The Former Chaebol Heir Excels as President

Chapter 57: A War Without Gunfire (3)

The third unification negotiation remained sluggish.

Yang Chil-su’s camp kept repeating the same line. But conceding to their demands would mean losing the unification contest.

Arriving in front of the party headquarters, Seol Ho-jae heaved heavy sighs.

“They really have no intention of backing down even one step. Could it be true there's a shadow organization? If not, there’s no reason for the working-level staff to be so stubborn.”

“A shadow organization?”

“There’s talk that they’re not deciding in the meetings but rather bringing already made decisions to the meetings.”

“Then that means we’re negotiating with someone without a real face.”

“They just throw around words like personnel renewal, but they never say who to cut out. This kind of vagueness is something a politician should never engage in.”

Seol Ho-jae, seemingly stifled, slightly loosened his tie.

“You’re right. It reminds me of that episode: ‘Oppa, order whatever you want. I’m okay with anything. Why would you order this?’”

“Ha ha. Let’s go in and report to the Representative first.”

I followed him upstairs to the Party Representative’s office.

After knocking and entering, the Party Representative was sipping tea.

“There hasn’t been much progress, has there?”

“Not even a needle could get through.”

“What do you think, Representative Kang?”

“It feels like they’ve built a fortress, blocking even a single inch of entry.”

“Hmm.”

A heavy shadow spread across the Party Representative’s face.

After a moment of silence, he took off his glasses and spoke.

“Feels like they want me to step down, doesn’t it?”

“If you step down now, who’s going to lead the election? It’s an outrageous demand.”

His face stiffened.

Like the calm before a storm, the air grew heavy.

“If I don’t make a decision, this stalemate will continue.”

“You must firmly hold your position, Representative.”

“What’s your read on the situation, Representative Kang?”

“There’s one thing that strikes me as suspicious.”

“What is it?”

“Supreme Council Member Yeon Han-gil. He’s stepping down tomorrow.”

The Party Representative nodded.

“He said the candidate must lead by example since he declared he would break the establishment politics.”

“That’s what makes it suspicious. The tone is similar to what Representative Yang Chil-su is saying.”

“They could just be close. Representative Yeon Han-gil has a wide network. What’s your judgment, Representative Kang? Would it be better if I resigned as Party Representative?”

“If the Supreme Council Members resign, you’ll lose your power, so there may be no other way.”

“If you step down, Representative, it’s like we’ve lost our captain. You must stay the course.”

Though Seol Ho-jae was adamantly opposed, I could tell from the Party Representative’s expression that he was on the verge of making a decision.

If the party kept shaking him from within, it would be impossible to hold on.

Given his personality, he was likely to lay it all down.

“Go on. I need to gather my thoughts.”

“Representative, you mustn’t waver.”

“Go do your job.”

Seol Ho-jae and I were practically driven out of the Representative’s office.

“Representative Kang, do you think the Representative will step down?”

“He’s someone who values the greater cause, so I think he will.”

“This is serious.”

A deepening shadow loomed ever darker.

Could there really be a reversal?

A restaurant in Seocho-gu.

In a small tatami room of a sashimi restaurant, I sat across from Kwon Hyeok-min.

“How have you been? Are you still working as a Prosecutorial Researcher?”

“I’m likely heading to the Eastern District Office at the end of next year.”

“Good thing you’re not being sent to the provinces.”

“I must be lucky. You must be busy, sir?”

“This is the peak of my busy season. Let’s eat while we talk.”

“Yes.”

We ate hwedupbap and thick slices of sashimi.

“Who does the prosecution think will win?”

“Except for 2002, the candidate leading the polls 100 days before the election has always won. So I think the ruling party candidate has the edge.”

“That’s the mood inside too?”

“Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but yes. After all, if the administration changes, it’ll expose what the prosecution didn’t investigate properly.”

“The outlook is grim, then.”

“Pardon? Isn’t it neck-and-neck?”

Kwon Hyeok-min set down his spoon and widened his eyes.

“The party atmosphere is chaotic. Right now, it’s a disadvantageous situation.”

“So that’s the internal state. Do you think unification will happen?”

“It absolutely will. Both sides are backed into a corner and can’t withstand public pressure.”

Kwon Hyeok-min slightly furrowed his brow.

“Sounds like you want our party to win.”

“I’m supporting you, sir. Oh, by the way…”

Kwon Hyeok-min’s eyes suddenly sparkled as if something came to mind.

“Huh?”

“One of my seniors said she’d like to meet you.”

“Senior?”

“She’s currently working in Criminal Division 8 of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office. You remember the sponsor prosecutor scandal two years ago?”

“Of course.”

A construction contractor exposed that he had provided money, entertainment, and sexual favors to 57 former and current prosecutors.

It had been a major issue when broadcasted on TV.

However, the Ministry of Justice only dismissed two prosecutors and didn’t punish the others involved.

A Supreme Court ruling was expected soon, and the consensus was that they would be acquitted.

“She was the one who posted ‘horny trash’ on the internal message board and got disciplined for it.”

“Ha ha. That’s a gutsy prosecutor.”

“She said she thought you were amazing after watching your performance at the National Audit and said she really wanted to meet you.”

“I’m not particularly fond of men though.”

“She’s a woman.”

Why did I assume it was a man?

I momentarily lost my words.

“She’s two classes above me. We worked together for about a year and a half. She’s a really good person.”

“Tell her to come. It’s good for me to know more prosecutors. Wasn’t Criminal Division 8 in charge of real estate cases?”

“Construction and real estate.”

Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck my mind.

Construction.

Memories from my past life about Wang Dohun.

Back then, he chaired the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, yet even after distributing construction contracts received from oversight agencies to his acquaintances, he was never punished.

Got him properly.

“Tell her to come.”

“Then I’ll contact her.”

Ten minutes after Kwon Hyeok-min made the call, a woman wearing glasses entered.

Her square jaw hinted at stubbornness.

I stood up and bowed.

“Hello? I’m Kang Cheonmyeong.”

“Oh my! Meeting you in person like this. I’m Hyeon Eun-gyeong. I’ve seen you a lot on broadcasts.”

“Nice to meet you. Have you eaten?”

“I had a lunch appointment nearby.”

“Please, have a seat.”

Hyeon Eun-gyeong sat next to Kwon Hyeok-min, and I poured her a cup of tea.

“Thank you. You look much better in person.”

“I hear that sometimes.”

“Ha ha. I like your honesty. A handsome man acting humble is just annoying.”

She’s quite the character.

Put nicely, she’s personable. Put bluntly, overly straightforward.

Kwon Hyeok-min jumped in as backup.

“Prosecutor Hyeon isn’t one to put on airs. So she’s often misunderstood during first meetings.”

“Being honest is better. No need to overthink things.”

Hyeon Eun-gyeong looked at me wide-eyed.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Not at all.”

“I’ve heard a lot from Prosecutor Kwon. He said you’ve helped him ever since his orphanage days. Teaching someone isn’t an easy thing.”

“He had a strong will. That’s why he’s come this far.”

“You’re right. Prosecutor Kwon was also known for conducting flawless investigations. Though he was pushed out for investigating what the higher-ups wanted buried.”

After that, the conversation turned into a long list of problems within the prosecution.

She seemed to have a deep aversion to the internal culture of the prosecution.

“Because of a few political and corrupt prosecutors, the entire institution gets criticized.”

“In some ways, it doesn’t even feel like just a few.”

“Oh dear, you got me there. You’re right, Assemblyman. The prosecution needs reform.”

Kwon Hyeok-min checked his watch.

“It’s time for us to head in. Sir, let’s have a meal together sometime when you’re free.”

“Let’s do that.”

“Assemblyman, it was an honor today.”

“Likewise.”

I exchanged business cards with her and parted ways.

It felt like gaining an army of a thousand troops.

Now I needed to head to the constituency office and check on the organization.

When I entered the constituency office, six city and district council members were waiting.

“Hello? Thank you for coming all this way.”

“Assemblyman Kang, how are things in Yeouido? We heard you’re involved in the negotiation team.”

“There are rumors that the Party Representative is about to announce his position. Is this something the Yang Chil-su camp demanded?”

“Let’s talk inside the meeting room.”

I entered the meeting room with them.

Soon, an intern came in with coffee and drinks.

“Thank you.”

“Assemblyman, we’re going crazy with curiosity. What exactly is going on?”

I didn’t want to show any weakness.

Even in a difficult situation, I had to talk about hope.

Every single vote was precious, and I had to encourage them to run hard.

“There’s no need to worry too much. Unification will happen quickly. We’re going through some pain ironing out details, but there’s no major issue.”

“What’s the story about the Party Representative making a decision?”

“He’s considering stepping down for the sake of unification.”

“The election is less than two months away. How can he do that?”

“That’s not a big issue. We’ll just field a candidate.”

That’s what I said, but fighting an election without a commander-in-chief wouldn’t be easy.

Especially since the current Party Representative was a seasoned six-term veteran.

Others seemed to think similarly.

“Where else can you find someone with as much experience as the Party Representative? It’s a razor-thin race. Things will tilt against us. We must protect the Party Representative.”

“That’s right. Our candidate doesn’t have much election experience either. We need a veteran to anchor us. Losing him would be like losing the helm.”

“Let’s leave that to the party and do our utmost to secure victory. How’s the organization holding up?”

These folks were treating the presidential election like their own.

With local elections 18 months away, they needed the presidential premium.

On the other hand, Members of Parliament were different. They’d just earned their badges this year, and even if they lost the presidential election, they’d have another run when the administration’s power weakened. So they weren’t as desperate as the local councilors.

The local systems weren’t operating properly, and in some districts of Seoul, the councilors weren’t going all out like me.

A district councilor in front of me answered.

“You’ve managed the region well, Assemblyman. Everyone’s working hard. We’re campaigning as if each party member is responsible for a hundred votes.”

“How about the group that supported me in the last election?”

This time, a city councilor replied.

“The evaluation of you is still positive, Assemblyman. Nothing’s changed. Just that some are slightly dissatisfied since their civil complaints haven’t been resolved quickly.”

“It’s the presidential election period. There’s no helping that now. Let’s take care of it next year.”

“Yes, we should. So far, there haven’t been any major problems.”

“It’s going to be a razor-thin race. I won’t be able to focus on the constituency, so you’ll all have to campaign like it’s your own election.”

“Of course.”

As we were solidifying our resolve, the intern burst into the room in a fluster.

Her face was pale yellow.

“Assemblyman, the news just now…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

I quickly stepped out of the meeting room and checked the TV.

A breaking news ticker flashed across the screen.

[People’s Union Party Representative Abruptly Resigns!]

The inevitable had come.