Genius Grandson Of The Loan Shark King

The APEC summit held in Busan left behind quite a few outcomes.

President Yoon Changho personally delivered the APEC Leaders’ Declaration on behalf of the attending heads of state. It emphasized continued efforts toward trade liberalization among member countries and included agreements on joint responses to infectious diseases like avian influenza.

There were many other agenda items as well.

But no one paid attention to them.

Because Hu Jintao’s last-minute announcement about the Eurasian railway completely overshadowed everything.

Countries unrelated to the project—like the United States, Japan, and Australia—pushed back, while the remaining member states simply watched the situation unfold.

— Charlie. Was this your plan?

Right on cue, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice contacted me.

“It wasn’t.”

— And yet Chairman Hu made that announcement? You really didn’t know?

“If I had planned it, President Yoon Changho would have announced it—not Chairman Hu.”

— That’s true... So you’re saying you had nothing to do with this?

There was clear suspicion in her voice.

I was already irritated enough. Her tone didn’t help.

“I haven’t made a decision yet. And even if I proceed, I wouldn’t announce it publicly like that. This wasn’t discussed with me.”

— ...Alright. I’ll take your word for it. We’re a bit caught off guard as well. That’s enough for now. We’ll need to speak with the Chinese government.

After ending the call, I immediately tried to contact Hu Jintao’s side.

No response.

He was probably being overwhelmed from all directions.

Hu Jintao left Korea soon after and returned to China.

That night, I received a call—not from Hu Jintao, but from Wen Jiabao.

“Premier. What’s going on?”

— Chairman Hu’s situation isn’t ideal right now, so I’m contacting you on his behalf.

“I can imagine. You must be receiving a lot of complaints.”

I could hear him sigh quietly.

— That’s right. The United States, Japan... and even countries along the proposed railway route are reaching out through their embassies.

While I couldn’t reach Hu Jintao, I had time to think about why he made such a sudden move.

He wasn’t the type to make reckless statements without thinking.

There was only one reason a leader at his level would do something like that.

“You didn’t have to go this far just to make things easier for me.”

It was obvious.

He wanted to ease the pressure coming from the United States so I could move more freely, while simultaneously bringing the railway project into the public sphere to rally support from other countries.

— As expected. Chairman Hu said you would figure it out.

“No matter how I look at it, it was unnecessary. There’s more to lose than to gain. The United States will openly pressure China now.”

— Then we’ll have to endure it. Without that level of resolve, we can’t make this happen.

Wen Jiabao’s tone was firm.

Hu Jintao was clearly serious about the railway project.

But China still wasn’t strong enough to openly confront the United States.

“Of course, I’m sure you’ve thought it through. But you should still be careful.”

— If China works together with Russia to persuade neighboring countries, we can quickly form a coalition. At that point, the United States won’t be able to oppose us so easily.

“Europe might be sensitive to the U.S. reaction.”

— That’s true. For now, Russia will handle Europe and Central Asia, while we take East Asia. Chairman Hu is probably speaking with President Putin as we speak.

So it wasn’t a reckless move after all.

But whether Putin would accept this approach was another matter.

“I understand.”

— Chairman Hu asked that you prepare for establishing the corporation.

“I’ll do that.”

— Then let’s speak again soon.

After ending the call, I organized my thoughts.

Hu Jintao feared I might back down under U.S. pressure, so he accelerated things to a point where retreat would be difficult.

He had made a bold move.

Now we had to move quickly as well.

“Then I’d better prepare too.”

The die had already been cast.

There was no time to hesitate.

* * *

A few days later, I visited the Blue House in secret.

“Welcome, President Kim.”

President Yoon Changho greeted me warmly, though fatigue was evident on his face.

“You wanted to discuss the Eurasian railway?” ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Sigh... The United States and Japan are already pressuring us.”

He rubbed his temples as if dealing with a headache.

“What are they saying?”

“The United States is warning us not to participate. Japan is proposing a submarine tunnel connecting Busan and Japan.”

At least they weren’t aligned yet.

If the U.S. intervened directly, Japan would likely fall in line—but for now, Japan seemed to be watching and positioning itself for advantage.

“What did you tell them?”

“The official position is that nothing has been decided yet.”

“That was the right call.”

“But the U.S. is being very aggressive...”

“That’s to be expected. They even hinted—more like threatened—that my safety could be at risk.”

“What?”

Yoon Changho’s eyes widened.

“Is that true?”

“Not officially. But it came from the Chief of Staff...” ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

“Then it may reflect George W. Bush’s intentions.”

“I doubt it. He’s not that decisive.”

“Don’t underestimate him. He may seem indecisive, but he is still the President of the United States.”

I nodded.

“I know. If something happens to me, the most likely suspect would be the United States. But my business—including Black Bear—is deeply tied to the U.S. If I pull out, the losses would far exceed anything this railway could bring.”

That was exactly why I could stand firm despite Joshua’s warning.

Black Bear’s role in the Middle East was significant.

If we withdrew, U.S. troops would have to fill the gap.

That would only intensify anti-war sentiment back home.

“I see... Still, be careful. Extremely careful.”

“I will.”

Yoon Changho sighed deeply.

“I don’t know what’s best for us. Ignoring the U.S. is difficult—but giving up the railway is just as hard.”

“You’re concerned about going against the U.S.?”

He nodded.

“With other countries, we could pretend not to hear. But not with the United States.”

“But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Korea.”

“I know that. I want it too. No—I should pursue it. But I’m not sure the benefits outweigh the cost of clashing with the U.S.”

He looked exhausted.

“Your position and mine are different.”

“I understand.”

“If they bring up troop withdrawal or cost-sharing, things could get worse.”

I shook my head.

“A full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Korea is unlikely.”

“Why do you think that? My advisors are most worried about that.”

“Because the moment they withdraw, they lose influence over East Asia.”

“...Influence.”

“The North Korean threat is practically gone. Whether U.S. troops remain or not doesn’t change security significantly.”

We had already agreed—under China’s request—to reduce troop levels by half during ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) earlier negotiations.

“But a complete withdrawal is different. That would mean abandoning influence entirely. They won’t actually follow through.”

“What if they expand forces in Japan instead?”

“They won’t. You don’t need to worry about that.”

The strategic structure in Northeast Asia was too entrenched for that.

“I’ll have my team review it further.”

“Yes. This won’t even begin within your term. We might not even form a coalition this year.”

Yoon Changho nodded.

“With strong U.S. opposition, progress will be slow. Europe won’t be free from U.S. influence either.”

“I know. Fortunately, China will handle Asia, and Russia will handle Central Asia and Europe. You should stay neutral and join later, depending on the situation.”

His expression brightened slightly.

It was the lowest-risk approach.

Maintain plausible deniability, then act when the time is right.

“I’ll handle the U.S. side accordingly. But Japan...”

“Just ignore them. That submarine tunnel idea won’t even work.”

“What? Hahaha! That’s so like you.”

He laughed loudly.

“The tunnel would eliminate our advantage as the railway’s starting point. There’s no reason to hand that to Japan.”

“They’ll keep pushing.”

“Then ignore them.”

“It could strain Korea–Japan relations.”

“You’ll have to accept that and remain consistent.”

He hesitated, then nodded.

“...Alright. I’ll think it over.”

“For now, you’ve been dealt a winning hand. China and Russia are taking on the hard part.”

“But why? I still don’t understand Hu Jintao’s motives.”

“He probably wants to leave a major legacy within his term.”

I didn’t mention our deal.

The fewer people who knew, the better.

“...So you don’t want to tell me.”

He caught on quickly and didn’t press further.

Instead, we discussed the railway and economic cooperation with North Korea in more detail.

As the conversation was wrapping up, he brought up another matter.

“Tomorrow, a bill agreed upon by floor leader Lee Myungsoo will go to the plenary session.”

“....”

“It will pass. Should I exercise a veto?”

“That’s your decision, Mr. President. Not mine to weigh in on.”

“From a neutral standpoint?”

Using a veto wouldn’t benefit him either.

But anything I said wouldn’t sound neutral.

“I’m sorry, but I won’t answer.”

I stood up without hesitation.

“I’ll take my leave.”

“...Take care.”

After leaving the Blue House, I headed out.

The next day, two bills proposed by the Progressive Party passed in the plenary session.