The Former Chaebol Heir Excels as President

Chapter 45: Elected Candidate (2)

National Assembly Main Building, Room 246.

Fifty-six first-term elected candidates of the People’s Union Party participated in the workshop.

Since both the party leader and the floor leader had resigned taking responsibility for the election defeat, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

After taking a group photo, the national ceremony and a moment of silence for the fallen patriots and democracy martyrs followed under the host’s direction. Then, the Secretary-General stepped up to the microphone.

He smiled brightly, trying to lift the somber mood.

“Nice to meet you, first-term Members of Parliament! I remember when I first came here as a newly elected member. Seeing all of you brings me back to those early days. Let’s begin with a quiz. Who’s the most outstanding figure in Romance of the Three Kingdoms?”

“Cao Cao.”

“Liu Bei.”

“I think it’s Guan Yu.”

“No. It’s Diaochan. Choseon is the scariest.”

A burst of laughter erupted.

Diaochan, who had supposedly sown discord between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu with her chain plan.

The Secretary-General was using Diaochan from Romance of the Three Kingdoms as a metaphor for first-term Members of Parliament.

“Each of you is an independent constitutional entity. At the same time, you are also deputies entrusted with the people's power for four years. I ask that you listen to the people's demands and do your utmost in legislative activity with a sense of responsibility and pride.”

After the Secretary-General, Member of the National Assembly Seong Chang-rae explained the party's organizational structure and gave a word of encouragement.

“Our party suffered a painful defeat. The first-term Members of Parliament gathered here are far superior to us in expertise, experience, and character. We have great expectations for you. I too will be with you as a senior and a colleague.”

Lastly, the Chief Policy Officer explained the legislative status, bringing today's schedule to an end.

“Kang, first-termer! Can I have a word?”

Member of the National Assembly Seong Chang-rae called me.

“Yes.”

I followed him.

“Have you gotten close with your fellow members?”

“There are many, so not yet.”

“As you work, you’ll soon get close. You need at least ten on your side to legislate smoothly.”

“Yes.”

We got into the elevator and entered his office, Room 605.

I greeted the staffer and secretary, then entered his office.

“Sit.”

“Yes.”

Seong Chang-rae took out a drink from the refrigerator and handed it to me.

“Thank you.”

“Do you know anyone in the Korea Unification Party? Aside from your high school senior.”

“I’m close with Ryu Jong-min, a college classmate.”

“Ah, Seocho. He was a trade specialist, right?”

“Yes. Also, I know Wang Dohun, who was in the same class with me in our first year of high school.”

“Gangnam?”

“Yes.”

“He’s from our school too?”

“He transferred in the second year of high school.”

Seong Chang-rae nodded.

“Having people in their early forties coming in brings energy. We almost lost you to the other side. Haha.”

“I think I made the right choice coming here. I feel at ease.”

“The atmosphere here is a bit gentler than theirs, right?”

“I think so.”

Seong Chang-rae took a sip of his drink and spoke.

“You brought down a big catch to rise up, so you must become a great politician.”

I didn’t reply, unsure of what he meant.

“Kang, you’ve got both a story and a brand. That’s the most important asset for a populist politician. A story of growing up in a shantytown and a brand as a businessman. If you just add achievements, you’ll sail into bigger waters.”

“I still have much to learn.”

“Make sure to make your debut in the government questioning session. It’s your chance to get your name out there.”

“Please teach me a lot.”

“You know dogs and cats, right?”

I didn’t know why he was asking that.

“Who doesn’t know them?”

“Dogs wag their tails at people and play around, very friendly. On the other hand, cats don’t care whether people come or go. It takes time to get close. You’re not a feline; you’re canine.”

“I’m not exactly introverted.”

“You seem like the type who might bite once in a while. Just don’t ever bite your master.”

“Do I seem that way to you?”

Seong Chang-rae didn’t reply and gave a faint smile.

What did he mean?

Was he talking about betrayal?

“I value loyalty. I’ve never stabbed an ally in the back.”

“I say it out of caution. When you ride the clouds too fast, the world might start to look trivial.”

“Do you think I’ll become that way?”

“You beat three-term Member of the National Assembly Kim Bu-seong by a wide margin, so a bit of arrogance is fine. But when you sprint, you sometimes forget where the brakes are.”

“You don’t have to worry. I’m not that kind of guy.”

I valued loyalty.

Breaking it would feel like denying the life I had lived so far entirely.

Seong Chang-rae advised me to study by reading the National Assembly Act, the Constitution, work manuals, meeting minutes, transcripts, and National Audit responses.

Perhaps because he was a high school senior, he gave me a lot of advice.

“Thank you for your kind words.”

“I endorsed you. Don’t let me down.”

“That’s a lot of pressure. I’ll work hard.”

“Have you thought about which Standing Committee to join?”

“Wouldn’t it be hard to get into the Knowledge Economy Committee?”

“Why do you want to go there?”

“I want to uncover whether taxpayers’ money is being wasted.”

Seong Chang-rae shook his head.

“The Land Committee and the Knowledge Economy Committee are like distant islands for first-term members. They're popular because they allow for solving local issues through development and attracting investment.”

“It’ll be difficult, right?”

“How about joining the Culture, Sports, Tourism, Broadcasting and Communications Committee? It’s good for first-term members to make a name there. You’ll also get to know many reporters.”

“I’ll do that. In two years, I definitely want to move to the Knowledge Economy Committee.”

Seong Chang-rae gazed at me intently.

As a three-term Member of the National Assembly, he could become the next floor leader. If that happened, wouldn’t my wish come true?

Anyway, I judged that I was earning his trust.

“May I ask why?”

“One of my friends is a reporter covering the government’s overseas investments. He said he’s getting closer to the truth.”

“Who is it?”

“Reporter Ji Jeongseok from Issue Factory.”

“Ah, that guy.”

Seong Chang-rae made a face that suggested familiarity.

“You know him?”

“The one who wrote a series of articles on civilian surveillance, right?”

“That’s right.”

“If you can’t get into the Knowledge Economy Committee, give the information to someone else. It’s fine to toss it to another member.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Of course, it’d be best if you handle it, but let’s see how things go.”

“I understand.”

There was no need to be greedy. It would be nice if I did it, but what mattered more was publicizing the facts Ji Jeongseok had uncovered.

Seong Chang-rae wrapped up with a final piece of advice to minimize the number of enemies.

Coincidentally, the time to meet an enemy was approaching.

A Japanese restaurant in Seocho.

I waited in a four-person private room for over thirty minutes.

Oh Man-seok.

Whether it was because he was genuinely busy or on purpose, he only showed up after forty minutes had passed.

“What brings such a busy Member of the National Assembly all the way here?”

“I wanted to have a meal with you.”

“You buying?”

“Of course.”

“Nice, freeloading off a billionaire.”

Though I didn’t like his sarcastic attitude, I held it in.

He took off his suit jacket and hung it on the coat hanger.

I asked,

“Set menu okay?”

“This place is good for set menus.”

I placed the order and looked at him.

“Work ended late? It’s almost ten at night.”

“Busy.”

“Criminal Division 3 mostly handles violent crimes, right?”

“You know your stuff.”

I struck suddenly.

“Then why are you digging into my background?”

His rugged face contorted.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’ve got some sense. There’s no way that came from above. You submitted it, didn’t you?”

“I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He couldn’t fool me.

I had already seen his pupils tremble intensely.

“Then it’s fine. You won’t find much even if you do dig.”

“Was this why you wanted to meet?”

“Among other things.”

A knock came, and Japanese-style steamed egg and salad were served as appetizers.

“You must be tired from work. Eat a lot. When prosecutors stand upright, the people live comfortably too.”

“There’s a knife hidden in your words.”

"That’s a given. No need to react sensitively."

Oh Man-seok glared at me, and I didn’t avoid his gaze either.

"Member of the National Assembly, may I give you a piece of advice?"

"By all means."

"No one is spotless, so be careful."

"You’re not trying to invent dirt where there isn’t any?"

"Either way. Dirt is dirt."

Oh Man-seok raised his cheeks in a victor’s smile.

"Oh Man-seok’s really grown. You couldn’t even look me in the face back in the day."

"Did I?"

His pupils glinted sharply.

But despite those piercing eyes, his cheeks remained stiff.

"Let’s stop talking about this. I’m sure you had your reasons. No way would you, my friend, take the lead in attacking me."

"I don’t know what you’ve heard or from where, but it’s not true."

"Jangdunomi (藏頭露尾)."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It refers to an ostrich that hides its head in the bushes but can’t manage to conceal its tail, ending up flustered. In other words, the truth always reveals itself in the end."

Oh Man-seok chewed on his salad with a fishy smile.

Soon, the main course was served.

Assorted sashimi, sushi, soybean paste soup, tempura, and so on.

He remained silent until the meal was over.

I drank some water and asked what I was curious about.

"At the alumni meeting before, I heard you had a quarrel with Hyeon Se-ung. What was the reason?"

"A prosecutor and a lawyer’s fight. He’s a former judge, so he’s a bit arrogant."

Why was he so full of himself?

He didn’t look like a 검사 (prosecutor) who judges right and wrong, but like a 검사 (swordsman) who wielded a blade.

Given the memory of my father being arrested and me being thoroughly shaken down due to a case in a past life, I could never have a good perception of the prosecution.

This was something I didn’t need to hear Oh Man-seok’s explanation for. Judging from the atmosphere, he wasn’t the type to tell the truth.

"Still, we’re alumni. Let’s not bare our fangs. Hyeon Se-ung lives for the weak, doesn’t he?"

"But it feels like you’re baring yours at me?"

"I just want to know the truth."

"I told the truth. Trust my words."

Oh Man-seok could deceive me anytime if he really tried.

I still lacked solid information lines.

"If I’ve done wrong, of course I should be punished. But I’d rather you not move the goalposts just to score. That’s not right."

"This isn’t some old era—who does that anymore? You’re too distrustful of the prosecution. Got scared now that you’re a politician?"

"Not at all."

Suddenly, I thought of Seo Du-hyeop, who would’ve been released around now.

But I couldn’t use him to manufacture a case.

Before I entered politics, he had already confessed in an interview with the press that he had ruined his company due to gambling. Also, the issue with the delivery business was a matter from ten years ago, so the statute of limitations had already passed.

That’s why I wasn’t afraid of Seo Du-hyeop.

Oh Man-seok wiped his lips with a napkin and asked,

"Thanks for the meal. Got anything else to say?"

"No."

"Then let me give you one last piece of advice."

Oh Man-seok lifted his chin and spoke in a cocky manner.

"Politics is like walking a tightrope. One slip and you fall, so be careful. I’m telling you this because we’re alumni."

Why did it sound like a threat to me?

Oh Man-seok.

For some reason, it felt like this guy and I were destined to be in conflict from beginning to end.