The Former Chaebol Heir Excels as President

Chapter 50: Interpellation Session (2)

A large group of reporters had gathered in front of the main entrance of the Members’ Office Building.

They were trying to question me.

I needed to go to the main building (National Assembly Hall), where the Legislation and Judiciary Committee was located, to submit a bill, but I couldn’t get out.

The National Assembly security guards were blocking the reporters from entering, but their voices came through clearly.

“Representative Kang Cheonmyeong! May we have a quick interview? Your first move was to file a complaint against the President of the Merchants’ Association. Some say it’s too much.”

“There’s strong backlash from the market’s merchants. Are you considering withdrawing the complaint?”

Representative Seong Chang-rae, who was standing next to me, tugged on my sleeve.

“We can’t go out that way. Follow me.”

The reporters’ voices came through the glass.

“Representative Kang, we heard you’re expanding the investigation to other markets. Is that true?”

“There’s criticism that this is killing traditional markets rather than saving them. What are your thoughts?”

It looked like they were about to burst through the doors.

Seong Chang-rae urged me.

“First-term Kang, let’s go quickly. They’re about to storm in.”

“Yes.”

At the end of the corridor was an elevator tucked in a corner.

It was an elevator I’d never seen before.

“Sunbae-nim, was there always an elevator here? This is my first time seeing it.”

“It’s a place you need to know.”

As soon as we got in, I noticed a button for Basement Level 2 that I hadn’t seen before. The central elevators only went to Basement Level 1.

“Are we going to Basement Level 2?”

“There’s a secret passage there.”

“Is it a bomb shelter?”

“Basement Level 2 is too shallow for that. You’ll see.”

After the elevator stopped, we got off and found ourselves in a space surrounded by walls.

“My goodness! I didn’t know a place like this existed. Where does it lead?”

“You’ll see.”

To the left was a sign that read ‘Fitness Center,’ and ahead of us was a man who appeared to be a security officer, pacing.

He gave a slight nod when he saw Seong Chang-rae.

“Thank you for your work.”

The security officer stepped aside without a word upon receiving Seong Chang-rae’s greeting.

As we walked forward, a glass door appeared.

“It looks like an underground passage.”

“It’s connected to both the main building and the library.”

“It’d be great to use when it’s raining or snowing.”

“It’s also convenient for transporting materials. You can just load them onto a cart and pull it along.”

Beyond the glass door, a long red PVC mat stretched out before us.

“If you go straight, you’ll reach the library. Turn left to get to the main building.”

“Wow.”

The admiration escaped my lips naturally.

It was like a secret space straight out of a cartoon I watched as a child.

“Amazed?”

“I’m astonished.”

“You’re too surprised. Did you know there’s wine buried beneath the Haetae statues of the National Assembly?”

“Wine?”

“There are 72 bottles of white wine buried there. They’re meant to be unearthed in 2075, the centennial of the National Assembly’s completion. And behind the Memorial Hall of Constitutional History, there’s a phallic stone.”

“A phallic stone?”

Things just kept getting more and more extraordinary.

“They say Yeouido was used as a cremation site for palace maids during the Joseon Dynasty, which is why it’s heavy with yin energy. The phallic stone was supposedly erected to suppress that.”

“Oh, that phrase—‘The People’s Hall of Democracy in Harmony with the Nation.’ That’s where it’s inscribed, right?”

“Exactly.”

Seong Chang-rae explained what I didn’t know.

The 365 lights on the ceiling of the main chamber symbolized working every day of the year, and the eight pillars inside the round dome of the National Assembly Hall represented the eight provinces of the nation, while the 24 pillars on the exterior represented the 24 solar terms.

“So this isn’t where Robot Taekwon V appears from, huh?”

“Ha ha. It might appear, who knows.”

“I’d like to taste that wine.”

“How old will you be in 2075?”

“I’ll be 104.”

“Well, it’s the era of centenarians now, so it might happen.”

“Let’s drink it together.”

“Ha ha.”

I followed Seong Chang-rae like a duckling trailing behind.

After turning left and walking for quite a while, we found the elevator that led up to the main building.

There was another security officer in front of it.

“Take out your Assembly ID. They’re checking.”

“Yes.”

The security officer checked both mine and Seong Chang-rae’s Assembly IDs and let us through.

Even riding this elevator felt like a novelty.

“First-term Kang, you’re easily amazed by the smallest things.”

"New things excite me."

"Ha ha. You must have a strong spirit of challenge. How many co-sponsors do you have?"

"Fifteen."

"You’ve gathered quite a few."

"Even four members from the Korea Unification Party agreed."

"I’ve never seen a first-term member get agreement from four members of the opposing party."

"I’m doing my best."

The elevator stopped on the third floor.

"First-term Kang, do you have a moment to talk with me?"

"Yes."

"Let’s go."

I followed him into the lounge.

"First-term Kang, it's right to file a complaint since Park Du-sik’s guilt is clear, but is it really necessary to stir up other Merchants’ Associations?"

"This is where future budgets will go. If the upper stream is clean, won’t fish be caught in the lower stream?"

"I’m only saying this because I’m worried we might lose votes. What you’re doing is right."

"The market merchants welcome what I’m doing. There’s no problem as long as it becomes a clean Merchants’ Association. They didn’t vote for me anyway."

Seong Chang-rae nodded and said,

"Well, Representative Kim Bu-seong had solidified that ground for 12 years, so they probably didn’t vote for you."

"I’ll gain more votes than I lose."

"We need first-terms like you. But be careful—if you're too rigid, you'll break. You have to know how to bend to survive."

"I’ll keep that in mind."

"You must be busy. Go on."

"Yes."

I bowed and left the lounge.

I understood the meaning behind what Seong Chang-rae said, but I had never intended to compromise from the start.

Even if I don’t win now, I go all in.

As I was coming out after submitting the bill to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, I ran into Representative Yang Chil-su.

He had won as an independent, backed by widespread public support.

"Looks like you submitted your bill."

"Your support was a great help. Thank you."

Yang Chil-su had also co-sponsored my bill.

"First-terms should stick together."

"You’ve submitted a bill as well."

"IT needs to thrive. In a country like ours with no resources, we have to make a living with our brains. I’m preparing another bill, and I hope Representative Kang will join me for that one."

"Of course. I’ll lend my support."

Representative Yang Chil-su.

His popularity had skyrocketed after appearing on a TV variety show.

He had said he enlisted in the military without telling his family, which reminded me of my oldest brother.

[I’ll be back.]

He had left just a memo on the table and enlisted.

Could he really have enlisted without even leaving a memo?

Whether what he said on the variety show was exaggerated or not, it was true that he had captured the attention of a public tired of two-party politics.

"Oh, by the way, Representative Kang."

"Yes?"

"Your name is all over the media lately—aren’t you feeling any pressure?"

"What kind of pressure do you mean?"

"You’re a first-term, and you’re getting too much attention. I wonder if senior members might not like that."

His words disappointed me.

I wasn’t sure whether he thought I was being overly cautious or if he was projecting his own thoughts.

What was certain was that, either way, it wasn’t the attitude befitting a first-term Member of the National Assembly.

"Representative, Members of the National Assembly are legislative bodies representing the people. It’s only natural to follow the party line when necessary, but shouldn’t anyone call out corruption in the Merchants’ Association when they see it?"

"Of course. I only asked because I’m an independent. We do have to fix what’s wrong."

Yang Chil-su glanced at me as if reading my reaction.

"Journalists are a hassle, but it must be nice to be in the media so much, right?"

"Excuse me?"

I was dumbfounded and stared at his face blankly.

Was he envious?

From the look in his eyes, it seemed he genuinely felt disappointed.

"They say any publicity is good publicity, except for obituaries. Getting your name out there is a good thing, right?"

"I didn’t do it just to get on the news."

"Really?"

It seemed Yang Chil-su thought I was engaging in media play.

It was completely different from the image I had of him.

Could it be jealousy?

Yang Chil-su had better qualifications than me.

He had no reason to be jealous of me: from a good family, a prestigious university graduate, a PhD earned after studying abroad, youngest professor, and even public popularity.

"Representative, I’m still a first-term lawmaker. I don’t know what the future holds, but for now, I’m doing what I believe is right."

"I only asked because the reporters are all over the place. They’re going wild looking for you."

"If you dig into the Merchants’ Association corruption too, reporters will swarm you as well. You could even collaborate with me."

"No, thank you. Keep up the good work."

Yang Chil-su retreated into the Legislation and Judiciary Committee office as if running away.

Had I misjudged him?

He was so different from the image I had seen on TV that it left me confused.

Party Floor Leader’s Office.

I sat across from Floor Leader Mo Jong-chan.

The interpellation session on the economy scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Our party was sending three lawmakers to question the government, and I was one of them.

"Representative Kang."

"Yes."

"You’ll be going in as the front-line striker, so make sure to show them clearly. This is when you ride the clouds and ascend to the sky."

"I’ll give it my all."

Mo Jong-chan looked over the inquiry materials and said,

"Real estate speculation, financial market liberalization measures, issues with agricultural product supply and tax revenue will be handled by the other two lawmakers. Representative Kang will..."

As he read the documents, Mo Jong-chan bit his lower lip lightly.

"This one’s a bit too big, don’t you think? If you get overwhelmed during questioning, it could backfire."

"I’m preparing thoroughly. I’ve been roleplaying it with my staffers, and I’m gaining confidence."

"Live sessions are different from rehearsals. Especially in the main chamber, the pressure is intense. Even though you’ve had a lot of experience holding a mic, this is on a whole different level from an investor briefing. Dozens of cameras will be focused on you."

"I’ve been visiting the cemetery every night to build my nerve."

"Ha ha ha. In that case, I guess there’s nothing to worry about."

The mood lightened with that joke.

Of course, the Floor Leader was bound to feel anxious, like a parent by the riverside watching their child, but I was confident.

Should I say I’d become a bit of an attention-seeker?

After experiencing a camera massage, it actually felt good.

When I mentioned this to Ji Jeongseok, he said I’d gone from first-term to third-term in a flash, that I had political talent, and that if I mastered how to pose for the camera, I’d become a great politician. He even complimented me.

Mo Jong-chan slightly twisted his lips.

"If the prosecution does a proper investigation, they’ll be stripped bare. But of course, they won’t listen to us."

"Wouldn’t the materials we have be enough to put pressure on them?"

"If the prosecution were functioning properly, of course they should investigate. Since the upcoming presidential election is predicted to be close, the balance of power is holding. We need to clearly gain the upper hand in this interpellation session."

"I’ll do my best."

Mo Jong-chan smacked his lips as if something was still lacking.

"It’d be great if we had something that could really seal off any escape routes."

"We still have one day left."

"Does that reporter have more material?"

"I’m not sure yet."

Ji Jeongseok said he was persuading the informant to hand over conclusive evidence.

He said we might have it by tomorrow, but it wasn’t guaranteed.

Mo Jong-chan still seemed unsatisfied.

"We really need a decisive blow. Only then can we pressure them with public opinion."

"I’ll try with the material we have now."

"Sometimes you can catch a rat with your hind legs, so give it your best."

Could I catch a rat with my hind legs?

Leaving it to luck was inefficient. I had to perfectly exploit the opponent’s weakness and knock them into a groggy state.

Did my desperation work?

On the fateful morning of the interpellation session, Ji Jeongseok came to my house with the material.