Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby-Chapter 154: Money, Bribes and Negotiations

When Anastasiya finished, Eleanor was astonished by how much the girl had absorbed about their future endeavour.

She asked curiously, "What about the budget allocation?"

Anastasiya responded with calm confidence, "We’ve planned for twenty billion U.S. dollars to complete the entire campus. Roughly five billion will go toward electricity and utility infrastructure, three for the metallurgical and crystal complex, nine for the trio of front-end fabs... including lithography tools, two for the back-end assembly and reliability labs, and one for the design center, logistics spur, and housing."

She paused briefly, then added, "The budget is flexible and can scale as process nodes shrink or output increases beyond the initial twenty-five thousand wafers per month. With every critical feedstock sourced from Russian soil, every utility generated in-house, and each stage of production housed behind a single fence, the plant will yield sovereign AI-grade semiconductors and satellite graphics engines. These products will leave the facility fully tested and ready for launch integration or field-rack installation."

Eleanor nodded, clearly satisfied. She looked fondly at the cheerful girl. "When do you want to return to Russia?"

Anastasiya said, "I think my work here is done. Maybe this week. I’ll let you know. I already asked Grandpa to secure the land we plan to buy, and he confirmed it with the authorities. The paperwork will be processed after I return. I also need to register a Russian limited liability company in Murmansk Oblast."

Eleanor asked, "Did Teresa receive the OFSI license already?"

"Yes," Anastasiya replied. "Though I was surprised to learn you need a license just to invest in Russia. But something confused me. Why does the paperwork say you’re not investing money but contributing non-monetary share capital? You’ve already sent your portion of the funds, haven’t you?"

Eleanor didn’t reveal how the money was actually sourced. Instead, she replied coolly, "Investing in Russia from the Kingdom or US is a bureaucratic nightmare. That’s why I transferred the money from offshore accounts. You probably didn’t check where it came from... it’s all from anonymous sources."

She paused, then continued, "There are sanctions in place. Regulations prohibit most new investments and technology transfers. If we want to move even a single dollar or piece of design IP, we need an OFSI license. That’s why we’re officially declaring that we’re not sending any funds or intellectual property to Russia. We’re simply sending our experts to help build the factory."

Anastasiya shook her head in disbelief. "So much trouble for such a small world. I’m amazed by how these puny humans complicate everything with their senseless pride."

Eleanor smiled slightly. "You wouldn’t understand. You’ve been cooped up in your house for far too long. You need to see the world. This kind of politics exists everywhere... even among supernatural races. The only difference is, with billions of humans, their problems are more visible. We operate under the Supernatural Act, so we keep things hidden. Don’t worry... you’ll face your fair share of licensing headaches when you get to Russia. Teresa will hand you a long checklist."

Anastasiya groaned. "Teresa only mentioned that I needed to register a company in Murmansk Oblast. Nothing else."

Eleanor chuckled. "That’s just the beginning. After you register the company, you’ll need to obtain Strategic Investment Clearance. Since your factory will produce space-grade, AI-grade, and dual-use electronics, it falls under a strategic sector of the Russian economy."

She added, "After that, you’ll need to register the company as a resident of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation."

Anastasiya frowned. "How can a company be a resident?"

"That’s just how the rules work," Eleanor explained. "This registration will allow you to receive tax holidays and incentives. You’ll also gain access to state-owned land plots without tender, and long-term industrial leases... up to forty-nine years. It’s essential if you want to build near Kola Bay or around Murmansk’s industrial port zones."

She gave a mischievous smile before continuing, "Then we’ll need multiple licenses... from the Federal Construction Review Agency and Federal Ecological Supervision. These include Environmental Impact Assessment, soil and permafrost studies, utility layouts, high-tech building certifications for cleanrooms, fab modules, reactor halls, and more."

Anastasiya looked overwhelmed. "How can anyone run a business if there’s this much paperwork before even starting?"

Eleanor leaned back in her seat, amused. "That’s the beauty of it. Don’t see it as a burden... it’s the same for everyone. I actually prefer situations with lots of licensing. It protects my business from outside interference. Don’t think like a human. Think like a supernatural being with influence over decision-makers. If you lack influence, use money. Officials can be bought, and we’re not short on funds."

She smiled slyly. "Treat it as an investment. Once production begins, every dollar spent will come back... many times over."

Anastasiya still looked puzzled. "Why would we bribe those weak humans? Can’t we just compel them? I’m a noble vampire. I could charm them into doing anything."

Eleanor shook her head firmly. "No. Not in business. You can’t compel someone into long-term cooperation. But bribes... bribes make humans loyal. I’ve even bribed officials I didn’t need to, just to secure future goodwill. Once they take your money, they’ll bend over backward to prove their usefulness and ensure they get more."

She continued, "And I haven’t even mentioned everything yet. We’ll need to bring in foreign architects, cleanroom experts, chip engineers, and technologists. For them, we’ll apply for ’Highly Qualified Specialist’ visas as a group quota. We also have to register for Free Customs Zone status, which exempts us from customs duties on imported capital equipment."

She held up a finger. "And let’s not forget approval from the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control. If we’re handling encryption, AI inference systems, or space-related tech, we’ll need clearance."

"Only after all this," she concluded, "can we begin developing the leased land."

Anastasiya stared at her, visibly overwhelmed. "How much time will all this take? Does anyone actually do business under these conditions?"

"You don’t have to worry," Eleanor reassured her. "Your grandfather has enough influence to make everything easy. Besides, I’m sending a team with you. They’ll assess the situation, decide who to bribe, and handle the rest. You won’t even notice the transactions happening."

Anastasiya stared at her as if she were seeing a ghost. She had never met someone who so casually... and proudly... discussed bribery.

After a nervous laugh, she said, "So I don’t have to worry about any of this. How long do you think it’ll take to get all the licenses?"

"If your family uses its full influence," Eleanor said, "it’ll take around six months. But I’m confident my team can finish everything within a month... if we use you as the face of the project."

Anastasiya blinked. "That doesn’t make sense. How can you shorten it by five months?"

"Simple," Eleanor said. "My team will parade you in front of every key official. Then they’ll bribe the decision-makers behind the scenes. These humans will rush the process once they understand your family’s power and see the twenty-billion-dollar investment on paper."

She leaned forward and conspiratorially whispered, "Money injects fear into the hearts of the humans. And fear... combined with greed... is a powerful motivator. Don’t think too much. You’ll understand once you see it in action."

Anastasiya sighed in relief. "So, I was worrying for nothing," she said. "All I really have to do is take your team to Russia... and they’ll handle everything from there."

"Correct," Eleanor reassured her with a nod. "But you’ll still need to involve your grandfather in a few key areas where your family’s influence is essential. Don’t worry... you’ll get the hang of it soon enough."

While the two women spoke, Ethan had already set the table. He called out, "Dinner’s ready. Let’s eat."

As they took their utensils, he glanced at Eleanor and said, "By the way, with such a massive investment, why not negotiate for some extra benefits? Things like visa-free entry for your employees or special status for strategic assets?"

Eleanor responded as she gently poured soup into Freya’s bowl. "I was planning to address that after the company registration is complete. Here in the Kingdom, I never had to push for such things... we already have influence over nearly everything. But in the U.S., specifically in California, my Gulfstream jet is listed as a VIP aircraft. My companions and I bypass immigration entirely. I believe I can secure similar privileges in Russia too."

As everyone began eating, Ethan posed another question. "Is it really worth making such a massive investment in Russia? You could’ve chosen a neutral country. That might have helped you avoid all those restrictions."

Eleanor leaned back slightly, her expression calm. "That decision was straightforward," she said. "Russia controls most of the raw materials required for modern microelectronics. Quartzite and metallurgical silicon from Karelia and Siberia. Nickel, cobalt, copper, and platinum-group metals from Norilsk and the Kola Peninsula. Titanium and hafnium from the Urals. Not to mention the rare-earth elements and scandium reserves currently under active development in the Arctic."

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.

"When all of those feedstocks fall within a single customs border," she continued, "it eliminates a lot of hidden volatility and ensures a stable, long-term supply chain. That kind of security is priceless."

She took a sip of water before adding, "And from a logistical standpoint, a site on Kola Bay just outside Murmansk is perfect. It offers rail connections deep into Russia’s industrial interior and direct access to an ice-free deep-water port. The Northern Sea Route will let us ship containerized tools and chemicals straight to and from Pacific markets... without relying on the Suez Canal or fragile European feeder hubs. It’s a built-in insurance policy against volatile geopolitics or pandemic-era shipping chaos."

Ethan nodded thoughtfully. "I see. I’m not in the import-export business, but still... wouldn’t it be harder to bring products from Russia back to the Kingdom or the U.S.?"

Eleanor smiled faintly. "Who said I plan to export anything?"

Ethan blinked. "Wait... you don’t?"

"Not at all," Eleanor replied with quiet satisfaction. "I never intended to export from this facility. This factory will supply space-grade and AI-grade advanced electronics exclusively to my own companies. And as for the surplus... I’ll sell it to the Russian government. I expect they’ll demand first rights to the finished products as part of the licensing agreement. And once I agree to sell them just after fulfilling my own demand, they’ll act like they won some great diplomatic victory."

Ethan laughed. "That’s clever. Honestly, any government would want first access to such high-end products."

Eleanor joined in the laughter, her tone sly. "Exactly. It’s all a game of appearances. Let them believe they’ve won."

Follow current novels on (f)reew𝒆bnovel