikolai as well.

"I understand. We will handle this issue. Is that all?"

"And there's one more thing. I heard that you're teaching the children in the Gobi Desert tent village..."

Jang Seok-tae glanced at President Zahar.

He held the second-highest power after the Chairman, but here, that didn't matter, so he was careful.

"Everything else is fine, but I would prefer if you didn't teach the history of South Korea."

"I understand. It was a mistake on our part. We will follow your instructions."

The tent village had many children who came with their parents.

Nikolai couldn't just leave these children, so he set up a school.

He provided various educational programs, focusing on arithmetic, language, and music, which included the history of South Korea.

Since he couldn't teach North Korean history, he made this decision, but the Chairman learned about it and opposed it.

After a bit more conversation, Jang Seok-tae returned to North Korea.

When he left, President Zahar frowned and said,

"I don't know how the United States will react. Clinton is sensitive because of the upcoming election next year."

"Can I go?"

"I was hoping you would. Connecting the Trans-Siberian Railway is a crucial matter for us, so it must be resolved."

"I agree."

"By the way, I heard you sold your IT company stocks?"

President Zahar's eyes were filled with curiosity.

"Yes, I sold them all."

"You must have made a considerable amount of money?"

"I made quite a bit."

"Quite a bit?"

"I made an enormous amount. I didn't sleep for a week."

"Hehe. Your story is all over American TV, and I've been hearing more about you from my surroundings. When you go to the United States, always stay with your security detail."

"You don't need to worry so much."

Currently, Nikolai was the center of attention in the United States.

As the election approaches, candidates should be the center of attention, but Nikolai's prominence was not viewed favorably in political circles.

"The world doesn't run solely on people's rationality. Even those in high positions sometimes let their emotions get the better of them. You need to be careful at such times."

"The media will go crazy when I arrive."

"Use that to your advantage. It's good to deliberately show up at such times. I'll talk to the White House, so have a good trip."

Nikolai, who went outside, headed to Yuri Yusupov's house.

When he heard that Nikolai had come, Yuri came down from his study to the living room.

He had been handling most of his work in the living room recently.

This meant he had more mental peace.

"Has the Gobi Desert had any water problems?"

"So far, we've been using groundwater, but by the end of the year, a pipeline connected to a river will be completed. Once that's done, we can rest easy."

"Water is the biggest issue in the desert. Recently, there's been a lot of talk about what you've been doing in Russia."

"Is it negative?"

Yuri looked at Nikolai with a smile and said,

"Most of the talk is negative. People say, 'What are you doing with all that money?'"

"I understand."

How could ordinary people understand the thoughts of a genius like Nikolai?

He had started with a few moves in mind, but others were only discussing what they could see right in front of them.

"But I think differently. I believe you are doing something truly important."

He's not a rash grandson who makes decisions lightly.

Nikolai's way of handling things always had a clear sense of the outcome.

So, this time, it must be all planned out in his mind.

Yuri believed in his grandson.

"Who else would think like you? Ignore those comments and push forward with your own thoughts. When you aim for something big, there will always be a lot of talk."

"Thank you for believing in me, Grandfather."

Yuri thought for a moment and then slowly spoke.

"As I always say, wealth comes with responsibility. You have a duty to help the poor and needy."

Yuri was proud of his grandson.

No, he was even in awe. This was one of those times.

Among the many rich people in the world, who else would think like this?

Saving lives, contributing to the environment, and ensuring corporate profits all at once.

While he didn't know Nikolai's ultimate goal, his grandson was pushing forward with something no one else could do.

Yuri admired this.

"I've never forgotten your philosophy. What would I do with all that money? I can't spend billions of rubles on a single meal."

"Hehe, that's true. It just means a better standard of living. Actually, I was very surprised when I saw the North Korean people."

"When did you go?"

"I saw a video. Compared to them, the lives of Russians in the past were nothing."

"I was also very surprised at first. They didn't look like normal people."

"I can imagine."

Nikolai was curious about what he truly wanted to achieve in the Gobi Desert, but he didn't ask.

As always, he trusted his grandson.

"I hope you achieve what you set out to do in the Gobi Desert."

"I'll definitely let you know next time."

"You don't have to. If you're determined, that's enough. You're not going to harm anyone."

After that, Yuri asked a few questions about the IT companies and then talked about Olga.

"Olga's business isn't very reliable."

"I heard from my father that she started incurring losses two months ago?"

"Five out of ten stores are now in the red."

"The other stores will likely follow. But why are only the stores she owns in the red?"

Nikolai couldn't understand why only those stores were in the red.

If they had followed the system he and Ivan had set up, they shouldn't have incurred losses.

"I don't know the details, but there must be a problem, which is why they're in the red."

"There was a promise. Let's see how it goes for now."

"There's no other choice. But you're going to the United States soon?"

"Yes. I need to address the Trans-Siberian Railway issue."

Yuri, lost in thought, nodded and said,

"I trust you to handle it, but I have one piece of advice."

"…?"

"From what I see, Clinton will be a difficult person to deal with. He still has feelings about the broken NATO agreement. It won't be easy even if you go."

"…"

"Sometimes, when a problem arises, it's better to sidestep and use something else. You need to see the forest, not just the trees."

Sidestep?

Nikolai pondered Yuri's words.

He knew Clinton wouldn't accept it easily, but he couldn't just sit back and do nothing.

So, he decided to confront it, but something clicked in his mind after hearing Yuri's advice.

"From what I've seen, you tend to rush into things as if you're being chased. But sometimes, it's better to step back and wait."

"I understand."

"Yes, I can't give you much help, but I want to share this advice based on my long life experience."

"Thank you, Grandfather."

Yuri watched Nikolai leave and muttered to himself,

"Is he trying to carry too much on his own? Nikolai needs someone to share his heart with now."

He picked up the phone and called his daughter-in-law, Maria.

* * *

The Oval Office, White House.

Clinton, who had heard the reason for Nikolai's visit to President Zahar, called the CIA director and the chief of staff.

"Can we refuse to recognize that the war on the Korean Peninsula has ended?"

"If Russia, Japan, China, and Korea recognize it, we have no valid reason not to."

The United States included Japan, even though Russia and North Korea didn't consider it.

The chief of staff looked at Clinton, who turned to the director.

"The Trans-Siberian Railway is more than just a train. It will announce to the world that the decades-long war on the Korean Peninsula has ended. And…"

"…?"

"If the train connects, North and South Korea will start to exchange, and what will happen then?"

The CIA director looked between Clinton and the chief of staff and said confidently,

"The end of the war and the Trans-Siberian Railway could be the first step towards unification."

"…Unification?"

"Germany didn't unify for any major reason, did it? A journalist's misreporting led to the rapid fall of the Berlin Wall."

"That's true."

"If the Korean Peninsula starts to exchange due to the railway, it could be the starting point for unification."

The CIA director's words made sense.

He was clearly a person with a global perspective.

President Clinton and the chief of staff nodded in agreement.

"Before Nikolai, the economic advisor, arrives, we need to decide our position."

"Hmm…"

"If we want the unification of the Korean Peninsula, we should accept it. If not, we should reject it, even if Russia, Japan, China, and Korea want it."

"If we reject it, what reason should we give?"

Clinton's question surprised the CIA director and the chief of staff.

Why would the president ask such a question?

They assumed he would accept it.

Talking about positions was just a formality.

What kind of country is the United States?

Isn't it the symbol of freedom?

Moreover, Clinton is a Democrat.

If they opposed it, the media would criticize them. How would they handle the backlash?

The director asked with a serious expression,

"Mr. President, are you considering rejecting it?"

"I don't know."

"Excuse me?"

The CIA director had investigated Nikolai for the sake of U.S. national interests.

He had no personal grudge against him.

In fact, he admired his outstanding abilities.

But now, Clinton's attitude seemed different.

It felt like he was dealing with Russia based on personal feelings.

"You need to be careful. This request came from Russia, not from the Korean states."

"Why are you so surprised? When did I say I would oppose it?"

Clinton disliked President Zahar, who had cornered him over the NATO agreement, but he knew this was not something he could oppose.

Still, he wanted to make things difficult for Russia.

This was a moment when emotions overrode rationality for President Zahar.

* * *

Nikolai, who entered the White House, heard an absurd statement from President Clinton but smiled.

'As expected, Grandfather had foresight.'

Yuri's words about sometimes sidestepping and using something else came to mind.