The Former Chaebol Heir Excels as President

Chapter 54: Star Member of the National Assembly (3)

Jung Jungha took his anger out on the hostesses.

“Get out right now!”

Startled, the hostesses hurried out, and Jung Jungha gulped down his drink.

“Damn it, I’m speechless.”

“Sunbae-nim, what a rude bastard. Shouldn’t we nip that kind of guy in the bud right away?”

Just as he was thinking he should send the hostesses away, Kang Cheonmyeong stormed out the door.

He hadn’t imagined the words ‘sexual harassment’ and ‘God’ would come out of his mouth.

“Isn’t he nuts? Been a while since I saw a guy who’s not into women.”

“I misjudged him. He holds his liquor, and he’s got spirit.”

“Think he’ll come to our side?”

“Reality is close, but ideals are far. Once he realizes that, he’ll come back to where he belongs. We’ve got a big talent on our hands, but he’s not easy to tame.”

“We’ll have to keep an eye on him for now.”

Jung Jungha fell into thought for a moment, then asked.

“How do you think the Korea Unification Party primary will turn out? He should win easily.”

“He’s got his father’s halo. According to the opinion polls, he’s dominating with over 70 percent. He’ll win without trouble.”

“The problem is whether he can actually serve as President. Popularity and politics are completely different things.”

“I’m doubtful whether he can win the main election. The current government’s approval rating is just too low.”

Jung Jungha placed a cigarette in his mouth.

“We’re the ones who make the President. At the very least, we’ve got the power to take down the other side.”

“This election won’t be easy. The People’s Union Party candidate is no pushover.”

“Both sides’ primaries are just formalities. It’s lucky the People’s Union Party’s primary schedule got delayed.”

“We’ll wrap ours up a month earlier, so that gives us an edge.”

Jung Jungha scratched his forehead with his finger, then looked at Ban Hyeongpil.

“Dig deeper on Assemblyman Kang.”

“Nothing’s come out from the prosecution. What could there be?”

“We can’t get him in our grasp without finding a weakness. Dig into his past from his youth—something’s bound to come up. He started doing business in high school, so there’s definitely something there.”

“Wouldn’t the statute of limitations have run out by now?”

“Dig into his private life too. Anything that can inflict a moral blow is fair game. I’m telling you to bring me even a scrap of metal.”

Ban Hyeongpil understood what Jung Jungha meant.

Even if it’s just a scrap of metal, they’d forge it into a blade.

Blowing things out of proportion.

That was the power of the media.

Even if they exaggerated a minor incident, there would be no consequences.

“I’ll do a thorough search.”

“There has to be something we missed.”

“Sunbae-nim, you know Assemblyman Ryu Jong-min of the Korea Unification Party, right? He’s got some real grit too.”

“Can a cat survive in a den of wild beasts? Let’s just wait and see for now.”

Jung Jungha couldn’t shake the image of Kang Cheonmyeong’s resolute expression from his mind.

“He’s a monstrous guy.”

“Excuse me?”

“Kang Cheonmyeong, I mean. If we don’t tame him, he could grow up dangerously.”

Ban Hyeongpil couldn’t agree with that.

He simply thought a first-term lawmaker was acting up like a wild colt.

When I stepped outside Seohyang, I was startled to see Pyo Dong-ho.

“You haven’t left?”

“I thought the Assemblyman would come out soon.”

“It’s been an hour.”

“If you’d stayed longer, you’d have gotten caught in the net.”

He was experienced, as expected.

Had I stayed longer, they might’ve found something to use against me due to inappropriate behavior.

“Thank you. I’ll go home now.”

“Please get in.”

I sat in the back seat and closed my eyes.

The alcohol made fatigue rush in.

I heard Pyo Dong-ho’s voice.

“May I ask who you met with?”

“Jung Jungha, Political Department Chief of Donghwa Ilbo, and Ban Hyeongpil, a reporter from Jongseon Ilbo. Ban Hyeongpil is said to be a political affairs specialist.”

“Connections with conservative papers are important too. I don’t know how things ended, but it’s best not to cut ties.”

“I’ve set up a safety net.”

“I suppose I didn’t need to say anything.”

“Not at all. I always get a lot out of your advice, Secretary. Please continue to guide me.”

Pyo Dong-ho remained silent and focused on driving.

As the car entered the apartment parking lot, he asked,

“Isn’t this hard for you? I could drive sometimes if needed.”

“Working with you brings back memories of my youth. Those intense days come to mind, and it strengthens my resolve. I’m happy now.”

“Thank you.”

“Have you read the Sutta Nipata?”

“It's known as the teachings of the Buddha, but I haven’t read it yet.”

Pyo Dong-ho stopped the car and said,

“There’s a phrase I like. ‘Whatever living beings there may be—feeble or strong, long, stout or of medium size, short, small or large, seen or unseen, those dwelling far or near, those who are born or those yet to be born—may all beings be happy.’”

“You memorized all of that?”

“I’ve read it every day for years.”

“That’s beautiful. I’ll read the book too. See you tomorrow.”

I bowed silently and got out of the car.

At first, Pyo Dong-ho used to open the back door for me, but I found it burdensome, so I decided to get in and out of the car myself.

“Assemblyman, thank you for your hard work.”

Pyo Dong-ho rolled down the window and bowed his head.

“Please go in.”

I definitely had good fortune with people.

Maybe, just as Floor Leader Mo Jong-chan said, meeting good people was part of my calling.

When I entered the house, Woo Ah-mi greeted me with a concerned look.

“You’ve got no life in your face. Take the weekend off.”

“You know how it is. There’s a mountain of civil complaints, and the presidential election is coming up soon.”

“I’m worried you might collapse.”

“I sleep in the car, so I’m fine. Even now, Secretary Pyo dropped me off. Is On-chan asleep?”

“It’s almost midnight.”

I took out a bottle of water from the fridge, drank it, and sat on the sofa.

“Did you have a good trip?”

“The situation is worse than I thought.”

Woo Ah-mi had returned from visiting a coal-fired power plant on the East Coast. Since she was involved in environmental activism, traveling to the provinces was a regular part of her life.

“Is the pollution that bad?”

“The sand turned black, and coastal erosion is underway.”

“It must be because there’s a coal unloading facility at the sea.”

“I’m worried even the roads might get washed away. Coal is cheap, so they keep building coal-fired power plants, but the damage will only grow.”

This wasn’t a simple issue.

Though I agreed with the importance of environmental concerns, I couldn’t ignore the economic factors.

Transitioning to renewable energy was the right direction, but it was still premature.

“There’s nothing we can do about the ones already built.”

“They build the plants in the provinces, but the electricity is all used in the Capital Area. And they act like they’re doing us a favor with a few lousy support funds.”

“We need to move toward reduction eventually, but right now it’s tough. Renewable energy takes time.”

The most basic requirement for transitioning to a carbon-neutral society is an anti-coal policy.

But right now, issues like energy security, compensation costs for businesses, job losses, population decline in the regions, and tax revenue decreases made immediate implementation difficult.

Woo Ah-mi focused solely on environmental protection, so she didn’t fully grasp the broader consequences.

“Can’t you legislate it?”

“How?”

“Just prohibit the construction of any more coal-fired power plants.”

“There’s a gap between dreams and reality.”

I explained why it couldn’t be done right away.

Woo Ah-mi agreed that the plants supported the local economy.

But that was all.

At times like this, she could be a bit frustrating.

“Coal is the most dangerous energy source. And the Capital Area consumes nearly all of it while only the provinces bear the harm.”

She wasn’t wrong. It was just hard to make happen.

“Oh, I’m meeting Reporter Seo Inha from Yeonhan News TV tomorrow. She requested an interview.”

“Seo Inha?”

Woo Ah-mi remembered immediately.

“She’s the reporter who attacked you, right?”

“Yeah.”

“How dare she show her face? Did you agree?”

“I insisted on it being live. It’ll air at 10 p.m.”

“You’ve got a strong stomach. How can you even look at her face?”

“For a politician, public exposure is an asset. You’ve got to think about the benefits.”

“I never liked that reporter.”

Woo Ah-mi genuinely seemed to dislike her.

She pouted and shook her head.

“Why?”

“Women can tell about other women. Her face was smeared with jealousy.”

How did she know?

That was indeed Seo Inha—she had left me out and invited all our friends because I scored higher than her.

“Not because she’s pretty?”

“Maybe she was pretty once, but now her face is full of greed. There’s a reason they say you have to take responsibility for your face as you age. Hers looks evil.”

Hearing Woo Ah-mi say that, I started to think it might be true.

She used to be really pretty when we were young, but now her expression had become sharp.

What kind of question would she bring tomorrow?

I had expected her to ask something uncomfortable and put me in a difficult position.

But it was unexpected.

“Assemblyman Kang Cheonmyeong, I heard you're working on the Education and Support Act to promote employment for the disabled. The bill you co-sponsored also stands out for its consideration of the socially disadvantaged. Do you plan to continue in this direction?”

Seo Inha asked, her eyes practically dripping with honey.

Why was she acting like this all of a sudden?

“I believe that providing equal opportunity is an important issue. Everyone has the right to live with dignity, and the state has a responsibility to look after marginalized groups.”

“You’re making the biggest impact among the first-term lawmakers this session. I heard you’ve moved to the Knowledge Economy Committee. Do you have anything planned in the Standing Committee?”

“I’m preparing something. It’s still a secret for now.”

Seo Inha beamed. If someone changed so suddenly, there had to be a reason.

Was she acting under orders from above?

No.

If that were the case, Seo Inha—who was full of envy—wouldn’t have come herself.

What was she hiding?

Even after that, Seo Inha continued to compliment me and asked only gentle questions.

What’s your secret to being popular among your staff? How do you earn the affection of seniors? Are you satisfied with your achievements as a businessman?

And so on.

“Let me ask one final question. Within the Korea Unification Party, a political reform movement is taking shape around Assemblyman Ryu Jong-min. I understand you went to university with him—what are your thoughts?”

“I’m hesitant to comment on the situation in another party, but I think change is always desirable.”

“Do you also intend to lead change within your party, Assemblyman Kang?”

“If it’s necessary, then I must. But for now, with the presidential election ahead, it’s time for unity.”

“May I ask just one more thing?”

Her angelic smile still didn’t feel right.

There was so much pretense caked on her face, yet I couldn’t figure out why.

“Go ahead.”

“As a politician, what is your motto?”

“To do meaningful work. It’s simple, but deeply etched in my heart.”

“Thank you for the interview today.”

Seo Inha bowed her head slightly toward me.

The camera lights soon turned off.

“She’s softened. Doesn’t feel real.”

“Even if we’ve had our bumps, we’re not on bad terms. Or am I the only one who thinks so?”

“Feels that way now.”

“I want to get along with you. The interview went well today—it’ll be helpful.”

“I can’t read you. People say a sudden change is dangerous.”

“Haha. That’s only because you don’t know me well. I’ll get going.”

Something felt off.

After Seo Inha and her crew left, Ahn Jin-su came in.

She, too, looked as surprised as I was.

“She didn’t ask a single difficult question. Something’s off.”

“You think so too?”

“There must be a reason she changed so suddenly.”

“I thought the same. What could it be?”

That question was answered a week later.

Seo Inha was appointed as the spokesperson for the Korea Unification Party.

She had used me to polish and publicly advertise her own image.

As expected, people never truly change.