Free Web NovelHan Kyungyeong fell silent for a moment before nodding.
“Alright. It’s your judgment, so I’ll trust you. But be careful, Muhyuk. This is a truly dangerous gamble.”
I nodded at Han Kyungyeong’s warning. He was someone who rarely spoke forcefully to me.
“I know. The U.S. government doesn’t like crossing the line either. But we don’t have any other choice right now.”
I picked up my glass and took a sip of whiskey.
As the strong liquor slid down my throat, a subtle bitterness spread through my mouth.
Thinking it somehow matched the current situation, I quietly savored the taste.
“By the way, how did Cheon Jisoo’s press conference go? Did she do everything you asked?”
“As expected. Cheon Jisoo is still Cheon Jisoo.”
“That’s a relief. Well, that woman always knew how to protect her own interests. But don’t you think Choi Seohyeon might have prepared another move?”
I put down the glass and shrugged.
“Who knows? I’m not sure either. We’ll just have to respond according to the circumstances. But the Progressive Party is already split into pieces. It won’t be easy.”
I had already placed Choi Seohyeon under the highest level of surveillance. The moment any movement was detected, a report would come in immediately.
At that moment, Manager Ma knocked and entered.
“Boss, we received word that they’ve found the team supporting Choi Seohyeon in Korea.”
Just like that.
“Really? How did they find them?”
“They said Choi Seohyeon secretly met someone before the press conference. Half of the surveillance team stayed on Choi Seohyeon, while the other half followed that man. Then...”
Manager Ma explained the situation in detail.
“Well done. How large are they?”
“They haven’t identified the exact number yet. They’re asking what to do.”
I let out a brief hum and sank into thought.
Either subdue them all and extract information, or monitor their movements in advance and respond accordingly.
“Tell them to neutralize them and find out who’s behind this.”
“Yes, understood.”
It was a chance to uncover Choi Seohyeon and whoever was backing him.
Rather than wasting time, it was better to crush them in one stroke, even if it attracted attention.
“Does Choi Seohyeon really have enough room to run a separate support team?”
“No. Someone has to be behind him. He doesn’t have the ability or the money.”
Running a separate team cost more money than people imagined.
Choi Seohyeon wasn’t rich. He had been a human rights lawyer before entering politics.
How could someone like him run a team?
It meant someone was helping him.
* * *
A quiet residential neighborhood in Seoul.
More than ten men dressed in black moved silently through the darkness.
They communicated through radios while watching the surroundings.
— Target confirmed. Lights are on in the second-floor window.
The man who appeared to be the team leader nodded.
“Everyone ready?”
— Yes. Ready.
“Good. Begin the operation.”
They surrounded the house in an instant.
Four approached the front door while three headed to the back.
The rest prepared to enter through the windows.
Once everyone was in position, a countdown began over the radio.
— Three, two, one...
As the countdown ended, the men smashed through the doors and windows.
“Hands up! Don’t move!”
The people inside were startled by the sudden assault.
But they reacted surprisingly quickly.
One man flipped over a table for cover, while another ran into the kitchen and grabbed a knife.
“Hostile response confirmed. Fire!”
Silenced guns emitted dull thuds.
Rubber bullets struck the man behind the table in the shoulder. He groaned and collapsed.
The man from the kitchen charged an agent with his knife.
The agent twisted aside, avoided the attack, grabbed his wrist, and twisted.
The knife clattered to the floor, and the agent’s knee slammed into the man’s stomach.
“First floor secured.”
Fighting also broke out upstairs.
A woman threw objects wildly in resistance, but they bounced off shields.
One man who entered through the window quickly approached and fired a taser.
The woman convulsed and lost consciousness.
“Second floor secured.”
The battle was intense but short.
Less than five minutes later, everyone in the house had been subdued.
The team leader picked up his radio.
“Headquarters, this is field team. Operation complete. Five targets captured, two injured. Medical personnel required. Awaiting instructions.”
— Copy. Medical team standing by. Transport all detainees to headquarters. Cleaning team deployed.
After providing basic treatment to the captives’ injuries, the agents quickly loaded them into waiting vans.
Meanwhile, a van bearing the logo of a cleaning company entered the alley.
Several people stepped out.
The cleanup team had arrived.
As if exchanging shifts, the field team departed while the cleanup crew took over.
For thirty minutes, they collected documents and computers from the scene, tidied up everything, and withdrew.
Silence returned to the neighborhood.
As though nothing had ever happened.
Everything had happened quickly and quietly, then vanished like an illusion.
* * *
I was waiting for Secretary of State Rice in a Washington hotel.
“Boss, we received a call from Korea.”
“Really? How did it go?”
“They subdued everyone and transported them to headquarters. Interrogations will begin soon. They also secured all computers and documents from the scene and are reviewing them.”
I nodded in satisfaction.
“No matter what methods they use, find out who ordered it.”
“Yes, understood.”
After finishing the conversation, I checked my watch.
At the same moment, there was a knock on the door.
“Right on time. It must be the Secretary of State. Please open it.”
Manager Ma opened the door, and just as expected, Secretary of State Rice entered.
I rose and approached her.
“Madam Secretary. It’s been a while.”
“It’s been a while, Charlie.”
“I apologize for requesting this meeting so suddenly.”
“Not at all. In fact, it’s perfect. I wanted to talk with you. I wanted an objective view of the reality of the current financial markets.”
After shaking hands, we sat down.
I nodded as I looked at Rice seated before me.
“That’s actually why I requested this meeting. But before that, there’s something we need to address.”
“Something we need to address?”
“ISDA’s credit event determination regarding Bear Stearns is being delayed.”
Rice’s expression stiffened slightly.
“Charlie, as you know, ISDA is an independent organization. It’s not something we can interfere with.”
“I know. But someone is deliberately delaying the decision. Only the U.S. government or the Federal Reserve would be capable of that.”
“......”
“If the U.S. government is involved, there’s no way you wouldn’t know about it. Isn’t that right?”
Rice said nothing.
Watching her reaction, I continued.
“As you know, once ISDA’s independence is damaged, the impact on the market will be enormous. If this drags on any longer, it will pose a serious threat to confidence in the entire financial system.”
“I understand your concerns, Charlie. But we also have to consider the bigger picture.”
“I understand that better than anyone. I’m saying this because leaving things as they are will only lead to a greater crisis. First, please look at these documents...”
I pulled several papers from my briefcase and handed them to her.
As she read through them, Rice’s expression gradually grew serious.
“This... is it true?”
“Yes. All of it. If the situation deteriorates further, even the U.S. government won’t be able to stop the collapse.”
Rice let out a deep sigh.
“Very well. I understand your concerns. I’ll do what I can.”
Trying to gloss over it, huh.
I had no choice but to play hardball.
“Thank you, Madam Secretary. There’s one more thing.”
“Yes?”
I took a breath and spoke in a firm voice.
“If ISDA’s decision continues to be delayed, we’ll liquidate all the derivatives we hold.”
“Charlie!”
“If ISDA doesn’t issue a decision this week, we’re prepared to disclose every derivatives contract we hold.”
Rice’s eyes widened in shock.
“You understand what that means? If you do that...”
“Yes. I know. But we can’t wait forever. It’s a choice we have no choice but to make.”
The hotel room sank into heavy silence.
After thinking quietly for some time, Rice finally spoke.
“Very well. I’ll seriously consider your position. Tonight, I’ll meet with the President and the Federal Reserve Chairman to discuss this issue.”
At last, I got the answer I wanted.
I bowed lightly.
“Thank you, Madam Secretary. I’ll await your wise decision.”
“...Charlie, was all of this part of your plan?”
I simply answered with a deep smile.
After seeing Rice off, I immediately called Han Kyungyeong.
— Oh, Muhyuk. I just finished my meeting.
“How did it go?”
— I fully conveyed our position. They said they’d consider it positively. But we can’t relax.
“Same here.”
Perhaps amused that we had met different people and ended up in the exact same situation, Han Kyungyeong chuckled.
— The Fed Chairman asked me directly what our goal was.
“What did you say?”
— What could I say? I just laughed it off. You’re heading straight to New York, right?
“Yeah. Let’s meet at the airport.”
After meeting Han Kyungyeong at the airport, I returned to New York with him.
We headed straight to Dreamhigh.
On the drive there, we discussed our next plans.
“Hyung. ISDA’s decision will come soon. But we can’t just sit around waiting.”
“Right. We need to be prepared too. Any news from Korea?”
“Nothing concrete yet. But we’ll know soon. Once we confirm who’s behind them, we can decide our next move.”
After arriving at the company, we called an emergency meeting.
Once everyone gathered, Han Kyungyeong began explaining the situation.
“The financial markets are currently extremely unstable. ISDA’s decision is being delayed, and this threatens the entire system. We need to prepare several scenarios.”
He slowly looked around at the employees.
“First. ISDA makes the decision we want. In that case, we proceed according to the original plan.”
Everyone nodded.
“Second. ISDA continues delaying. In that case, we disclose our derivatives contracts and shock the market.”
After taking a breath, Han Kyungyeong revealed the final scenario.
“Lastly, if none of this goes according to plan... we liquidate everything immediately and activate the emergency plan.”
Even the employees looked shaken by this scenario.
“And one more thing.”
I stood and swept my gaze across them.
“What’s discussed here today must not be told to anyone. Not your family, not your friends, no one. If you violate that, not only will we pursue civil lawsuits under the confidentiality agreements, but we’ll use every means available to ruin you.”
Their faces grew even more serious.
Looking at them, I smiled gently.
“But don’t worry too much. If everything ends according to our plans, all of you will receive enormous performance bonuses.”
“Far beyond what you can imagine.”
After the meeting ended, Han Kyungyeong stayed behind to finish work, and I returned to the penthouse.
The next day.
The interrogation results arrived from Korea.
