Dear Comrade

Chapter 7. Ryugyong Hotels (3)

Chapter 7. Ryugyong Hotels (3)

In the back seat, Jeonghwan chuckled and laughed, but Yoo Hyerim asked again if he was still not relieved.

“Are you sure they didn’t notice where Comrade Jeong Hwan hid his funds? I am well aware of how tenacious and skilled the security guards are.”

“I didn’t notice it because I was tenacious and skilled. The saying ‘it is dark under the lamp’ is a saying in and out of the republic.”

“Because the United States and Japan are… Japan is too close and the United States is the enemy of the republic. Aren’t you worried that the Yankees could confiscate your comrades’ funds or take them?”

To Hye-rim Yoo, who had an anxious expression until the end, Jung-hwan assured her as if to reassure her.

“Don’t worry, Master Yu. America is a capitalist country. As long as there is no connection to a terrorist or hostile country, the seizure of personal assets is only possible for tax evaders. Although it is the enemy of the Republic, it is reliable in this respect. And in the case of Japan… Well, there is a saying that the day the pachinko will fail is the day Japan will fail.”

As Yoo Hye-rim said, there were two main places where Jung-hwan hid his assets.

Surprisingly, both were enemies of North Korea, one was Japan and the other was the United States.

In the United States, in the name of Young-Jun Heo, he set up a ghost company in the state of Delaware and moved half of his total assets.

– Why Delaware? Yoo, do you know what the ‘Financial Center Development Act’ is? The US itself is a business-friendly country, but Delaware is the best. There are no taxes, you only have to pay attention to the commercial law, and the president alone can move and serve as a certified public accountant. Foreigners can set up a company in 24 hours just by submitting documents. It’s a corporation’s paradise. Above all, the United States is probably the most difficult country in the world to investigate Bowibu hunting dogs.

These were the words of Jeonghwan, soothing Yoo Hye-rim, who was worried about moving assets to the US, the ‘Nest of American imperialists’.

‘Because 60% of Fortune 500 companies are registered in Delaware. I didn’t know that when I was in the research lab, but I don’t know if that’s the case here as well.’

And the other safe haven for money was Japan, a place that could be reached by just crossing the sea from the republic.

Many people, including Kim Yong-gun, were surprised to learn that it is so close to the republic and that it hides funds in Japan, which does not have secret accounts as a national policy like the Bahamas or Monaco.

Even the cache was not a bank, but the Japanese national gambling pachinko.

– It’s easy, because gambling houses are a breeding ground for money laundering. If you hide the leaves, you hide them in the forest. The scale of the pachinko industry is a whopping 20 trillion yen. 40 times the size of the Japanese game market, 20 times the size of the publishing market, 3 times the size of the horse racing market, and even twice the size of the home appliance market. As long as Japan continues to exist, there is little chance of failure. I don’t think the security guards would expect that much money would be hidden in front of their noses.

Jung-hwan and Heo Young-joon have already traveled around pachinko markets to find ways to launder money.

The assets of the Takayama Real Estate Company were turned into cash and flowed into Mindan Pachinko by Heo Young-joon’s ’employees’, which was soon counted as the pachinko market’s income and went up on the books.

Of course, it was natural that the real owners of the pachinkos were Jeonghwan and Heo Youngjun.

“Eighty percent of the real estate has already been disposed of, and the rest of the assets that take a little longer to convert to cash, such as art, are rented out in a warehouse that only I know and stored well. What I’m worried about is that even if the bubble bursts, the price will drop. In that case, we should open an art museum in Pyongyang for the sake of the people’s education.”

“Fufu!”

A laugh escaped Yoo Hye-rim’s mouth as if the tension had been relieved by Jung-hwan’s joked words.

At that moment, something popped into Jeonghwan’s mind.

“Oh, that’s right, you’re the top.”

“Yes, comrade.”

“Did you say what I told you when the security guard interrogated you? It’s about women.”

“…that, that…!!”

As soon as she heard the story, Hyerim Yu dyed her face red, but Jeonghwan continued talking without thinking about whether he was paying attention to something else.

“It doesn’t mean much, but for now, it’s good for Boshin to look as incompetent as possible. It’s because the Crown Princes who were pushed out of power during the Joseon Dynasty, that is, during the reign of Lee Jo, deliberately visited the gisaeng’s house. Even if it’s a little uncomfortable, I’ll be patient.”

“Ah, I see…”

“Hey, I’m going to be late for my appointment. The plan is to make Baek Seung-cheol angry and shake him, but that shouldn’t be too provocative. Hurry up.”

“……”

And after a while, their car accelerated and soon arrived at the meeting point.

It was right next to the construction site of the Ryugyong Hotel, on Potonggang Street that runs through downtown Pyongyang.

“It’s been a long time, pedestal, no, now you’re Major. It’s late, but congratulations on your promotion.”

“……I know you were from Kim Dae, but for such a thing, you are too dark to find and hear rumors. It’s been three years.”

Choosing a meeting place with Baek Seung-cheol required a lot of thought.

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Now, Jeonghwan is not in Japan, where he didn’t have to worry about privacy issues, but in North Korea, where it is not strange to be eavesdropped anywhere.

In Pyongyang, where the eyes and ears of the security guard are everywhere, the trust in Kim Jong-il, which he had barely built up (and never know when), would collapse in an instant if he met the wrong person once.

So, after much deliberation, the location chosen was an abandoned building that was scheduled to be forcibly demolished to secure a construction site right now, right next to the construction site of the Ryugyong Hotel.

Baek Seung-cheol, who puts a check even with a very uncomfortable expression, and Jeong-hwan, who looked around the room with the exterior torn apart, looked around the room with a smirk at him and the Frunze military officers who were staring at him, especially Yoo Hye-rim, from behind.

“Because I was in Japan. By the way, you are amazing, Comrade Warden. As the commander of the Pyongyang Defense Command, the General Guards Bureau… To be in charge of the square company protecting Pyongyang, the capital of this revolution, I was promoted, but…”

“Oh, I heard. In the eyes of the general, I became the person in charge of supply and demand of construction materials for this Ryugyong Hotel. I was in charge. Congratulations.”

‘You still say things like that with an expression that isn’t a celebration at all.’

Seeing Baek Seung-cheol giving an unexpected greeting with a hard expression on his face, Jeong-hwan clicked his tongue inwardly.

In the original history, the Frunze factions, including Baek Seung-cheol, were all executed after a coup d’état was discovered a few years later.

‘It’s only natural that a man who can’t control his facial expressions like that is sitting there looking like a boss. tttttttttttttttttttt.’

“Haha, the reason I set up this place for my appointment with Director Baek was because I wanted to show you this hotel that I will be visiting frequently in the future. There are other reasons, of course.”

“…What is the reason for that? No, I don’t know if this is why Baek Seung-cheol was brought here just to show the hotel…”

“The reason is, given the sensitivity of our discussion today, this is the safest place. As far as I know, many of the subordinates under the square command were also mobilized for this project. So, there’s a good reason for Warden Baek to enter this site. Since I am the construction manager, I have something to say even if a security guard sees me and Director Baek in the same place.”

“……………………..!!”

When the main point came out of Jeonghwan’s mouth, Baek Seung-cheol’s eyes became serious, and some of the other soldiers behind him swallowed their saliva.

Finally, the time has come to face the reality they expected, but also feared at the same time.

After a moment of silence that felt like a hundred years, Junghwan’s mouth opened.

Jeonghwan’s way of speaking to Baek Seung-cheol changed slightly, but Baek Seung-cheol, who heard it, was overwhelmed by the content, not his tone, and his face became pale and tired.

“Now, tell me in detail about your plan to overthrow Kim Jong-il. How many of those Frunze factions are secretly hiding in the heart of this republic?”

“…Comrade Junghwan! I don’t know what kind of sound you’re talking about right now! Such a story is a grave rebellion against the leadership of the Party and the leader! I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that story, so I’ll just stop……”

“Everything has been tested for wiretapping devices with the latest electronic devices brought from Japan. In fact, even if it wasn’t, it would be difficult to prove it properly because of the construction noise. So, let’s stop playing with each other.”

“……………………”

Jeonghwan said so while admiring Baek Seung-cheol, who was biting his lip as if bleeding, and (for now) the faces of the soldiers from Frunze who had turned white.

However, as time passed, they hardly opened their mouths, so in the end, Jung-hwan decided that he should add more wind.

“Do you know that Comrade Chebrikov of the USSR has already given some remarks? Isn’t it for the sake of the soon-to-be-coming day that Comrade Major Paik left the Operations Department of the General Staff of the Ministry of People’s Armed Forces, which is an important position, and became the commander of operations in the square?”

“…how much do you know? …After all, Yoo Hye-rim, I loved you so much, how dare other people make fun of your tongue…”

“Master Yu didn’t open his mouth first, so please stop, Major Baek. Strictly speaking, it’s close to what I interrogated her. And, as far as I know… I even know that the 2nd rank of the People’s Army of the Republic is currently involved. Of course you will do the direct execution, but you don’t always need a face.”

One of the officers standing behind let out a whistle.

The person Jung-hwan is referring to now refers to Hong Kye-sung, the deputy chief of staff of the People’s Army General Staff.

Later, he became the brother-in-law of Choe Ryong-hae, who later became the core of the Kim Jong-un regime, and was the highest-ranking member of the Frunze clan, but was executed for taking part in a coup, whose name came from Jeong-hwan’s mouth.

“If you ever think of killing me and closing your mouth, please stop, I already have all the evidence. If I die suddenly, not just today, I have made arrangements so that documents containing evidence of spying in the Republic for the Soviet Union by Comrade Major Paek and other military officers in the past will be forwarded to the WPK Secretariat.”

“… are you threatening us now? If you think you can uproot all our comrades in the Republic with such a plot…”

As Baek Seung-cheol desperately came up with an excuse, Jeong-hwan suddenly became annoyed.

What kind of waste of time is all this at a time when every minute and every second are precious?

“Are you threatening me now? Of course you are intimidating! Beck’s comrade. So, do you know what this is now?”

“…………”

Baek Seung-cheol finally shut his mouth when Jeong-hwan was annoyed with an expression of ‘Aren’t you an idiot?’

After a while, the words coming out of his mouth were much smaller than they had been before.

“……Who gave the documents? no way……”

“You are the person your comrade thinks you are. Turn your head a little. I also know that if it’s just a letter of warfare, there’s no need to touch high-ranking officials in the Security Council, including Comrade Major Paik. However, if it is an internal document of the National Security Council in Russia, Kim Young-ryong, the head of the National Security Agency, will also take it seriously. Isn’t it?”

“…..You can’t even eat this filthy Rosuke Kanna! If I get caught, I will kill him myself…”

I expected it, but when it became clear that he had been hit in the back of the head, curses leaked out from between Baek Seung-cheol’s tightly closed teeth.

Looking at Baek Seung-cheol like that, Jeong-hwan thought.

‘I’ve hit a whip, now it’s my turn to give you carrots.’

“Calm down, Comrade Baek. I have no intention of telling you and your officers to the National Security Agency. If that was the case, I wouldn’t even have asked to meet Captain Baek here. Rather, I would like to become a comrade with Captain Baek.”

“What does that mean…? Comrade Jeonghwan. My comrade…”

When Baek Seung-cheol looked at him with a grim expression asking ‘Are you serious?’ Jung-hwan stopped talking in the middle.

“It is not yet time to talk. It’s of no use unless that party says they’re going to be with me. So now tell me slowly. Or you don’t want to stay long in this dusty construction site.”

“……”

The faces of Baek Seung-cheol and the officers standing behind him hardened again.

He realized that Junghwan was sincere.

“Comrade, comrade, that is to say, the successor to President Kim Il-sung…..”

“Answer me clearly, Comrade Baek. You only have one chance.”

Junghwan, who has said so far, spoke again in a dignified yet strong tone, as if he had already accomplished his goal.

“Will you come with me or not? As I said before, it’s not that you’re with me, I’m with you. Then answer me now.”

“…………”

A long silence lingered in the gloomy room again.

Baek Seung-cheol seemed to be engulfed in conflict with a look of a lifetime of worries.

Are you going to kill this kid here and shut his mouth? Could it be that the threat was just bluff?

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No, if it’s true? If so, would his in-law’s eldest cousin end his life in a kyohwaso?

Could this be a trap dug by the Bowibu? Why the hell did the Soviet Union stand behind this guy?

All sorts of inner strife and anguish appeared on his face and then sank down again.

Yoo Hye-rim, who saw Baek Seung-cheol’s face, was also very nervous, holding both hands next to Jeong-hwan and waiting for his answer.

In fact, Junghwan did not rush any further and waited for his choice, but his face was calm.

It was because he was already sure of the answer Baek Seung-cheol was going to give.

…and he was right.

“…………I will be with Comrade Jeonghwan.”

“ha ha ha. A wise choice.”

“However, I will listen to your thoughts first, and then let the other Frunze comrades know about it.”

“……What is my inner heart?”

In response to Jeonghwan’s question, Seungcheol Baek asked with an expression that he could not concede this much.

His eyes were now even desperate.

“….unknown comrades, shouldn’t we open our hearts to each other? So, what kind of status will we have after the event is over? Is the USSR on our side? Maybe they’re behind that side? If so, what plans do you have? things like that We can’t even tell you our plans until we tell you.”

“I understand.”

In response to Baek Seung-cheol’s clear-cut question, Jeong-hwan was cynical at the fact that they didn’t even care about the North Korean people, but he smiled brightly on the outside.

“Don’t worry, the plan was made a long time ago, and much of it has already been put into practice. Perhaps in a year or so, this republic will have a new leader. With a much greater chieftain than the previous two .”