章節 632: Chapter 632: No More Wordplay
No more wordplay.
Busan's Mayor An Young-soo suddenly received a call from Representative Han Ji-ho.
— Mayor An. It's Han Ji-ho.
Yes, Representative. This is An Young-soo.
— Any serious issues with the city governance?
Of course not. It's my third term now; I'm doing fine.
— That's a relief…
As Han Ji-ho inquired about his well-being, his voice trailed off. Sensing the hesitation, An Young-soo took the initiative to speak up.
"Is there something you need to discuss, Representative?"
— Got any plans for dinner tonight?
"I have a dinner appointment with local leaders. However, if you need me for something, I can easily cancel."
It was an important appointment, but Representative Han Ji-ho's request was worth the cancellation.
— Then…you know Kim Mu-hyeok, right?
"You mean Lee Myeong-su's friend? I've already received the update. There's a celebration for his grandmother's seventieth birthday. I intended to attend, but I got a message that they were declining invitations to politicians and businesspeople."
— I know that too. But I have something important to discuss with that friend. I can't trust anyone; you're my only option.
I felt a surge of anger at Han Ji-ho's nonchalant behavior, treating me merely as a messenger for something that wasn't a big deal.
Suppressing a bitter chuckle, An Young-soo replied.
"Are you asking me to deliver your message personally?"
— Can you do that? It's really important to me.
Once again, fury bubbled up at Han Ji-ho's audacity, but An Young-soo tamped it down and answered.
"Understood. I'll do it. It's been a while since I've seen Secretary Lee Myeong-su."
— Thank you. What I need you to convey is…
Seething internally, An Young-soo knew if it was a personal request from Han Ji-ho, it would likely bear some consequence.
He bit his lip, mentally noting what Han Ji-ho had said.
— Then I appreciate your help. I won't forget today's favor.
An Young-soo muttered to the disconnected phone.
"This bastard wants to send me on trivial errands."
With a rough swipe of his hair, An Young-soo pressed the intercom to call his Chief Secretary.
"Did you call for me, Mayor?"
"Postpone my evening appointment."
Startled by the irritation in An Young-soo's voice, the Chief Secretary hesitantly replied.
"What? You said it was important and needed to be properly prepared!"
"Hey! Who are you talking back to? I said postpone it! I'll be heading over to a hotel in Seomyeon, so just prepare for that."
The dinner promised many opportunities to connect with construction company heads from Busan and Gyeongnam.
It made him sick to think of canceling an engagement that had been planned for months—just to play errand boy.
"What should I say to them?"
"Come up with an excuse. Just say that I'm sorry for delaying the appointment and that I'll make it up."
"Understood. I'll reach out immediately."
"I'm leaving in thirty minutes, so have a car ready."
After the Chief Secretary left, An Young-soo grabbed a cigarette pack from his desk.
He took a cigarette out and lit it, puffing smoke as he hummed softly.
"Since I'm going that way, maybe I'll indulge in a little snack…"
The cigarette flame flickered, and soon a thick veil of smoke filled his office.
An Young-soo repeated his thoughts aloud, sinking into deep contemplation.
* * *
The seventieth birthday party was proceeding without a hitch.
Cheon Ji-young grabbed the microphone and sang Trott, encouraging the attendees to get up and dance.
Everyone was thoroughly enjoying the event, just like a neighborhood celebration.
A radiant smile bloomed on Grandma's face, and seeing her lit me up too.
But that joy was fleeting. Suddenly, uninvited guests arrived and broke the festive mood.
"This is unacceptable!"
"Do you not know who this is?"
"Even so, it's not allowed."
The entrance to the banquet hall was in an uproar.
Manager Ma and security guards stood at the door, confronting someone.
Who on this joyous occasion would dare to disrupt the celebration?
Furrowing my brows, I stood up, only to have Grandma grasp my hand.
"Mu-hyeok."
I quickly straightened my expression and smiled, patting Grandma's hand gently.
"Grandma, I'll just check what's going on."
Forcing a soft smile, I looked down, and she loosened her grip with a nod.
Lee Myeong-su and Park Hyeonseong followed me toward the banquet hall entrance.
With my usual serious face, I turned to Manager Ma, who was controlling the security guards.
"What's going on, Manager?"
"Boss. The Mayor of Busan is on his way up."
"Mayor An Young-soo?"
"Yes, that's correct."
It was Lee Myeong-su who spoke next, behind me.
Hearing that, I scrunched my brows, starting to understand the situation.
This was part of what Myeong-su had mentioned earlier.
Myeong-su had said Han Ji-ho would contact me soon, but I had no intention of responding to that.
Han Ji-ho surely knew that too. It seemed he wanted to convey something through personal means.
'But he's picked the wrong day.'
Today was Grandma's seventieth birthday. I wanted to embrace my role as her grandson and put everything else aside.
So I had thoroughly excluded the presence of politicians and businesspeople, inviting only Grandma's friends.
The only noteworthy guests were my university friends.
Today, I was Kim Mu-hyeok from Busan—not the one from Myeong-dong.
Though I was annoyed, I couldn't show it in front of the locals and the mayor's people.
"Step aside, please. I'll meet him directly."
At my command, the security guards stepped aside.
Only then did I get a clear view of the people in front of me.
"Hello. I'm the Chief Secretary of Mayor An Young-soo. He will be here shortly."
The man introduced himself as the Chief Secretary of Mayor An Young-soo.
He had already declined the invitation, so who did he think he was informing me?
Before I could say anything, Myeong-su burst out angrily.
"What are you trying to do? Didn't you tell everyone that the political guests would be politely declined?"
The stiff Chief Secretary gulped at Myeong-su's glare.
But composed, he boldly replied.
"I don't know anything. I was told the Mayor was attending and just to prepare."
"But I expressly told you we were declining? What gives you the right to attend?"
"You can talk to me about that…"
At that moment, a group of people emerged from the elevator.
"Haha! Am I late? Have you all been waiting long?"
Mayor An Young-soo didn't come alone; he brought high-ranking officials from the Busan City Hall.
He laughed heartily and greeted everyone, but the atmosphere soured further.
Noticing the unsettling vibe, An Young-soo quickly scanned the room. Spotting Myeong-su, he approached him with a smile.
"Ah, someone I know. Secretary, it's been a while. This is the first time I've seen you since the local elections."
"Mayor An Young-soo, what are you doing here?"
But Myeong-su didn't even acknowledge his greeting; his expression remained hard as he asked.
"I didn't come uninvited, so what's with that tone? An Young-soo doesn't shy away from attending events. I have citizens to look after here."
I knew very little about An Young-soo.
But he appeared to be a person thoroughly consumed by authoritarianism.
Just looking at the tensely fidgeting public officials nearby made that clear.
"Mayor, this is a small gathering of friends and family. Can you assure that regular folks can enjoy themselves with you here?"
As Myeong-su noted, An Young-soo's appearance made everyone inside murmur.
They were all decent folks living without legal troubles, rarely encountering a figure of authority.
To them, the Mayor of Busan was akin to royalty.
So An Young-soo's presence at Grandma's birthday party naturally made everyone uneasy.
"Don't be so upset. Aren't we all Busan citizens? What's uncomfortable about my presence? I frequently attend such events; I'm not an authoritarian. What do you think I am? And you, aren't you a politician too?"
"To them, I'm not the politician Lee Myeong-su, but just the local guy they've known since childhood."
"Haha, why so tense?"
Though he tried to feign nonchalance, beads of sweat began to form on An Young-soo's brow as Myeong-su kept resisting him.
"Please leave. If you want to speak to me, get in touch tomorrow."
Myeong-su's persistent rejection shattered An Young-soo's mask.
"Lee! What is your problem? I've over forty years in politics, more than you've been alive! I'm not only your political senior but also much older than you. Who are you to tell me what to do? You should learn some manners too!"
"Mayor, it seems that you should be the one learning manners. Forcing yourself into an uninvited gathering and making a fuss is quite rude. As you've mentioned, you're of an elder age."
Is this really the same Myeong-su I know? He seemed entirely different from the usual playful persona he'd always exhibited.
None of us, including Park Hyeonseong and my friends, could help but gaze at Myeong-su, surprised at his composure against the Mayor.
"Where did you learn to speak to the Mayor like that?"
Suddenly, someone from behind An Young-soo stepped forward, pointing a finger at Myeong-su.
There are always those who overzealously create chaos under the guise of loyalty.
But Myeong-su didn't spare a glance towards him, keeping his gaze locked on An Young-soo.
"Well then, Mr. Lee. Apologies if I was rude. I came looking for Kim Mu-hyeok."
"So…"
Myeong-su had intended to say more, but I raised my hand to halt his words.
Myeong-su furrowed his brow at me, but I shook my head slowly.
There were too many eyes observing. Raising our voices would tarnish Myeong-su's reputation.
I knew Myeong-su understood the reason I'd intervened and suppressed his anger, stepping back.
"You said you were looking for me. But today is my first time seeing you, Mayor."
"Haha, nice to meet you. I've heard so much about Kim Mu-hyeok. I'm An Young-soo, the Mayor of Busan."
Though he smiled amicably, I refused to take his hand.
Instead, I coldly replied.
"Get to the point and go back."
A vein twitched on An Young-soo's forehead.
"You're ruder than I expected."
He must have only met people who pandering to him.
But I didn't say anything more. I was only interested in the reason he was here.
Seeing that, An Young-soo sighed softly and stepped back.
"I'd like to have a brief discussion if possible."
I needed to understand what kind of nonsense he wanted to talk about on such a day.
I momentarily glanced at the others behind me, nodding my head.
"Understood. Let's go. I have a hotel room reserved nearby."
Then I entrusted Myeong-su and Hyeonseong with Grandma's care.
"I'll just have a quick chat. Take good care of Grandma. I'll be back soon, so reassure her."
"Mu-hyeok…"
"I'll handle it. There's no need to raise our voices on such a lovely day."
After a moment's hesitation, Myeong-su nodded.
He likely understood it was best not to refuse any longer; he didn't want to spoil Grandma's celebration.
"All other guests, please leave. Only the Mayor is to follow me."
I directed the Mayor's entourage to depart.
In response, the people accompanying An Young-soo murmured among themselves.
"What…?"
"If you cause any more commotion, I will throw you all out. Will you leave voluntarily, or be removed?"
My firm words moved the security guards to step closer.
They clearly flinched at the sudden pressure.
"Enough. Go downstairs and wait."
Upon An Young-soo's command, everyone lowered their heads and disappeared into the elevator.
"Let's go now. Follow me."
I turned away without looking back and entered the elevator with An Young-soo, pressing the button for the floor I had reserved.
"Did Han Ji-ho send you?"
As the elevator ascended, I directed my gaze forward and asked, avoiding looking at An Young-soo.
"What?"
"I asked if you're a messenger from Han Ji-ho."
"Am I just a messenger…?"
"Stop with the wordplay, Mayor An Young-soo. Do you think this is a joke? If it weren't for Grandma's birthday today, you wouldn't even have met me."
It seemed my words stung; An Young-soo grit his teeth.
The elevator doors opened with a cheerful ding, and I stepped out.
Yet An Young-soo remained motionless, glaring at me.
"What are you doing? Follow me. Or would you prefer to ride the elevator back to the first floor?"
I fixed my emotionless gaze on An Young-soo, who stood there frozen.
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