Free Web NovelAt my greeting, Choi Sunman nodded with a relaxed smile.
“Yes, nice to meet you. Please, sit.”
Where he gestured, a single cushion had been placed.
He pushed aside the Go board he had been playing with and examined me from across the table.
The gleam of curiosity in his eyes made me uncomfortable.
“I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”
That was Choi Sunman's first remark after studying me for a while.
“I was rather shocked when I heard that Lee Yonghyeon of Cheongpunghoe had died. He wasn’t someone who’d die so easily. But then I heard the one who killed him was none other than Cheon Taesan’s grandson, not even thirty yet. Do you have any idea how surprised I was?”
I deliberately answered calmly to his exaggerated tone.
“Is that so?”
“Indeed. I knew better than anyone how clever that man was. He was someone who knew how to use the power he held. Thanks to that, he and I maintained good relations. He crossed the line occasionally, though.”
“He was just a greedy old man.”
“Huh...”
Choi Sunman let out a long sigh.
“To describe him that way... you really are something.”
“And it was the President who fed that old man’s greed. You should’ve eliminated him when your power was still strong. Letting the descendant of a pro-Japanese collaborator roam free—that was the real problem. In the end, he drove my parents to their deaths.”
My cold reply made Choi Sunman's eyebrow twitch.
“Well, of course, since the President joined hands with Cheongpunghoe to wield power, there was no reason to remove him. Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”
The easy smile vanished from Choi Sunman's face in an instant.
I went on speaking.
“At first, I thought the President was merely Cheongpunghoe’s puppet. But that was my mistake.”
“You think I’d be nothing more than their errand boy? You’re still young—you don’t know how to hold your tongue. You ought to learn.”
“Speaking in circles and dancing around words is what politicians do. I prefer direct conversations. From what I know, the President does too. Am I wrong?”
Choi Sunman asked back, seemingly intrigued.
“So you know me well?”
“Is there anyone in this country who doesn’t know you, Mr. President? Whether they like you or not, that’s another matter.”
“Hahaha!”
Choi Sunman burst out laughing, slapping the small table several times.
“Amusing. Very amusing.”
It took him a while before he stopped laughing.
“You’re quite the entertaining fellow.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“So this is why Chairman Cheon appointed you as his successor. Now that I’ve met you, I understand.”
Hearing my grandfather’s name from his mouth was a good opportunity to probe.
“I’ve heard rumors that you and my grandfather had a good relationship.”
“Who told you that? That Chairman Cheon and I were close?”
“Wasn’t it true?”
“Well. Whether it was good or not depends on how one interprets it. But yes, I’d say it was good. Not sure if Chairman Cheon would agree, though.”
At least he wasn’t completely shameless. I smiled faintly.
“If you know, that’s good enough.”
“What? Hahaha!”
For some reason, he laughed endlessly, delighted by that remark.
His carefree attitude was irritating.
“During my term, I helped your grandfather’s business quite a bit. If I had obstructed him, do you think you’d be sitting here before me now?”
“And you extorted plenty in return. You pressured him into making massive donations to Heaven’s Church. My grandfather only received what he was owed.”
Choi Sunman nodded without protest.
“That’s true as well. But I didn’t expect that name to come up here. Yes, I did tell him to donate to Heaven’s Church.”
“A president and a cult—odd combination, though somehow it suits you. Is that just my imagination?”
“What? Ha! The only people who insult Heaven’s Church as a cult are Protestant believers. Don’t tell me you’re one of them?”
“No. I don’t believe in any religion.”
Of course, I did acknowledge that beings beyond human comprehension might exist.
After all, I was ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) living proof—someone who’d returned to the past with his memories intact.
But that didn’t make such beings worthy of worship.
“There’s hardly anyone who truly understands Heaven’s Church, but calling it a mere cult would be shallow.”
I raised a corner of my mouth.
“Because of Han Sungjin’s influence, I suppose?”
“What’s there to deny? His influence is considerable—greater than most realize. I needed his influence, and he wanted safety within Korea.”
Then a voice came from outside.
“Your Excellency, may I come in?”
“Come in.” fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Jang Minhyuk slid open the door and entered, carrying a tray.
A small round table of refreshments was set in front of me.
Tea, sweets, and a teapot were placed on Choi Sunman's table as well.
After bowing again, Jang Minhyuk withdrew. I quietly watched him go.
He was the loyal servant who stayed by Choi Sunman's side until the day he died.
Even though I already had Manager Ma under my command, I couldn’t help wondering how things might have been if I’d reached that man first.
I was growing greedier by the day. The thought made me chuckle unconsciously.
“Found something amusing, have you?”
Choi Sunman's voice pulled me from my thoughts.
“Ah, it’s because of Director Jang Minhyuk. Seeing him still at your side like a secretary brings a lot to mind.”
“You mean Hyuk? I’ve had him with me since he was a boy. He’s the only one I truly trust.”
“He doesn’t look like a boy anymore. Isn’t he approaching sixty?”
“What? Haha! True enough—Hyuk is nearly sixty now. But to me, he still looks like a child.”
A nostalgic smile softened Choi Sunman's face. He gazed into the air with misty eyes, then closed them for a moment.
Was he reminiscing about his first meeting with Jang Minhyuk?
Seeing a human side to such a monster didn’t sit well with me.
“There’s plenty of time, so let’s talk at ease. My throat’s a bit dry from all this talking. Let’s have some tea first. This tea was brewed from leaves gifted to me by President Jiang Zemin.”
Opening his eyes, Choi Sunman poured tea into his cup as he spoke.
I followed his lead, filling my own cup. The tea was pleasantly warm.
Tea gifted by Jiang Zemin... so he had ties to China as well.
Now that the Military Security Command was gone, I could dig into his connections at leisure.
I lifted the cup, inhaling the aroma. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
“Pu’er tea.”
“How did you know? But it’s not ordinary Pu’er. The leaves were fertilized with panda droppings—cultivated in China. Not yet released to the public.”
Serving tea reserved for Chinese elites—clearly his ties ran deep.
“It does have a fine scent.”
“Those leaves are worth more than gold. Haha.”
Boasting about tea he hadn’t even grown himself.
After savoring the aroma, I took a sip.
“Indeed, excellent leaves.”
“Isn’t it?”
He too drank, savoring the taste. The room fell silent as we drank.
When I finished, I set down my cup.
“Mr. President.”
He too placed his cup down and met my gaze.
“You should withdraw from the upcoming election.”
Choi Sunman's face tightened, surprised by the sudden remark.
“What did you say? Withdraw from the election? Did I hear that right?”
“You heard correctly. Greed leads to ruin. You wouldn’t want your twilight years filled with pain, would you?”
Though he pretended calm, his cheek twitched faintly.
I refilled my cup and waited for his reply.
“...Arrogant. Fearless, too. Hardly just youthful impulse.”
“If that’s what you think, so be it. Chairman Yoon Chang-ho is my man. I made him a presidential contender. And I intend to make this country a better one together with him.”
“You think Yoon Chang-ho can become president? You know very well what would happen if I chose to obstruct him.”
His voice was chillingly cold.
“It’d be troublesome, yes. But it wouldn’t change the tide.”
“Yoon Chang-ho isn’t spotless. The mere revelation of his connection with you would destroy his reputation. Wouldn’t it?”
I raised my cup again, the pleasant scent brushing my nose.
“You’re right. So you ordered Sesin Daily to publish an article about me, didn’t you?”
“...”
“You thought I wouldn’t know? Because of that, innocent people are about to get hurt, Mr. President.”
“What are you talking about?”
Just then, a voice came from beyond the door.
“Your Excellency.”
“What is it?”
“It’s urgent. I’m coming in.”
Without waiting for permission, Jang Minhyuk opened the door and entered.
He glanced at me once, then went straight to Choi Sunman’s side.
After whispering something into his ear, Choi Sunman’s expression darkened.
At last—a reaction I liked.
I fixed the sight in my mind as I leisurely caressed the warm teacup.
* * *
Prosecutor Jeong Taehun arrived at Heaven’s Church’s main compound holding a warrant issued by the court.
Their kingdom in Gyeonggi Province.
When he saw the grand building spread across nearly five thousand pyeong, Jeong Taehun muttered to himself in disbelief.
“It’s even bigger than I heard. This is a palace, a damn palace.”
“Indeed, Prosecutor Jeong. Thanks to you, we get quite the spectacle today.”
Beside him, Hong Junseong, camera in hand, chuckled. Since transferring to Koryeo Daily, he had been accompanying Jeong Taehun.
Jeong nodded slightly, then gave orders to the prosecution team and the police special unit.
“Move in.”
At his signal, the waiting officers charged toward the massive gates of Heaven’s Church’s palace.
Guards rushed out from the sentry post, shouting.
“Who the hell are you! Why are you storming in here?”
Jeong stood at the front and held up the warrant.
“This is an arrest warrant for Han Hyunjin. Please cooperate.”
“What bullshit! This is private property! This is our holy ground! Get lost!”
“Step aside. Interfering with official duty is a crime.”
The men shouted wildly, but Jeong answered flatly, without emotion.
More burly men emerged from the palace and locked arms at the gate, forming a human barricade.
“Fine then. Subdue them all. Arrest anyone who resists.”
“Yes, sir!”
Hong Junseong filmed everything up close without missing a moment.
“Prosecutor, make sure to give me the footage too.”
“Yeah, yeah, stop pestering me.”
“Heh, thanks to you, the shots came out great.”
The two had grown friendly over the past few days, and Hong teased him, but Jeong only gave a faint smile.
Outwardly calm, both men kept their eyes on the mob pouring out of Heaven’s Church’s palace.
The believers were desperately blocking the police.
“Stop them!”
“Protect the holy ground! The Messiah will save us!”
They said madness comes with cult devotion, and Heaven’s Church’s followers proved it true.
But the police force deployed for this operation was immense, and they were quickly subdued.
Everyone on the scene was arrested, and the gates were forced open.
As the police entered, Jeong Taehun followed slowly behind.
After walking some distance, they reached the grand house ahead—hundreds of believers stood before it, facing off against the police.
They held farm tools—pickaxes and hoes—in their hands.
They looked like the workers tending the fields nearby.
“Step aside. Otherwise, we’ll have to arrest everyone.”
Jeong gave one last warning, but their eyes made it clear they would not yield.
With a deep sigh, he spoke again.
“Is there anyone here willing to talk?”
An old man stepped forward.
“What’s the meaning of this? This is Heaven’s Church’s sacred ground! You can’t just barge in like this! Are you not afraid of divine punishment?”
Jeong recognized the old man immediately.
It was Hong Cheonun, the steward of Han Sungjin’s household.
“Pastor Hong Cheonun. Please tell everyone to stand down. Otherwise, someone’s going to get hurt.”
“What’s going on?”
“We’re here to execute the arrest of Han Hyunjin. We’ll also be searching the main building.”
“What? Don’t spout nonsense. This is our holy ground, where the Messiah resides—”
Jeong cut him off with a dry laugh.
“Well, I didn’t expect nonsense from someone who should know better. Enough of that, step aside. Or everyone gets arrested.”
Of all people, Hong Cheonun knew the truth—that talk of holy ground and a messiah was nothing but lies.
“This is the final warning.”
“...”
Hong Cheonun turned his head slightly and looked up toward the mansion.
He glanced once toward where Han Sungjin would be, then turned back.
There was determination in his eyes as he stared at Jeong Taehun.
“Subdue them all. Arrest everyone.”
Realizing they had no intention of retreating, Jeong gave the order.
“Phew, you’re bold as ever, Prosecutor Jeong.”
Hong Junseong kept snapping photos, grinning all the while.
