Power & Sex, and... 72

0119

“How can you talk about bringing in yet another person at this stage? Does that even make sense?”

“Don't you have any confidence in yourself? From what I see, a little effort on your part would be more than enough. Even first-term Assemblyman Park Seong-hwan understands, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so how can you, Supreme Committee Member Jeong, act like this?”

“I'm against it, period. It's not like anyone who wants to can just run for Supreme Committee member.”

“Assemblyman, that's going a bit too far. And we're not gathering here to force you into the Supreme Committee race—we're just like-minded people teaming up for this leadership election, aren't we?”

As expected, Supreme Committee Member Jeong Sang-won's opposition was fierce. But compared to him—with his vulnerabilities, a ticking bomb that could end his game in an instant (though the timer was in my hands)—Assemblyman Han Seong-su, still colorless ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and odorless, was the safer partner for me. From what had been revealed so far, Han also seemed far more loyal than Jeong. If this guy kept stubbornly clinging to his own ideas, I figured it was time to cut him loose.

But while I had Kim Seong-gap and Jeong Sang-won on a tight leash I could control anytime, Han Seong-su was different. If he rebelled, I'd have nothing to rein him in, which carried its own risks.

“Supreme Committee Member Jeong!”

I needed to rein in his fierce rebellion, so I hardened my face and called him in a firm voice.

“Yes. Go ahead. I'm listening.”

“Are you planning to break ties with me?”

“……”

“If you're set on parting ways, feel free to leave right now. But if you want to stick together, trust me and just follow my lead!”

As long as I held that file—what could be called a sex scandal dossier—neither Kim Seong-gap nor Jeong Sang-won could escape my grasp. It wouldn't just spell their political doom; it'd make them finger-pointing spectacles to the world and objects of disgust even to their own families.

Under my strong tone, Jeong finally raised the white flag. He had no choice anyway—even if he lost the Supreme Committee race in this party convention, there was nothing he could do about it. I soothed Jeong while giving Kim Seong-gap a wake-up call and reminding Park Seong-hwan once more that I wasn't someone to trifle with.

“Supreme Committee Member Jeong, if you run, how many assemblymen would support you?”

“Most of the ones who helped last time have promised to do so again.”

“Add half of the National Assembly Reform Alliance members to that, and you're golden for election, right?”

“Mathematically, yes, but elections are always a roll of the dice—you never know until the lid's off.”

“True enough. So, how much more would it take to make victory certain?”

“If I could lock in solid bloc votes from three or four district delegate groups, that'd do it.”

I paused after hearing him out, then spoke again.

“What if the assemblymen who declared no-run for the next general election helped out?”

“If even half of them backed me, it'd be a total rout.”

“Including Assemblyman Han Seong-su, right?”

“Yes. They hold nearly half the party's shares anyway.”

“So there's nothing to worry about.”

“Pardon?”

Jeong stared blankly at my words, while Kim Seong-gap watched me with a look that said he had a rough idea. That's when Park Seong-hwan spoke up.

“Are those guys connected to you, Assemblyman? Not the administration?”

“Yes!”

No more words were needed. These were the old-timers who'd clung to their National Assembly seats generation after generation—or at least until they were too decrepit to move—yet they'd collectively declared no-run for the next general election in the name of party reform. To ordinary citizens, it might've seemed refreshing, but to anyone in the political trenches, it was incomprehensible. All we could do was vaguely speculate that the current administration had some dirt on them, since they'd gone quiet about it.

Now that I'd laid that bare, none of them would dare rebel. Up until now, they knew Kim Seong-gap and Jeong Sang-won had their weaknesses (plus the party leader's), and Park Seong-hwan only knew about the party leader's. But realizing I held the key to that group no-run declaration from most of our party's heavyweights? That had to be twisting their heads into knots—wondering if teaming ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up with me was a smart move or a fatal mistake.

Whatever they thought, the end result was they'd see me as a scary bastard. Minus the one card I'd burned to shake them up, it wasn't a big loss.

“Supreme Committee Member Jeong, quit worrying and trust Assemblyman Park here—let's go forward together.”

Kim Seong-gap drove the nail in for the hesitant Jeong. From his perspective, Kim's words must've been music to his ears. He couldn't bolt, and he'd already said his piece. Best to wrap it up here.

“Then I'll take that as your agreement, and we'll bring in Assemblyman Han too.”

“Fine!”

Kim Seong-gap and Park Seong-hwan agreed readily, and Jeong muttered his assent low. I proposed calling Han right then. Moments later, Han Seong-su rushed in like a shot. Despite Park Seong-hwan being a first-termer, Han openly pledged his loyalty. Either this guy had a flair for showmanship, or he was fully submitting—positioning himself as the first to bow to me, the latecomer, to solidify his spot in the emerging hierarchy.

Whether spurred by Han's display or not, Kim Seong-gap and the other two looked reluctant but adopted submissive postures. Han's move had created a natural atmosphere for me to handle them more smoothly going forward.

“Alright, let's call it for today. We'll hold the election strategy headquarters opening on Monday. Get your dispatched staff to report straight to the strategy office starting tomorrow morning.”

With that, I parted ways and headed back to the office.

“Did the talk go well?”

“Yes. Supreme Committee Member Jeong Sang-won will gripe, but he'll follow the tide—what choice does he have? I've told them to send people to the strategy office tomorrow morning, so handle the controls, Chief.”

“About the nationwide tour, Assemblyman.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Other regions can be delegated, but how about handling Honam yourself?”

I could guess Kim Sil-jang's intent. The other areas were just carve-ups with no better options, but Honam—our party's stronghold and cradle—could be monopolized if played right. He wanted me to invest there.

If my goal was just reelection in Busan, tending my own district would suffice. But for bigger dreams, solid backing from Honam was essential. His advice was spot on, a hundred times over.

“Got plans tonight?”

“No, why?”

“Wanna go on a date, just us two.”

I called Eun-mi to set up dinner. Lately, I'd been neglecting her, and the other day with Suji left me feeling guilty too. We made plans, and I left the office early. I stopped at a flower shop in Yeongdeungpo for a bouquet of mist flowers she loved.

“What's this? Flowers?”

“You said you liked these.”

“Thank you~”

She beamed, taking the bouquet like a kid with a new toy. I idly wondered which of the mist flower's many meanings fit her, while sensing her image aligned closely with the flower itself.

“Dinner ideas?”

“Nothing in particular. Pick wherever you want.”

I was too lazy to think, so we headed to one of her usual spots. Pork belly crossed my mind, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but she preferred beef, and I needed the energy boost anyway—Hanwoo bulgogi it was.

Early evening, the place was quiet with few customers. We settled in a room per the server's guide, devouring the grilled meat she cooked while chatting about the new headquarters construction progress and my old unit I'd visit over the weekend. Dinner was relaxed.

“Wanna head out somewhere farther?”

“Why? Where to?”

“We met early, got time—how about Chungcheong Province?”

“You're tired; don't push it. Let's just drive to the outskirts, get some air, then head back.”

“Trying to get home already?”

“Yeah, you drained yourself with Suji the other day.”

“……”

Her instincts were sharp as ever. Meeting early made jumping straight to a room feel off, so I'd planned air first then hotel—but she deftly sidestepped.

“What? Uncomfortable?”

“Not that—you've been stressed lately. And that girl Suji had no shame stressing you more. I don't wanna drain you too.”

“Don't you wanna?”

“Of course I do. But satisfying my urges at your expense? No way.”

Truth be told, her body in her forties probably craved sex more than Suji's, yet she'd kept refusing bed. Her stance was firm, so I drove toward Paju instead. Roads there were clear, easy driving.