Chapter 64: Collapse of the Soviet Union (2)
If you’re wondering why I came to the Soviet Union while also juggling the pound short-sell and the Barings Bank setup...
‘Well, obviously. The USSR is on the verge of collapse.’
This might be the last chance in my life to see the Soviet Union. There was a bit of a sightseeing motive too.
But the biggest reason? The post-collapse chaos would be absolute madness—and I wouldn’t be able to guarantee my own safety then.
-Give me the money, and I’ll hand over the shares.
-No thanks? Actually, based on communist-style distribution, shouldn’t a bourgeois like you be the one handing them over? I’ll spare your life, so give me the cash and get lost.
-...No thanks from me either?
-Then die!
Hmm... I’m a gourmand, sure, but I have no interest in sampling the blade of a collapsing nation. Pretty sure Choi Yeon-ha would agree.
Not knowing the USSR was going to fall is one thing, but knowing it and still not securing local connections? That’s just dereliction of duty.
Not all Western investors walked away from the Soviet collapse as winners. Plenty of them had their shares straight-up stolen.
All because they lacked the right ties to local power. At this point in time, a few gold bars can fix that.