I wet my throat with cold water and watched his reaction.
He had somehow made it this far. He was putting on airs to his heart’s content, but I knew just how desperate he was. With the great mountain of the confirmation hearing looming before him, the misdeeds of his life must have flashed before his eyes like a lantern show. He must have wondered about the source of the political funds he had accepted without complaint, and prayed that this money would be unlikely to come to light.
“What is it that you’re dragging your feet over? Ah, come on, say it already. What’s this corporate grievance?”
It would have been nice to fatten him up a little more before slaughtering him, but it seemed this was as far as I could take it.
There were two things I wanted, and both were absolutely necessary for our economy, but I brought up the more feasible one first.
“As you know, Korea’s automobile industry is in a race against time. So, about that... could you loosen the regulations on autonomous driving?”
“Autonomous driving? The industry has already been asking for a test bed. You mean you want them to be allowed to drive freely around Seoul?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“If it’s a matter like that, don’t worry. Our nominee for Minister of Science and ICT is quite sincere about that field. We’ll work it out with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and help you gather data from various traffic situations. Heh heh. Will that do?”
“...No. Please allow it as a profit-making business.”
His relaxed expression hardened in an instant.
“What?”
“We’re already five years behind. This isn’t a gap we can close by letting a few cars run as a pilot program. Google’s Waymo, Baidu’s Apollo... autonomous taxis have already taken root in New York and Beijing. We need to loosen regulations now and chase them down hard.”
There was no longer the slightest trace of laughter on Lee Chanho’s face.
He put a cigarette between his lips and exhaled a long stream of smoke.
“Profit-making business for autonomous vehicles... Sejun, do you know how unreasonable a request that is?”
“I know it’s difficult, but...”
“Five years ago, during the Tada Ban Act, do you know how many taxi drivers burned themselves to death?”
“...”
“Just the ones I remember make four. Almost once a month, someone set himself on fire.”
I smiled bitterly.
Innovation was filthy hard. When an industry was reorganized, people who were left behind inevitably appeared, and they risked their lives to stop that change.
At the succession of horrifying news, the government eventually regulated the entire ride-sharing market, and as a result, Korea became a wasteland where new businesses could not even sprout.
“Sejun, do you think we hate freedom and innovation? But when you look into it, everyone has their own circumstances. Allowing profit-making business for autonomous driving is effectively asking us to abolish the Tada Ban Act. That’s too much to ask.”
As he stubbed out his cigarette, I spoke with difficulty.
“Prime Minister. Even so, the future won’t change.”
“...What?”
“All the global rating agencies are saying the same thing. The autonomous taxi market will grow rapidly by at least fifty percent. If you combine the industry averages, in ten years it will be a market worth at least 250 trillion won. Taxi drivers are always near the top of the WEF’s list of the top hundred jobs that will disappear.”
“So?”
I had to utter something cruel.
“There is no one in this world without a story.”
“Are you saying our government should stand by while people die?”
“That’s like passing a law banning flush toilets for the sake of night-soil collectors.”
“Hey!”
“If we listen to every unreasonable demand, what kind of business can be done in this country? Rather than letting our automobile industry fall behind and losing every manufacturing job, wouldn’t it be better to grit our teeth and prepare for the future?”
If my memory was correct, twenty years later, driving instructors would rise up. They would demand their rice bowls be guaranteed.
The gas station federation would rise up too. They would demand that internal combustion cars be used a little longer.
Parts dealers and repairmen would also rise up. They would say electric cars broke down too rarely.
There was no issue in the world that was not tied to someone’s rice bowl, and every time, the government grieved along with them, until our people were pushed down together to fortieth in GDP.
“Sejun. I thought we communicated rather well, but this is a little disappointing.”
Lee Chanho made his discomfort painfully obvious, but he could not storm out. The amount he had accepted was far too large for that.
“Prime Minister... Even so, wouldn’t you say I’m an easy man to deal with?”
“What?”
“People who come carrying bags of money are all the same. Give me a nomination, give me a ministerial post, give me a key position... But I won’t burden you with any of that. Just abolish the regulations.”
“I invited you all the way here believing that one thing, and this is terribly disappointing. What if I say I can’t grant it? Will you blow up the secret ledger and grab me by the ankle?”
He asked as if interrogating me, but his face already looked cowed.
“Of course not. I will serve you all the more, Prime Minister, and do my best to be of help.”
“What?”
As I finished speaking, I quietly took out a slip of paper.
“It isn’t much, but this is a small ‘wallet’ I’d like to give you as a gift, Prime Minister.”
“...A Singapore bank?”
“Yes. Even if the world has changed, how can one accomplish a great undertaking without governing funds? Having 190 family members means there are that many more people to look after, doesn’t it?”
“Ahem, hm...”
“Those who worked hard but were cut from nominations, those who can’t be chosen as ministers, those who can’t be seated as presidents of public corporations... Please think of it as retirement money and look after them generously. You are someone who must devote yourself to an even greater cause, Prime Minister.”
All at once, the look in his eyes changed.
Prime minister was the highest post the president could appoint, a position that drew both envy and jealousy.
Indeed, the atmosphere within the Minguk Party had been unsettled lately. It was wonderful that there were so many more family members now, but signs of factions were already flowing through the party. Rumor had it that rivals had already begun circulating anonymous accusations ahead of the upcoming elections for party leader and floor leader.
Because of that, Lee Chanho, who would naturally have to discuss appointments with the president once he became prime minister, was finding himself in increasingly awkward straits by the day. Even fellows who had only ever exchanged greetings with him were now pretending to be close.
It was not only them. The ones acting as loudspeakers on WebTube were also pestering him to use them. They slipped it in as if it were political talk, as if it were a joke, but he knew better than anyone that it was absolutely not a joke.
“Ahem, hm.”
Lee Chanho shook off his thoughts and looked at the young man.
He had gotten worked up for a moment, but looking again, there was no young man quite like this one.
It was a world where people demanded to be made head of the Financial Supervisory Service or chairman of the Korea Communications Commission just because they had delivered a few kicks during the campaign. In such times, a man who silently provided only political funds and whose request was for the national interest truly looked like an unparalleled talent.
Of course, later on, he would gorge himself on money from Asan Motors.
“Thinking it over again, I feel I can sense your sincerity, Sejun.”
As if afraid I might take it back, he quickly tucked the slip of paper into his breast.
“It’s a difficult issue... Yes, a difficult issue... In any case, really, the previous president too. We may be of the same family, but he handed us far too difficult a problem. Hm? You know our party’s internal circumstances as well, don’t you, Sejun?”
“I don’t know much about matters related to politics. I only trust you, Prime Minister.”
“Heh heh. The more I look at you, the more reliable you seem. I’m not saying that because of the gift; your eyes truly overflow with intelligence.”
“Is that so? Thank you for saying so.”
He rose from his seat.
“It’s a difficult matter, but I’ll speak to the President about it. He’s known for his drive, so a decision should come soon.”
*
“Sejun!”
Late that evening.
When I returned to the hotel, Meilin was waiting for me in the lobby.
“How did it go? Did that man scold you?”
“No... I made a difficult request, but I still got a good answer.”
When I forced a smile, Meilin let out a relieved breath.
“That’s good. I’m sorry, Sejun... If I had acted a little more carefully, your identity wouldn’t have been exposed.”
“No. I was the one who asked too much of you, Meilin.”
“Not at all. But how did he find out? He must have thought it was definitely my father’s business funds, so why all of a sudden...”
“I suppose he wasn’t that oblivious. Well, it lasted long enough.”
The Lee Chanho I originally knew was a man who accepted countless sums of money whose names and sources he did not even know, then could not explain himself during his confirmation hearing. But he must have been so desperate that he had no choice but to eat it even knowing it was poison.
Fortunately, he was not a man who would keep eating until his stomach burst. He had at least the minimum intelligence, so he would explain our position properly to the Blue House.
“Meilin... There’s something urgent I need to ask of you.”
And there was one more thing I had discovered. He needed far more money than I had imagined. Perhaps he might need even more than when he had been living as an outsider. Back then, it had been living expenses, but now he needed governing funds.
“Please charge this amount separately to Representative Ming as a salary.”
“What? The money you needed has already been put into the Singapore account. Quite a lot of it too.”
“I think it won’t be enough.”
“But...”
“It is a rather large sum, but ask him to consider it an advance payment. The Nasdaq investment I mentioned before will soon bear fruit. If you tell him that, he’ll understand.”
“I’m not worried about Representative Ming. If it’s your instruction, Sejun, that man would bring even more money than that. It’s just that I...”
Meilin asked with a worried expression.
“What are you going to do by taking out such a large amount separately again?”
“There are influential figures specially managed by the Chinese authorities, aren’t there? Pro-China figures.”
“The members Prime Minister Lee introduced?”
“Yes. Besides them, there must be many figures inside and outside the party. Please send appropriate gifts to those people.”
Meilin tilted her head.
“Why...? I don’t know much about politics, but if you have spare money, wouldn’t it be better to give even one more coin to someone influential?”
“Not necessarily. Distributing rewards for merit isn’t that simple.”
“What do you mean...?”
“Party leader, floor leader, member of the National Assembly, minister, president of a public corporation... The number of profitable positions is limited. But there are many people.”
“...Are you saying you’ll personally ‘console’ the people who fail to get key posts?”
“That’s right. I’ve asked the prime minister, but there are also people I need to take care of myself.”
Unfortunately, this kind of hurt could not be soothed with a trivial sum.
Honor and salary... Key posts within the party were positions that offered both. I could only give them salary. Still, if it could be some comfort to them.
“Then what about the opposition party...?”
“You don’t need to give them a single ten-won coin. They have no influence.”
“I see... That’s a relief. There are fewer people to take care of.”
“Ah, among them, please exclude Assemblyman Choi and Assemblyman Park. We don’t need to put any more effort into those people.”
“Why is that?”
“Because this one is going to be dropped during the confirmation hearing, and this one will leave the party around next year. And Meilin, please ask around among the lawmakers and find someone named Lee Myeongja.”
“Lee Myeongja? Surely not the Lee Myeongja I know?”
“...How do you know her, Meilin?”
“How could I not? China shares similar historical wounds, so this person’s infamy is well known. She’s someone who truly provokes the wrath of heaven and man. But I thought she was half-retired. Why her?”
I scratched my head.
“She’ll be pardoned and reinstated next year. She’ll continue to exert influence within the party.”
“What? That’s impossible! Isn’t that too far-fetched, Sejun? I may not know politics well, but I know what kind of party Korea’s Minguk Party is.”
“...That’s just how it turned out.”
When I smiled bitterly, she did not press me any further.
“Oh dear... It seems there are circumstances behind it.”
“Yes. In any case, Meilin, I have a difficult favor to ask. Please explain it well to Representative Ming.”