Chapter 777: A Change of Allegiance

Hu Jintao stared at Zheng Qinghong in silence.

“It’s been a long time since the Vice President and I have met alone like this.”

“Indeed. We used to meet frequently back in the day.”

“Power is a funny thing. There are no eternal allies or enemies, after all.”

Hu Jintao’s relationship with Zheng Qinghong wasn’t bad to begin with. In fact, they used to be quite close.

They had similar experiences in the Communist Youth League and were close in age, often sharing drinks while discussing the future of China.

Despite the clear differences in age and status, they maintained a friendly relationship.

But as time passed, those days faded away, and he now stood as an enemy, blocking his path.

“Chairman, I will enter.”

A knock sounded at the door, and a secretary entered with two teacups. He placed the cups in front of the two men and left.

Hu Jintao picked up his teacup, smelled it, and then spoke.

“I almost died this time. I never imagined they would try to kill me.”

“I heard about what happened.”

“It can’t be that the Vice President only heard. Didn’t you take the lead in planning and executing the attempt? You are Jiang Zemin’s Zhang Liang.”

Hu Jintao took a sip of his tea, a mocking expression on his face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Well, it will come out when it’s investigated. After facing death, I began to wonder why I lived like this. Why did I have to watch Jiang’s every move and lie low?”

“······.”

“If I’m going to die either way, shouldn’t I at least put up a fight?”

Hu Jintao regretted enduring and keeping such a low profile after surviving the brush with death.

Even though Jiang Zemin’s influence remained and the Shanghai faction was still powerful, the fact they would attempt to assassinate him right after he gained some power due to SARS was unbelievable.

After finishing about half of his Pu-erh tea, Hu Jintao put down his cup and asked,

“Aren’t you going to have some tea? Are you worried I might have poisoned it? I wouldn’t do something like that.”

Zheng Qinghong picked up his teacup, finished the hot Pu-erh tea in one gulp, and put the cup back down.

Despite drinking the hot tea, Zheng Qinghong spoke without showing any reaction.

“I understand that you don’t trust me.”

“It’s good that you know. So, what’s the point of meeting me? There must be something in it for me.”

Hu Jintao was disgusted by the sight of Zheng Qinghong downing the hot tea, calling him a ruthless bastard in his mind.

“Kim Mu-hyeok and I have agreed to join forces.”

“What?”

Hu Jintao asked in shock.

“You’re joining forces with Kim Mu-hyeok? How can that be? That man can’t possibly align himself with Jiang Zemin.”

“I think you misunderstand. I said I joined forces with him, not Jiang Zemin.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“Not at all. I’m in the same boat as Chairman Jiang but I can always jump to another one. I’m not stupid enough to stay on a sinking ship.”

“······.”

Hu Jintao was speechless.

Although he used the metaphor of switching boats, it was as good as Zheng Qinghong declaring his betrayal of Jiang Zemin.

Zheng Qinghong was the man Jiang Zemin brought with him when he moved to the central government.

While Jiang Zemin was indeed talented, it was thanks to Zheng Qinghong’s behind-the-scenes schemes that he was able to consolidate his power.

In other words, Zheng Qinghong was Jiang Zemin’s right-hand man. The better Jiang Zemin did, the more benefits he would get.

So, why would he suddenly want to jump ship?

“I can’t understand it. Explain it to me in detail, Vice President.”

“I met Kim Mu-hyeok in Pyongyang.”

Zheng Qinghong carefully explained his conversation with Kim Mu-hyeok.

“So you’re saying you’re betraying the Shanghai faction? That you’re going to lead the charge against Jiang Zemin and the Shanghai faction?”

“It’s difficult to come out openly. But I can help behind the scenes. That’s what Kim Mu-hyeok wants as well.”

“Hmm…”

For Hu Jintao, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Zheng Qinghong was Jiang Zemin’s right-hand man, so he was very familiar with the inner workings of the Shanghai faction.

Even if he didn’t actively participate, the insider information alone would be a great help to Hu Jintao.

It was a tempting offer… but one thing bothered him. Could he really trust Zheng Qinghong?

Zheng Qinghong smiled, meeting Hu Jintao’s suspicious gaze.

“I see that you don’t trust me.”

“It’s hard to trust you, Vice President, considering how long we’ve been at odds.”

“That’s right. But I had nothing to do with this assassination attempt. If it was my plan, I wouldn’t have made it so sloppy. You know that better than anyone, Chairman.”

Hu Jintao nodded.

They had been rivals for over a decade.

Hu Jintao, who had bowed before them and bided his time under Jiang Zemin’s influence, knew that Zheng Qinghong had a hand in major events.

The assassination attempt this time was too amateur to have been planned by Zheng Qinghong.

Though he was able to return unharmed, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

“I’m also wondering about that. But that doesn’t prove your innocence, Vice President.”

“How can I make you trust me?”

“Tell me what you would gain by betraying Chairman Jiang. If I don’t know that, I can’t accept your offer.”

No politician switches sides without a personal gain.

“Hand over the next top leadership position to one of us Princelings.”

“······.”

“I belong to the Princelings. I joined hands with Chairman Jiang because it was more beneficial for the Princelings’ growth. However, the Shanghai faction has always been wary of me. Though I’ve shared some power thanks to Jiang’s favor, they’ve always been trying to keep me in check.”

“That’s inevitable…”

Even though Jiang Zemin was still around, there was no one in the Shanghai faction with more political influence than Zheng Qinghong.

Although Wu Bangguo and Jia Qinglin were higher in rank, their political power was not as great as Zheng Qinghong’s.

So, it was inevitable that they would try to keep Zheng Qinghong in check.

“So you want the next top leader to come from the Princelings? What do I get out of it? I could use this chance to drive them all out and choose my own successor.”

“That would be difficult. Even if you have the justification, the Shanghai faction won’t just collapse. And the old guard won’t stand by and let you monopolize power.”

Zheng Qinghong’s point was something Hu Jintao had been contemplating.

“However, if you assure us that the next leader will come from the Princelings, the old guard will support you more than anyone. And then, the next leader can come from the Communist Youth League. It’s a give and take. Only the opponent changes from the Shanghai faction to the Princelings.”

Hu Jintao’s support base was too weak to monopolize power.

But if he joined hands with Zheng Qinghong, that weakness would be no problem at all.

The Princelings in the political world had all come through the Communist Youth League.

“Do you understand why I’m switching sides now? Kim Mu-hyeok agreed with this plan and agreed to support me. And that man doesn’t trust you very much.”

“What do you mean? That man doesn’t trust me?”

“Didn’t you fail to actively defend us from the attack this time? It’s not strange for his trust to be broken.”

“That’s…”

Hu Jintao tried to defend himself, but Zheng Qinghong shook his head.

“He said he understood it logically, but he didn’t feel good about it. To prevent that, you had to give up a lot. All of that was just a means to attack you.”

Hu Jintao glared at Zheng Qinghong, his face slightly flushed with anger.

However, Zheng Qinghong had not come to submit to Hu Jintao. He met his gaze directly without flinching.

“In the end, that entire plan failed. They tried to attack you through Yoo Sung-jin, but Yoo Sung-jin kept his mouth shut and Kim Mu-hyeok kept his loyalty to you.”

“······.”

“Kim Mu-hyeok kept his faith in you and the Prime Minister. But he got nothing in return. That doesn’t mean he is trying to pick a fight with you.”

“So, you’re saying he will help me. Is that right?”

“Yes. He will join forces with me and help you. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all.”

Hu Jintao nodded with a relaxed expression.

“Let’s discuss the rest later. It’s too early to talk about it now. Let’s take care of Chairman Jiang first and then…”

Hu Jintao hinted that he would join hands, but he didn’t give a definite answer.

“That’s enough for now.”

Zheng Qinghong nodded, a deep smile forming on his lips.

“Aren’t you planning to replace the Party Secretary of Shanghai?”

“······ So you knew.”

The list that he handed to Luo Gan didn’t have the name of the Party Secretary of Shanghai.

Jiang Zemin planned to make the successor from the Shanghai faction the next after Hu Jintao.

So, he had given him power, and to defeat him, he would have to find a sure way to remove him.

“If you seize Shanghai, it will be a humiliation for the Shanghai faction. After all, Shanghai is their political base.”

“······.”

“I will help you with that.”

“What are you talking about? Help me?”

“Among the Standing Committee members, the only ones who can be definitively called part of the Shanghai faction are Jia Qinglin and Huang Ju.”

“What about Wu Bangguo and Li Changchun? And what about Luo Gan?”

“I will make sure they all remain neutral.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Yes. Luo Gan can switch sides anytime, and while Wu Bangguo and Li Changchun align themselves with the Shanghai faction, they don’t want to sink with it.”

If what Zheng Qinghong said was true, things would become easier.

Out of the nine members of the Standing Committee, six were classified as part of the Shanghai faction, and Wu Guanzheng, the Secretary of the Central Discipline Inspection Commission, was neutral.

Fortunately, Wu Guanzheng leaned toward Hu Jintao because of the recent assassination attempt, but the only one who was completely on Hu Jintao’s side was Wen Jiabao.

“If you dismiss and arrest the Party Secretary of Shanghai, they will immediately become neutral.”

If the rest went neutral, the power of the Shanghai faction would practically disappear.

“How is it? Don’t you regret joining hands with me now?”

Hu Jintao was satisfied. This was the ability that made Jiang Zemin cherish Zheng Qinghong.

Thus, to weaken Jiang Zemin’s power, Hu Jintao and Zheng Qinghong began to discuss their plans.

“And Chairman Jiang is trying to move the pro-China faction in North Korea to reinstate Kim Jong-il.”

“What?!”

Hu Jintao shouted in surprise.

* * *

I drove toward Kaesong to return to Korea after meeting with Kim Jong-il.

Unlike before, the roads were well maintained, and the car sped along comfortably without much bumping.

“That’s strange.”

There wasn’t a single vehicle on the highway.

I asked my subordinate, who was filling in for Manager Ma, “Manager Kim, how much further?”

“We’ll be arriving at Kaesong soon.”

“I have a bad feeling. Let’s go faster.”

The highway between Kaesong and Pyongyang couldn’t be this empty.

“Yes, sir.”

As the car I was in accelerated, the soldiers Jang Seong-taek sent to escort me also increased their speed.

After driving for a while, I saw a checkpoint that I’d never seen before. The number of soldiers guarding the checkpoint was unusually high.

I stopped the car a short distance away from the checkpoint, where it could barely be seen.

“Go and find out what’s going on.”

Manager Kim got out of the passenger seat and moved toward the military vehicle providing escort.

“Just in case, prepare to turn the car around.”

“Yes, Boss.”

After giving instructions to the subordinate at the wheel, I began to think.

‘Did Kim Jong-il ignore my warning?’

I had returned to Pyongyang after meeting Kim Jong-il, spent half a day, and then left.

While I was lost in thought, Manager Kim returned.

“They say to wait for a bit. They say they don’t know anything.”

I nodded. If Jang Seong-taek were planning to stop me, he wouldn’t do it this way.

One of the military vehicles passed by our car and headed toward the checkpoint.

I gave the order, watching it.

“Turn the car around now.”

Just as the car began to turn, I suddenly heard gunshots.