Becoming a Russian Oligarch After Rebirth
Chapter 1242 - 1021: Retreat Bravely from a Difficult Situation

Chapter 1242: Chapter 1021: Retreat Bravely from a Difficult Situation

Khodorkovsky bent over, resting his arm on his knee and his chin on his hand, his gaze fixed intently on Wang Ye as he said:

"Misha, after recently visiting some remote border areas, I’ve been deeply moved!

I used to think that the daily lives of ordinary people may not be that affluent, but they wouldn’t be too bad, considering the pace of our country’s economic development in recent years.

But only after this on-site inspection did I truly realize that those places are completely different worlds from Moscow...

The people in remote areas live such hard lives!

So I’ve been considering why this phenomenon occurs."

This question was too complex for Wang Ye to answer on the spot, so he could only give a wry smile and say, "There’s no helping it, we can only take it slowly."

The problem Khodorkovsky mentioned was indeed troublesome; Russia is so vast in territory with a not so dense population, mostly concentrated in a few major cities and their surroundings.

Therefore, the border areas are sparsely populated, where so-called remote towns might only have a few hundred people, thousands of kilometers away from the main cities.

In such cases, forget about Russia not being wealthy these years, even if it were wealthy, it would be unreasonable to build expressways, railways, and airports for so few people.

And without adequate transportation conditions and such a small population, it would be surprising if these small towns were affluent.

So, it’s a problem that can’t be solved.

Perhaps the situation will improve when Wang Ye starts to push for urbanization, gradually concentrating the population in major cities and phase out those small towns and villages.

Khodorkovsky mentioned all this clearly because he was moved, not to blame Wang Ye.

He sighed deeply and continued, "After seeing all this, I suddenly feel that my so-called ideals were too detached from reality. Compared to the so-called business environment and freedom, the lives of the people at the bottom are more deserving of my attention."

Wang Ye was a bit confused about what Khodorkovsky was really thinking. Had the old man experienced some kind of shock?

He tentatively asked, "Uncle, what do you think should be done to change the current situation?"

Khodorkovsky smiled, straightened up, and said:

"How you politicians think about it and how to improve it, that’s your business. I can’t interfere.

Perhaps you think the country has other more important matters to address and improving the lives of the lower class isn’t that urgent. But I can do something within my capacity.

In this regard, I think A Bu has done better than me.

Although I didn’t understand why he ran for the governor of Chukotka initially and thought that he was funding infrastructure there out of his own pocket to cultivate his reputation, for vanity.

But after a visit to Chukotka, I found that whatever A Bu’s intentions were, he truly changed the lives of the local people there.

The location of Chukotka is extremely remote, and you would think the lives of the local people would be very difficult, but because A Bu invested a lot of money there, the quality of life for those people turned out to be quite good.

I started thinking, after so many years in business, what’s the use of all the money I’ve earned?

Just for me and my family, so much money is definitely more than we can spend, so could it be used to do something more meaningful?

Like allocating enough money to help those poor people, not necessarily to make them wealthy, but at least to ensure they have no concerns about food and clothing.

I believe doing such a thing is more meaningful than joining the political arena, where it’s all about deception and intrigue.

After all, I’m not good at that. You are more suited for the political arena than I am, haha..."

Wang Ye was thrilled inside; Khodorkovsky had seen the light!

All this time, his greatest concern was that Khodorkovsky might stubbornly want to take over the Kremlin, which would put them at odds with the giant interests of the Krakow Group, making it difficult for him to remain neutral.

Now Khodorkovsky suddenly expressed a desire to devote himself to public welfare career, aiming to scale up his philanthropic endeavours beyond education and expand them to the livelihood issues of the lower class.

Without a doubt, this was a bottomless pit...

Not only would it require a tremendous amount of money, but it would also demand a great deal of time and energy.

Since Khodorkovsky broached it so seriously, he evidently planned to dedicate his future time to this career.

As a result, he naturally wouldn’t have the time or energy for political development, effectively announcing his formal abandonment of his original plans to no longer compete for the Kremlin position...

For Wang Ye, this was undoubtedly great news!

From this moment on, he would have no worries holding him back.

He could freely do whatever he wanted without having to be overly cautious.

...

Wang Ye immediately responded with a beaming smile, "Uncle, for you to think this way, I think it’s...simply magnificent! I will definitely support you wholeheartedly. Whatever you need me to do, just say the word."

Clearly, Khodorkovsky had specifically summoned Wang Ye to say this today, surely not only to gain his understanding but must also have something he needed help with.

Khodorkovsky didn’t beat around the bush, saying frankly, "I need money, a lot of money!"

That was normal, considering he planned to undertake endeavors that demanded a substantial amount of funding. Without money, how could one support the poor and assist the distressed...