My Realistic Simulation Game

Chapter 249 Major Events Continue, Focusing on Moscow
In September, the Soviet Union was already gripped by a chilly wind and a desolate atmosphere.

The vibrant slogans that once graced Red Square have faded, their colors now fading, creating a somber scene against the backdrop of a gray sky.

An indescribable anxiety and anticipation filled the air, as if the entire nation was holding its breath, awaiting the final judgment.

At this moment of great attention, Qin Yuan and his Far East Group displayed a quietness that seemed out of place with their surroundings.

The previous rapid wave of mergers and acquisitions has slowed down significantly, and the group has shifted its focus to the internal integration and assimilation of the behemoths it has acquired, such as the Volgograd Tractor Plant and the Novosibirsk Chemical Plant.

Wang Gongquan, Gangzi, and others frequently traveled between factories across the country to stabilize workers' morale, adjust production lines, and inject Far East management models and blockbuster products like "Tsar Kvass" into these dying giants, attempting to revitalize them.

In stark contrast to the "stillness" of the group's industrial operations is the "movement" of Far Eastern International Bank.

With its strategy of not restricting the exchange of rubles for dollars—a seemingly foolproof benefit in times of chaos—Far Eastern International Bank became almost the best safe haven for wealth in the minds of panicked people.

Long queues have never disappeared outside branches in major cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kyiv.

People filled sacks with rapidly depreciating rubles, hoping to exchange them for dollars to preserve their wealth, or deposit them in banks for reassuringly high interest rates.

Far Eastern International Bank's reputation and credibility soared during this panic-driven exchange frenzy, making it a force to be reckoned with, rivaling long-established multinational financial giants such as UBS and Citibank.

With the coup in August, the Soviet Union seemed to have attracted the world's attention.

Foreign banks, hedge funds, and venture capital firms, smelling the blood, flocked to Moscow like hyenas attracted by carrion.

They brought enormous capital, and their purpose was self-evident.

They came for business opportunities.

After all, if the international community still had a fog surrounding the future of the Soviet Union, with many possibilities, then...

But now, this coup is like a starting gun, completely tearing away the last fig leaf covering the fate of the Soviet Union.

How much benefit can the death of a colossal creature on the verge of collapse, a giant whale-bear spanning thousands of miles, bring?

This is something any financially savvy person can calculate clearly.

However, the market had already been divided up by those who arrived first.

Established players like Citigroup and Morgan Stanley, through years of strategic planning and sophisticated methods such as joint ventures and agents, had already deeply rooted themselves in the Soviet financial system, building their own protective barriers of interest.

If newcomers want a piece of the pie, they either have to pay a high price to snatch food from the giants' grasp, or they can only look for new, not fully controlled, breakthroughs.

Although Qin Yuan is Chinese, the Far Eastern International Bank is nominally under Elena's control and also receives shareholding support from the Moscow International Bank.

It naturally became an excellent "stepping stone" and "partner" in the eyes of many newcomers.

Among them, Wells Fargo of the United States and Société Générale of France, which arrived late but were ambitious, were the most eager.

This was undoubtedly an unexpected opportunity for Qin Yuan.

In the past, he transferred funds overseas and took out mortgage loans, mostly through Citibank as an intermediary.

Nowadays, with the rise of Far Eastern International Bank, Citibank has long regarded it as a potential threat. Although the relationship between the two sides has not completely broken down, the initial honeymoon period is gone forever.

Wells Far East and Industrial Bank hold positions in the international banking industry comparable to Citibank. If a cooperation can be reached, it will open up new international funding channels for Far Eastern Group, achieving true mutual benefit.

Moreover, these two families are even more anxious than Qin Yuan.

They were just getting ready to make a big splash in the Soviet Union when an internal agreement from NATO was like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads.

The convention stipulated that the power of national banks to lend to the Soviet government would be nationalized, and that any bank under the Atlantic Treaty Organization would be strictly prohibited from lending to the Soviet Union.

What is the purpose?

Naturally, they wanted to use the loan issue to bargain with the newly formed Soviet government and gain more benefits in the Soviet Union.

The hidden interests of the Soviet Union today are obvious to everyone.

Whether it's various minerals or oil reserves second only to the Gulf region.

This made mining conglomerates and oil companies extremely envious, and they all rushed to try and get a share of the pie in the Soviet Union through banking channels.

This is a financial trick that took place during the colonial era.

Now, it has happened again in 1991, repeating itself in the case of the Soviet Union, a superpower.

History seems to have played a cruel joke.

However, the ban targeted loans to the Soviet government, and did not apply to non-governmental organizations in the Soviet Union, especially "private enterprises" with complex backgrounds and great potential like the Far Eastern Group.

In an instant, the value of Qin Yuan and the financial lifeline he controlled multiplied.

Over the course of ten days at the end of August, the due diligence teams from Industrial Bank and Wells Fargo meticulously examined the asset status of Far Eastern International Bank and the entire Far Eastern Group, much like combing through a mace.

The investigation results both shocked and excited them. They discovered that Qin Yuan's network of relationships in Soviet political and business circles was far deeper and more pervasive in the real economy than they had initially imagined.

Its value goes far beyond that of a bank.

As a result, the intention to cooperate quickly escalated.

A bold financing proposal was put on the negotiating table: Wells Fargo and Industrial Bank would jointly invest $2 billion to acquire a 50% stake in Far East International Bank.

The news was earth-shattering!

The entire Moscow financial community was in an uproar.

Two billion US dollars! Just to acquire a controlling stake in a bank that has been established for less than a year and whose asset size is far from reaching such a valuation?

If the investment was made by the Far East Group, then it wouldn't be surprising.

But this is just the Far Eastern International Bank!
The production lines at the Ochakov beverage factory roared, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of malt and sugar.

Accompanied by Chen Jianhua and Ivan, Qin Yuan inspected the newly commissioned Coca-Cola production line.

He picked up a bottle of "Far East Cola" that had just come off the production line and had a brand-new label, and took a sip.

It tastes very sweet, with a hint of Soviet-style fruity aroma, quite different from the flavor of European and American cola, yet surprisingly refreshing.

"Brother Yuan, the news has spread that Industrial Bank and Wells Fargo are going to invest two billion US dollars in us."

Chen Jianhua pointed to the workers on the assembly line who were secretly glancing at them from time to time, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement, "Look, even the workers in our factory know about it."

He was increasingly grateful that he had met Qin Yuan on the train and joined the Far East trade at the beginning.

Otherwise, we wouldn't be where we are today.

He was adept at maneuvering with Europeans and Americans, and at forming alliances and maneuvers within the Soviet Union—things he had never dared to dream of before.

Do you think I should take this investment?

Qin Yuan put down the Coke bottle and asked casually.
However, his gaze remained fixed on the high-speed bottling line; he still had high expectations for these Coca-Cola bottles.

“I read the financing plan. The two companies jointly invested 2 billion yuan, each taking only half of the shares. We are still the major shareholders.”

Chen Jianhua said eagerly, "This is practically free! If we seize this opportunity, we can open branches in every corner of the Soviet Union!"

For the past six months or so, he has been cramming on business administration and Western economics. Plus, he's naturally smart, so he learns everything quickly.

Moreover, he is about to graduate and attaches great importance to the group's future plans.

Qin Yuan smiled, took the handkerchief Ivan handed him and wiped his hands, his tone calm: "Jianhua, this two billion is poison wrapped in honey."

"I have to eat it, but I can't eat it according to their prescription."

He turned to Chen Jianhua, his eyes calm: "You must understand, the Far East International Bank is the lifeblood of our entire empire. 'Loans for shares,' asset circulation—none of these can exist without it?"

“Once half of the shares are given up, those French and Americans will definitely want oversight rights, which is like cutting open half of your heart and showing it to others.”

“From now on, every shady deal we make, every transfer of assets targeting factions, will be exposed to them.”

Do you think this will work?

Chen Jianhua's excitement froze instantly, and he almost broke out in a cold sweat.

He was so focused on calculating the apparent profits that he forgot about the much larger and more dangerous icebergs beneath the surface of the group.

"So... Brother Yuan, what should we do next? Transferring those overseas assets will eventually require the channels of foreign banks..."

He was one of the core members of the Far East Group.

He was well aware that the factional assets in the Soviet Union were gradually being handed over to Qin Yuan.

This includes a large amount of overseas assets.

When it comes to overseas assets, cooperation with foreign banks is inevitable.

Qin Yuan naturally had a plan for this.

However, this was clearly not the time to discuss such matters, just as Qin Yuan and the others were about to head to the office.

A rapid thud of high heels hitting the ground grew louder as it approached.

Elena hurried over, her beautiful face now deathly pale, and exclaimed in alarm:
"Qin, urgent news just came from Moscow: something has happened at the Kremlin."

(End of this chapter)