Chapter 379: Or You’ll See Me Again

‘President Choi Seon-man has given the orders.’

I was a bit taken aback when Huh Geun-yong mentioned Choi Seon-man’s name.

Choi Seon-man and Seo Jae-hoon… What an unlikely duo.

It’s amusing to see two such mismatched people joining forces.

I turned to Huh Geun-yong, who was downing a glass of whiskey.

“Come on, spill everything you know.”

I rested my chin on my hand, watching him with keen interest.

“Well… if I tell you everything…”

I could guess what Huh Geun-yong was about to say, so I interrupted.

“As I mentioned earlier, I’ll ensure you leave in one piece. I keep my promises.”

Finally, Huh Geun-yong slowly started to speak.

“President Choi Seon-man suddenly reached out to me.”

I just listened to what Huh Geun-yong had to say without asking any questions.

“This is everything I know.”

“Hmm… so the gist is that you know nothing?”

Huh Geun-yong continued to ramble on, but he really had no useful information.

Choi Seon-man had given the orders, and Huh Geun-yong just approved them. That was all.

“Is that really all there is?”

Huh Geun-yong nodded slightly, and I couldn’t help but scowl.

“You approved Choi Seon-man’s orders without any explanation?”

“You don’t understand him. He’s a man who dedicated his life to South Korea. That’s why people follow him without conditions.”

“That’s a load of crap.”

Those words should never have come from him. I looked at Huh Geun-yong as if he were a bug and spat insults.

“Wasn’t he involved in student movements and democracy movements against the military government since he was young? And now you claim he dedicated his life to the nation? Are you insane? He’s only done that to secure his own power. Enough with the nonsensical rhetoric!”

Huh Geun-yong’s face twisted with displeasure.

“You…”

“A hypocrite like you disgusts me the most. Acting all refined on the outside while who knows what you do behind the scenes? And don’t even try to say you participated in democracy movements. It’s an insult to those who risked their lives to topple tyranny. Do you understand?”

Huh Geun-yong, who stood before me, must have started off pure. But politics most likely changed him.

Perhaps feeling humiliated, he bit his lips tightly.

But to me, he just looked like a bloated pig.

“I’m not even asking for your old purity. It’s natural for people to change. But you should at least feel remorse for those who bled for democracy. That’s what makes you human.”

Huh Geun-yong still couldn’t muster an answer.

“If you’d switched sides, you should have thrived…”

I clicked my tongue, glaring at him with disdain.

“You seem just like Choi Seon-man, a man who knows nothing and just follows orders. Decades of experience in the National Assembly and you’re still treated that way.”

“No. He and I…”

“So you know why he ordered a loan to Il-sung? You don’t, right? Then what?”

Huh Geun-yong couldn’t possibly misunderstand what I meant. He must have asked about it.

But Choi Seon-man probably never answered him.

The implication was that Huh Geun-yong was just a pawn to be used and discarded.

“Go home. And resign from your position tomorrow. Don’t linger in the political arena any longer.”

“…”

Huh Geun-yong didn’t respond, merely pressing his lips together tightly.

“Answer me. Resign tomorrow. Or you’ll see me again.”

How aggrieved he must have felt, his eyes reddened as he struggled to speak.

“That promise can’t be broken?!”

“I’m sending you back, aren’t I? Did you think I’d let you stay there? Even if I don’t say anything, the Mofia will go to great lengths to drag you down. The moment you turn your back on them and listen to Choi Seon-man’s orders, your fate was sealed. If you wish to protect whatever honor you have left before things get ugly, then walk away on your own.”

Only then did shock register on Huh Geun-yong’s face. Apparently, this was not something he had anticipated.

Foolish man. I didn’t let up on my glare.

“Go beg Choi Seon-man to spare you. Though I doubt he’ll even bother meeting you now.”

Having said my piece, I pressed the bell again to summon Manager Ma.

“Tell them to escort him home.”

Huh Geun-yong called out to me frantically.

“Boss Kim!”

“I said by tomorrow.”

I replied coolly, gesturing to Manager Ma. Immediately, my men came in to escort Huh Geun-yong out.

Manager Ma closed the door and asked.

“Are we letting him go just like that?”

“Of course.”

“Are we not going to finish him?”

“No need. What’s the point in killing a used card? He’s already dead to us. But we can’t leave him be. Contact the U.S. and hand over all drug-related documents. It’s also essential to notify GK about Huh’s daughter.”

The man who would marry Huh Geun-yong’s daughter was the youngest son of GK Group, ranked about 30th in the industry.

“Just pass on the documents. It’s up to GK Group to decide how to handle it.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Once Manager Ma left, I leaned back against the sofa and gazed at the ceiling.

‘Seo Jae-hoon and Choi Seon-man. Both troublemakers, whether they team up or not…’

After all, both were enemies I had to deal with. Their alliance wouldn’t change that.

A slight variable had arisen, but plans could always adapt.

The bigger issue was how unexpectedly solid Choi Seon-man’s faction was.

The survival of collaborators from the military regime still lingering in the upper echelons was a problem, but the army posed a far greater threat.

If it really came down to them moving, things could get complicated.

‘First, I need to rattle Japan.’

It was vital to create a basis for military action.

Once the World Cup, which had drawn the world’s attention, was over, I planned to make my move.

Now was a prime opportunity while the interests of the U.S. and Russia were focused on Iraq and Chechnya.

Having dedicated my attention to Korea, I felt an impending storm brewing, prompting an involuntary deep sigh.

* * *

Huh Geun-yong stepped down from his position as president of the Industrial Bank, and his son was arrested in the U.S. for drug possession and use.

Huh Geun-yong’s daughter was left heartbroken just before her wedding.

In an instant, Huh Geun-yong’s entire foundation collapsed. Yet, Choi Seon-man made no move whatsoever.

“So he was just a discarded pawn.”

“It seems so, Boss.”

There was a small hope that Choi Seon-man might have acted for Huh Geun-yong, potentially revealing a hidden faction.

But as expected, Choi Seon-man didn’t lift a finger for Huh Geun-yong.

The loan had already been granted, and Il-sung cards managed to suurvive the crisis.

“Any updates on Seo Yong-geon’s condition?”

“It remains the same.”

“It would be interesting to see Seo Yong-geon rise again. What a shame.”

I wondered how Seo Yong-geon would react when he regained consciousness and saw what was happening.

Would he grasp for control? Or would he rage? No matter what, he was someone who would never rise again, which was a slight disappointment.

“The information disruption by the military is over, right?”

“Yes, it seems they have realized we’ve caught on. They won’t approach us or spread false information to disrupt us anymore.”

“At least they have some tact.”

“Are you considering recruiting them?”

I shook my head firmly.

“No. The moment Yoon Chang-ho gains power, those guys will toss aside their military uniforms.”

“…”

“Keep an eye on the military’s movements. The likelihood is slim, but they are people with a history. Just because they did it once doesn’t mean they won’t do it again.”

“Yes, Boss.”

First, preventing the Self-Defense Forces from breaching Dokdo was a priority.

“If the Self-Defense Forces aren’t active, there’s no reason to declare martial law. The military is limited in personnel. If I can manipulate Japan to provide justification for martial law, then the military will be unable to act.”

“What about informing Kim Hak-gwon?”

I shook my head at Manager Ma’s question. The lumbering duck had served its purpose.

“Even if Kim Hak-gwon knows, it changes nothing. He’s hoping to retire in peace. He has no reason to rub anyone the wrong way. If he had intended to do that, he wouldn’t have asked for a pardon. So, you don’t need to worry about that at all.”

“I’ll still prepare just in case.”

Manager Ma’s concern was not about a coup upending the regime but rather my safety.

“That’s up to you.”

“Yes. Boss.”

With my permission, Manager Ma finally relaxed his stern expression. I smiled at his face.

The day of the quarterfinal match against Germany had arrived.

The public showed great interest in what advertisements would appear in today’s newspapers.

After all, if you weren’t curious about the advertisement predicting the outcomes of every match, that would be stranger.

With the identity of those placing the ads remaining a mystery, everyone’s curiosity was further piqued.

[Jungwoo Group and Taesan Bank stand together with the South Korean National Soccer Team and the people.]

People were buzzing about the ad featuring Jungwoo Group and Taesan Bank instead of predicting the match outcomes.

But the impact was positive. The events held during the World Cup season had begun to gain renewed attention.

Jungwoo Group provided water, cheering supplies, and blankets to the street supporters free of charge.

Taesan Bank introduced a savings product where the interest rate increased the better the national team performed.

Thanks to this, they managed to garner better promotional effects than Daehyeon Automotive, FIFA’s official sponsor.

“That’s truly impressive.”

Kim Byung-woo, chairman of Jungwoo Group, was looking at me with a burdened expression.

“Your predictions have all come true. The supplies we prepared reached countless hands, and with Jungwoo Group’s name in today’s ad, it’s generated tremendous results.”

“That was the plan.”

“I won’t doubt your orders again, boss. Haha!”

Unable to help but smile awkwardly at Kim Byung-woo’s excessive praise, I shifted the topic.

“By the way, how did sending medicines and food supplies to Afghanistan turn out?”

“Oh, I’ve heard they’re preparing that at Mofia. Fortunately, there’s a small business in the provinces that received halal certification from the Islamic Standards Bureau. We requested canned goods from them.”

It seemed there was indeed a halal-certified business in Korea.

“Is that so? That’s a relief.”

“They assured that they’re preparing to ensure it arrives in Afghanistan within three months.”

“What about the medicines?”

“They’ve said they’ve completed all preparations already. They’ll send the medicines along with the food supplies as soon as they’re ready.”

I nodded in satisfaction.

“Mofia always handles things well.”

“Haha, Jungwoo Industries’ staff can hold their own anywhere.”

“This won’t be a one-time deal. Please provide support for factories producing halal products so we can secure continuous supplies. They’ll need to expand their production facilities.”

“Do you mean to invest?”

“Yes. Halal-certified products are sure to gain popularity. The president of that company must have gone through a complicated certification process while looking toward the future. For someone like that, it’s worth investing in.”

“How about acquiring the company instead?”

Acquiring wasn’t a terrible idea, but there was no need to escalate the situation.

“It doesn’t need to go that far. Just provide enough support to give them priority on our orders.”

“Understood. I’ll relay that.”

Having concluded our conversation, I turned on the TV.

“By the way, Boss.”

Kim Byung-woo called out to me.

“Yes, what is it?”

“What do you think will happen in today’s match? Do you think we’ll make it to the finals?”

I simply responded with a smile.