Chapter 348: Step Down from the Presidency

Has the presidency of Korea entered your sights, leading you to entertain other thoughts?

I felt a wave of disappointment at Yoon Chang-ho's silence.

"Why are you acting this way? You said you'd pave the way for me to become president. But now it seems like your mind is elsewhere. Do you no longer think you need me?"

Yoon Chang-ho, who had been silent until now, filled his cup with makgeolli and replied.

"Listen, Boss Kim."

"Yes, Chairman.'

"I'm not quite sure what you mean. Why would I act against you? It seems there's been some misunderstanding…"

I cut him off coldly.

"Chairman, if you're going to lie or give excuses here, I'll be forced to let go of your hand. Whatever happens afterwards will be your doing, so don't blame me."

Yoon Chang-ho paused, his lips moving without a sound at my stern tone.

He quickly downed two cups of makgeolli.

I gave him time to gather his thoughts; he'd shown no reaction until now.

After downing one last cup, Yoon Chang-ho let out a deep sigh and spoke slowly.

"What do you know so far?"

"I only know that the actions of the prominent members of the Moderate Party have been strange, and that your meetings with them have increased."

I hadn't yet looked into the internal affairs of the Moderate Party since I had stirred up Chanseong to declare a propaganda war.

So, when I merely mentioned the trigger for my suspicions, Yoon Chang-ho nodded slightly.

"Well… I was shocked too."

His reaction was unusual. After a moment's hesitation, Yoon Chang-ho continued.

"You're aware that the Moderate Party isn't just composed of me and this congressman, right?"

"I know that."

Even though the party was formed around Yoon Chang-ho, he couldn't control everything.

People naturally formed factions when three or more gathered.

Furthermore, politicians were known to act in ways that served their own interests.

"Around 60% of the congressmen belong to my faction and this congressman's faction, while the rest split into two other factions. They've allied and are now looking for me."

That much was already within the realm of my expectations. As the presidential election approached, they needed to showcase their strength to increase their stake.

"But a completely unexpected person gathered them and pressured me. If I didn't comply, they threatened to leave with them."

I frowned involuntarily. I never thought they'd play the defection card.

"Who is it?"

"Former President Choi Seon-man."

"…Did you say Choi Seon-man?"

"Yes. Just the other day, President Kim Hak-gwon pardoned them under the guise of unification. Yet as soon as they were released, they plotted this."

Choi Seon-man had been the last president of a military regime that seized power through a coup.

He had fallen along with Cheongpung Group, but President Kim Hak-gwon had pardoned him in the name of national unity.

There had been considerable backlash then, but little did anyone know he would go on to commit such acts.

"That's not all. If they don't join forces with him, they claim the Conservative Party and the Progressive Party will merge. You know what that would mean, right?"

A merger between the Conservative and Progressive Parties.

Could parties that were ideologically opposed actually merge?

I thought it impossible, yet in desperate circumstances, politicians might resort to anything.

There had been occasions when a merger among three parties could take place when no one expected it.

With the excuse of contributing to democratization, if three parties that didn't fit together could unite, it might lead to the creation of a massive party that could exert pressure.

Only now did I begin to understand Yoon Chang-ho's strange behavior.

"Chairman, you should have informed me about such matters."

"Former President Choi implied that he knows you. He pressured me, saying I was your puppet."

"Do you really think so?"

Yoon Chang-ho shook his head slowly, meeting my gaze.

"No, I don't believe you would make me a puppet. As long as your endeavors don't interfere with me, I won't care what you do. Still, I couldn't afford to say that in front of him."

The specter of Cheongpung Group still loomed, complicating matters.

How could a person, who had lost most of his power base, bring together the Moderate Party's congressmen in such a short time?

It was impossible without help. Someone was clearly pulling the strings from behind.

"What do they want from you?"

"They demanded that I hold a proper primary after merging with the Conservative Party."

"…Will you?"

"Is there any alternative? If I refuse, 40% of the Moderate Party congressmen are set to defect to the Conservative Party. If that many congressmen defect at once, then my faction and this congressman's faction might feel insecure and betray me as well."

As Yoon Chang-ho said, if that many were to defect, and the Conservative and Progressive Parties merged, the ruling party would be theirs.

"You have their weaknesses, right?"

I held onto the weaknesses of most of the congressmen.

None of the congressmen of the Moderate Party and certainly not those from the Conservative or Progressive Parties had escaped my grasp.

However, those were cards I couldn't reveal. It was a double-edged sword that could threaten me too.

Of course, I had many other strengths, large and small.

"Yes. I have them."

"That's what scares them. They know you can grab their necks and shake them at any time."

I remained silent, staring at Yoon Chang-ho. Even under my cold gaze, he didn't stop talking.

"As you know, holding power over politicians is a double-edged sword. Plus, unlike Chairman Cheon, you wield that sword. It's no wonder they are terrified."

My grandfather never swung around the weaknesses of those in power or politicians.

Instead, he made requests. And they never refused his requests.

They thought they were being compensated while indulging his requests.

But my actions so far had been entirely different.

When I eliminated Cheongpung Group, I openly displayed wealth and power. As if that wasn't enough, I exposed the corruption of those who had allied with Cheongpung Group to the media and the prosecutors.

Up until now, I had trampled anyone who stood in my way.

It was only natural for politicians to fear me while simultaneously finding me an irritant.

Yet, it was hard to believe that the now obsolete figure of Choi Seon-man had gathered forces to become their focal point.

"If Former President Choi steps forward, a merger between the Conservative and Progressive Parties will surely be impossible. Don't you know how much the people of Honam, the base of the Progressive Party, curse him?"

"He doesn't seem inclined to step forward. He insists he'll be the mediator and coordinator among them."

I downed my cup of makgeolli in one go, yet my thirst remained unquenched.

'Should I have eliminated Choi Seon-man too?'

I shook my head, trying to quell the rising murderous intent inside me.

No matter how I saw it, killing a former president was a suicidal act.

I took a deep breath to calm my anger. Yoon Chang-ho remained silent for a while, perhaps sorting through his thoughts.

"So you planned to abandon me and shake hands with them, intending to become president through them?"

"Haha, so you think I'm a puppet too. This is amusing."

Yoon Chang-ho displayed a bitter smile. I knew well what he was feeling insecure about.

But that didn't grant him a pass. I continued to shoot cold words at him.

"Politicians have to pay a hefty price if they become indebted. That's how it's always been and how it will continue to be in the future. That's why I ensured you never had to ask anyone for favors. Now you're considering owing debts again? If you become president under these circumstances, they'll be screaming for their cut. Ultimately, you'll end up as a puppet for them, unable to act as you wish."

"…"

"You should have discussed this with me. How can I trust you now?"

Yoon Chang-ho shook his head, his face troubled.

"I know it sounds like an excuse, but I wanted to find out what they were plotting. I needed to know if they were really preparing to defect, and what they truly desired. Then I intended to talk to you. As I said before, I have no intention of letting go of your hand."

"Hmm…"

"Whether you believe it or not is your choice. But if you had to choose between me and Former President Choi, I would pick you."

Yoon Chang-ho, finishing his resolute statement, cast his eyes down.

I could not wholly trust his words.

"I can't trust what you're saying right now. My feelings of betrayal and disappointment are too strong."

"I understand."

"But I'll still try to trust you. Just tell me precisely who that heavyweight politician is that has partnered with Former President Choi."

Yoon Chang-ho disclosed the names of people he was aware of.

Heavyweight politicians from not only the Moderate Party, but also the Conservative Party and Progressive Party were involved.

The biggest shock was that lawmaker Huh Tae-min, the floor leader of the Progressive Party, was implicated.

"I can understand the Moderate and Conservative Parties, but I can't fathom why Huh Tae-min would join forces with them."

"I was surprised, too. If even lawmaker Huh Tae-min has allied with them, then a merger between the Progressive and Conservative Parties may indeed be possible. After all, lawmaker Huh Tae-min's faction is the largest in the Progressive Party."

Lawmaker Huh Tae-min was one of the strong presidential candidates from the Progressive Party.

In my past life, he ultimately fell short of becoming the presidential candidate due to the support of the public for Han Seung-ho, but he was still the leader of the largest faction in the Progressive Party.

"For now, you should continue meeting with them. I'll prepare a strategy. Find out what they're really thinking."

"Understood. I'll do just that."

Could it be that lawmaker Huh Tae-min had some dirt on Former President Choi?

It was an unexpected twist, but now that I knew, I could think of a countermeasure.

For now, I had to decide how to deal with Yoon Chang-ho.

I spoke firmly to Yoon Chang-ho, who was drinking makgeolli with a serious expression.

"After this issue is settled, if you become a presidential candidate, step down from the leadership of the party."

"…You."

Yoon Chang-ho was visibly taken aback, trailing off.

"I can't fully trust you anymore, Chairman."

"Didn't I explain everything? It's a misunderstanding."

"Still, I feel like I need some insurance. I think I'll need to put myself in a stronger position just in case you change your mind after becoming president. I have to keep something in hand."

I could see Yoon Chang-ho's hands shaking as he gripped the cup.

"If you're not having another thought, then there shouldn't be cause for worry. Do you have any hidden agendas?"

"Not at all."

"Then will you step down from your position?"

"…"

Yoon Chang-ho struggled to reply.

Even as the president, which granted immense power in Korea, if he didn't fully control the party, it would hinder effective governance.

Yoon Chang-ho understood better than anyone how much damage President Kim Hak-gwon had suffered due to the diminished authority of the National Assembly.

Thus, it was no surprise he reacted that way to my suggestion to relinquish control of the party.

But there were no other options. Aligning with Choi Seon-man would be worse than sticking with me.

"I understand. I will do it. Will you transfer the party leadership to this congressman?"

It was still too soon to place Myeong-su in charge. I shook my head.

"No. I won't put Myeong-su at the forefront yet."

"Hmm."

"Do you have someone in mind?"

"No, not yet. I haven't even considered stepping down from the leadership before now."

Under normal circumstances, Yoon Chang-ho would have entered the election with solid backing, so it was natural he hadn't contemplated it.

"I'll try my best to consider someone you'd recommend."

"I'll think it over."

"Understood. And as for Congressman Jung Chanseong's rescue, it'll be difficult. From tomorrow, the media will start digging into his corruption one by one. No one can stop that."

Yoon Chang-ho nodded, checked his watch, and then prepared to leave.

"I'll be on my way. It's getting pretty late."

"Okay, take care."

Even as Yoon Chang-ho got up to leave, I remained seated.

After hesitating for a moment, he turned his body and exited Grandma's house.

Once Yoon Chang-ho had left and I finished organizing my thoughts, I took one last drink before getting up.

"Let's leave as well. I think things are about to get busy from here on out."