Chapter 312

Ha Dae-Chul was at a loss for words at the absurdity of the statement. It was so absurd that he couldn’t even muster a response. A mere civil servant daring to speak like that to a member of the National Assembly? That wasn’t confidence; it was sheer arrogance. The difference in status was as vast as the sky and the earth.

He couldn’t help but smirk.

Where is that confidence coming from?

It was laughable, too ridiculous to even be angry about. Still, this small fry couldn’t have made such a statement without reason.

Falling silent for a moment, Ha Dae-Chul tried to analyze the situation. What gave Do-Jun the nerve to act so brazenly? Did he have something up his sleeve that was capable of delivering a fatal blow?

A memory flashed through his mind of the private meeting with Cheol-Soo, Section Chief of the Fissure Management Division, just the night before. During that meeting, he had made the considerable mistake of admitting to running illegal workshops through Hunters to line his pockets. Another slip-up was probably slapping Cheol-Soo across the face.

They’re both in the Fissure Management Division, so he must’ve heard from the Section Chief.

Ha Dae-Chul realized.

He decided to wait and see what cards Do-Jun had. If those records were all he had, there was no need to worry.

“Assemblyman, you arranged for Hunters from Shark Guild to set up an illegal workshop inside the Banpo-dong Fissure,” Do-Jun stated.

There it is!

Of course. Ha Dae-Chul scoffed inwardly. Was that the best he could do with his so-called threat? It wouldn’t even leave a scratch on his sturdy politician’s body.

Feigning shock, Ha Dae-Chul widened his eyes. He stammered on purpose, “H-how did you know about that?”

“Wow, you’re admitting it pretty quickly, Assemblyman.”

“Even if I denied it, you wouldn’t believe me anyway.”

“No, I wouldn’t. Especially since I have a recording of your confession.”

Do-Jun took out his smartphone and played the audio file. The voices of Cheol-Soo and Ha Dae-Chul sounded clearly through the speaker, with the latter confirming his involvement in the workshops.

Hah, when did that bastard record this?

thought Ha Dae-Chul.

Not that it mattered. Even if it had been a video recording, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. In fact, Ha Dae-Chul almost felt sorry for Do-Jun. He had acted like he was holding something earth-shattering, but in the end, this was all he had.

Turning to Do-Jun, Ha Dae-Chul furrowed his brow as if he’d been cornered. “You... you bastard! When did you record this? Y-you’re not planning to leak this to the press, are you?”

Seeing the faint smirk tugging at Do-Jun’s lips, Ha Dae-Chul assumed that this mere civil servant thought he had won.

Amateur.

He had survived countless battles in the political mud pit. There was no way a lowly civil servant could bring him down.

Alright, that’s enough fun.

Just as Ha Dae-Chul was about to smirk and reveal his true stance, Do-Jun said, “No, Assemblyman. I’m not going to leak this.”

“H-huh? You’re not...?”

“Even if I sent the recording to the press, it wouldn’t be enough to take you down. If something like this was going to take you down, you wouldn’t have dared to operate those workshops in the first place, right? That is also why you’ve been so confident all this time.”

Do-Jun placed a document on the table. It was Ha Dae-Chul’s personnel file.

“Even if bribery related to the workshops were proven, it would only remain a suspicion. To have you expelled, two-thirds of the National Assembly would need to vote in favor, but since you’re the de facto leader of the ruling party, there’s no way that more than two-thirds would support your removal.”

Ha Dae-Chul chuckled, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs. “And yet you keep buzzing around like an annoying mosquito. What do you think you can accomplish, huh? Are you recording this conversation, too? Go ahead—hold a protest in front of the National Assembly if you want. See how far that gets you.”

Amused, Do-Jun simply looked at him.

At that moment, two pairs of footsteps sounded from the hallway.

Ha Dae-Chul’s eyes instinctively flicked toward the door. As it creaked open, he quickly shot to his feet. His predatory glare on Do-Jun disappeared instantly, replaced by a warm, friendly smile. After the door closed, Ha Dae-Chul bowed deeply to the two men who had entered.

“Good morning, Chief Jung, Chairman Moon.”

“You’re early, Assemblyman. Ah, Supervisor, you’ve already arrived. My apologies for being late,” said Young-Chul.

“It’s no trouble at all.” Do-Jun offered a faint smile as Young-Chul and Gwang-Ho exchanged polite bows before taking their seats.

Ha Dae-Chul’s eyes widened.

More shocking than their acquaintance was the peculiar air between them. Despite the wide gap in status, neither Young-Chul nor Gwang-Ho acted condescendingly toward Do-Jun. In fact, their demeanor suggested a subtle deference, as though they were the ones being cautious.

As the four men sat down, the restaurant staff, following the hotel manager’s instructions, began serving breakfast. Since it was the first meal of the day, the first course was a clear matsutake mushroom soup served in small bowls, with just five spoonfuls.

After Do-Jun took the first bite, Young-Chul and Gwang-Ho followed suit. Only Ha Dae-Chul did not touch his spoon, glancing between the three men with uneasy eyes.

“I see that you two have already been talking before we arrived,” Young-Chul remarked.

“Yes, the Assemblyman arrived a bit early, so we had a brief chat,” Do-Jun calmly replied.

Despite the immense gap in status, Do-Jun conversed with two titans of the nation as if it were the most natural thing in the world. No, if anything, it was the titans who seemed to be treading carefully.

Gwang-Ho was the head of SG Group, one of Korea’s largest conglomerates, while Young-Chul was the Chief of the Hunter’s Bureau, a man of unparalleled influence in the Hunter world. However, both of them were acting as if... they were speaking to a superior.

“Uh, C-Chairman Moon,” Ha Dae-Chul stammered.

Gwang-Ho shifted his gaze to the assemblyman, who was now visibly sweating.

“You... You know this civil servant?”

“Yes. Chief Jung and I have quite the history with Supervisor Lee.”

Silence fell over the table.

From their expressions, Young-Chul and Gwang-Ho could guess how Do-Jun and Ha Dae-Chul’s brief interaction had gone. The assemblyman’s face had gone pale, and he could barely touch his food.

Breaking the silence, Young-Chul addressed Do-Jun. “Supervisor Lee, may I ask what brings you here today? To be honest, your attendance was a surprise.”

Just yesterday, Young-Chul met privately with Do-Jun, with Gwang-Ho also present. The topic of discussion was the upcoming presidential election, specifically deciding which candidate Young-Chul and Gwang-Ho would support. The plan was to meet with several prominent politicians and assess their capabilities before making a decision.

At the time, Do-Jun had been clear about his stance.

Gwang-Ho said, “I recall you mentioning that you had no intention of getting involved in politics.”

Indeed, that had been Do-Jun’s position. Until last night.

“Well, after what you two said, I figured I should take an interest. After all, we’re talking about selecting the leader of our country. It’s hard not to care,” Do-Jun said. “So I was wondering... Would it be alright if I shared my opinion?”

By definition, an opinion was simply a personal thought, something to be taken into consideration, not a decisive factor. But when Do-Jun expressed an opinion, it became more than just a suggestion. It became a conclusion.

“Yes, of course. We’ll take your thoughts into account,” Young-Chul replied.

“Thank you. A president is a leader responsible for guiding the nation. And while this is just my personal opinion... I don’t believe Assemblyman Ha Dae-Chul here has the qualities needed of a national leader.”

At that moment, Ha Dae-Chul’s face contorted into a grimace. He then turned his head sharply toward the two titans of the nation who had been listening to Do-Jun, staring intently at their mouths as if trying to decipher their unspoken thoughts.

The answer came quickly from Gwang-Ho. “Understood.”

With a bang, Ha Dae-Chul shot to his feet, breathing heavily as he shouted, “Chairman!”

“What is the matter, Assemblyman?” Gwang-Ho asked.

“What is the matter? That’s what I should be asking! What was that response just now? ‘Understood’? All because of a single word from this civil servant, and now I’m about to be—” He spun toward Young-Chul.

“Don’t cause a commotion, Assemblyman,” Young-Chul said.

“How can I possibly stay calm right now?!”

Ha Dae-Chul had worked tirelessly to build relationships with these two giants. He had bowed his head countless times, running himself ragged just to prove his worth. But now, because of one word from a mere civil servant, he was about to be cast aside.

“The more you act like this, the worse it looks for you, Assemblyman,” Young-Chul said.

“W-what did you say?” Ha Dae-Chul trembled uncontrollably. His face turned crimson, and a twitch developed beneath his eye.

“I—I can’t accept this... Do you have any idea how hard I worked to get to where I am?!” he shouted.

“Supervisor Lee, if you don’t mind, could you please explain what happened for you to reach that conclusion?” Young-Chul asked.

Do-Jun looked at Ha Dae-Chul with a cold gaze.

“All individuals must utilize Fissures peacefully and fairly, and no one may exercise monopolistic rights without the approval of the bureau in charge of managing said Fissures. Particularly, it is prohibited to unjustly interfere with others’ use of Fissures,” Do-Jun recited. “This is what Article 3, Clause 2 of the ‘Special Act on Monopoly Regulation and Fissure Utilization’ states, which was proposed by... Assemblyman Ha Dae-Chul.”

Ha Dae-Chul’s eyes widened as he looked at Do-Jun.

“And yet, Assemblyman, you ignored the very law you proposed, operated illegal workshops, and abused your status as a member of the National Assembly to pressure the Fissure Management Division. Should someone like that really be allowed to become president? In my opinion, not only should you be disqualified from running for president, but you should also be removed from your position as a member of the National Assembly. What do you two think, Chairman, Chief?”

Ha Dae-Chul’s face shifted from red to pale and back to red. Young-Chul looked at him and let out a dry chuckle. Do-Jun wasn’t someone to lie.

He said, “I will report this to the National Assembly so that a qualification review can be requested.”

“N-no! Chief Jung, please, anything but that! I was wrong! I swear it will never happen again!”

But Young-Chul didn’t even glance at him. Panicking, Ha Dae-Chul turned to Gwang-Ho.

“Chairman, please! I was wrong! Just this once, please have mercy!”

“I don’t see why you’re asking me for leniency, Assemblyman.”

Just days ago, they had shared a warm conversation over the phone. That contrast made Gwang-Ho’s current demeanor feel even colder.

Gritting his teeth, Ha Dae-Chul turned to Do-Jun. He dropped to his knees, tears welling in his eyes. Clutching Do-Jun’s pant leg as if his life depended on it, he sobbed.

“I’m sorry... I’m truly sorry... I must have lost my mind for a moment. I’m not usually the type to do something like this. Please, just this once—just this one time, forgive me. I swear I’ll repay your kindness and live a righteous life from now on. Please... Please...”

Being removed from office wasn't the real problem. If word spread that he had lost the trust of Young-Chul and Gwang-Ho, his career would be over. In politics, there are no eternal allies or enemies. If those two turned their backs on him, the party leader would cut ties without hesitation, and he wouldn’t even receive a nomination in the next election after being rendered useless.

“Assemblyman,” Do-Jun said.

“Y-yes... Supervisor Lee...?”

“Why did you have to cross the line?”

“I’m sorry. Truly, I am! Please, just this once—please forgive me!”

“Removing an assemblyman from office? That’s easy.”

Ha Dae-Chul stared. The words sounded strangely familiar. Only then did he realize that Do-Jun had just echoed the very words he had thrown at Cheol-Soo the night before.

Do-Jun asked, “Do you realize your mistakes now? You seem like a smart man—why would you do this?”

Ha Dae-Chul’s hands trembled as he slowly let go of Do-Jun’s pant leg. Burying his face on the floor, he let out a wail that echoed through the room.

“A-ah... Ah! Aaaaaah!”

***

⌜And now for our next story. Last Wednesday, during the National Assembly’s plenary session, the Ethics Special Committee reviewed the qualification of Assemblyman Ha Dae-Chul and voted to expel him from office. The grounds for expulsion were violations of the code of conduct expected of a National Assembly member...⌟

“LET’S GOOOOO!”

The unexpected shout echoed through the once quiet office, making people turn their heads.

Cheol-Soo jabbed a finger at the news broadcast on the TV screen while looking at his colleagues.

He exclaimed, “T-that bastard was a real piece of shit! Man, this feels so damn satisfying! People need to live with integrity! Looks like there really is a God in this world.

Hahaha

!”

Jong-Min, sitting next to him, clicked his tongue at Cheol-Soo’s excitement. “Geez, is there ever a quiet day around here? Hey, Hyuk-Soo! Calm your chief down, will you? It’s almost lunchtime, and he’s making a scene for no reason.”

Hyuk-Soo scratched his cheek awkwardly and chuckled.

Still, it was quite impressive. Removing a National Assembly member from office was a difficult process. However, this case moved along so easily that it almost seemed orchestrated.

Hyuk-Soo approached with a smile. “Chief, let’s go grab some lunch. We decided on udon today.”

Cheol-Soo frowned and replied, “What? No way. On a day this good, we should be eating beef! Not just any beef, Korean beef!”

“Huh? But we’re having Korean beef at the company dinner tonight.”

“Then we’ll just have it twice! Come on, let’s go!”

Humming a tune, Cheol-Soo grabbed his wallet and headed for the door.

“What’s with him...? Do-Jun, any idea what’s going on?” Hyuk-Soo asked.

“No clue, Senior.”

At that moment, the automatic door slid open, and Cheol-Soo stuck his head back inside to yell, “Hurry up, you slackers! I’m treating you to a feast today!”

Smiling faintly, Do-Jun stood up from his seat. “With an offer like that, we'd better get going, huh?”

Hyuk-Soo chuckled and nodded in agreement.