Becoming a Russian Oligarch After Rebirth
Chapter 589 Saving the Country Indirectly_1

Chapter 589: Chapter 589 Saving the Country Indirectly_1

Saying no was not an easy task.

If it were possible, or if it were another matter, Aleksey would certainly be willing to help Wang Ye.

Unfortunately, it was this particular matter...

Before declining Wang Ye, he had thoroughly weighed up the consequences in his mind.

If he were to agree to Wang Ye’s request and lend him the money, it might end up becoming a major scandal exploited by his political enemies.

Then, both he and Wang Ye would be in deep hot water!

By then, not only would he harm himself, but Wang Ye as well.

If he refused, but clarified the seriousness of the matter to Wang Ye, he believed Wang Ye would understand his predicament.

He also wouldn’t hold a grudge against him, as Aleksey believed Wang Ye was broader-minded than that.

Therefore, after much thought, he refused.

Hearing Aleksey’s words, Wang Ye didn’t show any rage. Instead, he calmly asked again:

"Do you know that although this sum is managed by your Ministry of Energy, in reality, it is owned by Yukos Group and Russian Gas Industry Group, as it represents pre-paid oil and gas energy costs?"

Aleksey blinked, he had not considered this point.

Listening to Wang Ye, it did seem to make sense - this money wasn’t the property of the Ministry of Energy after all, they were merely managing it...

He hesitated for a long time before tentatively ask him, "So your assertion is... to take the money out through Yukos Group? But that’s not right either! As per the agreement, both China and Japan’s money had been transferred into our Ministry of Energy’s designated accounts for pipeline construction supervision. Therefore, we decide how the fund can be used."

Aleksey felt he was getting muddled by Wang Ye’s line of thought.

Luckily, he was quick to rebound!

Wang Ye chuckled and said at his usual pace, "Then, what’s your plan for this money? Leave it at the bank and draws just a small interest? You should know, pipeline construction will take several years. This money can’t be spent all at once."

Aleksey paused again, because what Wang Ye said was absolutely correct. Such a large amount of money couldn’t be spent all at once.

The pipeline construction period was estimated to take five years!

This meant that from these 30 billion US dollars, they would be disbursed only billions each year. The remaining money would only sit idle in the bank account...

He frowned and thought for a while, before shaking his head, "Even though it’s a bit wasteful to keep it in the bank, but it’s indeed the safest way. What else can we do?"

Indeed, this money wouldn’t pose any risk if left untouched in the bank, and nobody would be able to point fingers at it.

After all, safety was of the utmost importance since it wasn’t his own money.

Wang Ye continued, "Bank interest rates are not high, it’s really a waste just leaving it there. How about this: I’ll use a group under my name to issue corporate bonds, hand them over to a designated bank for sale, and your Ministry of Energy can purchase them. This way, the safety of your funds is guaranteed, and I will get the necessary funds. It’s only a simple matter of giving the bank a service charge, and providing you with some interest."

Could this be a solution?

Aleksey didn’t have a deep understanding of finance, so he was skeptical.

He questioned, "Is that really legal? Will the bank agree to help your company issue bonds? Aren’t bonds usually issued by governments? Since when can companies issue them?"

Wang Ye couldn’t help but chuckle, "You, you could ask someone who understands finance. It’s very common in mature financial markets. Why can’t companies issue bonds? As long as the company’s reputation and profitability are trustworthy, there will be people willing to subscribe to the bonds it issues!"

Having been moved by Wang Ye’s reasoning, Aleksey was really considering it.

His initial refusal was not because he didn’t want to help, but rather out of fear of inviting trouble, especially if procedures were not followed correctly which might draw criticisms.

But as long Wang Ye could find a way to borrow money legally and properly, then of course he didn’t want to play the villain.

Moreover, he trusted that Wang Ye was genuinely looking to use these funds to buy car brands and manage an actual industry.

He also believed that if Wang Ye planned to get into the automobile industry, he would definitely succeed.

...

Wang Ye’s "indirect rescue" method eventually persuaded Aleksey to agree, allowing the Ministry of Energy to purchase bonds issued by Wang Ye’s company.

The total amount was 50 billion dollars, with a term of five years, the interest rate was just slightly higher than the bank’s...

Originally, he hadn’t planned on making money from this.

Since they were comrades, Aleksey didn’t feel good about profiting from Wang Ye.

Wang Ye, on the other hand, successfully secured a large sum of money, enough to purchase Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover all together!

Of course, there were still a lot of procedures to go through.

For instance, contacting the designated bank, going through the procedure of issuing corporate bonds, then the Ministry of Energy’s procedure, before finally getting the funds in hand.

The whole process would take at least a month at most.

This was due to Wang Ye having already discussed with Aleksey, the head of the Ministry of Energy, and having contacts with suitable banks.

In Russia, there were many private banks. Among others, Khodorkovsky had a large-scale bank under his control.

...

On the way back to the Duma Building, Rossiyana finally got the chance to ask Wang Ye some questions while sitting at the back of the car.

When Wang Ye was discussing with Aleksey earlier, she quietly sat beside Wang Ye, very well-behaved.

But now that there were no outsiders, she couldn’t hold back her questions.

"Boss, why do you need to use the Ministry of Energy’s money for buying the car company? There should be many other ways to solve this, right?"

Wang Ye smiled, questioning her, "Like what? This is an enormous sum, 50 billion! There are very few who could cough up this amount."

Rossiyana argued a bit indignantly, "If you asked your uncle for a loan, I’m sure he’d find a way to lend you this much. Also, you could go through the formal loan process. After all, you’re a member of the Economic Committee, so you should have some clout. And if all else fails, go to my father-in-law..."

Wang Ye shook his head, "The methods you suggested would cause difficulties for others. For example, even though my uncle is definitely worth far more than 50 billion, asking him to produce 50 billion US dollars in cash is simply not possible. As for the bank, regardless of my lack of connections in the financial industry, which bank president dare extend me such a massive loan? As for your father-in-law, that’s even less likely."

In fact, Wang Ye did not share with Rossiyana that he certainly had other channels to secure this funding.

And it would be quite simple!

However, he had deliberately chosen this method: to utilize the Ministry of Energy’s funds legally, albeit somewhat cunningly.