Free Web NovelMyungsoo kept pressing Han Jiho with that ever-present, cheerful smile.
Looks like he’d been holding a lot back against Han Jiho. He’s not the type to react like this unless there’s a reason.
“Reinstatement is not permitted. Instead, among those currently under investigation, I’ll help a few within the limits of my authority.”
Not everyone would be spared. At those words, Han Jiho swallowed hard.
We needed someone to serve as an example, and even aside from that, we couldn’t save all the traitors.
The media had already been running stories day after day about the real estate development projects they were tied to. Letting everyone off cleanly was no longer an option. Someone had to take responsibility and fall.
Even if Myungsoo had asked to save them all, I had no intention of agreeing. And Myungsoo even used that reality to frame things as though he were generously showing Han Jiho mercy.
“Secretary-General Lee, you...”
“Chairman. This is all for the party. We’re short on people as it is—do you think I don’t find it regrettable? I know better than anyone how critical it is right now to secure seats by any means necessary. But that doesn’t mean we can take back people who defied the party’s fair nomination rules and defected, just because they survived the election. If we reinstate them, we’d be killing our candidates twice—the ones who fought them head-on under the party banner.”
Han Jiho bit down hard on his lip. He knew it too.
That even his justification was weak.
Lee Myungsoo had already grasped that the board was tilted in his favor, and he was carefully choosing only the conditions he could accept from what Han Jiho offered.
“I’m not talking about doing politics based on personal feelings. The party needs them right now.”
“I understand exactly what you’re trying to say. But even if we take them back out of necessity, reinstating them would destroy the systems already established within the party. Selecting candidates according to nomination rules is clearly stated in the party constitution and bylaws. Saving people who ran off because they didn’t like those rules is tantamount to betraying the party members. If we treat even our own constitution and bylaws as trivial, how can we claim to uphold the Constitution and make laws? As long as I’m in the Centrist Party, I’ll act according to the bylaws. If I want to face our members without shame, that’s the only way.”
Myungsoo’s voice was firm. There wasn’t even a sliver of room for negotiation.
“Hah...”
Han Jiho let out a deep sigh and slowly shook his head.
Even then, he kept glancing my way, gauging my reaction, but I revealed nothing—just watched their exchange with a blank expression.
“Assemblyman Lee, I’ll concede on everything else. The people elected this time must be cleared unconditionally. If you won’t accept that, then I’ll take this to the bitter end.”
Myungsoo frowned slightly, as if worried Han Jiho might cling on stubbornly.
Since he didn’t know what Han Jiho and I had discussed earlier, Myungsoo probably didn’t realize how pointless that threat was.
Instead of explaining, I decided to see how Myungsoo would handle it.
“...An unconditional clearance will be difficult. But I’ll make sure none of them lose their seats.”
That meant wrapping things up with a sentence lighter than one that would strip them of their assemblyman badges.
Myungsoo turned to me and asked,
“You can do that, right?”
It wasn’t difficult. I gave a small nod.
“If that’s what you want, we’ll do it. I give you my word, Chairman.”
Han Jiho’s expression stiffened even further as I made it clear that I respected Myungsoo’s judgment.
Seeing that, Myungsoo grinned.
Looking back and forth between us, Han Jiho let out a heavy, miserable groan.
“...Fine. Then let’s do that. Now tell me your conditions.”
Myungsoo pretended to gather his thoughts, deliberately letting the silence stretch.
Then, finally, he spoke.
“At the upcoming party convention, no lawmaker from the Conservative faction is to declare candidacy.”
“What? What are you talking about—!”
It was a harsher condition than expected.
The party convention is the flower of party politics. If a presidential election is the World Cup, then choosing the party leader and supreme committee members at a convention is the Champions League.
And he was telling them not to even enter that competition.
It was practically a death sentence.
Han Jiho clenched his fist tightly. It was a declaration of war—telling the Conservative faction to step out of the mainstream and hand over full control of the party.
“Wow.”
A small exclamation slipped out of me before I realized it.
Hearing it, Han Jiho—who had been about to snap at Myungsoo—turned to look at me.
He narrowed his eyes, trying to read my intentions, but I merely shrugged.
Grinding his teeth, Han Jiho turned back to glare at Myungsoo.
“...So you’re telling us to give up control and just act as a rubber stamp?”
“No. Just don’t run in the party convention. I’ll concede some ground regarding the floor leader and party office positions.”
Aside from the floor leader, the party office positions were administrative roles—staff, not true power holders.
“Listen here, Secretary-General Lee.”
“Do you think you can bury that incident without concessions of this scale? Frankly, I don’t even want to make a deal like this. But you said it yourself before—politics is the magic of compromise. That line stuck with me. So I thought I’d try this ‘compromise’ thing too.”
Perhaps because it was his own words thrown back at him, Han Jiho clenched his fist but didn’t speak rashly.
“Chairman. This is the maximum I can concede. A justification strong enough to bend my convictions—just that much. If you meet me there, I think I can accept it.”
“No matter what, not running in the convention is impossible. Instead, I’ll put forward a low-tier candidate. They’ll be naturally pushed aside. Having none of our people among the supreme committee members goes against the spirit of the Centrist Party. You know that too.”
“Hmm...”
“Just one. I’m not even asking for the party leadership. Just one seat on the supreme committee. I need at least that to save face.”
Han Jiho’s argument wasn’t without merit.
He was the head of a faction leading around fifty sitting lawmakers.
Add the local district chairs outside the Assembly, and it was a sizable force.
And in the TK region, he was more popular than the President himself.
“...Alright. We’ll do it that way.”
Myungsoo nodded and accepted Han Jiho’s proposal.
“...Thank you, Secretary-General Lee.”
“Not at all. It’s thanks to your generous concession, Chairman, that we were able to reach such a good agreement.”
Instead of taking credit, Myungsoo handed it back to Han Jiho. That seemed to sting even more—Han Jiho bit his lip hard.
When their discussion wrapped up, I finally spoke.
“Then are we agreed on amicable terms?”
Both men nodded.
“Let’s summarize. Among those currently under investigation, the elected individuals will either have their investigations halted or receive sentences light enough to retain their seats. In exchange, Chairman Han Jiho’s faction concedes the party leadership. Is that correct?”
“That’s right.”
“I’ll be watching this agreement with my own eyes. Chairman Han Jiho, and Secretary-General Lee Myungsoo as well—don’t even think about breaking it. I expect this agreement to be honored in good faith, to the very end.”
Myungsoo and Han Jiho nodded at the same time. Though it wasn’t written down, this agreement would be upheld more firmly than most contracts.
I stood up and walked over to Han Jiho, extending my hand.
“Thank you for coming all the way to Busan.”
Han Jiho stood as well and took my hand. His palm was damp with sweat.
As we shook, I pulled him slightly closer and spoke softly into his ear.
“Don’t forget my warning. I’m letting this slide because of Myungsoo, but next time it won’t end like this. Don’t provoke me by touching the people around me again. And... Mayor An Youngsoo—I’ll deal with him myself.”
Instead of replying, Han Jiho gave a small nod. Only then did I release his hand and smile.
“I won’t see you off. Your aide is nearby, right?”
“He’s waiting downstairs. I’ll be going then.”
At his words, Myungsoo stood up as well.
“Chairman. Leaving already? Since you’re in Busan anyway, let me treat you to the full course.”
Han Jiho shook his head. He clearly wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.
“No. I have another engagement. I should head back up.”
“That’s a shame. Then I’ll see you in Seoul.”
After clearing his throat awkwardly, Han Jiho left the hotel room.
The moment he was gone, Myungsoo burst out laughing.
The heavy, composed demeanor he’d maintained vanished, replaced by his usual playful self.
“Hahaha! This is insane. Hey, Muhyuk! What kind of magic did you pull to scare that old fox so badly?”
“I don’t know. He begged to be spared, so I just told him to talk to you.”
I shrugged casually. I didn’t bother mentioning that Han Jiho had threatened me with his own life.
If I brought that up, he’d only feel guilty over something that wasn’t his fault.
“You’re unbelievable. Where’s the booze? You can’t have a moment like this without alcohol.”
He really does love his drinks. Smiling, I asked Manager Ma to set something up.
After watching Manager Ma bow and leave, we sat back down.
As the tension drained from him, Myungsoo slumped into his seat.
“Still, this worked out. I was wondering what justification we’d use to save only those guys. We can exclude the ones Hyunwoo said made him uncomfortable, right?”
“Yeah. But if we could clear them outright, why go as far as letting them get sentenced?”
Myungsoo gave me a crooked smile.
“Is that even a question? Part of it is showing who’s on top. And I can’t stand the thought of them doing politics comfortably. I want them to feel just how powerless an independent lawmaker is—to feel it in their bones. To realize how precious the Centrist Party umbrella really is. That’s why you used them as an example too, wasn’t it? You didn’t have to touch those powerless guys, but you dug up even their old corruption cases.”
In our country, independent lawmakers have no real power.
That whole “casting vote” talk only matters if you can gather at least twenty members to form a negotiating bloc.
Otherwise, independents and minor parties are effectively voiceless.
In a situation like now, where the Centrist Party and the Progressive Party can decide everything together, they can’t do anything at all.
“You’re right. We needed an example.”
Back in the day, he’d just stare blankly whenever I did something. Now he can actually read between the lines.
As Myungsoo said, they were powerless anyway—but if they banded together pointlessly, they’d become a nuisance.
Part of it was making an example. The other part was simple cleanup, so things would be easier later when we made our big move.
“I figured. But seriously—how did you convince Chairman Han Jiho? That guy doesn’t even blink at most things.”
Right on cue, Manager Ma returned with ice and whiskey.
While I uncorked the bottle, Myungsoo dropped ice into the glasses.
Pouring whiskey over the ice, I said,
“Looks like those guys are tangled up with Chairman Han Jiho in more ways than I knew. There must be connections even I’m not aware of. He was desperate to save them, throwing out reckless demands. So I asked him—should I really kill you?” freewebnσvel.cøm
“What? Damn it—are you insane? That’s so cringey!”
After making a huge fuss and laughing for a while, Myungsoo picked up his glass, slowly swirling it as he spoke again.
“You’re something else. Rotten or not, Han Jiho’s influence isn’t something you can ignore. And you threatened to kill him? Damn, I wish I’d seen that.”
Myungsoo seemed to think I was joking.
But in that moment, I truly meant it. I had been ready to kill Han Jiho.
“So what? Did he prostrate himself right away? He’s got too much pride for that.”
Instead of answering, I shrugged and brought the whiskey to my lips.
Apparently he wasn’t expecting an answer anyway—he just pouted slightly.
“So things are more or less sorted now, right? I was thinking of using this chance to completely purge the Conservative faction.”
At my words, the smile vanished from Myungsoo’s face, replaced by seriousness.
“No. Not yet. We haven’t fully taken the TK region. If they split off or start harboring different intentions, it’ll be a headache.” freewebnσvel.cѳm
“Still not?”
“Even if Chairman Han Jiho goes to prison, his influence won’t vanish. I’ve secured quite a bit already, though—by the next presidential election, I think we can strip away the Conservative color entirely. Some of his faction’s lawmakers have even been contacting me directly.”
Looks like Myungsoo has been working hard behind the curtain.
“Anything I can help with?”
“No. You’ve already set the table. Now it’s my turn to eat.”
He really has grown. Lee Myungsoo now looked like a proper politician—one I wouldn’t be ashamed to show off anywhere.
Smiling, I raised my glass. Myungsoo smiled back and clinked it against mine.
I watched his face reflected in the glass for a long moment.
“Whiskey in a hotel just doesn’t taste right. Want to go to that place we used to go to? You can’t find eel like that in Seoul.”
“Yeah. Let’s go. ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) It’s been a while.”
We downed the rest of our whiskey at once and stood up together.
