Free Web NovelSeveral days had passed since the meeting with Usayan.
While I was sitting in my office reading, a knock came at the door.
“This is Igor, Boss.”
“Come in.”
Igor carefully stepped into the office. Seeing me reading, he lowered his voice to report.
“Boss, they’re going to execute the plan tonight.”
I closed the book I was reading and lifted my gaze.
“Really?”
“Yes. They found out Mogilevich will be going to his villa on the outskirts of Moscow tonight.”
“Hmm... Good. I’ll be leaving Moscow tomorrow, so at least I’ll get to see the end of it before I go.”
It was much better to see it with my own eyes than to hear later from Korea that it had been handled.
I stood up and walked over to the sofa. Pouring two cups of tea, I gestured.
“Sit down.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Igor immediately sat.
I slid one of the cups toward him.
“This job must not fail. If we fail once, there won’t be a second chance.”
“Yes. We’ll be on standby nearby, and if Mogilevich somehow escapes, we’ll shoot him on the spot.”
“Can I trust you with this, Igor?”
“Please do, Boss. I understand perfectly—there will be no second chances.”
Seeing the resolute look on his face, I smiled slightly and lifted my cup first.
“Good. I’ll trust you, Igor. Try the tea—it’s good.”
Once I gave permission, Igor lifted his cup and drank.
“I trust you, but don’t let your guard down.”
“Understood, Boss.”
“What about Ivanov?”
“The moment Mogilevich’s death is confirmed, we’ll take the shot.”
“Do it when he’s with Usayan. That way, Usayan will feel fear.”
I had no intention of bringing Usayan under me—he’d become Putin’s dog anyway.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to plant some fear in him, so he’d never dare to ignore me once he took control of Russia’s underworld.
He needed to remember exactly where the power lay, how insignificant he really was, and that I could kill him at any moment.
“Once it’s all over, you’ll handle Usayan as well.”
“Understood.”
“You can go.”
At my dismissal, Igor set down his cup and bowed his head.
After confirming he’d left, I picked up the phone beside me.
“Medvedev.”
— President Kim. What’s the matter...?
“Are you free to talk? If you’re busy, I can call back later.”
— No, no. I’ll always make time for you. Go ahead, President Kim.
“Usayan’s going to strike Mogilevich tonight.”
— Hmm...
Medvedev’s sigh carried a subtle tone of concern.
Knowing what he was worried about, I quickly added,
“Fortunately, it’ll happen outside of Moscow, so there shouldn’t be too much chaos.”
— Will they be able to finish the job? Mogilevich is close to Zyuganov. If they fail, Putin will have to bear political consequences.
If they failed to eliminate Mogilevich—protected by Gennady Zyuganov, head of the Communist Party—and it became known that I was involved, even Putin would face political backlash.
“Don’t worry, Medvedev. I’ve stationed Igor and our mercenaries nearby just in case.”
— Ah, that’s reassuring. If Igor and his men are handling it, the job will be done right.
“As I told you before, once it’s over, Igor will contact you. That’ll be your cue to move.”
After a brief silence, Medvedev’s voice dropped to a lower tone.
I heard the faint rustle of fabric on the other end, as if he was checking his surroundings.
— You mean to arrest everyone involved? I’ll prepare in advance.
“Be careful not to let any information leak. If even a word slips out, Mogilevich will vanish.”
— Understood. Ah, I should get going now. You’re flying back to Korea tomorrow, yes?
“Yes. I’ve taken up too much of your time already. I’ll hang up now.”
— Hahaha, not at all. Let’s meet again in Korea.
After ending the call, I picked up my teacup again.
The thought of Mogilevich getting torn apart by the very trash who used to tremble before him made me smile.
The clock’s hands had already passed midnight.
“Wonder how it’s going.”
“We should be hearing from them soon.”
I was in my office, drinking vodka with Manager Ma.
“They’d better not let him slip away...”
“Igor won’t make a mistake.”
“Hmm...”
I swirled the glass and fell into thought.
Igor was smart—he wouldn’t repeat the same mistake twice.
Even so, a vague anxiety lingered.
Sensing it, Manager Ma asked in his usual calm tone, probably to ease my nerves.
“Boss, why did you tell them to arrest Usayan and his men too?”
“Oh, that? To show the other organizations.”
“Show them?”
“If Usayan comes out unscathed, they’ll realize he has someone watching his back. Then we’ll be able to absorb all the organizations that used to serve under Mogilevich without much trouble.”
“Ah...”
“Manager Ma, you don’t like complicated operations, do you?”
He fell silent, looking a bit embarrassed.
He always executed orders flawlessly, but he preferred action over schemes—complicated plans weren’t his thing.
I set down my glass and smiled.
“Hearing rumors and witnessing something are two completely different things. Why do you think I called Medvedev in front of Usayan? Sometimes the complicated way is the most effective.”
People rarely believe what they haven’t seen themselves.
We talked a bit more about Usayan, and then drifted to lighter topics.
Just as the tension started to fade, the phone in Manager Ma’s inner suit pocket began to ring.
“Answer it. It’s probably Igor.”
Manager Ma nodded and picked up the call. After a short exchange, he handed me the phone.
“Boss, it’s Igor.”
“So it’s over.”
I took the phone. Harsh breathing came through the receiver.
“Igor, what happened?”
— Calling to report, Boss.
“Report? What is it?”
Had something gone wrong? I’d told him over and over not to screw this up.
My brow furrowed instinctively.
“Did the job fail, Igor?”
— No, sir. Usayan struck at the right moment. A firefight broke out, both sides shooting, but there were more guards than expected, so they couldn’t subdue them right away.
“I told you the key was to finish it quickly. So—did you lose him?”
Sensing the irritation in my voice, Igor hurried to respond.
— No, sir. We ambushed Mogilevich as he was trying to escape after being shot. When we approached to confirm the kill, somehow—lucky or unlucky—he was still alive. What should we do?
“He’s alive? Is he in any condition to talk?”
— Yes, he’s begging for his life right now.
Even over the receiver, I could faintly hear Mogilevich’s groaning voice.
I tapped my fingers on the armrest, thinking.
What to do. Kill him outright? Or meet him once?
“Bring him to me.”
— Understood. What about Ivanov?
“Leave him for now. Contact Medvedev and tell him to arrest everyone.”
— Yes, sir.
“And... no, I’ll call Medvedev myself. Just bring Mogilevich here quickly.”
Claiming he’d died on-site would only be a lie—and a short-lived one.
It would’ve been better to tell Medvedev the truth from the start.
After hanging up, I handed the phone back to Manager Ma, then picked up the receiver and dialed Medvedev’s number.
The call connected before the first ring even finished. His voice came through urgently, far different from his usual calm tone — he was clearly anxious.
— Mr. Kim, is it done?
“Yes. You can arrest them all now.”
— Understood. One moment. Hey! Call the Director and tell him to deploy everyone. If anyone resists, kill them all.
I could hear Medvedev giving orders to his subordinates on the other end of the line.
— Is Mogilevich dead?
“That’s why I called you directly. There’s been a slight complication...”
— Don’t tell me you let him get away?
He cut me off before I could even finish speaking.
His tone was so sharp that I had to answer firmly to ease his concern.
“No. They say they captured Mogilevich alive. They’re bringing him here right now.”
— Mr. Kim, he cannot be left alive. He must die.
“Of course, I’ll kill him. I just want to meet him first — have a little talk before I do.”
— ...
Medvedev didn’t respond. It seemed he didn’t like the idea that Mogilevich was still breathing.
“And Ivankov — send him straight to prison. As for Usoyan and his men, release them after a day or so.”
— If Mogilevich lives, this operation is a failure.
“I know. I’ll kill him, Medvedev. You have my word.”
Medvedev repeated several times that Mogilevich had to die, his voice laced with unease.
And each time, I repeated the same answer: that I would kill him.
— ...Then I’ll trust only you, Mr. Kim. Once he’s dead, you must hand over the body to us.
“I ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) will. That’s all for now.”
For the first time, I could truly sense the weight of Mogilevich’s existence.
If even Medvedev insisted that this would all remain unfinished unless the man died, then the rumors were no exaggeration.
No wonder the so-called Godfather of the Russian mafia had slipped past the FBI’s relentless pursuit.
“Manager Ma, they’re bringing Mogilevich here. Get everything ready.”
“Yes, sir.”
Manager Ma rose from his seat, bowed slightly, and left the office.
I stood and opened the window. The night air was cold. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
As the chill brushed my face, I gathered my thoughts.
‘Could there really be a nuclear weapon?’
If Mogilevich truly had a warhead in his possession, could I take it for myself?
I shook my head without hesitation. That would only put me at odds with Putin — not a wise move.
Still, if Mogilevich did have one, he might also know where the missing warheads had gone.
I didn’t know how long I’d been thinking when a knock sounded at the office door.
“Boss, they’re almost here.”
“Let’s go wait.”
I left the office and walked toward the building beside the mansion.
Opening a hidden door by the side, I found a staircase leading underground.
After descending for a while, a heavy iron door blocked the way. When I pushed it open, I found nothing but a wide, empty space — except for a single chair placed in the center.
I sat down. Soon, footsteps echoed down the stairs — several people approaching.
Igor came in first, followed by his men, dragging someone whose eyes and mouth were covered.
When Igor spotted me, he bowed.
“Boss, we brought him.”
“Good. Everyone but Igor, leave.”
At Igor’s gesture, the others forced Mogilevich to his knees in front of me, then shut the door behind them.
His condition was miserable.
Bandages wrapped his arms and legs, his once-expensive designer suit shredded into rags.
“Untie him.”
At my command, Igor removed the cloth covering Mogilevich’s eyes and mouth.
“Ha... haah.”
Gasping for breath, Mogilevich lifted his head with effort and stared at me.
Despite his wretched appearance, his eyes still burned fiercely.
“You... you bastard...”
“Mogilevich.”
I called his name in a cold, flat tone instead of wasting words.
Realizing where he was, he looked around the empty room anxiously, then closed his mouth.
“I told you that you’d regret refusing my offer. So, how does it feel now — kneeling in front of me like that?”
“You... you think you can get away with this in Russia? If you spare me, this can all—”
Whether it was denial or desperation, he still tried to bargain even now.
I gave a faint, derisive laugh.
“Whether you live or die depends on how you behave from here on. You’re smart — I’m sure you understand the situation.” freewёbnoνel.com
“...”
“So let’s not waste energy pretending otherwise.”
“Why... why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you?!”
Mogilevich suddenly shouted, his voice echoing through the basement.
The effort made his gunshot wound throb; his breathing grew ragged.
I stared down at him quietly.
“Well, you didn’t do anything wrong. If you did, it was only refusing my offer. I simply joined hands with Usoyan — the man who accepted what you rejected. No reason to feel too wronged.”
“You insane... Do you really think Usoyan and Ivankov will listen to you? Those snakes—!”
“I know. But they’re stupid snakes — easy to wield, even easier to discard.”
“...”
I recalled Mogilevich back at the hotel, looking out over the Kremlin and Red Square, boasting that all of Russia was in his palm.
He surely hadn’t imagined it would end like this.
I turned to Igor.
“Igor, give him a cigarette.”
Igor placed one between Mogilevich’s lips and lit it.
“Sorry it’s not a cigar. Smoke it slowly — we have plenty of time to talk.”
I let him finish it at his own pace.
He said nothing, perhaps collecting his thoughts, until the cigarette burned down to the filter.
When he finally dropped the butt to the floor, he raised his head, resolve hardening in his eyes.
“Spare me. I’ll do anything you ask.”
“That depends on what you say next.”
I smiled faintly, laced my fingers together, and leaned forward until only he could hear.
Then, in a whisper, I asked,
“You... have a nuclear weapon, don’t you?”
