I opened the door and stepped into the reception room of the mansion's annex. Ivanov sat in a chair, surrounded by mercenaries who were watching him. But there wasn't a trace of tension on his face.
If anything, he was even smiling as he looked at me walking in.
“Boss Kim, we meet again.”
Ivanov spoke with a deliberately casual air.
“Yeah. Good to see you too, Ivanov.”
I sat down in the chair Section Chief Ma had brought and crossed my legs with practiced ease.
“I should have figured it out when you had Igor with you. You're more reckless than I thought. Attacking me openly in Moscow.”
Ivanov's expression remained utterly composed. Maybe it was his KGB background—he seemed skilled at masking his emotions. Even though we'd captured him alive, I still couldn't figure out why this man felt the need to keep me in check.
“If you came to warn me, you should have considered you might end up on the receiving end. Couldn't you figure out whether I'd be useful to Putin or you would be?”
“I never expected to be pushed aside by someone who's only known Putin for two years. I must have lost my touch.”
Ivanov spoke with self-deprecation, but his face remained calm despite his words.
“You're not getting out of here alive. You'll be made an example for anyone who looks down on me.”
“Haha, I know. I've been through this sort of thing plenty of times before.”