บท 370: Chapter 370: The Calculations Don’t Add Up
One name popped into my mind after hearing Koizumi's words.
If Japan were to make a military provocation, it would only strengthen the military's voice.
And then, seizing that opportunity, they'd move the troops to stage a coup and declare martial law.
Such movie-like events couldn't possibly happen… I clenched my trembling hands and asked.
"Please answer me. Is the person involved former President Choi Seon-man?"
Seeing Koizumi's deep smile, an overwhelming sense of unease surged within me.
A throbbing headache began to form. I raised my hand to my temple, rubbing it as I awaited a response.
"That's correct. Former President Choi Seon-man is involved."
"What the hell! This is insane! You've got to be kidding me!"
Upon hearing that Choi Seon-man was implicated, I jumped up from my seat, cursing loudly.
Though I cursed in Korean, Koizumi seemed to grasp the gist, his eyebrows dipping in discomfort. Even seeing that, I couldn't contain my anger.
The sudden chaos prompted Manager Ma and Koizumi's aide to rush in through the door.
What they found was me, visibly agitated, and Prime Minister Koizumi sitting calmly.
Unlike Koizumi's hesitant aides, Manager Ma approached me immediately and asked.
"Boss, are you okay?"
"…I'm fine. Just go back outside."
I struggled to regain my composure and nodded.
Worry etched on his face, Manager Ma lingered, while Koizumi nodded, sending his aides back out.
Taking a deep breath, I sat back down. My insides were still boiling, but I couldn't let my emotions flare any further.
"So, you're telling me that the madmen from Korea and Japan are teaming up to create chaos together. Is that why you wanted to meet with me for help?"
"Yes. Regardless, the instigator of the recent Russian military provocation was Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok."
"That was after you guys made your move first…"
Koizumi waved his hand dismissively.
"That's not the point. If a real crisis occurs, I'll have to step down as Prime Minister, and Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok won't come out of i unscathed either."
His voice held an air of confidence, as if he believed he had the upper hand.
I didn't like his attitude and shot him a cold glare.
'Then again, he is Japanese. I shouldn't expect any difference.'
I quickly organized my thoughts and spoke in a calm voice.
"Well, I could always emigrate to the U.S. or Russia. I wouldn't really care either way."
Of course, that thought didn't cross my mind at all. I maintained a poker face as I continued speaking.
"And even if I don't emigrate, why would I feel compelled to get involved in this? I don't have the capability to do anything about it."
But Koizumi was someone who managed to reach the prime minister's office without any power backing him.
He wasn't about to be easily fooled, maintaining his smile as he said.
"Well, I thought Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok was striving to grap Korea firmly, but it seems I'm mistaken. If that's the case, I'm going to leave. My only option left is to consider making a deal with the Dae Dong-hui."y."
What a slippery bastard. When I glared at him, Koizumi shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't give me that look. To maintain my position as Prime Minister, I have no choice. I can only crawl at their feet."
"So you want to be a puppet Prime Minister?"
"As it stands, I'm almost nothing more than a puppet. Nothing will change. I just need to do as they say. But is that really going to benefit Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok?"
Though his voice was calm, it carried an undercurrent of subtle anger.
I could sense who that anger was directed towards. I remained silent, lost in thought.
In my memories, Koizumi was a man deeply attached to power.
There was no way he would remain a puppet under someone else's reign.
He was a stubborn man who would even dissolve the House of Representatives for his reforms.
Knowing I wouldn't be able to bluff him, I decided to lay everything out on the table.
"Alright. Let's stop this pointless power struggle."
At my words, Koizumi raised both hands above his head and nodded.
"I'm sure you have no intention of being dragged around by the Dae Dong-hui, and I too believe ve that another military coup must not happen. For our common goal, I think we can collaborate."
"And that's why you came to find Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok."
"However, there's still something I don't understand. Why did you seek me out instead of the President? Do you think I can stop them?"
As I stared directly into his eyes, Koizumi burst out laughing.
"Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok, sitting here will nveil many things. Things that go unnoticed when you're just a legislator. The difference between the Kim Mu-hyeok I first met and thecurrent one is striking."
"…"
"What can President Kim Hak-gwon do with his term reaching an end? Will he even be able to preserve his position? Knowing he's aware of this turmoil, can he even stop it? No. Absolutely not. So, seeking him is meaningless."
That was indeed true. Still, seeing the President of a country being dismissed like that was unsettling.
Naturally, sharp words slipped out.
"It seems you assume I can stop them."
"Would the U.S. step in knowing this? No. If I were President Bush, I'd just watch from a distance. He's that kind of person. He'd only intervene to secure America's interests after things went south. You know this, don't you?"
Koizumi avoided answering my question, turning the topic to the U.S. instead.
"The roots of the Dae Dong-hui lie with the war cr criminals who survived the Tokyo Trials. Nobusuke Kishi was the first Chairman of the Dae Dong-hui."y."
"Nobusuke Kishi?"
"Yes. The 'Yokai of Showa,' a friend of Hideki Tojo and an A-class war criminal who was never prosecuted in war crime trials. He's the one who effectively nullified Article 9 of Japan's pacifist constitution. Do you really think the U.S. is unaware of the Dae Dong-hui?"y?"
If Nobusuke Kishi was involved, then the U.S. couldn't possibly be ignorant.
That quintessential pro-American politician served as Prime Minister in post-war Japan without any repercussions.
"They can't be unaware. And the Dae Dong-hui is closely tied to to the military regimes in Korea. To be precise, the relationship between Nobusuke Kishi and the one who formed Korea's military regime. Though that man is deceased, his legacy continues with former President Choi Seon-man. And Nobusuke Kishi's legacy continues with the Dae Dong-hui. Can the U.S. trulyuly be blind to this?"
No, the U.S. must know.
Even if they weren't aware of military actions, they'd certainly know the connections between the Dae Dong-hui and former Presidendent Choi Seon-man.
"I understand the general situation now. But your answer still doesn't adequately respond to my question. I want to know if I can stop this."
A smile curved on Koizumi's lips.
"Do you happen to know? The hedge funds on Wall Street are again meddling with the Yen."
"Yes, I know."
I nodded slightly. I couldn't possibly be unaware of the events leading up to the Iltako Incident.
Han Gyeong-yeong had suggested we jump in as well, but I disagreed.
The Afghanistan War and later the Iraq War had shaken the U.S. economy significantly, causing the value of the Dollar to plummet.
During this period, global capital began treating the Yen as the second safest asset after the Dollar.
Hedge funds in Wall Street and around the world recalled the recent Asian Financial Crisis.
Turning their attention to Japan, hedge funds poured enormous amounts of capital into the Japanese foreign exchange market in their attempt to exploit it again.
"We're currently in a currency war. The Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Japan are fighting the hedge funds with all their power. It's rather amusing, really."
His smile deepened, almost chilling.
"When compared to the attack you launched against Japan, it's child's play. You took a hit, but they can't afford to lose anything."
I didn't underestimate Japan's resilience.
But I had won the battle against them precisely because I was willing to take losses.
That was certainly due to the peculiar circumstances following the widespread currency crisis across Asia.
However, at that moment, Japan had fortified its defenses in the foreign exchange market, determined not to suffer those humiliations again.
When the hedge funds bought Yen, the Japanese authorities procured Dollars to strengthen their position.
In this intensely competitive battle, the losing side would inevitably incur significant losses.
A taut rubber band would strike hard at the opponent the moment one side let go.
And I knew who would come out on top in this scenario.
It was an obvious blunder for the hedge funds to challenge Japan, the nation holding the highest value of U.S. Treasury bonds worldwide.
"We warned the hedge funds. We can't accept any underhanded tactics. If that happens 'again,' we won't just sit idly by."
I'd seen the Japanese government's press conference and knew exactly what their message was.
The lengthy statement can be summarized rather simply.
"—Don't do it. It will be you who suffers the consequences."
The Japanese government graciously warned them, but if they simply accepted it, they wouldn't be the financial hyenas we know.
Hedge funds across the globe prepared trillions of Dollars in battle funds.
And recently, they'd started frantically buying Yen.
The hedge funds even leveraged their investments to acquire more Yen.
Japan secured promises from the U.S. not to intervene and soon declared war on the hedge funds.
"All of this stems from your example, Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok. Since then, we've igorously prepared responses. It was then that I realized I had misjudged you. The fact that you possess the guts to forfeit your vast fortune for your goals and that you have competent personnel at your disposal. No individual typically possesses such capabilities."
Koizumi's praise bordered on excessive.
But I doubted everything he said. After all, he was a politician and a Japanese one at that.
His unjustifiable motivation seemed clear—rather than confront the shame inflicted by an individual, he sought to rationalize it by elevating my status.
"Your influence in Russia and the U.S. is irreplaceable in East Asia. And I believe that with your wealth, you can prevent this situation."
"Alright. Maybe I can prevent it, but what's in it for me?"
"I think the collapse of forces that could threaten you in Korea would be a worthy reward."
I scoffed at Koizumi's response. What a nonsensical idea.
"That's not a fair trade. The gain I might receive from stopping this isn't worth it. That's something I would achieve through my own efforts. What I'm looking for is the compensation for the benefits you, Prime Minister Koizumi, would gain."
"You're asking for a reward for doing something we both want? That sounds greedy. Can't we just stick to what we should be doing?"
I casually rubbed my chin, finding his negotiation style amusing. Koizumi was certainly a seasoned politician, but in claiming to have misjudged me, it struck as a flaw.
"As I mentioned, I could opt for the U.S., Europe, or even Russia. Of course, I've invested in Korea. Yet, if I can't hold onto Korea, it's not the end of the world for me. Regrettable but manageable. If I abandon my nationality, I can gauge pretty well the immediate benefits I would receive. If I mobilize Dream High to intervene in this currency war, can you stop me?"
Koizumi's lips quivered. He looked surprised by my calm demeanor; perhaps my words struck him as a bombshell.
Of course, given the gravity of the content, it was understandable he'd be thrown off.
"As you said previously, I'm willing to take losses. Game theory is my specialty. So you need to provide a reasonable reward. Greed tends to lead to destruction, Prime Minister."
"Mr. Kim Mu-hyeok."
Koizumi's expression hardened. If I got involved, the outcome would be uncertain.
Ignoring his call, I continued.
"Alternatively, I could strike a deal with the Dae Dong-hui. Territorial claimsims in Dokdo? What does that have to do with me? I'm not a politician. You could ask me to sever ties with former President Choi Seon-man in exchange. I can postpone that task until I'm able to eliminate him. In the meantime, I can cut off his resources."
"…"
"Am I wrong to say this? I could partner with anyone I want. The Dae Dong-hui hasn't harmed me di directly, after all."
Naturally, it was all a ruse.
Koizumi wouldn't fall for it if he were calm. I knew he would be a little rattled by my bombshell statement, so I decided to play my cards right.
I had no intention of partnering with an organization like the Dae Dong-hui. Of course, abandondoning my nationality was never on my agenda.
Our goals always clashed. They would want Japan to rise as an empire once again.
Yet I had no intention of revealing my true feelings to Koizumi.
"Now then, Prime Minister Koizumi. Tell me what your rewards are. Only then can this conversation conclude with meaningful results."
My voice, demanding a rightful compensation, felt imposing even to my own ears.
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