Chapter 725: I Accept the Apology

Wen Jiabao let out a deep breath but said nothing.

Silence hung in the air on the other end of the receiver until I broke it.

“Isn’t our relationship akin to that of brothers?”

— Kim Mu-hyeok, Boss.

Wen Jiabao seemed about to respond, but I cut him off without hesitation.

“If that’s not the case, then I’ll treat you the same way.”

This was my ultimatum.

If you don’t treat me as a brother, then I won’t either.

In dealings with China, should I lose the tether that is Wen Jiabao, I would undoubtedly face inconveniences moving forward.

Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao were set to lead China for over eight more years as running mates.

That’s why I’d established connections with Wen Jiabao, offering him substantial financial and political assistance.

Yet, I couldn’t sit idly by as they tried to make me their long-term pawn.

— Kim Mu-hyeok, are you telling me you want to sever ties with me?

“You need to be clear about this. It’s not me but the Prime Minister who has severed the ties.”

Wen Jiabao pressed coolly, but I shot back sharply.

After a pregnant pause, Wen Jiabao finally spoke.

— … Kim Mu-hyeok, you are a businessman, aren’t you? Why would you intervene in matters that don’t concern you and risk incurring losses? The affairs between the Korean and Chinese governments should be settled between the governments. If this issue were tied to your safety, I would have gone to any lengths to help you. But, this is not the case, is it?

“What happened was indeed because of me. I hadn’t anticipated that the Joseonjok would come to Seoul to cause trouble, but it stemmed from my plans. Consequently, the Chinese government started to pressure the Korean government, and if I don’t mediate, they will tighten their grip even more.”

Wen Jiabao responded in a tone of incredulity.

— I understood it was due to internal conflicts within the Heaven Church.

“I was the one who instigated that conflict. Han Hyun-soo returned to Korea alive, which triggered everything. Had Han Hyun-soo died, there wouldn’t have been a bloody incident in Seoul.”

— Han Hyun-soo? Who is he? You’re saying this crisis erupted because of someone I don’t even know?

“He’s the second leader of the Heaven Church. The ones who called the Joseonjok were Han Hyun-jin and Han Hyeon-woo, his brothers. The henchmen who blocked them were hired by Han Hyun-soo.”

Wen Jiabao remained quiet, simply listening to my explanation.

From his demeanor, it seemed he was only aware of surface-level information.

That said, whether it was China or Korea, it was understandable that the nitty-gritty details were often obscured.

They claimed the Joseonjok were on their way to kill Han Hyun-soo, but they probably had no idea Han Hyun-jin instigated that.

Kim Min-woo likely coordinated things from the middle, gathering people.

“I didn’t intend for it to happen this way, but it did. So, out of moral obligation, I need to clean this up.”

The small stone I tossed created ripples.

In my past life, such events didn’t transpire. Han Seong-jin wasn’t captured, and after his death, the Heaven Church split into many factions without major incidents.

Yet, ever since I intervened, the Heaven Church under the hand of Han Hyun-soo hadn’t had a moment’s peace.

— I understand your point, Kim Mu-hyeok. However, this is not something I can stop by simply stepping in.

“I understand. If Chairman Jiang Zemin is involved, it’ll be tough for you to prevent it, Prime Minister. However, you’ve crossed a line by treating it as someone else’s problem. We’re supposed to be brothers.”

In truth, what I was doing was akin to gambling.

I was turning the tables on Wen Jiabao, who was trying to pressure me.

But this was the only way to deter the incoming Joseonjok.

The Heavenly Group could handle the aftermath, but if President Yoon Chang-ho suffered significant losses due to this incident, the responsibility would fall on me.

— That’s… I’m sorry.

Eventually, Wen Jiabao offered his apology.

“If we were in a business relationship, I wouldn’t have felt this disappointed. I’ve helped you in your time of danger by any means necessary. That’s how you got to your position now. Would Hu Jintao have rescued you if I hadn’t stepped in? But what you just said was an outright act of drawing a line between us.”

When Wen Jiabao was detained by Jiang Zemin, he had met with Hu Jintao and disclosed the Shanghai faction’s corruption.

As a result, a political agreement allowed Wen Jiabao to be released, enabling him to take his current position.

It was also why I had this leverage over him.

— Right… You’re right. I made a significant mistake. I sincerely apologize once again.

Here was Wen Jiabao, a high-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party, bowing his head in apology.

It’s rare for Chinese individuals, especially someone as prominent as Wen Jiabao, to apologize. This indicated how much he valued our relationship.

Pressuring him further would have been foolish.

“I accept your apology.”

Finally, the battle of wills came to a close as we returned to the main topic.

“If Luo Gan is moving, then it’s clear this is beyond what you can stop, Prime Minister. This is a decision made by the Standing Committee.”

— That’s correct.

“What kind of pressure are they applying?”

– It seems they will initially attempt to repatriate our people back to China. After that…

Perhaps my intimidation worked, as Wen Jiabao started divulging high-level information.

— They will likely proceed with that plan. Luo Gan knows the specific details, though. Hu Jintao has vested him with full authority.

“Does Hu Jintao share the same views?”

If Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao held the same stance, there would be no way to halt their actions.

Even if it came down to it, not even Wen Jiabao could stop it.

Well, unless the deceased Deng Xiaoping somehow rose again.

— No, that’s not the case. Hu Jintao doesn’t want to bear political burdens; thus, he hasn’t intervened. He’s already reported that it seems to be connected to you, Kim Mu-hyeok.

There it was. I now had a glimpse of what Hu Jintao was thinking.

“So, if we can stop Luo Gan, that would suffice?”

— I’m not sure how deeply Jiang Zemin has gotten involved, but I doubt it’s too far. Since Luo Gan is leading this, as long as we stop him, we shouldn’t face any major issues.

“But how did Luo Gan become so close to Jiang Zemin?”

— Um… As you know, he was originally from Li Peng’s faction. But when Li Peng lost in the power struggle, Jiang Zemin gained power, and thereafter, Luo Gan became part of Jiang’s faction. So while he isn’t a member of the Shanghai faction, he’s allied with pro-Jiang Zemin forces.

I recalled Li Peng’s face from our meetings in China.

He had been closer to the throne than Jiang Zemin at one point but had fallen from grace, losing to Jiang Zemin under Deng Xiaoping’s watchful eye.

— Still, he was a man of principle. He remained loyal to Li Peng until his retirement. Although after retiring, he became a dog for Jiang Zemin.

“Does he have any weaknesses?”

— He is the Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee. He oversees all judicial and public security matters. He may have the lowest ranking among the Standing Committee members, but his power is considerable. It would be burdensome for us to dig into his affairs.

“And the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission is not under Hu Jintao’s influence?”

— Yet it’s still difficult. If we were to strike at Luo Gan, we’d spill much blood. He holds many of our weaknesses as well. It’s tough for us to act directly.

Even though Hu Jintao had grasped control over the hardest hitters of the Communist Party, it didn’t mean we could just grapple with the Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee without complications.

If the Discipline Inspection Commission moved, the Political and Legal Committee would follow suit, pointing guns at each other without truly winning.

Understanding this, both Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao refrained from pointing guns at each other.

A monster that would ignore this caution would emerge a decade later, but at least for now, the Chinese political scene observed boundaries.

“So, it seems Hu Jintao wishes for me to take action and strike first,” I deduced.

— …

Wen Jiabao neither confirmed nor denied.

“Hu Jintao is certainly an interesting character.”

— …

Whenever it came time to critique Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao would bite his tongue.

Continuing the conversation seemed futile; Wen Jiabao wouldn’t be able to do much.

“I see what you’re saying. Regardless, please exert your influence. I’ll reach out to Luo Gan myself, but if you could make a move, the level of pressure might decrease a bit, right?”

— I will do my best.

It was a standard response, but I couldn’t force Wen Jiabao to act beyond his means.

“I’ll contact you again soon.”

— Let’s do that.

The lengthy call with Wen Jiabao finally came to an end.

I handed the phone to Manager Ma while frowning.

“This is why I can never truly like China. When the outer appearance and the inner realities differ as much as this, it’s quite something.”

Manager Ma took the phone and asked,

“Did the conversation not go well, Boss?”

“It seems they are moving from Jiang Zemin’s end. Hu Jintao appears to bear political burdens and has no intention of intervening. Wen Jiabao… well, he doesn’t seem to have much he can do either.”

I considered possible moves by the Princelings, but compared to the Shanghai faction and the Communist Youth League, their strength was negligible.

Moreover, the influential elders would undoubtedly sympathize with putting pressure on Korea.

“It’s illogical for the victims to be Korea while we pretend to be the victims in China…”

“Isn’t that China’s true nature, Boss?”

Though it frustrated me, I couldn’t pull out of all my businesses in China due to a fleeting emotion.

Knowing full well that the Chinese economy was hot on the heels of the U.S., avoiding investment would be foolish.

“I can’t help but feel sorry for President Yoon Chang-ho.”

Any backlash internally could somewhat be smoothed over through a public address, but if things got messy in China, it would undoubtedly be problematic.

“In moments like this, the Kremlin seems to look like an angel, doesn’t it?”

It was Russia that sent troops without hesitation when I found myself in danger in Japan.

Though it was a reckless request that could have escalated to war, the owner of the Kremlin fulfilled my request.

“I need to gather detailed information about Luo Gan, the Secretary of Politics and Law in China.”

“I’ll contact Black Bear right away.”

“Please ask for the initial information first. Then instruct them to dig deeper. I want to know everything, from his family to his weaknesses.”

“Understood.”

After Manager Ma left, I took some time for myself.

Try as I might, the situation had flared up beyond control. The three nations—Korea, China, and Japan—had all intertwined with this incident.

“Was it ever destined to escalate this far?”

A laugh escaped from me. Yet, I could not simply stand by and do nothing.

Sorting out the chaotic thoughts in my mind, I stood up.

* * *

Continuing to stay in touch with Myeong-su, I checked the domestic situation and the level of pressure coming from China.

Once I had verified the facts to an extent, a public address from President Yoon Chang-ho was released.

He stated that through thorough investigations, all involved parties would face the law and expressed his intent to investigate the Heaven Church as well.

Though the church members reacted strongly against this, no one came to their defense.

The media also seemed to synchronize with Yoon Chang-ho’s actions, starting to publish articles regarding the Heaven Church.

While the domestic situation was somewhat stabilized, the pressure from China only escalated.

The Chinese government demanded that all Joseonjok be repatriated, and a spokesperson for the Chinese government openly criticized Korea during a press conference.

Han Hyun-soo contacted me on the day of the raid against the Heaven Church.

He reached out to Manager Ma through the mercenary leader.

— Please spare my life.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the direct plea from Han Hyun-soo.

“Just deal with it. This has become too big of a deal.”

— At this rate, the Heaven Church will collapse.

“It wouldn’t be bad for it to be reborn afresh.”

— Kim Mu-hyeok…

When state power aims to sweep through, there won’t be any religious group left unscathed.

Moreover, Yoon Chang-ho was firmly resolved to change public sentiment domestically.

Targeting the Heaven Church, the source of this bloody incident, was only natural.

— Everyone will perish at this rate. Most of the cleanup is already completed. Yet…

“Is it enough as long as you don’t get burned?”

— Yes? Yes, that’s correct.

“Then expect some sacrifices. I’ll see what I can do.”

— Understood. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Han Hyun-soo repeatedly expressed his thanks in a humble tone.

“For now, comply with the raid. I’ll handle everything from here on. Don’t resist at all. And don’t mobilize the believers to obstruct them either.”

— … Yes, understood.

After ending the call with Han Hyun-soo, I dialed another familiar number.

— Oh, Mu-hyeok.

“Hyeon-woo, you’re in charge of the Heaven Church case, right?”

— What? How did you know? No, that’s not it. You handed this matter over to me.

I had ensured that Hyeon-woo took charge of the Heaven Church case.