Most of Li He's impression of the former KGB agent in front of him came from the media. In front of the camera, he always liked to show off his strong physique. He rode a horse bare-chested, flew a plane, and drove a snowmobile. He was known to be a hardliner.
The media always portrayed him as a strongman and narcissist who liked to argue with others, and sometimes flew into a rage.
Jiang Baojian pointed to the nameplate in front of the man. "Chairman of the Leningrad International Liaison Committee, Vladimir, in charge of the city government's foreign economic relations. It is said that he is Mayor Sobchak's right-hand man."
"I see." Li He nodded. This also explained why Comrade Old Pu was here. The Bedeleev Research Institute had always been under the jurisdiction of the city of Leningrad.
Moreover, Old Pyotr had always been with Sobchak. Later, when Sobchak became the mayor of St. Petersburg, Old Pyotr followed him. But his political skills were not good enough, and his first election for deputy mayor ended in failure.
After the lengthy speeches of the China delegation and the mayor of Leningrad, Pan Youlin went on stage to sign on behalf of Delta Bank and the Bedeleev Research Institute. The applause continued.
Ambassador Liu Qing introduced Sobchak and other city government leaders to Li He.
Li He stepped forward and shook hands politely. In fact, his eyes never left Old Pu behind Sobchak.
When it was his turn to shake hands with him, Li He had the opportunity to observe him up close. He was not tall, dressed plainly, and his hair was still lush. He didn't go bald later on.
"Nice hairstyle."
"Thank you." Old Pu was a little confused by this greeting.
Li He didn't have the opportunity to talk more with him.
Sobchak kept pestering him and talked about the investment again, hoping that he could increase the investment in Leningrad.
Li He was vague and didn't agree. He was going to give this opportunity to Old Pu.
Comrade Vladimir, the chairman of the International Liaison Committee, did something that even the mayor couldn't do. Didn't this give him enough opportunity to perform?
Therefore, Li He didn't care about the disappointment on Sobchak's face. However, he still had to give some hope. He put the carrot on the table first and hung it slowly.
Sure enough, on the second day of the signing ceremony, Old Pu, who was in charge of foreign economic affairs, found Li He's hotel.
Li He gave him a warm reception. "It's a pleasure to see you again, comrade Vladimir."
"Hello." Old Pu also responded enthusiastically in English. He didn't expect Li He to still remember his name. In front of many big capitalists, he had suffered a lot of unnecessary discrimination. His English was fluent, but with a distinct Russian accent. He stressed each word, and his face was visibly tense.
"Please sit down and have a cup of tea." Li He didn't ask for his permission and directly made him a cup of tea.
Jiang Baojian looked at them with a strange expression. There were not many people who could make Li He use a purple clay teapot to entertain guests.
Li He smiled and asked, "Comrade Vladimir, may I ask why you're looking for me?"
Li He looked at him and thought it was funny. The man in front of him, whether it was the way he spoke or the way he did things, made him look very unnatural and awkward. It was a far cry from the confident and powerful image he had shown later.
Old Pu said, "I hope we can have the opportunity to work together in the future. Leningrad will always welcome your investment."
Li He twisted his fingers, and Jiang Baojian passed the cigarette over.
Li He took one out and passed it to Old Pu. "Do you smoke?"
"No, thank you."
Li He said, "I'm very optimistic about the future of Russia. There are great hardworking people here, outstanding scientists, and a world-class industrial system. Although it looks difficult at the moment, it's just a temporarily sleeping lion."
"Thank you. I think so too. So, Mr. Li, do you have any suggestions?"
Li He said, "You and I know that the current privatization in Russia lacks a legal basis. If I invest, how can I guarantee the safety of my property?"
Old Pu said seriously, "Mr. Sobchak is a member of the Presidential Council. He is the authority of the Constitution. I believe he can guarantee the sanctity of your private property."
"You have to know that the assets in the hands of some people were acquired or acquired through illegal means. If these assets are legalized in the future, then Russia's transformation and development into a country ruled by law will become an almost insurmountable obstacle for the country's citizens on the road to legal awareness." Li He didn't understand Old Pu's current state of mind, but history had proven that Old Pu had made these economic oligarchs miserable.
"Sir, I admit that there are many greedy people. This is the shame of Russia's reform. They are a group of despicable parasites. They will be nailed to the pillar of shame in Russian history."
"Of course, it's not just the Russians who are doing this. There are many imperialists, Americans, British, French, and Germans. They are all thinking of ways to hollow out Russia."
Li He noticed that Old Pu had clenched his fists. To put it bluntly, in the current political structure, most of the people were pro-Western. The person in front of him was still a loser. He had no money or power. No matter how dissatisfied he was with the West, it was useless.
Old Pu said, "But you know, we are in a transitional period. First, we use the income from oil and gas exports to supplement our budget. But we are also thinking of ways to tighten tax discipline. We have canceled the subsidies for loss-making enterprises. We are thinking of all possible ways to attract foreign investors and promote the development of the individual economy. Mr. Li, compared to those greedy imperialist entrepreneurs, we need legitimate entrepreneurs like you. As far as I know, the amount of money you have spent on acquisitions in Russia has exceeded the value of the enterprise itself. I am deeply touched by your actions. "
"I was born in a poor family. I can better understand how it feels to be poor. So every time I acquire a company, I will not let the workers of the company fall into a dilemma. They will be settled. This is not the spirit of communism, nor is it the spirit of socialism. It is a person's instinct and conscience." On the surface, Li He seemed to be very emotional. But in his heart, he wanted to roll his eyes at him. If it were not for you, would I be so honest?!
In Russia, he had done a lot of bribery. But compared to many Western countries and Russian economic oligarchs, at least the price he gave each company was considered fair. And most importantly, before he emptied the factory, he had made arrangements for the workers. Most of the workers were doing demolition and transportation work for the Chinese.
Besides, recently, he spent 130 million US dollars to buy the Baltic Shipping Company. This caused a lot of discussion in Russia because the shipping company was not worth the money. Some said that Li He was a sucker. Some said that Li He was honest and kind. There was no consensus.
Old Pu said, "Then please believe in our magnanimity. An entrepreneur like you will definitely win our respect."
"If I want to invest, it will be at least 500 million US dollars. This is not a small amount. I have to ensure that my investment will not fail. But the current situation in Russia worries me." Li He sighed on purpose.
"500 million?" Old Pu, who had been quiet all this while, could not sit still anymore.
Li He nodded affirmatively. He lit another cigarette and asked, "Do you have any good suggestions?"
"I promise that an entrepreneur like you will receive fair treatment."
"You promise?"
"I …" Old Pu looked embarrassed. He was just the chairman of the liaison committee. What right did he have to make a promise?
However, Li He's next words sent him flying from hell to heaven.
"My friend, you have won my friendship with your honesty. I will invest 500 million US dollars."
"Thank you, thank you." Old Pu could not believe it. He shook Li He's hand excitedly and said, "Then I thank you on behalf of the people of Leningrad!"
Li He said with a smile, "No, I think you misunderstood.
"No, I think you misunderstood. I don't know how to refuse a friend's request. Since you promised me, of course this investment is for you. This fund will follow you. As long as you are in Leningrad, this fund will be in Leningrad. In the future, when you come to Moscow, this fund will naturally belong to Moscow. Do you understand? "
Old Pu was extremely excited. "Thank you so much!"
He did not refuse. He naturally faced his own financial difficulties. The difference between him and other politicians was financial support. With this financial support, he would be successful in every endeavor.
Li He patted him on the shoulder. "Delta Bank and Commercial Bank will be firm supporters! If there is anything, you can look for Mr. Abalkin at any time. "
Abalkin was a famous economic theorist and former Soviet Academy of Sciences member. He was once the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and the Chairman of the National Economic Policy Committee of the Council of Ministers. He was a firm opponent of Russia's current monetary policy. Naturally, he was not welcomed by the Russian government and ended up homeless.
Pan Youlin would leave Russia with Li He sooner or later. So, after asking for Li He's opinion, he hired Abalkin as the Chief Economist of the Commercial Bank and the General Manager of the Commercial Bank's Russian branch. At the same time, he also served as the Chairman of Delta Bank.
This arrangement was impeccable.
"Thank you." Old Pu finally believed that love at first sight existed in this world.
Li He personally sent him out. Old Pu was still a little reluctant. He was afraid that the pie in the sky was not reliable. Li He had to promise again and again that their friendship was unbreakable. This kind of friendship could not be exchanged for anything. It was higher than the mountains, deeper than the sea, and sweeter than honey.
Iron Ear returned from Latvia with the good news of acquiring Dartz Automotive for 20 million US dollars.
Li He was very happy. He then requested the Leningrad City to acquire the Russian Kombat's car factory. The Leningrad City Government did not hesitate at all, but they wanted Li He to bear the debt of up to 10 million US dollars.
Li He did not have any objections. The combination of Kombat and Dartz was the real Kombat Warshield military vehicle. But he made a request. He wanted to buy the trademark of Kombat together. Kombat's logo was a combination of a running horse and the letters Kombat. He wanted to use it on the BMW that was being built in Yang Yong.
This plan made him proud for a long time.
Next, he merged the Gorky Engine Factory, St. Petersburg Tire Factory, Kombat Car Factory, and Dartz Automotive Company together. The name was Delta Motors. It mainly produces SUVs and 2-axle and 3-axle tractors.
Iron Ear, this young man in his early twenties, became the new CEO of the joint venture company and immediately became a winner in life. But Li He gave him one year's time. If he did not get the approval of the board of directors hired by Pan Youlin, he would step down.
Li He was about to leave. There were many people in his hands that needed to be arranged. Most of them were helping him to look after his businesses in the former Soviet Union. Those that could be moved had already been moved away. Those that could not be moved naturally had to continue operating in the local area.
As the newly appointed CEO of a shipping company, Martich was very ambitious. He had already shown Li He his huge plan. He wanted to monopolize the oil transportation business in the Far East region.
Li He dampened his enthusiasm. "Do you know how many shipping companies in Russia have gone bankrupt? 15! "
Martich said, "Sir, this is exactly our opportunity. With the collapse of the Kansas Shipping Company and the Hasa Shipping Company, there is only one Far East Shipping Company in the entire Far East region that is the most powerful. However, they mainly transport timber, which does not conflict with our business."
"My requirement is not to lose money." Li He did not have much hope for him at the moment.
Ivanov wanted to take Bafra back to Belarus. He had large pieces of land and ancillary resources in his hands. After careful calculation, there were 153 properties. His plan was to live by collecting rent.
Li He scolded him for being a good-for-nothing. "Mr. Ivanov, I hope you can become the largest real estate developer in Eastern Europe. Learn well."
After the main personnel were arranged, the rest were arranged by Pan Song.
More than 400 people seemed to be a lot, but in fact, many key positions were still facing a lack of personnel.
Li He's Kaibahe was also sent back to Hong Kong by plane. He also wanted to tow it back to China, but he was afraid that if it broke in China, he would not be able to find a place to repair it. It was more convenient in Hong Kong.
Pan Song encountered a problem. "Brother Li, we bought three small passenger planes to transport cargo. If we sell them again, we won't be able to find a buyer in a short time. But if we keep them here, the maintenance fees for a year will not be cheap."
"What do you think?" Li He looked at Pan Song's confident attitude. He estimated that Pan Song should have a plan in his heart.
Pan Song smiled and said, "Two of my Russian brothers have been with me for two years. They used to be Soviet Air Force pilots. I arranged for them to go to the Volga Mold Factory, but they were not very happy. They want to continue flying planes. They think that with three planes, they can open a route. "
Li He was happy. "You want to open an airline?"
Pan Song nodded. "I also think it's a bit ridiculous, but they are very serious. They have talked to me about it five or six times. So I asked for your opinion. "
Li He hesitated for a moment. The risk of opening an airline was too big. It was not because of the risk of losses, but he was worried that something like Malaysia Airlines could happen at any time in this area.
"You call those two people over. I will talk to them."
The two Russians that Pan Song brought over were not tall. They looked to be in their thirties, but they both had thick beards.
The man named Gerhard said proudly, "Mr. Li, both of us are TU-26 pilots. We have up to a hundred hours of flight time. Whether in terms of experience or qualifications, we are excellent pilots."
Li He interrupted him. "But you are talking about opening an airline. Running a company and flying a plane are two completely different concepts."
The older Beresev said, "Sir, there are two most important things about an airline. One is profit, and the other is safety. We know about planes, so you can rest assured in terms of safety. As for profit, we also have a plan. As you can see, the big companies only fly the main lines. Most of them fly between the capitals of various countries. They don't pay attention to the development of the branch lines. The branch market is very promising. "
Gerhard added, "Beresev's uncle works at Sheremetyevo Airport. We asked him about a lot of things, and he can help us. Currently, there are a lot of unemployed people. We can recruit many of our colleagues from the Air Force at any time. They are perfect for ground handling, maintenance, communications, and if there is a need, we can even buy more planes at a lower price. "
The more Li He chatted with them, the more he understood them. In the end, he gritted his teeth and said, "I agree. I will add another ten million USD as capital."
There were many private airlines in the world. If they had the guts, why didn't he, the Second Brother Li, have the guts?
Besides, he had originally planned to spend money on this trip to the Soviet Union. In reality, he didn't spend much. The money he gave to Old Pu was part of his plan, and only a few million had been transferred to his account. It didn't matter if he spent more before he left.
"Really?" Gerhard didn't seem to think it would be so easy.
Li He nodded. "But I only have one condition. If you do well, I will give you a chance. If you fail, game over.
You won't have any more chances. "
"Thank you, thank you." The two hugged each other and cried.
At this point, Li He had an airline company called Delta Air Lines under his name. It only had three old planes.
On the day Li He returned to China, Liu Baoyong, Yuan Ming, and the others were with him.
The mayor of Moscow, the mayor of Leningrad, the chairman of the Russian National Security Council, and the deputy prime minister all came to the airport to send him off. They were quite disappointed that Money Bag had left.
The moment Li He boarded the plane, he saw Old Pu behind the crowd.
He smiled and waved at Old Pu. Old Pu pouted and waved back.
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