Chapter 652: Chapter 652: Once the Cleanup is Done, I Will Hand It Over
I believed that even though the plan was hastily put together and filled with loopholes, it was still a decent operation.
Plugging the gaps with the DEA's involvement in this operation is certainly showing results.
If Hong Seok-geun were to enter the U.S. prison system, then Hong Jin-woo might just turn against me and come at me with a vengeance.
'That means I might have to kill Hong Jin-woo.'
A parent who has lost a child will do anything.
If such a situation arises, I would need to eliminate him for my own safety.
But at this point, I couldn't cancel the operation, nor was I particularly eager to kill Hong Jin-woo either.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts before addressing Jessica.
"I will refuse any dangerous tasks."
— Of course.
"So if I agree, he can be released immediately?"
— We can send him back right away.
After hearing Jessica's reply, I turned my head toward Hong Jin-woo.
"If I help with the DEA's work, they'll be able to cover everything up. What do you think, Representative Hong Jin-woo?"
"Is that true? Please, make it happen."
"But I'll give you one last warning. Whatever I ask, you have to comply, understand?"
I repeated my demands one more time to the desperate Hong Jin-woo.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, he nodded with a firm expression.
Without shifting my gaze away from him, I addressed Jessica again.
"Understood for now. I'll contact you separately later."
— Got it. I'll be waiting.
After sending Hong Jin-woo away, I had to call Jessica again to find out what exactly is going on.
I set my warm phone down and spoke to Hong Jin-woo.
"You just need to go home and wait for your son's call. Also, don't say a word about this to anyone. If this gets out… the consequences will fall entirely on you, Representative."
"Of course. I won't breathe a word to anyone."
When I warned him coldly, he replied as if it was merely a matter of course.
Well, it's more detrimental to him than it is to me. Therefore, he wouldn't want this information to slip out.
"So, will my son be released then?"
That depends on how I handle this. I didn't respond but instead issued a dismissive wave.
"Representative, please rise and head back home. This matter has escalated too much, and I need a bit more time to think things through."
"Boss Kim…"
"Just being here won't make things progress. I'll get in touch soon and you should head home for now."
"…Please, I beg you."
As Hong Jin-woo stood up, he pleaded once more.
His face, like someone who had seen a ray of light in utter darkness, appeared desperate.
Once he left the office, I called Jessica again.
"Jessica."
— I was waiting, Charlie.
"What exactly is going on? I couldn't ask for details earlier because of Representative Hong Jin-woo. How did things go so wrong?"
As I pressed her for answers, Jessica explained the situation.
— The DEA director contacted the Department of Homeland Security directly. They couldn't let their resources be used for private matters, so they requested Mr. Hong's custody.
"The DEA getting involved in the Department of Homeland Security's affairs? There's no hierarchy there?"
— The DEA is a law enforcement agency, not just a regulatory body. They'll replace even a country's president if it concerns preventing drug crime.
Jessica grumbled, but I wasn't in the mood for jokes.
"I'm greatly disappointed with this situation. It's great to be tightly knitted, but hasn't things escalated out of control? Or have you sold me to the DEA, Jessica?"
— No, what nonsense are you saying? Charlie is my precious Joker card. If I expose that, it would only bring harm to me.
Jessica hurriedly defended herself, yet I remained skeptical.
There were too many immature elements in how Jessica handled this business.
No matter how rushed the operation was, it shouldn't have left someone like Jessica feeling this uncertain.
"Maybe someone higher up came to an agreement with the DEA without your knowledge?"
— ….That could be true.
Jessica couldn't firmly deny that possibility.
Since it was something I requested first, I couldn't exactly intimidate her about it.
"Understood for now. Please let this unfold as planned."
— Of course. I'll report to the higher-ups immediately and plan to return him.
"Once again, I remind you that I won't allow anything that jeopardizes my safety. Make sure to report that to your higher-ups too."
— Yes. I will make sure it's conveyed.
"Alright, I'll talk to you again later."
Just as I was about to hang up, Jessica called out to me.
— Charlie. One moment.
"What is it? Do you have more to say?"
— What about the next terror location promised by Al-Qaeda…?
I didn't want to give up any advantages, so I spoke somewhat bluntly.
"Is saying something like that necessary when you've made such a complex mess?"
— But you promised, Charlie.
"The one who broke the promise first was you. You want me to help with an unplanned DEA operation, and now you want more? Just giving you that lead about the terrorist remaining in Madrid from the attack in Spain was already quite helpful."
— Ha, but.
Jessica faltered, clearly flustered.
That was a refreshing sight. Of course, I still intended to provide her with the information.
I still had many uses for Jessica in the future.
Since she seemed to forget the value of information too easily, I felt it necessary to remind her of its worth.
"The information I've provided so far has been of great assistance to the U.S. However, it's a transaction, after all. I believe you know well what information holds more significance between what I've given you and what you've received. So please don't demand things so casually. You can only make demands freely when both parties have fulfilled their agreement without a hitch."
— ….This time it was really unintentional.
"Whether intentional or not, it's not my concern. In the end, I have to help with an unplanned DEA operation, right?"
Jessica had no reply. If she had any conscience at all, she'd keep quiet.
"Listen well, Jessica. This is the last time. If another mistake occurs, I won't deal with you again. Even if you point a gun at me, I won't agree to it. Do you understand?"
— I understand. I'll ensure nothing like this happens again.
Hearing her somewhat cowed reply brought me some satisfaction.
Looks like she finally recalled her place.
"Alright. Once the information is sorted out, I'll hand it over. I need to compile the information I've obtained too. Just so you know, my next target is the UK."
— The UK? Is that true?
"Yes, that's what I know for now."
— Where do you even get such information from?
"Don't try to pry into others' trade secrets."
No matter how hard they dug into my past, they wouldn't uncover my sources.
The info I provided was about the future.
"And is it necessary for you to know? Surely you understand that what I've given you until now has been correct?"
While the future had changed significantly, the future I had yet to interfere with still remained intact.
The only differences were that the twin tower attacks had happened earlier and the instability in Afghanistan was resolving quicker; regardless, things that were meant to happen had indeed occurred.
"I've confirmed that they aim for the UK. I'll need to dig deeper for the details."
— ….How long will that take?
I already knew who the attackers were and when the attack would take place, but revealing that just yet was premature.
"I'll reach out within this year. Isn't having information about the UK enough? Our agencies won't just sit idle with just this much information."
I said this, but if I didn't know who they were, it'd be impossible to catch them.
Except for one, all the attackers were the children of immigrants born in the UK.
There were numerous Islamic communities in the UK. Chasing them all down would be impractical.
Even though they were receiving directives from Al-Qaeda, they were not official members, making them significantly harder to track.
— We'll try our best, but… If you get any solid leads, please let us know.
"It's a promise, so I'll keep my word. I'll find out as quickly as I can and let you know. Now, I'll hang up."
I finished the call and set my hot phone down.
A sigh escaped my lips without me knowing.
"Ha. Things are getting ridiculously complicated."
Manager Ma, who had been standing behind me, stepped forward with a question.
"Boss, are you planning to help the DEA?"
"I have no choice. It looks like I have to help them. I hate dealing with complications, but here we are."
Nodding, I noticed the worried expression on his face.
Seeing so much on-site commotion is bound to raise concerns.
"It's best to not get entangled with the drug cartels. The mafia uses violence as a last resort, while the cartels lead with it."
"Oh, speaking of which, I've heard many mercenaries work for the drug cartels. It looks like there's some truth to that."
"Yes. While larger firms like Black Bear may not, smaller mercenary firms primarily serve as clients for drug cartels. They tend to pay enormous sums to mercenaries to gain favor."
The drug cartels hire mercenaries to protect themselves.
That's the frightening power of money.
If there's money to be made, a person would even pull the eyebrows from a tiger.
"What if I had to enter Mexico and meet with them? Can I expect my safety?"
"Are you serious, Boss?"
"Haha, I'm just joking. I'm asking just in case."
Heaved a sigh at my jest, Manager Ma responded seriously.
Then he firmly replied.
"We need to strengthen the security team."
"Do you think it's more dangerous than Afghanistan?"
Memories of the ambush in Afghanistan came flooding back.
That was a genuinely dangerous moment; I could have lost my life.
"It's not comparable to Afghanistan, but it's still dangerous."
Manager Ma's serious reaction made me smile to ease the tension.
"Nothing like that will happen, so don't worry."
I trusted Black Bear, but I made sure to warn them not to engage in dangerous activities.
They would understand that it wouldn't benefit them to oppose me, so they wouldn't stupidly act like moths to a flame.
"Manager, investigate the shareholding relations with HoSeok Construction and Representative Hong Jin-woo's family connections, as well as everything about that family. They seem like an interesting bunch."
"Understood, Boss."
With a nod, Manager Ma exited after shutting the door.
Sitting alone in the empty office, I pondered how to handle this situation.
* * *
As promised, Jessica secured Hong Seok-geun's release without charges.
As soon as he was freed, Hong Seok-geun went straight back to Korea, packing his things the moment he returned to school.
I have no idea what kind of conversations Hong Jin-woo had with Hong Seok-geun after that.
Regardless, I let whatever information that might come in from the investigation slide and instead shifted my focus to the severely turbulent Progressive Party.
In the meantime, the internal struggles within the Progressive Party had reached a level where it was impossible to predict what would happen next.
I entrusted the party's reform to the emergency committee, but it was absurd to have someone so clueless about real politics at the wheel, causing unrest.
'The seeds I've planted are starting to sprout.'
Kim Seok-jin, who had done business with me, began attacking Kim Sung-keen, the acting chairman.
Faction members under Kim Seok-jin also began giving interviews denouncing Kim Sung-keen.
It was only natural that Kim Sung-keen's leadership would be severely impacted.
— A person who doesn't know real politics distorts the spirit of the Progressive Party. We fought and bled to secure democracy. What does an academic who sat in a comfortable lecture hall while we protested with sweat and blood know?
Young faction members supporting Kim Sung-keen countered their points.
— It's because of outdated politicians like former chairman Kim Seok-jin that we've come to this point. The Progressive Party must change.
No matter what, in politics, negativity thrived.
Completely defamed, Kim Sung-keen was lost, unsure of what to do.
Avoiding contact with the media, he continued to meet with the emergency committee and gradually introduced reform proposals.
He proposed abolishing the chairman system that had lasted for decades and suggested transitioning to a collective leadership structure where multiple permanent committee members would be elected via a party conference, with the one garnering the most votes becoming the chairperson.
Additionally, he confirmed the rules for the party conference.
Instead of granting voting rights only to delegates and party members who paid dues, he proposed a system where delegates received 50% of the votes, general party members 30%, and public opinion polls targeting general citizens 20%, combining their powers to elect the chairperson and permanent members.
Numerous other reform proposals continued to pour in.
But as this proceeded, Kim Seok-jin's faction began attacking the acting chairman and the representatives.
As mutual defamation intensified, the media appeared to encourage their conflict.
I decided to step back from the unpredictable turmoil within the Progressive Party and attend to the affairs I had been neglecting one by one.
"Wow, everything has been completely overhauled here."
Finally, the reconstruction of Eunmi Apartments has begun.
I couldn't help but exclaim as I observed the ground construction work being completed.
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