Chapter 257: It Seems to Be a Threat

Manager Ma, who had been standing silently like a shadow, approached and whispered in my ear.

"What should we do?"

"Let's wait for now. We'll see how it unfolds."

"If we stay with them like this, it could pose a risk to the Boss's safety as well."

His voice was thick with concern, but I shook my head slightly.

"If a coup were to succeed right now, it would be a problem no matter where we are. This could be the safest place."

While Manager Ma and I talked, Kim Jong-il was expressing his fury.

"That bastard Kim Il-chul!"

"General!"

"Yes, Cheol-soo. Find out who else is involved aside from Kim Il-chul. Right away!"

Baek Cheol-soo hesitated, glancing at Manager Ma and me.

"Why? Are you worried that Mr. Kim might harm me? Before worrying about that, find out who is involved in this incident. Don't you think you should act directly? Get the information now!"

"Yes, General!"

Under Kim Jong-il's authoritative shout, Baek Cheol-soo bowed deeply. He then seemed ready to exit with the soldiers who had just entered.

"Cheol-soo, try to contact the head of the General Political Bureau first."

Before he left, Kim Jong-il called for the Chief of the General Political Bureau.

After Baek Cheol-soo left, Kim Jong-il dropped back into his seat with a thud. He let out a deep sigh and poured himself several shots of liquor.

The expression on his face was heavy with fatigue and shock.

"Huh…"

The smoke from his cigarette and his deep sigh were the only things filling the room.

"Mr. Kim, I apologize for this."

"It's all right. But a coup? Is that really possible?"

"Don't worry. We'll suppress it soon enough. That Kim Il-chul…"

As he muttered Kim Il-chul's name under his breath, worry began to creep in.

The Minister of People's Armed Forces would be equivalent to the Minister of Defense in Korea.

While Kim Jong-il was the Supreme Commander of the military, the person actually in control was the Minister of People's Armed Forces.

With someone in such a position attempting a coup, it was no wonder Kim Jong-il was so enraged.

"You appointed someone trustworthy as the Minister of People's Armed Forces, right?"

Again exhaling deeply, Kim Jong-il ground out his cigarette and replied.

"I had to weaken the power of Choi Hyun, Oh Jin-woo, and Choi Kwang. So, I appointed Kim Il-chul, who was the Navy Commander, as the Minister of People's Armed Forces while splitting authority among the General Political Bureau, the General Staff, and the Ministry of People's Armed Forces."

"Ah, Oh Jin-woo… I know him."

"In the South, there's probably no one as famous as him, right?"

Oh Jin-woo was known for leading significant incidents like the Axe Murder Incident at Panmunjom and the Aung San Mausoleum Terror.

Thus, he was quite well-known in Korea as well.

"During Oh Jin-woo's time as the Minister of People's Armed Forces, it was said he would choose a successor. Do you think, Mr. Kim, he would allow someone to threaten his position?"

Nodding along to his words, I understood.

"It does seem to be a threat."

However, even while Kim Jong-il was wary of the Ministry of People's Armed Forces, he seemed to have a positive impression of Oh Jin-woo.

"If all that power were used solely for my benefit, it would be great. I trust Minister Oh Jin-woo. But he was not like anyone else. That's why I appointed Kim Il-chul from the Navy, but that bastard…"

Kim Jong-il's cheeks trembled with rage. He was genuinely furious.

That said, a Navy-born Minister of People's Armed Forces? It was a precarious position.

Given that most of the People's Army served in the ground forces, it would be tough for Kim Il-chul, a Navy commander, to fully seize control over the Ministry of People's Armed Forces.

I began to understand why Kim Jong-il insisted on not worrying.

At the same time, the confident figure of Kim Seong-jin from Seoul stirred nease within me.

He wouldn't make the mistake of relying solely on his father, who was already fatigued.

"Chairman, what kind of man is this Kim Il-chul?"

"He seemed like a nonentity. That's why I appointed him as Minister of People's Armed Forces. I thought he was suitable for playing the role of following my orders. But to think he would betray me like this…"

A bitter look crossed Kim Jong-il's face as he muttered that he had judged his character poorly.

"Do you think Kim Il-chul could conduct this on his own? You seem overly confident."

"Ha ha, even if the entire Second Corps showed up, the 91st Capital Defense Corps wouldn't be penetrated. You don't have to be that tense, Mr. Kim."

As Kim Jong-il's hearty laughter echoed in that moment, a gunshot suddenly rang out.

In an instant, the temperature in the room dropped.

With a face frozen in shock, I asked Kim Jong-il, who was equally stiff.

"Did you just hear that sound? Was that a gunshot?"

"…"

This was one of Kim Jong-il's secret villas. If gunfire was echoing nearby, it clearly meant their position had been pinpointed.

Kim Jong-il responded to my question after a moment.

"I'll clean it up shortly, so don't worry."

He simply told me not to worry.

I couldn't tell whether he was addressing me or himself.

Yet, contrary to his reassurances, the gunfire showed no signs of stopping. In fact, it was closing in.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Baek Cheol-soo rushed in.

"General! You need to escape!"

"Escape? What do you mean?"

"The 91st Capital Defense Corps has launched an attack on us!"

Kim Jong-il reacted in shock, questioning.

"What did you say?"

"We don't have time to waste."

"Hey, Cheol-soo."

"General, please forgive my rudeness."

Baek Cheol-soo bowed deeply as he approached Kim Jong-il.

"Mr. Kim, prepare as well. This place will soon crumble. It may be dangerous."

Hearing that even the 91st Capital Defense Corps defending Pyongyang had joined the coup forces made my head spin.

"Mr. Kim!"

As I pressed my temple and sighed, Baek Cheol-soo shouted anxiously. He stood up and spoke.

"Give us guns too."

"No way."

Baek Cheol-soo firmly refused.

"Baek Cheol-soo!"

"Only the guards can carry weapons near the General. It's absolutely forbidden."

"Then I won't move an inch from here either."

With his obstinate proclamation, I sat back down, crossing my arms and closing my eyes.

"Do as you see fit. General, you really must go now."

My well-being didn't matter to Baek Cheol-soo. He was simply focused on getting Kim Jong-il to safety.

"Enough. I'll take care of it. Mr. Kim, don't hesitate. Come with me. I can't have you getting hurt. Cheol-soo, give Mr. Kim's group weapons."

"But…"

"Hey, Cheol-soo! Are you planning to disobey my orders?"

"Understood."

In the end, Baek Cheol-soo, obeying Kim Jong-il's command, handed over his pistol to Manager Ma.

Manager Ma accepted the pistol and inspected it thoroughly.

"Isn't there anything else?"

"For now, be satisfied with that. I'll provide more later."

Manager Ma didn't respond, simply nodding in agreement. He had achieved his objective, so there was no need to be stubborn.

Rising calmly, he asked.

"Shall we go? Do we have an escape route?"

"Follow me."

Baek Cheol-soo led the way while Kim Jong-il and I followed. Manager Ma brought up the rear, staying alert to our surroundings.

The gunfire was growing closer.

As we exited the room, we hurried through a maze-like corridor. But the place we arrived at was a dead-end.

I looked at Kim Jong-il with a puzzled expression. Instead of answering, he nodded stiffly with a hardened face.

Baek Cheol-soo, having received Kim Jong-il's permission, felt along the wall before pressing a certain spot. A faint mechanical sound was heard, and then a hidden door opened.

"I'll go first."

Inside the open door was pitch black. As Baek Cheol-soo stepped inside, lights began to flicker on from the ceiling one by one.

I followed behind him slowly as we descended the stairs.

Once we reached the bottom, a small vehicle was waiting on an underground road.

It seemed to be the path leading to Kim Jong-il's underground bunker that had been rumored for some time.

"General!"

Baek Cheol-soo opened the door and called out to Kim Jong-il. He stepped into the vehicle with a grim expression.

"Mr. Kim, you should also get in. I'll ask the aide to sit up front."

I obediently followed his lead and sat beside him. As I settled in, Baek Cheol-soo closed the door and walked off somewhere.

When he pressed a button on the wall, the underground road lit up brightly.

"We're off."

After Manager Ma settled into the passenger seat, Baek Cheol-soo began driving the vehicle.

Perhaps feeling a little more relaxed, Kim Jong-il let out a deep sigh and then asked Baek Cheol-soo, who was driving.

"Cheol-soo, what on earth is going on?"

"The phone lines were cut. We were moving to a place with a satellite phone when we were suddenly ambushed."

"And you're saying it was the 91st Capital Defense Corps?"

"Yes, that's correct. The assailants were dressed as members of the 91st Capital Defense Corps."

"So, you're telling me the commander of the 91st Capital Defense Corps has betrayed me? Is Kim Nam-gil that bastard?"

In any country, the commander of a capital defense unit was someone the leader trusted most.

Especially in a dictatorial nation like North Korea, such a crucial position would never be entrusted to someone untrustworthy.

"I cannot confirm if Commander Kim Nam-gil is involved. If he had betrayed me, the scale would have been much larger."

Fortunately, the number of attackers at the villa seemed to be fewer than expected.

But if there were troops that had broken off from various corps, it would imply deserters not only from the 91st Capital Defense Corps but from other units as well.

"Are you saying it's possible for troops to move without Commander Kim Nam-gil's orders?"

"I'll find out details as soon as we arrive."

"So no one from the Political Bureau or the Chief of General Staff can be contacted?"

"No, that's right."

Listening to their conversation, I began to picture the unfolding situation in my mind.

Not every member of the People's Army was involved in the coup.

So, if I were the one attempting the coup, my first priority would be securing Kim Jong-il's safety.

"Is the place we're heading safe?"

Kim Jong-il turned to me at my unexpected question, his gaze demanding an explanation.

"If I were them, I would have sent troops to the very place we are heading right now."

"Mr. Kim, it's a place where no one knows. Only Cheol-soo, I, and this kid here are aware of it."

"If they can't find the Chairman from where we just were, surely they'll quickly discover the secret passage. And won't they follow it?"

Kim Jong-il pulled out a cigarette and replied.

"This place is like a maze. There are several exits, and it would take a while to find them. It was prepared in case of an American invasion…"

Finishing his answer, Kim Jong-il began puffing on his cigarette with a bitter expression. I didn't engage him further.

Baek Cheol-soo navigated the maze-like underground road at a swift pace.

After quite a while, he finally stopped. Baek Cheol-soo and Manager Ma got off first, followed by Kim Jong-il and me.

We emerged above ground and boarded another prepared vehicle to move once more. After traveling for quite some time, we arrived at an underground bunker deep in the mountains.

"This place is safe even from nuclear attacks. Now we have to suppress the rebels."

The interior of the bunker was as luxurious as the villa we had just visited.

"Bring the liquor."

As soon as Kim Jong-il sat on the sofa, he asked for a drink. Baek Cheol-soo complied with his order, bringing whiskey and a glass.

"Would you like a drink, Mr. Kim?"

"No, thanks."

Even in this situation, the thought of liquor crossed my mind. Part of me felt that without it, I wouldn't endure this situation.

Still, I declined the drink.

"Really? Then I'll finish it myself."

Pouring himself a glass, Kim Jong-il downed it in one go.

"Contact the head of the General Political Bureau. Once this matter is settled, that bastard's head also needs to roll."

"Yes, orders have been given."

"Right. Those bastards!"

Kim Jong-il muttered with a chilling intensity, as if he wanted to devour them whole.

"The people from our side in Pyongyang are guaranteed safety, right?"

"The rebel faction wouldn't be insane enough to kill businessmen coming from the South, would they?"

Contrary to my concerns, he spoke as if it was of no great consequence.

"Those bastards… they're the disgrace of the Republic."

Kim Jong-il murmured to himself. His soliloquy was soon swallowed along with bitter liquor.