Chapter 132: Foundations of the U.S. Advancement (2) |
General Hong shook the soju bottle with a familiar hand movement and created a whirlwind.
“I go on business trips for this taste!”
He skillfully twisted the bottle cap open and then poured it into a glass.
The sharp scent characteristic of alcohol spread over the dining table.
He held one glass and held it out toward Choi Seo-jun.
“Will you also have a glass, Director Choi? Since we came all the way to the seaside like this, it is too regrettable to just drink cola.”
However, Choi Seo-jun shook his head while sliding the glass away slightly.
“No, I am fine. For the time being, I do not even want to think about alcohol.”
He shook his head while recalling what happened in the U.S. a while ago.
He turned his head and immediately shouted.
“Boss, please give us two colas here.”
A moment later, when the cola cans came up on the dining table, Choi Seo-jun poured cola into two glasses.
“Representative, let us also have a healthy toast like this.”
“Haha. A toast with cola, it is truly unique and good.”
I laughed awkwardly and clinked glasses.
After that, I picked up the pink raw fish with chopsticks, dipped it in chogochujang, and brought it to my mouth.
“Eueu…. This is the taste.”
General Hong admired while bringing the soju into his mouth.
The three of us picked up the raw fish at the same time.
The texture of the raw fish, which was chewed softly, was enough to make the mouth joyful.
Choi Seo-jun started to eat while inhaling the raw fish as if he had been waiting.
“Wow, it is really delicious. This is why you said to come here, Representative.”
The spicy fish stew also had such a pungent and deep taste that the moment I took the first spoonful, the tip of my nose was even stinging.
As the spicy broth went down the throat, it was a taste that naturally brought to mind a glass of soju.
General Hong laughed heartily while filling his glass with soju alone.
“Kueuh. This is the taste of living. A glass of soju with spicy fish stew, this is exactly what life is!”
He was excited while emptying the glasses one after another.
Choi Seo-jun continued to pick up and eat the raw fish while quenching his throat with cola.
Between the two people, I drank a sip of the cola contained in the glass and was just stirring the spicy fish stew broth with chopsticks for no reason.
‘Ah, it would be perfect if I could drink just one glass of soju here.’
I let out a sigh quietly inside.
At the taste of the broth hitting the throat pungently, the alcohol instinct that had been suppressed by force started to tickle and raise its head.
However, I endured with indomitable will.
General Hong was about to pick up a piece of raw fish and put it in his mouth, but suddenly, he held the glass he was holding in his hand and quietly held his breath.
In an instant, his gaze changed sharply.
I noticed the strangeness first.
“Advisor Hong?”
He, who would normally have been the first to make a sound and shout for a toast, remained with his gaze fixed as if he had captured something.
General Hong stood up naturally as if it were nothing and said.
“I will go to the restroom for a moment.”
Even though he had not drunk a lot of alcohol, his footsteps were unusual.
He looked as if he were a person drunk on alcohol.
As he passed near the entrance of the restaurant, he brushed past the guest who had just entered.
Then, he suddenly pretended to lose his balance, staggered, and bumped into that man.
“Oops, I am sorry.”
He, who shouted loudly while leaning his body like a person heavily drunk on alcohol, skillfully snatched the cell phone from his hand while pretending to grab the other person.
“Ah, what!”
General Hong’s gaze sank coldly for a moment.
On the screen, a photo of me that was just taken appeared clearly.
“Since this is somewhat too apologetic, what to do. Come outside. I should apologize a bit.”
He forcibly took him outside, almost as if dragging him.
The man did not show any particular resistance, as if this kind of thing was not a once-or-twice occurrence.
General Hong, who dragged the man to a corner where there were few people, glared at him fiercely and said.
“Whose order is this?”
The man stammered while being flustered.
“T-That, I am just a reporter. I am sorry. D-Do not misunderstand….”
General Hong let out a snort and asked the brazen gentleman who called himself a reporter.
“Reporter gentleman, is taking photos secretly without permission the coverage method these days?”
The man pretended to be sorry on the outside, but he was nothing but brazen.
“If you use violence in that way, I will not stay still either. Legal action for defamation or physical contact issues….”
“Legal action?”
General Hong chuckled and then took out a business card from his pocket and threw it at him.
The contact information of Advisor Baek Yu-jin was written there.
“Good. Please contact this side for such things. Since we also know the law well.”
The man’s face froze instantly.
Only then did General Hong look into the cell phone, and then he popped out and took the USIM chip and gave the cell phone back.
“I will take this USIM. Charge the cost separately. Take good care of this as well!”
He raised one corner of his mouth and then slowly massaged his fingers.
Dududuk.
The sound of the knuckles ringing echoed chillingly, fitting for the dusky night air.
“Reporter gentleman, if you disappear from here quickly now, it ends well for each other. But right now, since I have had some alcohol, my hands are itching.”
A mean smile brushed his mouth.
The man swallowed his dry saliva and then hurriedly backed away.
“I-I am really sorry. I did not mean for it to be like this….”
“Ay. How dull.”
General Hong gestured as if making a path.
The reporter ran away as if his tail were falling off.
General Hong brushed off his hands and returned to sit at the seat as if nothing had happened.
As the two people stared blankly, he burst into a giggle looking at that appearance.
“Now, what are you doing? Please continue the meal. The broth will get cold.”
It was already a late hour when my party arrived at the hotel.
We decided to drink tea at the cafe before going into each of our rooms.
By chance, President Yu Hyeon-seok of HJ Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, who arrived late, also joined the spot.
He could not join us for dinner due to the business trip schedule, but tension along with a sense of welcome was buried in his face.
“I am late, Representative. The road was blocked much more than I thought.”
“You suffered to come. Did you have dinner?”
“I stopped by a rest area on the way and ate simply.”
The inside of the cafe was deserted as the closing time was already close.
Amidst the calm jazz music flowing, the four of us ordered and drank warm drinks.
General Hong first whistled lowly while crossing his arms.
“Hooo. All sorts of things happened today.”
Choi Seo-jun said while frowning in his face.
“You are talking about what happened at the restaurant earlier, right? I was also a bit surprised after hearing it. You said he was a reporter?”
President Yu Hyeon-seok asked without even knowing the reason.
“A reporter? Did something happen?”
General Hong explained as if it were not a big deal.
“Someone was secretly taking a photo of the Representative at the restaurant. Since it was suspicious as if a fan was not taking a photo, I checked and. He did say he was a reporter in words.”
Yu Hyeon-seok’s expression froze at once.
“A reporter took a photo? That is somewhat suspicious. Does that not mean he followed you all the way here?”
I quietly took out the USIM chip that General Hong handed over from my pocket and put it on the table.
It was just one small chip, but a strangely heavy air sat down on the table for a moment.
“Was he really simply a reporter?”
At my question, General Hong shrugged his shoulders.
“With my sense, there is a high probability that he was not. If he were a reporter, he would normally not run away hurriedly like that. That punk’s movement was obvious. They must be kids who report every single move while following behind the Representative.”
Choi Seo-jun nodded and let out a sigh.
“It is fortunate that we came with Advisor Hong today. If it were only us, something might have happened. You should really be careful from now on, Representative.”
Yu Hyeon-seok also added words with a serious expression.
“It would be good if this were a simple event, but approaching in this way is usually for information collection rather than for the purpose of coverage. Someone might already be moving while having interest in the Representative’s steps.”
I rolled the USIM chip with my fingertips and fell into thought for a moment.
‘There is no way he was a simple reporter. The problem is who ordered it.’
General Hong leaned his body forward while crossing his arms and said in a low voice.
“Representative, from now on, you must really be prudent. If such a movement was captured before the U.S. advancement becomes full-scale, there are clearly punks who are trying to strike first.”
Choi Seo-jun said while leaning his body slightly.
“We should also coordinate the movement route with the security team from now on. I think the stage of just us going around has already passed.”
I nodded while feeling regretful.
After that, I wrapped the USIM chip well in a handkerchief and put it in my pocket.
“Let us find out separately who did that and talk for a moment about what will happen tomorrow.”
The gazes of the four people naturally brushed each other.
They, who talked for a moment at the cafe, naturally scattered to each of their rooms while feeling the fatigue rushing in.
Thanks to the hotel side having prepared good rooms in advance, everyone was assigned a room with a good view looking down at the sea clearly.
My room was the same as well.
After organizing my luggage and finishing a simple shower, I walked in front of the window while in pajamas.
It was late at night, but the sea outside the window was not quiet.
The waves washing in calmly were undulating and making silver waves beyond the window.
As I opened the window, the sound of the waves heard from afar was knocking on my ears calmly but heavily, like the beating of a heart.
I watched while sticking both hands in my pockets.
And I slowly narrowed my eyes.
‘Who sent that guy today?’
Several figures naturally came to mind in my head.
Daehan Group, President Lim Do-hyun… or it could be the National Assembly side, Assemblyman Baek Geon-yeol.
Or it could be a second person that I could not even have expected until now.
I touched my forehead slightly and wore a bitter smile.
I felt the reality of what kind of position the place I am standing in is.
I did not know that one USIM chip would expand my thoughts this far.
However, to that extent, the current me was already an existence standing above numerous gazes.
I do not know where and in what way the gap will be aimed to enter.
Also, the fact that such an opponent exists made the spine feel chilling.
Even if I think I must be careful, there could be no such thing as a perfect defense.
I turned my head slightly and let out a sigh.
Now was the time to focus on the schedule tomorrow rather than useless guesses.
When I turned my head again, the waves outside the window were still washing in without resting.
Deep and solid resolve was already seeping into my gaze as I watched that wave.
The next morning.
I woke up from an early hour and moved quickly.
After quickly changing into exercise clothes, I headed straight to the fitness center inside the hotel.
After pouring a bout of sweat, the inside of my head became clear.
After returning to the guest room again, finishing a shower, and changing into a neat suit, I headed to the restaurant while taking my tablet.
Perhaps because it was an early hour for breakfast time, the inside of the wide restaurant was still deserted.
Soft morning sunlight was coming into the window seat, and the smell of food was filling the space.
I started to skim the news with the tablet while eating simply.
While doing so, I organized the things that happened the previous day and the future schedules.
As I did that, it was already a state where I even finished the meal.