Chapter 337: I Don’t Know the Details Well Either

After passing around a few drinks and finishing off a bottle of cognac, Jessica's face began to flush.

"What on earth is Charlie thinking?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, I paused my drink and looked at Jessica in silence.

"The more I learn about him, the more fascinating he becomes. It's like he's choosing a difficult path when he could live comfortably."

"Me?"

"Yes. You already have enough wealth to be set, yet you still deal with the murky international situation instead of just rolling with what you have."

"Haha. No matter how much money you have, it can still be controlled by those in power. If they decide to take it in Washington, they can. Just look at the recent tax audit from Dream High."

"I heard nothing came out of it. The tax authorities were shocked, they said."

Well, I had prepared for this, so I wasn't too surprised.

Since I couldn't respond like that, I gave the standard answer.

"Money can be a source of power, but it can also be a weakness. Let's just say it's a choice I made to protect myself and those around me. It's complicated to explain with words."

"Hmm… it's difficult."

"In the U.S., the federal government intervenes as little as possible. How do you think it is in Korea, where the president still has significant power?"

Jessica took a sip of her drink, seeming frustrated, and spoke again.

"I just don't know. Charlie is a mysterious person, the more you know, the more enigmatic he becomes…"

I only offered an awkward smile and stayed silent.

"Don't push yourself too hard. If you do, Charlie will be the one to burn out first."

Jessica either was intoxicated or pretending to be, but her words were quite emotional.

"You seem a bit tipsy. Should we stop drinking?"

"No, I think I've had enough to be tipsy. I just wanted to drink without a care for the first time in a while. Why? Is it uncomfortable being here with me?"

I shook my head.

"It's not uncomfortable. However, you seem quite exhausted."

Setting her glass down, Jessica sighed deeply.

"This is like a battlefield without gunfire. Internal political struggles are tough enough, but external pressures are a hassle too. This isn't what I wanted."

I poured her another drink as I replied.

"The world is just like that, isn't it? You don't need to identify yourself too closely with work. Don't get stuck in it."

"Thank you. When I was in Washington, I couldn't speak openly like this. It feels good to let it out."

It seemed that the struggle was real; despite claiming to be tipsy, Jessica continued to down her drinks.

I wondered how I could draw her in.

Whether she realized my thoughts or not, Jessica kept lamenting her situation.

How long had it been?

Suddenly checking my watch, Jessica brought up a topic I hadn't expected.

"I have a gift for Charlie."

"A gift?"

Jessica appeared quite drunk, her eyes slightly wavering.

Yet she was definitely sober enough.

"Jang Seong-taek will be returning soon."

"…Are you sure?"

Jessica grinned and nodded.

"Yes, he's already in Pyongyang. I don't know when he'll return, but his being there means [Kim Jong-il] called for him."

"…"

"It's a gift, right?"

"Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem at all."

Jang Seong-taek's return would be good news for me.

He was the right person to help take Kim Jong-il down from power.

"And given the atmosphere in Washington, I think peace negotiations with Kim Jong-il will be discarded. There will probably be discussions separately tomorrow."

"Jessica, why are you telling me all of this?"

When I looked at her with wary eyes, Jessica grumbled, "This is why I'm annoyed."

"I told you, it's a gift. Don't be so suspicious. Feel free to consider it a drink expense. I just want to get to know Charlie better."

Well, it's hard to believe a word from someone who works in intelligence.

Still, since she offered a gift, I decided I would return the favor.

"There will likely be terrorist attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Bali, Indonesia, soon. You should check on that."

"What?"

Jessica looked at me, her face suddenly serious.

"I don't know the details well either. I just heard that preparations for an attack are being made in Kabul before the World Cup this year. I'm not certain, so please investigate.'"

"Where are you getting this information from?"

"That's a secret. I can't disclose trade secrets."

"Ha. You're really an intriguing person."

Jessica slammed back her cognac and stood up.

"Thank you. I really should be going now."

As she stood up, Jessica didn't look tipsy at all.

So she was pretending to be drunk. She truly is a strange one.

I stood up to leave as well, playfully saying,

"So you weren't really drunk?"

"Ah…"

Jessica's face flushed red.

"Just kidding. If you dig into the Pakistan angle, you might find your answers."

"Thanks."

Jessica lightly kissed my cheek and turned away.

As I watched her diminish into the hallway, I said to Manager Ma.

"We should be on our way too."

The next day.

I headed to the U.S. Embassy due to a scheduled appointment.

"Did you find anything out?"

Manager Ma, sitting in the passenger seat, turned his head back to reply.

"No. We haven't received any information on our side."

"Jessica wouldn't have passed me unverified information, would she?"

"For now, I told them to investigate further. It seems like neither our intelligence team nor the National Intelligence Service found any signs."

"Hmm…"

We couldn't make hasty moves without any information.

"Please keep looking into it."

Even with Jang Seong-taek's return, it was uncertain whether he would wield as much influence as before, as many who shared his vision had already been purged.

Still, he was the only one among the senior officials in Pyongyang who could potentially communicate with me and operate as I wanted.

"The issue is how to win Jang Seong-taek over."

Muttering to myself, I closed my eyes.

After arriving at the U.S. Embassy and undergoing a brief security check, I stepped inside.

The U.S. Ambassador was the first to greet me.

"Kim Mu-hyeok, welcome."

He greeted me in awkward but passable Korean.

"Your Korean is quite good."

The Ambassador winked and made a pinching gesture with his thumb and forefinger.

"Just a little bit."

Thomas, who had recently been appointed during the Bush Administration, seemed like a typical American.

"You can speak in English if you like."

"Oh, that's a relief. I'm still not proficient enough for lengthy conversations. Ha ha. Since there's still time before the meeting, let's chat for a bit."

As Manager Ma moved to another room, Thomas sat me down and pressed a button on the electric kettle.

"The first thing that surprised me when I came to Korea was this instant coffee. I saw the Korean staff drinking it, so I tried it, and I couldn't believe how good it tasted."

"Really? I guess it suits your taste."

With surprising familiarity, Thomas poured the hot water over the mix coffee packets into paper cups, making two cups of coffee in no time.

"Give it a try."

"Thank you."

I smiled as I received the paper cup.

"Rumsfeld called to say he can't make it today."

"Uh huh. Is there a reason?"

"I don't know the details. It was just a notification."

"So only Security Advisor Rice will be attending?"

"No, I heard that the Secretary of State will also join."

"Secretary Powell?"

Thomas nodded vigorously while sipping his coffee.

"That's surprising. I didn't expect Secretary Powell to come to meet me personally."

Colin Powell was the first African American Secretary of State in U.S. history.

'He was associated with the moderate faction.'

Unlike neoconservatives like Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld, he belonged to a relatively moderate faction.

During the Iraq War, he publicly opposed the operation.

"Is it about the Iraq War?"

"I don't know the details either."

Thomas seemed extremely tight-lipped.

"Feel free to drop by anytime for coffee and chat with me. I've taken quite an interest in you, Mr. Kim."

"I'll visit whenever you invite me."

It didn't seem like an empty promise; Thomas was genuinely engaging in conversation while sharing coffee. There were no serious discussions.

About half an hour later, the phone next to us rang.

When Thomas pressed the button, a voice came through the speaker from an outside staff member.

― Secretary Powell and Security Advisor Rice are about to arrive.

"Okay. I'll go out now."

I stood up alongside Thomas.

As we exited the embassy, I noticed several cars coming through the main entrance.

The security personnel exited the cars first, followed by a man and a woman.

"Thomas. Long time no see."

Powell greeted Thomas warmly.

"Yes, Powell. It's been a while."

"Ha ha. How is Korea? Getting by fine?"

"It's a nice country."

"Good. It'll be a struggle for you. There'll come a time when you return to Washington."

Powell lightly slapped Thomas on the shoulder and turned his gaze towards me.

"Charlie Kim? Nice to meet you. I'm Colin Powell."

"Nice to meet you, Secretary of State."

"Let's talk inside. We have a lot to discuss."

Powell reached out first to shake my hand, then insisted on entering first. Thomas followed behind.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Condoleezza Rice."

Another person extended her hand to me.

"I've heard a lot about you. Nice to meet you."

When I shook her hand without much thought, Rice slightly pulled my hand and whispered softly,

"I heard there was an unpleasant incident at last night's banquet. Please don't take it to heart; it's just a difference of opinion with our administration."

Without saying another word, Rice smiled brightly and quickly moved past me towards Powell.

I followed her inside the embassy.

"Alright, let's sit down. We don't have much time."

Powell hurried into the meeting room and seated himself.

"The reason we requested this meeting with Charlie is threefold."

"Three reasons?"

"Yes. The first is to inform you that the peace treaty proposal with the North has been nullified, as suggested by Dick Cheney."

"Ah…"

This matched what Jessica had told me yesterday. It was a sudden policy shift.

Come to think of it, Dick Cheney and Powell weren't on good terms.

It's only natural that Powell would be displeased with Cheney, who acts as a de facto leader despite being in an honorary vice-presidential position. Bush obviously supported him.

"You can expect an announcement regarding the results of the upcoming summit soon. President Bush and President Kim Hak-gwon will directly share an announcement, and during that time, some strong remarks are expected so don't be surprised."

"Hmm…"

"I know that you've worked hard. I heard you even escaped death at one point. On behalf of the U.S. government, I want to express my gratitude."

Powell bowed his head slightly as a gesture of respect.

"It's nothing. It was accepted because our intentions aligned."

"I appreciate your understanding."

I asked Powell, who was smiling slightly,

"But can you explain why everything was suddenly nullified?"

"Let's just say it's due to changes in circumstances within our administration."

It felt like he was avoiding detailed answers. I nodded and accepted without pressing further.

Powell lifted the teacup before him and continued.

"The second reason is… it's a bit of a difficult request, but I hope you'll comply with it."

I could sense him examining my expression.

"Please feel free to speak. If it's within my capacity, I'll cooperate."

But Powell hesitated to continue.

Perhaps feeling the pressure, Rice stepped in to speak.

"Please persuade Russia."