บท 186: Chapter 186: Are You Completely Clueless?
On the way back to the hotel, I casually asked Baek Cheol-soo.
"What happened with Deputy Manager Im Dong-ok?"
Baek Cheol-soo turned to look at me, his expression blank.
"It's a gift for Boss Kim."
"It sounds contradictory to fear the military while having the power to summarily judge the hardliners…"
"The General fears nothing."
His firm answer echoed a deep loyalty to Kim Jong-il.
Well, that's probably why Kim Jong-il keeps him around.
The way he spoke oddly reminded me of Manager Ma, prompting a small chuckle.
As the car stopped in front of the hotel, Baek Cheol-soo was the first to step out and scan the surroundings.
"You can get out now."
By the time I followed him into the Goryeo Hotel lobby, it seemed the banquet had wrapped up, as small groups of visitors from Korea gathered.
Leaving behind the curious bunch, I returned to my hotel room.
'What's the biggest advantage I could gain from leading a peace agreement in the U.S.?'
Now that the tension had eased, everything felt like a bother. I lazily changed and lay on the bed, replaying my conversation with Kim Jong-il from earlier.
Thoughts swirled in my mind, causing me to frown.
'Will the neocons even accept the negotiations?'
Should I support Bush, or back the Democratic regime? My mind was a tangled mess of future and present thoughts.
Things don't often go as planned, but what I was trying to do was shift the course of history.
Lost in thought, I heard a knock on the hotel door.
Knock knock.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Boss Kim—Seo Jae-hoon."
I was already overwhelmed with thoughts, and now this guy wanted to bug me?
Frustration surged, but I couldn't just push him away, so I reluctantly opened the door.
"Let's have a drink."
Seo Jae-hoon stood there, grinning with a bottle of liquor, flanked by the soldier assigned to keep an eye on him. They might call it a guard, but that seemed more like surveillance.
A glance revealed Baek Cheol-soo still standing at a distance in the hallway, watching us.
"Haven't you had enough to drink already?"
"What? You think I've drunk too much? You look like you could use a drink too, considering you didn't have much. Plus, you promised to join me for a drink!"
Seeing him use our previous brief chat as an excuse to visit made me think he had something on his mind. After a moment's hesitation, I nodded.
"Alright, come in."
I stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. As Seo Jae-hoon came in, the soldier tried to follow but was stopped.
"You stay outside."
Baek Cheol-soo's flat tone halted the soldier in his tracks. Thanks to that unnecessary kindness, it was just Seo Jae-hoon and me in the room.
"Have a seat."
I pointed vaguely to a spot by the table and grabbed a glass from the cabinet. Sitting across from Seo Jae-hoon felt strangely awkward.
In my previous life, I never had a one-on-one chat with him. So much had changed.
"You could've just drank in Seoul, but you came all the way here to find me?"
"Haha, in Seoul, we can't exactly enjoy a drink together, can we?"
His remark wasn't entirely incorrect, so I nodded.
A relaxed drink wouldn't really be possible, especially not in bustling Seoul where eyes were everywhere.
After uncapping the bottle, Seo Jae-hoon poured a glass and raised it in preparation.
I raised my glass to meet his. As I glanced at his face, it wore a gentle smile, devoid of any ulterior motive. That worried me, prompting me to speak first.
"…If you're curious about something, just ask. You didn't come at this late hour for nothing, did you?"
"You seem to be quite direct. Okay. Has Ji-soo come looking for me?"
Seo Jae-hoon smiled lightly as he casually dropped the question while setting down his drink.
"Cheon Ji-su? I've seen her a feew times, but we're not particularly close…"
"I know your family situation well enough, Boss Kim. Did Ji-soo ask you to support her or something?"
Seo Jae-hoon's concern about Cheon Ji-su was evident..
I regarded him as he set down his drink.
"Well, even if Cheon Ji-su did make such a reqquest, I see no reason to inform the Vice Chairman about it."
"I'm saying this to spare you from unnecessary troubles. Your father won't be passing power to Ji-soo."
Despite the boiling words that would raise Cheon Ji-su's blood pressure, SSeo Jae-hoon's face remained completely still.
It was intriguing, yet perplexing that he'd come all this way to say such things, clearly wary of Cheon Ji-su..
Is he mistaking my attempts to pressure Il-sung as a favor for Cheoon Ji-su??
"Does Boss Kim really have a reason to fight us? We can just assist each other where needed without harming one another. It shouldn't be detrimental for anyone involved."
"Are you actually that oblivious?"
"What do you mean?"
Seo Jae-hoon's puzzled look seemed genuine.
Does he really know nothing at all?
"I didn't initiate this conflict. Your Chairman Seo started it first."
"And how does that concern me? If we eliminate the reasons for fighting, wouldn't the issue resolve itself?"
Is the rumor about him being a sociopath true? He appeared utterly devoid of empathy. I pondered where to begin explaining but shook my head instead.
Was there even a point in going through the motions?
"As for what seems to be the problem, you might want to rethink that."
Seo Jae-hoon repeated, as if asking what was the issue.
"I recall Chairman Cheon and my grandfather had a decent enough relationship. That's why he married your sister off to Cheon Su-man. But does that truly give us a reason to fight?"
"It's already too late. I don't intend to back down, and I believe Chairman Seo feels the same."
The look he wore, as if utterly lost in confusion about my refusal was infuriating.
"If there's a problem, I'll fix it for you."
"Vice Chairman, I've already told you it's too late."
"Could it be because of Cheon Su-man?"
"While Cheon Su-man is indeed the cause, it was Chairman Seo who crossed the line first. I'm not stopping now."
"That's unfortunate. I thought we could become good friends."
Whether he was sincere or feigning concern, disappointment was evident on Seo Jae-hoon's face.
But regardless of Chairman Seo, I had no intentions of becoming close with him.
"Friends? Do you think it's even possible for us to befriend each other? I don't believe so. Our paths have been too different, and our futures are also distinct. It's not easy for people who live such divergent lives to form friendships."
"Hmm…"
Seo Jae-hoon simply smiled awkwardly in response.
I was beginning to understand what kind of person he was. Seo Jae-hoon simply couldn't grasp the fundamental issues.
He had no idea how insulting it was for me that Chairman Seo supported Cheon Su-man and what it meant to me that he used the media against my grandfather.
While absentmindedly stroking his chin, Seo Jae-hoon suddenly appeared deep in thought.
"Would you like me to take care of Cheon Su-man?"
"…Take care of him?"
His tone made the situation seem trivial, as if brushing dust off clothing.
"If he's the problem, I can simply eliminate him. I could handle that alone even without my father's influence. There's nothing I can't accomplish in Korea."
Seo Jae-hoon looked proud, as if he believed the idea to be brilliant.
Before me stood a childish sociopath, so far removed from the confident Il-sung Seo Jae-hoon I oncee felt I could rely on.
Now, just one sociopathic individual remained.
"Do you genuinely not understand why Chairman Seo supports Cheon Su-man?"
"Why's that? He divorced my sister, so now we're unrelated. Is it about Chairman Cheon's inheritance or something?"
His dismissive demeanor made me feel nauseated.
It was clear Seo Yong-geon hadn't informed him about the dirty dealings behind the scenes.
He wasn't stupid, just entirely unaware of the situation.
"I can't share everything, but I believe Chairman Seo's goal is to render my shares in Il-sung useless by leveragiing Cheon Su-man. He wants to manage the succession to the Chairmanship smoothly."
"Hmm… So rather than Cheon Su-man, wouldn't it be easier if Boss Kim supported my side? I don't understand why everyone has to complicate things."
I swallowed a sigh.
"I see no need to befriend Chairman Seo or assist the Vice Chairman. To be clear, I'm not letting Cheon Su-man go lightly. I'm holding back because of my grandfather."
"Hmm, I don't see why that matters to you."
I wondered if he was putting on an act, but he displayed a complete lack of suspicion.
Continuing this conversation would merely be a waste of my time.
For his whole life, he must have just solved issues by removing anything bothersome directly from his sight. No matter how well I explained, Seo Jae-hoon would never understand.
"…I'm exhausted. I need to rest."
"Should you change your mind, feel free to contact me anytime. I'll persuade my father on my end."
Seo Jae-hoon left, having only voiced his concerns. His appearance bore a striking resemblance to Cheon Ji-su, which only eliciteed a hollow laugh from me.
As if in a shift change, Baek Cheol-soo entered. I pressed my temples due to a brewing headache, and he offered me a glass of water.
"What did you talk about?"
"Oh, just the usual chit-chat. You must be eavesdropping anyway—what's the point in asking?"
"…"
Baek Cheol-soo fell silent, a rigid man as always.
"I didn't expect you to care whether I was eavesdropping or not. Besides, I have no plans to personally explain anything. I didn't say anything troubling, so there's no need for concern. Now, I really need to rest."
"See you in the morning, then."
I headed straight for the bed, leaving Baek Cheol-soo behind.
After dealing with Kim Jong-il and now Seo Jae-hoon, I felt an overwhelming wave of fatigue wash over me.
* * *
Having accomplished my objective of meeting Kim Jong-il, I wanted to stay in the hotel, but I had no choice but to follow the schedule due to the prying eyes of others.
We toured several factories on the outskirts of Pyongyang before finally returning to the city for lunch.
It was when we arrived at the well-known Okryu-kwan that I heard.
"Boss Kim will be moving separately."
Baek Cheol-soo halted me as I tried to enter. When I looked back in confusion, he quickly explained.
"You'll be dining separately with Deputy Director Jang Seong-taek."
"Really? After our meeting, can I go about my own schedule for the afternoon?"
"You can do as you wish for the remainder of the day."
I smiled brightly as I willingly followed him out, relieved I wouldn't have to tag along on the tedious itinerary anymore.
"We've arrived."
Baek Cheol-soo led me to a place that, though modern in appearance, resembled a grand villa with a tiled roof.
"Please, step inside. The food is ready, and the others, including myself, will wait outside. You can enjoy your meal and talk freely."
He opened the front door and stood aside at the garden entrance.
Stepping in alone, I found Jang Seong-taek seated alone at a large table.
"Oh! Boss Kim, it's been a while."
Jang Seong-taek rose and approached me, extending his right hand. We shook hands lightly.
"Good to see you again, Deputy Director Jang."
"Come, take a seat."
He left the high seat empty and took the right side. I sat across from him to face.
"If you're in Pyongyang, you should try the cold noodles at Okryu-kwan and the ribs as well. I feel bad missing out this time, haha."
While I was curious about the taste of Okryu-kwan's food, I honestly found it more tiresome to follow the schedule just for a taste.
"It's not about what we eat, but with whom we share a meal. Isn't that more important?"
"I agree. Even so, I believe the food here will rival what Okryu-kwan has to offer, considering it was made by a chef who worked there."
Jang Seong-taek had prepared a splendid array of appetizing dishes, some familiar from Korea and others that were entirely new.
"Dig in. Let's talk while eating."
Jang Seong-taek picked up his chopsticks first, and I followed suit to begin our meal.
"Did you have a good conversation with the General Secretary yesterday?"
"Yes."
"I heard you have permission for the family members you were seeking to travel to China? No, to be precise, it's their trip to South Korea that's been sanctioned."
At his abrupt mention, I was a bit startled and paused mid-bite.
"Haha, it's okay; no one is eavesdropping here. This is the General Secretary's special room. Who would dare to eavesdrop? No need to worry."
It seemed he guessed my thoughts and smiled slightly. I scoffed inwardly.
I wondered how far I could actually trust those words.
"Is that so?"
"Of course, the hotel is under surveillance. But I suspect you already knew that, so don't feel too sore about it. The Republic and the South are enemies, after all?"
"Yes, I understand."
I nodded and continued to enjoy the food in front of me.
"How did you find meeting the General Secretary?"
"Um, I'd say he seems quite ordinary, perhaps more so than I expected. I thought he'd be a more intimidating figure, in truth."
"What?! Haha!"
Jang Seong-taek dropped his chopsticks and erupted in laughter.
"Boss Kim, you're quite the amusing person. No one here refers to the General Secretary like that. It's always terms like 'Great Leader' or 'Father of the Nation,' or maybe even 'Proud Supreme Leader'… They tend to use such honorifics."
How anyone in North Korea referred to Kim Jong-il mattered little to me.
Realizing Kim Jong-il was simply another man made of flesh and blood, it struck me that he experienced fears, enjoyed drinks, and worried about his well-being—much like any other person.
"That may be the case for the citizens of the Republic. Yet I thought he seemed quite honest, to be frank."
"Honest?"
"Yes."
Jang Seong-taek appeared taken aback and gazed at me curiously.
"What did you discuss that led you to such a conclusion?"
His eyes shone with intrigue.
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