Angora Rabbits

The Angora rabbit venture went forward without a hitch. Even the finicky inspections and approvals that came with importing live animals were cleared in a single stroke, thanks to officials who knew the shipments were a Liberal Party project. Things moved so briskly that Ki-jo caught himself wondering, So this is how collusion between politics and business is born?

The day after the first lot of some thousand rabbits came in, he loaded them onto a truck and set out for Icheon, to stand with Lee Ki-poong at a ceremony handing the animals out to farm households.

Lee Ki-poong had gathered Icheon's agency chiefs and local notables before the county office, and there he launched into a speech. He praised the Syngman Rhee regime, reminded the crowd that he was the administration's second man, and piled boast upon boast before pledging that the Angora Rabbit Farming project would do its part for Icheon's economy. His true mind showed only at the close.

Applause broke out, the crowd glad to welcome the regime's number two into Icheon, but Ki-jo felt nothing but bitterness. Through Won Tae-sik he had been steadily gathering word of the Dongdaemun Gang's movements, half-expecting Kwak Young-joo to pass Lee Ki-poong's intentions along to Lee Jeong-jae. No such kindness, and no such consideration, was to be looked for.

Lee Jeong-jae seemed not to know Lee Ki-poong's design at all. The only thing out of the ordinary to reach Ki-jo was news that Kwak Young-joo and Lim Hwa-soo were sitting down to drink together more often than before. Kwak was one matter. Lim Hwa-soo, too, was telling Jeong-jae nothing.

As things stood, the speech Lee Ki-poong had made in Icheon would soon be in Lee Jeong-jae's ear, and how he would move was as plain as a fire. His devotion had always been braided with his own profit, but he had served Lee Ki-poong like a father. Just as in the history Ki-jo already knew, he would not be able to master the sense of betrayal.

When the speech was over, Ki-jo and Ma-ryang stayed on in Icheon to settle contracts with the farm households. The Liberal Party had advertised the rabbits as a free gift, but in truth Ki-jo and the farmers had to sign rearing agreements. The animals cost them nothing either way, and the farmers were not inclined to quibble.

He made certain they understood the terms. They were to raise the rabbits in good faith. Any young the animals produced would belong to Cheongsan, and only Cheongsan would be allowed to buy the wool. If a rabbit died, no one would be held to account; but a household that proved unfit to raise them would have the animals taken back.

One farmer, having heard him out, asked a question.

"So what you're telling us is, we're tenant-farming the rabbits?"

"Yes. That's right."

The question let the rest of them grasp the contract at once.

On the way up to Seoul, once the work in Icheon was finished, Ki-jo told Ma-ryang how both Lee Ki-poong and Lee Jeong-jae were caught up in the contest for the district, and how the rabbit business had drawn him in as well.

Ma-ryang heard the story ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and asked.

"Want me to get you a pistol?"

"A pistol?"

"Yes. Back when I was helping Assemblyman Kim Doo-han with the Jongno Faction, I found out where to buy one."

In the 1950s, every well-known politician, entertainer, businessman, soldier, and policeman kept at least one illegal handgun somewhere in the house. The war was not long over, so even ordinary people had little trouble laying hands on a gun, and in times that rough a weapon for self-defense was popular.

"I don't think I'll be needing one."

Ki-jo drew a firm line at keeping a pistol.

"There are plenty of people to look after me, so don't worry. We've got Superintendent Kwak Young-joo, and Assemblyman Kim Doo-han besides."

He did not expect Lee Jeong-jae's fury to reach as far as himself. It would fall first on Lee Ki-poong, and next on Kwak Young-joo. The betrayal was Ki-poong's, and if Jeong-jae lashed back, Kwak would be the one to put him down. Ki-jo was tied to the Icheon rabbit project, true enough, but he believed Jeong-jae would understand that much. Angora rabbit farming was a nationwide undertaking.

The moment he returned to Cheongsan headquarters, the trouble he had feared was waiting. Dae-ik, standing out front, reported what had happened while he was gone.

"Mr. Kim Tae-ryeon and Mr. Lim Hwa-soo are in your office. They came half an hour ago and said they had to speak with you."

Hearing it, Ki-jo decided first to keep Ma-ryang clear of Lim Hwa-soo.

"You go wait at my sister-in-law's factory."

"Brother, I'll go in with you."

"You think the two of them mean to do me harm? No. There's no need for that. If they meant me harm, they wouldn't have come together."

The pairing of Kim Tae-ryeon with Lim Hwa-soo set him at ease. Had Yoo Ji-gwang come with Kim Tae-ryeon, he would have been on edge. Those two were Lee Jeong-jae's right hands, a team that went about together whenever ugly work had to be done. Lim Hwa-soo never stepped into anything that might cost him. He and Lim lived off each other, and Ki-jo did not believe the man would come in person to strike at him. Lim Hwa-soo was practically a symbol of peace. Most likely he had come to watch what Ki-jo said to Kim Tae-ryeon about Kwak Young-joo.

Ma-ryang, who could hardly know their inner workings as Ki-jo did, dug in his heels.

"I'll wait outside your office."

Ki-jo coaxed him gently.

"Have a few of the Angora rabbits that are left made ready. When this is finished, let's take the family out to Byeokje."

"You mean Auntie's house?"

"Yes. We never did manage to visit over the Lunar New Year, did we? We'll go, and take them some rabbits while we're at it."

As they talked, Ma-ryang seemed to feel that Ki-jo truly was calm, and his own nerves settled. Watching him, Ki-jo smiled faintly. Ma-ryang's strength was something to trust as a last resort, but if he used that strength the wrong way, he could raise a great deal of trouble.

Ki-jo sent him off to Yongsan and went into the office alone. He opened the door and met the grave eyes of Kim Tae-ryeon—the man called Falling Blossoms, Flowing Water—and of Lim Hwa-soo.

"Good afternoon."

At the sight of him Kim Tae-ryeon let out a sigh, while Lim Hwa-soo sent a look that said, It's nothing. Don't worry.

When Ki-jo had taken the sofa across from them, Kim Tae-ryeon spoke. His voice was hard.

"What were you doing in Icheon today?"

Ki-jo answered calmly.

"I'll explain it to Brother Jeong-jae myself. Take me to him."

At those words Lim Hwa-soo's face said, Don't, President Lee.

"Tell me first. Brother is very angry, so you may not get a proper chance to explain. I'll speak for you."

Kim Tae-ryeon said it quietly, as a man of learning would.

Ki-jo laid out for him how he had come to take up the Angora rabbit business with Lee Ki-poong.

"I was making the rounds of the government offices to get the rabbit business started, when Chairman Lee Ki-poong sent for me..."

Kim Tae-ryeon grasped the situation at once.

"I see, President Lee."

He nodded, and then a keen light came into his eyes.

"When you met Chairman Lee, was the Superintendent with you?"

It seemed to be the very thing Lee Jeong-jae most wanted to know.

"No. I went to see him by myself."

At the answer Lim Hwa-soo nodded and smiled at Ki-jo. It appeared to be the reply he had wanted.

"Is that so? You didn't catch any hint of it?"

"I'm sorry. All I thought was that the business would go more easily, thanks to Chairman Lee..."

"And Chairman Lee didn't say, then, that he meant to do business in Icheon?"

"No. He only said the Liberal Party had been looking for a project to run in the countryside ahead of the general election, and that I happened to catch their eye. I'd been asking the offices for help so often that I assumed word had simply reached the Chairman."

Kim Tae-ryeon nodded. Beside him, while he sat sorting through his thoughts, Lim Hwa-soo wore a sly, satisfied grin and tipped Ki-jo the smallest wink. His face said the answers had been very well given.

"President Lee has no interest in politics, so he must simply have done what the Chairman wanted... But did the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Superintendent truly not know? You didn't talk this over with him? There was no call from him after you met Chairman Lee?"

He kept circling back to Kwak Young-joo, unconvinced.

"On that point I can speak with certainty. The Superintendent would not have known. I myself only got the call this morning, loaded the rabbits, and left for Icheon."

Ki-jo did his best to shield Kwak Young-joo. Whether it was the manner or the answers, Lim Hwa-soo looked entirely at ease—a stark contrast to Kim Tae-ryeon sitting beside him.

"What if I tried to arrange a meeting? If there's a misunderstanding between the Superintendent and Brother Jeong-jae, wouldn't it be better for them to meet and clear it up themselves?"

Kim Tae-ryeon shook his head.

"Not for now. The news from Icheon has put Brother Jeong-jae in a very bad mood. Meeting as things stand won't do either of them any good."

"I understand."

Ki-jo nodded. Kim Tae-ryeon asked what sort of reception Lee Ki-poong had received in Icheon, and Ki-jo told him just as it had been. The face of Falling Blossoms, Flowing Water darkened further.

"If he calls for you later, come and tell Brother Jeong-jae once more."

"I will."

Kim Tae-ryeon and Lim Hwa-soo got to their feet. When Ki-jo had finished shaking Kim Tae-ryeon's hand, Lim clapped him on the shoulder and slipped a word into his ear.

"Nice work."

Ki-jo gave a slight nod.

Only long after he had seen them off did he let out a sigh. If Lee Jeong-jae was whetting a knife, the edge did not look likely to turn his way.

He gathered his thoughts and put a call through to Kwak Young-joo.

"Brother, it's me. Lee Ki-jo."

Ki-jo told him, leaving nothing out, about the visit from Kim Tae-ryeon and Lim Hwa-soo.

The voice was entirely too much at ease.

"Have you had a word with Brother Jeong-jae?"

Now the voice had gone cold. Policeman and gangster they might be, yet for years Kwak Young-joo and Lee Jeong-jae had lived as elder brother and younger. Kwak knew full well how much work Jeong-jae had sunk into Icheon, and he could see exactly how shocked and enraged the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠man would be if Lee Ki-poong snatched the district from him. Even so, he kept up the pose that the likes of Lee Jeong-jae were none of his concern.

"Don't you think Brother Jeong-jae will come looking for you?"

"Well..."

"Yes, Brother."

He was not truly worried. He only felt that Kwak, as a man, was treating Jeong-jae with too little regard. Even so, he put on a show of fear.

"I am afraid, Brother. That's why I'm thinking of lying low with my family."

The laughter ran on for a long while.

"I must frighten easily."

When Ki-jo kept laying the fear on thick, Kwak asked.

"Byeokje Township, Goyang County."

"Thank you, Brother!"

Ki-jo gave him the address. He had played the frightened man and passed along every word of his talk with Kim Tae-ryeon, so he trusted that Kwak, for his part, would say he had not been in the room when the matter was discussed with Lee Ki-poong.

He hung up and waited. When no word came from Jeong-jae's side or from Kwak's, he telephoned the confectionery factory in Yongsan.

"Bring my sister-in-law and come to the house. We're going to Byeokje."

He said it to Ma-ryang, then rose from his seat. He judged there was almost no chance that he or his family would be hurt over this. Still, if the danger was one in a thousand, or one in ten thousand, he wanted it gone.

When he reached home he told Sunrye they ought to go to Byeokje. The sudden proposal made her ask.

"Has something happened at Auntie's?"

"No, nothing like that. I just feel sorry we've never once been to see them since we married. I'd like to visit, and take them a few Angora rabbits."

"Ah... yes. I'll get ready."

Sunrye set about the sudden outing without a murmur of complaint. With Yeongeun and Yeongsu to ready, there was a fair amount to do.

Ki-jo picked up the rabbit hutch from the yard and carried it outside to load into the car. While he was putting it in the jeep, Ma-ryang arrived with Soon-young. Told they were going to see the aunt and uncle she had thought of as parents since she was small, she seemed glad of it. She climbed out and spoke to Ki-jo.

"Brother-in-law, are those Angora rabbits easy to raise?"

"They'll grow just fine, so long as a weasel or a badger doesn't break into the hutch."

Soon-young looked over the rabbits he had loaded, then went into the house. Left alone with Ki-jo, Ma-ryang asked.

"Did it all get settled?"

"I don't think there'll be any trouble."

The two of them lit cigarettes. History, it seemed, would run on just as it had.

Lee Jeong-jae's anger would turn on Lee Ki-poong, and toward Kwak Young-joo he would feel a deep, bitter letdown. Ki-jo had worked hard to insist that Kwak had not known ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ki-poong was eyeing Icheon, but Jeong-jae seemed convinced the man could not have been ignorant. In the end, Lee Jeong-jae would drift from the center of power.

What stood out in the midst of it was how quickly Kwak Young-joo and Lim Hwa-soo had drawn close. The two of them already seemed to be bracing for what lay ahead. If Jeong-jae pushed back hard against Lee Ki-poong, Kwak would cast him off and set Lim Hwa-soo in his place as boss of the Dongdaemun Gang. Ki-jo could feel as much in Lim Hwa-soo's manner, and in Lee Jeong-jae's.

When the family came out, Ki-jo and Ma-ryang started the car and set off for Byeokje.