Chapter 767: The Day We Drink Will Not Come
by xennovelI continued to agonize. Should I give up on Yoo Sung-jin, or should I save him?
“It’s been a week since we last met.”
Back at the embassy, the Chinese Ambassador smiled at me.
I returned the smile outwardly, but inwardly I barely suppressed the boiling murderous intent.
“Connect me.”
“Yes, of course.”
She picked up the phone and contacted someone.
Once the call connected, she handed me the receiver and left the room.
—Hmph. I didn’t think it would take a full week. So, have you made your decision?
Jiang Zemin cut straight to the point without even a simple greeting.
The moment I heard his relaxed voice, I felt my head spinning.
“Yes, Chairman. I’ve made my decision.”
—Oh! So, will you come to Beijing? I recently received a nice liquor as a gift. How about we have a drink together and talk about the future?
Jiang Zemin spoke to me informally, as if he didn’t even consider that I might refuse his proposition.
“No. The day I sit face-to-face with you for a drink will never come.”
I had really struggled for the past week.
I talked to Han Gyeong-yeong, and even Eva who was on vacation, asking for their opinions.
Han Gyeong-yeong told me to follow my heart, and Eva said she would support whatever decision I made.
In the end, I decided to give up on Yoo Sung-jin.
The reason I’ve been cornered like this is that I tried to use both sides without fully committing to either.
Whether it was Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin, or someone else entirely, I had to choose.
If I had joined hands with someone and supported them, this wouldn’t have happened.
If I had made them feel like we were in this together, they would have stopped it.
In the end, it was all my fault.
—What do you mean? Does that sound like you’re refusing my offer?
Jiang Zemin’s voice lowered.
“That’s right. I will not accept your offer. And I plan to do whatever it takes to bring you down.”
Although I decided to give up on Yoo Sung-jin, I hadn’t given up completely.
Even if he’s sentenced to death, I could save him before his execution.
“I can understand and concede on everything else. But you dared to touch my people. You’ve made a big mistake, Chairman.”
—So the rumors about you caring for your subordinates weren’t true.
“I’m doing this because I care for them. As your hunting dogs have already spread, Chairman Yoo Sung-jin told me to abandon him. So I decided to do just that. Instead, I plan to make those who made him say those words pay the price.”
Refusing Jiang Zemin’s offer wasn’t enough.
From now on, Jiang Zemin is my enemy, and today is the day I declare war on him.
“Look forward to it. See what I’m capable of. Whatever you imagine, you’ll experience much more than that.”
—…You’re even crazier than I thought. Just some shallow businessman who only knows how to handle money! How dare you threaten me?!
“You are the one who made me like this, Chairman. Or will you release Chairman Yoo Sung-jin now?”
—Hah…
Jiang Zemin sighed, seemingly dumbfounded, and then continued.
—Boss Kim, how much do you look down on me to act this way? I extended my hand to you.
“Are you not threatening me with my people’s lives? That’s enough. I don’t want to talk anymore.”
A conversation is something you have with people, not with trash like this.
—If you hang up like this you will no longer do business in China.
“Do as you please. And if you’re relying on Europe, you’ll regret that decision even more. Something interesting will happen today. It’s all because of you, Chairman Jiang Zemin. I’m hanging up now.”
Last time, Jiang Zemin hung up first, but this time, I hung up first.
I didn’t leave right away but waited for the Chinese Ambassador.
Soon, she entered, looking pale.
“Am, what in the world are you doing!”
Unlike before, she wasn’t smiling at all.
I stood up and approached her.
“What am I doing? Did you expect me to beg like a beaten dog?”
“What are you talking about? He was trying to help your business…”
Just spouting nonsense with that gaping mouth. I frowned and cut off the Chinese Ambassador.
“Do you really not know anything, or are you pretending not to know?”
“What are you…”
Looking at her reaction, she really seemed to know nothing.
She was nothing more than a pawn to be used and discarded for contacting me.
“Hah, a pawn to be discarded after use. Well, it’s better if you remain ignorant. But ignorance doesn’t excuse everything. I haven’t forgotten the disrespect you’ve shown me. Look forward to it. You’ve heard the rumors about what kind of person I am, haven’t you?”
……
The ambassador’s face became even paler at my cold words.
“Make sure you hold on to your position as Ambassador. Or else…”
I intentionally left my words unfinished. But as if she guessed what was coming, the Ambassador collapsed onto the spot.
I stared at her with cold eyes, then walked past her and out of the embassy.
* * *
At that moment when Kim Mu-hyeok declared war on Jiang Zemin.
Jang Seong-taek stopped the development of Sinuiju which he entrusted to China.
“Chairman! What in the world is going on?!”
The Chinese Ambassador in Pyongyang came to see Jang Seong-taek as soon as he stopped the Sinuiju development.
“What’s going on? Isn’t this what you wanted? China was the one that broke faith with our Republic first.”
“That’s a misunderstanding. What in the world….”
The ambassador tried to make excuses, but Jang Seong-taek cut him off, raising his voice instead.
“Misunderstanding? Did you just say misunderstanding? Didn’t you try to shake our Republic with weapons you promised to support us with?”
“That’s…”
“You know me better than anyone, Ambassador, don’t you? I was a pro-China figure in the world. Even before I took power. But you act worse than Russia, and even South Korea and Japan who we’ve been against. Is there any reason why our Republic has to continue to tolerate it?”
The ambassador looked troubled, rolling his eyes at Jang Seong-taek’s sharp words.
“There is a misunderstanding. It’s not that we are stopping support, it’s just that we wanted to adjust the schedule a little…”
“Because of that few days, our people could starve to death or freeze to death. Because of just a few days.”
“That’s an overinterpretation. Aren’t China and the Republic blood allies?”
Jang Seong-taek snorted, as if it was ridiculous.
“Blood allies! Blood allies, huh. It seems the meaning of blood allies I know is completely different from the one you do.”
The Chinese ambassador was speechless. He himself was against this whole thing.
But the central government eventually decided to pressure North Korea, and the ambassador asked Jang Seong-taek for understanding several times.
“Japan and Russia have already promised to provide more support than what China used to provide. The development of Sinuiju should be handed over to Japan.”
“That’s nonsense…”
“Why do you think it’s nonsense? Wouldn’t it be fine as long as the development proceeds quickly, no matter who’s doing it?”
“If that happens, we cannot stand idly by.”
Jang Seong-taek raised an eyebrow and moved closer to the ambassador.
The usual gentle expression on Jang Seong-taek’s face was now full of displeasure.
“You can’t stand idly by. Are you threatening me, Ambassador?”
“A small country cannot defy a great power. I’m only thinking about you, Chairman…”
“I can’t listen anymore.”
Jang Seong-taek decided to abandon his expectations of China completely.
He completely erased the politeness he had been maintaining and looked at the ambassador with cold eyes.
Then he said coldly, in a monotone voice.
“Go back. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. I don’t want to tarnish the friendship I’ve built with you. Let’s end this now.”
……
“A small country… I didn’t know that you think of our Republic like that.”
“The Prime Minister will be greatly disappointed.”
Jang Seong-taek smirked at the ambassador’s words of using the Prime Minister as a shield.
“I couldn’t reach Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. I don’t know if the Prime Minister is deliberately avoiding me or if he is in an unfavorable state.”
……
“Is it your habit to close your mouth when things are not advantageous for you, Ambassador? Go back now.”
“Chairman.”
At that moment, there was a knock on the office door.
“The Russian Ambassador has arrived.”
The Chinese ambassador’s face turned red at that. To announce that the Russian ambassador had come while he was still talking.
“I have another appointment so could you please leave now?”
The insulted Chinese ambassador bit his lip and stood up.
“Please think again. If things continue this way, it will turn into an irreparable relationship with the home country. The Chairman…”
“Is that Hu Jintao’s position, or former Chairman Jiang Zemin’s? Did I get it wrong? I thought you were a man of Hu Jintao.”
The Chinese Ambassador gasped when Jiang Zemin’s name was mentioned.
“There’s no way Hu Jintao would have ordered our Republic to be treated like this. I’m not blind nor deaf. If China extends a hand again at any time, I’m willing to shake it again. Please relay that to Hu Jintao.”
……
“Please leave now. It would be a diplomatic discourtesy to make the Russian ambassador wait any longer.”
His voice and tone were once again gentle, but rather, it felt like a high wall had been erected.
The Chinese ambassador bit his lip until blood showed and spoke through gritted teeth.
“…I’ll visit again next time. Please think about it again.”
The Chinese ambassador bowed to Jang Seong-taek and left.
After he left, the Russian Ambassador came in. Unlike when he was dealing with the Chinese ambassador, Jang Seong-taek welcomed him.
“Welcome. Ambassador Sergei.”
“Haha, I’m just grateful that you welcome me like this.”
The two men shook hands and hugged, then sat down.
“I saw the Chinese Ambassador leaving just now. Did he come because of this matter?”
Jang Seong-taek nodded, narrowing his brows.
“He threatened me, saying that a small country shouldn’t defy a great power.”
“Hmm. To commit such a discourtesy, it seems that the Chinese Ambassador is in a hurry.”
“There is a lot of internal dissatisfaction with this decision as well.”
Ambassador Sergei nodded as if in agreement.
“Wouldn’t it be? You’ve relied on China quite a lot from the beginning. But diplomacy where one side is being dragged around is never good.”
“You’re right. If we were as strong as your motherland, Ambassador Sergei, they wouldn’t treat us like this.”
Jang Seong-taek said with a sigh.
Now he understood Kim Jong-il’s mindset of trying to maintain distance even while receiving various forms of support from China.
“So, please help us a lot, Russia.”
“Our nation is always a friend of the Chairman. We will never betray you.”
“Thank you. I feel a little better thanks to you, Ambassador. I have some good black tea, would you like some? I’ll brew it for you myself.”
“Oh! I look forward to it.”
Jang Seong-taek stood up from his seat and prepared the black tea himself.
Sergei watched him, thinking to himself.
‘He’s definitely different from Kim Jong-il.’
Kim Jong-il was definitely not someone who would do such a thing.
“Here you go.”
Jang Seong-taek handed the black tea to Sergei, smiling as he sat down.
“Have you received any news from Moscow?”
“Yes. We’ve agreed to send the promised support sequentially, starting from tomorrow.”
At those words, Jang Seong-taek’s face brightened.
“Thank you. I will never forget the help from Russia.”
“No need for thanks. It’s a promise between nations.”
Jang Seong-taek spent a long time talking with the Russian Ambassador.
* * *
North Korea’s sudden halt of the Sinuiju development was widely reported in Korea as well.
It was such a hot topic that some negative opinions emerged suggesting that the economic cooperation with Korea might also be nullified.
“Boss, all the preparations are complete.”
“Is that so?”
I put down the newspaper and looked at Manager Ma.
“Just give the order and we will proceed.”
“It has to be disguised as an accident. We must not let them know that we are involved.”
“Yes. We will disguise it as a hit-and-run and then immediately escape through the predetermined route.”
This was a warning to Jiang Zemin.
This time, I planned to kill the son of the Chinese Ambassador who was rude to me, disguised as an accident.