Manager Ma stepped out ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) to make the call, and I refocused on Myungsoo’s voice.
— Once the basic fact-finding is done, President Yoon Changho is planning a public address to the nation.
A national address?
The atmosphere must be more serious than I anticipated.
Well, gunfire in the middle of Seoul would justify that.
“Isn’t that moving too fast?”
— This wasn’t so back alley. It happened in central Seoul—Gangnam, of all places. If it had just been a fistfight, they wouldn’t go that far. But guns were used. This isn’t a country where firearms are easy to get. And it’s not the 1980s. When was the last ti gangs clashed on this scale?
Since the “war on cri,” large-scale gang wars had disappeared from Korea.
Not because gangs vanished—but because the tis changed, and they adapted.
Now civilians with no immunity to this kind of violence were terrified. Yoon Changho had no choice but to respond hard.
— The President asked if this was connected to you. I told him I didn’t know.
So he thought of imdiately.
He wasn’t clueless, after all.
“I cut off all the tails, but... yes. It did happen because of .”
— I didn’t hear that. I’m heading to the Blue House now. We’ll talk later.
“Alright. Hang in there.”
As soon as I set down the phone, Manager Ma returned as if on cue.
“Boss, he says he can speak this evening.”
“Good. Let’s wait.”
* * *
Premier Wen Jiabao received word from his secretary that Kim Muhyuk wished to speak with him.
“Hm.”
Is this connected to him as well?
After a brief mont of consideration, Wen spoke.
“Tell him I’ll speak with him this evening.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And no more calls for now.”
“Understood.”
After issuing the order, Wen Jiabao opened the heavy doors and stepped inside.
The vast chamber, decorated entirely in red, held a large round table. Several n were already seated around it.
“My apologies for being late.”
Wen bowed slightly toward Hu Jintao.
“Haha, not at all. Sit. We can begin now.”
Hu Jintao laughed loudly, and the others followed.
Wen took his seat to Hu Jintao’s left.
“Since we’re all here, let’s begin.”
Under Hu Jintao’s chairmanship, the eting of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party comnced.
Dostic matters were discussed first. The eting dragged on.
Eventually, the bloodshed in Korea was brought to the table.
It was Vice President Zeng Qinghong who raised it.
“We must discuss the bloodshed in Seoul involving Chinese citizens.”
All eyes turned to him.
“A few ethnic Korean Chinese caused trouble—one could argue it has nothing to do with us. But this might be a good opportunity to discipline Korea.”
“Discipline Korea?”
Hu Jintao asked with interest.
“Yes. It may be ti to press them.”
“I’ve been briefed that our citizens used firearms on Korean soil. How exactly do you propose we pressure Korea?”
“I’ve already instructed the ambassador to deliver a protest note to the Blue House. On the grounds that our citizens were severely hard.”
“Hm...”
Acting before even placing it on the table.
Hu Jintao stroked his chin to hide his displeasure.
Zeng Qinghong was Jiang Zemin’s man.
If he wanted to escalate this, it ant Jiang wanted it escalated.
Hu scanned the faces around the table.
Of the nine mbers—including himself—three were aligned with him.
Five were aligned with Jiang Zemin or the Shanghai faction.
The remaining one had ties to both the Shanghai faction and the princelings.
“If we enlarge this issue, it may not benefit us,” Wen Jiabao interjected.
“Our citizens engaged in a major clash in Korea. The details are not fully confird, but they reportedly used firearms. Grounds? If anything, we may be handing grounds to Korea instead.”
Kim Muhyuk might be involved.
There was no need to stir trouble unnecessarily.
Luo Gan, Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, responded.
“According to reports from our operatives in Korea, they entered the country after being hired for an internal conflict within a religion called Heaven’s Church. And...”
Luo Gan continued his briefing.
As he spoke, the expressions around the table shifted one by one.
When he finished, a strange silence settled.
“Hahaha!”
Hu Jintao broke it with laughter.
“This is getting interesting. So, Luo Gan—what exactly are you proposing?”
“First, all citizens involved must be repatriated. After that, we shape the incident as we see fit.”
“Will Korea accept that?”
“They will. By any ans necessary. And while they are our citizens, they are ultimately ethnic Korean Chinese. Depending on how we handle this, it could be highly advantageous for us.”
Hu looked around the table.
“Well? Shall we proceed as Luo suggests? Or does anyone think differently?”
All but Hu’s faction raised their hands in agreent.
“Hm...”
Hu considered.
He could block it—but it would carry heavy political cost.
They moved as one body. It was as if they had coordinated beforehand.
Jiang Zemin’s shadow still lood heavily.
“...Very well.”
“Chairman.”
Wen Jiabao spoke carefully, but Hu raised a hand to stop him.
“Pressure the Korean governnt by any ans necessary. Luo Gan, I entrust this to you. Can you do it?”
“If you entrust it to , I will bring back what our people want.”
“Good. Proceed as you wish. I trust you.”
“Thank you.”
Luo Gan rose and bowed.
“Let’s move to the next agenda.”
The eting continued.
After it concluded, Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao sat facing each other with tea before them.
“They were clearly coordinated. Pressuring deliberately.”
Hu did not hide his irritation.
“Likely at Jiang Zemin’s instruction.”
“No need to apologize. I didn’t expect Luo Gan to move personally.”
Luo Gan was the oldest mber of the Standing Committee.
As Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, he controlled all judicial institutions.
Officially ranked ninth—but his influence rivaled Hu’s.
Hu had no choice but to treat him with formal respect.
“Tell . Why did you oppose it? No matter how I think about it, you had no reason to.”
Hu lifted his teacup, his cold gaze scanning Wen like a serpent.
Even if so called Hu a puppet under Jiang’s shadow, he was still China’s leader.
Under that pressure, Wen spoke quickly.
“The truth is...”
He explained that Kim Muhyuk had contacted him and that they would speak in the evening.
“Interesting timing. The embassy protests—and imdiately Kim Muhyuk calls.”
Hu tapped the armrest and closed his eyes.
After a mont, he spoke.
“Report to everything he says.”
“Yes.”
“This board is expanding. Korea is not the issue. But if Kim Muhyuk is involved, then there is sothing we do not yet see.”
“I agree. But should we allow Luo Gan free rein?”
Hu dismissed the concern.
“Let him move. Just make sure to tell Kim Muhyuk this is not our initiative—but Jiang Zemin’s side. We cannot attack directly. But that man... he will act as he sees fit.”
Hu recalled how Kim Muhyuk had once spoken boldly even in front of Jiang Zemin.
Kim Muhyuk feared no one.
“I’m curious how this will unfold.”
If handled well, they might resolve this without lifting a finger.
A faint smile touched Hu’s lips.
* * *
I continued monitoring developnts in Korea while waiting for Wen Jiabao’s call.
Eventually, Manager Ma handed the phone.
“Boss. Premier Wen Jiabao.”
I nodded and took it.
“Premier Wen Jiabao. Kim Muhyuk speaking.”
— Haha. President Kim Muhyuk. It’s been a while.
His voice was relaxed.
“Yes. I’ve been negligent.”
— We all know how busy you are. Still, you must visit China soday. You always go to Russia or the United States. I hear you’re in Japan now?
“Yes. I have business here.”
He already knew where I was.
And he knew why I was calling.
But instead of ntioning the gunfire, he brought up sothing else.
— It’s unfortunate about Block 7. China also has strong interest there. You understand—it is neither Korean nor Japanese territory, but Chinese.
“It was recognized under international law as Korean waters.”
— Circumstances have changed.
“That matter is settled. It involves not just Korea and Japan, but Russia and the United States. It cannot be altered.”
— If you wished it, you could alter it.
He knew I had led those negotiations.
The pressure was subtle.
“There is no justification. And neither the Korean nor Japanese governnts intend to reopen it. I cannot bend everything to my will.”
— Hm...
He didn’t truly expect China to enter the developnt.
It was posturing.
“Let’s leave that aside. I contacted you about the bloodshed in Korea involving Chinese nationals.”
I deliberately shifted the topic bluntly.
— I’ve received reports. Are you involved?
“You could say yes—or no. I knew in advance. But I did not expect it to escalate this far. I also heard the Chinese ambassador protested to the Blue House. It seems to the Korean governnt is the victim.”
I pressed gently.
Unexpectedly, Wen admitted it.
— I’ve been inford. That was not my idea, nor Chairman Hu’s. Jiang Zemin’s side acted first and reported later. But it does not harm us. Korea has been distancing itself from us.
“Jiang Zemin moved? Over sothing this minor?”
— I don’t know the reason. But yes.
If Jiang’s influence was active, pressure on Yoon Changho would intensify.
“Is there no way to stop it?”
— It is difficult. You understand our system. Hu is leader, but China is collectively governed. If the Standing Committee aligns, he lacks grounds to block it. The Shanghai faction and Jiang’s allies are unified.
“Who is leading it?”
— The Vice President raised it. But Luo Gan is driving it. If he moves, the Korean governnt will be in a difficult position.
“Luo Gan?”
— Yes. He is personally moving.
“So Jiang intends to escalate this.”
Even if they were ethnic Korean Chinese, they were Chinese nationals.
Using it so brazenly was absurd.
I suppressed my sigh.
“There truly is no way to stop it?”
— Hu could block it by taking political risk. But why would he?
He was implying: give us a reason.
I said nothing for a long ti.
When Wen finally called my na again, I spoke.
“Premier Wen Jiabao... I thought you and I were brothers. It seems I was mistaken.”
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