I Will Stage A Coup D’état - Chapter 10



Only Noblemtl

EP.10 Opportunity (3)

Taejung Industrial’s Chairman Cho Tae-soo was a big name in the business world.

He had a large network of connections in various parts of society, and was nicknamed the “gentleman of the silver screen” in the business world.

In fact, before Park Han-jin staged a coup, he was close with Park Han-jin and they were close enough to support and encourage each other.

To that extent, Jo Tae-soo’s network was wide and deep-rooted.

If he could recruit Jo Tae-su or make him his sponsor, he could obtain not only funds but also the cooperation of social figures.

‘The problem is that Chairman Cho Tae-soo doesn’t meet people well.’

I thought about people who could be connected to Jo Tae-soo.

Now that I think about it, there was just one person.

“President Cho? I’m Lee Seong-jun.”

I decided to use Cho Joong-dong, the owner of the Korea Daily, as my errand boy.

Of course, the reason for wanting to meet Jo Tae-soo was vaguely explained as wanting to meet the ‘elder of the nation’ and consult about the future path.

So I made an appointment with Chairman Cho Tae-soo.

‘Why do you insist on meeting at a pub of all places?’

Jo Tae-su designated the famous beer pub ‘Taedonggang Beer’ in downtown Pyongyang as the meeting place.

When I went to Daedonggang Beer on the day of the appointment, there were no customers in the store.

It was a large store that could accommodate 500 people in the hall, but seeing no one there gave me a strange feeling.

As I was standing in the hall, a man in a suit came up to me and said.

“Is this the general? The chairman is waiting.”

I followed a man who appeared to be a secretary and went to the VIP room on the second floor of the store.

In the VIP room, there was a gaunt old man who looked to be in his early 60s sitting.

At first glance, he was wearing a hanbok (traditional Korean overcoat) and he smelled like a typical ‘traditionalist’.

The secretary politely stepped aside as the chairman gestured.

Considering our age and our relationship, it seemed like I needed to be the first to show my courtesy.

“My name is Lee Seong-jun, and I hold the title of Army Policy Research Officer.”

“I am Taejeong’s Taesu. This general is a member of the royal family with high status, so please speak comfortably.”

“No, this is more comfortable.”

Actually, I was used to being treated like a commoner, so I didn’t feel comfortable with formality at all, but now I’m a salesperson who’s here to do a coup d’etat.

In order to package and sell the coup product well, it was necessary to approach it with a cautious attitude that considered the customer’s feelings.

“Haha. Well, do as you wish. By the way, may I hear the reason why this general wanted to see this old man?”

Jo Tae-soo was straightforward, befitting his meticulous appearance.

Is this a waste of time to exchange words and check each other’s livers?

The atmosphere was strange.

What should I do?

There’s no other way.

There is no choice but to borrow the power of Buddhism.

I decided to return to the old man’s favorite Zen question.

“Before that, I would like to ask you one thing. Chairman, what do you think of this country?”

At those words, Jo Tae-soo let out a ‘huh’ sound.

“What’s so great about this country? It’s just a bullfrog playing the role of the leader of the alley in a well. It has never met an opponent bigger than itself, so it’s confident.”

Is this old man not afraid of the military?

But on the other hand, I understood.

Because he’s an old man with that much guts, he lives with Park Han-jin.

“Unfortunately, the frog I saw was out of the well.”

The days when the East could carelessly engage in feuds with its neighbors are over.

Now, if you want to go to war, you have to watch the faces of the great powers.

“I see. Is that frog’s situation your concern, General?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Even though you are a member of the royal family, you are not in a position to be responsible for this country.”

Jo Tae-soo urged them to stop beating around the bush and get to the main point.

Ha. There’s no choice.

I decided to bet boldly, believing that Jo Tae-soo was on the opposite side of Park Han-jin.

“Park Han-jin wasn’t in a responsible position from the beginning either.”

“What do you mean?”

For the first time, a glimmer of interest appeared in Jo Tae-soo’s eyes.

“I want to try it too. The decision to save the country that Park Han-jin made.”

At those words, Jo Tae-soo looked at me and suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahaha. Hahahahaha.”

He laughed so hard that I couldn’t help but ask.

“My story must not have been so light and cheerful, so why did you laugh so much?”

“I can’t help but laugh. The Park Han-jin you mentioned said the same thing in front of me.”

As he said those words, Jo Tae-soo’s eyes suddenly became calm.

“I remember that moment five years ago, when Park Han-jin came to me and begged for coup funds.”

I asked even though I knew the answer.

“Did you accept the offer?”

“If that were the case, Park Han-jin wouldn’t be acting like that. From the beginning, I thought he wasn’t qualified to lead this country. He wasn’t ready to be a leader.”

“I am different.”

Jo Tae-soo shook his head.

“Everyone is the same. I am different. I will change this country. But once they have power, they become rotten and have a dirty look in their eyes. The general is a soldier. What exactly is the difference between you and Park Han-jin?”

“Vision. I have the blueprint for the future of this country.”

“So, how much money do you have to make that happen?”

Jo Tae-soo was cynical.

It hit home exactly where I was vague and just glossed over things with words.

“I have to make it.”

“That’s easy to say. So, if you were to take power, would you be able to disarmament?”

I can’t.

The officers who sympathized with my vision ultimately sided with me for a ‘better future.’

But if we disarm without any plan, the future of those people will disappear.

So, what will they see that will make them support me?

To do that, we had to prepare and provide them with a source of income.

When I couldn’t answer, Jo Tae-soo laughed heartily.

“But you’re not lying, General.”

“Please speak.”

“I do not believe in the general’s ideals. I do not believe that the general seeks power purely for the future of the Korean Empire.”

That’s obvious.

I can’t believe it either.

“Still, I think the general knows better than Park Han-jin.”

“What is that?”

Jo Tae-soo placed the newspaper article he had brought on the table.

There he was photographed inspecting the front lines wearing a monocle and encouraging soldiers.

“The general faithfully carried out the duties given to him as a soldier.”

I felt a bit awkward when a show that was put on for image politics was evaluated like this.

“You are too kind.”

“Since this country is at war anyway, someone who knows the military should be at the head of the empire.”

I suddenly felt a positive signal in Jo Tae-soo’s words.

“If this general becomes the ruler of this country, will he be able to save Korea from war?”

“I don’t know.”

I did not assert anything.

You can start a war as you wish, but you cannot end it as you wish.

That is why war was so scary and terrible.

“If you can’t lead Korea to peace, then there’s no reason for the general to take the position of governor instead of Park Han-jin, right?”

“Because this Lee Seong-jun has no responsibility for leading this country into an irresponsible war.”

“It’s responsibility.”

“The future will be difficult for Korea. Before things get any more difficult, we need to settle the war that has already begun. To do that, we need to get rid of Park Han-jin and the old men in the military who are obsessed with war.”

I brought up the subject of military service.

“Will the purge be limited to the military?”

Jo Tae-soo was sharp.

Of course, I had no intention of only purging the military.

The idea was to carry out a purge across society.

The reason was simple.

This is because only then can they protect the power base they acquired through the coup.

This was an inherent property of power, unrelated to my personal morality.

“You have to kick out as many as you can.”

“Indeed. I fully understood the general’s intentions. I knew that he wanted power, and I knew that he had his own agenda. With that much determination, he would never lose power again. Alright, I’ll bet on the general. No matter how much he wants, I’ll pay.”

I jumped up from my seat and bent over.

This old man is really good at pushing and pulling, isn’t he?

“Thank you, Chairman.”

“But there is a condition.”

I thought there would be conditions, of course.

“Please speak.”

“We, Taejeong, would like to get involved in the military’s arsenal project.”

It would be rude to say that he was too greedy.

Jo Tae-soo must have also bet his fate.

“Let’s do that. We were planning to privatize the arsenal anyway.”

In 21st century Korea, when we talk about privatization, the evils of neoliberalism come to mind, but in this country, Daehan, it was different.

This country’s military had too much.

It would have been much more beneficial in terms of economic growth and distribution to cut off some of that flesh and distribute it to private companies.

Of course, in the process, you can also reward them for their efforts.

We whispered in secret a plot to overthrow the country.