Money Power? (4)

"I will accept anything you ask."

"Cut all ties with Assemblyman Kim Seong-pil. I don't mean just you personally, Chairman Kang; I mean the entire Shin-sang Group and everyone in your direct lineage must sever all connections."

Kang Seok-ho didn't even hesitate to nod. "I will make sure that happens."

"Can you stop your father?"

"My father is already a tiger with no teeth. Even if I have to have him legally declared incompetent, I will ensure not a single coin goes to Kim Seong-pil."

The Incompetence System, which would be replaced by the Guardianship System in 2013. It is a right families demand from the court to prevent property rights from being exercised incorrectly by those who effectively lack judgment. However, until the 2010s, there were consistent cases of people forcibly declaring perfectly sane parents or property owners as limited or fully incompetent to seize their assets. Of course, in this case, the motive was to block funds from reaching Kim Seong-pil, but it also served as proof of how deep Kang Seok-ho’s hostility toward him ran.

"If you’re that determined, I’m satisfied."

"I don't have a single good feeling about Assemblyman Kim Seong-pil. No, actually, I’m filled with nothing but malice. There is no reason to look favorably upon a guy who, without an ounce of his own ability, relied on his father’s money to claw his way into a proportional representation seat."

"Come to think of it, next year is the general election, isn't it?"

The 12th National Assembly election, scheduled for February 12, 1985, was less than a year away.

"At the very least, he won't be able to receive a single cent of election funding from the Shin-sang Group."

"If he gets no support from the Shin-sang Group, his future is obvious. Is there any chance Assemblyman Kim Seong-pil could get support from elsewhere?"

Kang Seok-ho shook his head. "Impossible. It’s a proportional representation seat obtained by my father literally spraying money at Kim Seong-pil’s political party. There are no idiots who would sponsor a man who has no popularity among the local residents. You know it too, don't you, Mr. Yoon-gi? What kind of reckless, spoiled brats that family is."

Although he hadn't seen Kim Seong-pil’s actions firsthand, Kim Seong-pil had once slapped a dean of students, causing dental injuries, and his son, Kim Jong-su, had been busy bullying his classmates since he was young, even after entering his first year of high school. Naturally, he had no popularity with the locals.

That was why a smile spread across Yoon-gi’s lips.

"Good. Let’s work well together from now on."

"Thank you."

"From now on, you can call me Chairman. Everyone else calls me that, too."

"As expected..."

He had already been certain, and he had already figured it out through their conversation, but hearing it explicitly from Yoon-gi’s lips made Kang Seok-ho realize once again that his judgment hadn't been wrong.

"Chairman Kang."

"Yes, Chairman. Please speak comfortably."

"Hmm, then how about Secretary Kang? My closest aides call me that."

"I will consider it an honor."

Satisfaction overflowed on Kang Seok-ho’s face as he bowed his head.

"Good. Then, Secretary Kang, I have one question for you."

"What is it?"

"If I hadn't acquired the oil field, would you still have bowed to me?"

Kang Seok-ho, after a moment of looking sheepish, answered cautiously. "To be honest, in that case, I would have come to propose a peace treaty and an alliance."

"A reasonable judgment. I like that it’s realistic."

Seeing that Yoon-gi didn't seem to dislike the answer, Kang Seok-ho quickly made a judgment about Yoon-gi’s personality.

'He doesn't dislike honesty. In fact, that’s a good thing.'

Just as Kang Seok-ho was thinking this, Yoon-gi muttered with an even deeper smile on his lips.

"Since Secretary Kang has made a realistic judgment, Assemblyman Kim Seong-pil... no, Kim Seong-pil, will now have to collide with reality."

What is necessary to run for an election? It is nomination. For direct-election candidates, the party must appoint them, and for proportional representation, the order is prioritized above all else because they are appointed sequentially based on the votes the party receives. In Kim Seong-pil’s case, it was proportional representation. That was why he was able to get the #1 nomination in the previous election through Kang Jang-hwan’s financial power. But now? With less than a year until the general election, the competition for proportional representation nominations was already bloodthirsty, and Kim Seong-pil was on the verge of becoming a bucket with a broken rope.

"Where is Jang-hwan! I asked where Jang-hwan is!"

Kim Seong-pil was making a scene at the front desk of the Shin-sang Group headquarters. However, the female employee at the desk looked at him with an expression that suggested he was trivial.

"Like I said, the former Chairman doesn't come to work at all anymore. Please try his private residence."

"Who would believe that? Bring Jang-hwan here! I said bring him here!"

After Kim Seong-pil’s continued rowdiness, security guards eventually came down from upstairs and pushed him out of the building. Kim Seong-pil went wild in front of the headquarters.

"You bastards, do you know who I am? I’m a National Assembly member! How dare you look down on a member of the National Assembly? Do you think you can keep doing business after this?"

However, no one paid any attention to him, and even if they did, they never looked at him with kind eyes. After repeating his echo-less shouting, Kim Seong-pil eventually grew tired and headed to Kang Jang-hwan’s residence. But even there, he was not welcomed at all. No, he had to experience something he hadn't even imagined.

'Right, who am I? How dare they not let me in?'

Getting into his friend Kang Jang-hwan’s house was straightforward. However, when he reached the living room, Kim Seong-pil realized the atmosphere was incredibly heavy. In addition, there was a man in his 50s he had never seen before, but Kim Seong-pil, being in a hurry, ignored the man and spoke to Kang Jang-hwan.

"Jang-hwan, are you okay? It must be hard for you right now, but I’ll tell the party..."

"Shut up..."

It was a word he had never heard before, and an expression he had never seen on Kang Jang-hwan’s face.

"Jang-hwan. Why, why, why are you like this?"

Seeing the pushover who used to hang on his every word growling, Kim Seong-pil felt like he was losing his mind.

"You son of a bitch! You’ve been deceiving me for your whole life, and what? You ask why I’m like this?"

Kang Jang-hwan threw a quite old, yellowed report at Kim Seong-pil. The report hit Kim Seong-pil in the face and fell to the floor, and Kim Seong-pil instinctively picked it up.

"Jang-hwan, what, what on earth are you talking about?"

"If you read that, you’ll know, too. About your ugly lies."

Kim Seong-pil read the yellowed, old report that even had holes in it.

"Ugh!"

Kim Seong-pil felt as if his heart had been ripped out. The secret he had kept from Kang Jang-hwan his entire life. It was the fact that it wasn't him who had saved Kang Jang-hwan from the river, but a passing firefighter. As soon as Kang Jang-hwan woke up, Kim Seong-pil had lied and said he was the one who saved him. However, the firefighter who saved Kang Jang-hwan had pushed him toward the shore, suffered a cramp in his leg, was swept downstream, and was found as a cold corpse. Because there was a witness, the fact that he died saving a child was recorded, but it was a dull incident to appear in the newspaper, and even if it had, it was difficult for an elementary school student to read the newspapers of that time, which were full of Chinese characters. That was why it remained in the fire records, but it was a truth Kang Jang-hwan had never known.

However, the story changed as the confrontation between Shin-sang and YK hit the media.

Kang Jang-hwan had emphasized his friendship with Kim Seong-pil to public opinion many times, but the detailed content had hit the newspapers. The location of the river, the date, and even the time. Because of this, by pure coincidence, the firefighter’s son read the newspaper and realized the facts were similar to the end his father had met, and he had managed to visit Kang Jang-hwan. The documents he brought were possible because the son was also a firefighter. Thus, Kang Jang-hwan, who had been ousted from the Shin-sang Group by Yoon-gi’s scheme, learned of Kim Seong-pil’s ugly reality through a series of coincidences.

"I would have thought of you as a friend even if you hadn't claimed to have saved me... You deceived me for your whole life. And you made it so I couldn't help the people I should have helped..."

Kang Jang-hwan stared at Kim Seong-pil, tears streaming down his face.

"J-Jang-hwan, that’s not it... No... More than that, I, the election..."

Kim Seong-pil, whose mind had gone blank, let his own dirty desires slip out, and at the same time, he felt his breath hitch.

"You son of a bitch, until the end!"

Kang Jang-hwan’s foot landed precisely in his abdomen. Kang Jang-hwan, who had been panting for a moment, ordered his bodyguard while tears continued to stream down his face.

"Kick him out!"

"Jang-hwan! Jang-hwan! Jang-hwan!"

Kim Seong-pil tried to reach out to Kang Jang-hwan while struggling, but a moment later, what Kim Seong-pil experienced was rolling out of Kang Jang-hwan’s front gate like a drum barrel.

Kim Seong-pil, who had played the role of a funding source for his political party. But this role had become impossible as Kang Jang-hwan was ousted from the Shin-sang Group and Kim Seong-pil’s ugly past was revealed.

"No, why on earth can’t you meet me?"

He had tried to find the party leader to ask what would happen to this proportional representation nomination, but he hadn't been able to see the party leader for several days. Even when he asked the secretary, the answer was always, "He has a busy schedule." Eventually, he sought out a direct-election member of the same party to ask, but the answer was always the same.

"He’s just busy. Don’t you think you have too much of a persecution complex?"

With that answer, the direct-election member immediately loaded his golf clubs into his trunk and left. Thanks to this, Kim Seong-pil clenched his fists while staring at the exhaust fumes the car emitted.

'No, I can’t end it like this!'

He couldn't end it like this after all the trouble he went through for that proportional representation seat. In particular, he had no intention of letting go of the sweet fruit of power he had tasted while living as a National Assembly member. However, these thoughts were only Kim Seong-pil’s; reality was not that easy.

"Damn it!!"

As soon as he returned home, he saw the mailbox full of letters. They were all demands to repay his debts.

'You want me to pay this back right now? You damn bastards!'

He had drawn money from here and there behind Kang Jang-hwan’s back while living as a National Assembly member, and now the collections were coming in. Of course, the money was all used for luxury. How much could a National Assembly member’s salary be? Of course, it was certainly higher than that of an ordinary person, but it wasn't a level that could support the luxury of the Kim Seong-pil family. Although Kang Jang-hwan had helped with election funds, Kang Seok-ho had long been absolutely blocking it regarding living expenses, and Kang Jang-hwan had inevitably followed that as well. Because of this, Kim Seong-pil had filled his greed by receiving bribes from here and there with the power of being a National Assembly member or by borrowing money and not paying it back. Until now, the people who lent him money hadn't brought up repayment out of consideration for Kang Jang-hwan, but since Kang Seok-ho had intentionally spread rumors about Kim Seong-pil’s situation, the creditors were terrified and started collections. Thanks to this, Kim Seong-pil faced a situation where he couldn't pay off his debts even if he sold his house and all his assets.

'Just you wait, you bastards! If I get elected in the next election, you people...'

However, Kim Seong-pil was still strengthening his comeback by scratching the wrong leg. Ridiculously.

"Oh, seriously. Why does the lady keep coming!"

Although it wasn't at the level of being fixed to the ceiling anymore, Kim Jong-su still had casts on both arms and legs, so he absolutely needed someone to take care of him. However, surprisingly, at some point, Kim Jong-su stopped using a caregiver, and the burden of care for Kim Jong-su fell entirely on the nurses. The absolute power to make the hospital bow down even without hiring a caregiver. That was the power of a National Assembly member, and thanks to that, Kim Jong-su’s waste disposal was always the nurses' job.

On top of that, he frequently called the nurses, asking them to help him sit up because he felt stifled just lying down, and every time, Kim Jong-su flew into a rage if the nurses he liked didn't come.

"No, the other nurses are all busy right now..."

"Then the lady should go to that busy place! Bring that older sister here quickly! Why is an ugly lady shoving her face in here from the morning, it’s annoying."

Hearing words full of contempt from a guy who hadn't even lived half the life she had, the nurse’s eyes welled up with tears, but Kim Jong-su didn't empathize with those tears at all.

"The ugly one is even crying. Why don't you clear your face away quickly? Or should I make it so you can’t work here at all?"

"Ugh, sob, sob!"

Eventually, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the nurse ran out in tears, overwhelmed by emotion while dealing with Kim Jong-su’s waste, and Kim Jong-su looked at the nurse with a satisfied expression.

'Where is an ugly one crying? Ha, but the pretty older sister will be here soon.'

The only joy in a hospital where he couldn't use his body properly. It was harassing the pretty nurses. Because of this, problems even arose for other patients who were supposed to receive care, but Kim Jong-su naturally didn't care, and he didn't even give it a thought in the first place.

He was waiting for the pretty nurse he had his eye ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on to come, but when she didn't come for longer than expected, Kim Jong-su screamed.

"Hey! Why is no one coming!"

Kim Jong-su’s shout erupted from his private room toward the hallway. As the sound of thumping footsteps echoed in the hallway, Kim Jong-su wore a satisfied expression. However.

"What, who are you guys?"

It wasn't a pretty nurse who entered, but 'male nurses,' and they moved Kim Jong-su’s body roughly onto a mobile bed with expressionless faces.

"Agh! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠What! It hurts!"

Even though Kim Jong-su screamed at the movement that didn't properly care for the casts on his arms and legs, the nurses moved the mobile bed Kim Jong-su was on without answering at all. They passed the private room to the 2-person room, past the 2-person room to the 4-person room, past the 4-person room to the 8-person room, and even past the 12-person room, finally arriving at a 20-person room.

"Wh, what. Why are you bringing me here? Are you guys crazy?"

"Shut up, you ill-mannered brat."

Even though one of the male nurses growled, Kim Jong-su didn't back down.

"You guys seem to be protesting against me, but do you think that will work? You know that protesting makes you a red, right? You guys are all dead now. When my father comes later..."

"I said shut up. You’re nothing now."

The nurses roughly moved Kim Jong-su to one of the spots in the 20-person room, and Kim Jong-su, left alone in the 20-person room, which was incomparably inferior to the private room, shouted in disbelief.

"You sons of bitches! Can’t you move me back to the private room? Huh?"

However, the nurses never came back, and the nurses who came and went for medication or injections in the 20-person room didn't pay any attention to Kim Jong-su at all.

"Ah! Older sister! Come here for a second!"

Kim Jong-su said with a smile when he saw the pretty nurse he had been eyeing, but that nurse looked at Kim Jong-su with eyes like she was looking at a bug and left.

"Older sister! Older sister! Older sister!"

"You sure love calling people 'older sister.' Isn't it normal for siblings to fight like they’re going to kill each other?"

A voice suddenly reached Kim Jong-su’s ears. Kim Jong-su, who turned his head following the source of the sound, screamed without realizing it.

"U, ughhh!"

A fit of terror the moment he saw Yoon-gi. Kim Jong-su even wet himself without realizing it.

"Fitting for a guy who can’t control his own waste. Here, a gift."

At Yoon-gi’s words, Jin-su threw the bonsai he was holding onto Kim Jong-su’s bed, and thanks to that, the bonsai hit Kim Jong-su’s casted leg.

"Kyaaaaaaagh!"

"Oh my, didn't you get hurt? It shouldn't even hurt because it’s a full cast, what a drama queen. Anyway, Jin-su. How is it? Is it okay?"

A question directed at Jin-su, not Kim Jong-su. Then Jin-su smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. It’s nothing at all. Actually, if I hadn't held back, we wouldn't have even had to come here."

"Then that’s a relief. Then, do you want to go out first? I’ll talk to this guy briefly and leave."

"Okay!"

After sending Jin-su, who answered energetically, out first, Yoon-gi said.

"Oh, you know Park Dae-chan is running around looking for you, right?"

"Wh, what?"

Yoon-gi smiled and continued to Kim Jong-su, who was answering while trembling.

"Park Dae-chan became a eunuch while following your orders, didn't he? He could have been saved, but you and your dad neglected him, so he’s completely ruined. So he’s making a huge fuss that he won't leave you alone when you get discharged."

"Ha! He’s originally my lackey!"

Perhaps gaining a strange confidence, Kim Jong-su answered as if shouting at Yoon-gi. But Yoon-gi didn't stop him and instead wore a sneer.

"Well, you’ll find out later. But, if possible, it would be good for you to live here for a long time, right? Then, take care. It’s not like there will be any more opportunities to see my face for the rest of your life."

Yoon-gi waved his hand lightly and left the hospital room, and Kim Jong-su, watching him, shrieked.

"Just you wait! Your family will be screwed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠soon!"

But the only thing being screwed in real-time was Kim Jong-su’s family.

As the oil mining at the farm progressed step by step and the net profit slowly came into view, not only Yoon-gi but also the people related to Yoon-gi had great expectations. Because the number '1 trillion' was an amount that truly exceeded the imagination of ordinary people. And it wasn't just people who had these expectations; ghosts were the same.

Because he was in such a good mood, Yoon-gi readily nodded.

"Of course."

"Honestly, if it’s not you, there’s nowhere else that will hold a memorial service on that scale for me. It’s also awkward for me to suddenly say I’m holding a memorial service for my ancestors. Don't do that, just tell them to offer meat even if I hold it at the temple."

"Where is there anything that can’t be done with money."

Choi Deok-bae, who was nodding, asked again this time to satisfy his curiosity. However, Yoon-gi shook his head at once.

"Then it would be perfect to be called an idiot."