Power & Sex, and... 92
Because he'd been in such a rush that morning, he'd only met with Chairman Lee Hoejang and hadn't even stopped by Eun-mi's office before heading to Yeouido. After roughly handling affairs at the election headquarters office, he headed back to Guro.
"I thought you'd gone down already."
"I was in a hurry this morning."
"How's it going?"
"I've barely circled Busan once and hit the western Gyeongnam area. Too early to tell."
"Anyway, that mobile bath vehicle thing was a solid idea."
"It fell right into my lap by accident. Jeong-ah really stepped up. So, how far along is the construction?"
"The frame's done, walls are up, partitions too. Just interiors left."
"Yeah. Kim Sajang's really pushing hard."
"Anyway, it should be finished before your party's convention."
It was insanely fast. It felt like Kim Sajang's company was pouring every ounce of its capability into building the Ara Entertainment headquarters. Eun-mi's work was progressing smoothly too, so there was nothing for him to worry about. Not that he could've done much anyway—he was a total outsider when it came to the entertainment agency business.
He considered looking for Suji in Eun-mi's office but thought better of it and called her instead, saying he was leaving without seeing her face. Then he headed to Ilwon-dong. Being back in Seoul after a few days meant a pile of things to catch up on. Of course, even when he was in Seoul, he'd pretty much left it all to Im Bi-seo because of the convention prep.
"Where are you right now, Im Bi-seo?"
"In front of the hospital."
He arrived at the coffee shop where Im Bi-seo was waiting and saw him sitting across from Sin Hye, both with coffees in front of them. The two young people looked picture-perfect together.
"I send this guy out to work, and he's off sweet-talking patients on dates."
"Huh? Congressman, how'd you get here so fast?"
"Hello."
As he walked in with the tease, Im Bi-seo and Sin Hye spotted him and stood to greet him. Hospital life could've worn her down, but maybe having a handsome guy her age around had brought some color back to her cheeks.
"Your father's in his room?"
"Yes. He just finished tests and is resting."
"Not too tough on you, Im Bi-seo? Want me to switch you out?"
"Ah, no. Not tough at all!"
Im Bi-seo jumped at his words, waving his hands frantically, and Sin Hye's face seemed to cloud over just a bit. Looked like they'd grown pretty close in the meantime.
"Tell me if it gets tough. I'll swap you with someone else."
"It's not tough at all. I'll stick with him until the surgery and discharge."
"Hospital stints are killer on guardians, though. Sin Hye, you okay with Im Bi-seo?"
"……."
Sin Hye just bowed her head, silent.
"Hmm. Guess having a guy around makes you uncomfortable. Sorry about that."
"No, Congressman, I'm not uncomfortable at all."
In the end, even Sin Hye played along with his joke. He was tempted to tease the young couple more, but with no time to spare, he let it drop.
"Surgery scheduled?"
"Yes. Four weeks from now."
"They're backed up that much?"
"That's part of it, but her father's condition isn't stabilized yet."
"He eating okay?"
"Yes. He's been eating well, all balanced lately."
"Anyway, Im Bi-seo, keep taking good care of things. Don't skimp on money."
The real reason he'd brought it up was simple. Last month's card statements were way too low for three people.
"Congressman, you sure you're not spending too much on us?"
"Sin Hye, Im Bi-seo—you're both from Jeolla, right? You might not get us Gyeongsang folk, so let me explain. We've got this saying in Gyeongsang—sorry if it sounds harsh to you, Sin Hye—'When you give, give 'til you're stripped bare.'"
Im Bi-seo covered his mouth to stifle a laugh, but Sin Hye kept dipping her head lower. Still, with things as they were, she might neglect her own nutrition, so he added one more thing.
"Sin Hye. If my help feels like a burden now, just keep track of it all. Pay it back later with part-time work after the surgery, or a job post-graduation. Right now, the priority is you and your dad getting through surgery healthy. Im Bi-seo, remember that. Get her dad out for at least steak twice a week."
Liver transplants weren't easy surgery, even now. It was a major operation over ten hours long. Professor Lee Seok-gu, who would lead her father's procedure, was one of the top authorities in living-donor liver transplants alongside Professor this Seung-gyu, so the surgeon's skill wasn't the issue. But post-op outcomes hinged heavily on the patient's pre-op condition, making nutrition paramount.
No need for more chit-chat. Just eat balanced, follow the doctor's exercise orders, and peak the body's condition as fast as possible—that was the key.
He brushed off Sin Hye's pleas to see her father and parted ways at the hospital entrance. The man would just thank him profusely, and that gratitude would only burden him more. Meeting after the surgery would suffice.
He considered the train from Seoul Station but opted for the express bus instead. No rush, and it was closer. Plus, Daegu's bus terminal was right by Dongdaegu Station. He called Jeong-ah upon arrival there; the congressmen had already checked into the hotel in Jung-gu and were unpacking. So he headed straight there.
"Did things go well in Seoul?"
"Yeah. Actually, I need to discuss something with you congressmen."
Park Seong-hwan congressman spoke up as he entered the room. But he didn't see the reporter.
"Where's Ajung Ilbo's Seo reporter?"
"Oh, he had to head back to the office. He and the others just left for Seoul."
Since he'd have to explain anyway, he gathered the congressmen in the hotel lobby cafe.
"It's not anything major—just a proposal I got."
The congressmen focused on him, curious.
"Sorry to say this, but the person who called me today said my popularity could sway the outcomes for you three candidates in this convention."
It was a risky phrasing that could backfire, but he'd decided on the bus ride to use it deliberately. He wasn't fully confident they'd follow him yet, so this was to chip away at their egos and rewire their thinking.
"If we assume my popularity could indeed impact your wins or losses to some degree, I've got a way to maximize that—which is why I wanted to meet."
"What kind of way?"
"Search any portal site right now, and you'll see 'mobile bath vehicle' popping up in real-time trends constantly. It even topped the list all day a few days back."
"Ah, I saw that. But how does that help?"
"Chairman Lee Hoejang—father-in-law of Congressman Hwang, whom I served—says he'll donate a dozen or so to the fan cafe that kid runs. We gift them nationwide to volunteer groups under the fan cafe and Daesan Group name, blow it up big. Their PR team's analysis says it'll help way more than me just riding along and asking for support."
The congressmen—especially the three candidates—fell silent for a beat. The tag-alongs, third parties in this, nodded or pondered.
"Daesan Group's analysis for sure?"
"Yes. Chairman Lee himself."
"But how are you connected to Chairman Lee?"
"I serve him as a stepson."
Jeong Sang-won, the veteran supreme committee member with the most Yeouido rice bowls under his belt, spoke first. He'd wondered how a rookie like him linked to the chairman, so he drove the wedge home. Seasoned politicians knew better than anyone the power of chaebol groups in Korea. Clarifying his tie to Lee Hoejang was another weapon to keep Jeong in check.
"You serve him as a stepson?"
"Yes. He has no son, so who knows. But he openly calls me 'son' to people around."
Jeong looked speechless. Probably suspicion that the file squeezing him came from Daesan Group's secretariat, mixed with fear of chaebol might. Nailing Jeong wasn't hard, but reassuring the other two supreme members, who might feel uneasy, was smart.
"Locals will notice I'm with you just from seeing our vans. And I'll have to tour nationwide for the donation drive anyway. I'll squeeze in visits to district committees to rally support for you again."
Park Seong-hwan's face relaxed at last, Han's even more so. That settled it. He'd join them a time or two anyway, so no big issue.
Since he was already in Daegu, he'd tag along with the congressmen tomorrow, while Jeong-ah headed to Seoul first thing to push the mobile bath vehicle project full throttle.