Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 461

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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So you’re saying you’ll give us 3 billion dollars in exchange for the technology transfer.

The next day.
The Mercedes sedan carrying Seok-won pulled through the red brick walls surrounding the Kremlin and into its interior.
The vehicle came to a halt on a wide plaza paved with dark reddish-brown stones in front of the Terem Palace, which served as the President’s Official Residence.
As Bockus opened the car door and I stepped out, a Caucasian man in a business suit approached me.

“Welcome. I’m Marknotov from the Presidential Secretariat. The President is waiting, so I’ll escort you directly to his office.”

Impressed by his fluent English, I gave a slight nod and followed Marknotov as he led the way.
Behind me, my attendant Han Ji-sung and Victor Pavlovich, the director of the Eldorado Fund’s Moscow branch, followed closely.
True to its history as the official residence of the Tsar emperors since the seventeenth century of the Russian Empire, the Terem Palace’s first impression was nothing short of magnificent.
From the exterior, the walls were beautifully adorned with white and orange bricks, while the windows featured stained glass in a riot of colors.
Inside, thick crimson carpets covered the floors without a gap, and the walls and ceilings were adorned with various murals that captured the eye.
And the crowning glory was that the golden decorations scattered throughout were not mere gilding but crafted from genuine gold.
Thanks to the deep luster and grandeur emanating from real gold, everything visible became even more resplendent and beautiful.
After walking through the corridors for some time, feeling the weight of history layered upon them, Marknotov pointed to a massive golden door guarded by armed security personnel standing on both sides.

“This is the office.”

At Marknotov’s gesture, the uniformed security guards with pistols at their waists grasped the doors on both sides and pulled them open.
I turned my head to look at Han Ji-sung behind me and spoke.

“Han Deputy, please wait here in the Attached Office.”
“Yes, sir.”

After leaving Han Ji-sung to wait in the Attached Office, I proceeded with Victor Pavlovich, following Marknotov deeper into the inner office.
Beyond the large door ornately decorated with sculptures lay an office that appeared to exceed three hundred square meters.
A heavy chandelier hung from the high ceiling, creating an overwhelming sense of grandeur for visitors.
Unlike Victor Pavlovich, who wore a tense expression behind me, I walked in with complete confidence and composure.

“Mr. President. This is Park Seok-won, President of the Eldorado Fund.”

Marknotov, leading the way, bowed slightly and announced our arrival.
President Ivanov, whose face was perpetually flushed from his fondness for strong vodka, rose from the leather sofa where he had been sitting with a bald middle-aged man.
President Ivanov approached with long strides, grasped my hand firmly, and spoke in remarkably fluent English.

“Welcome to the Kremlin. I hear this is your first time in Moscow—what are your first impressions?”

The sudden question caught me slightly off guard, but I quickly composed myself and replied in the same English.

“I’ve only been here a day, so I haven’t had the chance to explore the entire city, but I’ve been deeply impressed by the vivid historical architecture scattered throughout—from the Kremlin itself to the structures that have endured since the imperial era.”

Pleased with my response, President Ivanov broke into a broad smile.

“Haha. So the rumors are true—you’re indeed a notable figure even on Wall Street. You certainly have a discerning eye.”

President Ivanov turned his body slightly and introduced the balding middle-aged man standing behind him.

“This is Vasily, our newly appointed Prime Minister.”
“I’m Vasily. I’ve heard much about you, and I’m pleased we finally meet.”
“Delighted to make your acquaintance. I’m Park Seok-won.”

Prime Minister Vasily extended his hand with considerable formality, and I grasped it lightly in greeting.
He had been newly appointed after Yevgeny Popov, the previous Prime Minister, was effectively removed from office following his responsibility for the foreign exchange crisis that led to the moratorium declaration.

“This is Victor Pavlovich, the branch director who works alongside me.”

I gestured toward Victor Pavlovich, who had accompanied me.

“I’m Victor Pavlovich. It’s a pleasure to work with you.”
“Ah, yes. Pleased to meet you.”

Unlike me, President Ivanov acknowledged the greeting with a formal nod.
Since all four of us spoke English fluently, we had no need for an interpreter and conversation flowed without difficulty.
After Victor Pavlovich exchanged greetings with Prime Minister Vasily, the four of us naturally moved to the sofa, seating ourselves on either side with President Ivanov in the center.
Once the blonde, blue-eyed Female Secretary had set down the coffee and departed, President Ivanov looked at me with an expression brimming with anticipation.

“I understand you’re considering making substantial investments in Russia.”

This was precisely why President Ivanov had welcomed me so warmly despite our first meeting.
I gave a small nod in response to his hopeful gaze.

“That’s correct. While we’ll need to discuss the specific terms, I’m prepared to invest on the scale of tens of billions of dollars.”

At the mention of hundreds of billions of dollars, President Ivanov’s eyes widened.
Prime Minister Vasily, standing beside him, also turned to stare at him in shock.
The United States and the IMF were equally startled by how Russia, having suddenly declared a moratorium, crumbled like a sandcastle in an instant despite its status as a nuclear power, and they hastily provided additional large-scale bailout financing. However, as time passed, economic chaos deepened further, exchange rates skyrocketed, and the ruble became nothing more than worthless scraps of paper.
Russia as a whole was sinking deeper into an unfathomable swamp with no end in sight.
It was only natural to be astonished when, amid such bleak circumstances, an investment proposal was made on a scale matching the bailout funds received from the United States and the IMF.
President Ivanov hastily leaned forward in his seat and asked with an eager expression.
President Ivanov hurriedly leaned forward in his seat and asked with an excited expression.

“What I just said is the truth!”

Seok-won nodded with a relaxed attitude.

“Of course.”
Of course.

President Ivanov and the Russian government had very high confidence in the Eldorado Fund, seeing as they immediately deposited such a large sum of 450 million dollars in a lump sum.

“Specifically, where and how are you planning to invest?”

At a subtle wink from Seok-won, Victor Pavlovich, the branch director sitting beside him, retrieved a file that had been prepared in advance from his briefcase and placed it on the solid wood table.
When Seok-won gave a subtle wink, Pablo, the branch manager sitting beside him, pulled out a file he had prepared in advance from his briefcase and placed it on the wooden table.

“This is a list of companies we’re considering investing in. Ah, of course, we’ll need to get approval from the Russian government first.”

As Seok-won spoke, Prime Minister Vasily opened the file and scanned through the list written inside.

Yukos Oil Company
Alrosa
.
.
.
Sakhalin-II Project
Khrunichev UR-500 Proton Rocket License Acquisition]
Khrunichev UR-500 Proton Rocket License Out

So seeing Gazprom and Yukos Oil Company at the top of the list, along with Alrosa, he thought to himself: as expected.
It pained him to have to surrender stakes in these prime enterprises and resource assets, but in Russia’s current situation, he was in no position to be choosy.
As Prime Minister Vasily contemplated this, he caught sight of what was written at the very end of the list, and his brow furrowed as he lifted his head.
Prime Minister Vasily furrowed his brow and lifted his head as he caught sight of what was written at the end of the list.

“The Khrunichev UR-500 Proton rocket… You’re not saying you want a space launch vehicle, are you?”
“That’s correct.”
“No. What on earth do you intend to use it for?”

Vasily asked with a puzzled expression, tilting his head.
The Proton rocket was Russia’s pride—a powerful heavy-lift launch vehicle capable of delivering 6.3 tons of cargo to geostationary orbit at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers above sea level, with its first stage alone producing a staggering 1,061 tons of thrust.
It was only natural to be bewildered when he suddenly asked for space rocket technology rather than a profitable company or resource shares.
President Ivanov, who couldn’t fathom the reasoning either, narrowed his eyes and stared intently—after all, it was the Proton rocket that had launched the famous Mir space station and the International Space Station modules.
Seok-won responded calmly despite the scrutiny from both men.

“I have a personal interest in space development. When it comes to rocket technology, wouldn’t Russia be the best, having been the first in the world to launch an artificial satellite?”

Russia’s pride had already taken a considerable blow with the moratorium declaration.
But when praised for its technological prowess right before them, President Ivanov unconsciously lifted his chin slightly and puffed out his chest with satisfaction.

“That’s right. Space technology is where Russia excels. You certainly know your stuff.”

Seok-won suppressed an inner smirk while nodding outwardly as if it were obvious.

“I’m planning to establish a private space company and venture into satellite communications. I intend to use the Proton rocket as the launch vehicle since it boasts excellent performance and reliability.”
“If that’s the case, you could launch satellites at a much lower cost by simply entrusting the launches to us.”

Seok-won deftly fielded Vasily’s suggestion while maintaining his smile.

“That may be true, but from a long-term perspective, I believe we need to develop our own independent launch capability.”
“I see. I understand.”

Vasily glanced over the investment list once more, his expression growing troubled.

“I fully grasp your intentions, but technology transfer of the Proton rocket is out of the question.”
“May I ask why?”

Seok-won, having anticipated this response, asked calmly without any sign of alarm.
Vasily then spoke with firm resolve.

“The Proton rocket is classified as a top-secret national strategic technology. There is absolutely no possibility of transferring it.”

No matter how much Russia had come unmoored since the Soviet collapse, there was no way it would readily hand over such a critical national strategic technology as a space launch vehicle.

‘Under normal circumstances, I would never have proposed such a thing, but now that we’ve declared a moratorium and the nation faces the brink of bankruptcy, this is an exceptionally rare situation.’

I glanced at President Ivanov, who had stepped back and left everything to Prime Minister Vasily, then responded.

“Of course, I understand. However, the Proton rocket, first launched in 1967, is already an outdated technology from 31 years ago, is it not?”

While it was certainly true that it was an aging space launch vehicle, it had undergone continuous improvements over the years and was rightfully considered a perfected rocket embodying the very essence of Russian space technology.
But I deliberately omitted those facts and emphasized that it was an old-generation rocket developed 31 years prior.

“Moreover, I understand you’re already pursuing a new space launch vehicle development project to replace the Proton rocket. If that’s the case, then it’s a technology from a generation ahead, so transferring the old one wouldn’t cause Russia any loss whatsoever.”
“You’re raising a difficult point. Even if it’s technology from a generation prior, state secrets remain state secrets.”

But when Prime Minister Vasily showed no particular response despite my repeated persuasion, I pulled out my hidden card—one he couldn’t possibly resist.

“We currently hold three billion dollars’ worth of Russian government bonds maturing this September.”
“….
“If you provide us with one actual rocket and complete technology transfer of the Proton rocket, I will hand over all of those bonds to you.”
“…!”

The moment they heard the proposal, both men’s expressions shifted to shock.
The offer was so stunning that even President Ivanov, who had been sitting silently with his arms crossed until now,’s eyes gleamed as he leaned forward to confirm.

“So you’re saying you’ll pay three billion dollars if we transfer the technology?”

As President Ivanov leaned forward with his question, I felt a subtle smile tug at the corner of my mouth.

‘Hooked perfectly.’

And outwardly, I nodded with an air of gentlemanly generosity.

“That is correct.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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