Chapter 1587. Regaining (2)

Trickle, glug, glug...

Goh Han-Bong watched the liquor pouring into his cup, his expression sheepish.

Isn’t that sake...?

Drinking sake when dining in a high-end Japanese restaurant was a given. However, with how volatile public sentiment had been lately, drinking sake like this didn’t exactly sit well with him.

Lee Hyeon-Su sitting on the opposite side subtly raised his brow. “You seem a little troubled, Prime Minister.”

“Oh, it’s... nothing serious.” Goh Han-Bong pushed his glasses up his nose, then smiled magnanimously. “With the current state of affairs being what it is, I thought drinking sake felt a little off, you see?”

Lee Hyeon-Su grinned brightly. “That kind of mindset makes sense for other people, but you don’t have to think that way, Prime Minister. After all, Japan will become a blessed land for us soon.”

“Indeed. I’ll have nothing more to ask for if that becomes a reality.”

Lee Hyeon-Su finished pouring the liquor into the Prime Minister’s cup and put the bottle down. “We’re grateful for your timely mediation, sir. Our Assembly Master also wishes to express his gratitude.”

Of course, he was lying. Kang Jin-Ho didn’t even know Goh Han-Bong existed. Then again, the Assembly Master rarely watched the news, so not having much interest or knowledge of who was playing the game of politics made sense.

But that didn’t mean Lee Hyeon-Su should be honest about such matters.

“Thank you. To hear that the Assembly Master thinks that way! It feels like all my fatigue is being washed away.”

Goh Han-Bong smiled radiantly, like a kid delighted by an unexpected present.

Of course, he didn’t take Lee Hyeon-Su’s words at face value. To a politician, his expression was not a tool to express their emotions but a way to deceive their opponents, after all.

Even if the positions were reversed, Goh Han-Bong still wouldn’t be having a good time right now. How could he be happy when he wasn’t even talking to Kang Jin-Ho but some brat? And he even had to speak politely, to boot!

Lee Hyeon-Su smirked softly. Whatever the case might be, Goh Han-Bong was one of the targets that he must swallow up and shake around. Personal feelings had no room in this place. This story must be the same with the other party, too.

“Prime Minister, the favor we ask of you is incredibly important.”

“Of course, I understand. However, I’m not quite sure what we can even do for you...”

“Simply humoring the favor alone will be enough for us. And don’t worry, we won’t ask for anything unreasonable.”

Goh Han-Bong picked up his cup, prompting Lee Hyeon-Su to lift his in perfect sync.

Cling~!

The two men’s cups filled with sake lightly clinked in the air.

Goh Han-Bong turned his head slightly and emptied the cup in one go. After putting the empty cup down, he grabbed the sake bottle and poured the liquor into Lee Hyeon-Su’s cup.

“It won’t be easy,” said Goh Han-Bong, his voice weighty.

“...”

“In the past, we only had to consider one thing. And that was... How much stronger are they compared to us? How much weaker are we? But that’s not the case anymore. Now, we must also consider how good they are at their specialties and if we can stop them with what we’re good at.”

“Yes... That makes sense.”

Goh Han-Bong spoke wryly. “However, our opponent this time is powerful. We are still not at a level where we can deal with their military and financial power. All the glorious progress we’ve made until now means we finally have a voice on the world stage, but that’s still not quite enough.”

“Yes, I understand that,” said Lee Hyeon-Su.

Goh Han-Bong nodded. “That’s why it’s difficult to establish the balance this time. We might hold the blades capable of hunting down their leaders, but they possess cannons capable of targeting our citizens.”

Lee Hyeon-Su slowly nodded back in understanding.

The Martial Assembly had seized Japan’s underworld, thereby giving it the power to order the Japanese politicians around, but that didn’t mean it could stop political conflicts happening in the surface world. If they went out of their way to unleash a series of attacks, things might become difficult to resolve.

“Let’s not forget the era we’re in now. The first order of business when we’re trying to do something is to persuade the public. That makes it a lot trickier for us to openly do things that seem extralegal. Or outrageous, for that matter. I hope you understand,” said Goh Han-Bong.

Lee Hyeon-Su’s gaze grew a little colder. “What about you, sir?”

“...I don’t follow?”

“When you said it’s trickier to do something extralegal or outrageous, is it because you’re worried about public perception? Or because you personally don’t want to do it?”

That was a rather pointed question. Goh Han-Bong subtly raised his head to stare at Lee Hyeon-Su.

A mere brat dares to...!

Without a doubt, this youngster had a wicked tongue! Lee Hyeon-Su was basically asking what Goh Han-Bong would’ve done if the excuse of public sentiment was not in play.

“Mm...”

Goh Han-Bong let out a soft grunt, then smiled genially.

In moments like this, he must smile. That was the best way to hide his true thoughts. One needed to know how to smile even if they were burning in the conflagration of Hell if they wanted to live on as a politician.

“My sentiments don’t really matter, actually.”

“...”

“I’m merely a messenger, after all. But it’s the same story for you, isn’t it, Chief Lee? We’re nothing more than pieces on a chessboard, waiting for our next orders. And the opinions of some throwaway pieces ultimately don’t matter.”

“Pieces on a chessboard, you say...” Lee Hyeon-Su slowly shook his head again. “But I would say that the Prime Minister is on the level of an advisor. Someone who sits next to the player to offer game-winning hints, so to speak.”

“Well, my predecessor believed he was the advisor, but now, he can’t even become a piece on the chessboard. I have no desire to repeat his mistakes. If I’m told to smile or cry, I’ll do so without question.”

Would you listen to this guy? Lee Hyeon-Su smiled deeply. Goh Han-Bong was implying that he was merely a mindless puppet doing as he was told, so others shouldn’t even think about getting something from him. Which was rather by-the-book, wasn’t it?

Lee Hyeon-Su would’ve applauded such a counterattack in any other situation. A public official trying to do their job shouldn’t even let their personal feelings sway their judgment. What mattered to them was the direction of the administration and what kind of role they played in achieving their goal.

Goh Han-Bong used a few simple words to limit his role as the Blue House’s puppet. What an excellent counter move this was.

Unfortunately for him, however, Lee Hyeon-Su couldn’t let the Prime Minister weasel out of this matter so easily.

“Prime Minister, sir.” Lee Hyeon-Su stared directly at Goh Han-Bong. “A trade can happen regardless of the relationship between the parties.”

“Of course.”

“However, a fellowship can only be established on the foundation of trust.”

“...”

“If the other party backs off and pretends none the wiser if something unexpected happens... Making deals will be the only thing we do. The two sides will never build a relationship of trust.”

Goh Han-Bong’s expression hardened slightly. “That sounds like you wish to mend our relationship.”

“I believe I’ve brought the matter up several times, yes.”

“However, will that be possible?”

Goh Han-Bong took a swig of his sake cup.

Tap!

He then drank a glass of water to wash his mouth, then stared at Lee Hyeon-Su, his gaze unreadable. “Once a cup is cracked, you don’t have a choice but to throw it away. Trying to fix the cup by adding this and that will only make it uglier and harder to use. It’s the same story for relationships, I’d say.” 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

“My thoughts are a little different, actually.”

Lee Hyeon-Su also drank his sake, then put the empty cup down on the table before him. And when he tapped lightly on the cup’s rim, it suddenly cracked at the bottom.

“Yes, you’re right, sir. We can’t mend this cup. Memories are like brands. Whether you want to or not, you will remember them every now and then.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“However...!” Lee Hyeon-Su gently pushed aside the cracked cup and placed a new cup before him. “It’s still possible to nurture a new relationship.”

“...”

Goh Han-Bong sighed inwardly. It seemed none of his opponents wanted to make it easy for him.

Of course, it didn’t take a genius to guess that the higher one’s rank, the higher the level of his opponents would get. That much was a given. Even so, Goh Han-Bong never imagined that he’d be under so much pressure from a youngster from the Martial Assembly.

Indeed, all those reports don’t do him justice.

The reports said that Lee Hyeon-Su was the Martial Assembly’s second-in-command and Kang Jin-Ho’s right-hand man who handled his organization’s external matters.

The government saw him as one of the crucial elements responsible for the Martial Assembly’s rapid growth. Yes, without Kang Jin-Ho’s presence, the Assembly would never have achieved its current status. However, without Lee Hyeon-Su, the organization wouldn’t be where it was, either.

And that man was dragging Goh Han-Bong around by the nose right now.

It felt as if this brat could peek into his mind, and that made Goh Han-Bong feel rather uncomfortable.

“A new relationship, you say?”

“Yes, sir. Which is crucial, wouldn’t you say? If there’s a wrinkle in this equation, well, you could say most of the people involved will be the same as before. That’s why we need to introduce new blood into the mix. Such as...”

Goh Han-Bong’s expression stiffened again. “...Me.”

“Correct,” said Lee Hyeon-Su with a grin. “We’re prepared to wipe the slate clean and start our relationship afresh as long as you’re willing to play your part, sir. However, if you remain as a middleman and nothing more, as you have alluded to earlier, there will be a clear limit to what we can do.”

He should stop being an observer and join the fun? As long as Goh Han-Bong carried around business cards with “Prime Minister” printed on them, he mustn’t weasel his way out of this arrangement, even if it led him into the open maw of a tiger. Was that what Lee Hyeon-Su was saying?

Glug, glug...

Goh Han-Bong filled his sake cup before gulping it down. He repeated this three times in silence before putting the empty cup down with an audible clack. His actions looked light-hearted, but there was a hint of heaviness, too.

“This is troublesome, I’ll admit,” said Goh Han-Bong with a deep sigh. “I’ll be frank with you. To me, fostering a deep relationship with the Assembly is a burdensome idea. There’s the matter with my predecessor, and also... I’m sure you find it difficult to understand, but I’m an ordinary person, Chief Lee. Your side of the world is beyond comprehension to me.”

“No, I understand.”

“Yet, you still insist on my involvement?”

“That’s the burden of your position, wouldn’t you agree?”

Goh Han-Bong slowly nodded.

Lee Hyeon-Su wasn’t wrong. The position of the Prime Minister didn’t permit one’s personal feelings to cloud one’s judgment. Goh Han-Bong might as well quit if he wanted to whine about how tough everything was.

In that case... What should he do now?

Senior Kim...! Goh Han-Bong recalled Kim Myeong-Chan’s figure before nodding again. “Understood. If that’s what you want, I’ll give it a shot. However!”

Goh Han-Bong stared at Lee Hyeon-Su, the look on his face quite different from his other expressions until now.

“If I’m prepared to do this much, the Martial Assembly must change as well. Please promise me that your side will actively work on our relationship for the benefit of both sides.”

Lee Hyeon-Su grinned softly. “I can’t make promises like that. As you already know, I don’t have the authority.”

“...”

“However, I can give you my word on something else, sir. Up until now, we have never attacked first. Not even once. Even the matter with your predecessor was not our doing. We didn’t start it, and we didn’t finish it, either. You could say he suddenly stabbed us in the back while we were trying to build a fruitful relationship with your side.”

“Mm...!”

“This is my promise to you, Prime Minister. As long as your camp’s attitude doesn’t change, ours will not change, either.”

Goh Han-Bong nodded again. That didn’t mean he believed Lee Hyeon-Su’s pledge, of course. However, he didn’t have a choice but to pretend that he did right now.

Yes, there’s no other way.

Since the Martial Assembly couldn’t be denied out of existence, the government had no choice but to do its best to create a good working relationship. Lee Hyeon-Su shouldn’t be the one to bring this topic up, however.

Indeed, Goh Han-Bong should have been the one to bow down first. Knowing that, he was grateful to Lee Hyeon-Su for handling this matter in his stead. However, a part of him also felt leery at how Lee Hyeon-Su seemed to know what he needed to do and say at any given time.

Goh Han-Bong reached out to Lee Hyeon-Su. “Then, I’ll be in your care from now on.”

“Same to you, sir.”

The two men coolly shook hands.

This was the moment when the relationship between the Korean government and the Martial Assembly, strained due to the Kim Myeong-Chan incident, entered a new phase.