Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby novel Chapter 154

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." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

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."

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