Chapter 172 – Paradise [Her Plan]

“Yes, Mr. Secretary. That’s correct. Yes, understood.”

In the early dawn, the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, with tired eyes, ended his call with the U.S. Secretary of State and put down the receiver.

“Ugh…….”

He sank deeply into his chair, closed his eyes, and remained still for a while.

Thursday, August 4, 2033.

05:32.

It was still before embassy staff arrived for work.

And Washington D.C., where the U.S. Secretary of State who had answered his call a moment ago with a leisurely voice was located, was 16:32 on August 3, 2033.

By the time his report reached the White House and the President’s ears, the staff at the U.S. Embassy in South Korea here would be arriving for work.

‘Carrie will wake me up when she arrives.’

Thinking that, he sat in the plush, ergonomically designed chair and caught the rest of the sleep he hadn’t gotten.

At that moment, Washington D.C., USA.

“What do you think, Mr. President?”

U.S. President Jonathan Smith, occupying the prime seat on the sofa in the Secretary of State’s office, merely stroked his chin at the U.S. Secretary of State’s question, offering no clear answer.

“If Ambassador Trough is correct, it’s serious. It means it’s more than just a personal relationship between South Korea and Russia involving Lee Siguk and Ivanov.”

“…….”

“Lee Siguk was controlling South Korea from behind the scenes using JH’s slush funds. Of course, he didn’t rely solely on slush funds. Personal charisma, his abilities as an A-Rank Hunter, and various other factors. But at the very least, it was capital that controlled the parliament and the bureaucracy.”

“…….”

“Controlling JH is the fastest way to restore South Korea to its original state. To do that, we need to investigate a company called Blavatsky…….”

Jonathan Smith, who had been listening quietly to the Secretary of State, raised his hand to stop him.

“The Ambassador to South Korea.”

“Yes?”

Jonathan Smith looked at the Secretary of State.

“Do you think he knew I was here?”

It was a sudden question, but the Secretary of State didn’t add any particular comment.

“He wouldn’t have known.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure. If he had known you were with me, he would have been more formal.”

“I see.”

Jonathan Smith nodded and fixed his gaze forward again.

‘Wait a minute…… But why are you really here?’

Suddenly, the Secretary of State harbored a question he hadn’t had before.

‘Why, leaving the perfectly fine White House…….’

Ever since the news of Ivan Ivanov’s sole survival and the liberation of Africa arrived simultaneously, Jonathan Smith had frequently visited the State Department building in secret.

Thanks to that, the suffering of the Secretary of State and his staff was no small matter.

No matter how much they simplified the protocol, with a VVIP of the United States visiting, it was inevitable that nerves were on edge.

‘There must be some reason.’

The Secretary of State decided not to think about it further.

What was important now wasn’t why the President was visiting his office.

“An investigation is needed. We must mobilize all possible resources, whether it’s the CIA or the Treasury.”

Jonathan Smith did not answer.

He just stared straight ahead silently.

“Mr. President!”

The Secretary of State’s voice rose.

Jonathan Smith looked at him.

“I’ll give you full authority.”

“Huh?”

“On my behalf, mobilize all possible resources—the CIA, the Pentagon, the Treasury, the Justice Department, and so on—to trace the funds.”

“…….”

“I’ll talk to the Pentagon, the Treasury, the Justice Department, and the CIA.”

Jonathan Smith smiled.

The Secretary of State just looked at him with a bewildered expression.

“I should get up now.”

Jonathan Smith rose from his seat. The Secretary of State also stood up.

“Don’t see me out. You’ll be busy from now on.”

Leaving those words, Jonathan Smith left the Secretary’s office.

The Secretary of State looked at the firmly closed door with a serious expression.

“…….”

As soon as Jonathan Smith left the Secretary’s office, he wiped the smile from his face.

His bodyguards closely surrounded him front and back for protection.

With them, he went down to the underground level using the Secretary’s private elevator.

And he boarded the prepared presidential limousine.

The car started, and while feeling the smooth ride, Jonathan Smith maintained a stiff expression, staring only straight ahead.

[Why on earth do you go to the Secretary of State’s office, Mr. President?]

Soon, a small screen installed in the car turned on, and the smiling face of the NAC Chairman’s Secretary, sitting in the passenger seat, appeared.

At first glance, it was the appearance of a beautiful Caucasian woman, but Jonathan Smith couldn’t feel any positive emotion whatsoever.

[Is it because it’s safe from me there?]

“…….”

[Or are you doing this and that with the Secretary of State behind my back?]

“……I am the President of the United States. A person chosen by American citizens. I would appreciate it if you showed at least a minimum of courtesy.”

[Oh my~ I’m scared. Okay, Mr. President.]

Feeling anger at her treatment of mocking him to the end, Jonathan Smith couldn’t bring himself to show it.

From bodyguards to drivers.

From cleaners to cooks.

Everything in the White House was filled with people planted by the Chairman’s Secretary, or more accurately, by her boss, the Chairman.

[You didn’t tell the Secretary of State about my relationship with you, did you? Of course you didn’t. If you had, poison would probably be in the coffee the Secretary of State is about to drink by now.]

“…….”

[A cute and lovely poison that uses the drinker as a host, leading to death within 24 hours and then disappearing without a trace. To be precise, it’s closer to a virus, though.]

The FBI Director had already died that way.

Despite multiple autopsies by doctors, the cause of death was concluded to be simply a heart attack due to overwork.

But he definitely died from the poison sent by the Chairman’s Secretary.

After receiving a secret request for help from Jonathan Smith.

‘Damn it…….’

Jonathan Smith gritted his teeth.

He spoke while still looking at the Chairman’s Secretary displayed on the screen.

“What does the Chairman intend to do?”

[What do you mean?]

“Literally. What are you trying to do?”

[He intends to do great things.]

“What on earth are those great things?!”

The Chairman’s Secretary gave a slight smile.

[Knowing will hurt you, Mr. President.]

“You…….”

[Just keep doing as you are now, Mr. President. Investigate the financial transactions between Russia and South Korea, find traces of the yakuza organization that infiltrated the Japanese cabinet, and fuel the conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia to create tension in the Persian Gulf. You know? Without me saying?]

“…….”

[Ah, and soon, reports will come in, whether from the CIA or elsewhere, that something is happening in China. Don’t pay any attention then. Understood?]

“China?”

The Chairman’s Secretary just laughed once and then disappeared from the screen.

Jonathan Smith couldn’t ask any more.

‘China…… Well, the situation there isn’t good either…….’

He just stared ahead, thinking his own thoughts in his head.

Thursday, August 4, 2033.

14:00.

Gwanghwamun, Korean Superhuman Association Headquarters.

Association President’s Office.

With two monitors in front of her, Yeo Jeongyeon wore a serious expression.

Kurokawa Minori, displayed on the left monitor screen relative to her, and Zhou Peiling, displayed on the right monitor screen, also wore similarly serious expressions.

“Shall we begin then?”

Fluent English sprang from Yeo Jeongyeon’s mouth.

[Let’s begin.]

[Please do.]

English also sprang from the mouths of Kurokawa Minori and Zhou Peiling.

“First, let’s talk about the situation in South Korea.”

Yeo Jeongyeon started first.

“Signs of rebellion have appeared centered around the Blue House and the Prime Minister’s Official Residence. The rebel forces we have identified so far are Prime Minister Nam Hanseok and Han Myeongho, CEO of JH Trading and Construction, and CEO Kang Bonggil.”

At her words, the expressions of Kurokawa Minori and Zhou Peiling grew even more serious.

“Analyzing their actions so far, they are trying to seize control of the JH Group. Their strategy is likely to first take over JH Trading and Construction, the largest subsidiaries within the JH Group, and then absorb the other affiliates.”

Knowing well that the JH Group is the economic source of Lee Siguk’s absolute power within South Korea, the expressions of Kurokawa Minori and Zhou Peiling grew increasingly worse.

“Signs of rebellion are also appearing in the Senate, centered around groups following Nam Hanseok. Foreign Minister Han Changmyeong is leading his faction and resisting somehow, but it seems even he isn’t purely following Chairman Lee Siguk’s will. And similarly, unusual currents are being seen in the House of Representatives as well. That’s all from me.”

After Yeo Jeongyeon finished speaking, silence fell among the three for a while.

That silence was broken by Zhou Peiling’s English, heavily infused with a British accent.

[The situation in China hasn’t become significantly more unfavorable for us. On the contrary, thanks to the unstable elements appearing here and there recently, the Cartel’s influence is gradually expanding.]

“What kind of unstable elements?”

[With the disappearance of the Dragon Phoenix Society figures who were shielding Chairman Li and the Shanghai Faction, the Beijing Faction, which had been lying low, is moving again.]

“The Beijing Faction?”

[Yes. Immediately, the Ministry of State Security has split in two. The People’s Liberation Army is the same. There are even analyses suggesting that if this continues, a civil war could break out. Moreover, it’s a problem the U.S. is also experiencing, but with most of the core Hunters dying in Africa, a security vacuum has also appeared regarding Dungeons. There hasn’t been an official announcement, but the entire Chongqing city has been closed off due to Monsters that emerged from a B-Rank Dungeon.]

While it was not a good thing for China, it was actually beneficial for the Cartel.

“Thank you. Anything more to add?”

[No.]

Yeo Jeongyeon’s gaze turned to Kurokawa Minori.

[In the ruling party presidential election, the candidate we were backing lost. Instead, the candidate we backed for Secretary-General was elected.]

“Half a success.”

[We failed to seize control of the party, but we are steadily seizing control of the cabinet. Because the ministers appointed for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Finance are people receiving our support.]

“That’s fortunate.”

[But recently, the movements from the U.S. side are suspicious. According to reports from the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, the Public Security Department of the National Police Agency, and the Public Security Investigation Agency of the Ministry of Justice, the CIA Japan branch is recently conducting comprehensive wiretapping and surveillance operations targeting cabinet ministers. I suspect they are trying to find out who the people we planted are.]

“Anything else?”

[Nothing else.]

“I see.”

Yeo Jeongyeon nodded with a dark expression.

“So, ultimately, among the three countries of South Korea, China, and Japan, only South Korea is in the most dangerous situation.”

At her words, Kurokawa Minori and Zhou Peiling could only remain silent.

“For China, it’s a domestic political issue, and it’s actually a favorable situation for the Cartel. In Japan’s case, while the U.S. is sniffing around and investigating something, it’s not a situation where internal collaborators have significantly betrayed us or anything.”

Although not participating in the meeting, Marcos of the Republic of Bangsamoro, i.e., South Philippines, was also smoothly continuing the Cartel’s construction work in Indonesia and the Strait of Malacca.

“Only South Korea…… Only South Korea is facing internal troubles and external threats. Externally, the U.S. is trying to push in, and internally, those who have enjoyed luxuries they would never have enjoyed in their lifetime thanks to Chairman Lee Siguk’s grace are siding with the U.S. and trying to rebel…… Sigh…….”

In the end, Yeo Jeongyeon let out a sigh.

[Was there no news from the Kremlin?]

At Zhou Peiling’s question, Yeo Jeongyeon shook her head.

“No. All contact has been completely cut off.”

[At Chairman Lee Siguk’s residence…… Isn’t President Ivanov’s daughter there?]

“Yes.”

[Have you met her?]

Yeo Jeongyeon shook her head.

“I tried to meet her several times, but she refused to meet.”

[What about trying one more time?]

“It’s too late. This morning, I confirmed she entered the Russian Embassy. She’ll probably return to Moscow soon. Safely and secretly.”

[Ah…….]

“For now, it’s a crisis situation. Since Chairman Lee Siguk…… has disappeared, I’d like us to have a video conference like this at least once every three days. Let’s end here for today.”

At Yeo Jeongyeon’s words, Zhou Peiling and Kurokawa Minori nodded.

The three women exchanged words of thanks for each other’s hard work and turned off their screens.

“Sigh…….”

Yeo Jeongyeon leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

“Where are you…… If you’re alive, please…… come back quickly…….”

Unbeknownst to her, tears began to well up in her eyes.

But she never let them fall.