Free Web NovelThe answer that came from Barack Obama was beyond my expectations.
“What do I need to do?”
He wasn’t agreeing, nor was he refusing. He was asking for the method.
Well, that made sense. No politician who hears the word president could possibly feel no desire at all. If they did, they wouldn’t even be qualified to be in politics.
“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing until now. There’s nothing you need to do differently.”
“Then you’re saying I’ll naturally be chosen as the Democratic presidential candidate, and then win the general election?”
“There will be various variables along the way. But we’ll take care of those. So, Senator, continue practicing your politics as you are now. Of course, Dream High and I will give advice from time to time, but we have no intention of reshaping your political inclinations to suit our tastes.”
If I tried to change his political nature, there was no telling how things might turn out.
I had approached Barack Obama precisely to minimize variables.
So the plan was simple: eliminate as many potential weaknesses as possible during the election process and free him from worries about money.
“......Why are you doing this to me?”
“I thought you were a smart man, but you keep asking the same thing. What reason does an investor need? Whether it’s a person, a stock, or real estate...... it’s all the same. I’ve simply judged that this is the absolute bottom.”
“.......”
“Now give me your answer. Repeating myself is getting boring. What will you do?”
“Do I have to give you an answer today?”
Despite the subtle pressure, he didn’t answer rashly.
Well, caution wasn’t a bad thing. I shrugged and told him my schedule.
“I’ll be staying in the U.S. for about two weeks. Please contact me before then.”
“Two weeks...... All right.”
I nodded, stood up from my seat, and extended my hand to him.
At the same time, I spoke with an easygoing smile.
“Then, I’ll be waiting for a good answer.”
Barack Obama also stood and took my hand.
“I hope so too.”
His hand, gripping mine tightly, was damp with sweat.
* * ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) *
After parting with Kim Muhyuk, Barack Obama went straight to find his wife.
“Michelle.”
Michelle Obama, who had been working, looked puzzled by her husband’s sudden appearance.
“You didn’t even call. What’s going on?”
“It’s something important. Do you have time?”
Seeing his face, Michelle closed her laptop and stood up.
It wasn’t just because he looked serious. The man she knew wasn’t someone who would show up at her workplace without warning.
“Honey, what is it? You look urgent.”
Michelle Obama lightly grasped Barack Obama’s shoulder as she spoke.
Barack Obama was a large man at 187 cm, but Michelle was fairly tall herself, so pulling him into an embrace posed no problem.
She guided him to the sofa. After seating him, she brewed two cups of coffee and sat down.
“Do you feel a bit calmer now? Tell me. What happened?”
To Barack Obama, his wife Michelle Obama was a political partner.
She had supported him wholeheartedly when he entered politics and had stayed in the legal field for years so he wouldn’t be constrained by money.
In his political life, Michelle Obama was indispensable.
And this proposal from Kim Muhyuk wasn’t something he could tell anyone else.
That was why, after leaving Kim Muhyuk, Barack Obama had immediately boarded a plane and flown to Chicago.
“Weren’t you supposed to meet someone in Washington? I thought it would take longer...... What happened?”
Michelle Obama asked again.
Barack Obama clenched his trembling hands together, took a sip of the coffee in front of him, and slowly opened his mouth.
He spent a long time explaining whom he had met that day and what they had talked about.
Throughout it all, Michelle Obama simply listened.
“......That’s why I came to you right away. I can’t tell this story to anyone else.”
“You did well, honey. This does sound like something you shouldn’t tell anyone. Just a moment.”
Michelle Obama lightly patted his shoulder and made a phone call.
“Oppa. It’s me, Michelle.”
— Oh, Michelle! What’s going on?
The person she had called was her older brother, Craig Robinson.
“Sorry for calling so suddenly. It’s important. You have quite a few friends on Wall Street, right?”
Craig Robinson had an unusual background.
He had been a basketball player, though he never made it to the NBA. He played in the British league, retired, and worked as a coach.
Then, suddenly, he entered the University of Chicago’s business school and earned an MBA.
The connections he made then were now spread across Wall Street. freёwebnovel.com
— I do. What’s going on?
“I want you to look into Charlie Kim, the major shareholder of Dream High.”
— Dream High? That Dream High from Wall Street? They’re so shrouded in secrecy that it’ll be hard to get the information you want......
Craig Robinson trailed off. For someone usually so confident, his voice sounded unusually discouraged.
But right now, Craig Robinson—her brother—was the only reliable connection to Wall Street she had.
“Oppa. This concerns Barack Obama’s political future. Don’t tell anyone, and just look into whatever you can. Please.”
— Obama’s future is on the line? What happened, Michelle?
“I’ll explain the details later. You can do this, right?”
— If Obama’s future is involved, then even if I can’t, I have to. Don’t worry. I’ll find out for sure.
After she pleaded with him repeatedly, Craig replied in a firm voice.
“There can’t be even a whisper of this. It can’t get out that my husband is involved in investigating that man. You understand what I mean, right?”
— Of course. You can trust me.
“Okay. Thank you.”
After exchanging brief goodbyes, Michelle Obama hung up.
Then, with a calm expression, she spoke to Barack Obama.
“First, shouldn’t we find out whether what this Charlie said is true or not? I asked Craig, so I’m sure he’ll bring back something.”
Barack Obama nodded.
His brother-in-law Craig Robinson was close enough to speak to him casually and was someone he trusted.
But Barack Obama pressed his lips together and spoke a little urgently. freewebnoveℓ.com
“I appreciate it, but he said he’d be staying in the U.S. for two weeks. Don’t I need to give him an answer before he leaves?”
Someone else might not have noticed, but Michelle could tell.
She could tell just how excited he was.
“Honey! Get a grip.”
Michelle Obama shouted, gripping his hand tightly.
Startled, Barack Obama looked up at her face.
“Charlie’s proposal is far too sweet for you. You’ve never once dreamed of becoming president until now. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s true. But.......”
“I know. Because of your background, your skin color, and so many other things, you never even considered becoming president. And then suddenly, someone whispers in your ear like the devil, telling you that you can become president. I know exactly what you’re thinking right now.”
At Michelle Obama’s warm touch, Barack Obama snapped back to his senses.
Only then could he objectively see the greed he’d been indulging and the thoughts he’d been having.
“Charlie’s offer is overwhelmingly favorable to us. No conditions—just asking to be treated the same as everyone else. Not once have the people of Wall Street ever sponsored politicians like that. They planted their people in the White House and constantly demanded policies that benefited them. You know that. That’s why we never reached out to Wall Street.”
“That’s right.”
Barack Obama nodded. Michelle didn’t stop and continued.
“And Wall Street never even paid attention to you because you’re Black. And then suddenly, someone claiming to be the major shareholder of Dream High—famous all over Wall Street—comes to you with this story. Even if everything he said is true, you need to think once, twice, ten times. Washington politics is a den where you can’t see even one step ahead. You know that better than anyone.”
“Yes. A den. A terrifying place.......”
“Think back to when you first decided to enter politics. Remember why you jumped in, leaving behind a path where success was guaranteed.”
At Michelle’s earnest words, Barack Obama recalled what had driven him into politics.
After a wandering youth, he had worked as a civil rights lawyer for Black communities and then entered politics.
He had faced discrimination himself and knew that Black Americans still suffered deeply from it—he wanted to change that.
But the walls of real politics were high, and people’s prejudices were painfully deep.
“That’s right. I entered politics for the civil rights of Black people.”
Only then did Michelle Obama smile and nod.
“Yes. Don’t forget that resolve.”
Barack Obama smiled back.
“I won’t. Never.”
“Then that’s enough.”
Letting out a small sigh, Barack Obama asked Michelle,
“Then should I reject it?”
“If you become president, it’ll be much easier to change the things you dream of changing. Of course, even as president, you can’t change everything on your own...... but it would still be far easier than now.”
Michelle Obama knew Barack’s dreams as well, which was why she wanted him to become president.
But there were simply too many obstacles standing in front of him.
“Your weaknesses are overwhelming. You know that, right? Especially in the current climate. If you run for president, the attacks will be far worse than during a Senate race. They’ll even spread rumors that you’re a Muslim.......”
“I’m a Christian. You know that, Michelle.”
“When has politics ever attacked using only facts? Truth and fabrication are separated by a sheet of paper. Can you endure all of that and still jump into the presidential primaries?”
“I don’t know. It’s so sudden. I’ve never even thought about it before.”
Barack Obama replied in an uncertain voice.
Michelle Obama once again held his hand warmly.
“Then...... let’s wait for now. Until my brother brings back information. And calm yourself, and keep working hard for John Kerry as you have been. Hillary and her followers already think this election is over and are preparing for the next one, but you should imprint on people’s minds that you haven’t given up. All of that will become assets for your future.”
At Michelle Obama’s heartfelt advice, Barack Obama nodded.
“I’ll do that. Thank you, Michelle.”
Barack Obama hugged Michelle Obama tightly.
* * *
After parting with Barack Obama, I headed to New York to meet Han Kyungyeong.
It was already night by the time I arrived.
Han Kyungyeong was waiting for me at home, drinking.
When I walked inside, he raised his glass and grinned.
“Hey, boss!”
I smiled back and took the glass he offered.
“You already started? Let’s drink together.”
“I was going to wait, but you can’t perform rites with alcohol just sitting there. Come on, let’s have a drink.”
A crisp clink rang out as our glasses met. When I emptied mine, Han Kyungyeong raised one eyebrow and asked,
“So? What about Barack Obama? Still hasn’t changed his mind?”
He asked, and I nodded with a smile.
“Yeah. If anything, I’m even more convinced.”
“Damn...... you’re stubborn. I looked into it—he has way too many weaknesses. Black? That’s not even the biggest issue. His grandfather was a Muslim. You know how dangerous that is in America right now. Do you know his full name? Barack Hussein Obama. Hussein.”
Han Kyungyeong’s voice rose.
“The risk is enormous. What if Hillary suddenly wins later? We might have to leave the U.S. altogether.”
I knew he was speaking so heatedly because he was worried about me.
I shook my head firmly.
“Don’t worry. That will never happen.”
I deliberately smiled brightly and clinked my glass against the one in Han Kyungyeong’s hand.
