章 504: Chapter 504: Are You Doubting Me?
On the outskirts of Pyongyang, a vehicle entered Kim Jong-il's secret mansion in the Ryongsong District.
The person who stepped out of the car was Jang Seong-taek, his face set in a hard expression.
"Comrade Jang Seong-taek. We will begin the inspection now."
The soldiers guarding the entrance to the house began to search Jang Seong-taek's body.
Perhaps accustomed to this routine, Jang Seong-taek numbly complied with their orders.
"Please enter."
The soldiers stepped aside. Jang Seong-taek straightened his clothes before opening the door and entering.
Just before the door closed, Jang Seong-taek glanced back at the soldiers.
These were soldiers from the secret guard regiment of the Party Central Committee, who prioritized only Kim Jong-il's commands over any other orders.
Though the Guard Headquarters existed, Kim Jong-il trusted no one else and had created a personal guard that only heard his orders.
Being the only loyal faction aware of Kim Jong-il's operational range, they were treated with the utmost respect.
Led by a soldier, Jang Seong-taek arrived at the banquet hall.
In the vast banquet hall, Kim Jong-il stood gazing out of the glass window.
"General, I have brought Manager Jang."
"Let him in."
"Yes."
Kim Jong-il said this without turning back, and the soldier bowed and exited, closing the door.
A heavy silence enveloped the banquet hall. It was Kim Jong-il who broke the long silence.
Turning to face Jang Seong-taek, Kim Jong-il said,
"Manager Jang. No, brother-in-law. It's been a while."
"Yes, Comrade Leader."
"Let's talk openly today as brothers-in-law."
"...…"
Jang Seong-taek found those words even more frightening. The familiarity they demanded felt like a threat, considering he could be easily discarded even as family.
"Come sit here."
Kim Jong-il took a seat, and Jang Seong-taek cautiously walked to the indicated chair.
Kim Jong-il raised a liquor bottle in front of him and offered it to Jang Seong-taek.
Suddenly standing up, Jang Seong-taek politely extended his glass, and Kim Jong-il filled it before saying,
"Let's drop the formalities today and just drink casually… So, how is Kim Kyung-hee doing?"
"…She's the same."
"Still drowning herself in booze? No, I suppose it's not just alcohol anymore. Is she doing drugs as well?"
"...…"
Though Kim Jong-il asked nonchalantly, Jang Seong-taek couldn't bring himself to answer.
"Is she heavily involved in something now?"
"Yes…"
"Well… No one can predict what will happen in life. It was that kid who once borrowed my father's car to see you in Wonsan because he liked you. I persuaded my father to have you marry him and keep you close to me. And now you both hate each other?"
As Kim Jong-il had said, Jang Seong-taek's relationship with Kim Kyung-hee was extremely strained.
However, both recognized their mutual necessity; they needed each other.
Hence, they could not afford to let the two divorce. This way, Kim Kyung-hee fell deeper into alcohol and drugs.
Kim Jong-il reminisced about the old days while drinking, seemingly wanting to create a softer atmosphere.
But instead, this atmosphere made Jang Seong-taek even more anxious; he was reminded of the conversations with Kim Mu-hyeok.
"Hey, brother-in-law."
"Yes, Comrade Leader. Please, go ahead."
Kim Jong-il set his glass down and lit a cigarette.
Drawing deep on his cigarette until his cheeks caved in, he exhaled a cloud of smoke.
The cigarette haze thickened to the point where his vision momentarily blurred.
"No matter how I think about it, we should conduct a nuclear test. All preparations are already complete."
"Excuse me?"
Surprised, Jang Seong-taek dropped the glass he was holding.
The glass shattered loudly upon hitting the floor.
"What are you so shocked about?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
"The Americans are the same, and the Yoon Chang-ho government in South Korea is not friendly towards us either. Now is the time to be aggressive. Thus, we must proceed with nuclear development."
"…That'll lead to even harsher sanctions."
"What if we face sanctions? Once we possess nuclear weapons, that will be the end of it. Ah, do you know? I already have a completed nuclear weapon. There are hardly more than three people, including me, who are aware of this fact."
Jang Seong-taek was already aware. It hadn't been Kim Jong-il who shared this secret; it had been Kim Mu-hyeok who tipped him off.
At that moment, Jang Seong-taek couldn't fathom Kim Jong-il's intent in suddenly revealing secrets to him.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. It's true. I managed to acquire it when the Soviet Union fell apart."
His heart raced. Kim Mu-hyeok's words held truth.
After swallowing hard, Jang Seong-taek filled his glass with strong liquor and downed it in one go.
"…If that's true."
Jang Seong-taek began to speak slowly.
* * *
After a long flight, we arrived in the U.S.
"Let's meet later."
I nodded at Myeong-su's words.
The people from the U.S. Embassy led Myeong-su and the special envoy group somewhere.
Only then did I turn my head to verify the approaching individuals.
"But why are you here?"
I asked as I observed the two people walking toward me.
"I heard you were coming to the U.S. so I waited. Don't you think we have a lot to discuss?"
"Well, I suppose so. But who is the person next to you?"
The person waiting for me at the airport was Jessica. With a bright smile, Jessica introduced the man beside her.
"This is our Secretary."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Secretary Michael Chertoff."
Secretary Michael extended his hand. I grasped it, questioning him with a confused look.
"Nice to meet you. But why are you looking for me?"
"I have some questions. Thanks to you, we were able to prevent a terrorist attack in Iraq. The foolish CIA didn't even know about the threat, yet your information helped us avert it."
That was the starting point for Michael criticizing the CIA for a considerable time.
Noticing my blank expression, Michael cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry. I got a bit carried away. Is it inappropriate to discuss this here? Do you have any other engagements?"
"No, I was planning to return to the hotel and rest today."
"Then please grant me just a bit of your time."
Turning to Jessica, she nodded slightly.
"Let's proceed that way."
"Thank you. Let's head to the restaurant we reserved. Please ride with us."
I boarded the vehicle they had prepared. Jessica took the driver's seat while Michael sat next to me.
"Jessica, let's get going."
As soon as Michael gave permission, Jessica started driving smoothly.
"Can I ask you just one question? Ah, and don't worry about being overheard. This car is the safest place in the world right now."
Shortly after the car started moving, Michael asked his question.
Despite his reassurance of safety, such claims rarely held up. I raised an eyebrow and replied.
"Go ahead."
"How did you know?"
Michael cut straight to the point. Yet I understood perfectly well what he was asking.
"About the terrorist threat on the UN headquarters? Or the identities of the terrorists? What is it you want to know?"
"Both. All American intelligence agencies are active in Iraq and Afghanistan right now. Yet they can't seem to catch them, even though they were aware. They just thought it was some gangsters. But you pointed out that they were planning terror against the UN headquarters and were part of Al-Qaeda's lower branch. Can you tell me how you figured this out?"
"Hmm…"
I stroked my chin, studying Michael's earnest expression.
Jessica glanced at me through the rearview mirror occasionally.
"Are you doubting me? Your question hardly carries a good intent."
"No. I've never thought you were involved with them. I'm just curious how you obtained such high-level information. As the head of the Department of Homeland Security, I naturally have to inquire. You don't need to feel suspicious about it."
"Should I answer the question?"
"You don't have to if you don't want to… But I'd like to hear it."
It was somewhat amusing to see Michael adopting such a submissive tone.
But whether his intent was genuinely curious remained questionable, given that one does not reach such a position without cleverness.
However, I didn't take long to ponder. I decided to give a slightly seasoned answer.
"As you already know, I've deployed half of Black Bear's forces in Afghanistan. Additionally, Black Bear operates its own intelligence team. This team consists of not only agents from American intelligence but also those who have worked in Israeli and Eastern European intelligence agencies, as well as in Western European ones. Oh, and we even have HUMINT that stretches worldwide."
As I expected, Michael seemed aware of this information, nodding casually.
"I can guarantee that neither American nor Russian intelligence agencies could infiltrate and gather information as deeply as Black Bear. They're compelled to operate legally, although they sometimes have to step outside legal boundaries, they still face political risks, leading them to be cautious."
"Hmm."
Upon finishing, I noticed Michael's expression had turned serious.
Due to illegal activities previously conducted by the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security, they found themselves tethered.
Thus, it was inevitable that their margin for maneuvering would be reduced.
"To sum it up, are you saying this information was obtained illegally?"
"You're situated at the heart of America, unaware of the realities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Out there, the line between legality and illegality is blurred. It's not just about whether it fits within the legal framework. Furthermore, I'm already aware that the White House is preparing to strengthen anti-terrorist laws. To make illegality legal."
"…How do you know that?"
Michael asked in astonishment. I smirked, raising one corner of my mouth.
"It's a widely known secret in Washington politics."
"…"
"Don't underestimate the old-timers on Wall Street. They keep a keener eye on Washington than anyone else. They already know everything."
The so-called 'Patriot Act,' a law for counter-terrorism measures, was immediately enacted under Bush's leadership after the Al-Qaeda attacks.
It disregarded the basic rights of citizens guaranteed by the American Constitution and began to change the status quo.
This law fundamentally claimed that investigations into terrorism held powers that transcended constitutional norms.
However, Bush was not satisfied with just that; he wanted to legalize warrantless wiretaps and enhance pre-emptive responses.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties agreed with this.
This law was likely to be strengthened soon.
America's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq yielded nothing.
Or rather, they only heightened the hostilities of the Islamic community, greatly threatening America's security.
Some supported this act, while others criticized it.
"I can't actively support it, but at the very least it has proven successful in preventing terrorist actions against America."
Naturally, this law was of great significance to the investors in Wall Street.
Not only American banks, but foreign banks headquartered abroad were required to disclose the identities of all actual owners holding more than 25% shares in financial institutions as well as lists of shareholders with more than 10% stakes.
With the justification that there might be financing to terrorist organizations, every bank, investment firm, and even private equity firms operating discreetly were included with the lists provided to the financial institutions.
"Are you critical of the Patriot Act?"
"Not exactly. But I'm not just blindly accepting it either."
The information about all banks and investment firms I owned had been handed over to the U.S. Government in accordance with this act.
"I see. If you happen to gain more information, could you share it with us?"
"I won't just hand over my information. It has to go both ways; that's the deal between Jessica and me. Right, Jessica?"
Jessica, who was driving, responded.
"Yes. We always transact that way."
"That's true."
"But sensitive information that could significantly impact national security…"
Michael's expression remained discontent, as if struggling to grasp this notion.
"Of course, I won't ignore it if I am informed. Just be aware that there will be a price for the information you seek."
To properly establish roots in Afghanistan, I would need America's assistance.
So I wouldn't turn a blind eye to crucial information.
How much I would extract would depend on the situation.
"Here we are. We've arrived. Let's step out and continue our conversation. There's much to discuss today."
Michael, who alighted first, opened the door for me.
However, the place we arrived at turned out to be a house with no sign.
"Didn't you say we were going to a restaurant?"
Michael smiled warmly. His face and voice radiated confidence.
"Haha, this place only takes reservations. We made an exclusive reservation for today and no one can disturb us. And most importantly, the food is exquisite. You won't be disappointed."
I thought to myself, 'I didn't know places like this existed in America,' as I entered the restaurant with Michael and Jessica, wearing an intrigued expression.
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