Chapter 1581. Face to Face (1)

Screech!

A black sedan came to a stop in front of a large traditional palatial estate located on the outskirts of the capital.

The attendants on standby rushed toward the parked car and opened the rear passenger door before bowing deeply.

“Welcome, sir!”

A man climbed outside, then pulled his fedora down a little more. He glanced at the senior attendant. “And? Have the guests arrived?”

“Sir, one guest has arrived earlier and is waiting for you inside.”

“I see.”

The man’s secretary had exited the front passenger seat by then, and quickly took the lead. “Sir, allow me to guide you.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

The two men stepped through the wide-open doorway and entered the spacious courtyard. The man with the fedora, Goh Han-Bong, raised his head and stared at the sky while heading deeper inside.

Looks like it’s going to rain soon.

Gloomy clouds were gradually rolling in to cover up the heavens above. Goh Han-Bong sighed deeply while thinking that the heavens had perfectly copied his current mood.

***

The sliding doors smoothly glided open, allowing Goh Han-Bong to waltz into the luxurious dining chamber. Jeong Hong-Geun, who had arrived earlier, got up urgently.

“You’ve arrived, Prime Minister.”

“It’s good to see you again, Chairman Jeong. I didn’t think I’d speak to you again so soon.”

Goh Han-Bong smiled a little awkwardly.

However, Jeong Hong-Geun didn’t seem fazed at all, judging from how bright his smile was.

“I’m happy that you’d find enough time in your busy schedule to humor me so often, Prime Minister.”

“Thank you for saying that. Well, shall we have a seat, then?”

“Of course.”

Goh Han-Bong settled down first on one side of the table. That prompted the waiting Jeong Hong-Geun to sit back down in his original spot. Even if the latter was Taegwang’s chairman, the man he was speaking to was none other than the Prime Minister of this country.

The Prime Minister might lose all his power once his term ended, but that was all the more reason to respect him while he was still in office.

Besides, this man is not a pushover, anyway.

With the changing of the eras, the folks rising up to the position of the Prime Minister all boasted some experience in pro-democracy protests and activism.

In a generation or two, such people would get consigned to history books. Until then, it made no sense to get on the bad side of someone like Goh Han-Bong, who was like the last of the generations who were involved in the pro-democracy struggles in those years.

Goh Han-Bong reached out to an expensive-looking white ceramic bottle. “Here, let me pour you a cup, Chairman.”

“Thank you very much.”

Goh Han-Bong filled Jeong Hong-Geun’s cup with expensive alcohol, then handed the bottle to the latter. The Taegwang Group chairman reciprocated the act by filling the Prime Minister’s cup.

“You must’ve been busy with work, Chairman.”

“I wouldn’t dare say that in the presence of the Prime Minister.”

Goh Han-Bong got the impression that Jeong Hong-Geun had gotten a lot more relaxed than during their last meeting. Back then, the latter constantly seemed on edge. Now, though, he boasted a certain relaxed air about him.

“Chairman, if I’m not mistaken, you seem more at ease now.”

“Hahaha, you think so?” Jeong Hong-Geun smiled brightly again. “It’s what being human is all about, isn’t it? Even though the truth is right in front of your eyes, there are times when you just can’t see the obvious for one reason or the other.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“In my case, I’ve finally seen what I couldn’t see before. That helped me put things in perspective, so to speak.”

Goh Han-Bong tried to gauge Jeong Hong-Geun’s mood just then. It seemed the latter wasn’t lying.

These businesspeople can be so remarkable.

Politicians were well versed in hiding their true intentions. No matter how much they hated the other party’s guts, politicians were fully capable of mingling with them and smiling brightly at them as long as there were benefits to be had.

But Jeong Hong-Geun’s current attitude even surpassed that of the seasoned politicians. Rather than enduring the unpleasantness for the sake of benefits, it was as if he would enjoy the unpleasantness as long as he could benefit from doing so.

Well, I shouldn’t be surprised.

This attitude was probably what made it possible for Jeong Hong-Geun to grow his business into one of the country’s top-ten companies.

Even if their fields of profession differed, and even though he disagreed with the methods, Goh Han-Bong still respected what Jeong Hong-Geun had achieved. He believed that those who had pulled off feats he wouldn’t even dare dream of deserved at least some respect.

“Then... Is it safe to say you’ve changed your mind, Chairman?”

“Indeed. And that’s why I’m here, Prime Minister.”

After noticing how relaxed Jeong Hong-Geun sounded just then, Goh Han-Bong’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

“...This decision must’ve been difficult, however.”

“Yes. And that’s why I must thank you for your help, Prime Minister.”

“My help?”

“Yes. If you hadn’t given me that advice back then, I might have made a terrible mistake. My eyes were opened, thanks to you. You have my gratitude.”

“Fufufu. I haven’t done much, Chairman.”

“I know I should’ve brought a gift with me to show my appreciation, but... I heard that public officials can’t even accept small tokens of appreciation these days.”

“Please don’t say something so dangerous. The times have changed, after all. One mistake, and my head might roll.”

Goh Han-Bong raised a hand and pretended to cut his head off.

Jeong Hong-Geun subtly chuckled at that humorous gesture. “Yes... Times have changed so much.”

“Indeed. It has become a better place to live overall.”

Jeong Hong-Geun wordlessly sipped his booze before slowly putting the cup down. “Do you really feel that way, Prime Minister?”

“...I don’t follow?”

A deep smirk formed on Jeong Hong-Geun’s lips just then. “Yes, the world has gotten better. Compared to when we were breaking our backs to survive, South Korea now is basically a paradise. Even so... Don’t you think it’s a little ironic?”

“If you don’t mind me asking again... I don’t follow, Chairman.”

Jeong Hong-Geun stared intently at Goh Han-Bong before smiling softly.

“Yes, the world has gotten better, but is it better for you? Because of all the hard work you’ve done to change this country for the better, you have to be even more mindful of other people’s glare despite being the Prime Minister.”

“...”

“Yes, it’s ironic, indeed. To think your efforts would have reduced your rewards.”

“Chairman Jeong, that is a dangerous thing to say.”

Jeong Hong-Geun slowly nodded. “Yes, I know. I shouldn’t say this out loud in public. But it’s the truth, isn’t it? Allow me to be honest with you. Back in the day, when the dictatorship ran the country with an iron fist, a mere leader of a company would never have gotten the opportunity to share a meal with the Prime Minister of the country.”

Goh Han-Bong’s expression grew more awkward as he listened.

“I apologize. It seems I’ve brought up an uncomfortable matter.”

Goh Han-Bong shook his head. “No, no need to apologize. I understand what you’re saying, Chairman.”

“When you’re a mere grunt in the army, you endure all sorts of unfairness so that one day, you could root out corruption and change the army for the better. But once you become a sergeant, your hands are tied by the things you’ve changed. Now, you can’t do anything but watch if a mere private throws a TV remote in your face.”

Jeong Hong-Geun chuckled quietly. Goh Han-Bong sighed while watching the Taegwang Chairman chuckle away.

“Yes... I shouldn’t say this in public, but honestly? That’s how I feel sometimes. I won’t deny that.”

Goh Han-Bong would always be tempted by a certain desire whenever he was facing an angry crowd shouting insults and pointing fingers at him. He wanted to yell at them and say, Do you have any goddamn idea who made it possible for you to shout at me in the first place?!

He knew he shouldn’t even think about such things, but Goh Han-Bong was still a human being at the end of the day. There wasn’t much he could do about such thoughts invading his mind.

“But that’s how our world keeps improving, isn’t it? It’s progress.”

“And that’s why I respect those who ply their trade in politics,” said Jeong Hong-Geun, his unreadable gaze locked on the Prime Minister’s face. “You’re implying that you won’t mind it even if you don’t get to taste the fruits of your labor. But businesspeople can’t stand the idea of doing something that will benefit others but not themselves.”

“You could say it’s the difference in our desires.”

Goh Han-Bong tried to brush this topic aside with a vague non-answer. That was because this conversation proved rather uncomfortable to have.

It felt as if every word leaving Jeong Hong-Geun’s mouth was ruthlessly stabbing Goh Han-Bong’s gut. Obviously, it’d not feel too great for his inner-most thoughts to be exposed by a man who never exposed his own inner-most thoughts.

“It must be tough for you, Prime Minister,” said Jeong Hong-Geun.

“That’s the same story everywhere, isn’t it? Not just in politics, but in commerce as well. When a man comes to possess something, he desires to have more. And it’s up to him to decide how much is enough.”

Jeong Hong-Geun slowly nodded. But Goh Han-Bong was inwardly tutting away.

I’m not sure if you know the meaning of “enough”, Chairman Jeong.

If a politician was a creature of stubbornness and hypocrisy, a businessman was a creature of avarice. Merchants’ greed was unceasing, and they constantly lusted after more. And eventually, without even getting to properly enjoy what they had acquired, these merchants would pass on from this life.

It didn’t matter what profession it was; those who achieved extraordinary feats and stood over their peers were all like this. On the surface, it might seem like their lives were truly charmed and always fulfilling, but in reality? Most of the time, their private lives were warped beyond belief.

Warped people tended to recognize each other, and like birds of a feather, they would flock and drink together like old pals. Like right now.

Although, this occasion hadn’t been arranged by either Goh Han-Bong nor Jeong Hong-Geun.

“Isn’t it wonderful? To think I’d get to share this booze with you, Chairman.”

Goh Hong-Geun’s words contained a hint of thorniness.

“It’s only possible because you’ve kindly looked after me, Prime Minister.” However, Jeong Hong-Geun expertly responded without batting an eye. “By the way, you can tell him that there’s nothing to worry about anymore.”

Goh Han-Bong narrowed his eyes. “...Are you sure?”

“Yes. I stake my name on it.”

Goh Han-Bong wondered if that name had any actual value, but he wasn’t stupid enough to ask that out loud.

“I’ll pass on the message, then. I’m sure he’ll be very pleased with this news.”

“I’m relieved to hear that.”

The two men grinned at each other before silently sipping their drinks.

“By the way...” Jeong Hong-Geun asked while raising his head slightly. “Do you mind if I inquire about why you’ve wished to see me today?”

“Mm? Oh, no. I didn’t call for this meeting.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Yes, it’s true that I’ve asked you to join me. But another guest will be joining us soon.”

“Oh... Is that so?”

Goh Han-Bong narrowed his eyes. What a sly raccoon you are.

Jeong Hong-Geun had functioning eyes, so he should be able to see that the cutlery for the third guest had been prepared. Yet here he was, innocently asking as if he had no clue! This was why Goh Han-Bong just couldn’t have a good opinion of this sly businessman.

“Then... Who will be joining us?”

“It’s an executive from MK.”

“...? That means MK’s Chairman Kang?”

He said chairman, didn’t he? In various ways, Goh Han-Bong couldn’t help but be impressed by Jeong Hong-Geun.

When they last met not too long ago, Jeong Hong-Geun called Kang Jin-Ho “brat” or “bastard” yet now, there was no hesitation whatsoever when he used the term “chairman”, as if he had been using it since the very beginning.

As a matter of fact, Goh Han-Bong felt a chill on his skin from how natural the Taegwang Group chairman sounded just now. This brief exchange was enough to reveal what kind of man Jeong Hong-Geun really was.

“No, it’s not Chairman Kang, but someone else.”

Jeong Hong-Geun subtly furrowed his brow. “When you say someone else...?”

“I should tell you something important before we start... No, let me rephrase that. This is a warning, Chairman.”

“...A warning, you say?”

Goh Han-Bong fake-coughed. “Yes. The person about to join us is actually a lot more difficult to deal with than Chairman Kang. Especially more so from your perspective. That’s why you must watch yourself even more than when you’re talking to Chairman Kang.”

“...”

“As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not trying to joke around with you. There is absolutely no exaggeration here. When it comes to this matter, I will always tell you the truth. We in the government are actually more cautious around this person than Chairman Kang.”

“Really? But...”

Before Jeong Hong-Geun could finish...!

Clomp, clomp, clomp, clomp!

Footsteps of a person walking over the wooden floor subtly echoed from the corridor outside. The two men’s attention naturally shifted to the firmly shut doorway.

A server politely spoke up. “Your guest has arrived, sir.”

“Got it. Show him in,” said Goh Han-Bong.

“Yes, sir.”

Du-ru-ru-ruk!

The sliding door smoothly glided to the side, revealing a youngish man in a business suit and slicked-back hair.

Jeong Hong-Geun watched this man enter the room in slight confusion.

The man grinned softly while bowing his head a little.

“Good day, gentlemen. I’m Lee Hyeon-Su.”