Chapter 1418. Straightening Out (3)

Chapter 1418. Straightening Out (3)

Yi Jong-Wuk grimaced deeply and asked, “Since... when did he start acting like that?”

“It’s been a few days,” said the visibly nervous prison guard.

Although he hadn’t done anything wrong here, he still couldn’t help but be cautious. He wasn’t talking to some random nobody here, after all!

While ignoring the guard, Yi Jong-Wuk peered between the steel bars and into the cell, his expression as stiff as stone.

Scribble, scribble, scribble...

No other sounds than a pen rhythmically scribbling on a piece of paper could be heard. However, the rhythm seemed so eerily mechanical that the listener couldn’t help but feel weirded out just from listening to it.

This cell belonged to Kim Myeong-Chan. And he was sitting behind a desk, mumbling inaudibly away, while jotting something down.

Blood was trickling down from the hand gripping the pen tightly.

Despite the paper turning crimson from his blood, Kim Myeong-Chan still continued jotting down

something

as if that was all he could do.

Yi Jong-Wuk asked without turning his head away. “He... refuses any and all visitors?”

The guard nodded. “Yes, sir. Doesn’t matter who, he keeps saying he’s not interested in talking to them. And that’s even including his family members, too.”

Yi Jong-Wuk’s expression stiffened even more.

Kim Myeong-Chan was sitting upright like a model student, and there didn’t seem any hints of instability in his expression. Which meant he hadn’t gone crazy, so why...

What could explain this extreme transformation?

...Wait. I already know the answer, don’t I?

It had to be Kang Jin-Ho. That man must’ve come here in the past few days.

Yi Jong-Wuk sighed deeply, then lightly knocked on the bars. He should still try to talk to the former prime minister, even if the latter had no interest in receiving visitors.

“Prime Minister, sir.”

“...”

“Sir, it’s me, Yi Jong-Wuk.”

“...”

“Sir!”

Kim Myeong-Chan finally replied without turning his head. “Leave.”

“But, sir...”

“Leave, Yi-

gun

.”

Yi Jong-Wuk bit his lip while staring at Kim Myeong-Chan’s back. “Sir, I don’t know what happened to you, but doing this will not help you. I heard that you even refused to speak to your lawyer.”

“...”

“Giving up will not help your cause, sir. At the very least...!”

That was when Kim Myeong-Chan slowly raised his head to look at Yi Jong-Wuk. When the two men’s gazes met, Yi Jong-Wuk reflexively flinched and stepped back.

The expression on the former prime minister’s face couldn’t have belonged to a human being!

While making a bizarrely contorted face that had to belong to some other hideous creature, Kim Myeong-Chan’s bloodshot-eyes glared sharply at Yi Jong-Wuk.

“Giving up?”

His voice sounded like a growl coming from the depths of the netherworld. Yi Jong-Wuk could swear he had never heard Kim Myeong-Chan speak like that before.

The former prime minister’s glare was murderous.

“You know nothing!”

“...”

“You! Know! Nothiiiiiiiiing!”

Kim Myeong-Chan suddenly charged at the door, then hit the steel bars. The blood from his hand splattered in every direction.

Yi Jong-Wuk was too stunned to move. He could only stand there and spectate this scene in sheer stupefaction.

“

Uwaaaaaaah

!”

Kim Myeong-Chan kicked and punched the bars, then even resorted to biting them. Tears flooded down his bloodshot eyes, and as if to match that, drool also flooded down his mouth.

He’s... gone completely insane!

Kang Jin-Ho had come here. That much was certain now. However, Yi Jong-Wuk had been under the impression that Kang Jin-Ho’s arrival would have led to Kim Myeong-Chan’s death. But this scene utterly betrayed his expectations.

“

Keuh

-

heuh

-

heuh

...!”

Kim Myeong-Chan clung to the bars while glaring at Yi Jong-Wuk.

“Do I look like a lunatic to you?”

“...”

“If...! If only I could go crazy, then...

Heuh

,

heh

...”

Kim Myeong-Chan let go of the bars powerlessly. And all Yi Jong-Wuk could do was make a face he had never made until today while looking at this pitiful figure of the former prime minister.

There was nothing. As Kim Myeong-Chan let go and stumbled back,

nothing

could be felt from him. It was as if he was a mere shell now, one where even his soul had abandoned him.

“Go back, Yi-

gun,

” Kim Myeong-Chan lifelessly muttered. “And... And never come back. Because I’m no longer here. The ‘Kim Myeong-Chan’ you knew is no longer here. I’m just a... Yes, I’m just a wandering ghost. That’s all.”

Kim Myeong-Chan, his complexion as pale as a sheet of paper, whispered his final warning.

“And you must... never... become Kang Jin-Ho’s enemy... Never.”

“...”

“Don’t forget this. Because this is my... my final advice to you.”

Kim Myeong-Chan turned around, then headed back to the desk. After sitting down, he resumed scribbling away on the blood-stained paper.

Scribble, scribble, scribble...

Watching him do that left various impressions on Yi Jong-Wuk. In a way, that looked like a devout believer performing some kind of ritual. On the other hand, though, it also looked like an inane waste of time by a madman.

Whatever the case might be, one thing was certain; Kim Myeong-Chan acted as if writing on that paper was the most important

homework

in his life.

Yi Jong-Wuk squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t even want to know what the former prime minister was jotting down. Whatever it was, none of it mattered.

But at least he now understood that Kim Myeong-Chan was finished for good.

Yi Jong-Wuk wearily massaged the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes.

What was this? This terrible feeling?

Not too long ago, he stood in defiance of Kim Myeong-Chan. Didn’t he even think, at least briefly, that they would never see eye to eye? That one of them had to die first before a solution could be found?

Despite all that, he still felt his emotions well up, which could only mean...

Yi Jong-Wuk gathered his hand politely before him, then bowed deeply at Kim Myeong-Chan. This would be his last farewell.

Sir, I’ll remember everything.

Even if the world kept spitting on Kim Myeong-Chan and cursed his name, Yi Jong-Wuk would steadfastly remember the truth. He would always remember what kind of person the former prime minister was.

Even though those memories got tainted with an evil misdeed, he’d still remember who Kim Myeong-Chan was and the life he had lived.

Yi Jong-Wuk turned around and walked out of the prison in contemplative silence.

***

What a strange feeling this was.

Not too long ago, Yi Jong-Wuk was viewing the world from Kim Myeong-Chan’s perspective. And the greatest evil in that perspective was now sitting in front of him.

Of course, that evil was Kang Jin-Ho.

Yi Jong-Wuk couldn’t help but look at Kang Jin-Ho in a renewed light. Right now, the latter came across simply as a good-looking young man. No traces of a man who ruled over South Korea’s shadowy underbelly could be spied on him.

Currently, in the Assembly Master’s office...

Click.

Kang Jin-Ho lit up a cigarette in his mouth, then glanced disinterestedly at Yi Jong-Wuk. “So? What do you want to tell us?”

Yi Jong-Wuk sighed, then nodded slightly. “Sir. The former Prime Minister Kim Myeong-Chan will receive a life sentence soon.”

“Life sentence, is it...?”

“Contracting a foreign government for assassination and even handing over information are one thing, but the crime of paying the North Koreans a large sum of money is something not even the Korean government can gloss over.”

Lee Hyeon-Su smirked. “I’m more surprised that it’s not a straight-up execution.”

“Our country doesn’t casually hand out capital punishments, Mister Lee.”

“So? What does your side want now?”

Yi Jong-Wuk nervously swallowed his saliva and addressed Kang Jin-Ho. “The Korean government wishes to close the book on this case there, sir. Of course, they know they haven’t finished compensating you yet. They will continue repairing your public image. It’s just that they,

uhm

...”

“They want us to shake hands and become friends again?”

“Yes, more or less.”

Lee Hyeon-Su furrowed his brow. “Your side hasn’t even compensated us yet, but still want to reconcile with us? Really now?”

“But... Haven’t we already started compensating you? Have we not systematically trampled on Kim Myeong-Chan until now! He will never return to politics, and not only that, he’ll now go down in history as this country’s worst prime minister, too!”

“

Haaah

?” Lee Hyeon-Su stared in dismay at Yi Jong-Wuk. “Wow, you make it sound like we’re the bad guys here! Listen, Mister Yi Jong-Wuk. You better watch your mouth, okay? I’m already holding back a lot as it is! So don’t push your luck!”

Kang Jin-Ho grunted loudly. “That’s enough.”

“But, sir!”

“I said, that’s enough.”

Kang Jin-Ho waved his hand dismissively, promoting Lee Hyeon-Su to clamp his mouth shut. Although, his face was still crumpled in dissatisfaction. He had plenty more things to say to Yi Jong-Wuk, but that was now out of the question.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Yi Jong-Wuk. “You’re mistaken about something, so let’s fix that first.”

Yi Jong-Wuk frowned slightly. “Sir?”

“The ones who are not thinking straight are your side.”

“I... don’t understand.”

Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly stared at Yi Jong-Wuk. The pressure from that intense gaze easily shut Yi Jong-Wuk up.

“Tell me. Is any of the accusations Kim Myeong-Chan is facing right now falsified?”

“...!”

“All your side has done so far is reveal his crimes publicly. That’s it. You haven’t falsely accused him. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, that... is correct.”

Yi Jong-Wuk bit his lower lip.

“The government’s duty is to investigate and punish the guilty, is it not? Just because I stepped up and forced your side to deal with the truth you all have been ignoring for decades, you want me to take the responsibility, too?”

Yi Jong-Wuk felt the proverbial wind being taken out of his sails just then. What could he even say here when that was Kang Jin-Ho’s position? Since his assertion was correct, after all?

Kang Jin-Ho tutted. “I don’t know why you want to sympathize with Kim Myeong-Chan. But trying to paint us as the responsible party will

trouble

everyone involved.”

With that, Yi Jong-Wuk grew scared. He genuinely became scared of Kang Jin-Ho.

This man, this Assembly Master, was strong enough to turn Yi Jong-Wuk into dust with a single finger if he felt like it. Worse still, the government that had sent Yi Jong-Wuk here wouldn’t even demand an explanation if he really got ripped apart to shreds in this place.

No, it’d most likely erase all connections between Kang Jin-Ho and Yi Jong-Wuk’s death, instead!

Kang Jin-Ho obviously knew this. Yet, here he was, taking his time to explain it. So that Yi Jong-Wuk could understand.

A man who possessed absolute power and could do whatever he wanted was trying to treat the worthless Yi Jong-Wuk as rationally as possible.

...And that was why Yi Jong-Wuk was so scared of Kang Jin-Ho now.

“So, do you get it now?”

“...Yes, sir.”

“Good thing that you’re quick on the uptake,” Kang Jin-Ho chuckled. “Then, let’s get back to the original topic.”

He silently studied Yi Jong-Wuk’s slightly pale face before narrowing his eyes.

“So, reconciliation with the government, you say?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Even though your side and I have nothing to reconcile about?”

“...”

“Yet they still asked for it, which means you want something else from us. Don’t beat around the bush and be out with it. Speak.”

Yi Jong-Wuk slowly nodded. “Sir. In return for maintaining Kim Myeong-Chan’s life imprisonment, they would like all parties involved to forget about the matter of... sending

valuables

to North Korea.”

“In return for? That doesn’t sound right.”

“My apologies, sir. That was a slip of my tongue. They request your assistance in that regard, sir.”

“Really now. And why?”

“Our country reacts rather sensitively to all matters involving North Korea. As such, the higher-ups were worried about the ripples from the revelations spreading out of control.”

“

Hmm

...?” Kang Jin-Ho silently stared at Yi Jong-Wuk before nodding once. “Fine. Tell them to do what they want.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“However, also tell them this. I’m no longer interested in discussing these kinds of things with them. With this, we close the book on this matter. Next time our sides meet, we start with a clean slate.”

Yi Jong-Wuk weightily nodded. “Understood. In return, our side will make sure everything gets wrapped up perfectly. Starting from you, the Martial Assembly, MK, your family, and even Miss Choi Yeon-Ha... We will compensate them all until they are sufficiently satisfied.”

What an obvious thing to say that was, but Kang Jin-Ho simply nodded back, as he was indeed no longer interested in talking about this. “Fine, sure. Do that.”

He couldn’t be bothered now, since he already got his hands on Kim Myeong-Chan. All he cared about at this point was to wrap this sludge-like tainted relationship as quickly as possible and go back to how things used to be.

“Talk to Lee Hyeon-Su if you want to hash out the details,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

Yi Jong-Wuk nodded tensely. “Understood. I’ll do that.”

That was when Lee Hyeon-Su glared at Yi Jong-Wuk like a venomous snake. “Send a proper team of office workers instead.”

“But I can...”

“Pah! What would an NIS agent know about office work, anyway? I’m telling you, get yourself a proper team of office workers from your agency.”

“Understood.”

Kang Jin-Ho pushed himself up from the couch at the end of that little back-and-forth. “So? Is that all?”

“My apologies, but not yet, sir,” said Yi Jong-Wuk while staring at Kang Jin-Ho with determination. “There’s one more matter, sir. And it’s a personal one.”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow quizzically. “A personal matter?”

“Yes. If it’s possible...”

Yi Jong-Wuk deeply bowed to Kang Jin-Ho.

“...Please allow me to join the Martial Assembly.”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow at this unexpected request.