Perhaps she hadn’t even anticipated my question—Ye Xiaotong frowned.
“My father? Why are you suddenly bringing up my father?”
Her tone was blunt, but there was a faint tremor at the end.
“Well... what if I told you I know who your father is?”
“....”
I had completely forgotten about Ye Xiaotong’s existence.
Back when Woo Youngsik ntioned her as his daughter, I had briefly looked into her, but after that, I assud there would be no reason for our paths to cross and erased her from my mory.
Yet here she was—approaching first, in a way and place I hadn’t expected.
And there was no way she didn’t have a purpose.
I had no intention of being led around by her.
As China’s top lobbyist, she was famous for steering conversations exactly where she wanted with her smooth, persuasive speech.
That was why I decided to shake her from the very start—by bringing up her biological father.
“If you’re curious, I can tell you.”
She kept studying my face, as if trying to read my true intentions.
I simply smiled calmly, offering no other reaction.
“...I don’t have a father.”
“Is that so? From what I know, you’ve made quite a few efforts trying to find out who he is. You asked your grandfather and your mother, but no one told you.”
Her eyes wavered. She had no idea how much I knew.
“I’ll ask you one last ti. If you’re not curious, I won’t bring it up again.”
“....”
Ye Xiaotong carried her maternal family na.
Her great-grandfather was Ye Jianying, one of the ten founding marshals of China, and her grandfather was his eldest son, Ye Xianping.
Instead of entering politics or business, she had stepped into the world of lobbying, using her family’s network—rising in influence as soone who coordinated powerful figures.
‘There’s no way she isn’t curious.’
Ye Xiaotong bit her lower lip.
Even now, with all the power her na carried, she had been unable to uncover her biological father. The fact that I knew seed incomprehensible to her.
At last, she slowly spoke.
“How do you know my biological father?”
“I happened to find out. And he knows that you are his daughter. No... it’s more than that. He betrayed his own country for your sake.”
Her eyes shook violently. For the first ti, she was openly shaken.
“W-what do you an?”
“Before that, let ask again. Do you really want to know who your father is? Only then can I tell you.”
Originally, I had considered approaching Ye Xiaotong and using her.
But after hearing Woo Youngsik beg not to involve his daughter, I decided, after so thought, to cut off any interest in her.
But if the daughter approached first... that was a different story.
“...Please tell .”
As expected, she took the bait.
How could she not be curious, after hearing that her father had betrayed his country for her?
I nodded in satisfaction and revealed Woo Youngsik.
“Your father is a Korean politician.”
Whether this would benefit or not was uncertain—but I decided to take the risk.
“Your grandfather knows this as well. No—more than that, he used you to make your father betray his country.”
“What? My grandfather did that?”
“Yes. Because of that, he gave up all his power and returned to being a private citizen. His entire career beca aningless overnight. He has nothing left now.”
“...Tell everything.”
So I told her how Woo Youngsik had fallen.
“...Are you saying my grandfather really did that?”
“Yes. Senior Secretary Woo Youngsik tried his best for you. He took full responsibility alone until the very end. Because he was the president’s friend, he avoided legal punishnt—but for him, it must have been a great humiliation.”
“If that’s true...”
Her hands trembled visibly.
If soone heard that the father who abandoned them had actually lost everything for their sake—what would they feel?
Even I couldn’t imagine it.
“Whether you choose to et him or pretend you don’t know until the end—that’s your decision, Ye Xiaotong. He never wanted this to be revealed.”
“Why?! Why would he do that?!”
Her face twisted as she shouted—her raw emotions finally spilling out.
“He’s the one who never ca to find !”
“When you were born, Korea and China were enemies. Even after diplomatic relations were established, he believed his existence could beco your weakness. That’s what parents are like.”
I spoke calmly.
She covered her face.
I gave her a mont to collect herself.
“This is a gift—from to you. Now, let’s get to the main point. Why did you want to et ?”
“...Give a mont. I need to sort my thoughts.”
Her voice had cald.
But I didn’t want her regaining her composure.
“As you know, I’m a busy man. I don’t have ti. In a few hours, I have to et Bo Xilai as well.”
“...You’re cruel.”
She let out a sigh.
“President Kim Muhyuk... you know Xi Jinping, don’t you?”
That was unexpected.
In my past life, she rose even higher after Xi Jinping ca to power.
There were even rumors she was part of his faction.
But this question changed that assumption.
It ant she had likely been the one supporting him from behind.
“I do.”
“I heard that Xi Jinping was originally chosen to beco Shanghai Party Secretary. But I also heard that you opposed it—that you said he absolutely shouldn’t be appointed. And because of that, it was changed to Bo Xilai.”
Fewer than ten people knew the inside story of that appointnt.
Once again, I was forced to acknowledge the extent of her network.
“That’s impressive. You know quite a lot.”
“Why? Why did you oppose Xi Jinping?”
“Why should I tell you that? We’re not that close, are we? If you think I owe you sothing just because I told you about your father, then you’ve misunderstood .”
I spoke coldly.
She looked at quietly before speaking.
“Bo Xilai will never beco President. He has too many weaknesses. I don’t think it’s a good choice for you to align yourself with him.”
“Not a good choice?”
“Yes. It’s true that becoming Shanghai Party Secretary puts him one step ahead. But Xi Jinping has good relationships across all factions of the Communist Party. If Bo Xilai «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» makes even one mistake, Xi Jinping will beco the next leader.”
It wasn’t speculation—it sounded like conviction.
I looked at her with interest and smiled.
“Your thinking is different from mine. I believe Xi Jinping’s weaknesses are far greater than Bo Xilai’s.”
She smiled.
“I know you hold Xi Jinping’s weakness. I also know you used it to install Bo Xilai as Shanghai Party Secretary.”
Who told her all this?
Unless soone had deliberately fed her information, she couldn’t possibly know this much detail.
“But once you’ve used a weakness once, it’s no longer a weakness.”
“We agree on that. But do you really think that’s the only weakness I have on him?”
I curled my lips upward.
She swallowed dryly.
“I don’t think soone like Xi Jinping should ever lead China. That’s for my sake—but also for China’s.”
“...Why do you hate him that much? You don’t even have any connection to him.”
“Well... from what I’ve learned, Xi Jinping is a man obsessed with power. Right now, he may hide it well. But if he gains power, China will return to the era when Mao Zedong held absolute control alone.”
“...He’s not that bad of a person.”
At her hesitant defense, I let out a faint laugh.
“Isn’t it possible you’re blinded because you’re part of his faction?”
“....”
“You know as much about as I know about you. Do you think soone who knows your biological father wouldn’t know anything else about you? I had no intention of interfering with you. But you approached first—using my sister.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but I raised my hand to stop her.
“Don’t deny it. I hate lies more than anything. If you try to deceive , you’ll make your enemy.”
“....”
“Why? There were other ways. Why did you have to use my sister?”
My gaze turned cold.
Her face turned pale.
She knew what kind of person I was.
Which ant she also knew she had to answer carefully.
“As you know, I do not tolerate anyone using my family. Especially not as bait to lure . I’ll ask one last ti. Why did you do it?”
This was her chance.
If I joined hands with her in China, she could move both the political and business worlds far more efficiently than I could alone.
“...It’s true I t Jiyoung to get close to you. But after that, it wasn’t like that. The more I spent ti with her, the more I realized she was soone I truly got along with. After that, I wasn’t looking at her as your sister—I was looking at her as herself. That’s the truth.”
“And you expect to believe that?”
“Do you think your sister is that naive? Did I ever once bring up your na to her? Ask her. I never once asked about you.”
I already knew that—from Cheon Jiyoung.
“I did invite you to the party hoping to et you. But I wanted to see Jiyoung even more.”
I said nothing.
She continued.
“I’m not asking you to trust . But if my goal was only to connect with you, I wouldn’t have invited her without telling you. You understand the difference between eting by chance and already knowing each other’s faces, don’t you?”
That was exactly what had bothered .
If I had left early or not attended the party, I wouldn’t have t Jiyoung.
And if that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have t Ye Xiaotong either.
Was it really just coincidence?
I still had doubts—but there was no need to push her further.
“I don’t fully understand, but I’ll believe you for now.”
She let out a sigh of relief.
I had successfully pulled the flow of the conversation entirely in my favor.
“I have no intention of becoming your enemy, President Kim.”
“That doesn’t matter to .”
“Today only made more certain. About you.”
Who does she think she’s evaluating?
I raised one eyebrow and spoke coldly.
“Let make one thing clear. I have no intention of supporting Xi Jinping. If you continue to support him, we will never have a good relationship.”
“...At least give a proper reason.”
“I already did. To —and to China—Xi Jinping is nothing but a cancer.”
I said it firmly.
She muttered in a dazed voice.
“What did you see to hate him this much...”
“Well... let’s just say I’ve seen the future.”
“What kind of nonsense is that? And you say it with a straight face?”
She frowned.
“Anyway, if it’s about Xi Jinping, there’s nothing more to discuss. I can manage Bo Xilai’s risks. Most of it is already handled—and whatever cos up, I’ll take care of it.”
“So you won’t change your mind?”
“No. No matter what you say, I won’t. No matter what you offer. I will never trust him.”
She couldn’t understand—but that was her problem.
“If there’s nothing more to discuss, let’s end it here.”
She nodded.
“Alright. Let’s talk again next ti. I’ll co to Korea then.”
At her words, I paused as I was about to stand.
“Are you planning to et your father?”
“I am. Before that, I’ll ask my grandfather and my mother. What exactly they did—using —to him.”
She didn’t seem to fully believe .
Understandable. The sudden existence of her father would be overwhelming.
“Alright. Then I’ll see you in Korea.”
I stood up and extended my hand.
She stood as well and shook it.
“I hope we’ll be closer next ti.”
“That depends on your choices.”
I curved my lips into a deep smile and looked at her.
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