Chapter 58

EP 11 - That's Our Crazy Dog (2)

Click.

The door to the underground bunker in Busan Metropolitan City closed.

The cold, sharp gazes of the National Intelligence Service agents behind their sunglasses scattered me.

I passed through the narrow path of the underground bunker, weaving between the agents lined up on either side, and went deep inside.

Thud. Tap.

Thud. Tap.

Thud. Tap.

The sound of a cane tapping echoed through the dim corridor.

At the end of the corridor, an iron door came into view. An agent with a metal detector lightly scanned my body and then carefully opened the door with a card key.

And then.

Several people were seated around a table in the dim, secret room.

"...Ah, you're here."

Yang Pansuk, dressed in a rumpled suit without a properly tied tie, grinned slyly.

"It's been a while."

Commander Kim Doo-sik adjusted his cap and gave a light nod.

"How long has it been!"

Jeju Governor Jeong Jung-yeop, fiddling with his elegant tie pin, smiled broadly.

"...Pleasure to see you."

Minister Yoo Jae-kyung, worn out and half-dead, muttered reluctantly.

And then.

"Have you been well?"

"It's been a while, Acting President."

"You've managed to survive. Please, take a seat."

Won Ok-bun smiled kindly and offered a seat.

In her elderly, slightly slurred speech,

there was a sharp, honed edge.

* * *

Minister Yoo Jae-kyung found this meeting extremely uncomfortable. To be precise, it felt like his stomach was being stabbed repeatedly. Honestly, he wanted to go to the bathroom.

"...Everyone is here now."

As Acting President Won Ok-bun began the meeting with a metallic voice, he felt it would be unwise to say he needed to use the bathroom, so he tightly closed his mouth and frowned.

The discomfort of this meeting was not just about that.

"Everyone seems to be doing well, which is fortunate."

"The world is not so peaceful, though."

"Oh, my apologies, yes."

This was the friendly conversation between Yang Pansuk and Won Ok-bun. The politicians were already starting to jockey for position.

Yoo Jae-kyung swallowed hard.

Honestly, he felt a bit out of his depth.

Yoo Jae-kyung tried not to show his nervousness by covering his mouth with his hand and biting his lower lip hard to endure.

Of course, he wasn't really underqualified. As the Minister of Economy and Finance, he was the 'Economic Vice Prime Minister' who would act as the interim president in the absence of the president and the prime minister.

Moreover, he was originally the Director of the Budget Office at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. He had been the top student in the economics department at Korea University for four years and had passed the 5th-grade civil service exam with top honors, making him an elite economic bureaucrat.

From the time he was a section chief, he had held his head high in front of 1st-grade civil servants, and as the Director of the Budget Office, he had approved budgets while receiving greetings from vice ministers and governors.

But then, while working as a director, he suddenly found himself a minister.

Third in the line of succession.

Minister of Economy and Finance, Economic Vice Prime Minister.

With all the vice ministers and ministers dead, he had ended up as the minister by leading the remaining directors in the Sejong City complex.

Still thinking like a 1st-grade civil servant, he had worked like a dog to revive the economy and ended up becoming one of the top five most powerful people in Korea.

"Acting President Won, you also look healthy, which is very fortunate."

"Thank you."

"..."

Of course, there were many good points. For example, he had sent his family, who lived in Sejong City, to Jeju Island. In these times, even conglomerates couldn't easily board planes.

However, the people here were of a different 'level.'

"Li Zhongbin, a general... I remember he was the commander of the Shenyang Military Region before joining the Central Military Commission. A typical political officer..."

Commander Kim Doo-sik muttered the name vaguely.

He was the de facto leader of the current national army, having rescued Representative Han Seung-moon during the Cha Jae-kyun incident and reorganized the scattered troops retreating from the collapsed Seoul perimeter to form the northern defense line in Chungcheong Province.

"Is this from the military's perspective? Or the chairman's perspective? We need to be careful about this."

Representative Yang Pansuk asked casually.

Known as the Kingmaker, he had led the Democratic Party to consecutive victories in the presidential and general elections through various political maneuvers and was almost pre-selected as the next party leader. Additionally, he had secretly taken control of the judiciary, one of the three branches of government, by leading the recent judicial turmoil related to Han Seung-moon's treason charges.

"The vice chairman of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Military Commission is the same as the Chinese head of state... If the vice chairman said it, it's as if the chairman said it through someone else."

"Are you sure?"

"There are many Chinese people in Jeju Island."

"I didn't know you had informants in China."

"Haha..."

Jeju Governor Jeong Jung-yeop, known for his good nature, smiled and kept his informants hidden.

He was a leading presidential candidate, representing the upper class of Korea by moving various conglomerates, companies, and even government offices to Jeju Island. A new dark horse in Korean politics, he had extended his influence in all directions based on the unique concrete network of Jeju politics.

"By the way, Representative Han, was your journey here smooth?"

And this dark horse was fawning over a man 30 years his junior. Governor Jeju Jeong Jung-yeop clung to Representative Han Seung-moon.

"Ah, yes. Thanks to the helicopter you sent..."

"Haha, it was requisitioned from a company. By the way, I heard you were isolated in the northern part of Gangwon Province. Do you have any intention of coming to Jeju Island...?"

"I need to go back after the meeting. My family—"

"I knew you would say that. You really care about the people... Oh, my son is two years older than you, and it's really..."

"Haha..."

"Then the helicopter is for you to use. Always."

"Really...?"

"Please accept it. As a governor, I'm busy with my constituency and don't go out much. Representative Han, aren't you a pillar for the Korean people now?"

Jeju Governor Jeong Jung-yeop laughed heartily.

He was openly buttering up.

"Since you will be very busy in the future, I want to help you a little. Don't feel too burdened. Isn't this all for the country?"

Governor Jeong Jung-yeop, who looked much younger than his age and was one of the most handsome middle-aged politicians, seemed a bit off-putting to Yoo Jae-kyung, constantly fawning over someone 20 years younger.

But then Yoo Jae-kyung suddenly thought,

Is this guy really 28?

"I feel a bit guilty using such a meaningful gift alone. How about this: I'll use it for official visits or when such meetings occur, and the rest of the time, I'll let the military use it to rescue refugees. Governor, is that okay?"

"Ah! Of course! That's fine!"

"Thank you for always worrying, Governor."

It was like saying he would cover the helicopter with a military waterproof tarp to avoid indigestion. The fuel would be supplied from that side.

Han Seung-moon was using this public benefit to save face, accepting the gift in a twisted way to maintain a certain distance. He was also ambiguously grateful.

Since Commander Kim Doo-sik was also there, he conveyed his intention to hand the helicopter over to the military.

He's handling this well.

"..."

Seeing this young man, who was the same age as his daughter who was probably throwing a tantrum at his mother in Jeju Island, Yoo Jae-kyung felt a bit bitter.

Escaping from Apgujeong, the Han Seung-moon Foundation, the fall of Cha Jae-kyun, exposing the coalition, founding the National Party, developing an awakening agent, self-experimentation, and the Black Mountain Yang extermination.

This guy was a politician whose achievements didn't need to be explained.

When Han Seung-moon's approval rating for the presidential election hit 19% despite not having the right to be elected, Yoo Jae-kyung spilled his beer all over his shirt at home.

He still vividly remembered when Han Seung-moon came to him to bully the conglomerates. Little did he know it was the blueprint for the creation of the GS Group.

Yoo Jae-kyung had only thought about insider trading and dismantling conglomerates, never imagining that he would completely overhaul the Korean business community from the ground up.

What was the reason Governor Jeju Jeong Jung-yeop was reaching out to the business community? Because the conglomerates were fighting among themselves, their share structures and company connections had become so chaotic that they couldn't unite.

So the conglomerates in Jeju Island were relying on Jeong Jung-yeop...

...!!

Then, Jeong Jung-yeop and Han Seung-moon were both from the National Party, the former as a potential party leader and the latter as a potential floor leader.

Jeong Jung-yeop was a presidential candidate...!

No, no...!

Han Seung-moon, just how far...!

Yoo Jae-kyung glared at Han Seung-moon.

"What's the matter...?"

"Ah, no. You look very tired."

"Ah, yes... I heard Minister Yoo has been working hard."

What does this mean? Is he suggesting I switch sides from under Won Ok-bun? Or is he implying that I'm wasting my time trying to fix an economy that can't be saved?

As Yoo Jae-kyung maintained a poker face and sweated inside,

"Have all the introductions been made?"

Won Ok-bun sharply moved on to the main topic of the meeting.

"Greetings have been conveyed from Japan."

Squeak. The door opened.

And a new figure took a seat.

*

"Nice to meet you."

The new arrival was the chief of staff of the Liberal Democratic Party, Yoshimura.

The Liberal Democratic Party had only been out of power for less than 10 years in the decades-long post-war history of modern Japanese politics.

Considering that Japan was essentially a one-party dictatorship by the Liberal Democratic Party, the fact that the second-ranking party member was here indicated that the situation created by China was extremely serious.

He spoke fluent Korean, albeit with a clumsy accent.

"Um... Also... Regarding the somewhat radical alliance proposal from China. The Prime Minister believes that the Korean side is also undergoing considerable political deliberation. This is a matter concerning the peace of Northeast Asia and various public security issues, so I thought I could offer some help. With the permission of Acting President Won Ok-bun, I have taken the liberty of joining the meeting. Hello."

Translation: Hello?

For a foreigner, this was quite impressive. After all, it wasn't a situation where he could wear earphones or bring an interpreter.

He smiled broadly and carefully took his seat at the table.

And then,

Won Ok-bun began to lead the meeting.

"First... What China wanted was for us to dispatch our superhumans, including Hunter Gam Ji-yoon. They said it's necessary to protect 56 nuclear power plants, but..."

Commander Kim Doo-sik added.

"The Chinese army is not easily pushed back. While the current situation is dire, if the nuclear plants explode, China will also be in danger, so they will likely do whatever it takes to prevent it."

[If the front yard is on fire, wouldn't they try to stop it?]

Yang Pansuk interjected.

"If it's a mandatory sacrifice, and it concerns the entire Northeast Asia, they are asking us to share the burden."

[They want us to share the fire, right?]

"Yes."

Minister Yoo Jae-kyung pointed out, trailing off.

"However, I don't think that's the real intention. There must be something else they want Korea to do. While it's true that Hunter Gam Ji-yoon can significantly reduce casualties..."

[China isn't a country that tries so hard to save lives.]

"Yes, there is a tendency to prioritize prestige."

[That's right. A country that doesn't compromise its dignity to save its people.]

Jeju Governor Jeong Jung-yeop smiled calmly.

"In my opinion, this message is not for us."

"Excuse me?"

"It's for their own people."

Jeju Island had a lot of exchanges with China, and Governor Jeong Jung-yeop had connections in China, allowing him to piece together various bits of information and form a rough picture.

"China cannot avoid significant casualties. With a high population density and severe urban slums... millions have likely already died. This will inevitably lead to a significant drop in trust in the Chinese Communist Party.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army is not a national army but a party army, so the responsibility lies with the Chinese Communist Party."

Jeju Governor Jeong Jung-yeop's deep, confident voice captivated the room. The atmosphere in the dark, quiet meeting room focused on him.

"In this situation, the proud and great Chinese government, the general of the military, bowed to a foreign country and asked for a mere child to be sent.

Of course, to us, the child is a precious talent and a valuable citizen, but from China's perspective, that's what it is. Representative Han Seung-moon, yes. Anyway."

"..."

"If we refuse, how will public opinion in China react? A foreign country not sending a child to prevent 56 nuclear power plants from exploding."

"..."

"This is propaganda."