Chương 326: Chapter 326: You Will Regret Refusing This Deal
As I stepped into the hotel lobby, a group of burly men walked toward us.
Igor, who seemed to know one of them, moved forward to engage in conversation.
After finishing his talk, he returned with a voice low enough for only me to hear.
"They say only two bodyguards are allowed. And they want us to disarm, Boss."
"Disarm?"
"Yes, Boss. It's an unspoken rule among the Russian mafia to not bring weapons to the negotiation table. What should we do?"
"If that's the custom, then we'll follow it. Tell them we'll comply."
"Boss, isn't this dangerous?"
Manager Ma, standing beside me, frowned at the mention of disarming.
He seemed to recall the incidents from North Korea. I smiled at him to ease his worries.
"It'll be fine. When has something like that ever happened again?"
"…Alright, I understand."
After handing over Igor's and Manager Ma's guns to the men, we were guided to the elevator.
One of the men joined us in the elevator. The doors closed, but the elevator remained still.
The man skillfully inserted a key into a small lock beneath the buttons and turned it.
To my surprise, the elevator began to slowly move without pressing any buttons.
It stopped at the top floor of the hotel. The door opened to reveal a grand living room.
It seemed Mogilevich used the entire floor as his home.
Inside the living room waited several strong men.
"You can go now."
The man who had accompanied us in the elevator gestured for us to proceed. I followed his lead.
We passed by intimidating men who glared at us, arriving at an elaborately decorated door.
"Boss, we've brought the guest."
"Let him in."
As I received permission from inside, the guards at the entrance opened the door.
The first thing I noticed was a middle-aged man sitting on a sofa, puffing on a cigar.
He looked like an average rugged Russian man.
Upon entering, Mogilevich's henchmen blocked Igor and Manager Ma from following me.
"You'll have to enter alone from here."
"I've never heard of such an arrangement."
Igor protested, but Mogilevich's men only stood there resolutely.
They clearly intended to dominate the situation. I chuckled lightly and signaled for them to back off.
Once Igor and Manager Ma caught my gesture and stepped back, the door finally closed behind me.
I slowly approached Mogilevich.
Mogilevich, with his legs crossed and head tilted, exhaled a long puff of smoke as I approached.
"Semion Mogilevich? A pleasure to meet you. I'm Kim Mu-hyeok."
I extended my greetings through the haze of smoke, but he showed no reaction.
He didn't even stand up; he merely regarded me from his seat, still holding the cigar.
"Rude fellow, or perhaps he thinks he's superior."
While a soft smile lingered on his lips, I looked back at Mogilevich with cold, emotionless eyes.
I was just as keen to inspect him as he was to size me up.
As I had sensed earlier, Mogilevich did have some heft, but he still resembled a typical Russian man.
Finishing his scrutiny without acknowledging my greeting, Mogilevich waved his hand dismissively.
"Have a seat."
I didn't want to engage in pointless games. I sat down quietly without responding.
Seeing my lack of reaction, he raised one eyebrow and offered me a box of cigars.
"Care for one?"
"No thanks. I quit smoking."
"Oh, you've quit? You seem tougher than your appearance suggests."
Mogilevich smirked before setting the cigar box down.
After taking a long drag that made his cheeks hollow, he exhaled and spoke.
"I hear you're a friend of Putin's. You must have a good line of connections at such a young age."
"Connections? You seem to make friends like that, Mogilevich. A friend in Russia shouldn't be just that."
"Ah, so you understand Russian culture well."
I replied somewhat aggressively to probe him, but Mogilevich shrugged it off as nothing significant.
Instead of indulging in pleasantries, he dove right into the main topic.
"Why did you want to meet me? I hear you're from Korea. What could a businessman from a small country have to discuss with me?"
Mogilevich released another cloud of thick smoke.
"I've heard you're the godfather of the Russian mafia."
"Godfather? Perhaps."
I followed suit and got straight to business without wasting time.
"Aren't you interested in the Japanese market?"
"Japan? A Korean suddenly brings up the Japanese market?"
"My nationality doesn't matter. The market is what counts. So, are you interested?"
"What market are you talking about? Weapons trafficking, or drug trafficking? That's the business I'm already in. You must have a unique business idea."
Mogilevich looked bored, displaying no interest whatsoever.
"How about if you entirely dominate the Japanese drug market, Mogilevich? Smuggling, distribution, sales—all of it."
Soon, the Black Dragon Society would initiate a fierce war in Japan.
Adding the Russian mafia's involvement into the mix would turn it into a chaotic battlefield with three criminal organizations clashing.
"Did you say your name was Kim Mu-hyeok?"
"Yes."
"Are you out of your mind?"
"Of course. I'm perfectly fine."
"Do you speak sense? Why would we only smuggle while leaving distribution and sales to the Japanese Yakuza? There's no need to fight them if we don't have to, and we can't win. Fighting against an organization that controls a nation wouldn't benefit us in any way."
Mogilevich frowned as if he'd heard something he shouldn't have.
I spoke provocatively to trigger him.
"You're giving up without even trying?"
"Let me ask you one thing. If we start distributing and selling drugs in Korea, will you leave us alone?"
"Absolutely not. I will stop you at all costs."
"You see, isn't that the problem? The Japanese Yakuza isn't going to sit idly by either, are they?"
He showed a negative reaction. To catch the big fish, you need to use a bigger bait.
I threw a bit of information his way.
"I hear the Chinese triads are planning to send many operatives to seize the Japanese market soon. Are you just going to sit there and let them take it?"
Since this information couldn't be found anywhere else, a curse escaped Mogilevich's lips.
"What the hell! Is that true?"
"Absolutely. A bloody war is about to break out."
Mogilevich crushed his cigar into the ashtray and closed his eyes without answering.
Lost in deep thought, he suddenly opened his eyes and spoke firmly.
"Then it makes even more sense not to get involved. If those two fight to the death, won't we profit? If they clash in Japan…the arms trade will flourish."
"So, are you satisfied with arms dealing?"
"Listen here, Kim Mu-hyeok. The most profitabl business in the world is war. There's nothing more lucrative than selling weapons during a conflict. When it's not a war between nations, but fights among mafias, it's even better for arms dealers like us. The more chaos, the more money we make. Thank you for the valuable information."
It seemed he calculated his gains in that brief moment.
Indeed, those who reach the zenith of Russian mafia leadership are quick on the uptake.
"Then I will propose this deal to other organizations as well. I came to you first, not because you're the godfather of the Russian mafia, but because I wanted to gauge your interest first."
"Ha, no one can conduct business in this city without my permission. They're all under my thumb. I assure you, meeting anyone else would be the same."
"I doubt that. I received intel that there's an organization planning to ambush me just because I came to meet you."
Mogilevich's previous laughter stopped abruptly.
His face turned cold in an instant as he looked at me.
"Shall I conclude that these people see your life as a target as per my orders?"
"What did you just say?"
"Isn't it true? You said no business could be conducted without your say-so. Yet, an organization came to eliminate me while I'm offering a proposal. If you didn't direct them to kill me, then your words were a lie. Am I wrong?"
"Ha! You're quite bold, young man. To say such a thing to my face without hesitation."
Mogilevich glared at me, speaking in a low, dangerous tone.
"The only reason I met you was due to curiosity about the Korean businessman rumored to be friends with Putin. I have no desire to do any business with you. I don't know who seeks to take your life, but don't worry. No one in Moscow will lay a finger on you."
Mogilevich finished speaking and picked up another cigar.
He cut the end with a cigar cutter and lit it with a torch lighter.
He stood and gazed out at the Kremlin Palace through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Turning to meet my eyes beyond the glass, he spoke triumphantly.
"See that? From here, I can spot both the Kremlin Palace and Red Square. Moscow is all but my empire. So don't worry about those punks who planned to assassinate you. Just enjoy the sights of Moscow while you're here."
He seemed to live in his own world, thinking of Moscow as his empire.
It was clear that conversations with such an arrogant person would go nowhere.
"I'll take my leave now. It seems business has concluded."
"You will regret refusing this deal."
"I have never regretted a decision in my life, so don't spout nonsense and leave."
Turning my back to his derisive smoke, I walked toward the exit.
As I stepped outside, Manager Ma and Igor approached from the front.
"Let's go."
Seeing my stiff expression, the two men followed silently.
We took the elevator down to the first floor with the man who had guided us earlier.
Stepping outside, the cool Moscow air brushed against my face.
The shock of everything that just happened cleared my foggy mind.
"Let's head back for now."
Things hadn't gone as planned, but it wasn't a colossal issue.
If a tiger curls up, a fox can still swing its tail.
Smirking, I glanced back at the top floor where Mogilevich was, then turned away.
After spending some time organizing my thoughts in the office, I called for Igor and Manager Ma.
"Igor, can you arrange a meeting with Ivanov or Usov? I'd like t meet tt them."
"I'll reach out and see."
"I have an appointment with Putin tomorrow. I'd like to meet them before heading back to Korea."
"Understood. I'll try to set something up as soon as possible."
Manager Ma cautiously spoke up. He seemed to have guessed the earlier negotiations hadn't gone well.
"Was the negotiation not successful?"
"No. It seems the Black Dragon Society plans to do arms dealing during the war against the Japanese Yakuza."
"…"
"Using the intel I provided, he quickly calculated what would yield more benefit for him. It seems he is sharper than the rumors suggest. Such people are hard to sway, so it's a disappointment."
"Will you eliminate him?"
"I'll meet with the heads of other mafias before making any decisions."
At that moment, Igor chimed in, having listened to our conversation.
"Boss, eliminating Mogilevich is no easy task."
"Why? Is he harder than Ivanov?"
"To be frank, it's much more difficult."
Igor was declaring that the mafia boss was much harder to take down than the head of the Siloviki.
It naturally raised questions.
"Why is that?"
"After the Soviet Union collapsed, Mogilevich quickly united various mafias. Using his intelligence, he acted like a legitimate businessman. If we were to rashly eliminate him, we could plunge into chaos beyond measure."
Claiming it was difficult to take him down because of such reasons didn't add up.
I chuckled and made a joke.
"Why hold him in such fear? Does he really have nuclear weapons?"
Igor nodded gravely.
"It's possible. After the federation collapsed, things were chaotic. It wouldn't be surprising if a few nuclear weapons ended up in the hands of the mafia."
"Are you insane? How can it be that nuclear weapons are in the mafia's hands?"
It was such an absurd statement that I couldn't help but curse.
In that moment, Mogilevich's confident face, looking down at the Kremlin Palace, flashed in my mind.
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