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Jiang Zemin gathered his Shanghai faction to discuss their next move.

The unexpected arrival of Hu Jintao caused Jiang Zemin to furrow his brow.

"What brings Chairman Hu Jintao all the way here? Did you come to gloat, now that you're the victor?"

Hu Jintao's smile deepened at the mention of 'victor'.

"I wish to speak with Chairman Jiang in private."

Jiang Zemin's frown deepened. Hu Jintao's tone had shifted, it was different from before.

Never before had he dared to use such a tone in Jiang's presence.

"Hu Jintao, have you come to mock me?"

"If it's fine to talk in front of everyone, I will. But for your sake, I recommend we talk in private."

"…Everyone, leave us."

Jiang Zemin stared at Hu Jintao for a moment before ordering everyone out.

"Chairman, I believe we should all hear what he has to say. We'll stay."

Jia Qinglin glared at Hu Jintao, refusing to leave his seat.

"Chairman of the CPPCC, are you defying me?"

"…Defying you? How could I? I have never once gone against your wishes. But the situation is different now. Hu Jintao wants to kill us all. If you intend to compromise with him, shouldn't we be informed?"

"Jia Qinglin!"

As the others, glancing at each other, began to nod in agreement with Jia Qinglin, Jiang Zemin slammed his fist on the table.

"Enough. I said leave."

"Chairman…"

"I said leave. I'll tell you what was said afterwards."

Jia Qinglin sighed deeply as he stood up.

As he rose, the others followed suit.

"We'll wait in the conference room."

Jiang Zemin nodded silently, and everyone started to leave.

As they left, they didn't forget to glare at Hu Jintao.

Even though Hu Jintao was at the peak of Chinese power, no one seemed to respect him.

'Damn bastards! They'll regret this.'

Hu Jintao maintained a smile on his face, but inside he was seething.

Once everyone was gone, Jiang Zemin finally told Hu Jintao to sit down.

"So, what is it that you wanted to say?"

No sooner had Hu Jintao sat down, Jiang Zemin questioned him.

Hu Jintao also skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Don't play coy. I might not have concrete proof, but I have enough suspicion. No one believes they acted without your permission."

Jiang Zemin chuckled and smirked.

"Suspicion is just that—suspicion. If I suspect you staged this whole thing, does that make it true?"

"Don't talk nonsense. Don't try to distract from the issue."

"So you came here to argue? Shouldn't a chairman be a bit more reserved and not run around at every little thing?"

Jiang Zemin remained unfazed by Hu Jintao's pressure.

Hu Jintao ground his teeth at his mocking attitude.

"If you want to get rid of me, bring proof. Otherwise, it's just baseless accusations. I support a thorough investigation into your attempted assassination. I will personally push for it at today's plenary meeting."

It was like he was openly saying he would cut his losses.

Hu Jintao scoffed and retorted sharply.

"I don't need your help. I can handle it myself."

"Then why did you come? You didn't come here just to vent, did you?"

Jiang Zemin skillfully needled Hu Jintao, gauging his reaction.

"Just know this: things won't go as you planned today. If you're reasonable, we might agree since you've suffered. But Shanghai is out of the question."

Jiang Zemin brought it up first and even tried to negotiate.

"Be satisfied with Beijing. Also, you can appoint whomever you want as the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. Isn't that the most important thing?"

Jiang Zemin spoke in an arrogant tone as if he were doing Hu Jintao a favor, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"But, you must sever your ties with Kim Mu-hyeok."

As a price for his concessions, he demanded the ridiculous condition of cutting ties with Kim Mu-hyeok.

Hu Jintao stared at Jiang Zemin for a long moment before speaking.

"I think you're mistaken. The reason I came to see you today wasn't to hear such demands."

"Then why did you come?"

"I want both Beijing and Shanghai. Additionally, all the vice chairmen of the Military Commission will be my people."

"You're too greedy. You might end up with nothing if you're too greedy. You still don't understand politics."

It was as if he was scolding a child, but Hu Jintao remained unfazed, even sneering at him.

"You told me to cut ties with Kim Mu-hyeok. I can't understand why you dislike the man so much. Where else can you find a businessman as well-disposed to China as him?"

"He is a shameless Korean businessman who is trying to control the Chinese economy. He should know his place."

Hu Jintao slowly rubbed his chin at Jiang Zemin's words, laced with anger.

"Even when that friend who doesn't know his place has offered me a wonderful gift?"

"A gift?"

"I received a significant gift, enough to take down Tian Liangyu."

"What? Take down who? I refuse to believe you're talking about Shanghai's Party Secretary Tian."

Hu Jintao laughed loudly at Jiang Zemin's bewildered reaction.

"Yes, it's him. Even you can't protect him. He crossed a line that shouldn't have been crossed."

"Crossed a line?"

"Tian Liangyu has been meddling with the social security fund. Do you know what that fund is? It's money for our people. And he used it for his own gain!"

Jiang Zemin chose his words carefully, his voice hoarse.

"…Do you have proof?"

"Proof, you say? There isn't concrete proof, but he secured a loan from the social security fund for his son's company. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem for a reputable company. However, in return his son a mere employee was promoted to vice president."

As a reward for securing the loan, Tian Liangyu's son was promoted to vice president.

His annual salary was a staggering 400,000 yuan.

"Do you know what that company did with the loan? They bought shares of the Xinhuangpu Group run by Wu Minglie who's Tian Liangyu's close associate. Do you think this is a coincidence?"

Wu Minglie had been close to Tian Liangyu for a long time.

Starting with a lavish house for Tian Liangyu's father, he provided all kinds of support.

He paid for the credit card expenses of Tian Liangyu's family so they could live comfortably abroad, and in return, he was able to secure this illegal loan.

"That company was merely a shell to put the group directly into his son's hands. Do you understand, Chairman Jiang?"

Jiang Zemin remained silent, merely biting his lip.

Accepting bribes? That could easily be covered up.

Private affairs? That was a taboo topic that should never be touched.

But the social security fund was an entirely different matter.

"So, what will you do? Will you protect him?"

Hu Jintao continued immediately when Jiang Zemin hesitated.

"Do you think this is the end? Jia Qinglin who mocked me earlier received gold bars and all kinds of bribes from Lai Changxing."

"Lai Changxing? Is all of this Kim Mu-hyeok's doing? Are you opposing me for a mere businessman?"

"Chairman Jiang, make a good decision. I came to see you personally to give you a chance. Taking down Jia Qinglin wouldn't set a good precedent. It's only right that members of the Politburo Standing Committee finish their terms safely."

Jiang Zemin grit his teeth at Hu Jintao's performance as a generous and righteous leader.

"…What do you want?"

"Now you're talking. What I want is…"

Hu Jintao smiled victoriously and began to state his demands.

* * *

I was jolted awake by the ringing of my phone, after having fallen asleep drunk last night.

The phone, which I'd left on the table, was ringing loudly.

I forced my eyes open and struggled to get out of bed.

Reaching out, I checked the number on the screen. It was a call from China.

"…This is Kim Mu-hyeok."

I managed to stagger over to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle.

— It's Wen Jiabao, Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok.

"Ah… Prime Minister."

— Were you sleeping?

"Haha, yes. I went to bed late last night so I'm still a little groggy."

— Oh dear. Is it alright to talk?

I finished the cold water in one go and then replied.

"Of course. I'm always happy to hear from you, Prime Minister. Just a moment."

As soon as I stepped out of the suite, Manager Ma and the bodyguards waiting outside approached me.

I hit the mute button and said to Manager Ma.

"Manager, please order some coffee and toast from room service. Your room has a counter-surveillance device, right?"

"Yes, Boss. It's all set up."

I entered the room where Manager Ma and the bodyguards had been staying.

The bodyguards who had been relaxing inside quickly jumped to their feet.

Manager Ma gestured for them to leave immediately, and they quickly packed their things and went out.

"Please open the curtains."

Manager Ma opened the curtains, letting the sunlight flood in.

I basked in the bright sunlight and then turned the mute off.

"Prime Minister, I'm ready to talk now."

— The plenary session hasn't ended yet. I'm calling to give you an interim update.

The Chinese Communist Party Central Committee's plenary session didn't end in just one day. It usually lasted three or four days.

Although this plenary session had been called abruptly, it seemed like the duration was about the same as usual.

"Understood. How's the atmosphere?"

— It's unfolding similarly to what you had predicted.

Wen Jiabao explained in detail what had happened the previous day.

It seemed like things were going as expected. I smiled with satisfaction.

"So, Chairman Hu Jintao accepted your proposal."

I had intentionally told Hu Jintao to seek a political compromise with Jiang Zemin.

If I could have ensured Jiang Zemin's downfall I would have done so without hesitation, but there was no evidence connecting him directly to Lai Changxing.

Neither Lai Changxing's testimony nor the evidence I got from him mentioned any direct connection.

Therefore, rather than trying to strangle him I had to force him to step down.

— Since you told him to. Chairman Hu Jintao accepted it readily.

"You must have reached an agreement before the plenary meeting. What did you decide to give up?"

All the members of the Politburo Standing Committee were divided into the Hu Jintao faction and the Jiang Zemin faction. So it would have been impossible to conclude without an agreement.

— We and the Princelings agreed to divide the Party Secretary and Mayors of Shanghai and Beijing amongst us.

Beijing, the capital of China, and Shanghai, the driving force of the Chinese economy, were politically the most important places.

If he lost both, Jiang Zemin's room to maneuver would be greatly reduced.

— Chairman Jiang had no other choice. The evidence you provided was too much. Tian Liangyu will be investigated by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection after this plenary session. And Jia Qinglin will be investigated after he finishes his term.

As long as there are no interruptions, things are going as I want. I chuckled softly and asked my remaining questions.

"It seems like everything is going according to plan. Thank you for your hard work. By the way, who did you decide on for the next Party Secretary of Shanghai?"

— As you requested, I purposely revealed Xi Jinping's weaknesses. The original agreement was that Vice Chairman Zheng Qinghong would get Shanghai, and Chairman Hu Jintao would get Beijing.

I had no intention of letting Xi Jinping seize power in China like he did in my previous life.

So I decided to reduce his influence. Thankfully, it seemed to have worked.

"So you pushed Xi Jinping as I told you to?"

— Yes. But how did you know? That the Vice Chairman would support him?

Xi Jinping hadn't even made a name for himself in Chinese central politics yet.

It could seem odd that I, knowing that, would bring him up.

"It's just the result of gathering various information. I figured Zheng Qinghong would push for Xi Jinping."

— Amazing. Your information network is really impressive, Mr. Kim.

Wen Jiabao was genuinely impressed.

As a regressor who knew the future, I decided to humbly accept such praise.

"So, did Xi Jinping fail?"

— Yes. There won't be an investigation but he also won't be making it into central politics.

"No investigation?"

— It seems the vice chairman was a little too close with Xi Jinping, so we decided not to stir the pot. Instead, we nominated Bo Xilai who we recommended to be the next Party Secretary of Shanghai.

This was also my idea. I had subtly asked Wen Jiabao to push for Bo Xilai.

"Bo Xilai must be happy to hear that."

Although I didn't like that Xi Jinping wouldn't be investigated, I was satisfied that Bo Xilai who I was pushing, had been appointed as the next Party Secretary.

He had no reason to be opposed by Jiang Zemin, Zheng Qinghong, or Hu Jintao, so he seemed to have been recommended without any trouble.

"Thank you for your hard work."

— I'll contact you again when everything is decided. Nothing has been finalized yet.

"Okay. I'll contact Bo Xilai."

— Yes, please do. But, please make sure not to reveal anything to him.

"Don't worry. He's not so foolish as to ruin his own opportunity."

Bo Xilai had a lot of weaknesses. Enough for me to have him in my grasp.

The call with Wen Jiabao ended.

I looked down at the city of Seoul with a satisfied smile. The city below, seen through the window, seemed more vibrant today than usual.