“It looks like I’ll have to delay my return to Korea a little.”
“I’ll make the arrangents.”
I’d planned to head straight back to Korea the day after the inauguration, but a ssage ca from the Kremlin.
Along with a request to postpone my departure by a few days, Putin suggested we have a drink together tonight.
I thought his “We’ll talk next ti” line was just a polite dismissal, but suddenly I was about to be drinking with him at the presidential dacha in Odintsovo.
“Nothing from Korea?”
“No, nothing unusual.”
“Alright. Don’t schedule anything outside. I’ll just spend the day looking around here.”
I’d gone through the trouble of getting a mansion in Russia, yet I hadn’t even had the chance to properly look around it.
If you run nonstop, you collapse sooner or later.
I planned to take at least one day off from outside engagents, enjoying so leisure with a cup of coffee.
While I was relaxing, everyone’s attention was focused on Putin’s first official national address since his inauguration.
Gathering both dostic and foreign reporters, Putin delivered his first official speech as president.
— Good day, I am President Vladimir Putin. I will clear away all the conflicts and ills that have rotted Russia ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ from the inside. Let us unite all our strength to make Russia a free, prosperous, civilized nation that earns the respect of other countries.
As president, Putin declared a free-market economy along with the birth of the Russian Federation, breaking away from the ruins of the Soviet Union, and set about structural reforms.
But large and small problems erupted one after another, from the war with the Chechen Republic to countless other issues.
The most serious problem was the utter collapse of public security.
The situation was so bad that underground organizations, in collusion with the governnt and party officials, were derided as “another governnt.”
The Russian people were furious that Yeltsin’s faction had let things get to this point.
However, as soon as Putin beca acting president, he granted Yeltsin a pardon.
He had kept his promise to him.
Though the people were disappointed, he mitigated their resentnt by ensuring that no one else apart from Yeltsin received that benefit.
— I promise the firm maintenance of a unified federal state. To that end, I will reclaim most of the powers that have been granted to local governnts back to the federal governnt. Also, I will group the 89 local governnts into 7 federal districts, dispatch plenipotentiary representatives, and keep their overreach in check.
He announced a presidential decree drastically reducing the powers granted to Russia’s local governnts and autonomous republics.
It was a firm statent of his intent to focus on strengthening both his own authority and that of the federal governnt.
Unlike other countries, the Russian president wielded such vast power he was nicknad the Tsar.
Yet Putin was declaring he would go further still, reclaiming powers previously delegated to local governnts.
It was a risky move that could easily spark civil conflict.
— I will reform the dia that has beco the puppet of politicians and oligarchs. And I will investigate the tax evasion, embezzlent, and other cris of corrupt politicians and businessn.
He proposed the enactnt of anti-corruption and anti–money laundering laws, as well as reform of tax legislation.
Berezovsky might think this ant an investigation targeting Gusinsky, but Putin’s ultimate targets were Yeltsin’s cronies who had committed countless acts of corruption.
— I will use all the powers at my disposal to revive the collapsed Russian economy and ensure that the people can live in abundance.
He promised strict protection of private property and called for investnt from dostic entrepreneurs and foreign investors.
When the dostic issues were concluded, the address finally moved on to foreign affairs and security.
— For the construction of a strong nation and economic developnt, I will pursue pragmatic diplomacy with the United States, Western Europe, and East Asian countries.
It was a two-track strategy: never lowering his guard against the U.S. and Western Europe, but always leaving the door open for dialogue.
— However, if anyone uses money as a weapon to pressure Russia, I will not back down. Russia was, is, and will always be a superpower. We will never yield to threats.
This was a warning that if dialogue failed, he would be ready to use force at any ti.
To Central and East Asia, he extended a hand of cooperation; to the West, he sent a warning. His face was firm, his gestures full of confidence.
Showing the image of the strong leader the people desired, he concluded his address.
“Stronger words than I expected.”
I turned off the TV as I watched Putin stride back inside after his speech.
Compared to his pre-regression speech, this was far more hardline.
The original Putin had first extended gestures of reconciliation to the West, built his internal power base, and only later moved to rein in the oligarchs.
But this ti was different.
It seed he intended to take down Gusinsky and Berezovsky at the sa ti.
As I walked through the garden, mulling over my thoughts, it happened.
“Boss.”
Manager Ma, who had been standing off in the distance with the security detail, approached.
“Soone’s here to see you.”
“Who?”
I hadn’t scheduled any outside etings, so no one should be coming.
“A man nad Sergei Ivanov. Shall I turn him away if you don’t wish to et?”
“Ivanov?”
“Yes, he’s waiting outside the estate.”
Sergei Ivanov was a representative figure of the siloviki.
He had trained in the KGB with Putin and, using that relationship, acted as a bridge between KGB and military veterans, earning Putin’s trust.
“Let him in. And have so black tea prepared.”
“Yes, sir.”
I returned to the mansion and waited for Ivanov in the reception room.
Soon, guided in by Manager Ma, a neatly dressed gentleman entered.
“Pleased to et you, I’m Kim Muhyuk.”
“My apologies for coming unannounced. I’m Sergei Ivanov.”
“No problem. If it’s you, Mr. Ivanov, you’re welco anyti.”
A flicker of interest lit in Ivanov’s eyes.
“...You know who I am?”
“You’re President Putin’s fellow KGB alumnus, aren’t you? And currently Chairman of the Russian Security Council.”
“You know a great deal.”
“Please, have a seat.”
I gestured as I sat first, and Ivanov nodded and took his seat.
“I’d like to hear what brings you here.”
I felt my rest had been interrupted, but Ivanov was worth making ti for.
“You’re more direct than I expected.”
“Being from the KGB, I thought you might prefer straight talk.”
“That’s true.”
Instead of speaking right away, Ivanov sipped the tea on the table, studying .
His appraising gaze was unpleasant, but I waited until he spoke his piece.
“In truth, I’ve been very curious about you, Mr. Kim. I’ve known Putin since our KGB days. This is the first ti I’ve seen him praise soone.”
“President Putin?”
Ivanov nodded slightly after another sip of tea.
“Knowing him as long as I have, that’s rare enough to pique my interest. To be frank, I even wondered if a conman had latched onto him.”
My eyebrow twitched before I could stop it.
I like direct speech, but that was pushing it.
Even as we talked, his eyes were fixed on , the classic look of an intelligence operative.
“So I did so checking.”
“You an you investigated ?”
“If you want to call it that, yes. Given my background, I think you can guess what ‘checking’ ans.”
My carefully maintained composure cracked.
I let one corner of my mouth curl in a crooked smile.
“Amusing.”
“It is, isn’t it? And you’ve been up to even more interesting things—in the U.S., in China, and even in what I suppose I must call Korea’s enemy, North Korea.”
Ivanov’s voice cooled as he set down his cup.
“Who exactly are you? The more I dig, the less I can pin you down.”
In the intelligence world of powers like the U.S. and Russia, the idea they wouldn’t know was absurd.
Putin must have had every detail about checked and verified.
So what was Ivanov’s real purpose in coming here to say this?
“Ivanov, what’s your point?”
“Just what I said. I want to know why you approached Putin.”
It was so much pettier than I’d expected that I almost laughed.
“Even as FSB Director, no one imagined he’d beco president. But you approached him before anyone else and won his trust—that’s suspicious.”
“Mr. Ivanov, whoever I et, or whoever President Putin ets, is none of your business.”
My cool retort didn’t slow him.
“Putin is our hope. We’ve endured ten years of humiliation, believing our ti would co again.”
His eyes flashed as he ground his teeth.
“And yet it’s you, not us, who has secured a place at his side. That’s... inconvenient.”
In the Soviet era, the KGB and secret police had been the instrunts of a police state built on fear, wielding unlimited power.
When Gorbachev took power in 1985, their era ended.
Resentful during the long dark years that followed, they’d joined with the military to stage a coup, only to fail against Yeltsin and the people.
Afterward, they kept their heads down, biding their ti—until suddenly Putin erged as Yeltsin’s likely successor.
For the siloviki, it was an opportunity. They had backed him with all their strength.
“I know I’m being rude. But we are sincere.”
There was a chill in Ivanov’s eyes.
I almost laughed. His attempt to check told all I needed to know.
They were just another pack of hyenas, dreaming of using Putin to seize wealth and power.
Whether this was the view of all the siloviki or just Ivanov, I had no intention of letting it pass.
“Go. I have nothing more to say.”
“Mr. Kim, stop involving yourself in Russia. Whatever you’re planning, Russia belongs to Russians.”
“I said get out. Igor!”
Igor, who had been waiting outside, ca in.
“You called, Boss?”
“Our guest is leaving. See him out.”
Igor seed to know Ivanov.
He glanced at him, then nodded to .
“I’ll show you out. Let’s go.”
“A soldier of honorable Russia, reduced to a lapdog for an Oriental. How did it co to this?”
At Ivanov’s sneer, Igor’s tone turned hard.
“Will you walk out, or be dragged out?”
“You’re in a sad state yourself.”
Ivanov smirked as if determined to have the last word, then rose.
“Next ti, it won’t end with a warning, Mr. Kim.”
He just couldn’t resist taking one last jab.
I only watched him leave the reception room, unwilling to dignify it with an answer.
“Ha... That bastard ruined my mood.”
“Are you alright?”
Manager Ma, seeing my scowl, asked, but I didn’t answer—better to keep from snapping at him.
Silence hung in the room.
A mont later, Igor returned from escorting Ivanov out.
“Boss, he’s gone.”
“You knew Ivanov before, Igor?”
“Yes. We worked a few operations together during my military service.”
“What kind of man is he?”
The Ivanov I rembered was the gentlemanly figure from the dia.
“He’s a textbook KGB operative. Politically shrewd. Sa class as President Putin, but as I recall, he was promoted much faster.”
“Really?”
“...Boss, may I offer so advice?”
Igor was the type to carry out orders faithfully without giving his own opinion—a soldier through and through.
For him to speak up like this was rare enough to make curious.
After choosing his words, he spoke heavily.
“Getting entangled with Ivanov is dangerous. He’s used to stepping over corpses to climb higher. He’d abandon even family for his own safety.”
I nodded lightly to reassure him.
“Sounds like soone I’ll never be friends with. I’d like to be alone until dinner—let know when it’s ti.”
“Yes, sir.”
Alone in my bedroom, I gathered my thoughts.
I hadn’t expected the siloviki to start checking this soon.
I’d have to back dvedev more strongly.
Confronting the situation sooner than expected left my mind in a tangle.
* * *
“Mr. Kim, welco.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
Putin greeted with a broad smile.
His staff set out vodka and snacks, then left the dacha.
The spacious building quickly fell silent.
“I asked you to delay your return so we could have a quiet drink and talk.”
“I was sorry to leave so soon—it worked out well.”
My light remark brought a smile to Putin’s lips.
“Haha. Did you see my first national address?”
“Of course. I watched on TV at ho.”
“What did you think?”
“As with your inauguration, your vision ca across very clearly.”
Putin nodded in satisfaction, but I kept my gaze on him and spoke again.
I had no intention of leaving soone’s attempt to belittle unanswered.
“Mr. President, today a man nad Sergei Ivanov ca to see .”
“Ivanov?”
“Yes. He warned to stay away from your side. Was that your idea?”
The smile vanished from Putin’s face in an instant.
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