Free Web NovelThere was no way to stop this entirely.
If it couldn’t be stopped, then it was better to steer it into a form I could control.
That was why I made Oh Hyunwoo the head of the investigation.
— So the fact that you put me in charge... means you want something, right?
As expected of Oh Hyunwoo. Sharp as ever.
I let out a faint chuckle.
“Yeah. Can you help me, Hyunwoo?”
— It’s your request. Of course I’ll hear it. But you know this is not something I can downplay at my level. The Blue House is watching. The media are watching. The moment there’s even a hint of cover-up or reduction, it won’t just be me—my grandfather’s reputation will...
He trailed off. I understood exactly what he was worried about.
“What are you thinking? I’m not asking you to cover anything up or scale it down. Dig as deep as you want. Tear it apart as much as you like. Just leave Han Hyunsoo out of it.”
— Han Hyunsoo? What’s your connection with that lunatic?
The shock in his voice made me laugh.
“Haha! Well, he is crazy. But tell me something, Hyunwoo. Do you really think Heaven’s Church will disappear because of this investigation?”
— No. If it were going to disappear, it would’ve vanished when Han Sungjin was arrested. Cults have the survival instinct of cockroaches. They’ll survive this too.
We were thinking the same thing. freёweɓnovel.com
If it endured even after losing its leader, it would endure again.
“I agree. That’s exactly why I’m saying this. It’s better if someone controllable like Han Hyunsoo remains the leader. He’s afraid of me.”
— Hmm... Even so, this is too big. I can’t decide that alone.
“I know. What do you need me to do?”
— You explain it directly to the President. I can persuade the Prosecutor General.
I didn’t expect him to say it outright.
More than that—he was confident he could persuade the Prosecutor General. When did Oh Hyunwoo become this influential?
Even with his grandfather’s legacy behind him, his rise was astonishing.
— The President’s will is too strong. There’s probably political reasoning behind it. That’s why he’s coming down hard and redirecting all attention toward Heaven’s Church.
“Fine. I’ll handle the President.”
— If you do that, leaving Han Hyunsoo out won’t be a problem. Still... I didn’t know you were involved in this.
There was no need to elaborate.
“It just happened.”
— Does Myungsoo know?
“He has a vague idea. I deliberately didn’t tell him much. If he gets dragged into something like this, it could damage his political career.”
— You really treasure Myungsoo. And I’m disposable?
He grumbled, half-serious.
“You’ll manage just fine.”
— Alright. I have to head out for the search and seizure now. We’ll talk later.
To lighten his burden, I added,
“I’m counting on you, Hyunwoo. Han Hyunsoo will cooperate.”
— What? Why would he?
“Because he knows it’s his only way to survive. He won’t mobilize followers to physically block the search.”
— Oh, that’s good news. I even prepared riot police just in case. You know how cults react whenever they’re raided...
Cult leaders always hid behind their followers when things turned dangerous.
And if followers were injured, criticism rained down on prosecutors and police.
One of the main reasons authorities struggled to crack down on them.
“Good luck. Meet Han Hyunsoo in person. He’s crazy—but politely crazy. You’ll be able to talk to him.”
— Now I’m curious. We’ll talk later.
After ending the call, I stared at my phone briefly.
The hesitation didn’t last long.
I immediately dialed President Yoon Changho’s private number.
The line connected before the third ring.
“Mr. President. This is Kim Muhyuk.”
— President Kim.
His voice was thick with exhaustion.
“I hear things are chaotic, both domestically and internationally, after the bloodshed.”
— Sigh... That’s right. I’m losing my mind. Domestically, I can redirect attention toward Heaven’s Church. But the Chinese government won’t even engage in dialogue.
The deep sigh carried genuine strain.
“Apparently this isn’t Hu Jintao’s initiative. It seems Jiang Zemin is the one moving.”
— What?! How do you... Ah. You’re close with Premier Wen Jiabao.
“The Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Luo Gan, is leading this operation.”
— Yes, I received that report. But I still don’t understand. What does Jiang Zemin gain from pressuring us?
“This is only my speculation...”
I paused deliberately.
— President Kim, go on.
“I think they’re trying to tame Korea.”
— Tame us?
“Yes. China and Korea are inseparable. Even more so with North Korea. But North Korea is currently aligning closely with us—joint projects, pipelines, development. If this continues, China’s influence on the peninsula will disappear entirely. Jiang Zemin likely sees this as an opportunity to discipline Korea.”
— I received similar reports... but hearing it plainly is unpleasant. To try to discipline us over something like this. How lightly they must regard us.
His voice carried restrained anger.
“The Chinese Communist Party operates that way. Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao—it’s the same mindset. They believe China is the center of the world, and everything must remain within their grasp. The more Korea develops, the more they will try to tighten their hold.”
— Then what should we do?
“I’m looking for a method. But I can’t promise certainty. The Gangnam bloodshed is merely a pretext. If not this, something else would have triggered it—Block 7, North Korean development, our relationship with Russia. It’s all political.”
— Even you can’t stop it?
There was disappointment in his voice.
He had been hoping.
“I have no intention of leaving it as is. But even if we deflect this attack, they’ll find another excuse later. No—without question, they will.”
— Sigh... Still, we must do something. We cannot simply endure this.
“What about sending the ethnic Koreans back to China?”
— Absolutely not. Our citizens were injured. If we cannot punish those responsible, then we are not a sovereign state.
His answer was firm.
That was enough.
“I understand. I’ll take a more active role in finding a solution.”
— Thank you. If you step in, it eases my burden.
I hadn’t called for gratitude, yet I received it.
I cleared my throat.
“There’s another matter. Heaven’s Church.”
— Heaven’s Church? Why would you...
“I’d like Han Hyunsoo excluded from this investigation.”
President Yoon did not agree immediately.
— President Kim. We need to place full responsibility on Heaven’s Church. How can we exclude the leader?
“Heaven’s Church will not disappear. It will go deeper underground. Or worse, openly resist state authority.”
— If that happens, that will be the day it disappears.
His tone was resolute.
But this wasn’t the moment for rigidity.
“I still believe Han Hyunsoo should be excluded. It’s better if someone controllable remains in charge.”
— ...Are you involved in this incident?
“To some extent, yes. I was the one who kept Han Hyunsoo alive and sent him back to Korea.”
On the other end of the line, President Yoon exhaled heavily, as if the weight on his mind had just doubled.
“I had no idea things would spiral this far. I never expected those lunatics to bring in ethnic Koreans to kill Han Hyunsoo. I didn’t think they’d act so recklessly. But that doesn’t mean I intend to avoid responsibility. That’s why I’m trying to clean this up now.”
It was something I could have concealed if I wanted to.
But I chose to speak honestly to President Yoon Changho.
Because I considered him a partner.
After hearing everything, he let out a deep sigh.
— I had some idea. If something like this happens in Korea, President Kim, you’re bound to be involved in some way. ƒreewebɳovel.com
Instead of answering, I gave a bitter smile.
He wasn’t wrong.
— Let me ask you one thing. Is it true you didn’t expect bloodshed in Gangnam?
“I expected some level of conflict. I knew the ethnic Koreans had entered. But I didn’t expect them to be insane enough to use firearms.”
It was true. I never expected innocent civilians to get hurt.
Who could have predicted Kim Minwoo would recruit genuine, no-tomorrow psychopaths?
— Then the Southeast Asian organization that stopped them... was that mobilized by you?
“Mercenaries were guarding Han Hyunsoo. It seems he called in additional support on his own.”
Being honest didn’t mean revealing everything.
I couldn’t let the sparks reach Chunha Group.
— President Kim, I am the President of Korea. I’ve already grasped that Chunha Group was involved to some extent.
It was natural that major incidents within Korea would reach his desk.
But knowing fragments was not the same as knowing everything. Nor should it be.
“My answer would remain the same. And it is better for you to think that way. If Chunha Group’s true nature becomes public here, it wouldn’t benefit you either, Mr. President.”
— Are you threatening me?
“Not at all. I wouldn’t mind if Chunha Group disappeared. But the underworld will never disappear.”
I heard his low murmur through the receiver.
I continued without pause.
“Since Chunha Group emerged, hasn’t petty gang warfare virtually disappeared? We cannot completely block drug distribution, but Korea remains relatively safe because Chunha Group does not engage in narcotics smuggling. If that large stabilizing force disappears and small factions rise again like before, chaos will only grow. If you wish to investigate Chunha Group, you may. If you need my assistance, I’ll provide it.”
If forced to choose between Chunha Group and President Yoon, I would choose him without hesitation.
But he was seasoned enough in politics to understand exactly what I meant.
— ...I understand.
“Thank you. Can you exclude Han Hyunsoo?”
— So that’s why you appointed Oh Hyunwoo as lead investigator.
“I won’t deny it.”
— There are too many eyes on this case. It won’t be easy for Han Hyunsoo to slip through.
“Some damage is inevitable. As long as he isn’t detained, that’s enough. Heaven’s Church will cooperate with the investigation.”
— Fine. We’ll proceed that way. By the way, do you know where Han Hyunjin and Han Hyunwoo are?
Mentioning their names meant he was willing to let Han Hyunsoo go.
In the end, someone had to serve as the shield.
“He likely moved them overseas.”
— Meaning they’re dead. This is troublesome. If no one takes responsibility, it becomes complicated.
“We °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° can package Han Sungjin into it again.”
— Poor man. What humiliation in his final years.
“He brought it upon himself. He joined hands with Cheongpunghoe and tried to attack my grandfather and me.”
If that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have had to entangle myself with a filthy religious organization in the first place.
Even saying it left a bitter taste.
— We’ll settle it that way.
“Thank you.”
— In return, pay attention to the China issue.
“I will. It has to be handled.”
When the long call ended, my head throbbed.
I pressed my temples. Manager Ma silently handed me painkillers.
“We should wrap this up quickly and get some rest. Send the materials to the Japanese journalist, Manager.”
I tilted my head back and swallowed the pills.
For a brief moment, I stared at the large ceiling fan turning above me, then lowered my gaze.
The table was a mess of documents.
If I wanted to clear this mountain of work and return to Korea, I’d have to move quickly.
* * *
Just as I said, Han Hyunsoo cooperated fully during the search and seizure.
Oh Hyunwoo left the prosecutors and investigators to handle the operation and sat down with Han Hyunsoo for tea.
“Mr. Han Hyunsoo.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s do this the easy way. This is your chance to air everything out.”
“...Understood.”
An obedient response—hardly befitting the head of a cult.
Oh Hyunwoo raised one eyebrow, crossed his legs, and took a sip of tea.
“I dislike people like you.”
He didn’t bother hiding his disgust.
Han Hyunsoo flinched, but Hyunwoo continued.
“Muhyuk told me to let you live. So you’ll survive. But be prepared to take some wounds. Understood?”
Han Hyunsoo nodded.
At this moment, that was all he could do.
“Where are Han Hyunjin and Han Hyunwoo?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did you think I said? I told you we’re doing this nicely. Did you kill them? If you want to survive, someone else has to take responsibility.”
Under Hyunwoo’s sharp questioning, Han Hyunsoo fidgeted with his fingers.
Han Hyunjin and Han Hyunwoo were still alive.
But he had no intention of handing them over.
“...I truly don’t know.”
“Then who’s going to take the fall for you?”
When spoken to kindly, he pretends not to understand.
Clicking his tongue, Oh Hyunwoo narrowed his eyes and stared at him.
