Dear Comrade - Dear Comrade chapter 23

Chapter 5. Shenzhen (7)

Chapter 5. Shenzhen (7)

“……..okay?”

Unlike Kim Yong-gun, who was puzzled by the completely unexpected situation, when Jung-hwan asked calmly, Kim Yong-gun had a bubbly expression on his face.

Could it be that he had no idea what the woman standing outside the door was looking for?

However, contrary to his thoughts, Jeonghwan’s expression was still calm.

“I’m sorry, comrade. This is all my fault…”

“No, it is not. I’ve been wanting to see you again, but that’s fine, take me inside. And since your comrade is busy preparing for the dinner party, you can stop by.”

“…You mean right here? Are you really okay?”

“It’s okay, I’m asking you to move out of your seat so that I can go on a date with such a beautiful woman alone.”

Well, I expected it to be something I had to go through at least once… But does North Korea use the word “date”?

Even in this situation, Jung-hwan thought about it calmly, but Kim Yong-geon seemed to understand his intentions anyway.

‘Comrade Jeonghwan must be thinking.’

“Okay, then…”

Eventually, the door of the room opened and the woman who walked in as if crossing with Kim Yong-geon leaving the room was a woman wearing a plain gray women’s suit and glasses.

The tall woman, which is rare in North Korea, looked a little surprised, as if she didn’t know that she would let her in at once, then got up from her chair and looked at herself for the second time and was surprised to see Jeonghwan looking at herself.

‘You’re such a young comrade… No, you’re not young enough to be young, are you?’

“Welcome, my name is Young-sook Hyun, comrade Kim Jeong-hwan. I have heard many words from inside and outside the party, but it is an honor to meet you in person like this. As Comrade Kim said, the negotiations seem to have gone well. There are talented workers like comrade Jang and the current department manager, so these are the blessings of the general and the Republic.”

“……You are younger than I expected, comrade. And that’s a lot…”

Repelling Jeonghwan’s smooth father-in-law, Hyun Young-sook looked at him up and down again.

Everywhere you look, it was hard to believe that this kid, who had just passed college, had handled the overseas business neatly, even when seasoned party officials, including himself, rushed at him.

“I will take it as a compliment, and even Chief Abai, who is in Pyongyang, said a lot that I am the youngest of his bloodlines, but I am well-rounded.”

At Jeonghwan’s light restraint, which meant ‘I’m young, but don’t forget that I’m the son of Kim Il-sung’, Hyung-suk smiled coldly and pointed his finger at the table in the room.

On the table were the eavesdropping equipment, such as headphones and monitors, scattered all over the place.

“I’m glad the goal is good, then let me ask you something… Comrade Jeonghwan. Have you ever overheard all the talks upstairs? The one who guided us to that room was comrade Kim Yong-geon, and of course, the comrade of the department was also a story.”

“……”

“Did you know that Comrade Jeong-hwan’s actions like this can be interpreted as serious anti-party actions and even conspiracy against the Republic? No, I said that I was from Kim University, so there’s no way I didn’t know. I don’t know if the security guard in charge of the Chongryon is aware of this fact.”

‘You’re thinking of me. He must be trying to give me my estimate.’

If Hyun Young-sook had really decided to arrest Jeong-hwan, he would have brought his men with him.

At least he wouldn’t have walked into this secluded room alone.

When it was judged that Hyun Young-sook’s blasphemy was pretentious, Jung-hwan decided to go out with confidence.

“Were you Lieutenant Colonel Ri Moon-cheol? I don’t know this far, but at least it won’t interfere with what we’re doing. He is a friend who likes Japanese yen more than his original job, so I recommend that the propaganda and agitation department do more thorough ideological education.”

‘Okay, I’m starting to get angry.’

In any kind of negotiation or tug-of-war, the emotional side is bound to reveal their weaknesses first.

Unsurprisingly, at Jeonghwan’s brazen words, Hyungsuk’s face, who had been keeping his composure like an iron wall, hardened.

“Comrade is out of my mind, do you think your words and deeds will be able to pass like a hole in the wall just because you are the leader’s revival? I am a key member of the party and a comrade is an empty shell without a formal position in the republic except for bloodline. …”

“He’s a key executive, do you really think so?”

Hyun Young-sook kept her mouth shut for a moment at Jung-hwan’s calm question.

He seemed to ask what the hell were you talking about, but fortunately, Jeonghwan gave an answer right away.

“The key executives are people like comrade Jang. You’re not the current manager, no matter how talented you are, aren’t you a little girl?”

“What now…”

“It’s like looking at this meeting right now. According to the party’s official order, it is correct that the current comrade, who is the head of the propaganda department, which is the core department of the party, should take full control of this task. But why do you know that Comrade Jang Seong-taek, who is the deputy head of the Youth Division, not the head of the department, is the special envoy?”

“…………”

Slowly, the anger in Hyun Young-sook’s eyes was disappearing.

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Now, her face was swirling half and half of confusion and curiosity rather than anger.

He seemed to be starting to realize that Junghwan wasn’t just saying that to insult her.

“You won’t say you don’t know, Comrade Jang is the brother-in-law of General Kim Jong-il, but he is not the current general. Isn’t our republic a country where the upper limit of status, class, and career is determined not by one’s ability or loyalty to the system, but by one’s innate ancestry?”

“….that was what Kim Il-sung decided from the early days of the republic. It is the most basic of the Juche idea that the masses of the people become perfect only when there is a leader…”

“Oh, of course I agree that leaders are important. Leading a country is not a sham, but a responsibility that only those who have been properly educated and have their abilities and intelligence tested should take on the responsibility. The current manager is a good example of that. …Unfortunately, not all of the current core classes of the Republic are like that.”

‘I think you can already feel who is at the center of the core classes mentioned here. Comrade the current manager.’

At the ending with a strange meaning, Hyun Young-sook snorted as if he had regained consciousness only then, and denied Jung-hwan’s words.

“Now that I see, he is not only good at scoring goals, but his father’s skills are also excellent, Comrade Jeonghwan. Indeed, it is the skill of speech that deserves the favor of the leader and enjoys a luxurious study abroad in Japan. But what Comrade Jeong-hwan just said could be treasonous. No, not just what I just said, but everything that our group went through when they came here in Japan.”

“Everything? Please be specific. I and my comrade Kim Yong-geon can only remember how we treated two people who were on a business trip at the center of the party with great hospitality.”

“You know it well, but don’t turn around, comrade. Unknown sources of funds, wiretapping, bribery of security personnel, unauthorized contact with foreign personnel, and above all, the formation of a private party…. If you just say one word in the middle…”

“Comrade Deputy Director Zhang will not make such a report to the central government. Even if the current manager tries to do it, it will block him.”

“……How are you so sure?”

At Jeonghwan’s confident and confident words, Hyungsook had no choice but to stop what he was saying and ask.

It was as if he was speaking more than just confidence, like a person who said that the sun would rise in the east tomorrow as well.

“Well, then, it is obvious that all the achievements achieved at this meeting will go to me, not to Comrade Jang himself. And if you keep me alive and use it, you will be able to intercept most of the ball on your own without much trouble, not only in this case, but in the future of Japan-related party business. And only when I feel like I don’t need it, I add a balm and it’s done. Why would Vice-Chairman Jang himself kick such an opportunity?”

“…………”

“Especially at a time when many difficulties seem to be looming in carrying out the Ryugyong Hotel business in Pyongyang, my existence will become even more essential in the future. I can assure you, if the current director hadn’t accompany him here, he would not have opened his mouth to the Party Central Committee and the general about my existence and activities. Everyone must have seen it as their own ball. Do you think my current manager is wrong?”

Junghwan said this and looked directly into Hyungsuk’s eyes with a meaningful expression as if asking, ‘Do you already know?’

Hyun Young-sook tried to answer, ‘No,’ to those eyes that seemed to see through her inner heart, but she couldn’t say a word and shut her mouth.

This is because, in view of the actions of a human named Jang Seong-taek, which he has seen, heard and experienced in the meantime, it was so well drawn in his head that Jung-hwan’s predictions came true as they were.

“As I said before, the enemy of the republic is not outside, but inside the republic. From the smallest, from Lieutenant General Ri Mun-cheol to Party cadres such as Comrade Vice-Chairman Jang… These germs that privately exploit the national wealth, disrupt the system, and deceive the leaders are infesting the heavens and the earth. Those who truly support the country like the current head comrade are blocked by the wall of pre-modern abuse of gender, unable to spread their wings, and are listening to each other from under a ganshin mori boat like Jang Seong-taek.”

“…Comrade Jeonghwan…?”

“……Then, do you know how to eradicate the root of these germs and the root of disease at once and make this republic a powerful and prosperous nation in the true sense, Comrade Hyung-sook?”

“…………?”

“It’s not that simple. The leader is standing right there. A steely leader who will monopolize power while receiving the love and fear of his supporters with the ability to discipline the short-sighted masses of the people. Do you know who the leader is, comrade Hyun Young-sook?”

The prediction I had hoped to be wrong was correct.

Jeonghwan’s tone changed slightly, but now, that kind of thing didn’t even reach Hyungsook’s ears.

Intuitively, she noticed that Jung-hwan had called herself into this room to say this very thing and had a private conversation.

Because of his innate intelligence and the environment in which he could see the power structure of the Republic from his childhood, he had been imagining secretly passing by several times, but never came up to the surface of the sea of thought, no, he deliberately sank deeply. Thoughts were about to come out of Jeonghwan’s mouth right now.

And the most frightening thing was that she had already guessed what Junghwan was going to say in her heart.

A drop of sweat rolled down from Hyun Young-sook’s blue, tired forehead, on the alluring bridge of her nose.

“…Who are you, Comrade Jeonghwan? Who is that leader?”

A moment of silence passed in the room.

It was only a few seconds, but to Hyun Young-sook, it felt like an eternity.

I wanted to run out of the room door right away and call the attendants, but somehow my feet didn’t fall off as if they were stuck to the floor.

She thought in her mind that maybe she had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

And finally, the answer to her earnest question came out of her mouth.

“Of course, it is President Kim Il-sung, the dear leader of the Republic, and General Kim Jong-il, the great leader. Who would you like?”

Jeonghwan, who had spoken up to that point, returned to his previous tone of voice and smiled brightly, haha, as if he knew nothing.

“Since you’ve been making a terrifying face since before, it’s no wonder why our hospitality has been neglected. This time, I wanted to get out of this exile and return to Pyongyang, so I put my heart and soul into it, but I don’t think a former student from a blogger like me would fit into the party business.”

“………………………………………………”

“When you return to Pyongyang, please speak to the party center. Then, why don’t I, at least in part, gain strength from the party and make my mother strong? Please take good care of me, comrade of the current manager.”

“……………………”

A sigh escaped Hyun Young-suk’s mouth as if his soul was draining away.

As the muscles that had been tense up until recently relaxed, she even had the illusion that her slender height had decreased by a few characters.

Jeonghwan looked at her like that and spoke lightly as if teasingly.

“By the way, it would be better not to talk like this in the future, comrade of the current manager. Even if you are alone.”

“…………”

“Don’t you know that birds hear the words of the day and mice hear the words of the night? And there is a saying that you shouldn’t fix your shoelaces in the melon field. Even if it’s not me, everyone knows the service history of the current general’s comrade for the party and his loyalty to the general.

“……It’s as you say, Comrade Kim Jeong-hwan.”

Hyun Young-sook, who had now settled the embarrassment and straightened her back, returned to her usual voice and nodded.

She looked at Jeonghwan with different eyes than before entering the room, then turned her back and walked towards the door.

“The time has already come. I’m late for the celebration. I’ll see you soon, so I hope Comrade Jeonghwan won’t be late. Comrade Jang, deputy chief, said that he really wanted to see Comrade Jeong Hwan.”

“I hope you can tell me that there is no need to worry, as I will be there without delay.”

“Then I’m alone.”

“ah! Before you go, let me ask you one thing. Current manager, comrade.”

Hyun Young-sook, who was walking quickly towards the door, stopped at the sound of Jeong-hwan’s voice from behind.

Against her back, Jeonghwan flashed his eyes and threw a word.

“I would like to know if there are any penalties for some ‘minor’ party discipline violations committed locally. Of course, I know that it is common for diplomats to be a bit fuzzy and self-criticism is common when they are out there, but I’m afraid of how they will look in the eyes of a comrade like the current manager. Are you planning to report these to the Party Central Committee?”

Hyun Young-sook did not immediately answer the question with various meanings, but seemed to ponder on something for a while on the spot.

After a few seconds of silence that came back into the room, Hyun Young-sook answered as if muttering without looking back.

“…I won’t report it. If you’re doing a big job like party diplomacy, there can be errors in some details. But isn’t it the will of the Party and the Republic, and above all, the leader, to embrace them all and go on a grand victory?”

“You’re also a bun-da from the Central Party. If I go back to Pyongyang with this incident, I promise that I will never forget the kindness of my comrade director in the future.”

“but……….”

In the eyes of Hyun Young-sook who looked back with the addition of four legs, Jung-hwan read a strange look.

In her eyes as she looked at herself, there was an indescribable light that seemed to be both anticipation and excitement.

“…Only the two of us, Comrade Jeonghwan, will know about this matter, because it won’t happen if words go out for nothing. and…….”

“…………?”

“…I have not yet made a full choice about the treatment of Comrade Jeong-hwan. I want you to know that.”

With that in mind, she opened the door and went out of the room and disappeared.

Jeonghwan, who was left alone in the room, grinned as he pondered what she had just said.

‘…….You say it in a complicated way. If you’re the head of the propaganda and agitation department, shouldn’t you say that in the first place?’

Jeonghwan thought so as he moved his hand to clear the wiretapping devices lying on the table.

These devices will now be incinerated cleanly by Young-Jun Heo, who is in charge of post-processing, and disappear from this world.

However, contrary to this grumbling, Jeonghwan’s heart was brimming with excitement.

Although he has to finish it perfectly until the end, he is now one step closer to his final goal.

‘The seeds have just been sown. The seed I planted in her heart will sprout and bear fruit. And when the time comes, all you have to do is harvest the fruit .’