Chapter 97: Political Maneuvering and Hidden Agendas

“This partition is a modular type. Take it down and quickly replace it with the one we brought.”

Oh Se-hyun had already arranged for workers and a new partition, slipping a money envelope to the Japanese restaurant’s owner.

“Once we’re done, we’ll restore it to its original state. Is that okay?”

The owner, feeling the weight of the thick envelope, grinned broadly.

“Of course, Mr. President. We should naturally accommodate your needs.”

“By the way, the room booked for 8 p.m. today, it should be room 3 or 5.”

“Ah, yes, that’s right. We have someone who booked room 5. Room 5 is a bit more spacious.”

“Okay.”

In less than thirty minutes, the half-dozen workers had replaced the partition, confirming that even the clinking of glasses could be heard.

Room 4 was occupied by Oh Se-hyun and the reporters, while I held room 3 alone, waiting for them to arrive.

“Representative Oh, I’m not sure what’s going on, but… won’t this give us indigestion?”

The five reporters chuckled as they looked at the envelopes placed at each seat.

“Reporter Park, just pocket it. It’s just pocket money, pocket money from a superior. Who would dare question it? Even the President throws his wallet around sometimes. Why the fuss all of a sudden?”

Oh Se-hyun joked, and the reporters laughed, pocketing the envelopes and taking their seats.

“Just one favor. Let’s lay off the negative talk about Dae-ah Construction’s bleak future, or how everyone in a position of responsibility got there. Cut me some slack. To cut out the rot, we need those guys.”

“I knew it. This is hush money. Heh heh.”

“There you go again! That’s the only favor I ask. Now, let’s have a drink.”

As a few rounds of soju went around, the reporters began to chat. They were cautious with their words but kept their ears wide open, hoping to snag a decent scoop.

Just then, the sound of boisterous footsteps came from outside, and the next room became noisy.

“Alright, everyone, loosen your belts and drink to your heart’s content! Once the election is over the day after tomorrow, our Go Kyung-yeol candidate will become Mayor Go Kyung-yeol. Haha!”

The reporters all fell silent at the name Go Kyung-yeol coming from the next room.

Even though they were economic reporters, they were well aware that Go Kyung-yeol was the leading candidate in the polls.

“Who is that? Supporters?”

“Maybe campaign workers?”

“Shh. That voice sounds familiar. Be quiet.”

The reporters began to whisper, careful not to be overheard in the next room.

“Hey, come on, don’t kill the mood. Let’s ignore it and drink.”

“Representative, quiet. Just a moment. Let’s just confirm.”

Oh Se-hyun offered drinks to the reporters, but their attention was already fixed on the next room.

Oh Se-hyun watched these reporters silently with a faint smile. The voices from next door grew louder.

“Tomorrow is the last day. This dinner is to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of strength. Once the election is over, I will never forget your hard work.”

“So, Chief, it’s practically confirmed you’ll be the Deputy Mayor, right?”

The reporters gasped at the mention of Deputy Mayor. They knew the people next door were key figures in the election campaign.

One reporter even busied himself pulling out a small voice recorder.

“Hey! What do you guys think of me, Kim Kwan-hyeok? Do I look like I’m clinging to a mere position like that?”

At the name Kim Kwan-hyeok, the reporters exchanged glances. A scoop might be on the way.

“Oh, no, sir. You’re the one who should be taking over the mayor’s seat next. Haha.”

“What? Take over?”

The next room fell silent at Kim Kwan-hyeok’s rough voice.

“I’m the one who made our Go the mayor. What do you mean, take over? Go needs to send me to Yeouido. I cleaned up all his messes, didn’t I?”

“So, those allegations are true?”

“What allegations?”

“About the military exemption.”

“Is this guy naive or just stupid? Would a high-ranking official like Go Kyung-yeol send his kids to the military? The military is for the children of commoners like us.”

In Oh Se-hyun’s eyes, the reporters looked like they were praying.

Go Kyung-yeol’s biggest weakness was his military exemption.

The raw truth of it hung in the air, a silent prayer on everyone’s lips in the room.

“What didn’t he do to avoid sending his three sons to the military? I personally created dozens of fake medical certificates. But that guy is also just unlucky. Even while working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all his kids were born in Korea. If he had a kid while working in the US, they would have US citizenship and wouldn’t have to go to the military, heh heh.”

“No, if he had US citizenship, he would have had to voluntarily enlist when running for Seoul mayor, right?”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true. He’s a lucky guy indeed. Haha.”

The reporters were already itching to move.

This was a top-tier scoop. Of course, the desk’s decision remained.

If this made it to the newspapers, the owner of the mayor’s seat would change. Now, the Seoul mayor could be decided by the media. No media outlet would let go of such a golden opportunity.

“But why did his third son go to the defense corps instead of being exempted?”

“That’s his wife’s doing.”

“Huh? Candidate Go’s wife?”

“Yeah. Because he isn’t her son.”

Even Oh Se-hyun gaped this time. Wasn’t this talk of a child out of wedlock?

“It must have been when Candidate Go was working alone in Japan. How can a man live alone in a foreign country for years without a woman? He had an affair with a female employee from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

The reporters even held their hands over their mouths, afraid of making a sound.

“Candidate Go had no choice. The Madam was grateful enough to put the child on the family registry. They just sent him to the military. Didn’t even try to pull strings for the defense corps. It just so happened that kid’s eyesight was terrible, so he went to the defense corps normally.”

Grasping such a huge scoop, the reporters couldn’t hide their excitement. They looked ready to follow anyone who stood up.

At this point, Oh Se-hyun spoke, seemingly flustered. He didn’t forget to lower his voice as if whispering, worried about being overheard next door.

“Hold on, just a minute. Reporter Choi, Reporter Park. Calm down a bit.”

“Why? Is this something we should be calm about?”

The reporters also spoke, keeping their voices low.

“Let’s not break this story. If this breaks tomorrow, the day before the election, it’s guaranteed to turn everything upside down.”

“Of course. He’s touched on the two things that are absolutely unacceptable in our country. All the parents who sent their children to the military will pull their votes… and with an affair and an illegitimate child, half of the female voters will turn their backs. It’s game over.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Looking at his capabilities and competence, Candidate Go is far better than the chaebol’s son-in-law, Candidate Choi. It’s a shame for him to fall because of such trivial personal issues. Let’s just bury it.”

“How can a reporter not pursue this? If there’s something to report, we report it and let the voters decide.”

Oh Se-hyun took a sip of water to moisten his throat, preparing to deliver his carefully saved final punch.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re doing this for the kickbacks if Choi wins after you break this scoop about Go?”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about?”

The reporters all frowned. Kickbacks?

“Isn’t it obvious? If this story breaks, the media outlet that breaks the initial scoop will be the biggest contributor to Choi’s victory. Do you think Soonyang Group will just stand by? They’ll flood you with advertisements, guaranteed. Maybe even a year’s worth of ads in one go? Am I wrong?”

Naive fools. Do they need to hear this to realize the value of this article?

Oh Se-hyun had essentially provided the grounds to persuade their editors.

One of the quicker reporters slung his bag over his shoulder and jumped up.

“Representative Oh, I’ll buy you a drink next time. I’m heading out.”

Starting with him, all the other reporters rushed out of the room.

Left alone, Oh Se-hyun also got up and moved to the opposite room.

“The reporters are all gone?”

“Yeah. Just like you said, they ran off like crazy after you hinted at the ads.”

“They’re like salespeople themselves. Heh heh.”

As I poured a drink, Oh Se-hyun downed it in one gulp.

“You heard everything too, right?”

“Yes. They were practically shouting for us to hear.”

“But… is it true?”

“The illegitimate child?”

Oh Se-hyun nodded.

“Whether it’s true or not isn’t what’s important. What’s important is that if this breaks tomorrow, there won’t be time to recover. Once the election is over, no one will bother checking the facts.”

“That’s harsh. For someone so close to him.”

“Even Caesar was most wounded by Brutus’s blade. An insider is the most effective assassin.”

I also took a drink to soothe my bitter feelings.

“What will happen to that guy now?”

“Let’s wait and see. Will he shed the ‘traitor’ label and make a glorious comeback, or will he disappear? If he makes a comeback, we can nurture him.”

The expensive sashimi felt like a fishbone stuck in my throat, not melting in my mouth.

Even betrayal that benefited me didn’t sit well.

* * *

“Where is… Chief Kim? Where is Kim Kwan-hyeok?”

Candidate Go Kyung-yeol shouted at his downcast aides and campaign staff.

“His phone is turned off….”

“Is it true? What they said when you were drinking with him yesterday?”

“W-well, it’s not confirmed. The military exemption issue was handled well and didn’t become a problem. That… that was pretty much it….”

One of the aides who had been drinking with him yesterday spoke defensively, but his unsure expression gave him away. The talk from that drinking session was the source of this article.

From the morning news to the early editions, everything was about the military exemption and the illegitimate child. His morality had been severely compromised; this was a fight he couldn’t win.

A hastily conducted poll already showed him trailing by more than 10%.

But with the head of the campaign nowhere to be seen, everyone was in a frenzy, unable to come up with a solution.

Just as a despondent Go Kyung-yeol slumped into his chair, the door burst open, and Kim Kwan-hyeok stormed in.

As soon as he entered the room, he slapped the faces of the aides who were bowing their heads and kicked their shins, shouting.

“Which bastard was it?! Who leaked it?! You sons of bitches!”

Struck by the sudden blow, they could only groan.

“I apologize, Candidate. It’s all my fault. The alcohol got the better of me, and I said things I shouldn’t have. Please, kill me.”

Kim Kwan-hyeok sank to his knees on the office floor and began to sob.

He wasn’t the traitor.

He had merely made a mistake while drunk, and the real traitors were among those standing with their heads bowed.

Watching Kim Kwan-hyeok quickly take control of the situation, Candidate Go Kyung-yeol groaned.

“Is there still a chance? Is there a way?”

“I’ll prepare an emergency press conference. And we’ll request retractions from the media outlets by today.”

Go Kyung-yeol sank further into his chair and waved his hand.

“Everyone, get out. If there’s anything to salvage, move quickly.”

Kim Kwan-hyeok shouted as soon as he left Go’s office.

“Who is it? Which bastard leaked it?”

Everyone exchanged nervous glances at Kim Kwan-hyeok’s flashing eyes. Wasn’t this a maddening and outrageous situation?

He had simply returned home drunk and fallen fast asleep. He had woken up this morning to this shocking situation.

“Fine. Let’s settle this after the election tomorrow. Until today, we’ll assume there are no traitors among us. Don’t give up until the very end. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

As people dispersed, Kim Kwan-hyeok, left alone, let out a long sigh.

He had spent the whole night agonizing. Not about regrets, but about what action to take.

If only that one phrase hadn’t been uttered, none of this would have happened.

I am not just another person to be used.

He had wanted to say those words and see the other man’s reaction.

But wasn’t his future still bright? Carrying the stigma of a traitor to enter Yeouido was too much of a burden.

Kim Kwan-hyeok decided to play the loyal follower until the end.