Free Web NovelThe talk had drifted to football, and already two hours had passed. Roman went on at length about the future of the club he dreamed of.
“I’ll hand my Russian businesses to my son for the time being and focus entirely on building my football club.”
“You like it that much?”
“Of course. This is the future I always dreamed of when I first started business. To be the owner of a prestigious club, to create the team I want, to make it the best in the world—that vision has always been with me.”
His early push to buy a football club, sooner than {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} in my previous life, seemed to have been spurred by me.
“Putin’s approval came earlier than expected. He said Russia needed someone with influence beyond its borders. He told me to show the world Russia’s strength.”
“Is that so?”
“Haha, yes. That’s why I’m here in London, negotiating with various clubs. Though my heart is already set on Chelsea.”
Roman spoke with unrestrained joy, smiling constantly. I nodded and asked about Berezovsky’s fate.
At that, his smile stiffened.
“What happened to Berezovsky and his people?”
“Berezovsky was sentenced to life. He’s currently being held in Black Dolphin Prison, one of Russia’s highest-security facilities.”
Roman hesitated as he spoke. Understandable—he had once betrayed even Putin for Berezovsky’s sake.
“Black Dolphin Prison?”
“Yes. Reserved for serial killers, terrorists, the most brutal criminals. Every inmate there is sentenced to life or death.”
Even if Berezovsky deserved punishment, sending a political prisoner to a place full of monsters like that—Putin clearly meant for him to die without ever being touched directly.
“There, not even suicide is possible. Ironically, the only way out is death.”
“I see. I never imagined his end would come like that.”
Roman himself could have ended up the same. His face stiffened because he knew it. Had I not given him another chance, he might already be rotting there ahead of Berezovsky.
After fidgeting with his hands for a while, Roman shook his head slightly.
“I don’t want to talk about Berezovsky anymore.”
“Understood.”
The first generation of oligarchs had collapsed, and a new one had risen. Ironically, the man at their head was Roman.
This second generation, with Roman as its leader, stood alongside the siloviki as one of Putin’s two great pillars of power.
A history diverging from the one I remembered.
“But Charlie, are you really going to just let those watchers be?”
“I’m still deciding.”
“To shadow you so openly—it’s a way of showing contempt. A firm warning is necessary.”
He wasn’t wrong. Perhaps their attitude came from a casual disdain for an Asian man.
I sighed lightly and asked,
“You think we should warn them?”
“Yes. At least, that’s what I think. If you were an American or Russian businessman, they wouldn’t dare be so blatant. They act this way because you’re Korean, don’t you see?”
His words carried that familiar undertone of looking down on Asians, and on Korea. A common enough view among whites, and not something I was unaware of.
I said nothing, letting him go on.
“If they knew what kind of man you really are, they’d never behave like this. So yes, I believe a warning is in order.”
“Thanks. You helped me clear my thoughts.”
“Haha, I’ll always stand by you, Charlie.”
“Then let’s be off. The sun’s setting. Still, I’m glad we met like this, Roman.”
I stood, smiling faintly, and he followed.
“I’ll have my aide pass you the contact for Leeds United’s current owner. Their situation isn’t great, so you’d better move before someone else does.”
“I will.”
After shaking hands, I left the dessert shop.
Outside, I saw the watchers had fallen back at a distance—proof that Roman’s words were genuine.
These bastards...
They already knew this place was tied to Russian intelligence. That’s why they dared not come closer.
Walking slowly, I murmured just loud enough for Manager Ma,
“Take them somewhere quiet. If they get caught spying again, they’ll receive a very amusing gift.”
“Understood.”
He stepped back to give orders to the guards, then returned to guide me into a deserted street.
By now, dusk had fallen, and London’s back alleys reminded me of Harlem.
“This should do. Seize them and bring them here.”
In a dim back alley, where the streetlights barely reached, I sat on a concrete pipe and gave the order.
“Yes, Boss.”
At his signal, the Black Bear guards split into groups and melted into the directions of our tails.
“What the—!”
“L-Let go!”
The quiet alley filled with shouts, then just as quickly returned to silence.
The guards regrouped, dragging the captives. Judging by their disheveled state, the takedown had been rough.
Quite a lot following us.
The eyes of those brought before me burned with humiliation.
I crossed my legs leisurely.
“Let’s see who you fine gentlemen are. You’re dropping breadcrumbs begging to be noticed. Do you think I enjoy being shadowed so openly?”
“...”
They stayed silent, refusing to respond.
I flicked a brow and asked the Black Bear mercs,
“Anyone recognize them?”
One stepped forward, pointing at a man.
“That one was my junior.”
“Your junior?”
“Yes, I trained him myself back when I served.”
“Hmm...”
I stroked my chin slowly. For the protégé of a skilled man, he was disappointing.
“Did your company teach you to trail this clumsily?”
“No. The rule is to remain unseen. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
I turned to the man he’d indicated.
“So why the obvious tailing? Why break the basics?”
“...”
“This is getting irritating. Did they also train you never to speak?”
The guard beside him answered instead, his face troubled.
“That’s the most basic rule. Boss, may I?”
I nodded. He crouched before the kneeling man.
“Tommy. What the hell are you thinking?”
The man called Tommy lifted his head, eyes full of contempt.
“Why look at me like that? Is it so disgusting that I work under an Asian? Remember what I told you—your racist mindset will ruin you. Our company assigned you to monitor my Boss, meaning he’s a VIP. Yet because he’s Asian, you acted like this. Learn to read the times. You let personal prejudice guide your work, and you’ll be discarded.”
“Alex!”
Tommy shouted, but Alex carried on coldly.
“Tell the Director. If he lets anyone treat my Boss with contempt, he’ll see the old Alex again. If you shadow someone, don’t get caught. Pathetic, how far the company’s fallen.”
Tommy glared murderously at him.
“Lose that look, unless you want to die.”
“You think you could kill me, Alex? Still think I’m the old Tommy? You—”
“If the Boss orders it, I’ll kill anyone. That was true in the company, and it’s true now. Want me to prove it?”
Alex looked at me with utmost respect, so unlike how he treated Tommy.
“As an example, I could kill one here. I’ll handle the cleanup.”
His aggression made me smile. Impressive, but not what I needed now.
“Not today. A warning will do.”
“Yes, Boss.”
He turned back to Tommy.
“Consider yourself lucky.”
Then he rose and kicked Tommy square in the face.
Tommy rolled across the filthy ground, coughing in dust.
“Alex!” another captive shouted.
“You too. Be grateful the Boss showed mercy.”
Alex turned and resumed his place behind me.
His actions had shifted the atmosphere of the place.
“Those ones are MI6. What about the rest?”
“...”
“So. Do they think I’m that easy, Manager Ma?”
At my call, Manager Ma stepped forward—and unleashed a merciless beating.
Killing foreign intelligence agents might stir trouble, but such rough treatment was common in the field. As long as they lived, it would be tolerated.
The beating went on and on, one-sided brutality. freёwebnoѵel.com
At last, one of the captives broke.
“We’re French. Stop!”
Only then did Manager Ma halt. I looked at the woman who spoke.
“French? Why monitor me?”
“I don’t know. We were only ordered to track Kim Muhyuk and report his actions.”
“DGSE, then?”
“...”
“Still clamming up when it’s inconvenient.”
I turned to another.
“And you?”
“...We’re Israeli.”
From all corners of the world, it seemed. Even Israel had joined in.
“Israel? And why?”
“...”
If it was Israel, then surely the Jews... Rothschild came to mind. I curled my lip.
“So, Rothschild’s dogs.”
At my words, the man’s head snapped up, eyes shaken.
“Today’s just a warning. Tell your superiors this—spy all you like, but freedom comes with consequences.”
I rose, brushing dust from my clothes. Calm words, but my mood was foul.
“Next time, it won’t end like this. I don’t take racism lightly. Now get lost.”
I flicked my hand, sending them off.
“Track them back.”
“Yes, Boss.”
An eye for an eye. If they came at me, I’d repay it.
We left the dark alley and returned to the main road, then to the car waiting to take us out of London.
“Why so late?”
At the residence outside the city, Han Kyungyeong greeted me.
“Had some business. What about your negotiations?”
He shook his head, looking displeased.
“They’re shopping around with others.”
“Yeah? Tell me everything.”
He laid out what had happened.
“Normally, most of the price is agreed beforehand. We went in with common ground, but then...”
He vented, heated, before sighing deeply.
I patted his shoulder.
“How much stock have you secured?”
“About 27%.”
“Not enough for control, right?”
“Without the founders’ shares, no. And you want to delist the company completely once we acquire it.”
“That’s true.”
Now was the cheapest ARM would ever be. PCs still reigned, but in ten years smartphones would dominate. freewёbnoνel.com
And ARM would be the king of that market.
“Who else is sniffing around?”
“Son Jeongui? A Korean-Japanese.”
“Masayoshi Son?”
“Yeah, him.”
Seems, after losing Chinese IT firms to us, he’d jumped into the ARM race too.
“If he’s in, you won’t be outclassed. But it’ll be a capital war.”
“Exactly. And the UK government must approve.”
“Leave that to me. You keep pushing the talks.”
Masayoshi Son had thrown down the gauntlet, after China.
This time too, I’d make him walk away empty-handed. A cold smile crept to my lips.
