Free Web Novel“Wait. Just wait!”
He raised his hand to stop me, as if the shock was quite heavy.
“Don’t say anything for a moment.”
It seemed he needed time to think. I quietly nodded.
My throat felt dry, so I drank a glass of water and waited silently for his answer.
“So let me sort this. Muhyuk, you’re saying Jang Songthaek will remove Kim Jongil and seize power?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“...Do you think that’s possible? It won’t be easy.”
“That’s why I have something to ask from you.” freewebnovel.cσ๓
“An ask? What difficult thing are you going to request again?”
He spoke jokingly, and I answered with a smile.
“I’m planning to send mercenaries into North Korea. Along with dollars. But they said they can’t move without Russia’s help.”
“Mercenaries? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of using mercenaries to remove Kim Jongil. You think that’s doable?”
“If Jang Songthaek simply gives us Kim Jongil’s precise location, we can secure him before reinforcements arrive. After that, Jang Songthaek can make his move. Right now, North Korea cannot move any troops without Kim Jongil’s direct orders.”
Kim Jongil probably never imagined that the measure he took to protect himself would in turn tighten the noose around his own neck. So the plan was to exploit that.
If we could just break through the forces guarding him, everything afterward would proceed rapidly.
If Jang Songthaek mobilized the Ministry of State Security and subdued all key figures, no one would be able to resist.
“Hm...”
He still looked doubtful, swallowing a low murmur.
So I delivered the decisive blow.
“They also said they confirmed the location of the nuclear warheads that ended up in Kim Jongil’s hands when the Soviet Union collapsed. Jang Songthaek said that if the coup succeeds, he’ll hand them over to Russia. Without letting any other country know.”
If it became known that nuclear weapons moved from Russia to North Korea, it could be a catastrophic scandal.
Kremlin’s goal was retrieving them without other countries finding out.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, Jang Songthaek confirmed it.”
“Then we have to help him. It cannot fail, so we’ll send our special forces along with yours.”
His hesitation was short, and his decision was bold.
Russian special forces, huh. Normally I would have welcomed them, but the situation now was different.
Accepting that came with far too much risk.
“If it becomes known that Russia intervened in North Korea’s domestic affairs, backlash may erupt. They’ll ask why you deployed troops, and eventually it will lead back to the nukes.”
“I don’t care. Securing the nuclear weapons comes first. If we’re caught, we’ll just say it was a special operation to eradicate drug traffickers.”
How do I persuade a man who’s used to pushing others aside to impose his own will?
Whether he understood my concern or not, he continued.
“I’ll send around a hundred Spetsnaz along with the mercenaries. Adding that number won’t cause much trouble. But how are you planning to get them in?”
“...They say there’s a smuggling route connected to North Korea through Vladivostok.”
“Really? A smuggling route tied to North Korea in Vladivostok? First time I’m hearing that.”
A faint smile spread across his face, as if intrigued.
“Mr. President, smuggling two hundred armed personnel into North Korea without Kim Jongil knowing is a gamble in itself.”
“That’s for you to handle. I’ll speak separately with the Far Eastern Commander.”
“...It may cause confusion in the chain of command.”
“That too, I’ll delegate entirely to you. And no one will know they’re Spetsnaz anyway.”
Spetsnaz was an umbrella term for Russia’s special forces.
When broken down, each unit belonged to different institutions. Their nature and operational domains varied completely.
“Are you thinking of sending the Zaslon operatives under SVR?”
“Yes. Their faces aren’t known externally. And they carry no identifying marks. The only person who knows all members’ faces is the commander of Zaslon... and they’re the perfect fit for this kind of mission.”
I nodded.
If it was Zaslon, these were handpicked soldiers who swore loyalty to the state.
They were perfect for this kind of work—but with pride just as strong.
“But will they follow my orders?” ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
“That’s your job. I’ll issue the orders, but making them submit will be up to your subordinates. Isn’t that right?”
“So you’re telling me to handle the hierarchy on my own.”
“Exactly. Isn’t it amusing? The world’s finest mercenaries, Black Bear, and Russia’s Spetsnaz sorting out their hierarchy.”
His way of finding amusement even in matters this grave almost made me laugh aloud.
I barely suppressed it and spoke again.
“Mr. President, this matter is extremely important to me as well. This has to be resolved for me to carry out the North Korea project I want. The oil pipeline construction that will send crude from Yugansk to Korea, and the railway connecting the Korean Peninsula to Siberia. This ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) won’t just benefit me. It will be part of your legacy.”
Once I finished speaking, he met my eyes and grinned.
“Right. I know that. The best way for us to have a WIN-WIN is for the North Korean regime to change. That’s why I’m offering special forces support to help you.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but if the chain of command becomes muddled, the chance of mission failure rises significantly.”
“Do you not trust your subordinates?”
He subtly provoked me. I couldn’t show weakness here.
“No. I trust them.”
“Then that’s enough. Why worry about something that hasn’t even happened? That’s not like you at all.”
I sighed inwardly. There was no persuading him once he had made up his mind.
“The real issue lies elsewhere. Can Jang Songthaek actually succeed? Isn’t that the question? Muhyuk, what do you think the probability of success is?”
Probability of success. Honestly, not very high.
“Assuming everything aligns perfectly, about fifty percent. If variables appear, it’ll be lower. To increase the odds, we need a training site. We’ll build a camp in Vladivostok and conduct professional training before the operation. They can train jointly with the unit you send.”
“I’ll prepare that. But half... You plan to topple a nation with just a fifty-percent chance? Especially you, Muhyuk?”
He widened his eyes, genuinely surprised.
I could have taken the safe route. But seeking only safe methods makes one complacent.
The moment I grow even slightly lazy, I could lose everything I have.
“The risk is great, but so is the reward. Sometimes, even a low-probability gamble must be taken. That’s how I reached this point.”
“Well, you did bet on me when I was a nobody. Fifty percent... compared to that, it’s high, isn’t it?”
As he said, when we first met, he truly had nothing.
I boldly bet on a former KGB agent–turned–politician, and the gamble paid off.
Of course, that was because I already knew he would become Russia’s tsar.
But this time, I genuinely had no idea. This wasn’t the future I knew—it was the future I changed.
“You were an unscratched lottery ticket. I saw that with my own eyes, and that’s why I chose to become your friend. The proof that my judgment wasn’t wrong is that I’m sharing drinks with the President himself in the Kremlin tonight.”
How many foreigners could come into the Kremlin and casually share drinks with this man?
“Since we’re talking about it... At first, I thought you were insane.”
His sudden confession made me burst into loud laughter.
“Insane?”
“You suddenly showed up saying you’d sponsor me, then asked to be friends... I wondered what you, a man already successful, saw in someone like me enough to invest. I still wonder that, to be honest.”
Naturally, it was because I knew the future. But I couldn’t say that.
If I did, he really would think I was insane.
“Well... I searched for various people to invest in Russia. But for some reason, you kept lingering in my mind. So I requested a meeting. When we met, my gut screamed at me to invest. So I decided on the spot.”
Even at my vague excuse of instinct, he nodded with satisfaction and lifted one corner of his mouth.
After that, the conversation drifted to our history from the first meeting to now.
But today wasn’t a day to get sentimental.
Once enough drinks had passed between us, I steered the conversation back to where I wanted.
“Will you support the sanction proposal?”
“Of course. Kim Jongil crossed the line. Enough is enough. Even if we’re in a position where we can’t help but shield North Korea at times, wrong is wrong. I’ll vote in favor. Not abstain—in favor.”
The remaining Security Council members would be persuaded by the U.S., while I persuaded China and Russia.
This meant UN sanctions against North Korea would pass unanimously.
I was satisfied, but there was something that bothered me, so I brought it up in advance.
“Good. One thing in advance: the U.S. and South Korea will conduct a joint military drill soon. It’s not to threaten Russia—just a routine exercise to pressure North Korea. I hope you’ll overlook it.”
“I’ve already received the report. The U.S. Embassy notified us.”
Seemed the U.S. had already informed Russia. But he shrugged as if it meant nothing.
“I don’t really care. America won’t wage war against us. That would mean mutual destruction.”
His expression was full of confidence. Not that he was wrong.
“Thank you. Then regarding North Korea, I’ll proceed as discussed. We’ll support Jang Songthaek to remove Kim Jongil.”
“Do the U.S. or China know about this?”
“No. I only told you, Mr. President. Isn’t this the kind of grave matter one should share only with a friend?”
“Haha! Yes, friend.”
He must know I was saying it to flatter him, but he laughed heartily.
“Oh, and I heard negotiations for the pipeline construction to China are stalling.”
“Mm, yes. There are many issues, but the biggest is China’s attitude. China wants to lead the project themselves. That bothers me most. I don’t trust China.”
It was amusing how people of the same nature despised one another so deeply.
But hiding my thoughts, I spoke carefully.
“Then Mr. President, may I take on that project?”
“You? The pipeline is national infrastructure. What would you gain from investing in that?”
“As an owner of a Russian oil company, I also need to secure infrastructure. Of course, I’m not saying I’ll do it for free. I’ll build a consortium so Russian and Chinese companies participate together, preventing pointless power struggles. Construction, naturally, will be done by us.”
His expression brightened, though he still seemed curious why I was getting involved.
“If you do it, I can trust it. But is it necessary for you to step in? We don’t need to connect with China immediately... or even anytime soon.”
“China’s government wants it. As a condition for supporting the sanction proposal, they asked me to resolve that.”
I explained what I had negotiated with China.
“Hah! Those Chinese bastards. Fine. Discuss details with Medvedev and proceed. I’ll give the instructions personally.”
“Thank you.”
He agreed readily. As long as it didn’t harm him personally, the master of the Kremlin accepted most proposals.
Forming ties with him before he became famous had paid off.
“But Mr. President, I’ve heard something strange. Is it true?”
“What did you hear?”
“A rumor that, because the pipeline to China is failing, Russia is planning to build a pipeline heading to Japan.”
