A Gate Opened On My First Day As A Politician - Chapter 43

A month had passed.

Inside a dimly lit office, I sat silently in front of a turned-off TV with my eyes closed.

Slowly, I fell into deep thought.

‘For now… I’m going to protect Chunmok Group…’

‘Are you saying you’ll defend the heavy industry shares?’

‘No… I’ll crush everything…’

—

‘People think the world is in chaos, but in a way, it’s still peaceful.’

‘Does the world look peaceful to you right now?’

‘The heirs are dead, and blind shares are floating around like scraps of paper. But no one’s taking them…? Cowards…’

Someone had placed an unexpected piece on the Go board I had meticulously arranged over the past six months.

It was a queen.

‘It’s funny. A frozen lake may seem calm, but underneath, the water snakes are writhing.’

‘…Are you going to throw a stone?’

Chun Geum-soon poured money into the stock market, which had been fluctuating like Bitcoin.

A lot. A whole lot.

‘People treated me like a washed-up old hag, selling snacks and fried chicken. But with semiconductors and finance sectors collapsing, I suddenly became the richest person around, you know? Sure, cash is worth less than toilet paper, but that applies to stocks too, doesn’t it?’

Chun Geum-soon kept playing a game of chicken.

A rabid dog had barged in, throwing around an absurd amount of money. The already unstable market went berserk as she hoarded stocks, causing prices to skyrocket.

Of course, she couldn’t take over management rights.

They weren’t complete fools either.

But the companies she targeted suffered heavy losses.

To defend against her, they had to buy up even more of their own stocks, which had surged because of her actions.

And Chun Geum-soon always dumped half of her shares at the peak and ran off.

Naturally, the stocks they had bought to defend themselves turned into worthless scraps.

She repeated this stunt four times.

‘This… isn’t this market manipulation?!’

‘There’s no concrete evidence of wrongdoing.’

‘Are you kidding me? Some crazy woman is running rampant with a knife in her teeth, and the government isn’t doing anything to stop her?!’

The conglomerates erupted in protest.

Normally, countless high-ranking officials would have moved immediately—getting the Fair Trade Commission involved, having the Industrial Bank of Korea push for restructuring, and crashing the stock price.

But—

‘With the country in this state, who has the time to deal with one stock market gambler?’

‘W-What?!’

Those people were already dead.

‘Economic crimes will be dealt with later. Right now, we don’t have the manpower to allocate to that issue.’

‘We’re about to lose all our shares, and that’s your excuse?!’

‘Regardless, we regret the situation. We will do our best to resolve it as soon as possible.’

‘Hey! Yoo Jae-kyung! You can’t do this to—’

‘……’

‘……Is this really okay, Assemblyman Han?’

‘This matter has already been coordinated with the VIP. Minister Yoo, you don’t have to worry too much about it.’

‘Well, I must say, it feels good to put the squeeze on these chaebols. I like it.’

The Financial Services Commission—more precisely, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which controlled its personnel—ignored the conglomerates’ complaints without hesitation.

Even when the Chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry had a former executive from the business sector hold a major press conference, it never aired on TV.

It barely managed to get 2,136 views on social media.

That was because I had struck a deal with Won Ok-bun.

She was still engaged in a power struggle with the press, and so far, she hadn’t lost control.

‘…Assemblyman Han, you seem to be having fun these days.’

‘I apologize, Acting President.’

‘If this is just a game to you, I won’t let it slide.’

‘It’s not a game.’

‘Explain yourself.’

‘Now that the Gate Incident is gradually settling down, the media is starting to move again. I hear they’re getting quite rude.’

‘And?’

‘Who do you think is pulling their strings?’

‘……’

‘Of course, each media company has its own corporate backers, so pinpointing a single culprit is difficult. It’s also possible that the Federation of Korean Industries orchestrated a collective lobbying effort. Finding a clear perpetrator isn’t easy.’

‘So?’

‘I believe it’s time to take direct action.’

‘…Instead of breaking their pens, you want to squeeze their wallets?’

‘If we do, won’t they naturally start behaving themselves?’

‘……Assemblyman Han.’

‘Yes, Acting President.’

‘You’ve become quite aggressive. Who’s behind you?’

‘A chaebol named Chun Geum-soon. She’s been having fun, so I’m just giving her a little push.’

‘Same age as me?’

‘She’s my age.’

‘…I see. I get the gist. Quite an interesting play. Bring her over sometime.’

‘Thank you, Acting President.’

In the end, the entire ordeal was resolved by sentencing a single executive from Chunmok Investment & Development to six months in prison for “personal misconduct.”

Of course, he was already pre-approved for a New Year’s special pardon.

In other words, Chun Geum-soon remained untouched.

The chaebols saw everything.

A nobody from the lower ranks had gone completely insane, rampaged without knowing her place—

And walked away unscathed, with a huge chunk of meat in her mouth.

Finally, the thin ice cracked.

The serpents awakened from their slumber.

They realized that the veil of civilization no longer protected them—

And at the same time, no longer constrained them.

Of course, they weren’t the kind of people to suddenly bow to the government or pledge loyalty to someone.

That just wasn’t in their nature.

– BBC Chicken has acquired Kokonus Communications. This marks the seventh successful hostile takeover among major corporations in the past 16 days.

– However, concerns are rising as this is yet another speculative acquisition unrelated to business expertise, taking advantage of temporary stock crashes.

– A snack company has acquired a semiconductor firm! They’re ignoring business scale and technical capabilities entirely!

– The KOSPI index is experiencing extreme fluctuations. Analysts suggest that an overwhelming influx of capital is entering the market simultaneously, despite price limits and circuit breakers.

– Park Joo-chul, former CEO of Kokonus Communications, was found dead in his home. His suicide note contained apologies to his family and company.

– The Federation of Korean Industries has strongly opposed Assemblyman Yang Pan-seok’s market restriction bill, declaring that excessive government intervention in the market is unacceptable under any circumstances.

The circuit breaker had already been triggered for the twelfth time, yet the speculative frenzy showed no signs of stopping. Even individual investors were jumping into the chaos, while some speculated that the chaebols were injecting slush funds simultaneously.

A time of chaos had begun.

An era of warring factions.

The Sixth Prince’s Rebellion, the Ban Yuseong Family Civil War, and so on.

The media eagerly attached dramatic labels as they broadcasted the War of Wealth in real time. The public was enraged at the sight of the economy bleeding from the battles of the financial titans.

But what could anyone do?

An aging hunting dog, cast aside to a minor position after a lifetime of cleaning up after its master.

A prince, long ago ousted by his siblings.

A CEO, attempting to seize control of a corporation by enthroning a three-year-old heir after the chaebols had all perished.

And finally, the youngest grandchild of a chaebol family, revealing her true nature after stirring the world into turmoil.

For these cunning heroes, only an age of chaos could serve as their battleground.

The beasts that had once lurked in the concrete jungle now emerged, tearing at each other’s throats.

The only distinction between hunter and prey—

Was money.

No matter how successful, no matter how massive an enterprise had been, without cash in hand, they were as good as dead.

And in our country, most businesses ran on debt. They borrowed to create a company, then leveraged that company as collateral to borrow even more for the next venture. The bigger the corporation, the deeper the debt.

And the easier they were to kill.

The food chain had been completely shattered, and Chunmok Group’s circular shareholding structure was obliterated.

But Chun Geum-soon had protected Chunmok Group.

Chunmok Heavy Industries, the parent company of Chunmok Group, was a shipbuilding company. Large and slow-moving, it was vulnerable to attack. In other words—

—

“The company’s liquidity is drying up…”

In the dimly lit corner of a beef soup restaurant.

“We won’t be able to fend off the speculators… We’ll be dismantled…”

Chun Geum-soon mumbled, her eyes glazed from intoxication.

“At that moment, when the CEO of SKY TREE MALL declares bankruptcy, the circular shareholding structure will snap exactly where I’ve planned. Two percent of the retail shares owned by the department store will scatter, and distribution will fall under the control of shipping…”

At the same time, Chunmok Shipping would emerge as a new holding company with a portfolio of valuable subsidiaries.

“An internal shareholding ratio of 51%. A debt-to-equity ratio of 20% under an independent accounting standard. That’s the Maginot Line…”

She smirked drunkenly.

“Oh, that means it’s solid.”

Chun Geum-soon had a voice that never rose above a certain decibel.

“I, I planned this well, didn’t I…? Hard to believe this only took me half a year, right? Right? Thanks…”

Her words often drifted past unnoticed.

Timid.

Hesitant.

Distracted.

A small, quiet voice.

But as she sat in this shadowy soup restaurant, speaking in a measured, steady tone—

Her face half-shrouded in the dim light—

I finally realized something.

—

“As the financial storm rages, I’ll donate hundreds of billions to an orphanage in Gangbuk and distribute most of the stored food in my warehouses. If food prices are soaring to the sky, how do you think people will feel when they receive free meals? And I’ll deposit most of my speculative profits into the Bank of Korea…”

A gentle tone.

A slightly slow pace.

But the words—violent in nature.

“At that moment, the government will step forward and say—”

Each word that left her lips drilled into my mind like a spike.

“I order a crackdown on economic criminals who are disrupting the market. From now on, the state will intervene in the economy.”

It felt like the blood was draining from my body.

A new piece had been placed onto the intricate Go board I had spent half a year constructing.

This woman was insane.

At some point, she had discarded her blazer, left only in a white dress shirt, and downed two bottles of black raspberry wine.

“No one will dare to cry communism in a market where everyone has been tearing off each other’s flesh…”

Her gentle brows—

The dark circles under her eyes—

And beneath them, a gaze colder than death.

“So, most corporations will be half-crippled?”

The chaebols, drawing their swords in pursuit of burning ambition.

Won Ok-bun, tightening her grip on the press by pressuring them.

The coming bloodbath.

The suffering of the people.

And the politicians, stepping in to win votes from the struggling masses.

Which would, in turn, lead to the government’s intervention in the economy.

A government that would sit on the throne, benefiting the most.

Chun Geum-soon.

The new Chairwoman.

—

“At that point, I’ll control four major sectors: steel, energy, food, and construction.”

Steel. Food. Power plants. Construction.

Industries that thrived in times of war.

She was building a war economy.

“How patriotic.”

“……”

“In a market full of greedy fools, while the people suffer, I’ll distribute food. Refill the national treasury. Secure government projects. A company as stable and virtuous as mine…”

“……”

“How high do you think I can climb?”

As she lazily murmured that she’d reach the top six within a year, Chun Geum-soon took another sip of alcohol.

She emptied her glass.

I refilled it.

“Well, that was quite a speech.”

“Mm… No deeper thoughts? I worked pretty hard on this plan…”

Pouring her another drink, I spoke.

“So, in summary—”

The liquor overflowed, spilling onto the table and dripping onto the floor.

“You’re planning to destroy the entire national economy just to eat up one corporation.”

Only when the black raspberry wine bottle was completely empty did I finally set it down. The room filled with silence and the thick scent of alcohol.

Chun Geum-soon, having lost most of her liquor to the table, downed the little that remained in her glass.

I asked her.

“Why go this far?”

“Mm…?”

She tilted her head, as if it was the first time she had ever considered the question.

Then, licking the liquor off her fingers as if unwilling to waste a drop, she gave a relaxed smile.

“My family never really saw me for who I was. But I have my own life, too, you know? How could they see their own daughter as nothing more than a business tool? It was just too much, so I—”

“Cut the nonsense.”

“…Actually, I’m my father’s illegitimate child. My mother used to beat me.”

“Every time you open your mouth…”

“My grandfather, who always cherished me, isn’t in a nursing home. He’s in a coffin. I watched through a crack in the door as my father pulled the plug…”

“So what?”

“…Not working, huh?”

She clicked her tongue and fell into thought again.

“Right. I hate my name.”

With a flick of her tongue, she licked the alcohol off the back of her hand.

“What kind of name is Geum-soon? It literally means ‘money girl’… Am I some kind of good luck charm?”

“It doesn’t seem like your issue is just with your family.”

“Of course not. I should be grateful I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. In today’s world, that’s a blessing. But my family? They’re just a bunch of goldfish… How do you call a goldfish Mom?”

“……”

“Magic stones will become a new energy source. So they started hoarding magic stones under the guise of business—planning to resell them for a profit. And then they said, Geum-soon, go seduce them.”

“……”

“I was always good at charming people. But this time, I just… I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

“……”

“They got their hands on some gossip and immediately started making plans to sell their own daughter. It was exhausting. Is that all they could come up with? A political marriage?”

“……”

“And the Han Seung-Moon Foundation’s research lab has been running for half a year. There’s no way they didn’t know. Japan has been mass-importing magic stones, and Seung-Moon has been hoarding them like crazy. And yet they— Ugh… I don’t even want to talk about this anymore. It’s draining.”

“…How do you know that?”

“The sea routes are in the palm of my hand… Anyway, I just don’t understand why they thought they could mess with that.”

“Listen, Chun Geum-soon.”

“Yes…?”

“Why the hell would I do business with a lunatic?”

“Ah… never mind.”

She gave a bright smile and grabbed my hand, shaking it. Her grip was sticky—maybe from the dried alcohol.

“Thank you…!” She grinned.

Her droopy eyebrows always gave her a gentle, almost naive expression.

But right now, her smile sent a chill down my spine.

I wanted to pull my hand away, but I couldn’t tell if it was because of the sticky alcohol, her firm grip, or simply that my arm had lost its strength.

I couldn’t let go.

“You’re not even checking if I’m recording this. That means… you’re agreeing, right?”

“……”

“Your mouth says no, but your eyes are honest… Haaa… Finally, I got you.”

Chun Geum-soon laughed triumphantly.

“Assemblyman Yang Pan-seok once said, You’re just his type, aren’t you?”

A queen had been placed on the Go board I had painstakingly arranged over six months.

In a single move, the entire game had been flipped upside down.

“You want me, don’t you?”

…As much as I hated to admit it.

She was the exact piece I needed.

“But if you need someone this crazy…”

The problem was, she wasn’t my queen.

She was Yang Pan-seok’s.

“What kind of madness are you two plotting…?”

Which meant—

She had seen through my plans.

—

I sat alone in the dimly lit room, watching the news.

— Our proud military and hunters have successfully eliminated all monsters that spread south of Gyeonggi Province due to Cha Jae-kyun’s early missteps. In a press conference, Kim Chun-sik of the association stated—

At the bottom of the screen, a ticker scrolled rapidly.

“Former Chunmok Group executives arrested for leaking military secrets.”

“GS Group, the successor to Chunmok, donates 4.6 billion KRW worth of food supplies to Gangbuk.”

Geum-soon—was it just her name? Or Geum-soon as in Golden Shield?

Regardless, she wasn’t exactly a solid defense, given that she was just dumping food that would expire soon anyway.

But still, the 46 billion won worth of supplies she had donated with a single stamp—

It was more than I had given to others in my entire lifetime.

The thought made me chuckle dryly as my phone rang.

[Hey, Assemblyman Han.]

It was Yang Pan-seok.

[How’s Geum-soon doing?]

I asked him,

“When did you find out?”

[…I had a hunch when Cha Jae-kyun died. But I was certain two months ago.]

“Thank you for your help.”

[Nothing to thank me for. When Kongming sets up a plan, even if Liu Bei isn’t there, at least there should be a Cao Cao.]

“Things got a lot easier thanks to you. Where did you even find someone like that?”

[The times called for her. Just like they called for you.]

I hesitated for a long time.

Debating whether I should say this.

Then, with my parched throat barely able to produce a sound, I spoke.

“…Assemblyman Yang.”

[…You sound rough already.]

“Do you really know everything?”

[…]

“You sent Chun Geum-soon to me. Can I take that as silent approval?”

[…Think whatever you want.]

“Thank you.”

[…Well. You’ve played the role of an aide long enough.]

“……”

[…And it looks like Chun Geum-soon has finished playing the youngest grandchild of a chaebol family, too.]