Free Web NovelThere was no way President Kim Hak-gwon didn’t know about Congressman Heo Tae-min’s movements.
Even if he was unaware of the connection to former President Choi Sun-man.
“Is this about Congressman Jeong Chanseong?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Wouldn’t the Centrist Party’s votes alone be enough to pass the motion for his arrest? Why do you need to meet Congressman Heo Tae-min?”
“Mr. President, you know exactly why. Please don’t test me—just arrange a meeting with Congressman Heo. If you ask him directly, he won’t refuse.”
Kim Hak-gwon exhaled quietly, sinking into thought.
“And what do you plan to do after meeting him?”
“I intend to use the passing of Congressman Jeong’s arrest motion to realign our relationship with the Centrist Party.”
“Heo is not an easy man to deal with. Even I can’t control him.”
“Still, if Congressman Heo supports this, the motion will pass smoothly.”
“I’m not sure a man outside of politics like you can satisfy Heo Tae-min.”
“If you just arrange the meeting, I’ll handle the rest. I already tried contacting him, but he refused.”
“He’s not someone who can be swayed by money... Very well.”
Kim Hak-gwon’s immediate agreement caught me off guard. Hiding my mixed feelings, I asked,
“I didn’t expect you to agree so readily.”
“Haha, do you think I’d demand something in return for arranging a simple meeting? My term’s nearly over. Just tell Chairman Yoon to make sure my retirement years are peaceful once he becomes president.”
He firmly believed Yoon Chang-ho would become the next president.
Whether he truly didn’t know that Choi Sun-man was pulling the strings—or was simply pretending ignorance—was unclear.
To probe his intentions, I spoke carefully, circling around the point.
“Mr. President, may I ask—why did you pardon those two former presidents?”
“I wanted to close the wounds of history before my term ended. I believed the nation couldn’t keep tearing itself apart over the past. If I was the one to forgive and end it, people would accept it. That’s why I issued the pardons.”
I nodded. His reasoning made sense.
Kim Hak-gwon, who had personally suffered under the military regime, was the only one who could have granted such forgiveness without provoking mass outrage.
“Was that truly all? Forgiving them yourself to sever ties with the past must have caused immense backlash. Are you saying there were no other motives at all?”
He looked at me in mild confusion.
“What do you mean by that? What other motives?”
I studied his eyes carefully, but there wasn’t a hint of deceit.
Still, I couldn’t bring myself to trust him entirely.
Kim Hak-gwon had been crawling through the political swamp for decades—he was a seasoned fox.
“If there truly were no other motives, that’s good. I only asked out of concern for you, Mr. President. You never know what problems might arise after your retirement.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means nothing at all. If the pardons were purely out of goodwill, there’s nothing to worry about.”
An awkward silence fell over the office. The one to break it was Kim Hak-gwon.
“One day, your way of speaking and acting will land you in serious trouble. Remember that, from an old man who’s lived far longer than you.”
“I’ll take your advice to heart.”
“...I’ll contact Congressman Heo myself. I can arrange the meeting, but convincing him will be your job. I’ve already stepped away from the party.”
Even if he claimed to have stepped back, many lawmakers in the Progressive Party still followed him.
It was clear he just wanted to avoid getting dragged into this mess.
I smiled faintly.
The old fox, weary from all the filth he’d seen, simply wanted to keep his hands clean now.
After I thanked him, Kim Hak-gwon nodded and glanced at the clock.
“So, how do you know Vice President Hu Jintao?”
“Well... I’m acquainted with Premier Wen Jiabao, but not personally with Vice President Hu.”
“Hm... He specifically asked to meet you.”
“That’s probably because CEO Han of Hankyung Group has made significant investments in China. It must be related to that.”
Finding the answer plausible, Kim Hak-gwon changed the subject smoothly.
“For the sake of our relations with North Korea, we must keep diplomacy with China strong. I hope you’ll assist in that.”
“I’ll do what I can, sir.”
“Good. Having someone like you around has been a real comfort.”
His tone was soft, but there was an undercurrent of sarcasm. I simply smiled.
“You can go now. I’ll see you at the State Guesthouse.”
I rose, bowed, and left the office.
Outside, the presidential secretary led Manager Ma and me to the State Guesthouse.
Once there, we waited in a small room.
I scanned the room, waiting for Vice President Hu Jintao’s arrival.
The wait wasn’t long. Before long, Hu and his delegation arrived at the Blue House.
A brief welcoming ceremony was held on the first floor of the Guesthouse.
I stayed toward the back, watching quietly while observing the faces around Hu.
Several familiar ones caught my eye—Jack Ma of Alibaba was among them.
Right, I had been informed he would be accompanying Hu on a visit to study Korea’s IT industry.
After the short ceremony, Hu Jintao and a few select officials entered a conference room on the first floor.
The rest of the delegation moved upstairs to the banquet hall.
The second floor of the Guesthouse was adorned with Mugunghwa motifs—the national flower—creating an elegant atmosphere for the dinner event.
While the president and Hu Jintao were engaged in talks, the remaining guests mingled freely.
“Charlie.”
Jack Ma approached me.
“Jack Ma, long time no see.”
“Haha, indeed, it’s been too long.”
“I’ve heard ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) your business is thriving. According to the reports, you’ve finally broken even.”
“Thank you. It’s all thanks to your constant support.”
I had invested not only in his Alibaba but also in Tencent and Baidu.
Now the returns were slowly beginning to show. Still modest, but these companies would one day dominate China’s information and communication industry.
Naturally, I couldn’t help but smile.
After a bit of light conversation, Jack Ma glanced around and stepped a little closer, lowering his voice.
“It got dangerous after Wen Jiabao lost power. I survived only because Vice President Hu supported me. Otherwise, they would’ve seized my company outright.”
First Wen Jiabao, now Jack Ma. It seemed Jiang Zemin was tightening his grip.
“Chairman Jiang’s real targets are probably you and James. You were Wen Jiabao’s closest backers.”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“In China, businessmen can’t avoid watching the Party’s mood.”
A bitter smile crossed his face.
He had left behind guaranteed success in America to return to China, only to find a world completely different.
“I’m sure things will work out.”
“Haha, I’ll be fine. I’ve built close relationships with Party officials, and the business is stable now. They won’t dare move against me so easily.”
Though he laughed heartily, his confidence didn’t reassure me.
I couldn’t help but picture the future—Jack Ma being forced out of his own company by the Party.
Of course, that was far down the line. But now that he had joined hands with me, I wouldn’t let him fall so easily this time.
While we were chatting, President Kim Hak-gwon and Vice President Hu returned to the banquet hall.
As soon as they entered, the lively conversations stopped and everyone took their seats.
Aside from the Blue House staff, I was the only Korean present.
I sat with the group of Chinese businessmen, near Jack Ma.
After brief remarks from the president and Hu Jintao, dinner was served.
The banquet lasted about two hours and ended gracefully.
After exchanging parting words with Jack Ma, I left the Guesthouse.
That was when a man quietly followed me.
“Mr. Kim.”
I turned my head. The man bowed slightly and spoke in a low voice.
“I’m Li Feng-lou, Vice President Hu Jintao’s secretary. Might I have a word with you?”
I nodded, and he said,
“The Vice President asked me to relay an invitation for lunch tomorrow.”
“Lunch?”
“Yes. He would like you to come to his hotel. His schedule is quite full otherwise.”
“I see. Understood.”
“The Koryo Hotel.”
He handed me a small note with a room number written on it.
“Then, see you tomorrow.”
After bowing again, Li Feng-lou turned back toward the Guesthouse and disappeared from view.
I crumpled the note in my hand and slipped it into my pocket before leaving the Blue House.
The night air was unusually cold.
The next morning.
I visited the Koryo Hotel early.
Security was tight—it had to be, since Vice President Hu was staying there.
I was screened at the entrance and again in the lobby. When I reached the seventh floor, I was checked once more before being allowed to approach his suite.
“He’s expecting you.”
Li Feng-lou, the same man from last night, stood by the door.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll need to enter alone,” he told Manager Ma.
I gave a slight nod, and Ma took position by the door.
Li Feng-lou opened it for me, and it shut immediately behind me.
Through the wide window of the suite, I saw Hu Jintao’s back as he gazed out at the Seoul skyline.
“Every time I come here, Seoul looks different. Korea changes so fast—it’s impressive.”
He spoke without turning. I remained standing where I was and replied,
“China will develop just as rapidly.”
“It must—and it will.”
At last, Hu turned around with a wide smile.
“Come, let’s sit and talk.”
He took the lead, and I followed him to the table.
Pouring tea from the pot, Hu offered me a cup. freewebnøvel.coɱ
“Keemun tea. Please, have some. Sorry for calling you so early.”
I held out my cup, and he filled it.
“I was very grateful for what you did last time. Losing that child would have been a great blow to me.”
“...”
So casually bringing up Hao Xun—and in such a humble tone—immediately put me on guard.
Hu filled his own cup and continued.
“Do you condemn me for joining hands with the Triads?”
“No, sir.”
“Even if you did, I wouldn’t blame you. I wouldn’t be where I am without that child’s help.”
He was being surprisingly honest. It was unlike him. freewёbnoνel.com
The Hu I knew was someone who hid every weakness and revealed nothing while chasing power.
Noticing my expression, he smiled softly.
“Premier Wen Jiabao spoke highly of you. He told me you can be trusted.”
“...Is the Premier safe?”
Hu set down the teapot and nodded.
“He’s safe—alive, at least.”
Even though he had betrayed the man, his face showed genuine concern.
But I couldn’t tell if that too was an act. After all, his freedom of action changed entirely depending on whether Wen was in or out of power.
“Can’t you bring him back?”
“Chairman Jiang is too uncompromising. To negotiate with him... I’d have to offer something of equal value.”
His words trailed off, heavy with frustration.
Could I trust this man? A cold-blooded politician who would discard his own allies the moment they became a liability?
“So, you’re saying you need something to trade for Premier Wen Jiabao’s reinstatement.”
“Exactly.”
Hu lifted his cup, taking a sip while studying me closely.
His gaze seemed to ask,
‘Can you save Wen Jiabao?’
After a long moment of thought, I finally opened my mouth.
