Genius Grandson Of The Loan Shark King

The National Assembly election was over, but the political arena was still a complete mess.

Within the Progressive Party, which had lost the election, multiple factions were locked in a fierce struggle for dominance, each blaming the others for the defeat.

The Centrist Party, which should have been cheering at the Progressive Party’s internal chaos, was hardly in a better position. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

On the surface, they put on the air of magnanimous victors, talking about cooperation and bipartisanship, but inside the party, a quiet battle had already begun over who would seize the next party leadership.

And at the center of it all stood Lee Myungsoo.

“I have no interest in taking over the party.”

Lee Myungsoo was having a meal with Party Chairman Han Jiho at a restaurant somewhere in Yeouido.

“Come on, Secretary Lee. Even if you’re not interested, the people around you clearly are, aren’t they?”

Han Jiho said as he scooped up a spoonful of porridge from the bowl in front of him and put it into his mouth.

“Anyone can run in the party convention. Whether it’s a lawmaker close to me or one close to the Party Chairman, we have no reason to stop them. Freedom! That’s the first principle of our Centrist Party.”

“Freedom is good. But freedom comes with responsibility. Bearing that responsibility is also a principle that must be upheld. Are you prepared to take responsibility for your actions?”

Han Jiho continued, his tone tinged with mockery.

“Whether you want it or not, you’re holding the reins of this party convention. After all, you’re Kim Muhyuk’s friend and spokesperson.”

At Han Jiho’s mention of Kim Muhyuk, Lee Myungsoo frowned.

“Chairman Kim Muhyuk has never interfered in our party’s affairs.”

“Of course, not directly. But hasn’t he used you as a conduit to steer party policy?”

“......That has never happened.”

“Really? Are you willing to take responsibility for that statement?”

“Yes. Even if Chairman Kim Muhyuk’s views and mine align, I have never bent my convictions due to his pressure. That would be an insult to me, Chairman.”

At Lee Myungsoo’s sharp reply, Han Jiho responded with an easy smile.

“Hahaha. Who would dare insult you? A political heavyweight already, at barely your early thirties.”

“.......”

“The era of the Three Kims ended, and I thought we’d never see another young, influential politician like them. Then you appeared out of nowhere, like a comet. And in just a few years, you were at the core of politics. Who would dare insult you? They’d be cut from the nomination list for it. Isn’t that right?”

Han Jiho spoke ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) as if he were praising Lee Myungsoo, but there was a barb hidden in his words—an oblique criticism of this round of nominations as unfair.

By now accustomed to political rhetoric, Lee Myungsoo immediately grasped the implication.

He replied in a stiff tone.

“The nominations were conducted fairly and transparently according to established rules.”

“I don’t see it that way. Aside from the districts we agreed on before the merger, most of the districts with multiple candidates were won not by former Conservative Party members, but by people you personally recruited. Can you really call that fair?”

“All agreements made during the merger were honored. You became the party chairman, and the nomination rules were decided through a vote of the party’s supreme council. Regardless of my personal opinions, isn’t it structurally impossible for them to influence the nomination results?”

Both the speaker, Lee Myungsoo, and the listener, Han Jiho, knew the truth.

That the Secretary-General’s position allowed far deeper involvement in nominations than the party chairman’s role ever could.

“And Chairman. You are the chairman of the Centrist Party. Then why do you keep talking as if the Centrist Party and the Conservative Party are separate entities?”

“When did I ever draw that line? It’s you and the people glued to your side who do.”

“That’s sophistry. If that were true, you would never have become party chairman in the first place.”

Han Jiho picked up a slice of raw fish from the plate in front of him, stuffed it into his mouth, and spoke while chewing.

“Well, let’s drop the past.”

Every time Han Jiho spoke, the food in his mouth was clearly visible.

Normally, Lee Myungsoo would have let it slide, but today, that sight irritated him far more than usual.

His appetite gone, he put his chopsticks down.

“By the way, isn’t it time to stop?”

At Han Jiho’s question, Lee Myungsoo asked with a puzzled expression,

“Stop what, exactly?”

“You’re targeting the people who rejected the nominations and left the party, launching investigations against them. Don’t play dumb. It makes you look like an amateur.”

“If someone committed a crime, they should pay the price. That’s the rule of law. And I have absolutely nothing to do with this matter.”

“Right. Then it must be the Blue House’s will.”

Lee Myungsoo let out a hollow laugh.

“Do you really think President Yoon Changho would care about people like that? If he were truly angry, he wouldn’t go after small fry—he’d have designated you personally as the subject of an investigation.”

“Watch your words, Secretary-General Lee.”

The smile vanished from Han Jiho’s face.

“There’s only one thing I can tell you. Those people being summoned by the prosecution is neither the President’s will nor mine. It’s the prosecution acting on its own.”

Han Jiho said nothing, as if urging him to continue. Lee Myungsoo raised his voice slightly and went on.

“No. To be precise, the media raised suspicions first, and the prosecution had no choice but to act. You know that the public may let many things slide, but they never forgive land speculation.”

Han Jiho clenched his teeth, then let out a sigh.

“......Those were things from ten years ago.”

“Ten years, twenty years, even a hundred—it doesn’t erase the crime. In the end, they’ll pay the price.”

“So should I take that as you saying you’ll see this through to the end? I won’t just sit back either.”

Han Jiho could not suppress his anger at the prosecution’s targeted investigations, which were bound to deal a severe blow to his leadership.

He had secretly supported those who defied the party’s nominations, left the party, and ran as independents.

Because once they won and rejoined the party, they would become his power base.

But aside from a handful, almost all of those who ran as independents after leaving the party lost their races.

That alone had dealt a major blow to Han Jiho’s political standing.

And now, not only the winners who had secured the coveted gold badges, but more than half of the losers as well had been placed on the prosecution’s investigation list.

Starting with Koryeo Daily, major newspapers raised allegations against them, and articles written on the basis of clear evidence ignited public outrage.

In step with that, the prosecution sent summonses to everyone implicated. freёwebnovel.com

“I’m in a position where I have no choice but to protect them.”

Everyone who received a summons came to Han Jiho.

Begging him to save them. Saying they had left the party and run as independents at his direction.

Some pleaded with him; others threatened him, saying they wouldn’t die alone.

At Han Jiho’s words, which sounded like a plea depending on how you heard them, Lee Myungsoo replied, his voice softened.

“I don’t have the power to stop the investigation.”

“No, you don’t. But President Yoon Changho does.”

“There’s no reason to take on political risk to save people who are no longer members of our party. The media coverage has exploded; this isn’t something that can be quietly swept under the rug.”

Even based solely on the allegations already made public, their chances of recovery were slim.

If one were to name the greatest sins in Korea, real estate speculation and land speculation would top the list.

There was a saying that when your cousin buys land, your stomach aches—enough said.

And it wasn’t as if they had simply bought land and profited. Using the power they held, they obtained information about new city development projects and bought land in designated areas in advance.

There were many other allegations as well, but what truly struck a nerve was the astronomical profits they had made through land speculation.

“At the very least, you can spare the ones who won their seats.”

Han Jiho knew it himself. The matter had grown too big to save everyone.

So at the very least, the elected ones had to be saved.

“They’re all party assets. If they rejoin, we could even secure a constitutional amendment line. You and President Yoon Changho are thinking about constitutional reform, aren’t you? For the sake of securing seats alone, President Yoon Changho should step in.”

Lee Myungsoo frowned.

“There will be no readmission for those who left the party after rejecting their nominations.”

“Secretary Lee. Politics isn’t done emotionally. Politics is ultimately about compromise.”

“Even so, it’s not possible.”

“......So you really mean to see this through to the end?”

Han Jiho set his chopsticks down.

“If we don’t reach an agreement today, I’ll mobilize every means at my disposal. I could split the party and walk out with those who follow me. My influence hasn’t died yet.”

At the word “split,” Lee Myungsoo looked at Han Jiho, unable to hide his disbelief.

“You think I can’t do it?”

“Can you bear the consequences?”

“What? Are you planning to put me in front of the prosecution’s photo line too? Fine! Go ahead and try. Do you think this would be my first time being summoned by prosecutors? And yet I’ve survived every time.”

To judge whether it was an empty threat or the real thing, Lee Myungsoo narrowed his eyes and studied Han Jiho’s face.

Han Jiho maintained a completely expressionless look as he stared straight back.

“If I stay quiet now, I’ll eventually be culled and fade into the back pages of history. I have no intention of becoming president. Do you know what that means?”

Lee Myungsoo could no longer hold back.

He could not engage in political collusion just to prevent a party split.

That would go against his convictions.

“I’ll take that as a threat. Do whatever you like. Form a new party and leave, or bow your head and crawl back into the Progressive Party—do as you please. I won’t stop you.”

“So that’s how it is. You really want to take this to the end.”

Their gazes collided in midair.

“Hah...... You think this is just empty talk? You can’t ignore my influence in the TK region yet.”

“I know. If you set your mind to it, you could leave with around fifty lawmakers. You could even join hands with the Progressive Party and form a massive negotiating bloc to shake the government. Even so, I can’t do something that goes against my convictions.”

Lee Myungsoo was confident he could persuade Kim Muhyuk. He could ask him to spare a few people.

But he didn’t want to.

“Convictions, huh. Are you saying I have none?”

“No. Your convictions and mine are simply different. Neither is necessarily wrong. We’re just walking different paths.”

Han Jiho let out a deep sigh.

“I’ll speak to Chairman Kim Muhyuk myself.”

“I won’t stop you from doing that. But don’t expect my help. Even if Chairman Kim Muhyuk reaches an agreement with you, I’ll oppose it. Even if the prosecution’s investigation ends in acquittal, I will not allow them to rejoin the party.”

Lee Myungsoo stood up from his seat.

He bowed his head politely to Han Jiho.

“I’ll be leaving now. I have a schedule in Busan, and if I depart now, I should arrive by evening.”

With that, Lee Myungsoo left the room without looking back.

After he was gone, the sound of something breaking echoed from inside the room where Han Jiho remained alone, but Lee Myungsoo pretended not to hear it and exited the restaurant.

* * *

To celebrate my grandmother’s seventieth birthday, I had come down to Busan several days earlier and spent time with her.

On the day of the celebration, I rented a hotel banquet hall in the heart of Seomyeon for the entire day.

Not only politicians with districts in Busan, but even the Mayor of Busan contacted me to say they wanted to attend, but I declined them all.

It could make my grandmother’s acquaintances uncomfortable. I asked only the market people and neighbors to attend.

Holding my grandmother’s hand, I entered the banquet hall and took our seats.

Soon after, her acquaintances began to arrive one by one.

“Grandma, congratulations on your seventieth birthday.”

The first to arrive were Myungsoo and his family.

My grandmother welcomed them with a bright smile. After hugging her, Myungsoo called me aside.

Leaving my grandmother with his family, I went into an inner room with him.

“Why do you look so serious?”

The moment I saw him, I could tell he was extremely angry.

“Hah...... Chairman Han Jiho will probably contact you. Before coming here today, I had a meal with him.”

Myungsoo explained in detail everything that had been said during their conversation.

I listened without interrupting, all the way to the end.

“So Han Jiho actually threatened you like that? That’s unexpected. I thought Chairman Han would cut them off without hesitation.”

From what I knew of Han Jiho, I expected him to pretend nothing was happening, afraid the fallout might reach him.

“So what do you think? What do you want me to do?”

Still bristling with anger, Myungsoo asked.

I let out a short laugh and asked him in return.