Empire of the Ring

As they talked longer, Nikolay’s condition seemed to get better. Being able to open up his innermost thoughts were making him feel relieved.

Later, the two were escorted to the dining room.

In the room, Kim Il-kwon, Choi Sang-ho, and other security guards were already sitting there waiting for the two. When Youngho came in, everyone looked relieved. Two hours after being guided to the study, they were quite worried about him.

“Andrei, why don’t you bring out the vodka for our guests? No, I think wine might be better for today. Do we have any Zeynep Wine left?”

“Do you have our farm’s wine here?”

“Mafias made me buy a few boxes of this wine, but I really liked its taste. I enjoy it so much.”

“They said that they can’t sell it because they don’t have anything in stock, but I guess they still haven’t broken that habit.”

“Hahaha… I was only kidding. Do you know a fella named Sergeenko? He brought it as a gift.”

“Do you know Sergeenko?”

“If you don’t know the local mafia boss, you’re not a Russian businessman. That Evenk guy got ahead.”

Since Sergeenko was a local mafia boss in the Krasnoyarsk region, Nikolay must know him well too, but it seemed he had a special connection to know that he was an Evenk.

“I was introduced to him by Mr. Yaniv, but I guess he has good relationships with businessmen here.”

“He used to do a lot of bad things when he was young. He got scolded by me a lot. Now I know that I’ve done a pretty good job since he had gotten his hands off doing unpleasant work.”

They ate and talked, and it was already quite dark outside. It was too late to sail a boat, so Youngho’s group decided to stay at the mansion overnight. Since there were more things to be discussed about business anyway, it was good that Youngho had more time with him now.

Nikolay’s trouble was not elsewhere. It was Moscow’s powerful men who had been an obstacle for him. The constant demand for money was dampening even his desire for business. He decided to ask for Youngho’s, thinking that he would not be able to manage his wealth at this rate.

After a long meal, Nikolay called Youngho back to his study.

“My strength was restored when you promised me that you’d be in charge of transportation.”

“It’s not a difficult favor. You’re officially the first customer since I opened the North Sea route.”

“I regret that I didn’t turn to the sea route earlier.”

“Chairman, why don’t you get an icebreaker now? Having icebreakers gave me a chance to participate in the development of Siberia.”

“I have never thought about an icebreaker.”

What Nikolay asked was to take his gold bars outside Russia.

When we had been worried since there was no way for him to deliver heavy gold bars out of the country, he spotted two large vessels coming along the Yenisei River. That was how he thought of contacting Youngho.

***

The province of Krasnoyarsk is famous for producing salt from the 1600s, where the forced labor of political prisoners was mostly done.

In other words, inmates and officials who collected sapphire in the summer and logged in the fall to spring were the ones who built the city. Nikolay said he had been collecting gold from a gold mine and supplying it to the Soviet government since his father’s time. While doing it, he was able to amass wealth because of the gold he had siphoned off.

He must have siphoned off quite a huge amount of gold since he managed to buy three or four state-run corporations and became an oligarch.

“Mr. Lee, I’m only asking for help so that I won’t lose the rest of my wealth. Please take them to a safe place.”

“It’s not hard to get them on board. If you can take advantage of the gold, I would recommend you to use it. Do you have any intention of selling them?”

“How can you sell them? There will be a rumor in a short time. If you could do the job successfully, I’ll give you some of mine.”

“I have some trusted friends in Europe. They could buy them out in secret. I can get you a secret bank account.”

“Really?”

“Yes. But, I’m not sure if the market price will be reflected in the secret deal.”

Youngho thought of Eriksson. He would probably be able to find a buyer for the gold bars.

“That doesn’t matter. Please help me.”

“I’m a bit greedy too, so I’d better thank you for trusting me.”

“I know that the state of Arirang is a place where descendants of the Serbian Kingdom and Koryoin people are gathered. And, Mr. Lee, you are the prince consort of the Serbian Archduchess.”

“Oh, you sound like I should not be greedy but stay as a gentleman and as a nobleman for the rest of my life.”

“Hahaha…”

“…Mr. Chairman, I’d like to ask you a direct question. How much do you expect for a gold bar?”

“Well, I’ve never calculated its price.”

“I know that the retail price now is about $50,000 per kilogram. The problem is that it is not a normal deal, so it is difficult to fully reflect the market price. There’s a lot of risks. So I’d like to make a suggestion.”

“Please tell me.”

“If we allow cash to be deposited into the secret account as soon as the goods are delivered, an amount that will satisfy both you and me could be made. How about that?”

“Can I get up to 40,000 dollars? That alone is enough for me. ”

He asked for 40,000 dollars in your hand, which was quite a large amount. Of course, it could be 60,000 dollars or 70,000 dollars if the gold bars were put on a secret auction, but it was a long shot and risky. Youngho was not sure if Eriksson was willing to buy gold bars that had not been put on an auction yet, but it was worth a try.

“Alright. I’ll talk to the buyer and let you know the first thing tomorrow morning.”

***

“Eriksson, I’ve got a very interesting deal.”

“Lee, hearing your voice drives the heat away. Your proposal is always welcome!”

“I was wondering if I could dispose of gold bars. Is this possible?”

“I’m sure the amount is quite large enough for you to ask.”

“I don’t know the exact amount yet, but it’s going to be big. The problem is that we have to settle the client’s anxiety.”

“He must want cash. It’s a lot more profitable if you put it up for auction. Rich people tend not to believe in others. There’s not a lot of customers who just trust us like you do.”

This is why Youngho felt comfortable talking to smart people.

Reading another person’s thoughts and intentions right away was like a high-level customer service.

“Well, you flatter me.”

“The weight of gold has to be at least a ton in order for us to make a payment first.”

“It should be more than that.”

Eriksson was silent for a moment when Youngho said it.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you an answer right away. I’ll call you back in a few hours.”

“I look forward to the good news.”

It seemed that Eriksson would be talking to other clients about the gold. A few tons of gold bars were what rich people would covet. To them, the current market price did not mean much. The most favored item for safe assets was precious metals, and the most exchangeable of them was gold. For decades it was a commodity of great value, not only that it remained unchanged, but also its value went up in time.

The next day, at the dock at Nikolay’s mansion, people were diligently loading wooden boxes on the Arirang. The size of the wooden box was not too big, but each weighed a ton. When a total of eight wooden boxes were loaded, Youngho called Eriksson.

“You’ve seen the pictures that I just sent you, right? There are eight boxes. We’ll be at the Port of Tromso, Norway, in seven days. The directors of transport are Andrei and Choi Sang-Ho. Who’s coming out of there to receive them?”

“I’ll be there myself. It’s a big deal, so I’m not going to wait for it at the office. 20 percent of the total price will be credited to your account right away. The rest will be deposited immediately after checking the item at Tromso. And another secret account that you asked for will be sent to you in text.”

“Wow, I like how fast you work. Aren’t you trusting me too much to make such a big bet?”

“How can I not trust you, Lee? There’s a precedent of our past deals. Since you have enough wealth to cover for our loss, I don’t worry much. Hahaha…”

“I guess this would’ve been difficult if I didn’t have money”

“It’s not always the case, but it’s a good way to reassure those who are above me.”

“Phew, now you’re going to check up my assets daily.”

“Hahaha… and the commission for you will be sent after the auction. Thank you for a great deal.”

“I’ve also received a little courtesy from the client.”

“That’s none of our business. The herd has rules of the pack. Thanks to you again, I received a lot of praise from the company for this deal. We always welcome these kinds of deals.”

“Let’s have a meal at a great restaurant next time.”

This was their way of saying goodbye now. It was said a few times previously, but it was never really been done.

The price Eriksson offered for gold was 50,000 dollars per bar. He made a big bet that reflected the market price. Of course, he must have done it since he was sure he could make more money, but it still seemed like a risky adventure for the Information Agency. The company was a middleman, not an investment company.

The deal sharply increased Youngho’s cash assets. He earned 80 million dollars by doing a middleman’s job from Nikolay, but Eriksson promised to send his commission later, which would be a huge amount as well.

Nikolay, who had just checked the secret account smiled big, as he came out of the mansion.

“Did you check the amount?”

“Wow, I can’t believe that you took care of such a big deal in this short time. Now, I’m worried about how to repay this favor.”

“I also got a little commission because of you Mr. Chairman, so don’t mind it. I would have more than one favor to ask you as I start my business in Siberia, wouldn’t I?”

“You can ask me anything. I’m delighted to be able to sleep with my legs stretched out now. You really lifted the weight off my shoulder.”

“Mr. Chairman, don’t you want to expand your business to the Arctic Ocean like I suggested last night? If you have a ship, the whole world will be your courtyard.”

“…”

“Siberia is not the only place in the world. I’m just saying that you can be even bigger.”

“I’m pleased to hear that.”

“I know a great Danish shipyard company that makes the best icebreakers.”

“Shall we have a cup of tea in my study?”