Chapter 259: If You’re Going to Kill Me, Just Do It

Jang Seong-taek would never dream of rebellion. I realized this through the conversation we had during his visit to Seoul.

Aiming for a collective leadership system like China, Jang Seong-taek could only hope for such an opportunity after Kim Jong-il’s passing, with one of his nephews expected to take the throne.

There was no way someone like Jang Seong-taek would become the mastermind behind a coup, creating favorable conditions for the military.

Unless, of course, there was solid confirmation that China was backing this endeavor and helping him seize power.

However, if such a plan existed, he wouldn’t have been foolish enough to inquire about what Kim Jong-il intended here in Seoul.

“Currently, Deputy Director Jang has been confirmed to be with the General Political Bureau Chief.”

“So, did this mean he was involved or not? Be clear with your answer.”

“We won’t know for sure until we capture and investigate the insurgent leaders, but as of now, there’s no connection. If Deputy Director Jang had been involved in this coup, the General Political Bureau Chief wouldn’t have failed to defend Pyongyang.”

Upon hearing the response, Kim Jong-il frowned. He clicked his tongue in disappointment while looking at Baek Cheol-soo again.

“So, can we suppress them?”

“The time it takes to suppress them depends on the number of people involved in this coup.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?!”

Kim Jong-il raised his voice. However, Baek Cheol-soo remained calm and continued speaking.

“I’ve heard they’re hesitant to attack. The rebels are blockading Pyongyang but have come to a halt, and the General Political Bureau Chief has communicated that he will focus solely on defending Pyongyang until a proper assessment can be made.”

“What kind of crazy talk is this? Just tell them to wipe them all out!”

“General.”

Although Baek Cheol-soo called out to Kim Jong-il, he simply continued to drink.

Kim Jong-il, taking the glass away from his lips, called out to Baek Cheol-soo in a voice that was icy and sharp.

“Listen, Cheol-soo.”

“It’s daybreak now. The coup leaders must be in confusion at this point. We can suppress them without significant casualties. Just give it a little time and wait…”

Baek Cheol-soo realized what he was implying.

It was likely that the coup forces were more interested in securing Kim Jong-il alive than killing him.

Killing Kim Jong-il alone wouldn’t guarantee them control of the regime.

Though the high-ranking officials might not deify Kim Jong-il, the North Korean people regarded Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il as near gods. So, killing Kim Jong-il would likely incur their wrath.

However, it seemed Kim Jong-il thought otherwise. Interrupting Baek Cheol-soo, he abruptly stood up, shouting and throwing his drink.

The glass barely grazed Baek Cheol-soo’s head, shattering horrifically on the ground.

“You bastard, I’m not dead yet!”

Kim Jong-il’s eyes burned with rage.

In this life-and-death situation of a coup, nothing was going according to his wishes, fueling his fury.

Baek Cheol-soo stopped speaking and dropped to his knees on the spot.

“General, after this situation ends, I will repay this rudeness with my life. Please, I beg you. They are all soldiers of the Republic. Don’t hold the ignorance of these private soldiers against them.”

Baek Cheol-soo spoke candidly to Kim Jong-il, ready to sacrifice his life.

Watching this unfold, I couldn’t help but cover my mouth with my hand, amazed inwardly.

Having such a loyal minister beside a dictator was a strange feeling.

“Really? Cheol-soo, can you take responsibility for those words?”

“Yes, General.”

With Baek Cheol-soo’s earnest words bringing his excitement down a notch, Kim Jong-il sat back down.

“Stand up.”

Following the order, Baek Cheol-soo rose without a moment’s hesitation.

“I’ll give you a day. If you can turn the troops in by today, I’ll forgive you. But once today is over, even if you try to stop me, I will wipe out everyone. Got it?”

“Thank you, General.”

“Bring me my glass.”

Baek Cheol-soo brought a new glass and set it down in front of him.

“Cheol-soo, have a drink.”

“I will graciously accept it.”

Before he could even set the glass down, Kim Jong-il stretched the bottle of liquor out to Baek Cheol-soo.

A fragrant liquor filled the glass to the brim.

“Drink up, nice and cool.”

Baek Cheol-soo slightly turned, downing the liquor in one gulp. After emptying the glass, he set it down before Kim Jong-il and took a step back.

While Kim Jong-il poured himself more drink, I asked Baek Cheol-soo:

“Are all the envoys who came from Korea safe, just like me?”

“I haven’t checked yet.”

“Baek Cheol-soo, that’s an important issue. Please check quickly.”

If any of the businessmen from South Korea got hurt, it would jeopardize the peace agreement I was trying to promote.

“Suppressing the coup comes first. I’ll take care of that issue later, slowly.”

“That’s what matters most to me. Please verify it as soon as possible.”

Baek Cheol-soo’s stiff answer made my expression harden. If he was confident in suppressing the coup, checking the safety of the businessmen was even more crucial.

Seeing my tense face, Kim Jong-il seemed to find amusement in it, a faint smile appearing.

“I am not Boss Kim’s subordinate. Don’t give me orders. I only listen to the General’s commands.”

“Baek Cheol-soo.”

Baek Cheol-soo ceased to reply.

“Chairman.”

As Kim Jong-il swirled the glass, he gazed at me. He seemed to regain his composure, shrugging as if it was no big deal.

“Mr. Kim, just wait a bit.”

“It’s really not difficult, is it? Just ensure their safety. Does the Republic treat the Chairman’s guests this way?”

“Teacher!”

“If any of the businessmen visiting Pyongyang get hurt, it could escalate into a serious problem. Can you handle that?”

“Didn’t I tell you not to speak carelessly? It seems my warnings mean nothing to you. Can you guarantee that I won’t really kill you?”

Kim Jong-il glared at me fiercely. I did not shy away from his gaze; my eyes locked with his in the air.

Baek Cheol-soo approached me, but Manager Ma stood in his way.

Seeing Manager Ma’s action, Kim Jong-il smirked cruelly, curling one side of his lips.

“Cheol-soo!”

When Kim Jong-il called, Baek Cheol-soo drew out the pistol at his waist and pointed it at Manager Ma’s temple.

“If I kill your subordinate first, do you think Mr. Kim’s opinion will change? What do you think?”

Kim Jong-il chuckled, casting a look at Manager Ma. Even with the gun at his head, Manager Ma showed no sign of fear.

“You seem to have a good subordinate. I wonder if their lack of fear comes from loyalty because it must be protecting you, or simply from an inability to face reality…”

Manager Ma blinked rapidly twice. It was a signal telling me not to worry.

I received Kim Jong-il’s words while maintaining a stiff expression.

“If you kill my subordinate, I will have to kill you too. If I return alive like this, I will gather all the resources I can to topple the Republic.”

“What nonsense is this? You plan to bring down the Republic?”

Kim Jong-il’s face contorted with rage from these audacious words.

Baek Cheol-soo looked ready to snap the trigger, his finger squeezing slightly on the gun.

“Listen here, Mr. Kim. Do you really think that if you die, President Putin or President Kim Hak-gwon would declare war on the Republic? What a naive thought. Death ends everything.”

Slamming the glass down hard, Kim Jong-il continued speaking.

“The money you possess only holds meaning as long as you are alive.”

What Kim Jong-il said was true.

Even if I died, Putin would not wage war against North Korea. The same goes for Kim Hak-gwon.

Only while I lived did everything I owned hold meaning.

But I wasn’t trusting them.

“That’s right. Death ends everything. So I said that if you were going to kill Manager Ma, just kill me too. If I stay alive, I’ll seek revenge with anything I have, even if I face destruction.”

My blunt reply caught Kim Jong-il off guard, causing him to shake his head slightly in disbelief.

As he refilled his glass, he opened his mouth.

“Mr. Kim, is pride more important than your life?”

Nothing in the world is more important than life. However, if I bow down to Kim Jong-il here…

If I bent slightly even once, both Manager Ma and I would likely die here.

“Life is more important.”

“Then wouldn’t it just take bending once? I told you to be careful with your words. If you just agree, I’ll let it slide. How does that sound?”

Kim Jong-il took a drink, brazenly lying as he scrutinized my face.

“Chairman, I’ve never spoken a wrong word in my life.”

“Here you go with that again.”

“Do you want me to only say nice things before the Chairman like the people of the Republic? Must I flatter you with lies? Will that satisfy you? Is that what you want?”

Kim Jong-il’s face wrinkled in displeasure.

He was the type who would get angry even when a devoted minister spoke the truth. There was no way my words would sit well with him.

“If you’re going to kill me for displeasure, then just go ahead and do it. I’m not going to flatter you with sweet talk.”

“…Teacher.”

He had likely never spoken to someone like me before.

Perhaps tongue-tied, with a look of disbelief, he finally called out to me a beat later.

“All the Koreans in Pyongyang are all responsible for the economy of South Korea. If anything happens to them, do you know what could unfold?”

Kim Jong-il was surely aware. He just didn’t want to admit it.

The U.S. and Korea were military allies. So if any of the South Korean businessmen were harmed, the U.S. would undoubtedly intervene. A country existed to protect its citizens. Yet even among citizens, there were distinctions.

Though people’s lives are supposedly equal, that’s not the case in reality.

“You know, Chairman, that the U.S. won’t sit idly by at a time like this, right? They didn’t back down quietly during the axe incident at Panmunjom, so I can’t guarantee they’ll do so now.”

Given the current state of the U.S., if given a pretense, they could easily go into war with North Korea. Kim Jong-il was certainly aware of that.

Unlike usual, Kim Jong-il was unusually critical of America’s terrorism, fearing the wrath that might come his way.

“China? Russia? None of them can obviate the current U.S. Do you understand?”

“…”

Kim Jong-il’s brow twitched.

“I’ve said all I needed to. If you’re going to kill me, just do it.”

I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. Honestly, saying I wasn’t scared would be a lie.

I could feel my heart racing, as memories of facing death in my previous life flooded my mind.

‘If it were someone else, they’d back down at this point, but I have no clue how Kim Jong-il will react.’

The die was already cast, and all that remained was waiting to see what number would come out.

As I waited for a reply with my eyes closed, cold sweat trickled down my back.

Though I knew he wouldn’t kill me, tension was still natural.

“Cheol-soo, lower your gun.”

Kim Jong-il chose to take a step back.

“Mr. Kim, you can open your eyes. You’ve won.”

“General.”

At Baek Cheol-soo’s hollow cry, I opened my eyes.

“You were right. If anything happens to you, the current U.S. will use it as an excuse to wage war against me. But I have to say, Mr. Kim.”

Kim Jong-il extended his hand to Baek Cheol-soo.

As Baek Cheol-soo instantly understood the gesture, he surrendered the gun.

Kim Jong-il’s face hardened as he grasped the pistol.

“I can’t let this slide, can I?”

“Chairman.”

Bang!

Before I could say anything, the sound of a gunshot rang out, and soon after, Manager Ma collapsed, blood gushing from his thigh.

Yet Manager Ma, gritting his teeth in pain, held his lips tightly. The sight of him refraining from so much as a groan made my heart plummet.

But Kim Jong-il seemed unfazed, casually passing the pistol back to Baek Cheol-soo.

“Take him away and get him treated.”

“Yes, General.”

As Baek Cheol-soo took the gun, his glare at Manager Ma turned cold.

He clenched his fists tightly, struggling to suppress the urge to gouge those eyes out.

“Find out if the South Korean kids in Pyongyang are safe as well. No, connect to the General Political Bureau Chief right now.”

“Understood, General.”

Seeing the collapsed Manager Ma, without realizing it, I bit down on my lip, tasting the grim iron of blood.

With blood faintly dripping from my hand due to how tightly I had clenched my fists, I gripped my anguish tight.

Receiving orders from Baek Cheol-soo, Manager Ma hesitated to accept his assistance.

Then, he sighed softly with a look that seemed to say it was my fault.

My people were hurt because of me. This wasn’t the time to be angry.

“Director, go get treated already.”

My voice trembled. Manager Ma finally accepted Baek Cheol-soo’s support and exited.

“Seems you care a lot, huh?”

With a tone of feigned curiosity, I glared at Kim Jong-il with bloodshot eyes.

“He is like a brother to me.”

Nodding with an expression that seemed to confirm this was expected, Kim Jong-il continued.

“You should consider yourself lucky that it ended this way. I’d gladly want to kill not only his men but you too, if my mood allowed.”

Seeing him speak casually about murder, I inwardly vowed.

‘I can never let myself ally with this man.’