Chapter 4

The Bear's Soup is Now My Turn 4

004 I Revived Him. The Future's Many Worlds / Grandfather's Birthday

Fortunately, Putin came out of the apartment at the same time as yesterday.

Today, I could follow him smoothly.

He arrived at an open space next to a road with many cars.

It's a place where people who run unlicensed taxi services gather.

Nikolai got off a little away from the open space and hid behind a large street tree.

"Short of money, aren't you? You couldn't pay the tribute two days ago, and you're doing it again today? We look ridiculous, don't we?"

"No, no. There really are no customers these days."

A Korean man, who looked small and thin, took a few steps back, trembling with fear.

"If there are no customers, how do the other drivers manage to pay?"

"That, that's..."

"This guy is hopeless. Hey, snap him out of it."

Following Putin's order, two burly men grabbed him from both sides and started beating him ruthlessly.

They kicked him when he fell and then pulled him up to continue beating him in the torso.

"Ugh! Oof."

Even though they hit him in the torso to prevent him from driving, blood was flowing from the driver's mouth, which was on the ground.

"I do volunteer work and make donations. Do you think I should have bad thoughts because of a shrimp like you?"

"..."

"I'll end it here today, but if you're short again tomorrow, you'll see what happens."

The man, clutching his stomach, struggled to stand up and got into his car.

He then gripped the steering wheel tightly, glanced at Putin for a moment, and drove off in the opposite direction across the road.

Nikolai waved his hand busily on the road to get their attention.

As expected, Putin was the first to run over.

Seeing his well-dressed appearance, which suggested he had money, Putin's eyes gleamed with greed.

"Hey? Looking for a taxi?"

"Yes."

"Get in my car."

"Great."

Sitting diagonally opposite the driver's seat in the back, Putin asked,

"Where to?"

"I want to drive around the city slowly."

"Just drive around?"

"Yes. I lived here when I was young, so I have many memories."

He then took out a bill and gave it to Putin in advance.

Seeing the thick wad of cash in his wallet, Putin's eyes sparkled with greed.

"Alright. I'll drive around then."

"But I overheard something on the road just now."

"…?"

"That guy couldn't pay the tribute, so they were beating him up…?"

Putin's face, which had been smiling while driving, suddenly twisted.

"I'd rather not talk about that."

"Um. We have plenty of time to drive around the city. Can you tell me a bit more?"

He quickly gave Putin another bill of the same amount.

"I'll give you this much every time you answer my questions."

"Ah, if that's the case. Haha."

Indeed, at this moment, Putin was thinking like an ordinary person, prioritizing money.

Considering the current chaotic state of Russia and his situation, it's somewhat understandable.

However, it's hard to reconcile this with the image of Putin, who was called the Iron Man and ruled Russia for over 20 years.

Nikolai kept asking questions while sightseeing around the city, and occasionally asked about related matters, giving a bill each time.

Addiction is truly a terrifying thing.

Having tasted the sweet taste of money, he eventually started sharing his very personal stories.

"I have power, so why should I just stand by? If you have it, you should use it. In today's world, power is the law. Look at the mafia. How well they live. If I have power, I'll take it by force."

The bastard who started the Russo-Ukrainian War and ordered my death deserves to die, but I wondered if the current Putin might be different.

However, after many conversations, I realized that the current Putin is no different from the bastard of the future.

"Can you stop for a moment at that secluded place over there? I need to pee."

"Sure."

The car stopped at a desolate place where a five-story building construction had been halted, leaving only the framework, creating a desolate atmosphere.

He went behind a tree with his bag, out of sight.

He took out the poison from the bag and mixed it with the drink.

The drink for Putin had a red cap, so there was no confusion.

No one is unaware that human life is precious.

But if one person can be eliminated to save hundreds of thousands of lives?

Or to alleviate the suffering of billions?

'I will willingly do it. After all, I need to settle this personally.'

Nikolai pretended to zip up his pants after putting the drink back in the bag.

But then.

Boom!

A tremendous explosion.

His ears went deaf for a moment.

He looked at where the car was.

It was destroyed. The right driver's seat where Putin was sitting.

He saw the face of the person who tried to crash the car and flee.

'That person... Wasn't he the Korean who was beaten by Putin's gang earlier?'

After a brief glimpse of the car that disappeared, he approached Putin, who was bleeding profusely.

Putin, with his eyes half-open and losing his vitality, struggled to reach out his hand.

"Help me... P-please."

"..."

Nikolai stood there for a moment, lost in thought, then turned away.

He walked along the concrete road, pouring out all the drinks from the bag.

* * *

The next day, a news report about the accident aired on St. Petersburg local TV.

"The deceased is 'Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.' He was running an unlicensed taxi service..."

"It's over."

Nikolai felt both relieved and empty.

He had achieved his lifelong goal, yet this feeling was indescribable.

It was truly a mysterious feeling.

The butterfly effect, perhaps?

If Putin hadn't followed him to a secluded place but stayed at the open space where many taxis were, he might have survived.

But he followed.

Globally, significant and inevitable events will happen.

However, how Russia's future, which was most influenced by Putin, will change is uncertain.

Russian citizens followed Putin, deceived by the crowd mentality, just as German citizens followed Hitler in the past.

Does anyone blame today's German citizens for following Hitler?

The evil Putin is definitely dead.

'From now on, I will become stronger. Strong enough not to bend to any external pressure.'

And he decided to become more cold-hearted.

During his days as a journalist, when he received orders from above, he had to post garbage articles on the internet, thinking, "This isn't right," just to make a living.

The dirty and shameful feeling he had to suppress, even being called a "fake journalist," was unbearable.

He won't live like that anymore.

'I will speak my mind and live with integrity, without worrying about others' opinions.'

Nikolai clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.

Inside the train heading back to Moscow.

* * *

"As expected. Grandfather is very angry because of your broken engagement. So, if you go, just stay quiet."

"Understood."

I can't stay quiet.

To start my work in earnest, I need Grandfather's support.

If I miss this opportunity, I don't know how long I'll have to wait.

But to become a recluse?

No way.

If I stay here, there's nowhere else to go.

Nikolai was determined to seize this opportunity.

* * *

Does this family have a tradition of living in large houses?

Grandfather Yuri Yusupov's mansion was about 1.5 times larger than Nikolai's.

As he crossed the garden, he saw many people near the dozens of large fireplaces.

It looked like there were hundreds of guests.

It's natural for people to try to attach themselves to a powerful family, but this was beyond his imagination.

The spacious living room, which created a mysterious atmosphere by piercing through the three-story building, was also filled with dozens of people.

'Are all these people my relatives?'

Nikolai carefully memorized and observed each one to avoid making mistakes.

"Ivan, it's been a while."

When he met his relatives, they greeted his father.

They smiled and welcomed him outwardly, but their inner thoughts were different.

Human instincts are similar.

Whether they are tycoons or not, they always want more.

These people must have come here to inherit wealth or gain special privileges.

If Grandfather Yuri Yusupov didn't have money, would these people have gathered like this?

Some said the Yusupov family was declining with the changing times, but that was the thinking of the upper echelons like the Romanovs.

For those below, the family still held power.

Nikolai greeted his family while glancing at their gazes.

His parents, Ivan and Maria, greeted first, followed by Nikolai, his older brother Denis (23), and his younger sister Victoria (19).

"Happy birthday, Father."

"Happy birthday, Father."

"Come on, hurry up."

Grandfather Yuri's gaze lingered on Nikolai for a moment but said nothing.

A tycoon's birthday party is definitely different.

Famous male and female singers took turns performing, and professional chefs continuously prepared dishes.

Although the food was all high-end, Nikolai only ate a few bites and stopped.

Most of the dishes were greasy, which he didn't particularly enjoy.

'Ah, I miss doenjang stew and white rice. But this will go on all night.'

Russian birthday parties for ordinary people last a long time, let alone for those with money, who have no set end time.

For them, the change in the country is a different story.

He arrived at 11 AM and greeted his family, but it was already getting dark.

During this time, Nikolai tried to understand the tendencies of his relatives.

While he couldn't fully grasp everything, he quickly identified those who hated him.

Some people openly confronted him.

"Nicholai, you and Zina are completely over, right?"

"That's how it is."

"I knew it. I thought Grandfather was pushing it. Not Denis, but you, the second son, who can only paint. Because of you, the Romanovs look down on us even more."

"Right. How desperate must Zina have been to break the engagement?"

The young men and women of Nikolai's age who were openly talking.

The oil on their mouths from chewing the lamb shashlik (skewers) glistened in the light.

If it were the old Nikolai, he would have listened meekly, but he was a different person now.

"Hey, drug addict. Done talking?"

"What?"

The man blinked, as if he hadn't heard correctly.

"Shut up and chew your meat. Where do you get off criticizing, always drinking vodka and taking drugs?"

"What did you just say?"

"Aren't you ashamed? Don't you feel your face turning red?"

"Ha, you finally went crazy after the breakup?"

"Want to get hit by a crazy person? Want to take off your shirt and fight? Want to show a match on Grandfather's birthday? If you have the guts, follow me."

As he tried to take off his light purple tuxedo, the man quickly ran away.

Nikolai, knowing their private lives through his memories, turned his gaze to the woman.

"Do you think I don't know what you did on your one-month trip last year?"

"What are you talking about? What did I do?"

"Are you going to tell Grandfather that you were with three men the whole time?"

"That, that's... What are you talking about?"

"Your reputation is known among your peers. The adults don't know yet, but it would be fun to spread it on a happy day like today."

The woman, terrified, ran in the direction her brother had fled.

Her dress flared as she ran.

Nikolai's sudden change in attitude made his older brother Denis and younger sister Victoria, who were nearby, look at him up and down.

"That's it. A man can't back down. I thought you were just pretending, but you really have changed. You're my brother, after all!"

"Nicholai, that was awesome!"

The two smiled.

The love for their brother and sister was truly beautiful.

"Want me to introduce you to a girl?"

"Huh?"

"She's pretty. From a good family. How about setting up a date?"

"Ah, Denis, read the situation."

Victoria's words made Denis chuckle and pat his younger brother's shoulder.

"If you want to continue painting, do it. If you want to do something else, do it. Don't worry about others. After all, you only live once."

Denis was a typical Russian macho man.

He had a hearty side that didn't fit with the formal and traditional nature of this family.

Victoria seemed to have inherited some of her brother's personality.

Her delicate features made her beautiful face even more attractive.

"Want to have a drink with us when we get home tonight?"

Just as he was about to answer Victoria, his mother Maria's voice rang out.

"Kids, Grandfather wants everyone to come upstairs."

Finally, the moment has come.

This is the first and last opportunity since he entered this body.

Nikolai, determined not to back down again, went up to the third floor where Grandfather was.