Chapter 196 – Apex [Meridian]

“Huh?”

“What’s up?”

Han Myeongho and Kang Bonggil came face to face right in front of the vice chairman’s office.

“What are you doing here?”

“You’re asking me?”

“Me? I’m…”

Han Myeongho hesitated with his words.

‘If I say Park Seongjun called me, this bastard will definitely get suspicious.’

Kang Bonggil tilted his head and asked.

“What about you?”

“I’m… well… what about you?”

“Me? I’m…”

Kang Bonggil also trailed off.

‘If I say Park Seongjun wanted to see me, the boss will definitely give me a dirty look.’

Both men cleared their throats awkwardly.

The two men simultaneously headed toward the vice chairman’s office.

In an instant, realizing their paths were aligned, they stopped in their tracks again.

“Going to the vice chairman’s office?”

“What about you?”

“I’m going to the vice chairman’s office.”

“Oh? I’m going there too.”

“Did Park Seongjun call you?”

“You too?”

The two looked at each other with meaningful expressions.

Han Myeongho smirked.

“Looks like you finally figured out which side this guy is on, huh?”

Kang Bonggil also bared his teeth in a grin.

“Took you long enough. Better late than never.”

The two headed toward the vice chairman’s office once more.

Then, they boldly opened the door and stepped inside.

“Gasp!”

“Huff!”

The moment they entered the vice chairman’s office, what they saw was Siguk sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, silently watching them with cold, sunken eyes.

“V-V-Vice Chairman…”

“Yeah…”

Looking at the two men frozen stiff, Siguk wiggled his finger.

At that moment, against their own will, they knelt on the spot.

“V-Vice Chairman. I-I’ll explain everything, the whole story, right now.”

“V-Vice Chairman. Please, just spare my life.”

Siguk quietly gestured for them to be silent.

This time, of their own volition, they closed their mouths.

Siguk made them lift their heads.

Looking at their pale faces, Siguk delivered his verdict.

“In recognition of your hard work for the company all this time, I’ll even give you severance pay. Retire quietly and live as if you don’t exist. For the sake of my late father’s face, this is the last chance I’m giving you.”

There was nothing more they could say.

“Th-Thank you. Thank you, Vice Chairman.”

“I-I won’t make a peep until the day I die.”

And so, Siguk had Kang Bonggil and Han Myeongho submit their resignations to Chairman Park Jeongmok that very day.

Upon suddenly receiving both resignations, a puzzled Chairman Park was visited by Siguk.

Chairman Park was startled at first, but soon showed a relieved expression and welcomed Siguk warmly.

On the spot, Siguk conveyed several instructions to Chairman Park and then vanished as abruptly as he had appeared.

『The extremity of the protests has crossed the line, becoming violence that transcends basic rights. As the head of the South Korean government, I cannot stand idly by and watch such barbarism in the streets. Therefore, I have ordered the Commissioner General of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to forcibly disperse the protesters and arrest those committing acts of violence. Furthermore, to prevent future gatherings of protesters, I have ordered the Commissioner General to install barricades at Gwanghwamun, Seoul Station Plaza, and Cheonggye Plaza.』

October 13, 2033, 15:00.

Through an emergency address to the nation, Nam Hanseok announced that he had ordered the police to forcibly disperse protesters, severely punish illegal actors, and block protests at their source.

『I admit that it was a misjudgment on my part as Prime Minister to have condoned the illegal violent protests under the pretext of revolutionary purity, and I apologize to the people for the chaos that ensued over the past several months.』

Everyone watching—the journalists covering the scene live, the citizens watching on television, the members of both houses of parliament, the cabinet ministers—could not hide their bewilderment as they watched him bow deeply.

『I also apologize to the people that, despite the efforts of myself and the cabinet ministers over the past three years, the people’s livelihoods have not improved at all.』

Watching this on a television at Seoul Station, one citizen muttered as if to himself.

“What’s this? Did he take some medicine?”

This reaction was natural, given his attitude was starkly different from just a short while ago, when he had been invoking Siguk’s name and shifting the blame for the collapse of people’s livelihoods onto someone else.

『Since ancient times, when ominous events continuously befall a nation, it has been considered proper for the highest political leader to take responsibility. As the leader of a modern democratic nation, I intend to take responsibility for the misguided politics and policies of the past three years and step down from this position. Furthermore, the Senate is not free from this responsibility either. Through the dissolution of parliament and an early general election, I will ensure that a new parliament and cabinet capable of promptly taking responsibility for the people’s livelihoods can be formed. Once again, I apologize to the people.』

Thus, Nam Hanseok’s final address to the nation concluded with an apology to the people.

Public opinion on it was sharply divided.

“Seriously, if he had acted like that from the start… but seeing someone who, until just recently, was inciting people as if urging them to pick up spears any minute, suddenly act like this… isn’t it natural to think he’s taken some medicine?”

Some were bewildered by his sudden about-face and expressed displeasure.

“Well, regardless of what happened in the middle, the fact that a leader honestly admits his mistakes and declares he will step down cleanly is admirable in itself. Since liberation, which former president or prime minister has ever admitted their mistakes as cleanly as Nam Hanseok just did?”

Others highly praised the very act of sincerely admitting his mistakes and announcing his resignation.

『Nam Hanseok is a traitor to the revolution! He’s doing this because he secured a comfortable post-retirement life from the corrupt rulers!』

Some extremists labeled even Nam Hanseok a traitor to the revolution and vented their anger, but it remained confined to the internet.

And so, the chaos in Korea that began on August 27 with Nam Hanseok’s incitement was brought to a close with his apology address and announcement of resignation and parliamentary dissolution.

The night of Nam Hanseok’s resignation announcement.

A little past 22:00.

Yeo Jeongyeon and Lee Dongseok visited Siguk’s penthouse in Cheongdam-dong.

After filling their glasses with wine, Siguk sat facing them.

“Still, I’m glad the Secretary-General came like this. We almost had a major disaster.”

Lee Dongseok spoke after downing his wine like water.

Seeing this, Siguk smiled and refilled Lee Dongseok’s glass.

“Wasn’t it possible because the Chairman, along with the Vice Chairman, steered things well in my absence?”

“Ugh. Don’t even mention it. From Nam Hanseok to the chaebols, really, why does everyone have so much to say… I really wonder if I could have handled anything properly without the Vice Chairman.”

At that, Yeo Jeongyeon burst out laughing.

Lee Dongseok continued.

“We really held on thanks to the Vice Chairman. If I had been alone, it would have been truly difficult. I guess this kind of work just isn’t to my taste.”

As he said this, Lee Dongseok downed another glass of wine.

Watching this, Siguk smiled.

“Anyway, you two managed to hold the fort smoothly in my absence. Honestly, it wasn’t just Nam Hanseok, Han Myeongho, or Kang Bonggil who were unusual. Anyone could harbor such thoughts. Yet, the fact that you two never entertained such thoughts is truly a relief for me.”

“Haha. But we’ve been with the Secretary-General for years. How could we betray you so easily?”

Yeo Jeongyeon also nodded in agreement with Lee Dongseok’s words.

“Well, it’s a relief for me. You two will need to lead this country from behind going forward, and having had this chance to get in sync…”

Instantly, Lee Dongseok and Yeo Jeongyeon’s expressions hardened.

“What… what do you mean, Secretary-General?”

Lee Dongseok asked.

“Exactly what I said. From now on, you two must lead this country in my place.”

Yeo Jeongyeon downed her wine and looked at Siguk as she asked.

“What does that mean? That the Chairman and I will act in place of Siguk… Are you leaving us again?”

Her pupils were trembling.

“Not immediately. But since I’m going to play the role of an oppa anyway, I plan to quietly retire after seeing Nayeon get married and have children.”

“Retire… What on earth does that mean? Huh?”

“That’s right. Secretary-General. No, Yiheon. What on earth are you talking about? Retire? Do the Vice Chairman and I need to explain to you in detail, one by one, how difficult it was for us while you were gone? Huh?”

Calming the somewhat agitated two, Siguk slowly continued.

“You can’t depend on me forever. Not the National Hunter Federation, nor the National Policy Advisory Council, nor the Cartel, nor this country.”

“……”

“I’ve been thinking about retirement for a long time. And I feel that time is gradually approaching.”

“……”

“After I finish the last of what I need to do, I plan to naturally make arrangements for the post-retirement power structure. First, I intend to pass on the Secretary-General position I currently hold to Seongjun.”

“Do you mean Manager Park Seongjun, by any chance?”

At Lee Dongseok’s question, Siguk nodded.

“I made this decision after seeing how faithfully Seongjun performed the role I entrusted to him in my absence. Of course, I won’t hand over the role immediately. I plan to create a Director-General position under the Secretary-General to teach him the work.”

Having had no time to be surprised by his return from the presumed dead, Lee Dongseok and Yeo Jeongyeon couldn’t gather their wits at Siguk’s sudden retirement announcement.

The shock Yeo Jeongyeon received was particularly severe.

“How… how can you do this? How… can you talk about leaving us so easily…”

Yeo Jeongyeon looked on the verge of tears.

Toward her, Siguk quietly reached out his hand.

Holding her hand resting on the table, Siguk spoke.

“Everything has its reason.”

Watching this, Yeo Jeongyeon closed her eyes.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Lee Dongseok gulped down his wine.

After a moment, Yeo Jeongyeon opened her eyes.

With trembling eyes, she looked at Siguk and asked in a choked voice.

“Yiheon… what on earth… happened? Why have you… changed like this?”

At that question, Lee Dongseok set down his glass and quietly looked at Siguk.

Feeling their gazes fixed on him, Siguk took a sip of wine with a pained expression.