CHAPTER 224: Lee Se-hwa Gave an Unexpected Answer
Lee Se-hwa gave an unexpected answer.
Over her sixty-plus years, she'd surely met plenty of "audacious young folks" like me through the words she borrowed. Whether that audacity stemmed from a young person's stubborn refusal to bow to old fogeys or from genuine inner confidence spilling over, did she always respond with this kind of accommodating attitude? No—her reply seemed receptive at first glance, but it was no different from dodging my question entirely.
I did want to push my plan through, but I'd clearly said I wanted to hear hers first. She'd smoothly handed the floor back to me, evading a direct answer with effortless grace. Calling her conversation skills impressive might be empty praise to someone who'd risen to leader of the main opposition party, but I still wanted to say it.
"Will you adopt it?"
I played along without pointing out that I'd seen through her intentions.
"If Lawyer Cha's idea seems right to me, of course."
She answered leisurely.
"I think you'd most want to see the entire Minwoo Party sink. But realistically, with the presidential election just months away, making the whole party fall out of favor with the public by then is next to impossible. But in this election, the Freedom Justice Party needs a clear, decisive victory."
"Go on."
"The one who'd be happiest about Lee Jeong-chan's downfall isn't the Freedom Justice Party."
Lee Se-hwa looked at me with eyes full of interest.
"If not us, then who?"
"Minwoo Party floor leader Kang Jong-myeong."
The guy famous for saying you shouldn't meddle in other people's family affairs.
"If things had gone as planned, he and Lee Jeong-chan would naturally have run in the upcoming Minwoo Party primaries. Kang Jong-myeong's been preaching to reporters why Lee Jeong-chan can't win—it's so obvious I don't even need to spell it out."
Something I'd heard from Choi Jonghyeon in my previous life.
Kang Jong-myeong's position made sense. Barring some freak event, with regime change looking viable, assume Lee Jeong-chan wins. Then Kang would have to wait fifteen years while Minwoo Party holds power. But that's a pipe dream. If he can't win this time, he might wait fifteen long years—and by then, some new political star would surely rise. Besides, his concrete base of die-hard supporters wasn't that large to begin with.
Kang Jong-myeong would want to seize this chance somehow. He might even be blissfully convinced right now that some divine revelation had declared him the next president.
"Are you saying we should let Minwoo Party cut off its own tail?"
From Lee Se-hwa's perspective, it'd be a shame. She'd see it as leaving Minwoo an escape route by letting them claim Lee Jeong-chan's scam was his personal doing, unrelated to the party.
"Minwoo Party is a creature with a long, heavy tail—unlike others. Cutting it off is like amputating a leg. Would Lee Jeong-chan's concrete supporters back a Minwoo Party that abandoned him? Stir up internal strife, and it'll split on its own."
"So, prioritize winning this election?"
"Exactly. Convincing Kang Jong-myeong won't be hard. Tell him to play fair with the Freedom Justice Party in the election, and he'll bite right away."
Park Younggi had said even the political prosecutors were in disarray over Lee Jeong-chan. Stick with him believing he'd overcome this, or boldly cut him loose? That was the biggest dilemma for everyone in Minwoo Party right now. Some would choose the former, some the latter. And those choosing the latter would naturally flock to Kang Jong-myeong.
"With the election months away, the ruling party could face the unprecedented spectacle of splitting?"
It wouldn't happen right before the vote, but right after? Definitely.
"That'd be ideal, but pushing Kang toward it could backfire. He needs the Minwoo name value, so he'll cling to the party however he can."
"Then, induce Lee Jeong-chan to do it?"
"No need. Once Kang bites the bait, he'll steer party consensus toward ditching Lee. But do you think Lee Jeong-chan's the type to shoulder everything for the party's image and walk away alone?"
"No way. That guy's not the type to take the full hit by himself."
"If Minwoo cuts the tail, Lee Jeong-chan will bolt, form a new party. He's not the type to vanish quietly."
Unless he was an idiot—which he wasn't—he wouldn't rashly run this election. He'd secure seats to keep a pulse, scheme for five years, and dream of a flashy comeback. But I planned to make even that impossible by throwing him in prison. Ah, he'd end up there anyway for the national scam. No precedents yet—curious how that'd play out.
"And the card I hold is what's needed to stop that."
The unpardonable sin of taking money from Myung-hwa Pharma and hooking them up with the Food and Drug Administration head. He might wriggle free on that alone, but not in this mess. It was the ultimate reason I'd orchestrated all this.
"We need to rally the opposition leaders to pressure the president too. He'll cooperate. His term's ending soon—no reason to curry favor with Minwoo. Lee Jeong-chan's fall is obvious, regime change inevitable. To avoid a humiliating prosecutors' summons post-term, he'll play ball."
Lee Se-hwa nodded slowly.
"Makes sense. So, what's this card you're holding?"
"Its use depends on the situation, so I can't say until I hear your answer."
Whether she accepted my plan or not, I could bundle it with the Myung-hwa Pharma case and kick off the prosecution probe. But smooth sailing afterward hinged on how she and the Freedom Justice Party handled the wheel. If Minwoo didn't ditch Lee—and Wooshin kept propping him up—the probe could fizzle. I couldn't hand over my hand rashly and let Freedom Justice bungle it. If they couldn't capitalize on what I'd served up, I'd need another path. So, no giving everything away here.
Lee Se-hwa burst out laughing at my response. Turning to Park Younggi, she said,
"Prosecutor Park, what is this guy? He's like a strategist straight out of a drama. I want him."
"Lawyer Cha? Yeah, guy's flawless all around."
Park Younggi, who'd stayed neutral listening to us, finally spoke up.
"Lawyer Cha has a lot he wants to say, but time's short. Shall we wrap up?"
Lee Se-hwa checked the time.
"Lawyer Cha, mind giving me a business card?"
As she glanced at her phone and headed out, she paused and turned back. I pulled one from my wallet and handed it over. She slipped it into her own wallet—not her card holder—and patted my shoulder.
"Put your card in my personal wallet, not the business one. Means I'll definitely call. And calling means I'll come get that card from you. Got it?"
"Yes. Thank you."
She meant she'd adopt my plan.
"Thank you? That's my line. Anyway, see you next time. I'll head out first. Prosecutor Park, let's grab a meal sometime."
She hurried out of the room.
Once it was just me and Park Younggi, he gave a wry chuckle and looked at me.
"Lawyer Cha, ever thought about politics?"
"No."
"Hmm, really?"
He fiddled with his glass, muttering,
"But that lady? Seems like she won't let go of you."
The meaning behind our Minwoo Party's name is to be the people's friends. Friends are beings who grow together dreaming the same dreams in the same place. They do not deceive or betray each other.
We, Kang Jong-myeong and 60 Minwoo Party lawmakers, demand of party leader Lee Jeong-chan:
Reveal the truth about Lee Se-hyung's disability.
Contrary to what was announced, Lee Se-hyung did not undergo surgery last month. Instead, he was preparing to leave the country under the pretext of surgery. He can walk alone without assistance and even run—these facts do not add up.
We also demand an apology for using your position as party leader to frame the explanation about Lee Se-hyung as the party's official stance.
Apologize to the public and resign immediately.
…
Not long after, I caught the welcome news on TV. Kang Jong-myeong and 60 Minwoo lawmakers had issued a joint statement demanding Lee Jeong-chan explain and resign.
Not stopping there, the opposition leaders issued another statement, tightening the noose around him.
The uproar wasn't limited to politics. Disability rights groups erupted like wildfire, condemning Lee Jeong-chan and Lee Se-hyung.
As the situation spiraled out of control, the media—which had tiptoed around it for days—suddenly couldn't shut up about Lee Jeong-chan.
The conversation recordings and infrared footage we'd leaked played nonstop across broadcasts. His insane stunt spread worldwide, even picked up by foreign press.
In this national embarrassment where the ruling party leader had pandered emotionally with his son's fake disability for votes, Lee Jeong-chan's footing shrank by the day.
"Lawyer, prosecution's launching an investigation. Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Special Division's taking it."
And right on cue, more good news arrived.