Myjazzm

No matter how much I think about it, it's strange. What you did in China is a huge crime even there. The media reported it as smuggling but… I know for a fact that there were drugs among the smuggled goods. In China, drug offenses carry severe penalties for everyone. Yet, the Chinese Government isn't making much effort to arrest you."

Lai Changxing was known to the media as China's biggest economic criminal.

The amount he evaded in taxes was over 5 trillion Won in Korean currency. He bribed high-ranking Communist Party officials with a portion of that enormous sum so he faced no repercussions.

But Lai Changxing's true identity was that of a drug dealer who trafficked and sold drugs.

As seen in Yoo Sung-jin's case, China has zero tolerance for drug offenders.

China, which remembers being ravaged by Western powers due to opium, is particularly severe when it comes to drugs.

"Am I wrong? Jiang Zemin used you to eliminate his political rivals, but secretly left you a back door to escape through. If he'd been serious, you never would have been able to leave mainland China."

Lai Changxing swallowed hard.

"It was very strange. So I ordered an agent to approach you secretly. As soon as Jiang Zemin realized I had you, he demanded you be handed over. Isn't it odd that a powerful figure behind the scenes in China would request a smuggler like you be turned over?"

"…I don't know anything about that. What are you talking about?"

Trying to play dumb, Lai Changxing avoided my gaze as he answered.

I chuckled at his obvious lie and leaned forward.

"Really? You don't know? Then, should I just hand you over to the Chinese Public Security Bureau?"

"What?"

"There's no reason to protect you if you know nothing. Wouldn't it be better to hand you over and get something out of them?"

"…That breaks our promise."

"You've been talking about promises since earlier, but the promise to protect you is only valid when you're of use to us."

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms.

I saw Lai Changxing anxiously scanning my face.

"There are many ways to make you talk. But humans are intelligent animals, right? Some people choose to forgo the sophisticated method of conversation and instead insist on the crude method of physical persuasion. Actually, most people do."

I took a deliberate pause, then raised the corners of my mouth and asked.

"I wonder if you're one of them."

Lai Changxing's eyes shifted wildly. I made an exaggerated gesture toward Manager Ma.

"The manager here, as well as most of the others, are experts. They're masters of physical methods. So, what'll it be? Do you want to talk to them instead of me?"

Lai Changxing's anxious gaze turned towards Manager Ma behind me.

Since he had already been on the receiving end of the manager's methods, he did not seem to doubt my words.

"If you give me the answers I want, you will definitely not be sent to China. That much I promise you."

A nuclear bomb is threatening by its mere existence.

But the moment it's used, everyone dies.

Even if I managed to get information out of Lai Changxing, I had no intention of using it. Well, maybe for blackmailing purposes.

"Which side are you on, Lai Changxing?"

This was my final question.

If he didn't open up now, I was ready to leave without a second thought.

If I left it to Manager Ma, he would get everything Lai Changxing knew in an hour.

"…"

Lai Changxing chose silence. I nodded and stood up from the chair.

As I stood, I spoke to Manager Ma in Korean.

"Manager, one hour should be enough, right?"

"Yes. We'll make him spill everything he knows."

"Alright then…"

I looked down at Lai Changxing once more before continuing.

"Take him away."

Manager Ma gave a look to the men nearby, who slowly approached Lai Changxing.

He didn't understand what we said since we spoke in Korean, but he seemed to understand the situation from the atmosphere.

"O-oh, don't come closer!"

Lai Changxing frantically waved his hands around his face drained of all color.

But the men paid no attention and grabbed his arms, lifting him up.

"What are you doing! Don't do this! Let me go!"

Lai Changxing yelled and struggled in Chinese.

"Let me go!"

He screamed so loudly it hurt my ears, but the men didn't waver and dragged him out.

Manager Ma bowed his head towards me, but the instant he turned back.

"I-I'll tell you everything! Don't do it! Please don't do it!"

Lai Changxing cried out desperately. But I slowly shook my head.

"The ship has already sailed."

"I'll bite my tongue and die! I'm serious!"

Lai Changxing threatened me, staking his life on it.

I chuckled and met his anxious eyes.

"If you want to die, go ahead and die. If you can."

I left those words behind, turned my back, and walked out.

Lai Changxing continued to shout from behind, but it sounded like a dog barking so I ignored him and kept walking.

"I'll escort you."

The person in charge I had been introduced to earlier followed me cautiously.

"Is there a place with a good view? I want to get some fresh air."

"Yes. I'll take you there."

He led me to the watchtower, which was positioned high to monitor the outside.

I reached the top and gazed at the distant ocean, lost in thought.

'There's something going on…'

Lai Changxing threatened to bite his tongue, a threat that didn't faze me. I knew those types well.

They were the kind of people who feared death more than anything. They would do anything to save their own skin.

How much time had passed? The person in charge called out to me.

"Boss."

I turned my gaze from the ocean to look at him.

"Manager Ma is here downstairs."

At those words, I looked down from the watchtower. Manager Ma was looking up at me.

I came down from the watchtower and Manager Ma gave a brief report.

"He says he will tell us everything."

I nodded and re-entered the house.

His face was fine, but all his fingernails and toenails were pulled out.

"You should have listened when I asked nicely."

I clicked my tongue, looking at Lai Changxing slumped on the chair. Lai Changxing whimpered at my words.

I sat down across from him and gestured with my chin.

"Now, tell me."

"It was the Shanghai faction that helped me smuggle. I don't know how far Chairman Jiang Zemin was involved. I've never met him…"

Lai Changxing said with great difficulty. What he said next was quite shocking.

"…So you're saying you were smuggling with the Shanghai faction's backing while also giving money to the Princelings and the Communist Youth League?"

"That's right. That's why no one is trying to catch me. If I open my mouth…"

"Evidence? Do you have any concrete evidence other than your testimony?"

This wasn't a card I could fully use without evidence.

"I have a ledger that proves who I met and who I gave money to."

I knew it. Surely the higher-ups would have told him not to leave any evidence, but these kinds of people always leave some behind.

But that wouldn't be all there is. There's definitely something more solid.

"Is it just a ledger? Didn't you record any videos or audio? Someone like you wouldn't just trust a ledger, right?"

Lai Changxing looked at me carefully, then stammered.

"Y-yes, there is."

I knew it. Finally, I had a useful card. I clapped my hands in delight.

"Good. Hand it over."

But Lai Changxing didn't answer. Looks like he hasn't learned his lesson yet.

I sighed and shook my head.

"You're not ready to talk yet."

"No! I'll give it to you! I'll give it to you, but please promise me one thing."

He raised his head desperately at my sigh and began to sob again.

I raised an eyebrow as if to say 'go on,' and Lai Changxing clasped his hands in supplication.

"P-please keep me safe in a safe place. And my family too…"

"Don't worry about that. You won't be free to roam around, but I'll make sure you live comfortably on one of my European islands."

Lai Changxing must not die under any circumstances.

Even if there was evidence, there would definitely come a time when he would be needed. If I wanted to use him then, he had to be alive.

But his eyes were full of distrust. I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders.

"If I intended to kill you, I wouldn't have brought you to Korea in the first place. And I was trying to have a civilized conversation at first. You're the one who refused it."

"…I'll trust you."

"You should. Where is it? Is it in China?"

He shook his head with difficulty at my question. He seemed completely drained.

"It's in a secret bank vault in Switzerland."

"You need to tell me the code and password too."

Secret vaults don't require any form of identification.

Only the code and password have any meaning.

"C178A…"

Lai Changxing gave me the code and password.

"Manager."

"Yes. I will contact our staff in Switzerland right away to secure it."

Manager Ma took out his phone and made a call.

"Good. Once the evidence is secured, I will get you treated. Stay here for the time being, and then I'll send you to Europe with your family."

"Hey, keep your promise."

Does he think I'm like those Chinese bastards? I nodded and got up from my seat.

"Once the evidence is secured, get him treated and bring him anything he wants to eat. No liquor though. I believe he said he wanted coffee earlier?"

"Understood."

The men took Lai Changxing away to get treatment.

He glanced at me anxiously as he was being dragged away, but I paid no further attention to him.

"Let's go back. As soon as the evidence is secured, tell them to bring it to Korea right away."

"Yes. I've already passed on the message. It should be secured within an hour. And Boss…"

Manager Ma came closer and whispered something to me.

I knew there was a big shot involved. I was quite pleased to have such a great hand in a long time.

"Jia Qinglin… So that's why Jiang Zemin wanted Lai Changxing."

The card Lai Changxing was a royal flush.

* * *

A few days later.

The ledger and the evidence safely arrived in my hands.

"This woman is Lin Youfang, Jia Qinglin's wife."

The video clearly showed Lai Changxing meeting with Jia Qinglin's wife, handing her money and gold bars.

The video quality wasn't great, but it was enough to identify her.

Another video showed him giving money to Xi Jinping as well.

"So I've secured a card to bring down Xi Jinping as well…"

Another video showed Song Defu, who was known as Hu Jintao's successor.

But this card wasn't very useful. Song Defu was already in the terminal stage of lung cancer.

"So that's why Hu Jintao didn't come out so aggressively."

It would be more convenient to sink together than to actively secure Lai Changxing for a dying man.

Besides, high-ranking politicians and high-ranking officials were all caught on video.

"With this, I don't have to worry about being betrayed by Hu Jintao."

After reviewing the ledger I called Wen Jiabao using the number I had previously arranged.

— Boss Kim. It's been a while.

"Yes, Prime Minister. It has been a while."

— I'm sorry I couldn't contact you. I was in a difficult situation as well…

"It's alright, I understand. I heard you were under house arrest."

— Thank you for understanding.

After briefly exchanging greetings, I got straight to the point.

"I have secured a testimony from Lai Changxing."

— Is that true?

"Yes. But Prime Minister, I have a question for you."

— Please, ask.

"If you had to choose between me and Hu Jintao, who would you choose?"

— …That is a difficult question to answer.

"Still, please answer me. It's necessary for open conversation."

After a moment of silence, Wen Jiabao spoke in a low whisper.

— If I answered that I chose Boss Kim, would you be able to believe me?

"I will be the judge of that. Tell me."

If I gave him even a small opening, he would slip away like a snake.

I pushed him relentlessly, without giving him any room to maneuver.

"If you don't give me an answer right now, I will not continue this relationship with you, Prime Minister."

— Boss Kim.

"Please answer me."

Wen Jiabao sighed softly before opening his mouth.

— …Isn't my partner Boss Kim? I have no choice but to choose you.

I couldn't know if his words were the truth.

Still, that's the answer I wanted.

"Alright, I will trust you."

— You just wanted to hear that? Aren't you trusting me too easily?

At his questioning tone, I laughed out loud, as if for him to hear.

"I'm not trusting you, Prime Minister. I'm trusting myself."

— …

"First of all, Lai Changxing is also connected to Song Defu."

— What? Is that true?

"Yes. There's a video of Song Defu receiving money from Lai Changxing."

Song Defu was the party secretary of Fujian Province, sent by Hu Jintao himself. The one Hu Jintao had sent personally.

— …There is no one to trust.

"President Hu Jintao probably knew about this as well. That's why he sent him to Fujian Province, to avoid leaving any evidence behind."

At that time, Xi Jinping, the party secretary, was also connected to Lai Changxing.

But Xi Jinping had handled this case lukewarmly and Hu Jintao had sent him to Zhejiang Province.

"That's why we can't hand everything over to President Hu Jintao. Prime Minister, you take the lead on this matter."