Free Web NovelA secret bar in Gangnam.
I sat alone at the counter, slowly swirling my glass of whiskey, waiting for Yoon Changho.
By the time the large ice cube had begun to melt slightly, the door finally opened.
Yoon Changho stepped inside and walked straight toward me.
“Mr. Kim, feels like it’s been ages since I last saw you.”
“It does. Been a while, sir. You look like you’ve lost quite a bit of weight.”
“Haha, you know how it is. Things have been insane lately. I didn’t think that old fox Kim Hakgwon would drag us into this mess.”
Though his words came with a genial smile, there was a sharp edge hidden behind them.
“It can’t be helped. There are still Choi Sunman’s people inside the Centrist Party.”
“Still, lumping us together with the Conservatives—don’t you think that’s going too far? After all the help we’ve given the Kim Hakgwon administration? And this is how he repays me?”
Yoon Changho raised his voice, clearly furious.
I poured whiskey into a fresh glass, added a few ice cubes, and slid it toward him.
“Here, have a drink and cool off.”
Taking the glass, Yoon removed his coat and loosened his tie.
Before the ice could melt, he downed the strong whiskey in one go.
“Phew! That hits the spot.”
“Has it been tough?”
“I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t. Lately the party’s been a mess—complaints popping up everywhere. But that’s fine. We’re almost over the final ridge.”
Despite the fatigue in his face, Yoon looked more confident than ever.
“You’re right. The presidency is right in front of you. But before that, we need to clean up the inside first. We can’t take those who rebelled along for the ride. Expel them all. I’ll handle the rest.”
“······.”
I could see hesitation in his eyes. He didn’t answer right away.
“You’re afraid of losing your majority in the Assembly, aren’t you?”
He didn’t deny it. He simply nodded.
“Of course. You know how many lawmakers are involved in this. If I expel them all, we lose our majority. And if they defect to the Progressive Party, what happens then? They’ll become the majority instead. Even if I become president, I’d be crippled in governing.”
“You’re right about that. But if you keep rotten fruit in the same basket, the rest will rot too.”
I knew exactly why he hesitated.
Politics had always been a numbers game.
How many regions, how many people could you mobilize? That determined elections.
Lawmakers cultivated their local organizations for years, building ties with community leaders whose words swayed votes—especially in smaller districts.
That effort wasn’t something easily abandoned.
But times were changing.
Regional networks still mattered, but image mattered more.
A politician with a good image gained devoted supporters—and that fanbase became his strongest weapon.
“It may hurt in the short term. But do you think clinging to them will actually help at the polls? The Korean public’s distrust of the military runs deep—thanks to two coups. Now, if word spreads that another secret faction inside the military was plotting another coup, what do you think will happen?”
Yoon’s expression hardened. He didn’t need me to spell it out.
Everyone connected to him would become a target of public outrage.
“So let’s use this opportunity. Play to your strengths. The upright, righteous former Prosecutor General—the untainted politician. There’s no reason to risk that image by keeping them.”
Yoon filled his glass again, taking two more strong gulps before speaking.
“You have a counterplan, don’t you? You wouldn’t say this without one. What happens after I expel them?”
Of course I did. Whether he’d accept it was another matter.
“Mr. Chairman, merge the Centrist Party with the Conservative Party.”
“What? What are you—”
“The Conservatives are finished. Not everyone there was involved in this scandal, but their image is irreparably tainted. Absorb them. Take their assets, their people, their networks.”
“······You’re telling me to commit political suicide? I’m the one who defied the two-party system and entered politics! You’re asking me to cut off my own foundation.”
I smiled calmly at the agitated Yoon Changho.
“Chairman, did you know that in the past, the Republican Party in the U.S. was the liberal one, and the Democrats were the conservatives?”
“I’ve heard that, yes—but what does that have to do with this?”
Nowadays, the Republicans were conservative and the Democrats liberal—but that hadn’t always been the case. Their ideologies had reversed over time.
That was exactly what I wanted.
“Politics is a living organism.”
“······.”
“To survive, you must be willing to shake hands with your enemies. And for the sake of your supporters, you must be able to change the color of your party itself. Right now, your image is reformist because of who you are. But after you take power? And after your era ends? I want a party that can rule for decades. A party that chooses the best course, not by ideology but by circumstance.”
Originally, parties were formed by shared ideology.
But I had no interest in that. What mattered was control.
“Be the kind of politician who embraces both left and right. To do that, you’ll need flexibility. Merging with the Conservatives will be the first step.”
“······There’ll be backlash from within.”
“Then expel them too. Keep showing the people your reformist resolve. They’ll rally behind you.”
The Centrist Party had already been dragged down alongside the Conservatives in this scandal.
If anything, they were taking even more damage.
Now wasn’t the time to retreat—it was time to advance.
“And don’t worry about losing Assembly seats. The expelled members won’t be able to keep them. There’ll be by-elections next year. We’ll just bring in new people then.”
I smiled brightly. Yoon swallowed hard, realizing what I meant.
I had no intention of letting the rebellious lawmakers remain in office.
After that, I waited quietly, swirling my drink while Yoon made up his mind.
A long silence followed, broken only by the faint clink of ice.
“Can you trust Kim Hakgwon?”
He didn’t answer me—instead, he asked that question.
I met his gaze as he continued.
“He won’t drag us further into this mess, right······?”
“Ah, I understand. Even President Kim Hakgwon left Choi Sunman’s name out of it. And he also excluded the Progressive Party’s candidate. The Centrist Party won’t be targeted again.” freeweɓnøvel.com
I knew what he was worried about—that the scandal might keep spreading and pull the Centrists under with it.
But Kim Hakgwon didn’t want chaos at the end of his term. Things would quiet down soon.
“It’ll be best to expel the rebels quickly. The longer you delay, the deeper you sink with them.”
“······Fine. I’ll merge with the Conservatives.”
He’d made his decision.
He knew that if the Progressives and Conservatives united first, his path to the presidency would close.
So devouring the Conservatives beforehand was the smarter move.
“Good. Leave the merger negotiations to Myungsoo. You stay out of sight. But you’ll need to personally handle the expulsions—people must see you wielding the knife.”
Yoon nodded grimly and raised his glass.
“Understood. Now, tell me about Japan. What the hell happened there?”
“That wasn’t my doing, sir.”
First Kim Hakgwon, now him—everyone wanted the °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° details. I was starting to feel like the villain here.
“I’m not accusing you. I just figured you’d have better intel than me. So—what’s going on?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I came prepared for that. Canceled all my appointments tonight. Go on.”
He sipped his whiskey, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
I took a drink to wet my throat and explained Japan’s situation in detail.
It was nearly dawn by the time I finally parted ways with him.
The next day.
Following Choi Sunman’s instruction, Yoon expelled thirty-seven lawmakers who had rebelled against him.
It shocked both the political world and the general public.
Such a sweeping purge was only possible in a party like the Centrist Party, where the chairman held all authority, unlike the Progressives’ collective leadership.
Yoon’s hardline stance became the talk of the nation.
The press had a field day, though under my direction, most coverage was favorable.
Even Yoon’s closest aides were shaken.
“Chairman, this is reckless! We’re right before the election, and you’re expelling that many lawmakers? Most of them are TK and PK powerhouses. Without them, we can’t win.”
Everyone except Lee Myungsoo opposed it. But Yoon stood firm.
“Enough. I can’t share politics with those people. Even if it costs me the presidency. So drop it.”
He was resolute. Only Lee Myungsoo smiled faintly while the others’ faces twisted in despair.
“There’s much to do. We need a new floor leader······. Secretary General Lee, how about you take the position as well?”
Yoon offered the role to Lee Myungsoo, but he shook his head.
“No, sir. I’m content as Secretary General. Let the seniors take the lead—it’s only right.”
At that, faint hope returned to the others’ faces.
The floor leader was second only to the party chairman in rank.
While everyone knew Lee Myungsoo was effectively Yoon’s right-hand man, that only held true inside the party.
From the outside, the floor leader’s position appeared higher.
“I see. Well then, who should it be······.”
He tapped the sofa’s armrest in thought before speaking slowly.
“Representative Park, you’ll take the post.”
“Me?!”
All eyes turned to Representative Park Minwoo.
Concerns about the expulsions vanished instantly in the face of ambition.
“Chairman, I’m not worthy.”
“It’s fine. The election season’s upon us—we can’t waste time. You can handle it. Secretary General Lee will support you.”
Lee Myungsoo nodded lightly in approval.
“Since the Chairman has appointed you, I’ll give you my full support.”
Envy flickered in everyone’s eyes.
“Don’t be jealous. Once I’m president, there’ll be plenty of positions to go around.”
Yoon said with an easy smile, and the tension in the room eased.
Discontent gave way to renewed hope.
“Now then, Secretary General.”
“Yes, Mr. Chairman.”
“It’s time to tell them.”
At Yoon’s cue, everyone turned to Lee Myungsoo with puzzled expressions.
“Yes, sir. We’ll proceed with the merger between the Centrist Party and the Conservative Party. As things stand, there’s no guarantee we’ll win the election. To ensure total victory, we must absorb their organization.”
Lee Myungsoo’s calm announcement dropped like a bomb.
Shock and fear spread across every face in the chairman’s office.
