CH426 | Heir

We were taught that when you make a mistake, you apologize.

But in politics, there’s a saying that a politician must never apologize—and this time, it proved to be true.

“Following the presidential address, the approval rating has plummeted to 18%!”

“So apologizing actually caused the approval rating to collapse.”

“By admitting fault, even supporters are beginning to turn away.”

Vice Chairman Han, seemingly unable to believe the outcome, stared at the poll results over and over again.

This was why politicians insisted on blatantly false claims.

As long as they refused to admit wrongdoing, their most ardent supporters would keep believing in them.

But the moment they apologized, even the die-hard supporters abandoned them.

“It seems the leaked CCTV footage was the decisive blow.”

“Yes. Since the footage was released by a close aide who turned against him, there was no room for excuses.”

“What about the opposition party? It feels like the time for impeachment talk has arrived.”

“The opposition is demanding a special prosecutor and pushing strongly for impeachment. And even the ruling party is showing signs of division.”

The president’s plummeting approval rating was devastating for the ruling party.

In situations like this, they usually tried to cover it up by expelling the president from the party.

But this time, as many as thirty ruling party lawmakers were preparing to break away and form a new party.

“Still, just because the opposition is calling for impeachment and the ruling party is splintering doesn’t mean impeachment can begin right away, does it?”

“Correct. Even if the ruling and opposition parties combine, they still don’t hold a majority. In the end, everything depends on what the National Economic Party decides.”

The balance of power rested entirely in the hands of the National Economic Party.

Since they held a majority in the Assembly, they could begin impeachment proceedings at any time if they managed to sway just fifty lawmakers.

“Public sentiment is turning serious. There’s a growing demand that the National Economic Party take the lead in the impeachment. If they keep their distance as they’re doing now, a large portion of their supporters could abandon them.”

“I heard Representative Choi Jaeseok is visiting the Blue House today. Depending on what choice the Blue House makes, his course of action will change as well.”

A meeting between the head of the largest party and the senior leadership of the Blue House.

It was the kind of event that should have drawn every eye in the press, but because it was held in secret, only a handful of people knew about it.

Negotiation—or collusion.

Everything depended on Representative Choi Jaeseok’s decision.

I entrusted the entire matter to him and resolved to trust whatever choice he made.

“Do you think anything will change just because Representative Choi goes to the Blue House?”

“Who do you think the current power fears most? Isn’t it the next power? Representative Choi is the one closest to becoming the next president. That makes him the only person capable of persuading the Blue House.”

A meeting between the present power and the future power.

Depending on what they discussed, the entire course of the Republic of Korea was about to change.

***

Representative Choi Jaeseok arrived at the Blue House.

The president and two chiefs waited for him; whether because of public opinion or not, their faces were drawn and battered.

“Thank you for agreeing to this sudden meeting.”

“When the leader of the largest party asks to meet, of course you must oblige.”

The Chief of Staff replied with a smug tone.

But Representative Choi did not look at the Chief of Staff even once; he fixed his gaze solely on the president and spoke.

“The flames are too fierce. A fire has been lit that won’t go out until the whole mountain burns.”

“As always, things will calm with time. If the National Economic Party doesn’t pour fuel on it, it can be extinguished quickly.”

Again, the Chief of Staff answered.

Still, Representative Choi treated the Chief of Staff as if he were not there and continued, staring straight ahead.

“If the National Economic Party remains passive like this, we will be consumed by the blaze too. The special prosecutor and impeachment have already crossed an irreversible river. There is no way to quell public sentiment.”

“Who are you to speak such nonsense now? How dare you bring up impeachment here!”

“I am opposed to impeachment.”

“Hmm, indeed you are the leader of the largest party. My apologies for raising my voice.”

The Chief of Staff flashed another sly smile.

But his smile was crushed the moment Representative Choi continued speaking.

“You must choose resignation, not impeachment.”

“Resignation? What — are you telling me to step down voluntarily for some wrongdoing?”

“If we enter an impeachment standoff, public sentiment will seek to punish the current administration. Even if the impeachment process is short, it will last at least a year; at worst it could drag on two or three. We must prevent all governing momentum from being swallowed by impeachment!”

Representative Choi believed resignation was the best choice for Korea’s future.

He did not want the energy that should be invested in economic development to be redirected toward an impeachment trial.

“If the bad precedent of resignation takes hold, it will be very unfavorable for you as well, Representative Choi. You’re the frontrunner for the next presidency. If you face the same situation when you become president, you too would be forced to resign.”

“Then I will willingly choose resignation. If it is for the development of the Republic of Korea, I am prepared to sacrifice myself without hesitation.”

Representative Choi Jaeseok was resolute.

But for the first time, the president himself opened his mouth in response to that firmness.

“Would anything really change just because I resign?”

“I will make it change. First of all, I can suppress public demand for a special prosecutor. Instead of a special investigation, the truth can be revealed through a standard prosecution inquiry.”

“Whether it’s a special prosecutor or the prosecution, in the end, won’t it all be swayed by the influence of those in power?”

“That is why I will ensure you receive a fair and impartial investigation.”

Representative Choi was determined to quiet the outcry for impeachment at any cost.

Thus, he wanted an ordinary prosecution inquiry instead of a special investigation. But for that to be possible, the president had to resign voluntarily.

“Representative Choi! Better to suffer impeachment than resignation. That’s far too extreme! As precedent shows, the Constitutional Court will ultimately reject the impeachment motion.”

“Does it matter whether impeachment passes or not? The best way to extinguish a fire is to remove the fuel feeding it. If you choose resignation, public anger will subside.”

“There is no need to hear any more. Escort Representative Choi out.”

For the first time, Representative Choi turned his head.

With eyes filled with venom and cold hostility, he looked at the Chief of Staff and spoke in a low, chilling voice.

“If you choose impeachment, I will take the lead myself. I will drag out every single corruption of this administration, down to the smallest misdeed, and publicly execute it.”

“How dare you threaten us here of all places!”

“This is no threat. It is a warning of the course the National Economic Party will take.”

The Chief of Staff tried to retort but found himself unable to speak.

The overwhelming aura pouring out of Representative Choi froze him in place—and he understood.

Though he called him merely “Representative Choi,” in truth he was the head of the largest party, the man most likely to become the next holder of power.

Once the administration fell, it would be Choi Jaeseok who held their very lifelines in his hands.

What’s more, with the re-election system to take effect from the next election, Choi Jaeseok could potentially remain the master of the Blue House for eight years.

“I’ll give you until the end of this week. If you make the right choice, the National Economic Party will ensure you step down gracefully. But if you choose otherwise, we will regard it as a declaration of war against us.”

Rising to his feet, Representative Choi gave a polite bow to the president, then left the Blue House.

The chiefs had much left to say, but none could stop him.

Representative Choi had already risen far beyond their reach.

***

Spring had fully arrived.

But the Blue House was still gripped by winter.

How could it be called spring when the president’s approval rating was plummeting at an astonishing pace week after week?

And there was another place also entering its own kind of winter.

“The British Parliament has decided to hold a national referendum on whether to leave the EU on June 23.”

“So it has come to that. In just a few months, the United Kingdom and the EU will be caught in a massive storm.”

“All preparations are complete. We’ve set up short-selling strategies against British companies, and through Quantum Fund, we’re ready to launch a currency offensive. Finally, we’ve already invested in companies and nations that stand to gain if Britain leaves the EU.”

The referendum would bring about a tremendous aftershock.

Especially in the financial sector, sweeping changes were inevitable.

The United Kingdom had served as the EU’s financial hub, but the moment Brexit happened, its advantage as a financial center would vanish.

“With London losing its status as a financial hub, other countries will rush to seize the opportunity.”

“After speaking with many financial firms in the Finance Tower, there’s growing consensus that Paris, France, is best suited to become Europe’s new financial hub. Dublin, Ireland, is also considered a strong candidate.”

From what I remembered, the nation that would benefit most from Brexit was Ireland.

Many corporations that had used the UK as their base shifted to Ireland instead, and financial firms were no exception.

“France may seem favorable in the short term, but in the long run, Ireland appears to have the edge.”

“I agree. Ireland maintains low tax rates, offers generous tax relief, and supports highly favorable policies for foreign investors. Environmentally, it holds many advantages over Paris.”

Vice Chairman Han shared thoughts similar to mine.

And it wasn’t just him—most financial firms in the Finance Tower were thinking the same way.

“But I really don’t understand. Yes, Britain suffers losses from the refugee crisis and from bailouts, but being part of the Eurozone still brings them tremendous benefits. Why would they make such an extreme move like Brexit?”

“In the end, isn’t it politics? Politicians manipulating public opinion to rally their support base. Leaving the EU won’t actually solve the refugee problem anyway.”

The refugee issue was one of the reasons cited for Brexit.

But after Brexit, far from solving it, even more refugees would pour into Britain.

“Let’s not get too greedy—let’s aim to double our profits, nothing more.”

“Wouldn’t that be insufficient? Didn’t you say, Chairman, that you were preparing a massive project? To fund it, you’ll need far more than double.”

I had no reply to that.

No matter how much profit we made from Brexit, it still wasn’t enough to realize the plan I had envisioned.

“Ahem. Step by step is fine. There are still plenty of opportunities to invest even after Brexit.”

“That’s a relief. In any case, I’ll do everything I can to maximize profits from this investment.”

I was exchanging an awkward smile with Vice Chairman Han when—

The Chief of Planning rushed in urgently to deliver breaking news.

“Chairman! An emergency presidential address has just begun!”

When the television was turned on, every channel was broadcasting the address.

And on the screen, in what looked like a pre-recorded video, the president made a shocking announcement:

[I will take full responsibility and step down.]