Chương 299: Chapter 299: When Will They Visit?
Manager Ma stepped forward, blocking the sudden intruders at the entrance, and inquired.
"Who are you?"
A man stepped forward, confronting Manager Ma.
"We're from the Blue House Security Office."
"And?"
The man's face fell into confusion at Manager Ma's stiff response.
Given that they were from the Blue House Security Office, everyone usually submitted, so this must be a new experience for him.
"I said we're from the Blue House Security Office."
"So what? This is our boss's assigned room."
"…This guy has no fear."
"And you have no manners."
As the two glared at each other, I studied the man's face.
But it was a face I'd never seen before.
Must be the new security director, Heo Jae-beom, who was recently appointed.
I remained seated, just listening to their exchange.
"That's enough."
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind.
At President Kim Hak-gwon's single command, the people lined up to either side made way.
"Was it Ma Seok-dae? This is how things work in the Blue House. Please understand. Is it alright if we check for eavesdropping devices and other things?"
Manager Ma turned to look at me. Rising from his seat, he nodded.
"Please check."
Manager Ma stepped aside, and the Blue House security personnel entered the room.
They swiftly searched the room, soon confirming that there was nothing of concern.
The man, speaking with Manager Ma, reported back to the president.
"There's nothing here."
President Kim Hak-gwon nodded.
"I'll go in alone."
"Mr. President."
"It's fine. Make sure no one comes this way from outside."
Kim Hak-gwon lightly patted the man's shoulder, smiling.
The man reluctantly stepped back, appearing less imposing than the previous security director.
As President Kim Hak-gwon entered, he looked at me and said.
"I'd like to talk privately, just the two of us."
I had no reason to avoid it. I nodded slightly at Manager Ma.
"Then I'll step out."
Manager Ma bowed to me, not the president, and left the room, closing the door behind him.
"It's been a while, Boss Kim."
"Yes, Mr. President. It's been a while since we last met."
I bowed slightly, noting that my expression wasn't particularly bright. Perhaps sensing it, Kim Hak-gwon first adjusted his demeanor.
"Heo is clumsy with his work. Please understand, Boss Kim. He doesn't know much about you yet."
It was better that fewer people knew about me. I'd been trying to minimize the flow of information. It was only natural that he didn't know me.
But I wasn't too pleased with his high-handed attitude just because he was from the Blue House.
"I understand well enough, but it doesn't sit right with me."
"Haha, I see. Let's try to understand each other."
Kim Hak-gwon chuckled, his friendly smile returning.
"By the way, do you plan to keep standing?"
Kim Hak-gwon laughed and took a seat first. I sat across from him.
The room fell into silence for a while. Not showing any signs of breaking it, I started talking before him.
"I didn't expect you to come in person."
"Chairman Song went, so I thought I should come as well."
"People might look at you strangely. You're not exactly pro-chaebol, are you?"
"If I had thought about politics, I would never have come. I came out of courtesy between people."
Although Kim Hak-gwon spoke nonchalantly, it was clear he had a significant reason for coming.
"…"
"There's less than two years left in my term. The lame duck period is slowly setting in. But thanks to you, I've maintained a good relationship with the Moderate Party, so there's been no major disruption in governance."
During a presidential term of five years, the power diminishes rapidly after the first year in office.
Yet Kim Hak-gwon was managing the administration more smoothly than others.
"Compared to the former president, doesn't it feel like a lack of lame duck syndrome? You successfully navigated the currency crisis and even improved relations with North Korea, although things are not finalized yet."
Perhaps due to his achievements, Kim Hak-gwon had been less affected by the lame duck syndrome than previous presidents.
In the latter half of the presidential term, the ruling party generally gains more strength than the president himself, but due to the current split National Assembly, the ruling party's influence was relatively weak.
Additionally, there was fierce factional strife within the Progressive Party. They were in constant motion for the next presidential candidate's position.
"Has politics ever flowed as expected? One needs to leave it to flow as it will. And there's no way the next president would come from the Progressive Party."
Currently, in public opinion polls, the head of the Moderate Party, Yoon Chang-ho, was ranked unparalleled at the top. He managed to hold the center without leaning toward either side.
After a while of discussing political matters, Kim Hak-gwon's smile faded as he lowered his voice.
"I received contact that North Korea will send a condolences delegation. Do you know the news from Pyongyang?"
"Is that true?"
"It came directly through the emergency contact network."
"That's unexpected."
The North Korean regime had currently severed connections not only with South Korea but also with China and Russia, focusing on internal control.
For their first re-emergence into the world, sending a condolences delegation to Chairman Song Young-ju's funeral was quite a surprising move.
"I was surprised too."
"Who's leading the delegation, by the way?"
Given that all forms of communication to Pyongyang were currently blocked, knowing who was leading the delegation was of utmost importance.
It presented a good opportunity to grasp a bit of the current power structure in Pyongyang.
However, Kim Hak-gwon shook his head.
"An individual unknown to even the National Intelligence Service and the U.S. was mentioned. His name is Bae Hoon, but no further details are available."
"Bae Hoon?"
I realized it was a name I had never heard of, even during my time in the Future.
Could he be the one who emerged as the key power due to the coup by Russian students that occurred in Pyongyang?
"Additionally, not a single person included in the condolences delegation is known. Do you have any information?"
Although he seemed to expect something, I shook my head, not knowing the name either.
"It's the first I'm hearing. We've severed all ties with Pyongyang. Since Wen Jiabao fell from power, we no longer have connections with China either."
"So you really don't know, huh?"
Kim Hak-gwon looked somewhat disappointed, licking his lips. However, sensing he had already guessed, he quickly composed himself.
"When will the condolences delegation visit?"
"I heard they're coming down through land, just like Chairman Song Young-ju did when he went up to the north. They're expected to arrive in Seoul tonight by eight. The condolences will be paid early tomorrow morning."
We needed to block the South Korean dignitaries' condolences arriving at the same time as the North Korean delegation.
"We must control the funeral hall."
"It's unavoidable. The Secretary is negotiating with the bereaved family. But it's not an issue of choice. Out of political burden, they defined it as a civilian-level condolences and not a party-level one, as they can't afford to treat it otherwise."
"That makes sense. Bae Hoon… I'm curious about who he is. Is a visit to the Blue House planned?"
President Kim Hak-gwon nodded.
"I received word that he is bringing a letter from Chairman Kim Jong-il. After a long time, I'm finally re-establishing a connection with Kim Jong-il. Chairman Song left behind a good last gift."
"I hope for a favorable outcome."
"I want to break ground in Kaesong before the end of my term."
"I believe you can do it."
After finishing his business, Kim Hak-gwon rose first from his seat.
"I must be going now; I have another schedule to keep."
I stood up following Kim Hak-gwon. Just before leaving, he casually dropped a remark.
"Boss Kim, please visit here again tomorrow. No one in Seoul is communicating better with the North Korean side than you right now."
He essentially asked me to gather information from the North Korean side during my meeting tomorrow.
It was a good proposal since I needed to know about North Korea.
"I'll talk when we meet. I'm also worried about the well-being of Deputy Minister Jang Seong-taek."
"It's been months since he's been absent from public appearances. He must have been purged."
"Hmm…"
"Who would dare defy Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang now? Even if it were family, they wouldn't dare."
After the coup in Pyongyang, Kim Jong-il frequently appeared in public to show he was still in power. It was a necessary show of strength on his part.
However, unlike him, Jang Seong-taek, known as the number two in Kim Jong-il's regime, had seemingly disappeared completely.
It wasn't just Jang Seong-taek who had vanished; most of those who held high positions in North Korea's power structure had also gone missing.
"It appears that I really must be going. There's nothing here. It's not good to be seen by the people. I'll call the Blue House soon."
As I prepared to leave, Kim Hak-gwon stopped me.
"Understood. I'll see you at the Blue House."
"Got it."
Kim Hak-gwon turned, opened the door, and left. Before the door closed, I asked Manager Ma, who had just entered.
"Please check where Ha Myung-hoon is right now."
"Yes, Boss."
While Manager Ma was on the phone, I sat back down, pondering the memories of my past life.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't recall that name.
'Bae Hoon… Just how much has the power structure changed for someone I haven't heard of to come up?'
Lost in deep thought, Manager Ma finished his call and spoke up.
"He'll arrive in thirty minutes."
"Really? Understood. Go out and wait. And when Ha Myung-hoon arrives, please bring him here."
"Yes, Boss."
After Manager Ma left, I fell into thought again. The chain of thoughts kept spiraling endlessly.
When Ha Myung-hoon arrived after the condolences, sadness marked his face.
He entered with Manager Ma, bowing his head as he greeted me.
"It's been a while, Boss."
I wondered if his aging appeared more pronounced or if it was due to the passing of my grandfather and him taking the position of chairman at Taesan Financial.
Unlike before, emotions were clearly reflected on Ha Myung-hoon's face. Whichever reason it was, he appeared much more agreeable now.
"Welcome back. Please, take a seat."
Ha Myung-hoon and Manager Ma sat down.
"I hear you've been in the U.S.?"
"Yes, I went regarding establishing a branch in Wall Street. We've set up the local corporation, and I think we'll begin operations as soon as the soon-to-be-dispatched employees and the staff there are in place."
Taesan Financial was embedding itself into the financial sector much faster than I had expected. This was evidenced by the branches popping up all over the world.
"You've already started setting up a branch in the U.S.? I thought it hadn't been long since you established a branch in Hong Kong?"
"No matter how well we do in Korea, there are limits. As you said, to make Taesan Financial one of the leading financial firms in the world, we need to act quickly."
"You're doing well."
Ha Myung-hoon was proudly displaying his abilities.
With Taesan Financial ranking first among domestic banks and also holding leading positions among insurance firms, securities, and credit card companies, they had carved out a significant presence.
"I'll ensure Taesan Financial grows well, just as you trust me to do."
"Of course, I believe in you. By the way, it seems Chairman Song has also passed away."
"…A whole era has completely come to an end."
I nodded. I could now read the nostalgia deeply embedded in his words.
We spent a long time reminiscing about the old stories of Ha Myung-hoon's grandfather and Chairman Song, honoring his memory.
Yet, as the conversation began winding down, Ha Myung-hoon unexpectedly brought up a topic.
"Boss, have you met with the Myeong-dong bosses lately?"
"No, why do you ask all of a sudden?"
I had completely stopped paying attention to the Myeong-dong bosses after assigning each a lending company to manage.
"There are strange rumors circulating in Myeong-dong right now."
"Rumors?"
"Yes."
"What kind of rumors?"
In a hushed tone, Ha Myung-hoon spoke.
"Apparently, among the lending companies, there are loan sharks targeting people who can't get loans."
"…You're saying someone is playing around with money in Myeong-dong without my permission?"
How dare some lunatic pull off such a reckless stunt? Naturally, my brow furrowed in displeasure.
"I think it's one of the Myeong-dong bosses."
If Ha Myung-hoon was bold enough to tell me this, he must have some conviction in it.
"Did Manager Ma know about this?"
"I didn't know."
"Well, of course. I left it to the Myeong-dong bosses to handle their own affairs. Please verify the accuracy of these rumors."
I issued a cold command to him.
If these rumors turned out to be true, and if it was one of the Myeong-dong bosses, I planned to exact a price they would never forget.
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