The Former Chaebol Heir Excels as President

Chapter 40: Turning Point for Reversal (3)

The speech manuscript lay on the desk in the study.

I carefully revised each sentence.

What would be the strongest phrase?

Reading the final paragraph, I clenched my fist.

“Your love is awakening my heart. I will never! mimic or imitate justice.”

At that moment, Woo Ah‑mi walked in.

“Did you get any sleep?”

“Two hours. Slept well, so I’m fine.”

“I’m worried you’ll collapse.”

“There’s not much time left. I have to give it my all so I don’t regret it.”

“Can I see the speech?”

“Yeah.”

Woo Ah‑mi skimmed through the densely written contents on three A4 pages.

“Is it too emotional?”

“No, it’s good. People don’t care much about pledges anyway. It’s important to strike a chord with their hearts like this.”

“The staffer said that too. Pledges matter during re-election, but for a debut, leaving a strong impression is better.”

“You’re going to do it differently in Yeouido, right?”

“Of course.”

I showed her another sheet of paper that focused on pledges.

“It includes the Yeouido financial hub plan, solving traffic issues, reconstruction and redevelopment, and attracting an international school.”

“Can you really do all this?”

“I’ll definitely bring in an international school. Our district needs at least one school that nurtures talent.”

“That would be great. But is it possible? You need land, and investment too.”

“There are a few state-owned lands where a school could go. Among the Americans I know, several are in the education business. And the government also said they’d establish two foreign schools by 2020, so there shouldn’t be a big problem.”

Attracting an international school was a pledge that could both appeal to Yeouido voters and yield tangible results.

“You write speeches well—maybe because you read a lot of books.”

“Big brother deserves a lot of credit. Even when we ran out of rice, we always had more books.”

“Is your brother-in-law doing okay?”

“Since the unification, it’s advantageous. That area has a lot of laborers too.”

“If you lose, does the staffer also lose their job?”

“That’s usually the case. If they’re capable, they might get scouted by another office, but since my big brother is with a minority party, it’s tough. That party has a strong identity too.”

Woo Ah‑mi nodded and checked the schedule.

“There are too many campaign events. Can you manage them all?”

“I have to clinch the turnaround today.”

“There’s a support rally at lunch too. Who’s coming?”

“A Supreme Council member and Representative Seong Chang-rae.”

“That means the mood is good, right? That’s why the central party is sending support.”

“Probably.”

Since it was the blackout period for opinion polls, we didn’t know the overall public sentiment. But I did receive internal polls indicating the gap had narrowed to within 10%.

“There are a lot of people at our church on your side. Jin‑su’s been speaking highly of you.”

“Ha ha. I’ll owe Jin‑su a favor.”

Ahn Jin‑su, who worked in civic activism, had also been a huge help.

Woo Ah‑mi gave a gentle smile.

What was she trying to say?

“Is something up?”

“Last night I dreamed of a phoenix soaring into the sky. It felt so good.”

“How did you know it was a phoenix?”

“It had five colors. It was so big, the moment I saw it I just knew.”

“Ha ha. You believe in stuff like that?”

“It’s the first time I’ve had a dream like that.”

A phoenix.

I’d never met anyone who claimed to dream of one in a past life either.

Was it a good omen?

I hoped so.

After the morning greetings, we campaigned at Daerim Station, then did a focused campaign in Yeouido during lunch, passed through Mullae-dong and Dangsan-dong, and finally arrived in Yeongdeungpo during the evening rush hour.

With the election campaign reaching its climax, both sides were fighting fiercely.

Yeongdeungpo Rotary.

From opposite corners, the loud general election campaign songs blasted out.

I approached Kim Bu‑seong’s campaign truck to cross the crosswalk.

“Hello. Thank you for your hard work.”

A few of the campaign workers holding Kim Bu‑seong’s promo placards gave me a light nod.

Maybe it was just my feeling, but some of them seemed like they might vote for me.

The staffer checked with Secretary Jang and asked,

“When will the Representative speak?”

“In thirty minutes. Will the candidate speak right away?”

“I’ll start in five minutes. Glad we’re not overlapping.”

I greeted Secretary Jang.

“Thank you for your hard work. A lot of people came today.”

“You brought a lot of people too.”

It was the same for both sides.

We had mobilized all our party members, and our acquaintances worked hard to bring even one more person.

It was a fierce battle to seize the momentum at the final moment.

“We’re outnumbered. Still, with this many people here, it’s a pleasure to give a speech. Thank you.”

Secretary Jang looked slightly flustered.

I gave a slight nod and moved toward the crosswalk.

The staffer came up beside me and said,

“We’re being pushed. It’s to be expected since Kim Bu‑seong is a three-term lawmaker.”

“It’s better to take away one of the opponent’s votes than to gain one of ours. So it’s not bad.”

“Right. I’ve heard your speech a few times today and was honestly surprised. You sound like someone who’s run in multiple elections.”

“We have to give our best until the end.”

The green light came on.

As I crossed the crosswalk, I saw a district councilor giving a speech atop a campaign truck and gave him a nod.

Then I grabbed the hand of a campaign worker who was out there for me.

“Thank you. I’ll repay you with a victory.”

“Candidate, fighting!”

“Fighting!”

I bowed and went behind the campaign truck.

Woo Ah‑mi greeted me.

“Is your throat okay?”

“Seems like it’s my constitution. The more I speak, the more energized I get.”

“That’s good. A lot of people from church came. If you just do it like earlier, they’ll be moved.”

“I can feel the energy flowing in.”

“I think so too. Maybe because there are so many people, a lot of cameras came.”

I followed Woo Ah‑mi’s gaze.

Three cameras in front.

“There weren’t any at first?”

“There was only one thirty minutes ago. Now two more broadcasting stations came. I guess they think this is a battleground district?”

“Seems like it. The atmosphere at today’s rally was great too.”

“I hope my phoenix dream was right.”

“Ha ha.”

I took out a new speech from my pocket.

This place was adjacent to the neighborhood where I grew up, so the content of the speech was completely different from before.

I had to drive the stake here.

“Today’s your last speech, so stay strong. People keep pouring in.”

“Yeah.”

I smiled brightly at Woo Ah‑mi.

As the crowd grew, my blood heated up and I felt emboldened.

“You’ll do well. Looks like it’s time for you to go up.”

“Already?”

The emcee on the campaign truck grabbed the mic and looked at me.

I raised my hand to signal I was ready.

The emcee’s voice rang out.

“Let’s hear from our candidate. Yeongdeungpo’s greatest genius businessman! A warm-hearted man who practices noblesse oblige! Let me introduce candidate Kang Cheonmyeong!”

“Kang Cheonmyeong! Kang Cheonmyeong! Kang Cheonmyeong!”

The chanting echoed like crashing waves, loud enough to shake my brain.

Had the crowd grown in the meantime?

People were packed tight not only to the left and right of the campaign truck but even spilling into an entire traffic lane.

Across the street, Kim Bu‑seong’s campaign truck was blaring music deliberately to disrupt us.

I stepped onto the campaign truck, waved, and greeted the crowd.

“Good evening. I’m Kang Cheonmyeong.”

“Kang Cheonmyeong! Kang Cheonmyeong! Kang Cheonmyeong!”

I looked over each face in the crowd.

To the right, the Daehwa Supermarket Lady was now a grandmother, smiling warmly. In the center, the Ddoli Stationery Owner, now with white hair, was chanting my name. On the left were the folks who used to run stalls at Jinpung Market.

The speech began.

“First, I’d like to thank Representative Kim Bu‑seong, who is competing in this race. I hope we can have a fair contest until the end, and I’d appreciate it if you could lower the music a bit. At this rate, I might start dancing to it.”

“Ha ha ha.”

The audience burst into laughter. At the same time, the opponent’s music volume dropped.

“Thank you for letting me give my speech without dancing.”

I bowed toward them and continued.

“During the campaign, some cursed at me and threw my business cards back at me. I remember those cold stares. But first, let me introduce myself to you.”

I pulled the mic out and took a step forward.

“My name is Kang Cheonmyeong. In Chinese characters, it’s ‘cheon’ for sky and ‘myeong’ for life. When I was born, the doctor said the baby wouldn’t live long. So they didn’t even report my birth, but the baby lived and now stands here before you.”

“Wow!”

Cheers and gasps followed.

“I believe there is a reason Heaven kept me alive. Though I spent my school years in a shantytown, just being alive made me happy.”

These words had two meanings.

That I, who died in a previous life, was sent back to the past, and that I had returned in the body of Kang Cheonmyeong, who lived in a shantytown.

I believed this was a mission given to me.

“Even when I laid out a mat in a hot alley to sleep, even when I nearly died from inhaling coal gas in the middle of winter, I never blamed poverty. I believed that if I studied hard, I could escape this dreadful shantytown. That was hope.”

“That’s right! Cheonmyeong studied hard while working too. That’s why he succeeded!”

“I know very well how Cheonmyeong grew up. What a good kid!”

I had no idea who or where those voices were coming from.

I was immersed in the speech, and the crowd looked like a single mass.

“I succeeded. But the saying ‘a dragon rises from a mud puddle’ has long disappeared. How else could the term ‘880,000 won generation’ come about, and now even ‘Hell Joseon’ float around on the internet? Politics is done by politicians, but politicians are chosen by you!”

There was growing strength in my voice.

“Though I am a billionaire, I do not remain part of the establishment because of my childhood. When I was on the verge of death from coal gas, the radish water an elderly neighbor gave me saved me. When I couldn’t afford milk, the stationery shop owner introduced me to a job. If no one had reached out a hand to me, I would never be standing here today!”

Bright eyes were all focused on me.

Even the campaigners of Kim Bu‑seong in the distance were paying attention.

“I will never forget your love. That is why, even after becoming a successful businessman, I have tried to live a life of sharing. Power should not be used to oppress the weak but to protect them. If Kang Cheonmyeong, a boy from a shantytown, becomes a servant of this nation, then a second and third Kang Cheonmyeong will rise!”

“Kang Cheonmyeong! Kang Cheonmyeong! Kang Cheonmyeong!”

The atmosphere had been ignited.

It was time to attack.

This was the moment to highlight my strengths while targeting the weaknesses of Representative Kim Bu‑seong.

My voice rose even louder.

“What exactly have you done during your three terms as a lawmaker? Your pledge fulfillment rate isn’t even five percent. You’ve been so absorbed in central politics that you’ve ignored your constituency, only showing your face during elections—will you elect such a politician again? Or will you give me a chance?”

Even if I couldn’t turn those votes into mine, by targeting weaknesses the opponent couldn’t refute, I could at least stop votes from going to him.

Now was the time to explain why they had to vote for me.