Empire of the Ring

“I’m not too worried since the hotel’s security director is Lee Chulho but working every day being pressured is not fun.”

Ever since Moscow’s hotel went into business, it was receiving local mafias’ threatening letters every several days and everyone was overwrought. The letters asked for a certain percentage of the hotel’s profits as a bribe or management of the hotel bar. It was hard to ignore the letters because it was written that if the hotel did not answer, they would take some kind of threatening action.

“Who are these cheap shots anyway?”

Jong-il brushed off his face and asked in a frustrated voice.

“You think I’d sit silently if I know who they are? Southern mafias also investigated upon them but didn’t find out anything.”

Cha Insoo also was stressed out and his face was drawn and haggard. He had been paying all of his attention in Moscow as well because of some mafias.

The police authorities were also looking after the hotel because Yaniv had pressured them that if something went wrong, Moscow would get in trouble but they only sent some patrols around the hotel and did not really get into capturing the criminals. There was nothing to expect from police authorities since they were worse than mafias in a way.

If the hotel was Youngho’s, he would have paid the local mafias but since it was a sensitive issue for Yaniv, he was being cautious and it was not like he could declare war against the mafias. This would not be resolved after catching some small fries. Since those mafias were mobile, if he defeated one group, others would still come and find him since it was said that hundreds of gang groups were born recently in Moscow.

President Putin had declared a war against red mafias and backed down after several years of raising the stakes with getting rid of them. Until there were enough quality employment opportunities and corruptions disappeared in Russia, it was something that the nation had to suffer.

If Youngho decided to get rid of the local mafias, other groups would soon join to avenge them since they would have to set an example of what would happen to the people who ignored their request. There would be no gain for Youngho.

“Brother Sergey. Did you find out which organization it is?”

“I’ve got some idea about what it would be so I contacted them and they said it was a group that fell apart from their organization and they’re out of their control. They don’t even know who the leader is.”

“I want to know how many members are there.”

“Those groups have only a dozen at max and sometimes they’re only four or five. Since we’ve taken our hands off those petty dirty works for so long, little mafia gangs aren’t even scared of us anymore. They think we’re just a business group.”

“I can’t shake them thoughtlessly. If they begin to disturb our business, it’ll be only a loss to our hotel’s reputation.”

“Just wait for a bit. There’s a huge organization in Moscow that I can negotiate with. Those little gangs won’t ignore their warning.”

Yaniv had become a businessman but he was still like an emperor in southern Russia. He was not a paper tiger yet. If he decided to re-establish his mafia organization, thousands of men would come under him immediately. He was only holding back because he did not want to lose his reputation as a businessman that he had been building.

In recent times, skinheads had also joined those gangs and had been attacking colored people in Russia. Likewise, Arirang Hotel was not free from them.

Because the hotel used the name of ‘Arirang,’ the skinheads had been roaming around the hotel thinking that the hotel was taking away Russia’s national wealth.

Although they did not take obvious actions, colored people were reluctant to stay at the hotel. The very existence of skinheads at the hotel was a threat to them.

Their targets were usually immigrants in Russia, who came from the South Caucasus, Chechnya, Georgia, and Armenians and other Asians. They held a grudge against immigrants since they had taken superior job positions instead of Slavs.

The anger of the skinheads, who were left out of the competition in capitalism and were left out in despair, was being expressed as a terrorist attack on colored people. Ironically, these ultranationalists’ activities were said to be supported by President Putin by the western world.

Putin often refers to Russia as a diverse, multiracial, multi-religious, and multi-cultural country but many analyzed that he, who had the nickname czar, a Russian word for emperor, neglected the ultranationalists in an effort to regain the glory of the past.

Since this was the situation in Russia, Youngho, being an Asian, would not ever be able to root down in Russia without Yaniv’s help.

***

The three friends were now at the management office of Zeynep Farm to discuss the matter. Lately, there had not been a situation where they had to gather opinions but now, the case of the hotel in Moscow was the issue.

“I’m dying to get rid of them at once but we need to see how things go for now.”

Since the hotel was not being disturbed by the mafias and skinheads for now and the damage would not be so big even if the hotel could not do business regularly, Youngho concluded to wait for a while without taking any actions.

Yaniv said that he would take care of it and soon, it would be resolved in any way. Stressing over the issue would not resolve anything as well.

“Why don’t we support them in secret and adopt them for our own use? We’ll need intelligence agents anyway.”

After making a nonsensical suggestion, Jong-il chuckled at himself.

“Man, I’ll just die if I have to work with them.”

“At any rate, if they laid a finger on the hotel, I’m going to hunt down every last one of them!”

“Whoa, our director of intelligence is getting too violent. You said only rum-dums involve themselves in gunfighting.”

As Insoo teased him, Jong-il snorted.

“If the security company can’t defend the hotel, the genius people of the intelligence department will take an action. You should do your best if you want to save your face, man.”

The security guards from Insoo’s company only took care of the inside security of the hotel, so he would not have any trouble. Also, a one-time struggle against the gangs would not end the war.

Youngho would only have to watch how Yaniv would resolve this in the mafia’s way. Even if there was a war, people would not say anything if it was mafias against mafias.

He knew that his involvement would only worsen the issue. Besides, it would trouble Yaniv if he took action.

“And you thought you’ll have enough funds when the hotel started its business.”

Not understanding what Jong-il was talking about, Youngho only looked at his friend.

“I’m asking if you’re not having trouble with your funds after giving your companies to me and Insoo.”

“What are you talking about? Yaniv properly paid me the balance when I exchanged my share with his and I’m stress-free.”

“Well then that’s great but you know we’d been doing great so far because of you. We decided to give you supporting funds until Arirang Farm could operate by itself.”

Thinking that Moscow’s hotel was losing money, Jong-il announced that he and Insoo were going to give funds to Youngho.

Youngho was happy to hear that but he did not need such a small amount of funds.

“I’m not that desperate to take a child’s pocket money. Don’t worry.”

“A child’s pocket money? You know we make a lot now. You already made your point and saved your face. We’re not trying to pile up riches here with what you’ve done. Don’t say any more. It’s what we both agreed on.”

The more money the better and they must have their own desires too. Despite that, they were trying to help Youngho. Thankful for their thoughtfulness, Youngho’s heart was warmed.

“Okay, I get your point. I’ll ask if I’m in need of your help. By the way, Dr. Park Youngsun had been staying in Baku a lot lately. What’s up with him?”

“For someone who’s called a boss, you should know everything at a glance. You still have a long way to go, dummy.”

“What is it?”

“Um, he might get married for the second time soon. It’s something that people around him should push, so Karajan and I gave him a little nudge.”

Every man for his own trade and Youngho wondered when the workaholic Dr. Park had found time to meet a woman. Although he was not young anymore, he still had not reached fifty yet, and he could use a new marriage.

Youngho regretted not seeing his need earlier. He felt sorry that he did not have the time to look around people around him.

“That’s relieving. I didn’t want him to live only for his grown-up daughter forever. If he’s found someone he likes, I’m shipping him with anyone.”

“What if that someone is Leon’s nanny and the head of the maids?”

“What?”

***

Something that Youngho feared finally happened.

Someone who was guessed to be a mafia threw a firebomb at the hotel’s entrance. The person who was caught in a CC-TV camera was not a bald skinhead but a young lad looking in his twenties.

Growing beard meant that he planned to shave after committing a crime. It seemed that he had prepared this thoroughly in advance. Because the hotel was guarded tightly, the fire was put out in the early stage but the hotel’s reputation was tarnished already.

The hotel was already well-known by the public for being specially featured by the press, so no travel agencies would suggest a hotel that had become a target of some gangs.

When Youngho called Sergey, he complained that he had a hard time calming Yaniv.

“Oh, don’t say it. Boss is outrageous. He already gathered the members of our organization.”

“Wouldn’t they be quiet for a while since they just made their point?”

“Youngho. You don’t know how these guys are like here. They bother their target until they get what they want.”

“So, they’re going to try again.”

He knew exactly how things would be since he had done exactly the same things in the past as a mafia. He would have been worse than the new gangs.

“The government is not going to let this pass since the gangs had bombed a facility for the public. The authorities now know that it’s a power struggle between mafia groups. There will be a wave of arrests from now on but it’s going to die down soon again. In the meantime, we plan to communicate with mob bosses in Moscow.”

There would be a conference of mob bosses who owned decent-scale organizations in Moscow but Youngho was not sure if that would make any difference.

The fearless gangs would not blink an eye since they were lunatics who urgently needed money for drugs.

As Youngho hung up the phone, Jong-il who had been listening to the conversation next to him sighed.

“It amazes me how this country still exists.”

“It’s Russia. Only Russia can run like this.”

This was the phrase that many Russians used when they were dumbfounded by events or when they exaggeratedly self-mock their country.

Youngho did not even know how he had survived in this kind of environment so far. The place where normal senses did not work was Russia and the Caucasus region. Something that was unimaginable for people who grew up in Korea happened every day.

However, there was no other option but to cope with the situation. It would drive him crazy if he tried to reason every single detail. This was why Youngho could have become rich here even though he came empty-handed in the beginning.

Because common sense did not work, the Caucasus was open for more opportunities than any other places.