Chapter 795: Emergency Meeting of the Politburo

Not only Politburo members but also lower-ranking officials gathered for an emergency expanded meeting of the Labor Party’s Politburo.

Every face among those attending was grim.

“What the heck is going on?”

“Shhh. Be quiet.”

Two lower-ranking officials whispered as they took their seats.

“Can’t even talk?”

“Read the room. You could get dragged away without anyone noticing.”

One of the lower-ranking officials rebuked the grumbling man while glancing around nervously.

Far ahead, he spotted Choi Ryong-hae sitting in the front.

“See that? The Director of the General Political Bureau, who used to wield power to bring down birds from the sky, look at him now?”

Whether he heard the murmuring around him or not, Choi Ryong-hae kept his head down and didn’t dare to raise it.

“The State Affairs Commission Chairman is entering!”

At the announcement that Jang Seong-taek was entering, everyone rose from their seats.

Starting with him, the Politburo members began to enter.

Jang Seong-taek walked in slowly, glanced down at Choi Ryong-hae, and then took his seat.

Only after the Politburo members who followed Jang Seong-taek had taken their seats did the people below the platform finally sit down as well.

Jang Seong-taek, who sat alone in the center, began to preside over the meeting.

He opened with a forceful tone from the very beginning.

“The entire Party, the entire military, the entire nation must unite as one to enrich the lives of the people. However, reactionary elements who have failed to grasp my deep intentions have staged a military demonstration in Pyongyang.”

Only Jang Seong-taek’s voice echoed throughout the meeting hall.

Those in attendance focused on his words without making a sound.

Jang Seong-taek looked around at the people and criticized them for a long time.

“Does everyone know how hard I’m working to run the country on behalf of the General? Did I do all of this just to live well on my own? If I had, I wouldn’t be in this position!”

After criticizing everyone, Jang Seong-taek finally began to directly mention Choi Ryong-hae.

“How could it be possible that Choi Ryong-hae, the very person I trusted, would aim a gun at me when I’m working day and night to ensure the people eat and live well? Tell me, Choi Ryong-hae.”

“……”

“You said you rose up for the people? How can you brazenly utter such nonsense? I trusted you and gave you control of the General Political Bureau! I put you in that position to monitor the reactionaries! And yet, you gathered the reactionaries and dared to plot to kill me!”

Jang Seong-taek, his emotions running high, slammed his fist on the desk.

Bang!

The sound of the desk being struck reverberated loudly throughout the silent meeting hall.

The officials around Choi Ryong-hae flinched at the noise.

People held their breath at the sight of Jang Seong-taek, who was more agitated than usual.

“Speak! Go ahead and spout more of your nonsense! Choi Ryong-hae! Did I do something wrong to you? Is that why you dared to do such a thing in Pyongyang, of all places, trying to kill me?”

In the past, Choi Ryong-hae should have been sitting on the presidium seat above the platform next to Jang Seong-taek, looking down at those below with a confident expression.

But today, he was below the platform, head bowed and unable to say a word.

Jang Seong-taek’s reprimand continued for a long time. No one dared to stop him.

Jang Seong-taek, having released his fury and blame, cleared his throat.

Then, he called in the security guards who were waiting outside.

“Come in! Drag that reactionary bastard out of here right now!”

The security guards opened the large doors of the meeting hall and entered.

The security guards strode forward and saluted Jang Seong-taek.

Jang Seong-taek nodded with a solemn expression and accepted the salute.

Having finished their salute with precise movements, the security guards spoke to Choi Ryong-hae.

“Please stand up, Comrade Choi Ryong-hae.”

Choi Ryong-hae struggled to his feet, supporting himself with his hands on the table.

As he stood up, the security guards grabbed both of his arms and roughly pulled him towards the aisle.

Choi Ryong-hae’s face was haggard, but there were no visible injuries.

However, the way he moved showed he was not in a normal state, unable to walk properly.

The official next to him pretended not to see Choi Ryong-hae, and the rest of the people could only watch without taking any action.

Led by the security guards, Choi Ryong-hae was eventually kicked out of the meeting hall.

From that moment on, the meeting hall became a place to denounce Choi Ryong-hae and his faction.

Starting with the Standing Committee members on the presidium, everyone took turns coming forward to denounce Choi Ryong-hae.

* * *

I was in my study, watching the breaking news from a Korean broadcast.

— It has been confirmed that Choi Ryong-hae, the Director of the General Political Bureau who was dismissed for anti-Party and counter-revolutionary factionalism, was dragged out after attending the expanded meeting of the Labor Party’s Politburo yesterday.

The screen that had been showing the announcer switched. Photos released by Korean Central TV of Choi Ryong-hae’s arrest were shown.

“So it ends like this.”

As I continued to watch the breaking news, the broadcast started playing a recording of a Korean Central TV announcer’s voice.

— Recently, reactionary elements that had been embedded in one aspect of the Party, at a crucial moment of inheriting the Juche revolutionary cause, have tried to remove the Party’s leader, expand their power through factional activities, and dared to challenge the Party. In response, the great leader Comrade Jang Seong-taek pointed out the following.

Hearing the resounding voice of the Korean Central TV announcer in the middle of Seoul felt surreal.

— Choi Ryong-hae’s gang is corroding the Party’s reforms, engaging in anti-Party and counter-revolutionary factional activities that hinder the work of Comrade Jang Seong-taek who has made national salvation decisions for the people and committing anti-national and inhumane criminal acts that are eating away at the construction of a powerful nation and improving the lives of the people.

The announcer began to list Choi Ryong-hae’s crimes one by one.

The accusations he made were much more numerous than I knew.

They threw everything at him, even bringing up his dirty private life, in order to completely obliterate him as a person.

— Discussions were held at the expanded Politburo meeting.

At that moment, the screen showed the images of party officials criticizing Choi Ryong-hae at the expanded Politburo meeting.

— Our Party will never forgive anyone who abandons the principles of reform and opening up, challenges the leadership of Comrade Jang Seong-taek, and harms the interests of the Party, the nation, and the people, regardless of their position or achievements.

The Korean Central TV footage ended, and the screen returned to the broadcasting station’s announcers.

— Now, we will have a discussion with a North Korean expert about this recent purge of Choi Ryong-hae.

A representative of a defector group who had escaped from North Korea a long time ago and was now advocating for human rights in North Korea appeared and began to discuss the situation.

— This purge of Choi Ryong-hae was already expected. Jang Seong-taek is no different from Kim Jong-il. The man who used to wield power by Kim Jong-il’s side is now saying he is for the people…

What a load of bull. He was criticizing Jang Seong-taek by comparing him to Kim Jong-il.

“He calls himself an expert but doesn’t know anything. Running around like a horse with its tail on fire.”

I let out a dumbfounded laugh.

Well, to him, Kim Jong-il and Jang Seong-taek are probably the same type of person.

But North Korea has undergone many changes.

It was ridiculous for him to act like an expert when he didn’t know the current situation in North Korea, having defected so long ago.

“Boss, it’s time for you to depart.”

At Manager Ma’s call, I got up from my seat and turned off the television.

“Let’s go.”

I traveled by car to Incheon and then switched to a boat.

After a long time crossing the sea, I arrived at my island on the southern edge of the West Sea.

All of the islands in this area had been purchased long ago.

I had bought all the large and small islands in a section of the West Sea that was full of uninhabited islands.

And I was using them as a place to imprison people without killing them.

I got off the boat on the largest island, which was surrounded by smaller islands.

After a short drive, I reached the center of the island.

I headed for the only entrance in a place surrounded by iron wire fences.

“Open it.”

When Manager Ma lowered the window and showed his face, the tightly closed gate opened.

After driving a bit further inside, a large house came into view.

“It seems like it’s here.”

“Yes, it is.”

I got out of the car and looked around. It was a place I had ordered to be built, but it was my first time actually being here.

The security around the mansion was tight.

Dogs were barking in their cages, and men were seen patrolling the perimeter.

“Once they enter, they cannot leave without permission.”

“Good. You built it just as I envisioned.”

I smiled with satisfaction and went inside with Manager Ma.

“Boss, this is the person in charge of this place.”

“Hello, Boss!”

Manager Ma introduced a man, and I nodded and casually accepted his greeting.

“Where is he?”

“He is on the second floor. I will bring him down.”

The person in charge gave a look to a man guarding the stairs.

The man who received the look quickly went up the stairs.

A moment later, he came down dragging a gaunt-looking man.

The man who was dragged down kept shouting something in Chinese.

“What is this! Where the hell am I! This isn’t what was agreed!”

I frowned unintentionally at the loud voice that hurt my ears.

The person in charge, noticing this, quickly brought him in front of me and made him kneel.

Even then, the man twisted his body and shouted angrily.

“What is this! Let me go! Let go of me! Do as promised!”

I asked him in Chinese.

“What promise did we make?”

At my fluent Chinese, he finally raised his head and looked at my face.

“Who are you!”

“Who am I? I’m the person who decides whether you live or die. So, it’s best to watch your mouth. Here, no one will know even if a person dies. There won’t even be a corpse left.”

The man flinched as I spoke with a soft smile.

My chilling warning combined with the unpleasant sounds from outside created a strange harmony.

“Wh, who are you? Why are you doing this to me! Money? Do you need money? If you release me…”

“What are you talking about? We brought you all the way to Korea to protect you. If it wasn’t for me, you would have been arrested by the Chinese Public Security Bureau.”

“What? The Chinese Public Security Bureau? That can’t be. Those guys are going to arrest me? Do they dare touch Lai Changxing?”

Lai Changxing, kneeling before me, stared at me as if telling me not to lie.

I had brought him to Korea and imprisoned him here.

He seemed certain that the Chinese Public Security Bureau was not trying to arrest him.

“Is that so? Hu Jintao wants you extradited.”

“What? Hu Jintao? Is that true?”

Instead of answering, I nodded and said to Manager Ma.

“Manager Ma, bring two chairs.”

Manager Ma soon brought the chairs, and I sat down on one of them and said.

“Let him go.”

The person in charge, who had been pressing down on Lai Changxing’s shoulders, took his hands away and stepped back.

“Shall we sit down and talk?”

“… I see now. You must be Kim Mu-hyeok.”

He slowly got up and glared at me as if he wanted to kill me.

“This is not what we agreed on! You said you would protect me. Where is my family?!”

I did not answer. Instead, I frowned again at his piercing shouts.

Then, Manager Ma punched him in the gut as he was yelling.

“Ugh!”

A heavy thud was heard. Because the punch had hit him directly, Lai Changxing doubled over and screamed.

“Lai Changxing. Can’t you still not grasp the situation?”

From outside, only the eerie barking of dogs could be heard, and the men surrounding them were staring at him silently.

He was in a state of sudden exposure to violence and was trapped in a place where no one knew him.

Due to the heavy atmosphere that naturally formed, Lai Changxing barely raised his head to look at me.

“I told you to watch your mouth. I said you would die if you were not careful.”

Lai Changxing, who was breathing heavily, straightened his back and gritted his teeth.

“You think you’ll be safe after doing this to me? Do you know who I am!”

“I don’t know. That’s why I brought you here. So sit down. Or we can continue talking with our bodies if that’s what you prefer.”

Manager Ma moved towards Lai Changxing again.

At his movement, Lai Changxing put his hands forward and urgently said.

“Okay, okay. I got it. Please talk, please talk.”

As Lai Changxing cried, Manager Ma looked at me.

I nodded slightly and Manager Ma stepped back.

“Sit. This is the last time.”

Lai Changxing staggered over to the chair and sat down.

“Wouldn’t it be better to have a drink while we talk?”

“Coffee! Give me coffee.”

Lai Changxing shouted desperately. He emphasized it by saying it twice, so he must have really wanted to drink it.

After a while, a subordinate came out with a tray containing two paper cups.

I gestured with my chin while picking up one of the paper cups, and Lai Changxing quickly grabbed a paper cup.

The expression on Lai Changxing’s face changed subtly as he looked at the contents with a delighted expression.

“What is this? What’s with this coffee color?”

The paper cup contained instant coffee mix.

“Don’t you have anything else? What kind of coffee is this?”

“Just drink it. If our talk goes well, I’ll make sure you get everything you want.”

At those words, Lai Changxing’s eyes lit up.

“What is it? What do you want from me? Is it the money I brought from China?”

I gulped down the hot coffee and crushed the paper cup.

Then, I made eye contact with Lai Changxing and curled up the corners of my mouth.

“I’m not interested in that small change. Instead, tell me about the dirt you have on Jiang Zemin.”