CH123 | Heir

Putin knew everything.

Not only was he already aware that I was the heir to Taewoo Group and the CEO of SAVE Investment, but he also subtly hinted that he knew far more than that.

“This time, I’ve come to Russia as a representative of Taewoo Group.”

“I’ve seen your photos many times, but meeting you in person feels different. I owe you my gratitude. Thanks to you, I was able to reach this position.”

Putin extended his hand for a handshake.

He was genuinely grateful to me for supporting him when he was independent and unaffiliated.

“If I was able to help, then I should be the one thanking you.”

“Of course, you were a great help. Thanks to you, I was able to put food on the table.”

I smiled and reached out my hand as well.

At that moment, Putin suddenly tightened his grip, pressing my fingers as if he intended to crush them.

Was this his way of asserting dominance?

Back then, he had been in a position to receive help, but things had changed. Through this handshake, he was making it clear that the dynamic between us was now different.

“I’ve cleared my schedule for today. Wouldn’t it be a shame not to drink all night with friends who’ve traveled so far?”

“I appreciate you making time for us.”

Without the slightest change in his expression, Putin raised his glass.

David, quick on his feet, immediately opened the bottle of whiskey and filled our glasses.

And just like that, we kept pouring drinks for each other, emptying more than three bottles of whiskey.

“Ugh, my head…”

Whiskey was undeniably a strong drink.

I prided myself on holding my liquor well, but after three bottles, I blacked out.

I awoke to the sound of birds chirping, my head pounding from an unbearable hangover.

“You’re awake? A cup of warm tea should help.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Putin personally brewed the tea and handed it to me.

The fragrant scent of black tea instantly soothed my headache.

But… black tea?

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.

Dark rumors about Putin and black tea surfaced in my mind.

Whispers of him using poisoned tea as a method to eliminate his enemies.

“Why aren’t you drinking? Surely you don’t think I’ve poisoned it?”

“Of course not. I’ll drink it gratefully.”

I struggled to recall what had been discussed during our drinking session the night before.

But judging by how much more relaxed Putin’s tone had become, the conversation must have gone well.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“The scenery is truly breathtaking. It feels like I’ve stepped into a scene from a movie.”

“Russia is a country rich with so much. Yet, for a long time, a select few controlled it all.”

“You mean the oligarchs?”

“They’re like parasites feeding off Russia. I’m going to take everything they have.”

Honestly, I couldn’t help but smirk.

It was true that the oligarchs had Russia’s economy in a stranglehold.

But what would change if Putin took everything from them?

Sure, it might be better than the current Russia, but wealth would still be concentrated in the hands of a select few.

“I sincerely hope Russia becomes the nation you envision, Mr. President.”

“The economic bureaucrats call the oligarchs a necessary evil. They claim that if the oligarchs disappear, there won’t be anyone left who can properly run the economy, and Russia will fall into even greater turmoil. Just how much do you think they were paid off to say something like that to my face?”

“Bureaucrats always fear change, don’t they?”

“That’s why I need your help.”

Finally, Putin was getting to the real reason he called me here.

The night-long drinking session had merely been a warm-up for this conversation.

The reason I had funneled vast sums of money into his campaign when he was an independent candidate was for this exact moment.

“Taewoo Group is preparing to expand into Russia.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear. Russia is practically isolated right now.”

“We’re planning to build Taewoo Motors and Taewoo Electronics factories here.”

“I can make sure you get all the support you need. As long as it helps create jobs, what wouldn’t I do?”

Russia’s economy was still in shambles.

It had been less than two years since they declared a moratorium, and foreign companies were hesitant to invest in the country.

In such a situation, the prospect of large-scale factories being built was undoubtedly a welcome relief.

“Taewoo Motors has seen a surge in European sales, and we need an additional production base. If a stable manufacturing environment can be guaranteed, we’re ready to begin construction immediately.”

“Hmm… That means I need to deal with the oligarchs quickly before we can move to the next step.”

Putin took a sip of his black tea.

I followed his lead and took a sip as well, waiting for him to continue.

“Eliminating the oligarchs isn’t the hard part. The problem is finding capable people to manage the businesses they leave behind.”

“State-run enterprises tend to operate on their own, one way or another. Of course, a skilled manager would make them run better, but even without one, they won’t collapse.”

“To rebuild Russia, we need competent people to run the state-owned enterprises after the oligarchs are gone.”

I made an effort to appear indifferent.

If I showed too much interest here, I might come across as overly opportunistic.

“How can I be of assistance?”

“What do you think is Russia’s greatest strength?”

“Isn’t it our vast land and strong resilience?”

“The energy resources that come from our vast land—now that is our greatest strength.”

Russia’s natural resources needed no further explanation.

Oil, natural gas—one could even say that Russia’s resources were what kept Europe warm.

“Are you asking for help in developing natural resources? But as far as I know, Gazprom is already handling much of the development.”

“Russia’s natural resources have only been used to fatten the oligarchs’ pockets. I intend to dismantle the current system.”

What was Putin trying to offer me by drawing this out?

He wouldn’t be handing Gazprom over to me, would he?

“How do you plan to restructure it?”

“I want to merge Gazprom with foreign capital and create a massive energy corporation. I want you to take a leading role in it.”

“You’re asking me to participate in Russia’s natural resource development?”

“The Russian government will retain 51% of the shares, but depending on your investment, I could give you the remaining stake. That is, if you’re willing to invest enough to crush the oligarchs.”

In simple terms, he wanted me to become a major shareholder of Gazprom.

He was asking me to take the place of the oligarchs he intended to remove.

“That would require a massive amount of capital.”

“You won’t suffer any losses. So, how can you help?”

“Even if there’s a risk of loss, isn’t it only right that I stand with you? If I inject SAVE Investment’s capital, we could easily replace the oligarchs. However…”

This time, I hesitated.

Honestly, securing funds wasn’t the difficult part.

The oligarchs were wealthy, but in the end, they were just big fish in the small pond that was Russia.

The real issue wasn’t money—it was politics and diplomacy.

Putin knew that as well.

“Are you concerned about U.S. opposition?”

“Naturally. If a large influx of Wall Street capital flows into Russia, the U.S. government may impose sanctions.”

“The administration I lead will maintain good relations with the United States. The IMF has already shown me how ruthless America can be, so I know better than to provoke them outright. That’s why we must, at least on the surface, pretend to get along.”

Russia had gone bankrupt because it didn’t receive IMF assistance.

Before the IMF made its decision, numerous economic officials from the White House had visited Russia.

However, Russia refused to comply with their demands and was ultimately abandoned by the IMF.

Of course, that was just an excuse.

If the country had been properly managed, an economic crisis wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Had even a fraction of the wealth hoarded in the oligarchs’ vaults been distributed, Russia wouldn’t have faced the disgrace of national bankruptcy.

It seemed that this experience had shaped Putin’s policies.

The purge of the oligarchs and the restructuring of relations with the United States.

“If the issue is U.S. opposition, I will do what I can to address it on my end. But I have one more question—will the investment funds be used strictly for natural resource development, or are they also needed for preliminary operations?”

“Both. We have to remove the oligarchs first before we can conduct business properly. And for that, we need an enormous amount of capital.”

So in the end, he wanted to use my money to crush the oligarchs.

If we could overpower the vast financial resources they controlled, eliminating them wouldn’t be too difficult.

But what if we failed?

Even if I invested a massive sum, I might not recover a single cent.

“Would an initial investment of $10 billion be sufficient?”

“You can invest that much? Are you planning to form a consortium with Wall Street? Not that I would mind.”

“No, SAVE Investment will handle it independently.”

“You’re a far bolder man than I expected.”

Putin’s proposal was essentially a gamble.

A high-stakes game where the winner took everything, and the loser lost it all.

But I already knew the outcome of the gamble, so there was no reason not to place my bet.

“When investing, one must go all in to avoid regrets. It’s the reason I survived on Wall Street.”

“You’re exactly the kind of person I need! If this deal goes well, I’ll make sure you secure your share in the energy corporation.”

The truth was, those energy company shares didn’t belong to Putin, nor to the Russian government.

Russia’s energy companies were firmly in the hands of the oligarchs.

Which meant he was talking about seizing their stakes and handing them over to me.

In other words, my investment would serve as war funds.

“There’s just one thing I’d like to ask.”

“Go on, anything.”

“For the export of Russian natural resources, I understand that sales will follow company policy. But when it comes to exports to South Korea, I’d like full control.”

“That’s only fair. If you want, I can even grant you full control over the natural gas sales to Europe as well.”

It was a tempting offer.

But it was also a poisoned chalice.

If relations with Europe soured, all the blame would land squarely on me.

And I knew that day would come.

I wasn’t afraid of shaking hands with the devil.

But I had no intention of taking the fall in his place.

“I’ll be satisfied with just South Korea. When one person holds too much power, conflict is inevitable.”

“You really are nothing like those bloated pigs of the oligarchy.”

“Taewoo Group has extensive plans for investment in Russia. If things go wrong, the group itself could collapse. That’s why, for the sake of recovering our investment, Russia must achieve economic growth.”

“So Russia and Taewoo Group are now in the same boat.”

Putin picked up the teapot and refilled his cup.

Lifting the now-cold black tea, he proposed a toast.

“To the bloated pigs!”

It was an invitation to slaughter the oligarchs and feast on their spoils.

Whether that meat would ever reach the plates of the Russian people was uncertain.

But one thing was clear—it would fatten Taewoo Group.