The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 249

249. Moscow (3)

January in Moscow.

The American businessmen frowned at the biting Moscow weather.

“Haa, it’s really something,” someone said, rubbing their hands together.

“It’s Moscow, after all.”

“To think it’s this cold even during the day. I don’t know how people live here.”

“Indeed.”

Hyun-woo Jung, who must have grown accustomed to the milder Boston weather, shuddered as the Moscow wind penetrated his coat.

‘Ugh, I let my guard down.’

It wasn’t cold enough to warrant a Moncler or other high-end outdoor brand parka, but the coat he wore in Boston was no match for this.

“Sarah, are you okay?”

Sarah narrowed her brows and replied, “I’m not okay.”

“I should have brought a warmer coat.”

“Did you even own a warmer coat back home?”

“No, but if I had bought one in advance at the department store…”

Before Hyun-woo Jung could finish his sentence, men in thick coats appeared.

“Welcome, everyone!”

The man who greeted them in fluent English was a high-ranking official of the Soviet Communist Party. He introduced himself to the businessmen, but Hyun-woo Jung couldn’t remember his complicated name.

‘It would have been nice if he had kept it short like Andrei.’

As he thought this, staff members came out of the building and guided the American businessmen.

“Vehicles are ready. This way, please.”

Hyun-woo Jung got into the car provided by the Soviet authorities and sighed deeply.

‘Even the car is…’

The sedan, made in the Soviet Union, lacked basic comfort features.

Even for a car used by high-ranking Communist Party officials, everything from the seat cushions to the legroom felt inadequate.

‘Is this why European cars flooded the Soviet Union after its collapse?’

He tapped the car door. It felt heavy, like an armored vehicle.

The manager sitting in the passenger seat said to him, “The temperature has risen since yesterday, so the weather is very nice today.”

Hyun-woo couldn’t help but inwardly scoff at his explanation.

‘Tsk, is this what they call good weather?’

Moscow often dropped below -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit). If the lowest temperature in mid-January, the coldest time, was around -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit), it could be considered relatively mild.

Conversely, -10 degrees Celsius in New York or Boston would be considered the coldest day of the year.

“After dropping off your luggage at the accommodation, we will begin the schedule immediately.”

Three nights and four days. It wasn’t a leisurely schedule.

The reason the schedule was so tight wasn’t due to the Soviet authorities’ wishes, but the demands of the American businessmen.

Most of the American businessmen were executives of prominent companies, and they couldn’t afford to be away for long. So, they wanted to minimize their time in the Soviet Union.

Hyun-woo Jung asked the staff member sitting in front of him, “What’s the first item on the agenda?”

The staff member answered in fluent English, “There will be a banquet this evening. Members of the Council of Ministers are scheduled to attend.”

The Soviet Council of Ministers was similar to a cabinet meeting in a democratic country. The main difference was that it wasn’t attended by all ministers, but only by thirty key ministers.

Since there were over a hundred ministers in the Soviet Union, meetings with everyone present were rare, occurring only a few times a year. Therefore, the Soviet Council of Ministers could be considered a meeting of key ministers.

“Was the flight pleasant?”

Hyun-woo Jung replied in a soft voice, “It was much better than going to Tokyo.”

The route from the eastern United States to Moscow was shorter than the route to Tokyo.

The staff member scrutinized his hair and skin color and raised his voice slightly. “Are you from Japan?”

Hyun-woo Jung narrowed his brows at the question.

‘Even though I’m supposedly one of the wealthiest people in America, haven’t they even investigated my background?’

The KGB [Committee for State Security] and the Communist Party, which he had heard rumors about, were supposed to be thorough and meticulous.

If that were the case, they would have meticulously investigated Hyun-woo Jung’s background, leaving no stone unturned.

‘Are they trying to test me?’

Hyun-woo answered cautiously, “I’m from Korea.”

“Ah! I see.” From the brief exclamation, it didn’t seem like an intentional probe.

‘Hmm, does this mean that cracks are starting to appear in the Soviet Union’s facade of solidity?’

The signs of the Soviet Union’s decline had already begun to surface several years ago.

And with the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident last year, the cracks had become noticeably larger.

In 1987, the Soviet Union was showing signs of strain everywhere.

The reason General Secretary Gorbachev chose reform and opening [Perestroika and Glasnost, policies of economic and political reform] was to find a way out before these strains became even more pronounced.

“Is the person next to you your wife?”

Hyun-woo Jung turned his head at the Soviet manager’s question.

“She’s my secretary.”

The person sitting next to him was his secretary, Luna.

“Ah, I see.”

Hyun-woo figured that since the investigation into him was insufficient, it was natural that they didn’t know his secretary, Luna.

‘Hoo… I’m a little worried.’

The Soviet side’s preparation was too sloppy.

He began to worry that he might return from this visit to Moscow empty-handed.

* * *

“Sarah, isn’t that outfit a bit much?” Hyun-woo complained as Sarah appeared at the banquet hall wearing a red dress with a deeply plunging neckline.

“I didn’t choose it. When I said I didn’t have anything to wear to the banquet, they gave me this.”

Sarah hadn’t expected such a glamorous banquet during the short three nights and four days, so she only brought a few suits.

“Ha… Isn’t this almost ‘Gone with the Wind’-esque?” [Referring to the elaborate dresses of the American Civil War era depicted in the film.]

Sarah’s red dress was reminiscent of a dress from the Civil War era.

Sarah raised her voice slightly. “Ha, Charlie must be happy.”

“Yes?”

“Men can just wear whatever they were wearing, right?”

Sarah was slightly sulky when Hyun-woo criticized her outfit.

“Charlie, Sarah!” The person who called out to them was Coca-Cola’s Jimmy Collins.

“Jimmy?”

Jimmy Collins was wearing a tuxedo with a bow tie.

‘This side is a bit much too…’

As Hyun-woo scratched his head, the rest of the group, including Chairman John Wood, appeared.

“Everyone’s here.”

“Wow, Miss Hilton’s outfit is amazing.”

“Ha, I’m jealous of Charlie for being with such a beautiful woman.”

Hyun-woo scratched his head and said, as if making excuses for Sarah, “Everyone, please don’t misunderstand. Miss Hilton’s dress was prepared by the Soviet authorities. It’s not an outfit she brought from America.”

As he said this, he subtly stepped in front of Sarah.

Sarah’s slightly sulky mood was relieved when she saw Hyun-woo trying to shield her.

‘Charlie, really…’

Today’s banquet was a welcoming event for the delegation, so their own staff couldn’t attend.

When everyone gathered, Soviet managers appeared and guided them to the banquet hall.

“Come on in.”

The banquet hall, which they entered under the guidance of the Soviet managers, was the epitome of splendor.

“What is this…”

The high ceiling, the ornate ceiling paintings, and the elaborate chandeliers illuminating them.

It was reminiscent of the banquet hall of the Palace of Versailles [the opulent former royal palace in France].

“Wow. The chandelier is amazing.”

“Are those all candles?”

“Are they lighting a chandelier with candles at the end of the 20th century?”

“It can’t be. Isn’t it electric?”

But it wasn’t electric.

Hundreds of candles illuminated the crystal chandelier.

Hyun-woo thought that this splendid banquet hall might have been built during the imperial era, not the Soviet era.

‘If it’s a banquet hall where the emperor held banquets, this splendor is understandable.’

He noticed that the north wall of the banquet hall was particularly ornate and guessed that the emperor’s throne would have been placed there.

‘They couldn’t have put the Soviet Secretary’s chair there.’

Sarah looked around and said, “Charlie, I’ve never been to a place like this before.”

Even she, who had experienced many mansions and luxury hotels, seemed to be seeing such a banquet hall for the first time.

“It suits you well.”

Sarah tilted her head at Hyun-woo’s words.

“What?”

“Sarah’s dress. Such clothes are perfect for such a splendid banquet hall.”

Sarah chuckled at his answer.

“Didn’t you say it was too much earlier?”

“I didn’t know it was this kind of banquet. Actually, my suit feels a bit bland.”

The liquor and food that appeared at the banquet were no less impressive than the crystal chandeliers and ornate ceiling paintings.

Hyun-woo narrowed his brows slightly as he faced the epitome of splendor.

‘Hmm, did the Soviet Union put more effort into the reception than investigating the attendees?’

He clicked his tongue inwardly at the duality of the Soviet Union.

‘Tsk, I don’t understand at all.’

Considering the Soviet Union’s status during the Cold War, this level of hospitality was entirely possible.

However, it was hard to understand why the investigation into the American businessmen was so sloppy.

“Welcome, everyone!” The person who raised his voice was Alexei Fadin, one of the powerful figures in the Soviet Union.

As he raised his glass, those gathered at the banquet also raised their glasses.

Alexei Fadin looked around and raised his voice again. “To the eternal friendship between the United States and the Soviet Union!”

As he chanted, the people attending the banquet echoed, “To friendship!”

The friendship between the Soviet Union and the United States was meant to commemorate their alliance against Nazi Germany during World War II.

‘Maybe that was when they were on the best terms.’

The United States and the Soviet Union hadn’t been on good terms since the birth of the Soviet Union.

During the Soviet Red-White Civil War [a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire immediately after the two Russian revolutions of 1917], the United States supported the imperial faction and tried to overthrow the Soviet Union and the Communist Party.

However, the Red Army won, the Soviet Union was established, and the United States’ efforts were in vain.

After that, the United States and the Soviet Union maintained a cold relationship. However, this cold relationship thawed as soon as World War II broke out. During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union had such improved relations that they could be called comrades.

However, as soon as World War II ended, the Cold War began, and the relationship between the two countries became strained again.

“Mr. Jung, how is today’s banquet?” The person who approached Hyun-woo and asked the question was a middle-aged man wearing a Soviet military uniform.

Unlike a typical Soviet soldier, he knew the identities of Hyun-woo and Sarah.

“I think it’s a very excellent banquet.”

“How does it compare to American banquets?”

Hyun-woo lowered his voice slightly and replied, “There is no such splendid banquet in the United States.”

“Is that so?”

“Really.”

The conversation between the two seemed a bit vague.

“Today’s banquet is specially prepared for you. The usual Soviet banquets are not like this, so I hope you don’t misunderstand.”

Hyun-woo nodded at his explanation. “Rest assured. We won’t misunderstand.”

After the middle-aged man in military uniform stepped back, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline approached. Unlike the man in uniform, he was wearing a suit and introduced himself first. “I am Yuri Zhirkov, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Electrical Industry.”

The position of Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Electrical Industry meant that he was in charge of all matters related to electricity.

“I’m Charlie Jung. This is Miss Hilton.”

Sarah bent her knees slightly and greeted him like an actress in a movie. “Hello?”

Yuri Zhirkov tilted his head and asked, “Hello? You two have different surnames. Aren’t you a couple?”

Hyun-woo replied with an awkward smile, “Miss Hilton is our company’s COO [Chief Operating Officer]. You could say she’s the vice president.”

Yuri Zhirkov nodded, accepting that the two young people were the president and vice president.

“In the United States, young people run companies.”

He seemed to know nothing about Hyun-woo and Victoria Corporation.

‘To think he doesn’t know this much. It seems that Soviet people have no interest in the United States at all.’

During the Cold War, only intelligence officials were interested in the United States.

“May I ask what kind of things your company makes?” When Yuri Zhirkov asked cautiously, Hyun-woo replied in a bright voice, “We are making software that goes into computers.”

Yuri Zhirkov tilted his head when he heard the words computer and software.

“Does that mean you can make money with that?”

Hyun-woo smiled at his question. “That’s the case in the United States.”

The reason Yuri Zhirkov asked this was because all works in the Soviet Union were owned by the government.

In other words, if someone made software, the copyright of that software belonged not to him but to the Soviet authorities.

Hyun-woo was well aware of this fact.

“Didn’t you have a power problem due to an accident last year?” The accident he mentioned was the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.

Yuri Zhirkov replied with an awkward smile, “Thanks to quick action, there are no major problems now.”

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident was a sensitive topic for the Soviet Union.

“That’s a relief.”

Yuri Zhirkov was newly appointed as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Electrical Industry after his predecessor stepped down due to the nuclear power plant accident.

“Are there any power plant officials among the people who attended today?” Hyun-woo pointed to an old gentleman with white hair and replied, “That person is probably an executive at GE [General Electric].”

When it came to the power industry in the United States, it was General Electric.

General Electric was famous as an electric company founded by Edison, but JP Morgan, who was also famous, bought General Electric and erased everything about Edison, so there was no influence of Edison left now.

“Ah, I see.”

Yuri Zhirkov turned to meet the GE executive.

Hyun-woo asked him, “Mr. Zhirkov.”

Yuri Zhirkov stopped and turned his head. “Is there anything you would like to say?”
Hyun-woo nodded and replied, “Where do people who do the same work as us belong in the Soviet Union?”

Yuri Zhirkov was lost in thought for a moment at his question.

‘It seems like he can’t think of it right away.’

Soon Yuri Zhirkov answered his question. “I think it’s the Academy of Sciences.”

His answer was surprisingly accurate.

Alexey Pajitnov, who developed Tetris, was a developer belonging to the Soviet Academy of Sciences when he developed Tetris in 1985.

“Then where should I make inquiries about the program?”

Yuri Zhirkov thought for a moment again and then answered, “It must be the Institute of Science and Technology.”

Hyun-woo politely thanked him for his answer. “Thank you for letting me know.”

Yuri Zhirkov waved his right hand at his polite greeting. “Didn’t we receive help first?”

He added that Hyun-woo had first informed him of the GE executive, so it wasn’t a one-sided exchange.

After Yuri Zhirkov left, Sarah asked Hyun-woo, “Charlie, isn’t today’s banquet a little strange?”

Hyun-woo paused at her question. “Are you saying there’s something off?”

He suspected that cameras might have been installed throughout the banquet hall.

Soon Sarah replied, “Even though it’s the Soviet Union, everyone is speaking English instead of Russian.”

Hyun-woo exclaimed briefly at her answer. “Ah! That’s right.”

He hadn’t noticed that detail.

‘The Soviet authorities may have only sent people who can speak English to the banquet.’

If so, it meant that the Soviet Union had thoroughly prepared for this banquet.

‘Maybe everyone gathered here is fake.’

If everyone gathered here was fake, they could be KGB agents.

‘Surely not.’

When Hyun-woo was half-convinced, a young officer approached him.

“Charlie Jung, is that right?”

Hyun-woo nodded at his question. “Yes. I’m Charlie Jung.”

“There is someone who wants to meet you.”

Hyun-woo raised his voice when he heard his words. “May I ask who it is?”

“That’s a secret.”

A powerful figure in the Soviet Union wanted to meet him one-on-one.