Chapter 293: The Game Starts Now (4)

‘

Argh…! What should I do now?!

’ Hiding by the wall, the assistant secretary was in a state of panic. He had reassured Ha Jae-Gun that nothing unpleasant would happen, yet something beyond his expectations had happened.

Of course, he wasn’t just the only one who was caught by surprise. Aside from the writers who headed to the lounge or washroom, almost half of the people in the room had witnessed the scene firsthand. Even the invited reporters held their breath amidst the tense atmosphere.

“I’m sorry for being late.” The deputy minister grabbed the microphone and apologized when he entered the room long after the second half of the meeting had commenced.

He had received the report of the incident between Ha Jae-Gun and the veteran writers; he ended up getting late while discussing how to deal with the aftermath.

“So let’s proceed with the second part of the meeting…” The deputy minister’s voice also sounded quite dejected as he trailed off. He couldn’t think of what to say as he observed the audience, who had long lost their vitality from earlier. He only coughed a few times, struggling with his seemingly parched throat.

Just then, one of the veteran writers raised their hand and stood up.

“Let’s… do a democratic vote.”

Ha Jae-Gun turned to look at the man who spoke up. He was a man named Seo Hyung-Bin and was in his sixties. He was also the same man who had given the special lecture during Ha Jae-Gun’s university days.

“I only suggested this because no one seems to have any other brilliant idea. Of course that includes me.”

“...”

“...”

There were several faces with awkward looks, but the room remained silent. No one had a countermeasure to propose even if they wanted to oppose this idea. The deputy minister was most fearful of the silence engulfing the room, afraid that others would criticize him for not coming up with a solution in advance and leaving the decision to the writers.

“I’m extremely sorry, but please wait a while more. Just ten minutes will do.” The deputy minister then stepped out of the meeting room to talk to the minister over the phone.

The minister had a discussion with Kwon Sung-Deuk, as well as the C.B.C. members.

Thanks to the lengthy discussion, the supposed ten minutes took over thirty minutes.

“Then we’ll gather everyone’s opinions… and do a vote…”

A voting box was made on the spot, and paper ballots were handed out to the writers one by one. Ha Jae-Gun finally realized upon holding the hastily prepared piece of paper that the event wasn't as orderly as he had seen it on TV, as it was a government agency organized event.

The scene could only be described as chaotic, nothing more, and Ha Jae-Gun was finding it hard to stop himself from laughing.

***

“I’ll be revealing the votes.” The assistant secretary began opening the votes. He unfolded each piece of paper, reading out the writer’s name, and an employee would write down a line for each of them.

There weren’t many people, so every single vote was soon revealed.

Everyone finally saw the identities of the three representatives.

Oh Tae-Jin: 23 votes

Seo Hyung-Bin: 11 votes

Kim Chun-Shik: 8 votes

Ha Jae-Gun: 7 votes

Park Gyu-Man: 3 votes

‘

It’s over.

’ Ha Jae-Gun applauded along with the others, feeling relieved internally. He didn’t feel particularly angry. He knew things would turn out this way after that encounter earlier.

‘

I’m still happy to see seven others supporting me.

’ Knowing that he was eliminated, Ha Jae-Gun smiled lightly. He had held his ground until the end, and it was more than enough for him.

As the writers murmured discussing the results displayed on the board…

“Senior, how is this possible?” a female reporter muttered, sounding annoyed, as she couldn't accept the results. She had just shed her temporary reporter badge. “Isn’t that right, senior? Say something.”

“Shut it. They can hear you.”

“Aren’t they supposed to be voting to select three representatives for Korea? I'd understand it if we’re only selecting one, but we’re selecting three, so how come Ha Jae-Gun isn't on that list?”

Her senior let out a long, embarrassed sigh. He did find the situation absurd too. “Of course, Ha Jae-Gun surpasses all of the writers present with just his sales performances alone. He even swept the local domestic awards as well as the Prix Goncourt and Man Booker awards, proving his literary value.”

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“So why is he not included in the list?”

“I understand your frustration, but you have to grow up, as you're already a true reporter. Everyone praises him in public, but the writers here, do you really think they'll judge you based on your awards and fame? How about literary value?” Her senior scorned, clicking his tongue several times.

“Rather than that, they'd focus on seniority. Mm? Everyone has been working their ass off in this industry for so long. Have you forgotten about the beautiful culture of our country where older people deserve respect regardless of their contributions?”

“Senior…” The female reporter trailed off, turning silent.

Her senior looked down at his worn-out shoes and drew in a deep breath. “Moreover, Ha Jae-Gun started out with genre novels. It’s quite impressive to be getting seven votes from this group of people.”

“...”

“Let’s organize the materials and get ready to leave.”

“Senior…” The female reporter adjusted her bag and turned around, walking away. As if reflecting her bitter feelings, the scenery outside the hallway was cloudy.

***

[Controversy heats over the three representatives selected for the Korea-China cultural relations: Where is Ha Jae-Gun’s name?]

[Relevant ministry official repeats stance: Results decided following appropriate internal procedures and detailed processes which will be disclosed in the future]

[Netizens’ protests intensifies: Is Ha Jae-Gun not Korean?]

The world stirred once again following the huge controversy. It was chaos everywhere, not just on TV or the internet. Everyone was going on about how Ha Jae-Gun was not included in the three Korean representatives as part of the Korea-China cultural exchange.

Fierce criticisms poured from the public at the incomprehensible result. As things escalated, it took the relevant ministry officials three days to finally release an added statement in haste. While they emphasized how the voting was fair, they also disclosed the name list of writers who had attended the meeting.

However, it only created a backlash for them, fueling the fire of the public’s outrage.

- Fair kekeke voting!!! What kind of fair voting is this when they’re only supporting their own people kekekekekeke

- I can give it to them for having Oh Tae-Jin at the top based on his track record so far. And I’ll definiteyl agree with it if we’re only selecting one representative. But we’re selecting three representatives, so I can’t understand why Ha Jae-Gun’s name isn’t on that list. What was the voting based on?

- Seo Hyung-Bin? Fine. But why is Kim Chun-Shik on the list? Is he trying to milk whatever he can with that prose collection he wrote twenty years ago??

- How is Kim Chun-Shik any better than Ha Jae-Gun in terms of literary value or popularity??? With just that one prose collection about some spring rain???

- Can’t you tell with that name list? Ha Jae-Gun is the only genre novelist on the list, so of course he’s being ousted. It’s so frustrating;;;

- Ha Jae-Gun, just leave Korea already. This country is hopeless.

- Yes~ kekekekeke He’s swept the local literary awards, even the Prix Goncourt and Man Booker Prize. His new novels have at least over 2 million copies now, and he even has a movie adaptation that ranks third globally. So he’s still far from being good enough to go on the list of Korea’s representatives kekekeke wow, amazing kekekeke.

The criticisms raged on; the literary critics and columnists began to take action as well. They were enemies in the literary world, but they were sensitive to public opinions as well. To make matters worse, more and more people were joining the trend and supporting Ha Jae-Gun as days went by.

On top of that, a writer from China added fuel to the fire by publishing a handwritten editorial. He was both an advisor for Teencent Literature and a Nobel Prize winner, Li Ziting.

[Li Ziting, China Nobel Prize winner, expresses strong regrets through handwritten editorial]

“No… things are getting out of hand.” The deputy minister was pulling his hair out when he saw news of Li Ziting’s editorial on the internet.

He had expected things to come to this to some degree, but he hadn’t expected it to get out of hand. The situation was no longer something he could just propose a solution to resolve with his own hands.

“How can I push through with this… This is going to be difficult.” The deputy minister very much wanted to bury his head into a hole and yell to his heart’s content.

Kwon Sung-Deuk and the other members of the C.B.C. had a unanimous stance, which was to stay in their posts until the situation had simmered down.

Diririring! Diririring!

The deputy minister was startled by the ringing of the phone on the desk. He took a moment to compose himself before picking up the phone.

“Hell—”

— Hello, deputy minister.

The other party cut him off immediately.

— I’m Lu Chu-An, representative of the Central Publicity Department. I called because I have a message to convey from the head of the Central Publicity Department, Liu Bao.

“A message from him?” Feeling uneasy, the deputy minister furrowed his brows as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

— He can’t accept the result of not including Mr. Ha Jae-Gun in the list of representatives of Korean writers.

“Ah, that…”

— We have sent out three of our best Chinese writers, including Li Ziting, who won the Nobel Prize. But why can’t Korea do the same? He feels both suspicious and undermined.

“U-undermined?”

— He thinks that Korea is treating the joint exchange business lightly and disrespecting it. He asks for you to provide a solution. That is all.

“...!” The deputy minister couldn’t even reply, and the call hung up unilaterally.

Rushing things wouldn’t solve anything. He soon informed the minister about the call, and the news was conveyed to all the members of the C.B.C. by the end of the day.

“Assemblyman Kwon, I think it’s time for us to take action on the matter at hand.”

“That’s right. If the Central Publicity Department personally called to protest, pushing forward with the current results is just…”

Despite facing opposition from the other assembly members, Kwon Sung-Deuk did not bat an eye. Kwon Sung-Deuk felt uneasy, but he couldn’t just simply take back his words and appoint Ha Jae-Gun.

“There's an uproar right now, but things will quiet down soon. Appointing Ha Jae-Gun now will only make us look incompetent, wouldn’t it?!”

“But Liu Bao said that—”

“You guys worry too much! You must be mistaking Liu Bao as the cornerstone, but Wu Dawang is actually the real powerhouse behind all this. Remember that! Not only does the vice president not have any grounds to overturn the decision, but we've also conducted a fair voting. It’s all over now, as well so let’s not drag this out!”

Kwon Sung-Deuk loosened his tie out of frustration and left. Just like that, there weren't any changes at all.

***

“Eun-Chae, you must be feeling bored after Mommy went out to work, right? But be honest, isn’t it nice to be with Daddy too?”

“Daddy… Daaaaddy.”

“Yes? Really? Daddy knows it, too. Daddy loves being with Eun-Chae more than with Mommy. But don’t tell that to Mommy, okay?” Ha Jae-Gun tickled his daughter.

Eun-Chae giggled in response, and then she touched Ha Jae-Gun’s cheeks with her tiny hands. From her eyes to her nose, Eun-Chae resembled Lee Soo-Hee a lot, and Ha Jae-Gun was very pleased to see her changes.

Ha Jae-Gun’s daily life was unaffected by the chaotic outside world. He spent every day in joy; spending his days with his daughter filled him with immense, incomparable joy.

Bzzt!

“Eun-Chae, wait a minute. Daddy received a text message.”

Ha Jae-Gun carried Eun-Chae and headed to the desk. He looked down at his phone to find a message from an unknown sender.

- I’ve enjoyed the great novel. Mr. Ha Jae-Gun’s writing is great; you must be happy.

“...?!” Ha Jae-Gun was stunned, momentarily forgetting Eun-Chae’s presence. “Who could this be…?”

The praise in the short message somehow felt cold. Ha Jae-Gun even felt a hint of resentment directed at himself.

‘

Who would send this message to me? It’s not even a prank…

’ He couldn’t think of anyone who would send such a message.

Seeing how the other party knew his number, they had to be acquainted with Ha Jae-Gun, but the number was foreign in the latter's eyes. After much contemplation, he decided to call them.

‘

They’re not answering…

’ The call was forwarded to the voicemail message, but Ha Jae-Gun didn't give up and dialed once more. However, the other side still did not pick up.

“Ah, just who is it…”

Bzzt!

Ha Jae-Gun was about to give up when his phone rang. He picked it up immediately but was disappointed when he saw the caller ID. The caller was his close friend, Park Jung-Jin.

“Yeah, Jung-Jin.”

— Why do you sound like that? Have you seen it?

“Seen what? What do you mean?”

— You’re still clueless, huh? Hey, it’s showing again. Quick, turn on MBS. The Vice President of China is talking about you.

“What…?!”

Ha Jae-Gun went to the TV and turned it on with Eun-Chae in tow. There was no need for Ha Jae-Gun to change the channel. Wu Dawang’s face appeared even on the channel Yeonhap News.

[...Therefore, the representative conveyed that Vice-President Wu Dawang has once again emphasized that he couldn’t understand the Korean government’s stance of not including Ha Jae-Gun in the list of representatives and on top of that commented that the situation calls for a serious reconsideration of the cultural exchange…]

— Hello? Ha Jae-Gun? Are you watching it? Ha Jae-Gun?

Ha Jae-Gun’s jaws dropped, too stunned to give a response. Someone else called him on the phone, and even the home phone in the living room was ringing as well.