Chapter 45: Elected Candidate (2)
National Assembly Main Building, Room 246.
Fifty-six first-term elected candidates of the People’s Union Party participated in the workshop.
Since both the party leader and the floor leader had resigned taking responsibility for the election defeat, the atmosphere was sowhat heavy.
After taking a group photo, the national ceremony and a mont of silence for the fallen patriots and democracy martyrs followed under the host’s direction. Then, the Secretary-General stepped up to the microphone.
He smiled brightly, trying to lift the somber mood.
“Nice to et you, first-term mbers of Parliant! I rember when I first ca here as a newly elected mber. Seeing all of you brings back to those early days. Let’s begin with a quiz. Who’s the most outstanding figure in Romance of the Three Kingdoms?”
“Cao Cao.”
“Liu Bei.”
“I think it’s Guan Yu.”
“No. It’s Diaochan. Choseon is the scariest.”
A burst of laughter erupted.
Diaochan, who had supposedly sown discord between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu with her chain plan.
The Secretary-General was using Diaochan from Romance of the Three Kingdoms as a taphor for first-term mbers of Parliant.
“Each of you is an independent constitutional entity. At the sa ti, you are also deputies entrusted with the people's power for four years. I ask that you listen to the people's demands and do your utmost in legislative activity with a sense of responsibility and pride.”
After the Secretary-General, mber of the National Assembly Seong Chang-rae explained the party's organizational structure and gave a word of encouragent.
“Our party suffered a painful defeat. The first-term mbers of Parliant gathered here are far superior to us in expertise, experience, and character. We have great expectations for you. I too will be with you as a senior and a colleague.”
Lastly, the Chief Policy Officer explained the legislative status, bringing today's schedule to an end.
“Kang, first-terr! Can I have a word?”
mber of the National Assembly Seong Chang-rae called .
“Yes.”
I followed him.
“Have you gotten close with your fellow mbers?”
“There are many, so not yet.”
“As you work, you’ll soon get close. You need at least ten on your side to legislate smoothly.”
“Yes.”
We got into the elevator and entered his office, Room 605.
I greeted the staffer and secretary, then entered his office.
“Sit.”
“Yes.”
Seong Chang-rae took out a drink from the refrigerator and handed it to .
“Thank you.”
“Do you know anyone in the Korea Unification Party? Aside from your high school senior.”
“I’m close with Ryu Jong-min, a college classmate.”
“Ah, Seocho. He was a trade specialist, right?”
“Yes. Also, I know Wang Dohun, who was in the sa class with in our first year of high school.”
“Gangnam?”
“Yes.”
“He’s from our school too?”
“He transferred in the second year of high school.”
Seong Chang-rae nodded.
“Having people in their early forties coming in brings energy. We almost lost you to the other side. Haha.”
“I think I made the right choice coming here. I feel at ease.”
“The atmosphere here is a bit gentler than theirs, right?”
“I think so.”
Seong Chang-rae took a sip of his drink and spoke.
“You brought down a big catch to rise up, so you must beco a great politician.”
I didn’t reply, unsure of what he ant.
“Kang, you’ve got both a story and a brand. That’s the most important asset for a populist politician. A story of growing up in a shantytown and a brand as a businessman. If you just add achievents, you’ll sail into bigger waters.”
“I still have much to learn.”
“Make sure to make your debut in the governnt questioning session. It’s your chance to get your na out there.”
“Please teach a lot.”
“You know dogs and cats, right?”
I didn’t know why he was asking that.
“Who doesn’t know them?”
“Dogs wag their tails at people and play around, very friendly. On the other hand, cats don’t care whether people co or go. It takes ti to get close. You’re not a feline; you’re canine.”
“I’m not exactly introverted.”
“You seem like the type who might bite once in a while. Just don’t ever bite your master.”
“Do I seem that way to you?”
Seong Chang-rae didn’t reply and gave a faint smile.
What did he an?
Was he talking about betrayal?
“I value loyalty. I’ve never stabbed an ally in the back.”
“I say it out of caution. When you ride the clouds too fast, the world might start to look trivial.”
“Do you think I’ll beco that way?”
“You beat three-term mber of the National Assembly Kim Bu-seong by a wide margin, so a bit of arrogance is fine. But when you sprint, you sotis forget where the brakes are.”
“You don’t have to worry. I’m not that kind of guy.”
I valued loyalty.
Breaking it would feel like denying the life I had lived so far entirely.
Seong Chang-rae advised to study by reading the National Assembly Act, the Constitution, work manuals, eting minutes, transcripts, and National Audit responses.
Perhaps because he was a high school senior, he gave a lot of advice.
“Thank you for your kind words.”
“I endorsed you. Don’t let down.”
“That’s a lot of pressure. I’ll work hard.”
“Have you thought about which Standing Committee to join?”
“Wouldn’t it be hard to get into the Knowledge Economy Committee?”
“Why do you want to go there?”
“I want to uncover whether taxpayers’ money is being wasted.”
Seong Chang-rae shook his head.
“The Land Committee and the Knowledge Economy Committee are like distant islands for first-term mbers. They're popular because they allow for solving local issues through developnt and attracting investnt.”
“It’ll be difficult, right?”
“How about joining the Culture, Sports, Tourism, Broadcasting and Communications Committee? It’s good for first-term mbers to make a na there. You’ll also get to know many reporters.”
“I’ll do that. In two years, I definitely want to move to the Knowledge Economy Committee.”
Seong Chang-rae gazed at intently.
As a three-term mber of the National Assembly, he could beco the next floor leader. If that happened, wouldn’t my wish co true?
Anyway, I judged that I was earning his trust.
“May I ask why?”
“One of my friends is a reporter covering the governnt’s overseas investnts. He said he’s getting closer to the truth.”
“Who is it?”
“Reporter Ji Jeongseok from Issue Factory.”
“Ah, that guy.”
Seong Chang-rae made a face that suggested familiarity.
“You know him?”
“The one who wrote a series of articles on civilian surveillance, right?”
“That’s right.”
“If you can’t get into the Knowledge Economy Committee, give the information to soone else. It’s fine to toss it to another mber.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Of course, it’d be best if you handle it, but let’s see how things go.”
“I understand.”
There was no need to be greedy. It would be nice if I did it, but what mattered more was publicizing the facts Ji Jeongseok had uncovered.
Seong Chang-rae wrapped up with a final piece of advice to minimize the number of enemies.
Coincidentally, the ti to et an enemy was approaching.
A Japanese restaurant in Seocho.
I waited in a four-person private room for over thirty minutes.
Oh Man-seok.
Whether it was because he was genuinely busy or on purpose, he only showed up after forty minutes had passed.
“What brings such a busy mber of the National Assembly all the way here?”
“I wanted to have a al with you.”
“You buying?”
“Of course.”
“Nice, freeloading off a billionaire.”
Though I didn’t like his sarcastic attitude, I held it in.
He took off his suit jacket and hung it on the coat hanger.
I asked,
“Set nu okay?”
“This place is good for set nus.”
I placed the order and looked at him.
“Work ended late? It’s almost ten at night.”
“Busy.”
“Criminal Division 3 mostly handles violent cris, right?”
“You know your stuff.”
I struck suddenly.
“Then why are you digging into my background?”
His rugged face contorted.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’ve got so sense. There’s no way that ca from above. You submitted it, didn’t you?”
“I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He couldn’t fool .
I had already seen his pupils tremble intensely.
“Then it’s fine. You won’t find much even if you do dig.”
“Was this why you wanted to et?”
“Among other things.”
A knock ca, and Japanese-style stead egg and salad were served as appetizers.
“You must be tired from work. Eat a lot. When prosecutors stand upright, the people live comfortably too.”
“There’s a knife hidden in your words.”
"That’s a given. No need to react sensitively."
Oh Man-seok glared at , and I didn’t avoid his gaze either.
"mber of the National Assembly, may I give you a piece of advice?"
"By all ans."
"No one is spotless, so be careful."
"You’re not trying to invent dirt where there isn’t any?"
"Either way. Dirt is dirt."
Oh Man-seok raised his cheeks in a victor’s smile.
"Oh Man-seok’s really grown. You couldn’t even look in the face back in the day."
"Did I?"
His pupils glinted sharply.
But despite those piercing eyes, his cheeks remained stiff.
"Let’s stop talking about this. I’m sure you had your reasons. No way would you, my friend, take the lead in attacking ."
"I don’t know what you’ve heard or from where, but it’s not true."
"Jangdunomi (藏頭露尾)."
"What’s that supposed to an?"
"It refers to an ostrich that hides its head in the bushes but can’t manage to conceal its tail, ending up flustered. In other words, the truth always reveals itself in the end."
Oh Man-seok chewed on his salad with a fishy smile.
Soon, the main course was served.
Assorted sashimi, sushi, soybean paste soup, tempura, and so on.
He remained silent until the al was over.
I drank so water and asked what I was curious about.
"At the alumni eting before, I heard you had a quarrel with Hyeon Se-ung. What was the reason?"
"A prosecutor and a lawyer’s fight. He’s a forr judge, so he’s a bit arrogant."
Why was he so full of himself?
He didn’t look like a 검사 (prosecutor) who judges right and wrong, but like a 검사 (swordsman) who wielded a blade.
Given the mory of my father being arrested and being thoroughly shaken down due to a case in a past life, I could never have a good perception of the prosecution.
This was sothing I didn’t need to hear Oh Man-seok’s explanation for. Judging from the atmosphere, he wasn’t the type to tell the truth.
"Still, we’re alumni. Let’s not bare our fangs. Hyeon Se-ung lives for the weak, doesn’t he?"
"But it feels like you’re baring yours at ?"
"I just want to know the truth."
"I told the truth. Trust my words."
Oh Man-seok could deceive anyti if he really tried.
I still lacked solid information lines.
"If I’ve done wrong, of course I should be punished. But I’d rather you not move the goalposts just to score. That’s not right."
"This isn’t so old era—who does that anymore? You’re too distrustful of the prosecution. Got scared now that you’re a politician?"
"Not at all."
Suddenly, I thought of Seo Du-hyeop, who would’ve been released around now.
But I couldn’t use him to manufacture a case.
Before I entered politics, he had already confessed in an interview with the press that he had ruined his company due to gambling. Also, the issue with the delivery business was a matter from ten years ago, so the statute of limitations had already passed.
That’s why I wasn’t afraid of Seo Du-hyeop.
Oh Man-seok wiped his lips with a napkin and asked,
"Thanks for the al. Got anything else to say?"
"No."
"Then let give you one last piece of advice."
Oh Man-seok lifted his chin and spoke in a cocky manner.
"Politics is like walking a tightrope. One slip and you fall, so be careful. I’m telling you this because we’re alumni."
Why did it sound like a threat to ?
Oh Man-seok.
For so reason, it felt like this guy and I were destined to be in conflict from beginning to end.
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