Becoming a Russian Oligarch After Rebirth
Chapter 257 We are different _1

Chapter 257: Chapter 257 We are different _1

Wang Ye had another concern—he was unsure of A Bu’s intentions in saying what he did!

Was it out of goodwill, a warning to keep himself away from the muddy waters of politics?

Or was he trying to probe his intentions...

Without understanding this, Wang Ye did not dare to be transparent with A Bu, let alone express his true thoughts!

Seeing that Wang Ye remained silent, A Bu seemed to understand his apprehensions and chuckled, saying:

"I get it. You might think it’s strange that I’ve been close to Gavriil and his ilk, yet now I urge you to steer clear of the Emperor and Gavriil. The real reasons may be too complicated to explain, but I’ll tell you this.

I, like you, initially wanted to become a close aide to the Emperor to reap more advantages.

But as I’ve grown to understand the ruling party better, I’ve come to realize what a grave mistake that was!

Resolving Russia’s current predicament is incredibly difficult!

We’re under extreme pressure both domestically and abroad—it couldn’t be more overstating. Yet we need the people’s support.

What to do?

It’s nearly impossible to solve overseas problems, nor do we have the strength to tackle them, so we have to act internally.

The public greatly resents the oligarchs who rose to power in the past decade, blaming them for plundering the wealth of the people and causing increasing poverty.

Therefore, the Emperor and his group have no choice but to turn against these oligarchs!

Doing so benefits us in two ways: it alleviates domestic conflict, wins popular support, and, moreover, it allows us to seize a great deal of wealth from the oligarchs!

Once I realized this, I started trying to distance myself from the epicenter of political power. I didn’t even want to be Duma Members anymore. Instead, I became the governor of Chukotka. That was also an attempt to garner a good reputation for myself, looking ahead and thinking about an escape route.

Perhaps I won’t be in this country much longer."

......

Wang Ye was somewhat taken aback after hearing A Bu’s remarks.

He knew well that A Bu was speaking his heart and did act accordingly later on!

In a few years, A Bu would move to London - an indirect form of "fleeing abroad".

However, he was tactful and handled things delicately. Although he never had a public falling-out with the Emperor, their relationship seemed quite amicable.

The real relationship behind the scenes could be inferred from the fact that A Bu never returned to Russia after leaving...

His words held truth, but the key question still remained—why was he telling him all this!

Was it truly out of concern?

Or was it because he happened to be Khodorkovsky’s nephew, and being both oligarchs, he regarded him as one of his own...?

After pondering for a while, Wang Ye finally said, "Uncle A Bu, I appreciate your willingness to share all this with me. I agree with some of what you have expressed. However, I have my reasons for aligning with Gavriil and his group."

A Bu asked with interest, "Oh? How have you thought it through? Care to share?"

Wang Ye smiled faintly and continued, "My objective in approaching them differs from yours. As you just mentioned, you gravitated toward the Emperor and his group in order to reap greater benefits, correct?"

A Bu nodded, acknowledging Wang Ye’s interpretation of his earlier statement.

"But I’m different! If I seek profits or more money, I earn it through my own capabilities in doing business. Even when dealing with the government, I don’t intend to take advantage of the country. On this matter, I differ from you and my uncle."

Wang Ye’s message was a bit cryptic, but he believed A Bu would understand.

The first-generation oligarchs, including A Bu, followed similar paths to accumulate wealth.

At the end of the day, the origins of their wealth were questionable. They exploited loopholes amid the policy chaos following the breakdown of the former Soviet Union, amassing considerable wealth without paying a significant price!

Given that they truly had things to hide, they naturally feared that the Emperor would settle accounts with them.

But if Wang Ye were to run his business according to the law from the beginning, paying taxes as required and operating within the legal scope, that would have been a different story.

The Emperor and his group may feel grateful to Wang Ye, as he contributes a significant amount in taxes and create numerous jobs for the nation!

A Bu fell into deep thought and nodded subconsciously, seeming to grasp Wang Ye’s intent.

......

Wang Ye continued, "Because my aim is different, I don’t worry too much, even if politics is involved. Take, for instance, the recent acquisition case of the Siberian Oil Company. Do you think Gavriil will hold a grudge against me?"

A Bu laughed in reply, "Of course not, they should be grateful to you! You contributed a large sum of money to the state this time—it came in quite handy."

They were naturally referring to Wang Ye’s donation of three billion US dollars to the state in the name of Berezov.

This demonstrated that Wang Ye’s approach and methods differed greatly from those of A Bu, Khodorkovsky, and other old oligarchs.

Wang Ye wasn’t entirely selfless either—he had his own interests at heart.

However, while making a profit Wang Ye would not harm the interests of the state. Instead, he would try his best to satisfy Gavriil and his group!

Under such circumstances, the Emperor and Gavriil certainly appreciated Wang Ye and would not think of settling accounts with him...

......

Wang Ye nodded and concluded, "That’s why, during the expansion of my business, I need to reach out to Uncle Gavriil and other high-level politicians. Yet my aim is not to pocket money through politics, and I do not intend to have any political aspirations."

With this explanation, he drew the line between himself and oligarchs like A Bu, Berezov, Khodorkovsky, and others!

Wang Ye would give money to the state when he dealt with politics, but they took advantage of the state to make money when dealing with politics, and even aspired to reach higher realms of power!

The comparison couldn’t be clearer...

By now, A Bu had nothing more to say. All he could do was remark with a sigh, "As long as you understand all this, there’s not much else for me to say. Maybe the path you’ve chosen is the right one. It’s a shame that both your uncle and I can’t go back."

Indeed, they couldn’t go back, considering the dubious origins of their fortunes.

If the Emperor decided to settle accounts with them, none could escape!

In fact, in the beginning, the Emperor did leave them an option: as long as they didn’t step over the line, there would be peace.

But the oligarchs were accustomed to living in the fast lane, gaining their wealth too easily, and were unwilling to give up this quick way to make money.

Alternatively, they might have thought that the Emperor was unstable and easy to bully...