Chapter 786: 786
If that's what you want, I won't stop you.
Drinking parties with the Kremlin's hosts always ended at dawn.
Because the president is such a heavy drinker, I couldn't control myself either.
"Oh, I'm dying."
I opened my eyes at lunchtime. I barely came to my senses after drinking an entire bottle of water.
I rang the bell to call Manager Kim.
"Are you awake?"
Manager Kim opened the door and came in and greeted me. I nodded my aching head and said.
"I want to drink some cool soup······."
"I will have it prepared."
"Okay, I'll wash up and go down. What do you want to report?"
"I have something to tell you about Cheonha Group."
It was about the situation in Korea that I asked you about yesterday. I nodded.
"I'll listen later after I eat."
After Manager Kim bowed his head and left, I got up from the bed and moved toward the window.
I opened the curtains and looked outside. The snow that had fallen all night was piled up in a thick layer, reflecting the sunlight.
I opened the window and took a breath of cold air.
The cold wind blew past my cheek, barely enough to sober me up a little.
"I think I should drink in moderation."
Regrets always come too late, no matter how fast you do them.
"Oh! It smells good."
After taking a shower and being exposed to the cold wind for a while, I went down to the restaurant, where a spicy beef soup was prepared.
I mixed rice with the Yukgaejang and ate it, and the whole bowl disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"I can live a little now."
My headache felt a little better. After filling my stomach, I felt like drinking coffee.
"Please bring some coffee to the study."
I got up from the table and went into the study.
"Are you talking about the situation in Korea?"
Manager Kim, who followed me, explained to me the atmosphere of Cheonha Group.
"Choo Dong-bin and Im Hwa-su joined hands. And Yang Woo-guk, who opposed them, gathered other forces."
"Didn't you decide to push for Im Hwa-su as chairman?"
"Yes. That's why I think there's more opposition. It's because Im Hwa-soo is the youngest among the directors."
"Ha, some thugs are looking for my age."
Advertisements
It was so absurd that I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"We decided to hold a general meeting of the executives, directors, and all the executives above the manager level of Cheonha Group. After that, Yang Woo-guk committed a terrorist attack on Im Hwa-su."
"Terrorism?"
"Yes. They say they raided the house. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but they say the police were called. Judging from the fact that the security guard was seriously injured, it seems like the matter is serious."
"Ha······. They even install such beggarly things."
Now even the gangsters are involved.
"I heard that Chief Ma has called together all his subordinates and requested support from Black Bear."
As I smiled faintly while drinking my coffee, Manager Kim added as if he knew what he was talking about.
"Chief Ma was very angry. Besides, the reason he was alone in Korea during the previous raid was because of Cheonha Group, and he couldn't even resolve that properly."
I understand how Director Ma feels. I left him in Seoul to reorganize Cheonha Group.
But I had a dangerous experience in North Korea, so you would have regretted not being there for me.
Director Ma was the kind of person who should do that.
I nodded and asked.
"Are Choo Dong-bin and Im Hwa-soo being pushed back?"
"If there is an all-out war, Chu Dong-bin's side will have the advantage. However, if that happens, Cheonha Group will be destroyed."
"It looks like the director is trying to move the people himself."
I understand why you told me not to come to Korea.
I guess they're worried that they might come after me before the job is done.
"The police are paying attention to this incident. The apartment where Im Hwa-soo lives is one where many politicians and famous people live, so it has already spread widely on the Internet. They say it is not something that can be stopped."
"You guys are crazy. You're moving around so openly when you can't even move quietly. So when are you going to clean up?"
"I heard there's a big event in Busan this Sunday. I heard they're preparing for that day."
"There are three days left."
If Director Ma himself takes action, traffic will eventually be organized neatly, even if it is noisy.
"Then let's understand that and let's go back as soon as Korea is sorted out."
"Yes. The private jet has already arrived at the airport and is waiting."
"Please keep reporting as news from Korea becomes available."
"Yes, I will do that."
"I need to rest a bit more. Take care of your business."
After sending Manager Kim away, I laid down on the sofa and rested.
I thought I had taken a nap, but when I opened my eyes to the sound of a knock on the door, the sun was already setting.
"This is Igor."
"Come in."
Igor opened the door and came in and looked at me.
"Did I disturb you while you were resting?"
"No, it's okay. What's wrong?"
Advertisements
"It is said that the owner of the Kremlin and Jang Song-taek had a phone conversation."
"Really? Then you'll get in touch with me soon."
It seemed like things were roughly being sorted out.
As expected, my cell phone, which was on the table, started vibrating.
"The nobleman is a worthless person."
I immediately picked up the phone and put it to my ear.
"Yes. This is Kim Mu-hyuk."
- This is Jang Song-taek. Are you okay, Chairman Kim Moo-hyeok?
"I'm doing well. I never expected something like that to happen in North Korea."
- I heard there was a skirmish. Are there any injuries?
"No, there isn't."
Perhaps it was because my tone of speech was more blunt than usual, but Jang Song-taek could tell that I was nervous.
― I'm sorry that you had to go through something like that in our republic. I didn't know those guys would go after the president directly. I'm sorry.
"There's nothing we can do about what's already happened. Please pay attention to the officers of the Escort Bureau who died protecting me. It was thanks to those soldiers that I was able to escape that place safely. It would have been difficult without them."
I thought of the soldiers from the Escort Bureau that Jang Song-taek had entrusted to my protection.
"Are they all dead?"
―······Yes. All the soldiers who started the fight at the checkpoint were killed. Those who followed the boss were injured or killed.
"Please compensate the bereaved families sufficiently. Or should I do it myself?"
- No. The Republic must compensate.
"Please take good care of me. These are the people who died for me. If it weren't for them, something much more terrible would have happened."
- I will definitely do that. They are the heroes of the Republic.
I can't blame Jang Song-taek alone. I, too, was too complacent.
When Jang Song-taek said he would subdue them in advance, I was the one who suggested waiting for them to move and then destroying them all at once.
Ha, you need to come to your senses.
I put the receiver on hold for a moment and spoke to Igor.
"Please just ask for a cold cup of coffee outside."
"Yes, boss."
Then he took his hand off the receiver again and spoke to Jang Song-taek.
"We are both at fault for this, so let's stop here. But if there is no follow-up action, I will never go back to North Korea."
―······I will make sure to clean it up neatly. You will never experience something like that again.
"But how do you plan to sort it out? Is this something that Kim Jong-il had to do with? This happened after I went to see Kim Jong-il and warned him. I can't help but be suspicious."
In fact, it seems so obvious that it's hard to even call it a doubt.
― I went to see the general and talked to him for quite a while. I knew about it in advance, but as I told the president, I had no intention of joining. And······ When suppressing this coup, the general contacted the military directly and gave me strength. So, probably······.
Kim Jong-il is making a long-winded claim that he will not kill anyone.
"This won't happen again, right?"
Advertisements
―······I heard that the president told you to leave the Republic. Is that true?
"Yes. As long as he remains in North Korea, anyone will try to use him. If you can't kill him, how about sending him out of the country?"
I could hear him swallowing on the other end of the phone. I spoke in a stronger tone.
"If you don't intend to send them abroad, you should kill them. If that's what you want, I won't stop you."
―······No. Once the trial of Choe Ryong Hae is over, we will send the General and his family abroad.
"If you disappoint me again because of your feelings, I will reconsider my relationship with you, Chairman of the State Council. Can you trust me?"
- I promise. But, you have to wait a little. I intend to seize power for sure this time.
Jang Song-taek's voice became firm, as if he had strengthened his will.
"That's what I wanted. We're supposed to be together for a dozen years. For the sake of safety, the Chairman of the State Council must firmly hold all power in his hands. After all, it's hard to act like a good person when you're in office."
― I was wrong. I was trying to show them that I was different from the general······. I guess that seemed weak to them.
The sound of Jang Song-taek gnashing his teeth could be heard over the phone.
Didn't you know that?
I asked, holding back laughter.
"They are putting Choe Ryong Hae on trial. They are not killing him right away."
- Yes. I intend to show it to the people. I have already publicly executed two of his confidants.
This was a bit surprising.
"Already? That's faster than I thought."
― If there is anyone who still thinks differently, I hope they will watch the execution and tremble in fear. I made sure that Choe Ryong-hae personally watched it.
"Was it a shooting?"
- I can't give you an easy death. I'll just blow you to pieces with a cannon.
This is like paying back what happened to me in my past life.
"It's a shame that we didn't get to see Choe Ryong Hae trembling in fear."
- That guy even peed his pants? Hahahaha.
Jang Song-taek laughed loudly as if he was telling a funny story.
"Then what will you do with Choe Ryong Hae? And the rest of the people involved?"
― Except for Choe Ryong-hae, we are still investigating. If there is even one person involved in this incident, we will kill them all or send them to the Aoji coal mine. We also plan to completely clean up the military.
If Jang Song-taek is determined, it will happen.
Because the blade of this purge will be completely different from the previous ones.
Jang Song-taek talked for a long time about the plan he had devised.
"That would be fun. I'd also like the formality of having a public arrest in an expanded meeting."
North Korea seems to be the same no matter who is in power.
Jang Song-taek, who had no way of knowing his past life, was trying to eliminate Choe Ryong-hae in the same way he had been purged.
It was not simply an attempt to kill him, but a firm determination to bury him completely.
- Oh, and the Chinese ambassador came to visit and begged for help.
"Are you the Chinese ambassador?"
Advertisements
- Yes. I came to see you right away after I found out that China was behind this. I made you wait for three hours, but I finally met you.
It wasn't easy for Chinese diplomats to do that given their stiff temperament.
"You know it's time to bend down. Do you have any other information about China?"
― President Hu Jintao and Zeng Qinghong have joined hands, and it is said that all those involved have already been arrested. I have agreed to speak with President Hu Jintao tomorrow.
China also seemed to be going according to plan.
― If President Hu Jintao feels sorry, I will receive an apology that even the leader or the general could not receive.
Well, will Hu Jintao apologize?
I was negative. I was not a great person. I was not like Jiang Zemin or Hu Jintao. I would never apologize to North Korea.
"When you talk to President Hu Jintao, ask him to contact me too."
- Yes. I will definitely convey that.
"Then I'll hang up now. This call has gone on too long. Let's talk with a smile next time."
- I'll contact you once I've roughly sorted it out again.
After I hung up the phone with Jang Song-taek, the ice in my coffee had completely melted and turned lukewarm.
< I won't stop you if that's what you want > End