Chapter 353
Chapter 353
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Battle of Nerves
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The director of the Joint Investigation Headquarters was amassing too much power.
“The Deputy Director is taking money from the chaebols?”
“That’s right, and there’s already a lot of discontent about it.”
At first, he intimidated people with his intelligence network, then monopolized the chaebols’ money pipeline.
Controlling the money flow.
What did that mean?
Choi Kyu-seok read the ambition in Bae Sung-jun’s actions to seize power.
The acting president felt the need, at this point, to cultivate a force to check Bae Sung-jun.
“Director Kim, try persuading the military properly.”
“As you command.”
Choi Kyu-seok’s choice was the military.
He would persuade Marshal Lee Seung-hwan, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Martial Law Commander, and place him on the scales against Bae Sung-jun.
As Choi Kyu-seok wished, Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Dong-su visited the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and demanded that he check Bae Sung-jun.
“Even if it’s just formal, under martial law, isn’t the Martial Law Commander the superior of the Joint Investigation Headquarters director?”
“That’s true. But I can’t control a deputy prime minister-level National Intelligence Service director.”
“We can’t just let Deputy Director Bae do whatever he wants.”
“If you feel that strongly, why not issue a personnel order from the Presidential Office?”
The president had the most powerful weapon: personnel authority.
But that authority was as good as useless.
In his position as acting president, dismissing high-ranking officials above minister level required Cabinet approval—and no Cabinet member was willing to sign off on it.
Most Cabinet members feared the power of the intelligence agencies under Bae Sung-jun’s control and were reluctant to oppose him.
“That won’t be easy.”
Lee Seung-hwan lit a cigarette at those words.
While he smoked, the presidential chief of staff waited silently for a response.
After a long pause, Lee Seung-hwan finally spoke.
“Director.”
“Please speak.”
“If the military intervenes in politics even once, the repercussions will be uncontrollable.”
“We’re prepared for that.”
Lee Seung-hwan met the chief of staff’s eyes, then nodded.
“If that’s Your Excellency’s will, I’ll follow orders.”
“Thank you, Chairman.”
The chief of staff was overjoyed, but Lee Seung-hwan felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
With this, the principle of military non-intervention in politics—upheld since the mid-term of Lee Sung-jun’s administration—had collapsed.
After seeing the chief of staff off, Lee Seung-hwan picked up the phone.
“Intelligence Command. Get me the Intelligence Commander.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“As Martial Law Commander, this is a direct order. Begin surveillance operations on Geumsusan and Deputy Director Bae Sung-jun immediately.”
“Understood.”
Lee Seung-hwan quickly dialed again.
“Provost Marshal’s Office. The Provost Marshal?”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“As Martial Law Commander, I order you: Begin surveillance on generals suspected of being recruited by Bae Sung-jun immediately.”
“Understood.”
Lee Seung-hwan issued orders not only to the Capital Defense Command but also to the police and prosecutors.
His directives were concise.
Do not obey orders from Geumsusan.
This was tantamount to the Martial Law Command stepping forward to check Geumsusan.
Word of the military’s moves reached Bae Sung-jun as well.
‘I expected it, but they’re moving fast.’
Considering Marshal Lee Seung-hwan’s temperament, he wouldn’t act this quickly.
After some thought, Bae Sung-jun picked up the phone.
“Capital Defense Command.”
Only after calling the Capital Defense Command to confirm did Bae Sung-jun learn that the presidential chief of staff had visited Marshal Lee Seung-hwan.
‘So that’s how it is.’
This was tantamount to a challenge from the president.
In that case, it was time to show his own blade.
First, crush the military that had bared its teeth.
Bae Sung-jun summoned his loyalists within the National Intelligence Service.
Given the opponent, he needed to sharpen his own blade as well.
The first order went to Colonel Ki Myung-su, appointed director of the Anti-Communist Investigation Bureau.
“Director Ki Myung-su.”
“Yes, Deputy Director.”
“For the Jang Dong-yoon assassination case, we need testimony from the Intelligence Commander. Go to his residence and bring him in immediately.”
“Understood.”
“Director Eom Ji-won.”
“Yes, Deputy Director.”
“Have the Media Operations Room ready to leak scenarios to the press as soon as they’re prepared.”
“Understood.”
“Domestic Operations Room—the Provost Marshal is the target. Grab him and transport him to the Anti-Communist Bureau immediately.”
“Understood.”
Of course, police were included in this arrest operation.
This was to show that the arrests were an extension of the “Jang Dong-yoon assassination case.”
“Deputy Director, what about the Martial Law Commander?”
To his subordinates’ question, Bae Sung-jun replied lowly.
“Leave him be.”
The Martial Law Commander couldn’t be touched without the defense minister’s and president’s approval.
If things went wrong, it could escalate to a coup situation, and in a military clash, the National Intelligence Service—lacking real troop mobilization capability—would be at an absolute disadvantage.
Bae Sung-jun had no intention of taking such a risk.
Rather than escalating danger unnecessarily, it was more rational to settle for cutting off the Martial Law Commander’s hands and feet.
“Then commence the operation.”
After ordering the operation to begin, Bae Sung-jun headed straight to the Prime Minister’s Residence, where the acting president was staying.
Since the president hadn’t yet entered the Blue House, security at the Prime Minister’s Residence was handled by the Military Police.
Bae Sung-jun was escorted by a military police lieutenant colonel to the residence office.
Choi Kyu-seok greeted him with a slightly fatigued face.
“Deputy Director Bae, what brings you here?”
“Yes. We’ve discovered new evidence related to President Jang’s assassination, so I’ve come to report it.”
“New evidence?”
Bae Sung-jun shoved the evidence collected by Geumsusan in front of Choi Kyu-seok.
Choi Kyu-seok felt an ominous premonition here.
The acting president took the thick file with trembling hands and flipped through the evidence one by one.
The name on the first page.
Lee Ki-cheol.
The moment he saw the Intelligence Commander’s name, Choi Kyu-seok realized the National Intelligence Service was about to bare its teeth at the Martial Law Command.
“This is evidence that the Intelligence Commander and Provost Marshal received money from Chae In-seop.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Bae Sung-jun didn’t lie with documents.
There was just one more fact he hadn’t revealed.
That the one who gave them the money wasn’t Chae In-seop, but Jang Dong-yoon.
Of course, what money did Chae In-seop have to hand out massive sums to generals?
Truth be told, Bae Sung-jun himself was one of those who had received money that way.
Then he pinned it on them.
Pot calling the kettle black.
It was sordid, but effective.
“Deputy Director Bae, this seems to need verification of the facts.”
Pretending calm, Choi Kyu-seok decided to buy time first.
Bae Sung-jun nodded at his words.
“Yes. That’s why I’ve ordered them brought to the investigation room.”
Choi Kyu-seok froze at Bae Sung-jun’s nonchalant reply.
“You issued arrest orders for the Intelligence Commander and Provost Marshal without even reporting to me?”
To the question laced with bewilderment, Bae Sung-jun replied matter-of-factly.
“They’re suspects in the presidential assassination.”
Absurdly, Bae Sung-jun always had a justification for anything.
Investigating the truth of the Jang Dong-yoon case.
Swinging the all-purpose pretext of case investigation justified everything.
“If we don’t cleanly resolve the suspicions in this case, the public won’t accept it.”
As long as the all-purpose tool of the Jang Dong-yoon assassination investigation remained in Bae Sung-jun’s hands, checking him was practically impossible.
Choi Kyu-seok admitted he had bared his teeth too hastily.
“Will you approve it?”
Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Dong-su, who had been watching from the side, quickly intervened.
“Your Excellency, you can’t do that.”
The chief of staff believed that backing down here would make it impossible to control Bae Sung-jun.
His judgment was correct, but the picture was too unfavorable.
In this situation, fighting held no chance of victory.
Once Choi Kyu-seok signed the document, Bae Sung-jun rose from his seat with a smiling face.
“Thank you, Your Excellency. We’ll investigate thoroughly to ensure no innocents suffer.”
Those words sounded like a vow to kill the Provost Marshal and Intelligence Commander.
Choi Kyu-seok bit his lip and waved him off.
The arrest teams under Bae Sung-jun’s orders soon visited the Intelligence Command and Provost Marshal’s residences, capturing them.
Intelligence Commander Lee Ki-cheol felt shock when he faced Geumsusan’s arrest team.
“You bastards dare. I’m the Army Intelligence Commander.”
“What’s so great about that title? Take him away!”
Geumsusan’s agents casually grabbed the commander and dragged him to the car.
“Director, what do we do?”
“What can we do? It’s Geumsusan.”
The soldiers guarding the commander couldn’t lift a finger until he was loaded into the car.
The name Geumsusan.
Almost no one could act rashly before that name.
Only after the generals were taken did they snap to their senses and call the top brass.
Even Joint Chiefs Chairman Marshal Lee Seung-hwan learned of it late.
“Connect me to Deputy Director Bae Sung-jun!”
The marshal shed his gentlemanly demeanor and bellowed first.
“Deputy Director wanted. Deputy Director wanted.”
Bae Sung-jun received the Joint Chiefs Chairman’s call while riding in his car.
“What is it, Chairman?”
“Deputy Director Bae, have you lost your mind? How dare you arrest the Army Intelligence Commander and Provost Marshal without my consent!”
When Lee Seung-hwan dropped the formalities, Bae Sung-jun wiped the smile from his face and replied.
“Chairman, this is Joint Investigation Headquarters business. Do I need your consent to arrest and investigate suspects?”
“Don’t play word games. The Martial Law Command has authority over the Joint Investigation Headquarters!”
“Don’t forget that the National Intelligence Service director isn’t subordinate to the Martial Law Commander by org chart.”
One way or another, Bae Sung-jun had pretexts to strike his opponents.
Without removing the blade called the Joint Investigation Headquarters, opposing him was impossible.
Lee Seung-hwan ground his teeth and hung up.
Having ended the call, Bae Sung-jun leaned back leisurely in his seat.
“Deputy Director, will the Joint Chiefs Chairman back down just like that?”
“If he doesn’t, what choice does he have?”
What pretext did the Joint Chiefs Chairman have to block an investigation?
Bae Sung-jun knew from the timing of the call that his opponent was on the defensive.
‘The military and government aren’t my match right now.’
As long as the Joint Investigation Headquarters endured, Bae Sung-jun was practically the most powerful man in Korea.
But this abnormal power, leveraged from the president’s incapacitation, couldn’t last forever.
Before it ended, he had to transform the temporary power of Joint Investigation Headquarters director into solid, real authority.
Bae Sung-jun was well aware of that fact.
His gaze, fixed out the window, gleamed sharper than ever.