Dear Comrade - Dear Comrade chapter 22
Chapter 5. Shenzhen (6)
Chapter 5. Shenzhen (6)
Jang Sung-taek’s face went blank for a moment at the completely unexpected answer.
For a while, I even wondered if I had heard something wrong.
But Kim Yong-geon’s answer was still the same.
“Don’t worry, Comrade Zhang. Japanese bureaucrats are like corrupt human beings soaked in the flair of capitalism, they are slaves driven by money and greed, not loyalty to the system and their country. They are different from the workers of our republic, who were united in their hearts to achieve the leader’s revolutionary spirit.”
“Are you really saying I can call the construction minister right away tonight?”
“I wonder if there is, comrade! Normally, in Chongryon, we did not forget to lubricate the ships of the Japanese bureaucrats by spending a considerable amount of money to carry out the tasks of the republic. So if we ask you to come out, you have to come out, how can my bastards do it?”
‘Wow, I’m glad that Nakao Construction Manager has a deep relationship with us. Comrade Jeong-hwan’s prediction was also correct.’
On the outside, Kim Yong-geon responded militantly like an exemplary Labor Party official, but on the inside he sighed and wiped his heart.
However, on the other hand, he was surprised that Jung-hwan’s prediction that Jang Seong-taek might make unreasonable demands was correct so he would not panic and be prepared.
– You must be talking about the Ryugyong Hotel. It’s one of the projects that Kim Jong-il is most interested in right now, but it’s not going well. As the schedule that was supposed to open in time for President Kim Il-sung’s birthday is being delayed, Kim Jong-il will have no choice but to train his subordinates.
“Comrades in the department and Chongryon’s ability to work in the local area and to enlist are worthy of a role model for the party. Will I really be able to meet the Japanese construction dealer right away tonight?”
“Of course, comrade the current manager.”
To Hyun Young-sook, who still doesn’t seem to believe it, Kim Yong-geon confidently nodded once again.
Of course, it was a conclusion that was reached after banging on the calculator several times and making a judgment that it was definitely possible.
– Nakao Construction Award is no different from being on the same boat with us, and the rest will be given our top priority even if we have received some food in the meantime. Still, I had no idea that the Japanese people would be so uninterested in monitoring corruption. After all, in a boom like now, the public is also tolerant of high-ranking corruption.
“Don’t worry, our Chongryon will do our best to assist the deputy head comrade and the deputy director comrade to carry out their tasks.”
Kim Yong-geon said so and bowed his head deeply to Jang Sung-taek, who still had a bewildered expression, and Hyun Young-sook, who had a subtle expression.
Kim Yong-gun’s promise was true.
That evening, at a secret meeting held at the hotel where special envoy Jang Seong-taek was staying, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, construction minister Nakao, and even high-ranking officials from the Cabinet Intelligence Investigation Office directly under the prime minister were present with them.
During the talks, which lasted about two hours, the Republic’s special envoys performed much more smoothly than they had hoped and expected (especially from Jang Song-thaek’s expectations), exceeding their expectations.
Jang Sung-taek was relieved at last when he reached an agreement not to simply receive the congratulations for the Pyongyang World Student Festival in the name of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which he had expected for the first time, but also to invite Japanese civilian athletes to the festival and send a plane to Japan for it. could get off
‘If this is enough, it can be used to allay the wrath of the general and the leader against the Olympics in South Korea. Whoa, I almost came from Samsugapsan Mountain.’
However, this did not mean that there was not a lot of friction during the negotiations, and the source of the friction was not the Republican representative Jang Sung-taek, but Hyun Young-sook, the head of the propaganda and agitation department, who accompanied him.
“Wait, Comrade Vice President, we cannot be satisfied here. Can we get some more concessions from the other side?”
“What, current manager, why do you want to put bamboo soup on the finished table?”
Jang Seong-taek euphemistically restrained her with a small voice, but Hyun Young-sook didn’t seem to be satisfied.
“The deputy head comrade may have satisfied all of the general’s instructions, but our propaganda and agitation department has not gained much now.
“Hey manager, what we’ve gotten so far is more than we expected, and if we make a mistake here and provoke the other side, we might get a headwind…”
‘Why is this bitch so upset that she can’t scrape and crumble? Do you think that little devil, Kim Jong-il, will even give you a favor for being so obsessed with the ball?’
However, contrary to Jang Seong-taek’s heart, Hyun Young-suk was already conveying his request to Kim Yong-geon, who was in charge of the interpreter.
“Director Kim, from now on, interpret my requirements over there. What I want is to add one more sentence to the congratulatory message that the Japanese Foreign Minister will send to our World Student Festival. ‘It is deeply regrettable that the Olympics could not be co-hosted with Seoul.’ That would be good.”
“Comrade of the current manager, that is……”
Kim Yong-geon blurted out the end of his speech, looking anxiously at the hustle and bustle of Japanese officials who sensed that the situation was going strangely.
He had never received any prior instructions from Jung-hwan for this sudden situation, but seeing that Jang Seong-taek’s face was also wrinkled, it seemed that Hyun Young-sook was acting alone.
‘How do you do it? Adding a sentence that could be interpreted as Japan’s side to the republic between South and North Korea should also bear an additional political burden on the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If I explain this wrongly over there, the negotiation itself could be ruined…’
At that time, it was unexpectedly Nakao Construction Minister who rescued Kim Yong-geon, who was in a difficult situation between the Republic of Korea and Japan.
“Heh heh, Manager Kim, there seems to be a difference of opinion over there?”
“Minister… that’s…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you. Shouldn’t Manager Kim persuade him and me to persuade him?”
After speaking up to this point, he added a word with a meaningful smile as if they knew each other.
“Of course, the people here should be compensated for this kind of hard work later. I think the young man would agree… doesn’t he?”
‘When that squirrel says that, it means that he has the confidence to persuade him. For now, I have no choice but to accept it.’
Looking at Nakao with a kind but old smile on his lips, Kim Yong-geon conveyed Hyun Young-sook’s requirements.
Hearing the condition, Nakao made a subtle expression and seemed to measure something for a moment, but then he nodded with a confident smile.
“I think that’s quite possible. Please tell that to the beautiful woman who is the current manager.”
“…Really, Construction?”
“Don’t worry, the foreign minister is higher than me in the official government position, but in our faction in the LDP, he is my junior.”
It soon became clear that his assertion was true.
In less than 30 minutes, the wording for the celebration was corrected as requested by Hyun Young-sook, and after receiving permission to export materials necessary for the construction of the Ryugyong Hotel on top of it, Kim Yong-geon was able to take a breather.
And it was the same with Jang Sung-taek.
“Hahaha, with this, the relationship between our Republic and Japan will be able to go one step further and strengthen the relationship from the past, Tomo, Arigato Gozaimasu, and Nakao-san.”
Perhaps because he wanted to express the joy he felt, Jang Seong-taek asked Nakao for a handshake and thanked him, even in stuttering Japanese. Nakao also smiled and accepted the handshake.
“Whether it is or not, we, Japan, would like to maintain good relations with your republic in the future. I also want to see someone like Jang Seong-taek who knows how to deal with the facts for as long as possible. Kitajosen people are in trouble because the person in charge changes frequently.”
At that time, Hyun Young-sook’s eyes lit up, having noticed a subtle nuance in Nakao’s words, even through an interpreter.
“Haha, even if the person in charge changes for a while, the ideology and ideology of our republic, which values faithfulness and sincerity, does not change, so what will happen between the two countries in the future?”
“Because of sincerity… I may not have agreed with you before, but my impression of returning home has changed considerably over the past few years after I met a young friend from Kitajosen. It is said that the future of the country depends on the young people, and if there are many young people like that friend in my home country, I am really looking forward to how my country will change in the future.”
“………………”
At Nakao’s blunt words, Jang Seong-taek made an expression that he did not understand the English language, and Kim Yong-geon, who was standing behind him, stiffened his face slightly, and Nakao quickly realized how things were going.
A young friend named Jeonghwan is still waiting for an opportunity.
“I apologize for saying this in English. So, I hope you have a wonderful experience in Japan for the rest of your stay and come back. These days, Tokyo is changing its shape when you wake up.”
“Nakao-san, that young man earlier…?”
“Heh heh, it seems that you haven’t been introduced by Manager Kim yet, but I’ll just let you know that he put a lot of effort into this meeting. He was a friend who knew how to humble himself, but was very patriotic for his country. I would like to see and learn from some of the young people in Japan these days, but I feel strange because if I do that, my position will be in danger. Then, deputy chief, chief, I hope you have a safe flight to the Republic.”
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Nakao left only those words and followed the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his party and left the hotel.
Jang Seong-taek, Hyun Young-sook, and Kim Yong-geon, who were left behind, were only watching their faces disappearing with different expressions on their faces.
And among them, from the inside of Hyun Young-sook’s glasses, the eyes of clear suspicion were shining.
“Ah, you handled it well earlier, comrade manager. After all, the skills I have accumulated in other countries do not go anywhere.”
“It’s a compliment, Comrade Jeong-hwan, after all, isn’t it thanks to Comrade Jeong-hwan who arranged all of this? Rather, there are three pieces of news I need to tell you.”
“What, comrade manager?”
After the meeting, Jung-hwan tilted his head at the embarrassing expression on Kim Yong-geon’s face, who came downstairs.
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Now that everything is almost over, why do you look like that?
“First of all, the first news I would like to tell you is that comrade Jang Seong-taek, deputy head of the department, wants to celebrate the successful completion of this project this evening. You have invited all the Chongryon family members who supported this project, including myself and Yu.”
“That’s fine, what about the second?”
There was no way Kim Yong-geon could hold such weight to convey the news that he had just held a party.
It is probably because Junghwan is hardening his expression like that in order to tell the success or failure of the real ‘task’ that he had anticipated and prepared so far.
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Not surprisingly, the words that came out of Kim Yong-geon’s mouth filled Jung-hwan’s heart with satisfaction that he had accomplished his job well.
“Secondly, Comrade Jang summoned me separately and asked to see Comrade Jeong Hwan at the dinner party. He said that it is not fair treatment for the number one contributor to this project to keep hiding in the shadows. It is probably called to congratulate Comrade Jeong-hwan.”
‘Success.’
At last, thinking that the picture he had been preparing for was drawn, Junghwan smiled with a smile of conversion.
It’s not that I’m bowing down, I’m making myself call me from the other side, and that’s also a state of being alert.
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Now, all he has to do is show up at the right moment and return to Pyongyang, so all he has to do is make a request to General Kim Jong-il and say four words.
Anyway, the work below for that was also about to be finished.
However, even after just telling the news that the work he had been preparing for was successful, Kim Yong-geon’s expression was still disturbed.
Seeing this, Jeonghwan asked again with a puzzled expression.
“Why is that, Comrade Kim? Did something bad happen? Or maybe the third one is that bad?”
“That’s…. The third message I’m going to tell you is not about Comrade Jang, but about Comrade Hyung-suk Hyun. He also wants to meet Comrade Jeong-hwan very much.”
“Yeah, of course it is. ‘Cause that’s what I wanted Later at dinner…”
“No… I’m sorry, Comrade Jeonghwan, that’s not it.”
“…………”
To Jeonghwan, who tilted his head, Yonggeon Kim pointed out the door of the room where they were sitting and said.
“The current manager said that he wanted to see Comrade Jeong Hwan right now, alone, rather than with Comrade Jang at dinner. Reported to comrade Deputy Director Jang, he came after me on my way back… So he’s out the door now .”