Free Web NovelWen Jiabao’s downfall was a scenario I had not foreseen. I thought it would be just a matter of disciplining him, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ but it seemed Jiang Zemin had truly bared his fangs.
If Jiang Zemin had made up his mind, escaping was impossible.
If Wen Jiabao had been the head of one of the two other factions besides the Shanghai Clique, he might have at least attempted political negotiation. But Wen Jiabao did not belong to any faction.
There would be no one to save him.
Whether she knew the turmoil in my thoughts or not, Jessica spoke again.
“Our analysis is that he will not be killed. It will probably end with stripping him of all wealth and influence.”
“Does America also see Wen Jiabao’s purge as an unfavorable development?”
“That’s right. For us to intervene in Chinese politics is too much of a burden. The Middle East alone is already a headache.”
The Middle East. Soon it would be reduced to rubble.
But with the justification of a War on Terror, no one could stop America now.
“Thank you for the information about Wen Jiabao. I will need to think carefully about what to do.”
“I am curious about Charlie’s choice. Now, please hand over the information you know about North Korea.”
At Jessica’s urging, I spent about thirty minutes handing over everything I knew about North Korea—
Even that Russia’s SVR was suspected to be behind the coup.
“...Charlie, you really... you’re a man of your word.”
Jessica, tidying the notes she had received, spoke with genuine admiration.
Because I had been more candid and detailed than she expected, her gaze was now far more serious than at the beginning.
“I told you. I value trust between people. I made a promise to you, and I kept it. In any case, I have told you all I know. Sorting and reaching conclusions is something the CIA does well. I have nothing more to add.”
“I had heard you were Putin’s friend, but I did not think you would even share information implicating Russia. In any case, this was far more valuable than expected.”
Jessica’s smile did not leave her face, as if she were truly pleased.
“I’ve stolen too much of a busy man’s time. Since we have exchanged what we needed, shall we end here?”
At my words, Jessica nodded and rose. Extending her hand, she spoke again.
“It feels like the balance is off, so let me give you a final gift. You know the British newspaper The Sun, don’t you?”
“The Sun? You mean that gossip rag?”
“That’s right. Embarrassing to call it a newspaper, but still, it is one in Britain. Infamous, but number one when it comes to gossip.”
Why suddenly bring up The Sun?
I looked at her in puzzlement as she spoke of something with no connection to me.
“They’re digging into you. I heard they’ve already uncovered quite a lot. They’ve sent reporters to the U.S., Russia, Japan, and Korea to investigate you.”
“...”
The words hit me like a blow to the back of the head. To think they were probing my identity from such an unexpected place.
“You don’t like being in the public eye, so I thought I’d let you know. Do you like my gift?”
“Thank you. I like it very much.”
“Then until next time, Charlie. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other often.”
After shaking hands, Jessica waved and left the study.
I watched her leave the house through the window, lost in thought.
Moments later, Manager Ma opened the study door and entered. He stood silently, waiting until I finished arranging my thoughts.
“Manager.”
When I finally called, the first matter was the family of the old man in China.
“We need to bring over the people in China. Everything’s ready?”
“Yes. Shall I proceed at once?”
I turned from the window at his reply.
“Do it immediately. Tell them to abandon all property there and leave China at once.”
“Understood.”
“And speak to Elder Jang gently about it.”
“He probably already knows. When bringing the family dragged on, he said they could live in China. But still, Korea will be more comfortable for him.”
It would be hard for a man who had lived his entire life in Korea to settle abroad. I nodded and sank deep into the sofa, rubbing my brow as fatigue overcame me.
“Sit as well, Manager.”
When he sat, I shared the information Jessica had given me.
“It seems Wen Jiabao has fallen completely. Jiang Zemin has drawn his sword.”
“Jiang Zemin?”
At the full story, Manager Ma’s face hardened.
“What do you think? Can he be saved?”
I weighed the two options in my hands, but the scales remained balanced.
“If Wen Jiabao is someone the Boss truly needs, then he should be saved. But if not, is there really a reason to take the risk?”
Someone I truly needed...
When I stayed silent, Manager Ma continued.
“There are plenty of other Chinese politicians to choose from. Many would be glad to be connected to you. Some even carry more weight than Wen Jiabao.”
No people loved money as much as the Chinese. The sheer scale of their corruption was legendary.
But money alone was not enough to win their trust. Even if introductions were made, few were people one could trust easily.
Hu Jintao? Even as President, he would struggle to escape Jiang Zemin’s shadow. His influence paled beside Jiang’s.
Xi Jinping? At this point, he was still a newcomer without real political weight.
That was why I had chosen Wen Jiabao. Even after retirement, he had been one of the few politicians untouched by the so-called war on corruption.
But he was still a politician. He was still Chinese. My presence, together with Han Kyungyeong, had only stoked his political ambition.
In the end, it was my choice that had awakened Wen Jiabao’s greed.
“Have others reached out?”
“Yes. The Shanghai Clique is the most active, but the Princelings have contacted us as well. And of course the Communist Youth League.”
“Hm...”
“I think what they want is the brand name of James Han.”
“Of course.”
The first reason Wen Jiabao’s weight had grown was because of Han Kyungyeong.
James Han’s investment in Shanghai had sparked foreign capital inflows where there had previously been none.
China’s massive population, cheap labor, and vast land were a great opportunity for multinationals.
But with no guarantee of stability, investors had been reluctant.
It was Dreamhigh Investment, with its flawless record on Wall Street, that had broken the deadlock with its Shanghai investment.
That move had drawn multinationals in droves to Shanghai.
“To discard Wen Jiabao and join hands with someone else again...”
The meeting with Jessica had left me with another heavy dilemma.
* * *
At the same time Kim Muhyuk was meeting Jessica—
In the banquet hall of the Hilton Hotel in central Seoul, the chairmen of Korea’s conglomerates were gathering one by one.
Since the IMF crisis, many members of the Federation of Korean Industries had been replaced.
Top-thirty corporations had collapsed, and new forces had risen to take their place.
As a result, fresh blood was flowing into the Federation unlike before.
The banquet hall doors opened, and in walked Seo Yonggeon, chairman of Ilseong Group.
The eyes of the other chairmen, chatting in small groups, turned toward him.
Seo Yonggeon, relishing the attention, walked slowly to the center of the hall.
He greeted Moon Seonghak, chairman of Daeseong Group, who had just been elected president of the Federation.
“Chairman Moon, it’s been a while.”
Moon Seonghak nodded and shook hands.
“Chairman Seo, have you been well?”
“Oh, you know me. Always the same.”
“Is that so?”
At Seo Yonggeon’s relaxed reply, a fleeting sneer crossed Moon Seonghak’s face.
Noticing it, Seo Yonggeon’s own face hardened instantly.
“There are rumors in the business world that Ilseong’s cash flow has dried up, but seeing you here, I guess they’re nonsense. Of course—Seo Yonggeon, the man who beat out his elder brother and rose to the top by ability alone. How could it be otherwise?”
Moon Seonghak seemed intent on sharpening his words against him. Seo Yonggeon glared back, eyes like daggers. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Just as he was about to speak, the banquet hall doors opened again.
It was Chairman Song Youngjoo of Daehyeon Group, the great elder of the business world.
As when Seo Yonggeon had entered, all eyes turned—but this time, the reaction was entirely different.
Most of the chairmen, including Moon Seonghak, rushed to greet Song Youngjoo at once.
“Chairman Song, you came in person?”
“Hoho, Chairman Moon. Long time no see.”
“Chairman Song, it’s an honor. I’m Park Jinseong of JS Group.”
“Oh? So you are the famous Park Jinseong. Pleased to meet you, hoho.”
After greeting the crowd, Chairman Song approached Seo Yonggeon.
“Well now, will you not even greet me anymore?”
“I heard you were in the hospital.”
“Yes, just waiting to die now. Time to go. Your father and that rascal Cheon are waiting for me.”
Chairman Song laughed heartily, then turned to Moon Seonghak.
“Chairman Moon, let’s move into the meeting room. This will probably be my last meeting, so let’s start quickly.”
“Yes, Chairman Song.”
In the attached meeting room, all the chaebol chairmen gathered.
Moon Seonghak tried to seat Chairman Song at the head of the table, but he shook his head.
“No. Chairman Moon, you sit there. You are the president of the Federation now. I only came to see you one last time.”
“But still...”
“Enough...”
“...Understood.”
Moon Seonghak bowed slightly and took the central seat. frёewebηovel.cѳm
The long table filled with the chairmen, seated according to their corporate rankings.
Thus, Chairman Song Youngjoo, ranked number one, and Seo Yonggeon of Ilseong, ranked second, sat directly across from each other—a tense atmosphere.
Once everyone was seated, Moon Seonghak opened the discussion.
“The reason I gathered you today is to discuss countermeasures against the newly passed laws: the Separation of Finance and Industry Act, and the Circular Shareholding Ban Act.”
The room immediately grew noisy.
“What were you all doing? Isn’t the Federation supposed to exist to protect our interests? How could you not even block such laws!”
Chairman Jo Hangseok of Hyosan Group raised his voice, blasting the Federation’s incompetence.
“No matter how much lobbying we did, it was useless. Do you think the current regime is on our side? And those Centrist Party lawmakers—who knows where they get their money, but they won’t even look at ours!”
The top businessmen of Korea quarreled loudly, while Chairman Song Youngjoo looked on with amused interest.
It was chaos. For men said to rule Korea’s economy to be yelling like this—if the press saw it, they would celebrate.
“Now, now, calm down. The fact is, the laws have already passed. The immediate problem is the finance–industry separation. I know all of you hold at least one insurance company or card company. Let us discuss countermeasures.”
As Moon Seonghak soothed them, the shouting subsided.
“Spinning off affiliates is no problem. But the shares we hold in them—that is the issue.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. The atmosphere cooled at once.
With the room quiet, Seo Yonggeon raised his hand.
“May I say a word?”
All eyes turned to him.
“Of course, Chairman Seo. Your opinion is always welcome.”
Moon Seonghak yielded the floor.
“As Chairman Moon said, the laws have passed. Then we must assume they will be enforced. It will be a long time before the regime changes or the assembly shifts. Until then, we must unite if we are to endure.”
“Indeed!”
Jo Hangseok chimed in.
“That is why I have brought a plan. If we exchange shares of our affiliates among ourselves, we can survive together. That way we can buy time to reorganize our control without spending much.”
Seo Yonggeon’s method was, given the urgency, the most practical. But it had a fatal weakness.
It required mutual trust.
Then, Chairman Song Youngjoo, who had been listening silently, spoke.
“I will tell you of a better method.”
All eyes turned to Song Youngjoo.
