Chapter 97
Chapter 97
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: The Greatest Show (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The curtain rose on the stage.
Spotlights poured down from above and burst from distant cameras.
Artificial lights directed at me. But at the very center of those lights were gazes.
The cold, scrutinizing eyes of the audience watching this show, now with a new protagonist.
“I’m Han Seo-jun from Ammunition Group. Nice to meet you.”
A stiff, dry, slightly hoarse greeting. Not even the usual polite applause—just a frigid response.
My only props on this stage were the microphone in my right hand and the remote in my left.
I turned my eyes to the blank white screen like a fresh sheet of paper and dove straight into the presentation.
“Before I begin, I have to say I was a bit surprised myself. I was… caught off guard, you see.”
Like tossing a stone onto ice frozen solid over a river, I began to stir the tilted atmosphere.
Was it because this move was unexpected?
The attention of the dozens of spectators gathered here—and no doubt the millions, tens of millions watching through the cameras—focused on me in an instant.
Unmissable timing. I immediately pressed a button on the remote in my left hand.
“First, Ms. Seo Yun-ji, CEO of SA-Cheolhwa Tekwin, who presented earlier. Coincidentally, what she talked about overlaps almost entirely with what Ammunition Group is bringing.”
Slides advanced one by one, matching the slow presses of the button.
An integrated battlefield sharing system, from foot soldiers to top command at headquarters.
Even the detailed graphics and operations were identical to Seo Yun-ji’s earlier performance. It felt like déjà vu.
“That’s why I have nothing more to say. Battlefield visualization, integrated troop management, centralized supply systems. It’s all the same thing.”
“Ahem… Excuse me, Chairman Han!”
A thud from the mic, followed by a raspy voice from the VIP seats.
The one rudely interrupting mid-presentation was none other than Minister of National Defense Ham Pung-deok.
Like he’d caught me red-handed, he bellowed at me—but his eyes were on the camera lens.
Deliberately… so blatantly staged, an obvious act.
“Is that how the presenting side shows manners? Even if you copied someone else, at least put in some effort!”
Ham Pung-deok’s shout was worthless.
Ignoring his noisy rant completely, I turned my gaze to the back of the VIP seats.
Coincidentally, Yoon Hak-gil and Seo Yun-ji sat side by side.
“…….”
How did they interpret my silence?
Their expressions shifted from blank to ecstatic in a flash.
Their eyes gleamed as if they’d leap up any second to declare victory, roaring at me.
‘We won…! If we sacrifice that bastard Han Seo-jun here today, everything we want will be in our grasp.’
Pathetic, puffed up with hope, oblivious to the fate awaiting them. I found it quite amusing.
I just smirked and shook my head.
Ham Pung-deok, seeing that, ramped up his attack, his yells echoing through the hall.
“Chairman Han! Can’t you hear the minister speaking? Plagiarism and now no response! What kind of attitude is this!”
“It seems my presentation has offended you, Minister.”
“It’s not about my feelings! The whole nation is watching! If you’re going to act like this, just withdraw the bid! I can’t believe…!”
A show of humiliation disguised as scolding.
He wanted to be a congressman, so he must’ve dug up some similar videos.
Of course… the imitation was so lowbrow and laughable it didn’t faze me one bit.
“You’re right, Minister.”
“Exactly! I’m right… Wait, what? Chairman Han?”
“In front of the whole nation, I nearly overlooked something important.”
The atmosphere on stage flipped in an instant.
The set background behind me shifted with a creak, like poorly meshed gears turning.
The first to notice the change wasn’t the dazed Ham Pung-deok.
It was Yoon Hak-gil, Director of the National Security Office, instinctively raising his hand to cut off my next words.
“Chairman Han. If you have nothing more to say, please step down now…”
“No. There’s one crucial part left. An IT solution that can easily cure a chronic illness of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.”
“Wait! That part should be discussed in private…!”
His face turned sheet-white.
Cold sweat trickled down the forehead of this man who’d rolled through politics for decades.
He couldn’t explain it fully, but he felt it in his bones—his carefully set equation was spitting out the wrong result.
But… he couldn’t stop me. Not with all those camera lenses sparkling like stars, and the eyes of people watching every moment vividly beyond them.
“Then I’ll present it right now. The system developed in-house by Ammunition Group.”
Click. I firmly pressed the remote in my left hand.
The blank screen transformed, numbers and functions filling it, capturing the audience’s eyes.
A plain, unflashy background—boring, even.
But… with one gesture from me, that monotony exploded into dynamism.
Presenting an unforgivable scene right before the audience’s eyes.
“The real-time demonstration of the military supply corruption auto-detection AI. The example case… modernization of barracks for soldiers. Better known as the 6-trillion-won bed scandal.”
* * * *
Blue House, Presidential Office.
The president loosened his tight necktie a bit and paced the room restlessly.
Full spring now. For a politician, the changing season meant the upcoming by-elections were one step closer.
An outdoor table and chairs on the blue lawn.
After sipping bitter green tea, the president’s eyes fell on the front-page headlines of major dailies.
-[Hanseong Ilbo] Massive military supply scandal exposed in National Defense Ministry new weapon bidding! The bed controversy erupts out of nowhere?
-[Naeil Economy] Made in China quality, Made in France price? Suspicious bed costs caught by IT tech.
Whoosh, a sudden spring breeze carried the newspaper away.
The president, with his mild expression, ignored the mishap and smiled at the man before him.
Infusing it with his signature look of disappointment.
“Heh heh, Yoon Hak-gil. Even you make mistakes, huh? I’m seeing you in a new light.”
“…I apologize, Mr. President. I can’t even offer an excuse.”
“Excuse? Life happens. These things come up. Of course.”
He uncrossed his legs, turned to face Yoon Hak-gil.
Sweeping back his graying hair, he spoke in a voice a notch lower than usual.
“Responsibility for what’s happened lies entirely with you—no need for me to spell that out.”
“You’re… absolutely right.”
“Good. Now that you know. Since it’s come to this, one question.”
The spring breeze blew again, this time chilling Yoon Hak-gil’s lungs.
A silence that felt eternal.
The president gathered his thoughts and slowly opened his mouth, resolute.
“With this bed scandal—and the highly likely fallout into the National Defense Ministry new weapon procurement—you think you can shoulder the responsibility if you push ahead as you please?”
“That’s…”
“Tsk tsk tsk. Really, now.”
The moment he hesitated, the chance vanished.
A disappointed click of the tongue rang in Yoon Hak-gil’s ears.
“To keep the fire from spreading, better to demolish the burning house. Don’t let one small house drag down the whole village.”
The president’s mind was already made up.
Ahead of the election, don’t escalate. Yoon Hak-gil could only squeeze his eyes shut.
His vague dreams of being the president’s shadow deflated.
“I’ll ensure the new weapon development proceeds… fairly, sir.”
“Keep it quiet. We can source election funds elsewhere—just stay out of nominations from now on.”
The flower of elections: nomination rights.
Yoon Hak-gil was instantly cast away from that sweet thorny club.
His slumped back looked like a defeated dog limping with wounds.
“Perfect timing, sir. We have cause to cut Yoon Hak-gil down in one stroke.”
The president gazed at the departing Yoon Hak-gil.
At some point, Blue House Policy Director Park Dong-hee stood beside him.
Ever at odds with National Security Director Yoon Hak-gil, he smirked at his rival’s downfall.
“Arrogant to a fault.”
“Self-destruction. He’s always been greedy. But something… feels off.”
“Sir, Yoon Hak-gil saving the young lady’s life—that’s been repaid plenty over the years…!”
Fearing a shift in power, Policy Director Park Dong-hee jumped in to persuade.
As if seeing through him, the president waved dismissively, cutting him off.
“No, not that. It feels like I’m dancing on someone’s palm here.”
“…Sir?”
The president stood.
In the garden with a cool breeze rustling the pines, he stroked a trunk just like him.
“Someone’s holding an invisible blade to my neck. If I don’t cut Yoon Hak-gil, it’ll leave a scar of defeat in the by-elections.”
He extended his pine-scented palm.
Catching on quick, Policy Director Park Dong-hee carefully placed a file on it.
A dossier on the audacious man who’d pressed a blade to the neck of the nation’s top power to achieve his goal.
“Young. No, too young.”
“He’s a bit short on years to lead a chaebol group…”
“That makes it more interesting. This Han Seo-jun—I think I’ll meet him soon.”
The president’s lips curved, as if plotting something fun.
Hands behind his back, heading to the annex, a casual, gruff remark slipped out.
“Pass this on as is. Let’s grab a meal sometime.”