1953 Bare-handed Tycoon - Chapter 353



Only Noblemtl

353 – The Last Encounter

On December 19th, Kijo visited Won Tae-sik, the head of Cheongsanheungup, and the ‘Peace Theater’.

The Peace Theater, which was Im Hwa-su’s theater, was recently looking for a buyer.

The key point was that there was no dedicated movie theater for Cheongsanheungup, which makes movies, so it was necessary to buy a theater.

When Kijo met Son Sam-sul, Im Hwa-soo’s wife, at the theater office, the newborn baby that Son Sam-sul was carrying caught his eye.

“What is the child’s name?”

“It’s Kwon Jeom-rye. She’s two years old now.”

The child’s surname was Kwon, not Im. Im Hwa-su’s real name was Kwon Jung-gak.

The mood was bad as he thought of Im Hwa-su, who was about to be executed.

“The theater is cheaper than the market price. You won’t lose money if you take it over.”

Son Sam-sul said.

It was a theater that did not do as well in business as other theaters because it was Im Hwa-su’s theater.

Moreover, Im Hwa-su’s reputation worsened further when he claimed his innocence at the revolutionary trial and shifted the blame to other defendants.

It was a different attitude from Lee Jung-jae, who was executed on October 19th.

Lee Jung-jae also pleaded not guilty to the charges, but did not shift responsibility to others.

Won Tae-sik, who went with us, lowered the theater price even further.

The reason given was that the Peace Theater’s facilities were old and it would cost a lot of money to renovate them.

Then Son Sam-sul looked at Tae-sik and said.

“Uncle Taesik, isn’t that too much? We’re not strangers, and you’re being too rude.”

Taesik bowed his head at Samsul’s words.

It seemed that Samsul also knew Taesik because he got along well with gangsters regardless of their organization.

“I think the bathroom needs remodeling and the seats need replacing. You’ll have to deduct some money for that.”

Kijo spoke on behalf of Taesik.

Then Samsul spoke to Gijo as well.

“This boss is not a stranger to my husband, is he? He sold TVs in Dongdaemun. Right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The keynote was readily acknowledged.

Im Hwa-su’s wife seemed to be fed up with people whose attitudes had changed drastically since the world was turned upside down.

It made sense that my wife, who had been treated like a traitor throughout the 50s, was now being treated like a traitor’s wife.

“People are really too much. When a prime minister’s dog dies, people come to offer condolences, but when the prime minister himself dies, no one comes…”

Meanwhile, Samsul took out a seal to stamp on the sales contract.

It seemed that he was anxious that the house in Nakwon-dong where he lived with Im Hwa-soo, Chunchujang, and even the Peace Theater would be taken away by the government.

She must have sold it in advance because she was afraid that it would be taken away immediately if her husband was executed.

Samsul pressed his seal on the contract.

While taking the picture, Samsul wiped his eyes.

It seemed hard to believe that her husband had been sentenced to death and that her family was in ruins.

“Okay?”

Kijo and Taesik looked over the contract one by one. Samsul stamped his seal on every single one.

“Eat well and live well. I look forward to seeing how well this country will do after we kick out this doctor.”

Samsul seemed to hate the times and curse the people.

After Samsul left, Kijo and Taesik met with the theater staff.

Everyone who works in the theater gathered, from theater managers to illustrators who draw movie signs, ticket booth employees, and street promoters.

They were very tense.

They seemed afraid that they would lose their jobs if the theater went out of business or was torn down.

The keynote speech was given to them.

“We will renovate the theater and reopen it early next year. We will keep the current employees, so please actively participate in the theater construction.”

At the keynote speech, the employees smiled in relief and applauded, saying, “We survived.”

Taesik began to order his employees around in a familiar manner.

He ordered the theater artists to draw signs indicating that the theater was temporarily closed, had the promoters walk around the streets promoting the theater’s renovation, and instructed the prayer groups to be kind to people from now on.

Everyone knew Taesik well and followed the instructions well.

After completing the theater sale, Kijo returned to the liquidation headquarters.

In two days, Im Hwa-su will die, Kwak Young-ju will die, and Choi In-gyu, who led the March 15 rigged election as the Minister of Home Affairs, will also die.

Those who were found not guilty or received only light prison sentences in trials immediately after April 19 were sentenced to extreme punishment after May 16.

The keynote was, ‘This is how the times are being organized.’

As lunchtime approached, a noise was heard from the secretary’s office, and Hyun-kyung came into the CEO’s office.

“The lady is here, sir.”

Judging from Hyun-kyung’s expression, Ki-jo could guess who it was.

Kijo stood up from his seat and went straight to the secretary’s office.

Kwak Yeong-ju had a wife named Shin Ok-gyun.

Kijo bowed his head and greeted.

“Come in, ma’am. Please come inside.”

The keynote speech treated Shin Ok-gyun as before.

It was no different from when Kwak Young-joo was very arrogant.

But Shin Ok-gyun was very cowering, unlike back then.

Kijo sat Shin Ok-gyun down on the sofa in the representative office and sat across from him while offering him tea.

Shin Ok-gyun bowed his head to Ki-jo and spoke.

“Sir, I’m sorry to ask you again. I think this will be the last time I ask you to do so… .”

Shin Ok-gyun couldn’t raise his head.

“My husband has been sentenced to death, but even though we are family, they won’t allow me to see him and just keep putting it off day after day. I know he committed a great crime, but please let me see him at least one last time. Please… … .”

Shin Ok-gyun’s voice was very hoarse.

I didn’t cry like I used to.

It must be because there are no tears left to shed.

“For the past few days, my husband has been appearing in my dreams and asking me to take care of the children. I don’t mind not seeing my husband, but please let my son at least see his father one last time. Please.”

Shin Ok-gyun got up from the sofa and knelt on the floor.

The keynote speech was to raise up such a new person.

The execution was to take place two days later, on December 21.

After tomorrow, Kwak Young-joo would no longer be able to meet this world.

The keynote was that he hated Kwak Young-joo, but his family was so pitiful that he felt bad for them.

“I’ll look into it. I’ll come to your house soon.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Shin Ok-gyun no longer told the story in detail.

She went back after apologizing to Gijo, saying, “I was wrong,” as if her husband’s sin was her own.

The keynote was to show the faces of people who were truly precious to Kwak Young-joo.

The person who loved him the most was neither Mi-hyang, who had left for France, nor Syngman Rhee, who was in Hawaii.

The keynote speech went straight to Seodaemun Prison.

There was no time.

My request to meet with the prison warden was denied.

Seodaemun Prison was so full of influential people that it was almost overflowing.

They were high-ranking public officials of the Syngman Rhee regime who were imprisoned as a result of the April 19 Uprising, and the ‘counterrevolutionary forces’ including Jang Do-young who were imprisoned after the May 16 coup.

There must have been more than one or two requests for interviews, as there were many people who had been exerting their power.

Kijo had no choice but to take out the ‘paper badge’ he had received from Chairman Park and show it to him.

Then the prison officer’s attitude changed.

“Please wait a moment.”

The civil servant who had suddenly stood up and disappeared from his seat kindly guided Kijo to the prison warden’s office.

The prison warden also greeted the keynote with a smile.

“I wonder why you came to see me.”

Kijo said bluntly that he wanted to meet Kwak Young-joo.

Then the prison warden looked embarrassed.

“that is…….”

The warden, who was at a loss, spoke to Kijo.

“Could you please give me a few days’ notice? I have some circumstances… … .”

I thought I knew the gist of what he was talking about.

It must be because of the ‘Shin Jeong-sik Prison Escape Incident’.

Shin Jeong-sik was a felon who killed Choi Ki-tae, a student at Gyeongseong Electric High School who was demonstrating in front of Lee Ki-poong’s house during the April 19 Revolution, by hitting him in the head with a sledgehammer.

While he was serving his sentence in Seodaemun Prison, his wife, Lee Ok-ja, came to visit him and secretly handed him a visitation pass.

Shin Jeong-sik, who had changed into a suit that he had smuggled in the day before, leisurely left the prison holding his release slip.

Although he was caught 52 hours after escaping, visits to criminals from the April 19 Revolution were banned from that time.

Because of that, Shin Ok-gyun’s request for a meeting was rejected, and I thought the prison warden would be embarrassed.

But the keynote could not be delayed.

“Call the Supreme Council. There are five people, including the Chairman, who know that I have this certificate.”

The keynote speaker included the names of Chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Lee Seok-je, Chairman of the Inspection and Supervision Committee Chae Myeong-shin, Member of the Finance and Economy Committee Oh Jeong-geun, and Member of the Commerce, Industry and Energy Committee Park Tae-jun.

Then, the warden asked for Gijo’s understanding and decided to confirm the situation over the phone.

The person he chose was Inspector Chae Myeong-shin.

The warden, who had been talking to Chae Myeong-shin, called Ki-jo.

-Oh, Mr. President. Did you come to the prison to meet Kwak Young-ju?

Chae Myeong-shin asked.

“Yes, I presented a paper ticket.”

―You must have a reason for wanting to meet Kwak Young-ju. I will ask the director to give you permission.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”

The keynote speaker handed the receiver back to the warden.

After hearing Chae Myeong-shin’s story, the prison warden immediately called his subordinates and instructed them to prepare for the visit.

And apologized to Kijo.

“I didn’t call to confirm because I didn’t believe him. It’s just because he’s a serious criminal… … .”

“it’s okay.”

The keynote speech was calm.

While I was waiting in the warden’s office while preparations were being made for the visitation, there was a knock on the door.

Soon after, Park Tae-jun came in and the prison warden greeted him.

Taejun presented a paper ticket to the prison warden, saying that he also wanted to meet Kwak Youngju.

“The meeting preparations are almost complete. Please wait a moment.”

As the warden came out of the room and gave direct instructions to his subordinates, Kijo asked.

“How did you come, Commissioner Park?”

“Commissioner Chae Myeong-shin told me about it. That’s why I came.”

“What about Kwak Young-joo…?”

“It’s not that I have anything to do with him, but I’m worried that the CEO will get in trouble with the chairman.”

“yes?”

“If I meet him alone, won’t the chairman scold only the president? Asking if he knows that I gave him the paper badge to use for something like that. But if I say I met him too, we’ll both get scolded, so won’t he get scolded less?”

Taejun chuckled.

I didn’t even ask why I wanted to meet Kwak Young-joo.

Taejun was a man of loyalty.

After the interview preparations were finished, Kijo and Taejun moved to the interview room.

As I entered the interview room, Kwak Young-joo, dressed in a hospital gown, saw the keynote and his eyes widened.

Kwak Young-joo, with a bright face, stood up and spoke.

“Brother Kijo, come here quickly. I’ve been waiting for you to come. You… .”

Kwak Young-joo soon began to cry.

“My brother will trust me. I didn’t give the order to fire. I didn’t do it. I was just trying to protect His Majesty. I was just guarding the Blue House according to the rules… … .”

The keynote speech was silent.

There was no clear evidence that Kwak Young-ju gave the order to fire on the protesters.

However, it seemed certain that he would have given such an order if the protesters had entered the Blue House.

Taejun, who was standing behind the keynote, had his arms crossed and his eyes closed, as if he didn’t want to hear Kwak Youngjoo’s excuses.

The keynote speech conveyed only what needed to be said.

“Brother, I will send your wife and children here tomorrow. You can meet and talk.”

“Yes! That’s right. Thank you. Keynote. Thank you very much.”

Kwak Young-ju, whose hands were tied with ropes, wanted to hold Ki-jo’s hand.

Kijo hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took his hand.

Then Kwak Young-joo cried and said.

“Please spare me. If you postpone the execution for a few years, the truth will come out. The real culprit who gave the order to open fire will come out. I deserve to die. If I died for my crime, I would have nothing to say, but I didn’t do that…”

Kwak Young-joo appealed with tears streaming down her face.

The keynote speaker squeezed his hand once, then let go and said.

“I will repay the debt I owe you to your family.”

“Yes, Kijo. Didn’t I step forward and help General Songchungi’s men when they raided your office? I also tried to fix this rotten country. People need to know. You tell them. Please.”

Kwak Young-joo did not stop talking, perhaps because of anxiety and frustration.

“When will Your Majesty return? Do you know who is guarding Your Majesty now? Have I not spoken to you?”

He still seemed to be worried about Syngman Rhee, but he also seemed to be hoping that if Syngman Rhee stepped up, he might be able to survive.

The keynote speaker listened to his story in silence.

Kwak Young-joo, who had been giving a long speech, suddenly started crying bitterly.

“Little brother…, please save me… …. I don’t want to die like Lee Jung-jae… …. I want to live. Little brother… ….”

Kijo couldn’t look into Kwak Yeong-ju’s eyes for long.

I couldn’t bear to look at Kwak Yeong-ju’s haggard face because it was so miserable.

Kwak Young-joo, who had been begging for life for a while, wiped away her tears and came to her senses.

“Thank you for coming. I’m also grateful that you’re letting me meet your family. I owe you a lot. I’ll repay that debt somehow.”

Kwak Young-joo scolded herself, thinking that she had shown herself to be too ugly.

“Brother, I’m going to go now.”

The tone has been set.

Kwak Young-joo looked up at Kijo with a hazy look in his eyes, as if he was sorry to see Kijo go, and reached out his hand.

My hands were shaking.

Kijo gently took his hand and left the interview room.

Taejun, who came out of the interview room following the keynote, had a reserved expression.

His heart seemed to be complicated at the sight of a powerful figure who had ruled an era falling to the bottom.

“They say that a flower blooms in the sky. Power is also impermanent. It seems that the only things that are eternal are the people and the country.”

Taejun expressed his feelings.

Kijo also agreed with Taejun’s words.

Power is short-lived, and what remains are the nation and the people.

Kwak Young-joo was showing what happens when you are loyal to power and what the end is like.