Chapter 153
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“…….”
Dobe’s assassination was a major shock not just to Japan but to our country as well.
Weren’t Japan and Korea both gun-free countries?
Yet someone—not just anyone, but a former Prime Minister of a nation—was shot and killed, so the repercussions were beyond words.
“So now all Japanese politicians wear bulletproof vests whenever they go out campaigning. Our country might have to do the same.”
It was the right judgment.
Because the culprit didn’t obtain the gun through smuggling—he used a homemade gun he personally manufactured with a 3D printer.
Currently, there are many people using 3D printers in our country as well.
They can bring in manufacturing methods from overseas, and anyone who puts their mind to it can now make a gun.
“Has the motive come out yet?”
“No. Word is it seems related to a cult, but for now the LDP is making it look like the opposition is behind it. Also, media outlets supporting the ruling party are launching attacks in unison.”
Simply put, the ruling party seemed to view Dobe’s death as an opportunity.
The LDP was supposed to suffer a crushing defeat in this election. That’s how much their approval ratings had fallen.
“But by holding a very large state funeral and with ruling party members continuously releasing statements, they’ve succeeded in reversing approval ratings.”
And their choice was correct.
Because they ultimately succeeded in reversing approval ratings by exploiting Dobe’s death.
“The opposition didn’t really kill former Prime Minister Dobe, did they?”
“Honestly, they had no reason to. Former Prime Minister Dobe was diligently campaigning, but he was the one who collapsed the Japanese economy, wasn’t he? Public opinion about him wasn’t good. Leaving him alone would have been more beneficial.”
That meant the only explanation was that someone really did kill him over a personal grudge against Dobe.
“But the media is really terrifying. With everyone painting it as the opposition’s doing, people actually believe the opposition killed Dobe and are cursing them out.”
“……”
I didn’t feel great about it.
Moreover, seeing how a person died and they’re using it politically makes me wonder why this world has become so harsh.
No. Maybe it was always like that from the beginning.
‘So what I heard then really was a gunshot.’
When I was reading the profile about former Prime Minister Dobe, I saw an image full of red along with a gunshot.
At the time, I brushed it off thinking surely a shooting wouldn’t happen in Japan, a gun-free country, but it had been real.
“……”
But even if I had known it was a killing by gunfire, could I have prevented former Prime Minister Dobe’s death?
If I sent a message warning someone might shoot, they would have treated me as a crazy person.
Moreover, even after former Prime Minister Dobe’s death, that message would likely have become a problem.
Everyone would interrogate me about how I knew of the shooting in advance.
‘I can’t exactly go around stopping each one.’
My intuition wasn’t giving me a signal to rush over and prevent it either.
“Where’s the Vice President?”
“He departed with the employees yesterday. As a condolence visitor.”
The Vice President going to Japan in person was partly for condolences, but his real purpose was different. It was to precisely coordinate the conditions Japan had offered us.
The LDP hadn’t won the vote yet, but their current approval ratings had surpassed the opposition’s.
So he went ahead to do preliminary coordination, planning to finalize everything as soon as tomorrow’s vote ended.
“But will Japan really follow through with all that?”
“I’m also doubtful about that. The initial conditions were so extraordinary. And this incident happened before we even helped with anything. Maybe they’ll just withdraw all the conditions……..”
When Japan offered those extraordinary conditions, there was one thing they demanded from us.
Tell them a brilliant strategy that could reverse this election.
But how could we even create such a thing in the first place?
On top of that, before we could even do anything, the sudden shooting incident occurred and the LDP got a golden opportunity to reverse the election.
“Still, let’s prepare just in case. Though I’m not expecting much.”
“Yes. Let’s hope the Vice President can at least salvage a few things.”
Right. Let’s not expect too much.
It’s disappointing, though.
***
The House of Councillors election was a day of destiny for the ruling party.
In the past, they wouldn’t have worried much.
As always, the ruling party would win.
But this election was different.
The opposition’s attack, rallied under the title of “regime judgment,” was fiercer than expected.
[The LDP takes 141 of 248 seats in an overwhelming victory!]
“Yes!!”
“We won!!”
But not this time.
No. Should this really be called “not this time”?
If former Prime Minister Dobe hadn’t died, the opposition would have taken the majority and overturned the regime.
But heaven chose the ruling party, not the opposition.
There would never be another election this dramatic.
“The problem is who that heaven is.”
“…….”
“If Gwangwoon hadn’t made such an extreme move, the ones smiling right now would be not us but the opposition.”
“Yes. It was really close. But even so, to do that to a former Prime Minister representing a nation…….”
At the aides’ words, Prime Minister Yoshida furrowed his brow.
“Everyone watch your words. Someone might think we hired Gwangwoon to kill the former Prime Minister.”
“S-sorry.”
“And didn’t the culprit confess? He said it seemed like that cult and former Prime Minister Dobe were strongly connected.”
“Yes. Apparently a man whose family was destroyed by some cult. We’re not sure if former Prime Minister Dobe was actually connected to that religion, but there’s talk of a deep connection with our political circles.”
“That cult came from Korea?”
“Yes, the origin is Korea. I think the religion’s name was…… ‘Separation Church.’ They say it’s a religion that started in Korea.”
How subtle.
Such an incident happened because of a cult born in Korea.
“Any connection to Gwangwoon?”
“They asked the suspect about Gwangwoon, but he reportedly had no idea why they were asking such a thing. He truly believes without doubt that his family was destroyed by that religion, and that our ruling party strongly backed that religion.”
“Then it really was a personal grudge?”
“Yes. Seeing how we can’t find any connection to Gwangwoon, could this really have just been an accident?”
At those words, Prime Minister Yoshida shook his head.
“Am I the only one who thinks this is strange?”
“Pardon?”
“If his family was destroyed because of a cult, he’d find and kill the cult leader, or go to that church and go on a shooting rampage—but targeting former Prime Minister Dobe out of nowhere?”
“……”
“A cult that started in Korea, at that. And this happened right after our LDP reached out to Gwangwoon.”
When former Prime Minister Dobe was first killed, everyone thought it was Gwangwoon’s doing.
But when the culprit’s confession came out, thoughts changed somewhat. Maybe this really was an accident.
But listening to Prime Minister Yoshida’s words, something was definitely very strange.
“And the decisive thing is that Gwangwoon sent their Vice President here as a condolence visitor. Outwardly he came as a condolence visitor, but he’s probably here to finalize negotiations with us.”
“Th-then what should we do?”
“If those guys really killed former Prime Minister Dobe, shouldn’t we hold them responsible?”
“How? Do we have evidence? The culprit who killed former Prime Minister Dobe very strongly believes in the collusion between the ruling party and that cult.”
“……”
Only then did they realize.
That this was how Gwangwoon operated.
Why Gwangwoon’s name couldn’t be found among the countless incidents that had occurred.
Why there were no connections to them.
This incident made it clear.
“This must be how Gwangwoon leaves no traces.”
“They really are……… terrifying people.”
“Yes. They showed us that they can make a Prime Minister disappear without evidence. And we absolutely must never say Gwangwoon killed former Prime Minister Dobe. Because we’re practically accomplices.”
They never asked them to kill Dobe, but it was true they had reached out to Gwangwoon first, so the truth of this incident absolutely could not be revealed.
“Then what do we do about the people Gwangwoon sent?”
“What do you mean what. Tell them the conditions we offered Gwangwoon. We’ll proceed with everything without problems.”
“Huh? B-but Prime Minister, you said before you’d stall as much as possible…………”
“I don’t want to provoke Gwangwoon like former Prime Minister Dobe did.”
“………….”
The conditions were too extraordinary.
They were full of things extremely disadvantageous to Japan.
But they couldn’t bring up negotiations.
They hadn’t come to negotiate.
They had only come to collect what was contracted.
***
“Gaming is really fun. You quickly become friends with people you weren’t even close to, and before you know it you’re calling each other hyung and dongsaeng. I think I did well joining this place. Hehe.”
“……”
Kim Du-young glanced at Vice President Kang Ji-hwan, who was unusually unresponsive today.
He wasn’t a man of many words originally.
But he used to throw in a word or two as reactions.
Did he have something on his mind?
“Ah. I heard. You went to Japan this time and hit the jackpot? At first I thought it was a lie. Did Japan really agree to accept all those conditions? How on earth did you persuade them?”
“…………That’s the thing.”
This time too, the response was unenthusiastic.
Was it because he brought up work talk on a day off?
“And about our President Jeong. He’s really a genuine guy. Honestly, I thought with all the incidents Gwangwoon has been caught up in, that President Jeong was behind them all. So I was quite scared too. But meeting him personally while gaming together, he’s really kind and gentle. I don’t know why such a chilling image was stuck in my head, haha.”
At those words, Vice President Kang Ji-hwan smiled.
“The naive one seems more like you.”
“…………Hm?”
“I’m telling you this out of concern, but our President—he’s not that gentle of a person. He’s scarier than you think.”
“Wh-what are you suddenly talking about?”
And he cautiously looked around.
“You said earlier that I hit the jackpot in Japan. Actually, all I did was go to Japan and get confirmation.”
“Hey. Getting confirmation is so hard—to negotiate that far……..”
“What negotiation. I literally just got confirmation. Before I could even start talking to the government people, Japan just told me they’d soon implement the conditions they initially offered us. That was it.”
“……?”
Kim Du-young tilted his head.
“Japan agreed unconditionally?”
“There were conditions. Giving the LDP a brilliant strategy to reverse the election.”
“But there’s no brilliant strategy. This election happened because Dobe died.”
“……………..”
Vice President Kang Ji-hwan just silently smoked.
Kim Du-young, understanding the implication, sprang to his feet.
“Wh-what. Don’t tell me this incident…………!”
“Shh, lower your voice.”
“Voice or whatever, you’re the one saying crazy things! If you’re right, then our Gwangwoon really is connected to that incident. That’s why Japan accepted all those conditions. Did you see it yourself? Or did Gwangwoon Securities hire a killer or something.”
“No. I didn’t see it. Of course we didn’t hire a killer. But…………………”
“But?”
Vice President Kang Ji-hwan once again surveyed the surroundings with tense eyes.
“Can you take this to your grave?”
“What? Wh-what is it, you’re scaring me.”
“Our President. A few days before the shooting, he asked me about it.”
“About what?”
“Whether Japanese yakuza still smuggle in a lot of guns these days.”
“!?”
Startled, Kim Du-young soon regained his senses.
“Just that alone isn’t enough to make a connection……………….”
“Right. It’s speculation. But as soon as he saw the proposal from Japan, he started talking about Japanese guns out of nowhere. And a few days later, this happened.”
“……”
Having already smoked three cigarettes, Vice President Kang Ji-hwan got up from his seat.
“Our President. He’s not that naive of a person. I’ve served under him for years, but I still don’t know his true self. Even the Chairman probably doesn’t know.”
“…….”
“So don’t be too naive either. Always stay alert in front of the President. He’s someone who sees through everything. I originally wasn’t going to tell anyone, but I’m saying this because I’m worried about you.”
Kim Du-young gulped dryly.
“Oh, and remember what you said last time?”
“…………Hm? Wh-which one?”
“That this guild. It’s not just a gaming guild. That it has another purpose. At first I brushed it off, but now I think you were right. There’s no way someone like our President would create something like this just to game and socialize.”
“…………..”
After Vice President Kang Ji-hwan left the smoking room, Kim Du-young stood blankly in place.
The conversations he’d had with President Jeong Jin-ho, the behaviors he’d shown him,
and so on.
For some reason, those scenes seemed to flash by like a panorama.
<End of Chapter 153>