Chapter 90: Not undeservedly, Mr. Zhou Ming

Neither Zhou Ming nor Ildar Belevtsev were surprised by Konon's answer, as the North Russians wandering around the streets outside were a good proof of that.

But Zhou Ming's question obviously went beyond that. He then asked Konon, 'But as far as I know, the reason the Northern Russian government issued the new ruble was because the market value of the old ruble had collapsed. The exchange rate of the new ruble is still quite high compared to the old ruble, and if it can be maintained, it may be able to stabilise prices. The economic experts in Northern Russia are also applauding the issuance of the new ruble.'

'Mr Zhou Ming, I've read the newspaper and I know what you're talking about, but I'm just an ordinary person. I don't know anything about market value or exchange rates. I just know that the new ruble issue has turned all the wealth we had into worthless paper!' Konon said.

At this point, another Chinese person next to Zhou Ming asked Konon, 'You say that the issue of the new ruble has turned your wealth into worthless paper? I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean. Does that mean you can't exchange it?'

'Of course you can exchange them, but everyone has an exchange limit, and there are only a few places to exchange them. I have to go to work every day, so where would I find the time to exchange them?' Konon said helplessly, looking at Irbedov carefully before continuing, 'I tried to skip work to exchange them, but I couldn't get in the queue. The queue to exchange them would last until the end of the world, so how would I have a chance to exchange them?'

'Do you know the difference between the new ruble and the old ruble? Do you and your relatives and friends distrust the new ruble?' the Chinese man asked again.

'Isn't the ruble just money? What difference can it make? And it's not a matter of trusting or not trusting the new ruble, it's that most of my relatives and friends don't have access to it,' Konon said blankly, and then after a moment he continued, 'And even if they did, what difference would it make? Didn't the privatised securities do well before? In the end they were just pieces of paper, and maybe this is just another privatised security.'

After getting Konon's answer, Zhou Ming said to the Chinese man, 'Chairman Tong, you believe me now, don't you?'

The Chinese man who asked the question was Tong Gang. He was very surprised and astonished at this time. Hearing Zhou Ming's words, he said with admiration, 'It's still little brother Zhou Ming who can deeply understand the national conditions and sentiments of northern Russia!'

Zhou Ming said with a smile, 'Chairman Tong, in fact, it's not that I know a lot, but it's just the way things are. If you think about it for a moment, you'll understand. Krysko has a population of several million people, and as long as everyone has 10,000 old rubles in their hands, it's a sum of tens of billions of dollars. With so many people and so much money, it's simply impossible to force everyone to complete the exchange within three days!

'As for the understanding of these Northern Russians, it is even simpler,' Zhou Ming added, 'The Northern Russian side has been out of the financial and capital system for more than 70 years. Perhaps some Northern Russians with foresight or residual memories of the past can still remember the role of the capital market, but this is a very small minority. For the vast majority of Northern Russians, they simply do not understand what finance and securities are, let alone the meaning behind a currency.'

'Many things that seem very ordinary and should be common sense to people in Hong Kong and the West are just beyond their comprehension here,' Zhou Ming concluded.

Facing Zhou Ming's words, Tong Gang was shocked. He may still find it difficult to understand this truth, but the reality before his eyes is a good proof of it all. And as a wealthy man, he doesn't have so many unnecessary worries. As long as he can get the result he wants in the end, it's fine. Therefore, he admired Zhou Ming and gave him a thumbs-up: 'Zhou Ming, you really have a penetrating insight!'

Zhou Ming actually felt quite uncomfortable about Tong Gang's praise, because what he said was based on his own personal experience. Because his home country, mainland China, is not also at this stage?

Due to the long absence of a capital system, when the door to the capital system was suddenly opened, people simply did not understand what capital and finance were.

A very simple example is the treasury bond, which was the first pot of gold that made Zhou Ming rich. The treasury bond is actually a national debt, which is simply put, money that the state manages that ordinary people borrow, and which must be repaid with interest when it matures.

This is a common-sense principle that everyone understands, but at the time, most people didn't understand what it was at all. They always thought that treasury bonds could not be circulated, and at most they were just a certificate of support for national construction, something useless. So they would rather use the treasury bonds to plaster their windows, or sell them by the pound, without knowing that they could be exchanged for money at the bank after they expire.

The situation in Northern Russia is the same now. The government of Northern Russia has announced that it will replace the ruble. Not only are there few places designated by the government of Northern Russia to exchange the ruble, but it is simply impossible to exchange them all. Even if it were possible to exchange them all, most Northern Russians would simply consider the old ruble invalid and would not think about the new ruble at all.

'So that means that no matter if it is in your hands, Mr. Kernung, or in the hands of your relatives and friends, there are still a lot of old rubles?'

Zhou Ming asked. In fact, Zhou Ming's question was a nonsense, because both his own thoughts and what Konon had just said had clearly proved this point.

Konon nodded enthusiastically and said yes. His performance was a bit surprising, but it was actually normal. Since just now Zhou Ming and Tong Gang were communicating in Chinese, and the enchantingly beautiful translator did not translate, Konon did not understand. But from the reaction of the Chinese man, Konon knew that Zhou Ming must have said something remarkable.

Mr. Zhou Ming is worthy of being the Mr. Zhou Ming who can come up with 500 million rubles!

Konong felt so in his heart, and he is not a big shot, so his emotions in his heart naturally reflected on his face. However, Konong could not think of it at this time, and he was just feeling emotional. However, Zhou Ming's next words made him so excited that he reached the point of worship.

'Then, Mr. Konong, do you want to spend the old rubles in your hands that you haven't had time to exchange?' Zhou Ming asked.

Konon immediately replied, 'Of course I want to. I've been dreaming about it. Otherwise, the old rubles would have been invalidated by now and there would be no use for me to keep them. Mr. Zhou Ming, is this the reward for my task?'

Zhou Ming said, "No, this is the task I want to give you.'

This answer obviously surprised Konon. He was first stunned, and then he quickly reacted and asked, "Mr. Zhou Ming, do you mean you want to recover all the old rubles that have not been exchanged in time?'

Zhou Ming shook his head with a smile and said, 'Mr. Konon, you are too flattering me. I am not your chairman, I am just a Chinese businessman. I don't have a bank under my control, and I am not capable of doing such a big thing.'

Zhou Ming's words made the chairman of the United Bank, Irbedov, next to him twitch a little, because in his opinion, Zhou Ming did not have a bank under his control, but his ability to accumulate wealth was not weaker than any bank, not to mention that what Zhou Ming was going to do next would give him the opportunity to control even more money than a bank, and it was still the new rubles that the Northern Russian government was trying to prevent Zhou Ming from controlling.

'What I mean is that I hope Mr. Konon can help me spread the news that the old ruble can still be used in the Cherniv market throughout Krivoi Rog,' said Zhou Ming.

'Mr. Zhou Ming, are you saying that the old ruble, which has already been invalidated, can still be used to buy things in the Cherniv market?' Konon asked, staring at Zhou Ming with disbelief in his eyes.

Zhou Ming nodded and said, 'Of course. Don't you believe what I said?'

'No, Mr. Zhou Ming, of course I believe you, but aren't the old rubles already invalid? Why do you still recognise the value of the old rubles?' Konon asked in disbelief.

Zhou Ming sighed and said, 'I do business here in Krisko, and the people of Northern Russia are very supportive of me. We Chinese are all very conscientious, so we must do what we can.'

When Zhou Ming said this, he despised himself in his heart, because Zhou Ming knew that he was not a saint or a great philanthropist at all. He was not here to save the people of Northern Russia, he just wanted to take this opportunity to get his hands on more new rubles. His motives were despicable, but he spoke with such righteousness. Zhou Ming felt that he had truly degenerated.

But although this was what Zhou Ming thought, his words and expression moved Konon to the point of prostration.

Konon looked at Zhou Ming, and tears involuntarily flowed from the corners of his eyes. His body trembled with excitement, and finally he got up, took two steps back, and knelt down before Zhou Ming. The whole man prostrated himself before Zhou Ming like the most pious believer, and said to Zhou Ming, 'Mr. Zhou Ming, you are truly the savior of Northern Russia. On behalf of all Northern Russians, I thank you!'

Konon really admired Zhou Ming, because when he heard the news that the old ruble was completely invalidated, he was desperate. Not only did he have some old rubles in his hands, but he also had more in the securities company that he had not yet withdrawn. If the old ruble was really invalidated, then his money would really become worthless and would no longer be any kind of wealth.

And not only himself, but also millions of other citizens of Krisko, who had worked hard all their lives, would have to return to the pre-liberation era in one fell swoop.

But at this time, when Konon felt that he had been abandoned by the central government and Mr. President, and when the entire North Russian Republic would not accept the old rubles, Zhou Ming's Cherv Market still accepted the old rubles. How could Konon not be moved?

Zhou Ming reached out and helped Konon up, saying, 'Mr Konon, I told you I'm a businessman, so you don't need to thank me on anyone's behalf. You just need to help me get the message across.'

Konon looked up at Zhou Ming, his eyes full of admiration and determination, and said, "Mr Zhou Ming, please be assured, I will definitely do it!'

Zhou Ming patted Konon on the shoulder and smiled, "I believe in you.'