Chapter 4: A Thousand Lives Saved
Fortunately, Putin came out of the apartment at the same time as yesterday. Today, Nikolai was able to smoothly follow him. The place he arrived at was an open space next to a road where a lot of cars were parked. It's where people who operate unlicensed taxi services gather. Nikolai got off at a distance from the open space, hiding behind a big tree.
"We're short on money. We couldn't even pay the bribe two days ago, and now again today?"
"Do we look like fools to you?"
"Ah, no. These days, there are really no customers."A man who appeared to be a small-bodied Korean looked terrified and took a step back.
"If there are no customers, how did the other drivers manage to fill up?"
"W-well, that's..."
"This guy is useless. Hey, get yourself together."
Following Putin's orders, the two burly men grabbed the Korean man from both sides and aggressively started attacking. If he fell, they stomped on him and then lifted him up again, striking at his torso. "Urgh." the Korean man groaned.
Despite being hit in the torso, he would still be able to drive the taxi. Blood was flowing from the fallen driver's mouth. "I do volunteer work and donations. Should I harbor ill feelings because of a shrimp-eyed guy like you?"
"..."
"We'll finish it here today, but if it's not enough again tomorrow, let's see what happens."
Struggling to rise as he clutched his abdomen, the man got into the taxi. He then gripped the steering wheel tightly and glanced at Putin before disappearing in the opposite direction across the road.
Nikolai waved his hands on the road as if to show them. As expected, Putin was the first to rush towards him.
Nikolai was wearing an outfit that clearly looked like they had money, which made Putin smell the scent of his wealth. "Oh? Are you looking for a taxi?"
"Yes."
"Get in my car."
"Ah, that's great."
As I sat diagonally in the back seat, Putin asked, "Where do you want to go?"
"I just want to leisurely drive around the city."
"Just drive around?"
"Yes. It's a place I lived when I was young, so I have a lot of memories."
While saying that, Nikolai took out a banknote in advance and handed it to him. Seeing the thick wad of cash in his wallet, a greedy glint appeared in Putin's eyes. "Alright. Let's drive around then."
"By the way, I overheard something on the road earlier."
"...?"
"That guy got beaten up because he couldn't pay the protection money..."
With a twisted smile, Putin's face crumpled for a moment while he was driving. "I'd prefer you didn't mention that."
"Well, since we have plenty of time to wander around the city, why not talk about it?"
Quickly, I handed him the same amount of money as before. "Every time you tell me something I'm curious about, I'll give you this much."
"Well, if that's the case. Haha."
Indeed, at that moment, Putin was like an ordinary person, putting money first. Considering the current chaotic state of Russia and his situation, it was somewhat understandable. However, it's not easy to adapt to the drastically different image of Putin, who has been known as a man of iron and ruled Russia for over 20 years. As they toured the city, Nikolai continuously asked various questions and occasionally inquired about things related to him. Each time Putin answered, Nikolai handed him a banknote. Addiction is truly frightening. Having tasted the taste of money, he eventually brought up his very personal matters.
"When you have power, why stay idle? If you have it, you should wield it." Nikolai thought. "In today's world, power is the real law. Look at those mafia guys. How well they eat and live. With power, I will take whatever I want, even if I have to snatch it away."
Nikolai had thought that the bastard who instigated the Russo-Ukrainian War and ordered me to kill myself, deserved to die. But he also wondered, "Is today's Putin any different?" However, after having many conversations with him, he realized that the future Putin is not any different from that bastard of the past.
"Can you stop for a moment in that remote place over there? I need to relieve myself."
"Understood."
The car stopped in a secluded place that had a gloomy atmosphere, where only the skeleton of a five-story building remained. Carrying a bag, Nikolai went behind a tree where Putin couldn't see him. Nikolai took out the poison from the bag and mixed it with a drink. He could easily tell which drink was for Putin since its cap was red.
Everyone knows how precious human life is. But what if taking out one person could save tens of thousands of lives? What if it could alleviate the suffering of billions? "I am more than willing to take care of it. After all, he's a person who deserves to be dealt with personally." he thought.
Putting the drink back into the bag, Nikolai acted as if he was loosening his pants. At that moment, a loud bang echoed, and his ears went numb! He looked at where the noise came from. The car was wrecked! The right driver's seat where Putin was sitting was crushed. Nikolai saw the face of the person trying to escape after crashing the car.
"Isn't that the Korean guy who was beaten up by Putin's gang earlier?"
In an instant, the car disappeared from sight, and Nikolai approached Putin, who was bleeding profusely. He weakly reached out for help.
"Help me... please."
Nikolai stared at him for a moment, lost in thought, then turned away.
Walking along the cement-paved road, I poured all the drinks from my bag, making a splashing sound.
The next day, the accident news appeared on St. Petersburg regional TV. "The deceased's name is 'Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.' This person was operating an unlicensed taxi when..."
"It's over."
Nicolaï felt a sense of relief, but at the same time, a hollow feeling crept in. Even though he had achieved his life's goal, he couldn't help but feel uncertain. The butterfly effect, was that what they called it? If Putin had not followed him to a secluded place instead and stayed in that crowded open space with the taxis, he might have survived. But he followed him.
In the grand scheme of things, major and inevitable events unfold worldwide. However, the future of Russia, the country most impacted by Putin's influence, remained uncertain. The Russians had followed Putin out of mob mentality, just like how the Germans had followed Hitler in the past. Who now criticizes the current German citizens for following Hitler? The evil axis, Putin, was undoubtedly dead.
"From now on, I will become stronger. Strong enough not to yield to any external pressure." Nikolai told himself, deciding to become rational. During his days as a journalist, he had posted trashy articles on the internet just to make a living, even when he thought, "This is not right." He had to suppress dirty and shameful feelings, even going as far as being called a "journalistic scum." He vowed not to live like that anymore. "I will live true to my convictions, speaking my mind without worrying about others."
Nicolaï clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. On the train back to Moscow...
"As I feared. Your breakup caused your grandfather to be extremely angry." his father said. So, even if you go, stay quiet."
"Understood."
I can't stay quiet. Now that I'm about to start in earnest, I absolutely need my grandfather's support. If I miss this opportunity, who knows how long I'll have to wait. But become a puppet? No way. There's nowhere further down to fall from here. Nicolaï vowed to seize this opportunity.
Was it a tradition here that everyone must live in big houses? Grandfather "Yuri Yusupov's" mansion was about 1.5 times larger than Nicolaï's mansion. As he crossed the garden, there were a lot of people near the dozens of large hearths. At a glance, there seemed to be hundreds of cheerful guests. It was only natural for them to step into the powerful status of the wealthy family, but this was beyond Nikolai's imagination. In the high-ceilinged third-floor-piercing living room, there were also dozens of people gathered. "Are all these people my relatives?"
To avoid any mistakes, Nicolaï remembered each face one by one. "Ivan, it's been a while."
Whenever their eyes met, the relatives greeted his father. They may smile brightly and welcome him on the surface, but their true feelings might be different. Human instincts are similar. Whether they are oligarchs or not, they always want to have more. Perhaps these people came here to inherit wealth or gain special privileges. If Grandfather Yuri Yusupov didn't have money, would they have gathered like this? Some believed that the Yusupov family would also decline with the change in the country, but that was the perspective of the upper echelons, similar to the Romanov family. To the people below, it was still a powerful family. Nicolaï avoided their gaze and greeted his family members.
The parents, Ivan and Maria, greeted first, and then Nicolaï, his 23-year-old brother Denis, and his 19-year-old sister Victoria also exchanged greetings. "Happy birthday, Father."
"Happy birthday, Grandpa."
"Yes, come here."
Grandfather Yuri's gaze briefly rested on Nicolaï, but he didn't say anything. Birthdays in a wealthy family were definitely different. Famous male and female singers took turns singing, and professional chefs tirelessly prepared dishes. Each dish was luxurious, but Nicolaï only had a few bites and put his fork down. Most of the food was greasy, which didn't suit his taste. "Ah, I miss a bowl of soybean paste soup with white rice. But at this rate, I'll be up all night."
Russian commoners' birthday parties also tend to last quite a long time. Especially for those with some wealth, there's no fixed time. The country may have changed, but for them, it's just a different country's story. Nicolaï arrived at 11 a.m., only greeting his family members, and the sun was already setting. During that time, Nicolaï gradually grasped the personalities of his relatives. It was impossible to have a perfect understanding, but he could quickly figure out who disliked him. There were pairs of people who came to pick a fight. "Nicolaï, you and Zhenya are completely done, right?" a man started.
"That's right."
"I knew it would end up that way. I thought Grandfather was being a bit too much. Denis isn't even his son, and you, who only know how to draw pictures. Because of you, the Romanov family looked down on us even more."
"That's true. If Zhenya hadn't been so frustrated, would she have suggested breaking up?" a woman, presumably the man's sister, added.
The man and his sister were gossiping openly. The oil from the lamb shashlik they were chewing reflected the light, shimmering at the corners of their mouths.
In the past, Nicolaï would have been disheartened and just listened silently, but now he was a different person. "Hey, dork. Are you done talking?"
"What?"
The man blinked with a look of 'Did I hear that right?'
"Shut up and chew your meat. Who are you to lecture me, always sucking up to vodka and acting like a know-it-all?"
"What did you just say?"
"Aren't you embarrassed? Don't you get all red in the face or anything?"
"Haah, you broke off the engagement, and now you're finally going crazy?"
"Do you want to get hit by a lunatic? Want to try sparring with boxing gloves on? Show me what you've got on Grandfather's birthday? If you're confident, come at me."
As Nicolaï tried to take off his violet tuxedo, the man quickly ran away in another direction. Knowing their private lives through his memories, Nicolaï then shifted his gaze to the woman. "You, do you think I don't know what you did during that month-long trip last year?"
"What are you talking about? What did I do?"
"Do you want me to tell Grandfather that you were with three guys the whole time during the trip?"
"That, that's not..."
"Rumors like that, all our peers know about them. The adults don't know yet, but it would be fun to spread it around on a joyful day like today, wouldn't it?"
Terrified, the girl disappeared in the direction where her brother had fled, her dress fluttering as she rushed. Seeing Nicolaï's sudden change of attitude, his older brother Denis and younger sister Victoria, who were nearby, approached, looking up and down at him alternately.
"That's right. A man can't back down. I was a bit doubtful after hearing what Mother said, but you really have changed. As expected of my little brother!" Denis praised.
"Nicolaï, you were awesome!"
They both smirked at him. The thoughtfulness of siblings towards each other was truly beautiful. "Should I introduce a girl to you, Denis?"
"Huh?"
"She's pretty. The house seems nice too. How about making plans to meet?" Nikolai offered.
"Ah, Denis, read the atmosphere a bit."
In response to Victoria's words, Denis chuckled and patted his younger brother's shoulder.
"If you want to pursue art, go for it. If you want to do something else, do it. Don't worry about what others think. After all, we only live once."
Dennis was a typical Russian man, unlike the rest of the family members who valued formality and tradition. He had a carefree side that didn't quite fit in with the values of the family. Victoria seemed to have inherited some of her brother's personality traits. Being a woman, she had a delicate side that made her pretty face even more beautiful. "Shall we have another drink when we get home today?"
As Victoria was about to reply, they heard their mother Maria's voice. "Hey, come upstairs, your grandfather wants to see everyone."
Finally, the moment had come. It was my first and last opportunity since becoming part of this body. Determined not to back down anymore, Nikolai made his way to the third floor where his grandfather was waiting.