Bab 253: Chapter 253: What Do You Want from Me?
Afterward, Baek Cheol-soo stayed at the Myeong-dong office for about an hour before saying his goodbyes and heading out.
Once Baek Cheol-soo left the office, I headed towards the window. He paused briefly after stepping outside the building.
As he stood still for a moment, Baek Cheol-soo looked up and made eye contact with me through the window. Then, he quickly blended into the crowd and vanished.
Once he was out of sight, I turned my body and gave a directive to Manager Ma, who was standing next to me.
"Track Baek Cheol-soo's movements. We need to know what he's up to in Seoul," I ordered.
"Understood."
Baek Cheol-soo, who was guarding Kim Jong-il, couldn't possibly miss being followed. After a moment's consideration, I added as an afterthought.
"If the time comes when you lose him, tell your team to abandon the chase and withdraw. Don't create trouble by trying to force it."
"I'll give the instructions as you've advised."
"Then let's get going. We might be late."
I checked the time and left the Myeong-dong office.
Because I was running later than expected, I hurried to the hotel where the welcome dinner for the economic delegation from North Korea was being held.
The area was under strict control, and personnel were being checked at the entrance.
By the time I finally entered the hotel and reached the banquet hall after what felt like an eternity, many guests were already engaged in lively conversation.
The atmosphere was completely different from when a banquet was held in North Korea, but the team from Pyongyang didn't seem out of place at all, perhaps because they were used to such parties.
Han Gyeong-yeong spotted me among the crowd, excused himself from his conversation, and made his way over.
"You made it? You said you'd follow right behind, but you're a bit late."
"I got caught up along the way. What were you discussing? You looked pretty serious."
As we talked, I scanned the banquet hall, but I couldn't spot Eva.
"Where's Eva? I don't see her anywhere."
"Oh, she went into a room to talk with Chairman Kim of Jungwoo Group."
Han Gyeong-yeong gestured towards one of the many doors in the banquet hall in response to my question.
Many rooms had their lights on, indicating quite a few were engaged in secret conversations.
"The North Koreans seem to integrate surprisingly well with us. I thought the mood would be quite somber here."
"The people who came to Seoul this time hold high positions in the North, so I guess they're more accustomed to parties than we are?"
I had heard that high-ranking officials in North Korea often lead more extravagant lives than many wealthy people.
"Boss Kim, it's good to see you again!"
While I was deep in conversation with Han Gyeong-yeong about international competitions, someone called out to me from behind.
I turned my head towards the source of the voice to identify its owner.
"Ah, Manager Jang! It's been a while."
Jang Seong-taek was standing behind me, holding a glass of wine.
"So, this is Representative Han Gyeong-yeong. He's even better-looking than I expected from the photos. Nice to meet you, I'm Jang Seong-taek."
Jang Seong-taek greeted Han Gyeong-yeong first. He took his hand and responded smoothly.
"You're too kind. I'm Han Gyeong-yeong. I've heard a lot about you, Deputy Manager Jang."
"Haha, aren't you more famous than I am, Representative Han? You're quite humble."
Jang Seong-taek responded in kind, laughing loudly. For a brief moment, everyone's attention shifted towards us, but he seemed unfazed.
"Boss Kim, I hope you haven't forgotten our promise? The one where you would treat me generously when I visit Seoul?"
"Of course. I'll contact you later, Deputy Manager."
"Is it necessary to postpone? We can meet separately after the welcoming dinner is over."
"Since you're here with the economic delegation, you must have an official schedule, right?"
Even though he was Jang Seong-taek, I couldn't help but wonder if he could roam freely around Seoul.
"Haha, Baek Nam-gi is the head of the delegation. I'm just here on the sidelines. He'll handle all the official matters."
Perhaps sensing my thoughts, Jang Seong-taek answered with a wide grin.
"Then let's move together after the banquet ends."
"Sounds good. I look forward to it."
Leaving those words behind, Jang Seong-taek made his way towards others.
"He's a lot brighter than I expected. Is he really the second-in-command of North Korea?"
I nodded slightly at Han Gyeong-yeong's question and turned my gaze back to where Jang Seong-taek had disappeared.
"He holds that position, but… I don't know what he's really thinking. Let's go check on Eva."
I led Han Gyeong-yeong to the room where Eva was supposed to be.
When we opened the door and entered the room, Eva and Chairman Kim Byung-woo were engaged in a serious discussion.
As Han Gyeong-yeong and I entered, both turned their attention towards us.
"Boss, you made it?"
I nodded slightly while taking in the atmosphere of the room. It felt quite heavy.
"It's been a while, Chairman Kim."
"Yes, Boss. It's nice to see you again."
"Please continue your discussion. I'll just wait over here."
To avoid interrupting their conversation, I moved to a side table and sat down.
The serious mood stemmed from discussions about acquiring a semiconductor company. The two continued their talks for about ten more minutes before wrapping things up.
"Looks like they're finished talking. Let's head out. I have someone I need to meet."
I stood up first and headed outside. The other three followed my lead.
I made my way towards the group where Chairman Yoon Chang-ho was gathered, chatting and toasting.
"Chairman Yoon, it's been a while!"
Yoon Chang-ho turned at the sound of my voice and grinned when he recognized my face.
"Well, if it isn't my junior!"
When there were eyes around, Yoon Chang-ho always referred to me as 'junior.'
He then introduced me to Baek Nam-gi, who was standing in front of him.
"This is Baek Nam-gi, head of the delegation. He leads a big business in Seoul."
"Ah, I know. You visited Pyongyang last time. We haven't formally greeted each other, but your face is certainly familiar."
In response to Yoon Chang-ho, Baek Nam-gi continued, acknowledging that he already knew me.
"You're Kim Mu-hyeok, right? I'm Baek Na-gi, the Chairman of the State Planning Commission."
"Nice to meet you. So, you're the Chairman of the State Planning Commission?"
Recognition crossed his face when I accurately pointed out his position.
"Oh, you know my title?"
"Of course. I've heard that you enjoy Chairman Kim Jong-il's deep trust. All economic policies in the North go through you to be reported to Kim Jong-il, so I was informed."
While Baek Nam-gi was the highest-ranked among the eighteen members of the delegation currently in Seoul, the real power lay with Jang Seong-taek.
Nevertheless, it was obvious that Baek Nam-gi had the firm backing of Kim Jong-il.
"Haha, you flatter me! I may not be much, but the Chairman trusts me to fulfill an important role."
Baek Nam-gi attempted numerous trials to implement capitalism within the economy of the Republic.
However, despite all the fine methods he devised, he couldn't produce any results under the economic sanctions faced by North Korea.
His fate would ultimately be sealed years later when he was executed by Kim Jong-il.
"I hear you plan to inspect several places starting from Seoul. I hope you achieve good results."
"Thank you. Touring has left me amazed. I expected the South would be advanced, but I never imagined the gap would be this wide. Oh, keep this a secret."
Baek Nam-gi seemed like someone with an open mind, as his thoughts mirrored the policies he was trying to implement.
As I listened to him speak lightheartedly, Yoon Chang-ho quietly stood up. He leaned in and whispered to me.
"Be the conversation partner for Chairman Baek Nam-gi. I'll speak with Deputy Manager Jang Seong-taek for a bit."
With a slight nod, Yoon Chang-ho lightly patted my shoulder before walking over to Jang Seong-taek.
I turned to face the chair that Yoon Chang-ho had vacated and said.
"This is Chairman Kim Byung-woo from Jungwoo Group. Next to him is Representative Han Gyeong-yeong from Dream High Investments. And here is Representative Eva from Future Investments."
While Chairman Baek Nam-gi was exchanging greetings with the three, I grabbed a wine glass from a tray held by a server passing by and returned to my seat.
Once the greetings concluded, they each took their seats and started conversing.
"So, Jungwoo Group is planning to build a factory in the joint industrial complex between North and South, correct?"
"Yes, after this visit, we plan to make the final decision."
"And you'll be the first among the major South Korean companies to build a factory in our Republic aside from Daehyeon…"
Before investing in North Korea, major companies wished for Kim Jong-il to formally acknowledge and protect private property in writing.
However, Kim Jong-il kept postponing that matter.
As a result, besides Daehyeon, other major companies were aware that establishing a factory in the North would be beneficial but hesitated to do so.
Just as I was eavesdropping on the conversation between Kim Byung-woo and Baek Nam-gi while sipping my drink, a young man approached our table and spoke to Chairman Baek.
"Chairman!"
"Ah, Director Kim Sung-jin, right?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation. If it's not too much trouble, I would like to speak quietly with Kim Mu-hyeok, please."
"You want to talk with Kim Mu-hyeok?"
"Yes, please."
Baek Nam-gi naturally turned his gaze toward me. Receiving that look, I asked the man.
"Excuse me, who are you?"
"Ah, I'm Kim Sung-jin, the Director in charge of External Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce."
Seeing that he seemed about my age but already held the title of Director made it apparent he either came from a privileged background or was extraordinarily capable…
As if sensing my thoughts, Chairman Baek Nam-gi added more information.
"Director Kim's father is Kim Il-chul, the Minister of People's Armed Forces."
What could the son of the Minister of People's Armed Forces want with me?
Putting aside my doubts, I stood up, requesting their understanding. Kim Sung-jin greeted Baek Nam-gi and then led me into a room at the far end.
"Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok, let's sit down fora moment."
Nodding, I took a seat. As soon as I sat, he broached the topic without any hesitation.
"I've heard you're around my age, but meeting you in person is quite surprising. How did you gain such influence and wealth at your age? I'm envious."
In truth, it was more of a transparent question than a true inquiry, causing me to smile inadvertently.
"With your position in Pyongyang at your age, you'd be exceptionally capable, too. In North Korea, no matter how privileged your background is, if you're not capable, you're bound to fall behind, right?"
"You're right. I may not have much ability. But background and family background matter more. The starting points are different."
We engaged in a battle of compliments and continued our conversation.
"The starting points are the same for both North and South. In fact, we might have it even worse. Regardless of how far ahead we are, if someone is deemed a lost cause, they live recklessly, right?"
Kim Sung-jin chuckled at my words and nodded. Keeping a gentle smile, he paused briefly before speaking again.
"I studied in Moscow from a young age. I witnessed the collapse of a great power like the Soviet Union and saw an old politician like Yeltsin come to power."
After taking a sip of his drink, Kim Sung-jin set down the glass and continued speaking.
"Won't our Republic change, too?"
His bold statement was accompanied by a sharp glint in his eyes.
"Isn't Chairman Kim Jong-il already changing many things? Starting with economic cooperation between the North and the South…?"
"Yes, that's correct. The Chairman is attempting many changes. However, he inevitably has to mind the military."
Kim Sung-jin cut me off directly, and he wasn't wrong.
Kim Jong-il's authority was built upon Kim Il-sung's legacy and the unnwavering support of the North Korean army.
"That's why I'm even more worried. What if the Chairman's reforms are stifled because of the military…?"
Kim Sung-jin noticed the cold expression on my face and trailed off his words, staring at me.
Our eyes locked in the air. I concealed the chilly aura I was radiating and offered a gentle smile.
"Before we talk about any of this, let me ask you: what do you want from me?"
I was curious as to why he was discussing such matters with someone he had just met today.
In response, Kim Sung-jin wiped the smile off his face and adjusted his posture.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone