Dear Comrade

Chapter 2. Iron Man (5)

Chapter 2. Iron Man (5)

Jeonghwan, who opened his mouth like that, told Yoo Hye-rim, whose face was red little by little, whether he was getting drunk or excited.

“Sang Yu, are you interested in the party’s diplomatic work?”

“yes? Junghwan comrade? Did you say diplomacy?”

At Yoo Hye-rim, who was blushing as if weak to alcohol and hiccups little by little, Jung-hwan smiled and nodded her head.

“Yes, I am interested in earning foreign currency these days. It’s my theory that there’s no point holding on to a book in the classroom and learning for a hundred days. You don’t have to go out into the real world and learn.”

“Haha, earning foreign currency? Comrade Jeonghwan?”

It was Baek Seung-cheol, who sat next to Yoo Hye-rim and looked at me with a dissatisfied expression from the past, who answered the question with a strong expression of ridicule at my words.

Baek Seung-cheol sarcastically sarcastically said that my rant was very funny.

“I’ve heard rumors that the head is flying, and I’ve heard the unusual theory a while ago, but Comrade Jeong Hwan seems to be taking the party’s business too lightly. It is a task that even the foreign ministers who are responsible for making foreign currency are out of work, but I don’t know if Comrade Jeong Hwan can handle it.”

Where do you dare to intervene in a book or a desk cleavage you used to see in the classroom? College and reality are completely different, so don’t get caught up in the things you can’t do for nothing, and just be quiet….

‘……..Look at this child?’

Even though Jeong-hwan is an illegitimate child outside the core of power, and he is the head of the operations department, which is the core department of the Korean People’s Army, he dares to speak to Baekdu blood in this way, even if he comes out of North Korea for a while.

In addition, the fact that this could be the case even after seeing that Jung-hwan’s status had risen to a position that did not drop much compared to his own, made Jung-hwan more curious than angry.

…..But, no matter how I looked at Jeonghwan, Baek Seung-cheol didn’t seem like a chicken head who didn’t know his location and behaved wrongly.

‘…Then it’s a story that there is a certain point of belief other than his position in the North, but as expected, Baek Seung-cheol’s ‘Line’ seems to be where I was guessing.’

As Jeonghwan was shaking his head for a while, he saw Baek Seung-cheol squinting at Yoo Hye-rim, who was sitting next to Jeong-hwan, with an unpleasant expression in his eyes.

If someone you don’t know sees it, you may see it through the eyes of a boss who is determined to scold a subordinate who lacks discipline, but Jeonghwan noticed it right away.

‘…was that? I wondered if Yu Hye-rim, who was only at the top, could follow me at such a high-level executive party, but now that I see it, there is a reason.’

Hell, the leader’s illegitimate bastard, who was nothing until recently, stole the woman he had been looking at in his heart, and it makes my stomach ache.

In addition, if Baek Seung-cheol’s ‘line’ is the place I guess is correct, then Baek Seung-cheol will probably have a lot of dissatisfaction with not only himself but also Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.

Junghwan, thinking up to this point, took a sip of the wine that was nearby and decided.

He’s a friend I’ll have to make someday, but before that, I’d better teach him some habit.

It seems that he is still hesitating to make a decision and looking at his liver, but hearing the undeniable reality come out of someone else’s mouth might help him in his decision.

Jeonghwan smirked at Baek Seung-cheol, who scoffed at him with a cold smile.

“I don’t think it’s straight forward to hear what a military officer of the People’s Armed Forces, who is notorious even within the party, is saying that it is a starfish that devours that precious foreign currency. Did you know that all the gun bombs used in the military eventually come from foreign currency?”

“All the budget spent by the Korean People’s Army is ultimately to protect this Joseon from the US imperialists and other capitalist foreign powers. Comrade Jeong Hwan, a student at Kim University, doesn’t even know the core guiding ideology of Kim Il-sung, the ‘economic, defense, and military line’?”

Oh, what? of course you know

Half of the national budget is allocated to the military, accelerating the gap with the private economy, and a rare path that is later passed on to the military-first policy?

It’s Baek Seung-cheol, a military official (who absorbs the budget), so of course I can’t help but be favorable to the policy, but from the point of view of a common-sense man Jeong-hwan, it was an amazing policy that could not come out with a sneer.

Jeonghwan smirked at Baek Seung-cheol’s gaze as if he was saying, ‘I thought it was because he was a good talker, but it was still a desk bite’, and this time he drank whiskey.

Macallan Bought in 1975, it’s a drink that’s hard to come by with a researcher’s salary, but it’s nice to return to Kim Il-sung’s son.

“I know. Isn’t that a wrong ideology? And very badly.”

“Wait, comrade, what the hell did you just say…”

“I said it was wrong. In fact, the theory of Comrade Kim Il-sung’s economic, defense and military progress is beyond false, and it is a very heady theory that will devour North Korea.”

“………………”

As soon as Jung-hwan’s words fell, the gaze of everyone sitting at the table, including Baek Seung-cheol and Yoo Hye-rim, completely changed.

The gaze, which had been mixed with surprise and a little bit of vigilance until a moment ago, has now completely turned towards the vigilance that seems to be looking at a time bomb.

The table, which had been a light-hearted atmosphere, fell silent in an instant, and some people even wandered around anxiously to see if anyone had heard me a while ago.

Unsurprisingly, at the birthday party of the North Korean living god and leader Kim Il-sung, Jeong-hwan, a blood relative of the leader, openly criticized the leader’s policies.

Now, Baek Seung-cheol’s eyes were full of signs that Jeong-han wasn’t just a kid, but ‘Isn’t this really a stone guy?’

“Take care of your tongue, Comrade Jeonghwan! In a place like this, how can you explain the theories of President Kim Il-sung, who is the sun leading this North Korea…. Then what were all the words you spoke in front of the leader?”

“I have never told a lie, Throne Hundred. What I was saying was that this Joseon should be led by a leader with leadership power. Isn’t there a law that the leader must be Abadi or General Kim Jong-il?”

“………………”

At the moment Baek Seung-cheol, who seems to be experiencing a severe internal conflict as to whether or not to accuse this person in front of him, Jung-hwan gave a slight smile and gave the final blow.

“Don’t lie to yourself, Patriarch. To be honest, doesn’t Comrade Baek think so in his heart? Not only Comrade Baek, but also many of the military comrades sitting here seem to be frankly dissatisfied with the current North Korean system… Do you think there are many things you would like to say to the leader and the general?”

At Jeonghwan’s last words, Baek Seung-cheol froze for a moment.

Baek Seung-cheol, who had a blank expression on his face as if he had been hit in the back of the head, seemed lost for about a second, then quickly looked around and got up from his seat.

“……..!!! I’d rather not talk any more. I’ll get up from my seat…”

“I understand, it must be frustrating to live in free Russia and then come to North Korea, which is suddenly becoming a Stalin-style, one-man country. But one day, not too long ago, there will come a day when heaven and earth will be turned upside down, and when that time comes, remember what I said today.”

“Yoo Hye-rim top! What are you doing, don’t wake up! If you’re next to this crazy person, you’ll be struck by lightning too. I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear from you. You’d better appreciate not reporting to the State Security Bureau.”

“Do whatever you want, have a good day, Comrade Hyerim Yoo. It was short but fun. I’ll have to find a new soldier to assist me.”

While Jeonghwan laughed like that and drank whiskey again, Hyerim Yoo seemed to create a conflict between Seungcheol Baek and Jeonghwan, who were urging her.

She shrugged her shoulders for a moment and seemed to be worried, but soon made a decision that surprised Jeonghwan for the first time.

“……I didn’t go.”

……..yes?

“……….what? Comrade Yu, come to your senses, what are you going to do about being next to such a person? If it’s a new job, I’ll tell the alumni of my escort command…”

“That’s not it. Because this is my job.”

Baek Seung-cheol looked at Jung-hwan and her with a look of disbelief to Yoo Hye-rim, who spoke softly but clearly.

Junghwan also stood out and listened to what she had to say.

“I have been ordered by the party to serve as an assistant to Comrade Jeong Hwan. And I want to fulfill that position to the end.”

“…is this a story with a strong determination?”

“Yes, as well as……”

Having said that, Hyerim Yoo swallowed one saliva and added a word as if this was what she really wanted to say.

“……I do not think that Comrade Jeong Hwan’s thoughts are greatly wrong.”

“…Okay, be well.”

With those words, Baek Seung-cheol turned his back in a cold wind and disappeared without looking back with his own group.

Soon, the two men at the table, Jeong-hwan, looked at Yoo Hye-rim with a slightly surprised expression and asked.

“Why didn’t you follow Comrade Hundred?”

“Did I not tell you, I agree with Comrade Jeong Hwan’s thoughts.”

“…is that the theory that people are dogs and pigs?”

“It is not. Comrade Jeong Hwan is more suitable as the leader than the President and General.”

“……What the heck did you think of me while looking at you?”

Am I wrong about this woman?

I thought he was a common hunting dog in the Kim family, just trying to get a profit by sticking around here and there…

However, Hyerim Yoo just smiled and didn’t think about answering Junghwan’s question.

“…I will tell you later.”

“Comrade Kim Jeong-hwan, the general is calling you.”

At that time, because of a voice coming from the side, Jung-hwan missed the opportunity to discover Yoo Hye-rim’s true intentions.

When I turned my head, a soldier with a solemn expression was standing next to us.

He lowered his voice and whispered to me in a whisper, as if it was my questioning expression and the officer was a very secretive thing.

“General Kim Jong-il said he would like to see him. You said that you must come alone, now and without delay.”

“……Okay. I will go now.”

It’s coming.

It was something I expected, but I must go now.

Jeonghwan turned his head to put on a troubled expression, but Yoo Hye-rim seemed to guess what the military officer was communicating with just that expression.

She immediately got up from her seat, bowed deeply, hid the sincerity she had shown for a moment, and returned to my secretary and said:

“I will contact Comrade Kim Myung-ae. Please feel free to go.”

“…I’ll be leaving soon.”

In response to her response, I got up and followed the soldier’s back to the outside of the banquet hall.

Just before I left the front door of the banquet hall, I looked back.

And I made eye contact with Yoo Hye-rim, who was standing in an upright and floating position and waiting for me.

No words were spoken, but the moment I looked into her eyes, I realized two things.

The fact that I had underestimated that woman all this time, and the fact that I had a true ‘comrade’ that I could trust for the first time since I returned to North Korea, my new hometown.

“… General, for being so exclusive to me, it is a Kwangyeong that will never happen again in my life. If there is a task you can entrust to this Kim Jung-hwan, we will renovate it and…”

“Oh, put it out of the way. Comrade Jeonghwan. No, Kim Jung-hwan. Do you have a knack for teasing your snout?”

Unsurprisingly, Kim Jong-il, who was waiting for Jeong-hwan in the private room one floor down, was feeling low pressure.

A smoking cigarette was in Kim Jong-il’s hand, and several military officers glaring at Jeong-hwan were waiting around him as if watching him.

There was nothing strange about pulling out a gun and shooting him right away, but Jeonghwan answered without being afraid.

“The general appreciates it, so it’s just overkill.”

“Wait? Then you should be rewarded. Speak comfortably as if you were talking to an older brother. What do you want from this Kim Jong-il?”

“……”

He even used the word “brother” and spoke softly, but the eyes of Kim Jong-il reflected behind his glasses were not smiling at all.

The moment he saw those eyes, Jung-hwan had an intuition as to why Kim Jong-il had called him here.

‘You’re trying to test me. Will you be on your side or your enemy? You must answer well.’

“Come on, tell me without a doubt, there is nothing in this Joseon that I cannot listen to. You must have something in your heart. Isn’t it obvious that you wore a nabal like that in front of Abadi? US dollars? Deutsche Land’s private car? Management worker at Unsan Gold Mine Industry? If not…”

For a moment, Kim Jong-il’s eyes shone like a snake seeing its prey.

“Are you looking for a position in the aide where you can have Chief Abaddy next to you? nothing difficult If I had to say one word to my Party Politburo…”

“I want to go abroad.”

“…………?”

For a moment, the air in the room stiffened slightly.

For a moment, no one spoke, and only silence fell between Jeong-hwan and Kim Jong-il.

Perhaps 10 seconds passed, Kim Jong-il was the first to speak.

“It’s a foreign country… Where are you in a foreign country?”

“This is Japan, General.”

“Japan? What is the reason (reason)? Do you have any dissatisfaction with this republican system?”

It was clear that he was trying to catch up with anyone looking at it, but Junghwan calmly explained the reason without changing his expression.

“The Japanese island monkeys have amassed enormous wealth by taking advantage of the opportunities of the Republic and others in the South Korean Liberation War.”

“…………”

“Its wealth, Lyon, has now been transformed into a forward base for US imperialist aggressors, posing a great threat to the republic. I want to go there to scout opportunities for the republic and help the oppressed compatriots there.”

When Jeong-hwan finished speaking, Kim Jong-il looked at Jeong-hwan for a moment and didn’t say anything.

It was like a wild beast trying to dig out his heart, and his eyes were like Seungnyang’s, but Jeonghwan didn’t waver and looked into them.

After a while, Kim Jong-il arrogantly applauded with a satisfied smile to see if the calculation was complete.

Clap clap—!!!

“Girae, I tested Comrade Jeonghwan for a while. But now that I see it, I have enough heart to work hard for our Republic and the Korean compatriots without any self-interest. Our Jeonju Kim family, who also received Abadi blood, hot hot.”

“thank you! General.”

“I told President Kim Dae. If you need anything else, feel free to tell me. I put my name on this Kim Jong-il and supported me to the best of my ability, shouldn’t I be acting as a big brother if I had to do that with people of the same bloodline?”

In response to Kim Jong-il’s rant, Jeong-hwan once again bowed his head deeply and expressed his gratitude.

Of course, the intentions were completely different.

‘Little pig, I’m worried about you disappearing on my feet, isn’t it?’

Since the 1970s, Kim Jong-il has been keen to eliminate or politically neutralize his future competitor, Kim Il-sung’s other illegitimate children, and one of the most useful methods is sending them abroad.

This is because if a foreign ambassador or whatever is given an appropriate title and is sent to exile, it is no different from being politically castrated because no power or network can be established in North Korea.

In that way, it was Kim Jong-il who planted his own people everywhere in North Korea, except for the closest relatives, and climbed to the top of the list. Today, when Jeong-hwan, a side branch who was a no-mark at the banquet hall, stood out, he was tested by throwing baits as if he liked it. .

If Jung-hwan had just asked for an opportunity to gain access in any way to a party cadre or other key figure in power, namely, Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il would have eliminated Jeong-hwan in the near future by any means possible.

But, unexpectedly, Jung-hwan himself knew that he would go to a foreign country called Japan, where there was no official diplomatic relationship, so he couldn’t help but be happy for Kim Jong-il.

Of course, it wasn’t until the end that the boundaries were cleared.

“Hot hah hah!! This is because I have been so sad that I left my close relatives. While Comrade Jeong-hwan was abroad, Comrade Kim Myung-ae took responsibility and took good care of her. I’ll take care of all the other conveniences, so don’t worry and come back.”

“I don’t know what to do with the general’s grace that he has bestowed upon me.”

‘This is a hostage.’

Although the number of Kim Jong-il was clearly visible, Jeong-hwan, who had no choice but to accept it for now, expressed his gratitude once again.

But apart from that, he didn’t forget to make a deal.

“But there is one blue.”

“Tell me, didn’t you listen to a request of my blood and flesh?”

“I want to go out with some foreign currency. It seems like you need some money (big money) to live in another country.”

“Oh, do it. I made a special message to my comrade, the president of the Central Bank of Korea. Take as much as you want.”

“It’s hard to be considerate, General!”

Kim Jong-il was just happy to see Jeong-hwan disappearing, so he gave generously.

The smile didn’t stop on his lips, but because Jung-hwan was bowing his head, Kim Jong-il couldn’t see that a faint smile appeared on Jeong-hwan’s lips as well.

‘This is the time when the Plaza Agreement was signed in September 1985 and the real estate bubble in Japan started to inflate like crazy. Comrade Kim Jong-il, you will soon realize that what you just said is the worst mistake of your life .’