Free Web NovelMedvedev said he would speak with the President about the situation and contact me again afterward.
His final warning to be cautious lingered as the call ended.
I set the phone down and slipped into thought.
‘Sergei Lebedev...’
It wasn’t that Arshavin was an important figure within the SVR. If he were truly that important, they wouldn’t have sent him here.
This was nothing more than a political maneuver—a deliberate attempt to rattle me.
Still, I was curious how far they intended to take this.
Would the siloviki really defy the Kremlin’s will and attempt to kill me?
“Look into Sergei Lebedev in detail. Black Bear should have some material on him. Get everything they have.”
“Yes, I’ll request it immediately.”
Chief Ma stepped out of the bedroom, and I lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
“There’s no reason for us to fight, really. We have the same goal.”
The siloviki and I wanted the same thing: stability. We didn’t want the master of the Kremlin to change.
The longer he ruled, the more my profits increased—and the more secure my influence remained inside Russia.
How could I bring them over to my side?
Before I could think much further, exhaustion dragged me under.
The next morning—
“Boss, here’s the material you asked for on Sergei Lebedev.”
I was finishing breakfast and sipping coffee when Chief Ma arrived with a bundle of papers.
I set my cup down and took it.
“You printed the email? I could’ve just looked at it on the laptop. Still, thank you.”
Then again, flipping through paper by hand often reveals more than scrolling through a screen.
I inspected the documents closely.
“Hmm...”
Unfortunately, Black Bear didn’t have much on Lebedev either.
“So—KGB background... graduated from the Diplomatic Academy. A U.S. specialist.”
Those who served in the KGB’s First Chief Directorate were always shrouded in shadow.
Since they focused on foreign intelligence, they avoided public exposure to an extreme degree.
Only after the collapse of the Soviet Union did the backgrounds of former KGB members become widely known. But even then, this man practically never appeared publicly.
Then Yeltsin stepped down—and with the rapid shift of power in the Kremlin, Lebedev rose to the position of SVR Director.
But I couldn’t find any direct connection between him and the current President.
Which meant he must be the loyalist of someone close to the President.
“This isn’t enough to draw firm conclusions.”
“Is that so? I collected everything Black Bear had on him.”
I nodded and placed the papers on the table.
“It can’t be helped. For now, let’s tighten my security. It probably won’t come to anything—but if Medvedev warned me, then it might.”
“Understood. I’ll inform the team.”
The security detail was going to have their hands full. I massaged the stiff muscles at the back of my neck and continued.
“And clear out this entire hotel. We’ll be using it exclusively while we’re here. Pay whatever they ask. I want it empty by today.”
“Yes, I’ll take care of it.”
After Chief Ma left, I picked up my phone. The call rang only once before it connected.
“Myungsoo. You made it to Korea safely?”
— Yeah, just landed. What a coincidence—you timed this call perfectly.
“You’re heading into the Blue House now, right?”
— They told me to come in immediately and report to the President. I’m exhausted, man. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
He grumbled for a while. I smiled unconsciously at his familiar complaining.
“Hey, even if you go in, don’t bring up what I’m doing here.”
— I get it. But... shouldn’t we tell him at some point?
“Eventually, yes. But first resolve the Iraq issue. After that, I’ll talk to him about North Korea myself.”
— Fine. When are you coming back to Korea?
“Maybe next week. Could be later. When I get back, let’s get drinks with the others.”
— Sure. Ah, I gotta go. Someone from the Blue House is here to pick me up.
The brief call ended, and I headed to the bathroom.
North Korea, Iraq, Jang Songthaek...
I washed the tangled thoughts from my head with cold water.
* * *
Lee Myungsoo entered the [N O V E L I G H T] Blue House and headed toward the residence.
“Madam First Lady, it’s been a while.”
The First Lady was waiting inside.
“Secretary-General, welcome.”
After a brief exchange, Myungsoo asked after the President.
“He’s in the dining room. He’s been drinking alone for a while now. Honestly, he needs to stop. Go on in quickly.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He started walking toward the large dining hall.
“Not there, Secretary-General. He’s in the small dining room inside.”
“Oh—really?”
He looked lost, clearly unsure where that was. The First Lady smiled.
“Follow me.”
“Thank you.”
She led him deeper into the residence. She opened a door adjoining the bedroom and stepped aside.
“Go on in.”
Through the open doorway, President Yoon Changho sat alone, drinking.
“Oh! Secretary Lee! Come, come!” freewebnøvel.coɱ
“Mr. President. It’s good to see you.”
“Good to see you? Nonsense. Come sit and drink.”
Yoon waved impatiently. The First Lady shook her head with a small sigh before leaving and closing the door.
The moment Myungsoo sat, Yoon pushed a full glass toward him.
“Drink first.”
Myungsoo silently lifted the glass and emptied it in one go.
“Here, eat something too. The chef made kimchi pancakes.”
“Thank you.”
“Ah, stop being so stiff. If even you act like that, who am I supposed to have fun drinking with?”
Myungsoo let out a wry smile at the President’s half-drunken scolding.
“Becoming President is great and all... but the worst part is how few people I can drink with now.”
“That’s the weight of the office, sir.”
“Weight or not—I’m still Yoon Changho. But people don’t treat me that way anymore.”
He sighed, then mixed a glass of soju and beer. He kept one and pushed the other to Myungsoo.
“That’s why I like you—and Kim, too. You two don’t change.”
They clinked glasses and emptied them again.
“Enough small talk. How did things go in the U.S.? I heard the report, but I want to hear it from you.”
Myungsoo described everything that had happened during negotiations.
Yoon drank silently as he listened.
When the report ended, Myungsoo reached for another drink.
“Mercenaries, huh...”
Yoon murmured to himself. Myungsoo waited for his response.
“Korea has never once hired mercenaries.”
“I know. But this was the best option. Fortunately, President Kim has ties to the PMC Black Bear, and things went smoothly. Even the White House contracted them for Iraq and Afghanistan. If they can do it, so can we.”
At the name “Black Bear,” Yun’s brows tightened faintly.
“I’ve heard of them. Supposedly the best PMC in existence, right?”
“Yes, sir. They even have a branch in Korea.”
“I read that part in the report. Black Secret, right? I heard it’s essentially Kim’s private army. People are worried.”
“...”
Private army.
The words hit directly, and Myungsoo fell silent.
Sensing the tension, Yoon forced a booming laugh.
“Haha, don’t worry. I don’t care what Kim uses them for. I’m just saying others are concerned.”
“Nothing will happen to you, Mr. President.”
“I know. He doesn’t trust easily. Anyway—so we deploy a PMC, and we also send Korean troops? The Americans agreed?”
Hearing the word “deployment” again, Myungsoo bit his lip briefly.
“Yes. But our troops will be sent only to safe areas. That way, both the National Assembly and public opinion will accept it.”
“Good. That’s the way.”
“Also, if during the trip we take custody of the U.S. soldiers responsible for the deaths of the schoolgirls... public sentiment will turn in our favor.”
“I hope so. These protesters never stop. They know Korea can’t defend itself without the U.S., and yet—ah, this ruins my drink.”
They continued drinking and talking for a long while.
“So the sanctions against the North... will pass.”
“Yes. China and Russia agreed to vote in favor. If those two support it, the resolution becomes binding.”
Yoon blinked, then laughed softly.
“So this is the world now—America, China, and Russia on the same side. And that’s all because of President Kim?”
“He just coordinated the positions of the governments involved. The great powers wanted to correct North Korea’s attitude.”
“If coordination were easy, the U.S. and Soviets wouldn’t have been at each other’s throats for decades. And Korea wouldn’t have been split. That’s Kim’s skill.”
Myungsoo neither confirmed nor denied it.
“Enough international politics. Let’s talk about the party. Things got messy while you were gone. The conservatives and centrists are at each other’s throats.”
“Well, that was predictable. The general election is next year. No one cares about the public—only about keeping their seats.”
“And you?”
“I’ll survive wherever I go. Even as an independent.”
Yoon smiled faintly at his confidence.
“I believe it. But the centrists are nervous. Our party polls at 45%, the progressive party at 35%. My approval rating is over 60%, yet they worry. You know how important this election is?”
“Yes. We must secure the constitutional amendment threshold.”
Myungsoo nodded solemnly, and Yoon continued.
“Right. We need at least 200 seats. Can you do it?”
“I wouldn’t hold the Secretary-General position otherwise. And in the merger, we already agreed: Yeongnam and Honam go to the conservative bloc, the rest to us.”
“That’s politics. Promises break easily. Conservatives are gaining influence again. Aren’t you being too soft? I can’t step in myself...”
He sounded frustrated. Myungsoo only smiled and reassured him.
“They’ll soon realize their antics are worthless. Don’t worry.”
“Fine. I’ll trust you. Now let’s stop with politics and drink.”
Their drinking continued late into the night.
* * *
A week passed at the camp, but nothing happened.
“We can leave soon.”
“Yes, understood. We’ll prepare.”
Igor and I had finalized all operational plans. We would move as soon as every element was ready.
I’d spoken with Jang Songthaek several more times—he insisted he could lure Kim Jongil to a secluded villa.
But when that would happen remained unknown. All we could do was wait and train.
As usual, I was observing the training when several vehicles approached the camp.
“Were we expecting anyone?”
“No word of any arrivals.”
“Hmm.”
Soldiers disembarked from the military trucks. A moment later, a luxury car pulled in behind them.
And the person who stepped out of that car was...
