CH114 | VOC

“Mr. Park, welcome.”

I bowed my head as I entered Assemblyman Lee An-jin’s office.

“Thank you for meeting with me.”

“Of course, I always have time for you, CEO Park. Haha.”

Lee An-jin, a four-term Assemblyman, had readily agreed to my sudden request, not just because of the bribes I had given him, but also because of my elevated social status.

“I hear Chunha Trading is thriving. With so many large corporations collapsing due to the economic crisis, I wouldn’t be surprised if Chunha Trading takes their place. Hahaha.”

“It’s just the result of hard work and dedication, Assemblyman. I’m just doing my best.”

“I heard you’ve acquired dozens of companies. Isn’t that a conglomerate? I should be calling you Chairman Park soon.”

I waved my hands. “It’s nothing, Assemblyman. Just a few small acquisitions. And most of the shares belong to the employees. It’s not a conglomerate.”

“You’re too modest. Haha.”

He took a sip of his coffee.

“We’ve known each other for a while, CEO Park, but this is the first time you’ve requested a meeting so suddenly. What’s the matter?”

I said with a serious expression, “I have some important information I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Important information?”

I glanced around the room and said in a low voice, “Is this office secure?”

“Secure? Is it that sensitive?”

“Yes. It could cause a national uproar.”

He was startled. “National? Did you say national?”

“Yes. It’s a big deal.”

“Hmm, I know you wouldn’t joke about something like this, but…”

“I’ll tell you everything. But it has to be in a secure location.”

He said, “Tell me here. This office is secure.”

“Alright. The gold collection campaign. The trading companies are colluding and embezzling VAT refunds through a gold circulation scheme.”

His face turned pale.

“W-what?”

“The trading companies are using the gold collection campaign for fraudulent sales inflation and tax evasion…”

“Wait! Wait!”

He interrupted me. “What are you talking about? The gold collection campaign? VAT refunds?”

He was a veteran politician with decades of experience. He immediately grasped the gravity of the situation.

“Are you serious?”

“I am.”

“This is not something we can discuss lightly, CEO Park. Even if we’re acquaintances. Do you understand?”

I said calmly, “Of course. I have evidence and a witness.”

He looked at me with a confused expression.

A large-scale fraud involving the gold collection campaign? It was unexpected.

No one would request a meeting with a National Assembly member just for small talk.

He must have been expecting a request or a favor, but the actual content was probably beyond his imagination.

“I’m a bit flustered…”

“Assemblyman Lee, I’ve never asked you for any illegal favors. I’ve supported your political activities, but it was purely out of personal admiration, not because I wanted something in return. You know that, right?”

“I… I do.”

“This is the same. I happened to learn about this…”

“Wait! Wait!” He interrupted me again. “This isn’t a good place to talk. Let’s go somewhere else. My house. My wife is on vacation, so no one’s home.”

* * *

“Phew.”

His house was in a gated community, known for its tight security and celebrity residents.

He listened to my explanation and then clutched his head.

“Are you sure about this?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Assemblyman.”

He groaned, looking at the photos I had given him.

“The Taegeukgi gold bar…”

It was a photo of the gold bar with his name engraved on the back.

“Why are you telling me this, CEO Park?”

“Because this needs to be revealed to the public. It’s a betrayal of the people, an act of treason.”

He was silent for a moment and then said,

“This is not a simple matter, CEO Park.”

“I know.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s more complicated than you think. Three of the seven trading companies handling the gold from the gold collection campaign are subsidiaries of the top four chaebols. Do you think they would engage in such large-scale fraud without any backing? They’re probably colluding with someone in the government.”

“Then it’s even better for you, Assemblyman. You’re in the opposition party, you can use this against the current administration.”

He hesitated and then said, “It’s not that simple… Never mind.”

He stopped himself, but his implication was clear.

Even within the opposition party, there might be collaborators.

“So you’re going to let this slide?”

“Ugh.”

But it was too big of a scandal to ignore.

This could propel him from a mid-ranking Assemblyman to a key figure in his party.

And he had a personal connection to the scandal, as his name was on the gold bar.

“Let me investigate this first.”

He was buying time, considering his options.

The Taegeukgi gold bar was a double-edged sword.

It could be a nightmare for anyone involved, whether it was the ruling party, the opposition party, or the trading companies. Exposing it would make him enemies, but it could also be used for leverage.

He could secure his party’s nomination or gain favors from the trading companies and the ruling party.

Real benefits, not just empty public support.

He was understandably hesitant, but I couldn’t let him waver.

“Assemblyman, we don’t have time.”

“What do you mean?”

“I haven’t fully secured the evidence and the witness.”

He shouted, “What?! That’s the most important part!”

I said firmly, “But I’ve bought us some time.”

“Bought us time?”

“Yes, I persuaded the witness not to report it to the media yet. But I can’t guarantee how long that will last.”

“Ugh…”

I whispered,

“Assemblyman, this is a golden opportunity. A chance to make history. If you let this go, it’ll disappear. Of course, you can just ignore it. The witness is just an individual, the trading companies could easily silence him. But will you ever get another chance like this? A chance to capture the nation’s attention?”

He said after a long silence, “I understand, but…”

I pressed him. “What are you afraid of?”

“Afraid?! I’m not afraid of anything!”

I smiled. “Others will be afraid of you. Those who want this to go away, those who want to maintain the status quo. You don’t have to fight to the death. Just raise suspicions about the trading companies. That alone will make them tremble. They’ll come to you with all sorts of offers and favors. Then you can mediate between the witness and the trading companies and steer the situation in your favor. It’s that simple.”

He said, puzzled, “You said the witness wants to expose them. Will they be persuaded to back down?”

“The witness isn’t stupid. He wants to expose them, but he’s also afraid of the consequences. He needs your protection. You can easily negotiate a deal. He gets his reward, and you get your political gain. It’s a win-win situation.”

I added, seeing him hesitate, “If you’re not interested, I’ll have to approach other Assembly members.”

“W-wait!”

“Some of the donors are first-term Assembly members. They’re more likely to take the risk.”

“Just wait! Let me think about it!”

He said after a moment of thought, “Are you sure you can control the witness? And you’ll only raise suspicions, nothing more?”

“Of course.”

I smiled. “Assemblyman, seize the opportunity.”

The next day,

I had invited Oh Jin-mo to my office, and we were watching a news report about Assemblyman Lee An-jin raising suspicions about the gold collection campaign.

“See? That Assemblyman is your ally now. Don’t you feel reassured?”

Oh Jin-mo was in awe of my connections and power.

“An Assemblyman… he actually…”

“I told you, you’re not alone. Don’t worry. He’s a National Assembly member. Now it’s your turn. There are 20 prominent figures whose names are on that gold bar. They’ll all support your testimony. You’ll be a hero.”

“A hero…”

“You’ll be the hero who exposed the truth about the gold collection campaign. You could write a best-selling book. Who knows? Maybe the National Assembly will even offer you a position.”

Oh Jin-mo gulped. “Are you… sure this is okay?”

I smiled brightly. “Of course. An Assemblyman has already fired the first shot. The public will be outraged and applaud your courage. Those trading companies won’t be able to touch you. Trust me, and trust your allies.”

Oh Jin-mo said with a determined expression, “Alright, I’ll do it.”

I clapped my hands. “Excellent! I knew I had a good eye for people. This is a wise decision.”

I patted his back. “Even if things go wrong, trust me. I’m Park Sol. I never abandon my people.”

“I trust you, CEO Park.”

I praised him, finalized the date for the exposé, and sent him away.

Maru chuckled as he left. “This is getting interesting.”

“Hehehe, people tend to focus on the positive. An Assemblyman is involved now, so he must feel safe.”

“Even the Assemblyman wouldn’t have predicted how far this would go.”

This was a massive scandal, big enough to shake the entire country.

Even a National Assembly member was hesitant to get involved.

So I had to make it unavoidable for him.

I had persuaded Lee An-jin to take action by assuring him that he could control the situation and profit from it. And then I would bring in Oh Jin-mo, emboldened by Lee An-jin’s involvement.

The impact would be much greater than if Oh Jin-mo had acted alone.

Lee An-jin had already fired the first shot, so the political and business worlds would be in chaos. And then, when the undeniable evidence was revealed, it would be game over.

Lee An-jin had probably thought he could control the witness and make a profit, but it would be too late by then.

He would have no choice but to get involved, and then I would bring in the other prominent figures whose names were on the gold bar to support the testimony.

“Oh Jin-mo wants money, and Lee An-jin wants political gain. They both want to control the situation, but that’s not how it works.”

They would be at the forefront of this massive scandal, whether they liked it or not.

And so would the other people whose names were on the gold bar.

My eyes gleamed.

“We’re creating a battlefield where they have no choice but to fight. They’ll fight to the death, and we’ll collect the admission fees.”