Genius Grandson Of The Loan Shark King

At Jang Songthaek’s already-shortened tone, I raised one eyebrow.

We had only secured Kim Jongil’s person. This was merely the beginning.

And yet he was already acting like this.

“Director Jang Songthaek. I heard you were injured. Is your leg doing any better?”

— .......

“The mercenaries are a bit rough. They’re people who move purely for money. That’s why I can’t predict what kind of sudden situation might occur. If things go sour, they’re the kind who could kill everyone there and disappear.”

Only deep silence flowed from the other end of the line.

I didn’t stop and continued speaking.

“I gave the mercenary captain a very clear warning. I told him that while there are others who could replace Director Jang, there is no one more suitable than Director Jang himself. And that if he ever acts like that again without my permission, the mercenary captain will never see his family again.”

I hadn’t warned him directly. I merely criticized what Igor had done, while letting him know that there were plenty of people who could replace him.

I indirectly made it clear that he was not the only option.

— President Kim Muhyuk. There is no one in the Republic who can replace me. I am the only one who can give you what you want.

Fortunately, Jang Songthaek was quick on the uptake. Hearing him respond in a suddenly more respectful tone made me chuckle.

“Of course. I trust Director Jang. After all, you love the Republic more than anyone.”

— That’s right. I intend to burn my entire body for the future of the Republic.

I shook my head at Jang Songthaek’s words, which neatly wrapped his lust for power in noble language.

“So how do you plan to move now?”

— For now, I’ve summoned Bo-wi-bu forces here. We must protect Chairman Kim Jongil first. Mercenaries alone are not enough.

Was it really to protect Kim Jongil? That thought crossed my mind......

Well, if that’s what he wanted, so be it.

“That’s only natural. And what do you plan to do about Kim Jongil’s people in Pyongyang?”

— Their loyalty isn’t what it used to be. They know very well that Kim Jongil doesn’t trust them.

“But you don’t plan on sparing them, do you? You’re not thinking of letting them live, are you?”

— No. Even if they bow flat to the ground now, later they’ll try to seize power by using Kim Jongil. They would become the greatest threat to me. I can’t let them live.

Jang Songthaek had been at Kim Jongil’s side when Kim Jongil seized power.

That was why he knew better than anyone how cruel one must be when taking power.

The first thing Kim Jongil did after gaining power was to push Kim Ilsung’s close aides out of power.

They had been Kim Ilsung’s comrades for a long time, and they too were founding contributors to the Republic. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Because of that, he couldn’t kill them outright—but he removed them from power. Along with that, he killed everyone he could kill.

— I will turn Kim Jongil into a puppet and naturally draw power to myself.

Ambition seeped through his resolute voice.

If Jang Songthaek had been of the Baekdu bloodline, they might have chosen him over Kim Jongil.

But Jang Songthaek was not of the Baekdu bloodline. Though he had married Kim Ilsung’s daughter, he was merely a side branch.

“Hm.”

— I’ve already told Kim Jongil to write orders for the arrest of their close aides.

“And Kim Jongil’s response?”

— I handed him the list and came out, to give him time to think.

“Once Kim Jongil looks over that list, he’ll realize all his arms and legs are being cut off.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Jang Songthaek answered firmly.

— Yes. I told him everything. That if only Comrade Chairman stepped down, the Republic could be reborn. That the United States, China, and even Russia—every country capable of engaging in a power struggle over the Republic and the South—has already agreed to Comrade Chairman’s retirement.

If we failed to arrest all of Kim Jongil’s close aides here, it would be disastrous.

At best, it would be civil war. At worst, Jang Songthaek would lose his head.

“Well done. You’ve crossed the biggest hurdle. The hardest part was capturing Kim Jongil alive. There’s nothing more for me to help with—at least until after you’ve taken power.”

— I’ve already received more than enough help. From here on, it’s something I must do myself.

“When everything is over, what do you plan to do with Kim Jongil? For now, you’re keeping him alive because you need his name, but......”

For now, Kim Jongil’s name was necessary. But once power was secured, that name would have to be erased little by little.

The very fact that he was alive could become a burden......

I was curious about Jang Songthaek’s choice.

— I won’t kill him.

“Really? If you leave Kim Jongil alive, you may regret it for a very long time.”

— .......Yes. Even so, I will keep him alive.

“Well, that’s your decision to make, Director Jang. How long do you think it will take to eliminate Kim Jongil’s aides and take control of Pyongyang?”

— If everything goes according to plan, it should be over within a week.

It would be a blood-soaked week. But that week would change North Korea’s future.

— Thank you once again for your help. Thanks to you, we were able to capture Comrade Chairman alive. If we had moved Bo-wi-bu or other military forces, it wouldn’t have been this easy.

“That’s why we hired mercenaries.”

— I’ll end the call here. If anything unusual happens, I’ll contact you directly, or send word through the mercenaries.

“Alright. Let’s talk again.”

After ending the call with Jang Songthaek, I picked up the glass of water in front of me and downed it in one go.

Then, rubbing my warm eyes as fatigue set in, I let out a sigh.

“Boss, please get some sleep now.”

Manager Ma said worriedly, and I nodded with a smile.

“I suppose I should. At this point, I have no choice but to trust Director Jang.”

Leaving Manager Ma’s concern behind, I left the study, went up to the bedroom, and fell straight into sleep.

* * *

After finishing the call with Kim Muhyuk, Jang Songthaek frowned.

He had already expected that the bill Kim Muhyuk would present once everything was over would be far from small.

But without his help, this operation couldn’t even have been attempted.

“For now, I should finish the job and think about it later.”

Muttering to himself, he set down the satellite phone’s receiver.

At the same time, Igor approached.

“Is the call over?”

Jang Songthaek nodded and looked into Igor’s cold eyes, still hidden behind a mask.

Then he recalled Kim Muhyuk’s words.

That they were people who could, at any moment, kill everyone and disappear.

“Is the call over, Director Jang Songthaek?”

Igor asked again. After a brief silence, Jang Songthaek stood up and nodded.

“It’s over.”

“Were there any other messages?”

“No. He just told me to contact him if anything special comes up.”

Igor nodded.

“When will the Bo-wi-bu forces arrive?”

“Within an hour. But...... do you plan to stay here the entire time?”

At Jang Songthaek’s unfriendly gaze, Igor bared his teeth in a grin.

“Until everything is finished, Kim Jongil remains in our custody. Bo-wi-bu forces will not be allowed inside this building.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. Until everything is over, we’ll be the ones guarding Kim Jongil. You can assign them to outer security. We’ll secure the building.”

At Igor’s firm words, Jang Songthaek swallowed dryly.

“That’s absurd. We need to secure Comrade Chairman ourselves now.”

“You may not know, Director Jang, but we can’t fully trust the rest of the Bo-wi-bu personnel. Until everything is over, we’ll keep him detained.”

Seeing the complete lack of compromise in Igor’s eyes, Jang Songthaek hesitated.

“Proceed with your plan, Director. We’ll handle our part.”

“Haa......”

In the end, Jang Songthaek let out a deep sigh.

“Fine.”

Shaking his head, he walked back to the bedroom where Kim Jongil was and opened the door.

Entering the bedroom thick with cigarette smoke, Jang Songthaek frowned.

In that short time, Kim Jongil had apparently been drinking; his face was flushed red.

“Comrade Chairman. Have you made your decision?”

“A decision? Hahaha. Something I get to decide? If I say no, will you kill me?”

“......Please don’t be stubborn.”

“You bastard. Did you really think you could arrest all of them with nothing more than a single order from me?”

“That order gives me justification. Many comrades are already aligned with me.” fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

“I’m sure they are. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have moved, Jang Songthaek.”

Kim Jongil drained his glass in one gulp and spoke.

“Jang Songthaek.”

“Yes, Comrade Chairman.”

“I’ll help you.”

Jang Songthaek’s face brightened instantly.

“But promise me one thing. No matter what happens, my safety and that of my family must be protected. Otherwise, I won’t do anything.”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Can I trust you?”

“Yes. Please trust me.”

At those words, Kim Jongil looked at Jang Songthaek for a moment, then nodded.

“News of ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) what’s happening here has probably already reached Pyongyang.”

“Yes. But under Comrade Chairman’s name, I’ve controlled all military movements.”

“Well done. But that’s only a matter of time. If I don’t appear within that time, others will start having ideas.”

“That’s why we need the orders.”

“What order could be stronger than my own voice? Bring me the phone.”

Was it really safe to give him a line to the outside world right now? Jang Songthaek hesitated.

“Worried I’ll say something else? Don’t worry. I’m not that stupid.”

No one knew better than Jang Songthaek the power carried by Kim Jongil’s voice.

But at the same time, he knew that power could be turned on him as well, which made unease wash over him.

As if he sensed it, Kim Jongil gave a short laugh and tapped the table.

“Jang Songthaek. With that much fear, do you think you can lead the Republic? I told you—if you spare my life and my family’s, I’ll help you.”

Was Kim Jongil really relinquishing power this easily? Jang Songthaek’s suspicion was only natural.

But Kim Jongil continued without caring.

“Looking at you agonize, I can guess your plan. You’ll rush to arrest them using written orders. But Pyongyang has probably already heard about Villa No. 72. Do you think they’ll just offer their necks quietly?”

“.......”

“I don’t know which sons of bitches have taken your hand, Songthaek, but the core of power is only a few people. Isn’t that right?”

Kim Jongil was right. After much deliberation, Jang Songthaek brought over the phone and set it up.

“What do you intend to do?”

“We’ll summon them here, one by one.”

“Will they come?”

“Disobeying my order is treason. Not a piece of paper, but a direct order from me.”

Kim Jongil pointed at the top name on the list Jang Songthaek had given him—Cho Myongrok.

“We’ll start with Cho Myongrok. Connect the call.”

Jang Songthaek called the General Political Bureau and handed the receiver to Kim Jongil.

“This is Kim Jongil. Put Cho Myongrok on.”

— Pardon?

“Put Cho Myongrok on.”

— Is that really you, General?

“Don’t make me repeat myself. Who in the Republic would dare impersonate me?”

— J-just a moment, please.

As he waited, Kim Jongil put a cigarette to his lips. Out of habit, Jang Songthaek moved to light it for him.

“Don’t do that anymore.”

“......Understood.”

As Kim Jongil took a deep drag, a hurried voice came from the other end.

— G-General, is that really you?

“Yes.”

— Are you safe? There are unsettling rumors circulating in Pyongyang.

“Unsettling rumors? Sounds like they’re saying I’m dead.”

— .......

“Jang Songthaek, that son of a bitch, has committed treason.”

— Director Jang?

“That’s right. But everything is already over. Isn’t this a good opportunity?”

Cho Myongrok immediately understood what Kim Jongil meant.

— Are you planning to begin a new purge?

“There are plenty of reactionary bastards within the Party and the military. We’ll tie them all into this incident and cut off their heads. Don’t tell anyone that I’m alive, and come here immediately.”

— I’ll come right away.

In a low voice, Kim Jongil asked the flustered Cho Myongrok,

“Director of the General Political Bureau. Can I trust you?”

— Yes. Please trust me. I’ll come immediately.

“Good. Don’t tell anyone, and come alone.”

— Yes. I’ll come alone.

“Alright. I’ll be waiting.”

Starting with Director Cho Myongrok of the General Political Bureau, Kim Jongil began summoning the people listed on the paper, one by one.