Chapter 121
"Advice, advice. Yes. You brought that up well."
Viktor listened to Jinseong's words and asked.
"What can you do for me? I don't know how great this advice is, but... Ah, I'm not doubting that you're a skilled sorcerer. But you know, I’m asking if something can change dramatically just by listening to a few words."
There was a hint of expectation in that question, and also a bit of uneasiness.
Jinseong noticed that this uneasiness came from the conflict between 'himself as a soldier' and 'himself wanting to become president', and at the same time, he noticed that it came from the desire for power that all power holders have and the desire to stand tall solely with their own strength.
Therefore, Jinseong said.
"Advice, advice. It's nothing special. Don't you ask a friend if you're torn between two paths? For example, what to eat for lunch today, or which of two cars to buy, those kinds of trivial questions."
"Trivial questions?"
"That's right. Fortune-telling is nothing special. Since fate is not immutable but variable in nature, the further fortune-telling looks, the less accurate it becomes, and the closer it looks, the more accurate it becomes. That's why they say the skill of a fortune-teller is to see distant things accurately. You know this much, right?"
"Hmm."
Viktor nodded.
But there was a slight discomfort on his face, suggesting that this wasn't something he originally knew.
"We call those who can see far accurately prophets. If you don't try to change what can be changed, that future will surely come, so this is no different from observation becoming reality. But since it was observed, it's also true that it can be changed, and that's how we humans have avoided numerous crises of extinction!"
Jinseong spoke with exaggerated gestures.
"Then what on earth is the difference between fortune-telling and prophecy? If accuracy is the issue, how did prophecy change what was observed? Once what was observed is changed, does that accuracy have any meaning? If fortune-telling witnesses something distant but it comes in a changed form, how is it different from prophecy that directly intervenes to bring a different future?"
"It's complicated."
"Indeed. It's complicated. This is one of the things fortune-tellers agonize over. Even those who live agonizing over numerous contradictions and dilemmas can't say for sure. However, if there's one thing certain, it's that fortune-telling is close to people, and prophecy is distant from people."
Jinseong looked at Viktor.
"This is no different from saying that fortune-telling is familiar and has melted into our lives. So whatever advice you seek from me doesn't matter!"
"It doesn't matter what kind of advice?"
"It won't be as clear as the advice of someone with knowledge, nor as wise as someone with wisdom. However, it can vaguely guide the direction and form of benefit. That is my advice, and it can help you accumulate benefits."
Viktor smirked at Jinseong's words.
"As expected of a sorcerer, you make your words difficult to understand in one go."
Boom!
He roughly placed his arm on the table and looked at Jinseong with a fierce smile.
"I like things that are simple, certain, effective, and efficient. Like the magical gun AK."
"Is that so?"
"So I'll do it my way."
Viktor took out a bundle of money from his bosom and threw it at Jinseong.
Surprisingly, the money was in Korean won.
"I've paid the fortune-telling fee in advance, so I'll ask a question."
He pointed to the floor with his finger.
"Hey, Jin-seong. Is it a good thing that I rented this restaurant to meet you today?"
"Indeed. Although this is a high-end restaurant, it's not the very top, so it wouldn't be strange for someone in your position to enjoy it as a luxury. Moreover, regarding the recent incident you were involved in... Hmm. No, regarding what you're doing, problems could arise, so renting a restaurant like this... Yes, it could be evaluated as a somewhat wise decision by those above. Moreover, the taste itself isn't bad, so that's excellent too."
Jinseong wasn't flustered by Viktor's sudden question.
Instead, he answered smoothly as if he had been waiting for it.
"Yes, good. Next question. I'm thinking of buying a lot of vodka on the way back, how's that?"
"It would be better not to. The place you're planning to go is closed today, and the other place you're planning to visit after confirming that will have terrible quality items disguised as genuine. You will become enraged after drinking it."
Jinseong's answers were without hesitation.
It was as if he was actually seeing the future and transcribing it directly. Or it looked like he had prepared answers after seeing the future and was reciting them fluently.
But the content was utterly trivial.
So Viktor couldn't help but laugh out loud as if pleased.
Then he said.
"Alright. I get the feeling of what you're saying. Ha, really. Isn't it tiring to explain such a simple thing in such a vague and twisted way?"
He smirked.
"It would certainly be convenient to have. But I have to pay a fortune-telling fee. And it doesn't seem much different from using subordinates. But there are clearly some better aspects than using subordinates... Well, that's it."
Viktor had ‘friends’ everywhere.
Friends who dealt with information, friends related to personnel, friends who ran businesses and accumulated money, friends who grew their influence in the shadows and offered all sorts of information and money to him, and so on.
If he received voluntary help from such ‘friends’, he could hear content similar to what Jinseong just answered. And in great detail at that.
Why the owner of the closed shop today was taking a break, what their relationships were like, and what their personality was like.
Who the higher-ups were that meticulously checked even Viktor's visit to the restaurant, what they said, what they did, and what they were estimated to be thinking.
He could know it all.
But that didn't mean Jinseong's ‘advice’ is worthless.
It was fast because there was no need to go through multiple people, and because it only suggested direction, there was a pleasant feeling of pioneering the future with one's own strength. Moreover, while friends had to be contacted individually or met in groups to receive help, with Jinseong, he only needed to meet and talk to that one person, so it was convenient.
"Alright. And besides advice, is there anything else you can do?"
"There is. However, I have no intention of doing it."
"What can you do that you have no intention of doing?"
Jinseong just smiled at Viktor's question.
He seemed to dislike that smile and clicked his tongue.
"These sorcerer types, always hiding things and pretending to be mysterious..."
Viktor sighed softly and then was silent for a moment.
He asked with a serious face.
"Alright. Then I'd really like you to answer this. You tell my fortune saying I have the fate to become king, and stick to me saying you'll give advice. Yes. I understand you're clearly trying to do me a favor. Then, what are you trying to gain by doing me this favor?"
His face contained various emotions.
Those emotions weren't easily recognizable, buried under his iron-like expression, but Jinseong could clearly read the determination sleeping under that expression.
Determination.
A determination that if Jinseong tried to manipulate him, he would surely punish him, that no matter what help he provided, he would dispose of him like boiling a hunting dog after a rabbit hunt.
There was a resolve that while he wouldn't forget favors, if too much was demanded beyond what was necessary, he would surely wield his power.
Manipulate, huh.
But Jinseong had no intention of manipulating Viktor.
From the start, Viktor wasn't the kind of person who would be manipulated even if someone tried.
Viktor of the Nuclear Shower.
Why was the crude modifier "Nuclear Shower" attached to the title of Russia's President for Life?
He was the kind of man who would launch nuclear weapons claiming he was terrorized with biochemical weapons.
How many subordinates must have advised against firing, how many people must have opposed devastating Eastern Europe with nuclear weapons?
Ignoring all that, he fired and fired again... Anyway, he fired so much that he contaminated half of Eastern Europe with radiation.
Jinseong knew well about such a person.
A person who valued power above all else and lived with the purpose of being worshipped by many.
A person who took pleasure in increasing the power he could wield, and never forgave those who tried to violate his authority.
If someone tried to become a behind-the-scenes power and move as they please?
Then Viktor would try to retaliate against Jinseong by any means necessary.
Yes.
Viktor was both testing Jinseong and warning him.
A warning saying ‘I know you're trying to help me, but I'm going to act as I please, so don't have any strange thoughts and just know your place and accept the food I give you.’
A warning, a warning.
But Jinseong wasn't bothered by his warning.
There was nothing to fear.
From the start, all he wanted was to prevent that Viktor character from destroying all the relics with nuclear weapons.
He didn't care much about what Viktor did.
Whether he lived a promiscuous life with luxurious villas in each region and multiple local mistresses like before the regression, or fathered many illegitimate children and gave them prime companies to live comfortably, or secured positions for the founding contributors who had been with him, that was none of his business.
And there was no reason to feel humiliated or angry at that warning.
How could one feel such negative emotions towards a pitiful character who didn't even know that his lifeline was held by someone else?
No one felt intimidated by something they could kill at any time.
Therefore, Jinseong could answer his warning nonchalantly.
"Give me a bunker and some land."
"What?"
Viktor made an expression of disbelief at Jinseong's words.
But Jinseong said seriously again.
"A bunker, and land."
"Ha... Alright. How grand a place are you demanding?"
Jinseong shook his head at his question.
"There should be a bunker built during the Soviet era near Lake Baikal. It's a luxurious bunker built for party officials to use, that's what I want."
"A luxurious bunker...?"
Viktor stared at Jinseong.
"Not a luxury hotel, but a bunker?"
"That's right."
"Then the land you're talking about is the land around that bunker?"
"Indeed."
"Ha."
Hahahahaha!
Viktor burst into laughter.
Then he said as if in disbelief.
"You're not asking for Lake Baikal, nor for a hotel to be built there. You're just asking for an old, dilapidated bunker built during the Soviet era and the land around it? That's the price for your help?"
"That's right."
"Ha, really. Yeah. These sorcerer bastards are really... I don't know what to think of you guys. Huh."
Viktor looked at him with a face still full of laughter.
"Alright, I'll give it to you. No, I can do this right now. I'll give it to you in advance. And is there anything else you need? Ah, right. You said a luxurious bunker. You'll need to furnish it too, so I'll give you money. Hahaha!"
He laughed as if truly delighted.
And after that, the meal continued in a good atmosphere.
Viktor conversed with a favorable attitude as if he wanted to know more about Jinseong.
He even said that when Jinseong soon becomes an adult, he should come to him first to learn how to drink. And he also said he would make sure Jinseong wouldn't lack anything while staying in Russia.
After the meal ended like that.
"Good. Very good. Hey, you. Jinseong. Don't change that mind of yours in the future. If that mind doesn't change, you and I can remain very good friends."
Viktor uttered words clearly filled with goodwill, but also containing a warning, and then left the restaurant.
Jinseong, left in the restaurant, looked at the bundle of money on the table.
A bundle of money.
Fortune-telling fee.
The price for Viktor's questions.
The bills he had offered to test the "fortune-telling."
He untied the string binding the money and made shapes on the empty tables.
T.
I.
P.
He made the letters 'TIP' using the Korean money paid as a fortune-telling fee and then went outside.
This was because he knew such an eccentricity would give Viktor more faith.
And at the same time, it was also because the food at this restaurant was quite delicious.
And…
Since he didn't perform fortune-telling, there was no price to pay, and since there was no price to pay, there was no money to take.
Yes.
Jinseong only answered questions today, he didn't perform fortune-telling.
However, he did know the future.
Was this fortune-telling, or prophecy?
Or it might be neither, or it might be both.
Its nature was truly ambiguous.
It could be said to resemble the future that was uncertain how it will change.