Chapter 74: People Converging on the Republic of Korea

"Chief Lee, now that you've met Chairman Park's successor in person, what do you think of him?"

President Cho Seokchin looked at his Chief of Staff, Lee Jihun, with undisguised curiosity.

"His name is Cha Jiham. He looks like he's barely in his twenties."

"What are you saying?! That young?"

"I found it strange as well, so I asked him his age directly. Division Head Cha replied that he's twenty-eight."

"So he simply looks young?"

"Exactly, Mr. President. If I had to describe my impression of meeting him, it felt as though I were standing before an enormous, majestic mountain."

"Naturally. Chairman Park selected his successor with the utmost care. How could it be otherwise?"

"Ha-ha. That's true."

"By the way, can Chairman Bongard really shield us from President Douglas's stubbornness and whims?"

"Division Head Cha already has both Plan A and Plan B prepared."

Chief of Staff Lee Jihun recounted his entire conversation with Cha Jiham to President Cho Seokchin in meticulous detail. Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong naturally supplemented the report wherever additional details were needed.

"...If we have to resort to Plan B, President Douglas will have no choice but to tuck his tail between his legs."

"Without a doubt. Whew, now I can finally breathe easier."

"I agree. Mr. President, who should we send to the airport to receive our distinguished guests?"

"How about you go together with Commissioner Choi?"

"It will be done, Mr. President."

Without commenting further on Lee Jihun's response, President Cho Seokchin turned toward Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong and issued another order.

"Contact Director Om Giyeon of the National Intelligence Service and ensure our guests receive thorough protection and security."

Knock. Knock.

At that moment, after a brief knock, the office door opened, and a stern-looking man in his fifties carrying a transparent file folder entered.

He politely bowed to President Cho Seokchin, who sat at the head of the table, before taking an empty seat.

At the same time, Chief of Staff Lee Jihun spoke.

"Mr. President, I invited Director Om."

"I assume you had a good reason?"

"Yes. I asked Director Om to investigate Division Head Cha."

"I see. Director Om, tell us what you've learned."

"Yes, sir."

After answering briefly, National Intelligence Service Director Om Giyeon opened the folder and began his report.

"Division Head Cha Jiham is currently twenty-eight years old and graduated from Korea University. His confirmed family members include his grandparents, his mother, and his younger sister."

"What about his father?"

"His name was Cha Yeongho. He served as a Master Sergeant in the 707th Special Mission Battalion and was killed in the line of duty."

"What a tragedy..." President Cho Seokchin sighed sympathetically. "Director Om, during what operation did Master Sergeant Cha lose his life?"

"Twenty-one years ago, Somali pirates hijacked a luxury yacht belonging to D&H Group in waters near Indonesia. Master Sergeant Cha and his men were dispatched to rescue the hostages. After a fierce battle with the pirates, they successfully rescued every captive. However, Master Sergeant Cha was shot directly through the heart and died on the spot."

President Cho Seokchin frowned, sensing something strange.

Before the assault, Master Sergeant Cha Yeongho should have been wearing body armor.

Unless the armor had been defective, the probability of a bullet penetrating his heart should have been virtually zero.

How could he have died instantly from a gunshot wound to the chest under those circumstances?

The President voiced his doubts to the intelligence director.

"D&H Group Vice Chairman Jeong Dongho was aboard that yacht. It was reported that during the evacuation, he panicked, claimed he was in too much danger, and demanded Master Sergeant Cha's body armor. Unable to withstand his relentless pressure, Master Sergeant Cha took off his own vest and gave it to him."

"So that Vice Chairman Jeong practically killed Master Sergeant Cha himself."

"I share exactly the same opinion, Mr. President."

"And did Vice Chairman Jeong compensate the deceased's family in any way?"

Director Om Giyeon slowly shook his head.

"No. He claimed that protecting citizens during emergencies was the government's duty and refused to pay any compensation."

"Is that true?!"

"Yes. And it must be said that the administration at the time allowed him to behave that arrogantly."

"What do you mean?"

"President Oh Jaehun, who was leading the country at the time, maintained extremely close relations with D&H Group's leadership."

"So President Oh simply turned a blind eye?"

"That is exactly what the archived reports indicate."

"Whew... What filth. They're nothing but scum. I truly feel sorry for Master Sergeant Cha, who gave his life to save someone so worthless."

Chief of Staff Lee Jihun interrupted to clarify another point.

"Director Om, did the government at least provide proper compensation to Master Sergeant Cha's family?"

"At the time, our country was desperately trying to secure a major arms export contract with Indonesia. Fearing that publicity surrounding the incident might jeopardize the deal, the government completely classified the rescue operation involving Vice Chairman Jeong."

"So Master Sergeant Cha's family received virtually nothing?"

"That's correct. Officially, everything was recorded as an accidental death during training. They paid the standard minimal compensation and quietly buried the matter."

"Mr. President, how should we handle this information?"

"Hmm..."

President Cho Seokchin fell silent in thought.

However, he did not deliberate for long.

"Digging into something that happened over twenty years ago serves no useful purpose now. Let's pretend we know nothing and simply leave it alone."

Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong, however, held an entirely different opinion.

"Mr. President, I believe we should approach this matter with the utmost caution."

"And why is that? Explain."

"Chairman Park undoubtedly investigated every detail of Cha Jiham and his family before naming him as his successor. There is an extremely high probability that he already knows the true circumstances surrounding Master Sergeant Cha's death."

"And you think he'll reopen those old files?"

"Chairman Park may remain silent. But Division Head Cha probably won't."

"I suppose you're right. Then what should we do?"

"I believe the best strategy is to respond promptly and as thoughtfully as possible to any request made by Division Head Cha."

"I understand. Does anyone have any other opinions?"

Director Om Giyeon spoke first.

"Mr. President, aren't we placing too much importance on this Division Head Cha?"

"I'm not paying attention to him. I'm paying attention to Chairman Park, who stands behind him."

"In that case... I have no objections."

Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong spoke again.

"Mr. President, under no circumstances should Division Head Cha be underestimated."

"And why is that?"

"As you're already aware, the Korean branch of the Triad was completely destroyed by Korea Investment. The entire operation, from beginning to end, was personally planned by Division Head Cha."

Commissioner General Choi Dongyeong then gave President Cho Seokchin a detailed report on the destruction of the Triad in Korea, as well as Jiham's intense negotiations with Zhang Jinan and Chen Zhihui.

"...At that moment, I felt as though I wasn't negotiating with a human being, but with an exceptionally powerful artificial intelligence."

"Is Division Head Cha really that capable... and that dangerous?"

"When you meet him in person, Mr. President, you'll experience exactly the same thing."

"Then I'm looking forward to meeting him even more now. Chief Lee, arrange a meeting with Division Head Cha as soon as possible."

***

At the same time.

I was sitting in the Korea Investment office, talking with Executive Director Cho Myeongjeong and Executive Vice President Ju Seongjin.

"Director Cho, why are Hangang Electronics' shares continuing to rise steadily, unlike Endivia's?"

"According to our market analysis, retail investors are supporting the price. Ordinary people are actively buying the stock."

"I hope our restructuring won't cause losses for ordinary investors."

"Once the joint venture is officially established, Hangang Electronics' shares will demonstrate stable long-term growth. There's no need to worry about retail investors—they'll remain profitable."

"Good. That puts my mind at ease."

Executive Vice President Ju Seongjin then joined the conversation with a question.

"Division Head, do you know the real reason Endivia's stock simply refuses to climb?"

"The American conservative media outlet Wolf News keeps publishing articles and broadcasts every single day insisting that Hangang Electronics and Endivia will never succeed in establishing a joint venture."

"So what personal grudge do those journalists have against Hangang Electronics and Endivia?"

"President Douglas himself is behind both them and the entire media campaign."

"Ah, now everything makes sense."

Bzzzz!

At that moment, Director Cho Myeongjeong's phone, lying on the desk, began vibrating violently.

After glancing at the screen, he informed us that the caller was Ohm Ungi, President of Korea Economy, and answered.

"Ohm Ungi, what's happened?"

["I'm currently at Incheon International Airport. John Garfield, Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief of Wolf News, has just entered the country."]

Director Cho Myeongjeong immediately felt a headache coming on.

Wolf News was precisely the media outlet leading the campaign to sabotage the deal.

John Garfield's arrival in Korea could only mean one thing—he had come under President Douglas's direct orders to personally derail the signing.

"Damn it. Big trouble is brewing."

["Exactly. Shouldn't we take preventive measures before that bastard causes complete chaos here?"]

"I'll report this to Division Head Cha immediately. Wait for my call, and don't go anywhere."

Click.

After hastily ending the call, Director Cho relayed the conversation to me.

"...Division Head, what should we do about John Garfield?"

"Nothing. Just leave him alone."

"...Excuse me? What do you mean?"

"Clark Bongard was furious after reading Wolf News' recent articles and fabricated conclusions. He personally summoned John Garfield to Korea to give him a proper lesson and cure him of spreading fake stories."

"But would Garfield really obediently listen to some investor?"

"The controlling shareholder and owner of Wolf News is Bongard Group."

"Oh..."

Director Cho Myeongjeong nodded in understanding, finally grasping how the game was being played.

"Well then, I suppose it's time for us to head to Incheon International Airport as well."

***

"Ladies and gentlemen, our aircraft has landed at Incheon International Airport in the Republic of Korea..."

Hearing the flight attendant's announcement, Clark Bongard slowly opened his eyes.

Even the comfort of a first-class seat couldn't prevent hours of confinement from making his body stiff.

Stretching contentedly to get his blood flowing again, he noticed Louis Williams, the head of his secretariat, approaching.

"Mr. Chairman, while you were asleep, John Garfield called."

"Is that so? When does he plan to arrive in Korea?"

"He landed here about thirty minutes ago."

"Heh. Looks like the ground beneath that bastard's feet is already on fire if he hurried here that quickly."

"I completely agree. In addition, twenty minutes ago we also received a call from Advisor Joel Graff, President Douglas's closest confidant."

Bongard chuckled inwardly.

Everything was unfolding exactly as he had expected.

News that his private aircraft was heading to South Korea had already spread across social media.

Naturally, President Douglas had learned of it and immediately tasked Advisor Graff with finding out the purpose of the trip.

Wanting to confirm his guess, Clark Bongard questioned his secretary.

"And what did you tell Graff?"

"I told him you came to Korea solely for important business negotiations."

"Wasn't that a little too straightforward?"

"Surprisingly, even with such an obvious hint, he still failed to understand."

"So what should we do in that case?"

"We're under no obligation to chew the food for him and stuff it into his mouth."

At that moment, a flight attendant hurried over.

"Dear guest, as soon as the aircraft is secured at the gate, we'll immediately open the exit. Please be ready at the door so you can disembark promptly."

Bongard instantly grasped the situation.

It was obvious that the Korean government had dispatched an official delegation directly to the aircraft.

"Very well, I understand. But my staff are traveling with me."

"Please don't worry. I'll notify them as well. Please proceed to the exit."

The moment the aircraft came to a complete stop and the engines shut down, the door opened.

Without wasting a second, Bongard descended the stairs.

However, a surprise awaited him.

He had expected to see Vice Chairman Yoon Sanghun and Cha Jiham among those welcoming him.

Instead, only unfamiliar men stood there.

As the old man looked around in confusion, a dignified man in his fifties approached him.

"Welcome to the Republic of Korea, Chairman Bongard. I am Lee Jihun, Chief of Staff to President Cho Seokchin. I would like to invite you to the airport's VIP lounge, where we can continue our conversation in a more comfortable setting."

"Very well. Let's do that."

Chairman Clark Bongard's official visit to Korea had begun.