Chapter 671: Chapter 671: Was This Here?
When it comes to jobs like this, it's usually best to move with a small team.
However, since Iraq wasn't a safe place, we had no choice but to work with a sizable crew.
"Boss, from here on out, we need to walk."
We'd been driving along the dusty, unpaved road for quite a while and still hadn't arrived.
We had even parked the vehicle in a spot where it couldn't go any further.
"Well, it's hidden well, that's for sure."
I got out of the car and looked around.
The dark sky sparkled as if it were about to rain stars.
There were no artificial lights, just a quiet darkness all around.
The only thing we had to rely on was the GPS equipment. We checked our GPS as we ventured deeper.
Though the terrain was rugged, it was surprising that it was mostly just rocks instead of the dense trees you'd see in Korea.
After what felt like an eternity, we were almost at the center when Igor stopped.
"It's over there."
I followed Igor's gaze.
"Wow, you'd never find this place unless you knew the exact coordinates."
"Exactly. Even knowing the latitude and longitude, it still took us a long time to find it."
There's a saying that if you want to hide a tree, hide it in a forest.
The area Igor pointed to was filled with naturally formed caves. One of those caves was Hussein's secret hideout.
No wonder they couldn't find it even after decades.
"Let's go in."
Perhaps because it was an artificially created cave, the entrance was quite small.
An adult man had to duck just to get through.
It was impossible for multiple people to enter at once; we had to squeeze in one by one.
After walking for quite a while in the dim light, we finally reached a large chamber.
"This seems to be the place."
In the chamber, there was a solid iron door that was firmly shut.
Other than the heavily locked door, I couldn't find anything remarkable.
"Can you open it?"
"Yes. But it could be dangerous, so please stand back a bit."
I nodded and stepped away from the iron door.
The mercenaries set two small bombs against the door and backed away.
At Igor's signal, the mercenaries detonated the bombs.
Boom! Bam!
The two explosions echoed throughout the chamber.
Even with my ears covered, the sharp blast made my head ring.
A thick cloud of smoke quickly filled the area but dissipated just as fast.
It seemed there was some sort of ventilating system somewhere in the chamber.
When the smoke cleared, I could see that the iron door had been distorted.
Igor and the mercenaries pulled hard on the door from both sides to secure an entrance.
"Boss, we'll go in first."
To assess the interior, Igor and the mercenaries headed down first.
While waiting for Igor, I turned to Manager Ma and asked,
"How many people would be needed to move artwork or artifacts out of here?"
"It wouldn't be possible to transport it by vehicle, so quite a few people would've been necessary."
Given that a hidden cave like this was constructed, the amount must have been substantial.
Unless the artworks had legs, they would have required a considerable workforce to be moved.
In other words, whether it's the guard or anyone else, someone had to act.
No matter how discreetly they operated, it was inevitable that rumors would spread.
Yet strangely, there were only rumors that Hussein had a collection, but no one found even a single trace.
Just then, light seeped out from the entrance Igor had entered.
It wasn't just a flashlight but proper lighting.
Moments later, Igor walked out.
"Boss, there's another door inside, and it's lined with skeletons. I discovered equipment to turn on the lights near the entrance, so I temporarily illuminated the area."
Igor's words instantly cleared my doubts.
"…So they moved the items in here and killed everyone associated with them."
"That seems to be the case. I'm clearing the skeletons to one side, so please wait a moment."
"Where's the power coming from?"
"There seems to be a generator inside."
Electricity was needed to protect the artworks and artifacts. If left without any protection, they'd inevitably get damaged.
It didn't seem like they'd managed it for a long time, but if the generator was running, they must have spent more than I expected.
"Chief, it's all cleared up."
The mercenaries emerged after dusting off their hands, and with Igor's guidance, I headed down.
True to what Igor said, there was a door in sight. In the corner, there seemed to be a tent covering something.
"Is that all skeletons?"
"Yes. Just from a rough count, the number is quite substantial."
"Typical Hussein, not trusting anyone. Those who killed these people must have met the same fate, right? The only one who should know about this place would be President Hussein himself."
To protect his collection, he went to such lengths to kill so many people. It was almost like something out of a horror story.
Perhaps other rumors circulating about treasures had originated in a similar way.
Stories that grabbed people's attention, like Hitler's treasure or Yamashita's Gold, circulated widely, drawing treasure hunters from around the world, hoping for a stroke of luck.
Despite treasure-like stories being so close, I still felt uneasy.
"Let's go in."
While leaving the other mercenaries outside, I took Igor and Manager Ma with me as we opened the door and stepped inside.
There were ordinary wooden crates, and I could see fine art pieces well-preserved behind glass display cases.
While inspecting the displayed items, I noticed a necklace in the closest glass case that made me gasp without realizing it.
"Wow, was this here?"
Manager Ma, who had been cautiously scanning the surroundings, asked,
"Boss, is that necklace important?"
"I'll need to verify its authenticity, but it matches a necklace said to be a gift from Nikolai II to his daughter."
I never expected to find a custom-made necklace by Nikolai II here.
Seeing a piece this significant at the entrance left me curious about what lay inside.
"On the surface, it resembles the known design. If it's genuine, its value is beyond monetary worth."
Just this alone made the agreed amount seem insignificant.
I couldn't tell how Hussein acquired it, but there was no way that brutal dictator would have a counterfeit.
I continued checking various jewels and artworks.
There were pieces presumed to be by Picasso and da Vinci, along with many other expensive artworks.
I halted in front of one particular piece of art.
Igor recognized it immediately and exclaimed in surprise.
"Boss, isn't that a Fabergé egg?"
"Yes, it seems so."
A Fabergé egg.
An Easter egg crafted at the request of the Russian imperial family by the jeweler Fabergé.
Out of the total 52 designs made for royal use, 50 have been accounted for, but the two others were never delivered to the imperial family due to the Russian Revolution.
Currently, there are only 44 known Fabergé eggs in existence.
To think three of the eggs of unknown whereabouts would be here.
"That looks like the Alexander III egg."
Igor pointed to the egg on the far left among the three.
"The Alexander III egg?"
"Yes. An egg created in 1909 to commemorate Alexander III. I've seen it in black-and-white photos."
Igor usually kept his emotions in check, but now he seemed genuinely excited.
"I never thought I'd see this in person…"
But it was a completely understandable reaction.
Although it was treasure from the Russian royal family, it was known that the Russian government only possesses around ten Fabergé eggs.
The rest are scattered around the globe.
The British royal family owns three, and the publishing magnate Forbes, which issues the world's richest rankings annually, holds nine.
The remaining Fabergé eggs are in the hands of various collectors.
Russia has been displeased with the dismembered legacy of the Romanovs around the world.
No, to be precise, it must have hurt their pride.
To purchase Fabergé eggs, the Royal Family of Russia has secretly negotiated with all owners, but no one would sell.
"Is it really that impressive?"
"Yes. I never thought I'd see this with my own eyes."
Amused by Igor's reaction, I asked,
"Igor, do you think you could identify the rest of the eggs too?"
At my words, Igor began to scrutinize the eggs carefully.
"One appears to be the Nesser egg made in 1889. That one is also known to have been purchased, but its whereabouts are unidentified."
So, at least two of the three eggs seem likely to be genuine.
"I'm not sure about the last one. Sorry, Boss."
I lightly patted Igor on the shoulder as he bowed his head.
The remaining one was unknown even to Igor…
"If Igor doesn't know, it's likely there's no photograph of it."
"That seems to be the case. I don't remember seeing it in photos. Most Russians know the known Fabergé eggs as they teach about them in school."
To not even have a photograph means it could either be one of the two eggs that didn't reach the Russian court or simply one of the eggs never recorded.
Of course, it could be a fake, but given that it's Hussein's collection, it was more likely genuine.
"For now, it's plausible that it's genuine like the other items."
Whatever the situation, this was an item with a predetermined use.
Since it's something the Russian government desperately wants, giving it to their Tsar would be the wisest choice.
"Are you going to donate it to the Russian government?"
I shook my head. Donating to the Russian government was pointless.
"I plan to gift one to the President and keep the other two. I'll need to verify their authenticity first."
Igor nodded at the mention of gifting to the details of the President rather than to the government.
If I were to donate to the government, I'd have to reveal the source, thus leaving no way to keep the Hussein collection a secret.
I looked around as I continued speaking.
"It looks like the amount I promised Hussein's family seems rather small."
The value of the items here far exceeded the amount I agreed upon with Hussein—by tenfold, no, several dozen times more.
Just the eggs alone would be worth millions.
"Igor, can I trust the mercenaries you brought with you?"
"Yes. Black Bear. No, these guys have a unique loyalty to you, Boss. They won't spill a word."
I couldn't simply take all these artworks back to Korea.
"Since there's a storage facility at the villa in Greece, let's move everything there for now. I need to figure out how to get it all shipped without being caught…"
The closest hideout was the villa I'd built on a Greek island.
However, I couldn't just fly a private jet all the way there.
"I'll figure out a route."
"Can you do that?"
"I think the best way would be to move the cargo overland through Syria, then take a vessel to Greece."
"Syria, huh…"
Syria and Greece were separated by the Mediterranean Sea.
For now, Igor's proposed method seemed the best.
"Do you think we can be successful? These goods are vital. They are artworks that can't be redeemed with money."
"I know people in both Syria and Greece. If I reach out to them, we can cross the borders safely."
I nodded at Igor's reliable words.
"Alright, then I'll bring the three Fabergé eggs, the necklace we saw earlier, and a few art pieces with me. I'll leave the rest in your capable hands. Make sure they are safely transported to the villa. And also, please prepare a list. Can you manage it?"
"Yes. I'll make sure it happens."
Igor replied firmly. He was trustworthy enough after navigating through life-and-death situations.
"I trust you. Now, let's decide on the items I'm taking with me."
After thinking long and hard, I finally picked just a few items.
I gathered the three Fabergé eggs, the necklace, art presumed to be by Picasso and da Vinci, and an artifact believed to be from Babylon—about twenty items in total.
"Igor, please make sure the rest are transported safely. Until everything's moved, you'll be in charge of securing this place."
"Of course, Boss. I'll take care of it."
Inside the cave, besides the storage facility for the items, there were several rooms suitable for someone to stay in.
If we take our time moving the items, we won't get caught.
"Regardless of how long it takes, we must move everything. Don't rush it. Take your time and move them slowly across multiple trips."
Even though I repeated myself several times, Igor nodded each time, listening intently.
Since I wasn't prone to such repetitions, it seemed he felt a heavy sense of responsibility.
"Once the transportation is complete, increase the number of mercenaries residing at the villa."
"Yes. I'll make sure of it."
"Now, let's bring in my associates and retrieve the items I'm taking."
Igor brought a few mercenaries, and I carefully placed the treasures I planned to take into boxes and containers.
I watched from the corner as I spoke with Manager Ma.
"Manager, I plan to enter Russia through the UK. Please prepare in advance."
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