Читать книгу Tough Business - Владимир Баранчиков - Страница 6

The fantasy of the leadership is in full swing, and we were born to make a fairy tale come true. The challenge to Oleg Borisovich is the formulation of my new task: uniform. It is necessary to purchase samples of military uniforms of the Russian army. The further fate of the purchases is not discussed, most likely it is the development of a supply channel for a mysterious customer – perhaps for American or Chechen friends (well, not to go in the office on Zaitseva Street in uniform!). I followed a self-imposed rule: no more than two questions! The first is samples of various branches of the armed forces? Yes, except for the naval (which means that the naval landing is excluded). The second is the quantity? Two or four copies of different sizes. We do not specify the deadline, and so it is clear: ASAP (as soon as possible) is an international abbreviation.

The fact is that in those years, the market reached the Russian army, «which will solve everything.» The Ministry of Defense has created a department for the sale of military property – a step, in general, sound, a lot of things have accumulated in warehouses. You can buy decommissioned or unnecessary vehicles, but you can’t buy an AK-74 machine gun or a tank. Sergey smiles after my calls to the military – he has his own version of purchases, but this is a secret. I work out a list of eight dozen items on the nomenclature, approve the money, sign the contract by fax, issue a power of attorney for myself to sign the contract in Moscow, pay the bill. The next day I am already in the capital, we are completing the formalities, I receive an order for the removal of goods from the warehouse – so, I can go home. In the subway underpass on Nogin Square, I saw a table with books, out of habit I looked to see if there was anything useful? I was interested in the directory «List of foreign firms and joint ventures in Moscow» with addresses and phone numbers and bought it, of course. Subsequently, this book played a crucial role in my career.

The next day in the office, according to the instructions from above, I handed over the list of goods to the supply department for delivery and received a response from the head of the department :

– Go yourself.

Khazir Daudovich was in the office – I had to knock on his door. For the first time I heard how he knows how to talk tough with subordinates – you can’t envy his interlocutor… Three days later, the ordered military uniform was in the room next door. I brought forty chairs into this room, carefully hung out and put officer’s jackets, trousers with red, blue, green piping, caps, flasks, belts on each chair. It turned out well. Felix Andreevich visited the exhibition as a military consultant and said:

– Vladimir Ivanovich, you will go far!

The Vice President and the president appreciated the exposition. There is a great atmosphere and a new assignment in Khazir Daudovich’s office:

– Take some photos in the form.

– Who should I photograph?

– Anyone you choose in the office.

I really wanted to make a joke and offer those present, but I was smart enough to restrain myself.

– Allow me to act according to the formula «In the name of the president»?

– I allow it, – smiles Khazir Daudovich.

The next day, with a camera, I go into the drivers’ office, and there were about ten of them there, I choose a nice young guy and say strictly:

– Come with me.

The people were stunned, many still did not know me, but here they are in charge… The photos turned out wonderful, from the cycle «They protect the Motherland».

Yesterday in our office I unexpectedly met my friend, the one who told me about the Holding company on the stairs during a smoke break six months ago. He was leaving the reception room with the president. Without a doubt, Vsevolod Valentinovich organized the meeting. We greeted each other, looked closely into each other’s eyes and it seemed to me that he was both happy for me and sorry about something.