Chapter 331: A Show for Other Organizations

A few days have passed since I met Usov..

I was sitting in my office, reading a book when I heard a knock at the door.

“It’s Igor, Boss.”

“Come in.”

Igor carefully stepped into the office and, noticing me reading, spoke in a hushed voice.

“Boss, they’re planning to execute the operation tonight.”

Only then did I close the book and look up.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, we’ve learned that Mogilevich is heading to his villa on the outskirts of Moscow tonight.”

“Hmm… That’s a relief. I need to leave Moscow tomorrow, so I’ll be able to wrap things up before I go.”

It’s far better for me to see the situation myself than to hear unsettling reports from Korea.

I stood up and headed toward the sofa, pouring two cups of tea as I gestured for Igor to sit.

“Take a seat.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Igor promptly sat down.

I slid one cup toward Igor and said,

“This operation absolutely cannot fail. If we mess this up, we won’t get another chance.”

“Understood. I’ll wait nearby, ready to act. If Mogilevich tries to escape, I’ll take him out immediately.”

“This time, I can trust you, Igor, right?”

“You can trust me, Boss. I know that there are no second chances in this game.”

Seeing the determination on his face made me smile gently as I lifted my teacup.

“Very well. I’m trusting you, Igor. Try the tea; it’s quite good.”

Nodding at my permission, Igor lifted the cup and took a sip.

“I trust you, Igor, but don’t let your guard down.”

“Understood, Boss.”

“And Ivanov?”

“I’ll take him out the moment we confirm Mogilevich’s death.”

“Make your move while he’s with Usov. That way, Ussoyan ill feel the fear of his precarious situation.”

After all, I had no intention of bringing Usov under my wing, as h would only become another dog for Putin.

But it wouldn’t hurt to instill a sense of fear in someone who would soon dominate the Russian underworld.

He needed to understand where the power lies, how insignificant he really is, and that I could kill him at any moment.

“Once everything’s settled, you can let Igor handle Usov.””

“Got it.”

“You can leave now.”

Issuing a dismissal, Igor set his teacup down and bowed slightly.

After confirming that Igor had left, I picked up the phone beside me.

“Medvedev.”

— Boss Kim! What can I do for you?

“Can you talk? If you’re busy, I can call back later.”

— No, it’s fine, even if I’m short on time; I need to hear what you have to say, Boss Kim.

“Usov is planning to takeout Mogilevich tonight.”

— Hmm…

Medvedev’s voice was tinged with subtle worry as he sighed.

Knowing what he was concerned about, I quickly added,

“Fortunately, it looks like the operation will take place outside Moscow, so we shouldn’t face widespread chaos.”

— Can you ensure he’ll be eliminated? Mogilevich is close with Zyuganov. If we fail, it will politically burden Putin as well.

If we fail to eliminate Mogilevich, who has the support of Zyuganov, the head of Russia’s Communist Party, and it gets out that I was involved, even Putin would face pressure politically.

“Don’t worry, Medvedev. Just in case, I’ve got Igor and our mercenaries standing by nearby.”

— Ah, now I feel reassured. If it’s Igor and his men, then things should be handled with precision.

“As I’ve mentioned before, once everything is wrapped up, Igor will contact you. You can act then.”

There was a brief pause before Medvedev’s voice lowered.

I heard rustling on the other end, as if he was looking around.

— You mean we need to arrest everyone involved? I should prepare for that.

“Be careful not to let any information slip. If even a whisper about this gets out, Mogilevich will go into hiding.”

— Understood. Ah, I should be heading out soon. Boss Kim, are you returning to Korea tomorrow?

“Yes, I’m sorry for keeping you tied up for so long. I’ll hang up now.”

— Haha, it’s fine. See you in Korea then.

After finishing the call with Medvedev, I lifted my teacup once more.

Thinking of Mogilevich, who had once dismissed these lowlifes, I couldn’t help but smile.

The hands of the clock had just passed midnight.

“I wonder if things are going well.”

“Shouldn’t we be getting a call soon?”

I was sipping vodka while chatting with Manager Ma in my office.

“We can’t afford to let this slip away…”

“Igor won’t make a mistake.”

“Hmm…”

I rotated my drink, lost in thought.

Igor was a smart guy and wouldn’t repeat the same blunders. Yet still, I felt anxious.

Noticing my unease, Manager Ma asked in his usual tone, trying to ease my tension.

“Boss, why did you instruct us to catch Usov and his members as ell?”

“Oh, that? I plan to show it to other organizations. If Usov comes out unscathed it’ll signal that someone has his back. That would make it easier to absorb other organizations under Mogilevich’s control without much fuss.”

“Ah…”

“Manager Ma, you don’t like these complicated matters, do you?”

Manager Ma seemed a bit embarrassed and fell silent.

He executed orders splendidly, but perhaps because he preferred action, he wasn’t fond of complex tasks.

Setting my glass down, I smiled.

“There’s a big difference between hearing rumors and witnessing the events firsthand. Why do you think I took that call with Medvedev in front of Usov? Sometimes, complicted matters can turn out to be more efficient.”

People tend to find it hard to believe what they haven’t seen themselves.

We conversed lightly about Usov, and just as I was tarting to relax, I heard a ringtone coming from Manager Ma’s jacket pocket.

“Answer it. It might be Igor.”

Nodding, Manager Ma picked up the phone. After a brief conversation, he held the phone out to me.

“Boss, it’s Igor.”

“Did it end well?”

I took the phone and could hear Igor’s ragged breaths on the line.

“Igor, what happened?”

— I’m calling to report.

“A report? About what?”

Could it be that something went wrong? I stressed not to make mistakes.

I found myself frowning involuntarily.

“Did something go wrong, Igor?”

— No. Usov struck at the perfet moment, and a battle erupted with gunfire. But surprisingly, there were more security personnel than we anticipated, and we couldn’t subdue them quickly.

“…I emphasized the importance of handling this swiftly. So, did you miss your shot?”

Noticing my frustration seeping through my tone, Igor quickly replied.

— That’s not it. We ambushed Mogilevich as he was escaping after being shot. He was either lucky or unlucky, but he’s still alive. What should we do now?

“So he’s alive? Is he in a state to talk?”

— Yes, he’s begging for his life.

I could faintly hear Mogilevich’s voice over the phone, questioning the authenticity of the situation.

I tapped my fingers on the armrest, deep in thought.

What to do? Should I just kill him? Or meet him face to face?

“Bring him here.”

— Understood. What about Ivanov?

“Let him be for now. Contact Medvedev and inform him to arrest everyone.”

— Got it.

“And… no, I’ll call Medvedev myself. Just hurry and bring Mogilevich here.”

If Mogilevich dies at the scene, it wouldn’t take long for the truth to come out.

It was better to speak honestly with Medvedev about it.

After hanging up, I returned the phone to Manager Ma and dialed Medvedev’s number.

Before the first ring even finished, it connected almost immediately. Medvedev’s voice was urgent, unlike usual due to some underlying agitation.

— Boss Kim, is it over?

“Yes, you can start arresting everyone now.”

— Understood. One moment. Hey! Call the director and send everyone out. If they resist, kill them all.

I could hear Medvedev issuing orders to his men vividly.

— Has Mogilevich been killed?

“That’s why I’m calling. There’s been a slight complication in the plan…”

— Please don’t tell me he got away.

Before I could finish my sentence, he interrupted me.

In a manner starkly different from usual, I needed to reassure Medvedev so he’d rest easy.

“No. We’ve captured Mogilevich. He’s being brought here now.”

— Boss Kim, you can’t let him live. He needs to die.

“Of course I’ll kill him. But first, I plan to meet and talk with him.”

— …

It seemed Medvedev wasn’t fond of the sheer idea of Mogilevich being alive, as he didn’t respond.

“And about Ivanov, let’s just send him to prison. Usov and his men will bereleased a day later.”

— If Mogilevich survives, this will be a failure.

“I know. I’ll kill him, Medvedev. I promise you.”

In an uneasy voice, Medvedev kept insisting that Mogilevich be put down.

In turn, I similarly promised several times that I’d take care of it.

— …Then I’ll trust Boss Kim. Once he’s dead, you must hand over the body to us.

“I will do that. I’m hanging up now.”

Only now did I fully grasp Mogilevich’s significance.

It was rather telling that Medvedev kept repeating how crucial it was to eliminate him.

After all, he’s the godfather of the Russian mafia, having escaped the relentless pursuers of the FBI.

“Manager, they’re bringing Mogilevich. Prepare everything.”

“Understood.”

Manager Ma stood up, nodded, and headed outside.

I, too, rose from my seat and opened the window. The night air was brisk.

As I felt the cold night wind, I organized my thoughts.

‘Could he really have nuclear weapons?’

If Mogilevich possessed nuclear weapons, would I be able to take a hold of them?

I shook my head, rejecting the thought. That would be a reckless move against Putin.

However, if Mogilevich did have nuclear weapons, he might also know where the missing warheads are.

How much time had passed? I turned at the sound of a knock on my office door.

“Boss, it seems he’s about to arrive.”

“Let’s head out and wait for him.”

I left the office and walked to the building next door.

I opened a hidden door, not the main gate, leading to stairs that went underground.

I walked down the stairs for a short while and found a thick iron door blocking my path. When I opened it, a vast empty space greeted me.

In the center of that space stood a single chair.

I took a seat, and soon enough, the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs echoed in the silence.

Igor entered first, followed closely by Mogilevich, bound and blindfolded as Igor’s men dragged him along.

Upon seeing me, Igor lowered his head.

“Boss, I’ve brought him here.”

“Well done. Everyone else can leave except for Igor.”

With a glance at his men, Igor signaled them to kneel Mogilevich before the iron door before they exited.

Looking at Mogilevich’s condition, it was quite pitiful.

His arms and legs were bandaged, and his expensive designer suit was in tatters, resembling that of a beggar.

“Remove the blindfold.”

At my command, Igor lifted the cloth covering Mogilevich’s eyes and mouth.

“Hah, uh!”

Mogilevich gasped for air, struggling to look up at me.

Though he was in a dismal state, the fire in his eyes was unmistakable.

“You, you… this bastard.”

“Mogilevich.”

Instead of lengthy greetings, I simply called his name in a chilling tone.

Finally realizing the situation, he glanced around with apprehensive eyes and fell silent.

“I told you that refusing my offer would lead to regret. How do you feel now, kneeling before me like this?”

“Do you really think you can get away with this in Russia? If you spare my life, I can…”

Was he in denial about reality, or was he just oblivious?

Despite his stuttering words, he continued making offers.

I scoffed at his audacity, saying, “Whether I spare you or kill you depends entirely on how you behave. You’re a smart guy, you know the implications of the situation.”

“…”

“Let’s avoid wasting unnecessary energy while both of us know where we stand.”

“W-what have I done to deserve this?”

Mogilevich’s lips quivered as he bit down hard, unable to keep himself from screaming.

He yelled, resonating throughout the basement, and I glanced down at him.

“Well, you didn’t do anything wrong per se. The only mistake you made was refusing my offer. You just allied with Usov instead, so don’t fel too hard done by it.”

“You madman… do you really think Usov and Ivanov will hee your orders? They’re nothing but snakes!”

“I know. A foolish snake is perfect for whipping into shape and disposing of without a second thought.”

“…”

I recalled the times Mogilevich commanded Russia, gazing over the Kremlin Palace and Red Square, presumed to have Russia under his thumb.

He could never have imagined it would come to this. Looking at Igor beside me, I said.

“Igor, can you get me a cigarette?”

Igor placed a cigarette between Mogilevich’s lips and set it alight.

“I’m sorry it’s not a cigar. Let’s have a chat while I enjoy a smoke. We still have plenty of time.”

Giving Mogilevich the chance to collect his thoughts, he started to slowly inhale the cigarette. After the burning tip reached the filter, he finally gathered his resolve.

Throwing the cigarette butt to the ground, Mogilevich raised his chin and asked,

“Spare me, and I’ll do whatever you ask.”

“That depends entirely on your attitude.”

Raising one corner of my mouth, I smiled faintly and laced my fingers together, leaning slightly toward Mogilevich.

In a whisper, just loud enough for him to hear, I asked, “Do you have… nuclear weapons?”