WeTried Translations
Translator: NEET_Romulus
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Dropped into the Ending of a Trash Show as an Extra ◈
Chapter 14: A Beating
──────
Marine Lieutenant Colonel Kwak Ji-hoon.
Until recently, he had been seriously considering whether to quit the military, but the political upheaval of the past few days had thoroughly twisted his future.
‘...Huh?’
It was not as though he had merely followed a friend along for the ride. He had followed an older friend he knew into Seoul, and somehow become a meritorious hero overnight.
‘Captain Kwak Ji-hoon, promoted two ranks!’
One special promotion for escorting the Emperor. Another for his service during the suppression of the rebellion.
Thanks to his superiors putting their heads together and splitting up the promotions, he had raced from captain to major, then major to lieutenant colonel, in just a few hours.
On top of that, he had been assigned the grave duty of protecting the Emperor in place of the Imperial Guard Brigade and Capital Defense Command, both of which had entered a massive “reorganization.”
Then again, the only troops his older friend trusted at present were probably the Marines who had followed him from the beginning.
His achievements mattered, but there was no denying that invisible political considerations were why he had reached lieutenant colonel at such a young age.
Even the Marine Corps commander, who might as well have been the sky itself to him, praised him endlessly, saying, “You’ve done something truly great for the ancestral shrines and the state.”[1]
The commander had even brewed coffee for him personally. He seemed just as tense as Kwak Ji-hoon, but that had to be Kwak’s imagination.
They said the position made the person, but Kwak Ji-hoon had only risen to this post recently. He could not help feeling dazed.
Even so, he had enough sense not to let it show.
That was why he could state his purpose without trembling before the black-suited men of JD Group.
‘This was where I was thinking of looking for a job after leaving the service.’
He had even searched for recruitment notices for former officers. JD Group was the sort of massive corporation that even Kwak Ji-hoon admired.
...Still, he had never dreamed he would storm its headquarters.
Apparently, only they had enough troops, or rather enough troops that could be trusted, to tear apart JD Group, a collateral branch of the Kim clan, without mercy.
With the Emperor personally overseeing the investigation as justification, the Joint Investigation Headquarters had asked the Imperial Guard Squadron for assistance without hesitation.
Then they had to live up to those expectations.
“What the hell is all this commotion first thing in the morning? Who the hell are you bastards?”
Especially when someone important had come calling.
“You military thugs crawl into someone else’s company and kick up dust? Do you even know where you are?”
Kim Hyeong-cheol, an executive director in JD Group’s Strategic Planning Office.
“How dare you block my path when the blood of the Kim clan runs through me? Get your superior on the phone right now. No, tell the director of the Joint Investigation Headquarters to come see me immediately!”
The security guards who had been shrinking back flinched, then formed up again at the shouted order.
“This is the Joint Investigation Headquarters. Get a grip. If you don’t cooperate immediately...”
“You bastards! Are you playing games with me?”
They were trying desperately to lock arms and block the way.
The soldiers were preparing to break through them.
Kwak Ji-hoon drew the pistol at his waist and aimed upward.
Then he fired a warning shot at the ceiling.
Bang!
Every head turned toward him as the thunderous gunshot rang out. Everyone went pale as dust drifted down from the bullet-riddled ceiling.
‘Hm.’
Was that perhaps a live round?
‘Made another mistake.’
So the first round had not been a blank. Then again, he had only received this pistol after being promoted to field-grade officer. How was he supposed to know?
Still, the effect was undeniable.
Everyone present looked at him as though he were insane.
Even Kim Hyeong-cheol, who had been shouting so loudly moments ago, had gone white.
Kwak Ji-hoon decided to brazen it out.
“Take them all in! Anyone who refuses to cooperate with the investigation can be arrested for aggravated obstruction of official duties!”
“Just as expected of our squadron commander!”
“The commander has given the order! Sweep them all up!”
Perhaps infected by Kwak Ji-hoon’s boldness, the soldiers subdued everyone blocking their way.
The moment the order fell, the Marines pounced on the security guards like tigers.
“Y-you crazy bastards!”
“Argh!”
It was not a fight to begin with. No matter how sturdy the corporate security guards were, they could not stand against armed soldiers.
The lobby became a full-on beatdown in an instant, and Kim Hyeong-cheol was no exception.
“Investigator, this bastard is on the arrest list too, right?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
Kwak Ji-hoon grabbed Kim Hyeong-cheol by the back of the neck as he was being beaten.
He was probably some collateral-branch scion who had never been struck by anyone in his life, which was why he had dared to stand in their way at a time like this.
From Kwak Ji-hoon’s perspective, he could only wonder where Kim Hyeong-cheol got the nerve.
“Take him away.”
Kwak Ji-hoon flung Kim Hyeong-cheol to the floor as though discarding a bug.
When he reached the chairwoman’s office on the top floor with the investigators, Kim A-ra was already waiting with her arms folded.
Two investigators approached her.
“Chairwoman Kim A-ra. You must accompany us on charges including aiding a criminal organization, violating the Political Funds Act, and aggravated bribery.”
“All right. I’ll cooperate fully.”
When she calmly held out both hands, the managing director beside her turned deathly pale and shouted.
“Chairwoman! You must contact the main family at once! You cannot allow yourself to be taken away like this!”
“Don’t make a spectacle of yourself, Managing Director Park.”
Kim A-ra’s icy gaze pierced him.
“If I’m innocent, I’ll be investigated and released. Isn’t that all there is to it?”
“C-Chairwoman!”
“Please stay still, sir.”
The struggling Managing Director Park was bound by both arms like a piece of luggage by other investigators.
Kim A-ra, now in handcuffs, walked out first with her head held high.
The Marines lifted the stunned Managing Director Park like cargo and loaded him into a van.
* * *
“President, the search and seizure at JD Group headquarters has just concluded. Miss... Chairwoman Kim A-ra and the group’s entire core executive team have been transferred to the Joint Investigation Headquarters.”
There was also news that several members of elite clans connected to Song Haksu’s testimony had been urgently arrested at their homes.
Not a flicker of agitation crossed Kim Yang-han’s face.
The only people they could ensnare were small fry anyway.
No matter how thoroughly JD Group was searched, no matter how many names Song Haksu gave up, those shallow flames would never reach him.
That was all the Joint Investigation Headquarters could tie up.
But something else had offended Kim Yang-han.
‘What is the reason?’
Kim A-ra had entered the palace and met the Emperor in private.
Then, the moment she left, JD Group headquarters had been raided, and she herself had been dragged off to the Joint Investigation Headquarters.
It was like when he had been summoned by the Emperor to discuss state affairs and been given hints of a prime ministerial nomination, only to be struck cleanly across the back of the head by a national address immediately afterward.
Kim Yang-han narrowed his eyes.
The Emperor’s actions were impossible to grasp.
‘...Is he simply a madman who enjoys blindsiding others without a thought for cause or consequence?’
They had even used live rounds to force their way into JD Group.
Even considering the state of emergency, it was commonplace for conglomerates to bicker with the police, prosecutors, or National Tax Service.
Had that really called for such force?
Or was it because the Emperor was so bold, or reckless, that he had been able to defeat Song Haksu and the rebels?
That question only further complicated Kim Yang-han’s thoughts.
Either way, his opponent was impossible to calculate.
In that case, he had no choice but to hear Kim A-ra’s account.
There was no need to consider how he would hear the whole story from Kim A-ra after she had been taken to the Joint Investigation Headquarters.
It was obvious that she would not remain there long.
Just as he had put Kim A-ra forward, Kim A-ra had plenty of people who would take the blame for her.
Not long afterward.
Kim A-ra, who had undergone an intense investigation at the Joint Investigation Headquarters, was released. Officially, it was for reasons such as “no risk of flight or destruction of evidence.”
The moment she was released, Kim A-ra headed straight for Jang-dong.
“You have suffered greatly.”
Seated in the place of honor, Kim Yang-han welcomed his daughter in a gentle voice.
At least outwardly, he looked every bit the infinitely loving old father.
“Father, I apologize for causing you concern.”
Kim A-ra knelt on the floor and bowed her head.
Her exhaustion from several days of investigation was plain to see, but Kim Yang-han spoke with a soft expression.
“What crime could you possibly have committed? You were merely unlucky enough to be struck by a madman’s frenzied sword dance.”
There had once been a time when she had been deceived by those eyes.
A time when she had believed her father loved her.
But Kim A-ra, who had risen this far, knew.
Nothing mattered to Kim Yang-han but his own power.
There was only one thing he wanted to confirm without allowing her even time to rest after her ordeal.
Whether she had betrayed him, and what the Emperor intended.
“Why do you suppose His Majesty is so angry? While you were being held, I worried myself sick thinking of nothing else.”
He had already heard what she discussed with the Emperor. She had exchanged suitable pleasantries and proposed ways to “cooperate” so as to “contribute to His Majesty’s flourishing reign.”
It could not be declared a complete lie.
After all, had the Emperor not spoken amicably with him as well, only to reverse himself as easily as turning over his palm?
Among the capital’s great clans[2], some fools were blindly echoing one another, asking what Kim Yang-han could have said for the Emperor to suddenly play such a card.
But Kim Yang-han was not someone who would fall for such a shallow attempt to sow discord.
That did not mean he trusted Kim A-ra completely either.
Kim A-ra opened her mouth.
“Could it not be a show meant to display the ‘eradication of corruption’ that His Majesty proclaimed to the public? There is no image more dramatic or decisive than smashing a target like JD Group.”
“And?”
Kim Yang-han asked as he stroked his chin.
“I believe it was also meant to bind the Kim clan’s hands and feet. His Majesty is wary of JD’s media power and ability to shape public opinion. Before I could use JD Group to sway public opinion, he intended to strike first and paralyze the group itself.”
JD’s power was what had allowed them to forcefully push the political situation toward a prime ministerial nomination, especially toward elevating Kim Yang-han.
It was not strange for the Emperor, who had already suffered from that power and had been forced to brutally overturn the board, to be wary of it.
Kim Yang-han had suspected both reasons himself.
But was that truly all?
If so, it was a shallow move. Before long, the enraged Kim clan and JD Group would launch a fierce counterattack.
The hands and feet of JD Group taken by the Joint Investigation Headquarters were being detained indefinitely, but the Kim clan had countless people who could replace them.
There would be no great problem.
It would merely take bothersome procedures and time to fill the empty positions.
Until then, he would have no choice but to leave JD Group to the newly released Kim A-ra...
The expression vanished from Kim Yang-han’s face.
“...”
But only for a moment.
Kim Yang-han soon resumed his kindly expression.
“Yes, you have endured much. But the company is in difficulty, and your responsibility is all the heavier.”
“Yes, Father. I will keep that in mind.”
Kim A-ra waited meekly for his command.
Watching her, Kim Yang-han spoke.
“Is this not a time when the people’s livelihoods matter more than ever?”
A hero who suppressed the rebellion. A reforming monarch who cut out deeply rooted corruption.
The public was cheering and adoring him as conglomerate and clan elites were handcuffed and dragged away before their very eyes.
But public adulation was like a pot on the stove. It boiled over quickly and cooled just as fast.
Eradicating corruption was nothing more than a luxury people cared about when their bellies were full and their backs were warm.
It was time to shift their attention to the economy.
Capital would move at Kim Yang-han’s command.
It was the exact same move he had used to pressure the Emperor into naming a prime minister. The only difference was that this time, it would truly happen.
The withdrawal of foreign capital, soaring exchange rates, a stock market collapse.
Once the real economy shook and ordinary people’s bank balances began to dry up, public anger would turn in an instant.
The public’s gaze, briefly drawn away from people’s livelihoods, would return to the Emperor with several times the interest.
That was the blind spot of a political situation built on personal rule.
When that time came, they would see whether the Emperor could still step forward so vigorously as he did now.
‘And.’
Once he gave his command, he would be able to confirm who still held the hunting dog’s leash.
* * *
“Chairwoman Kim has contacted us.”
Seo Yu-jin reported in a cold voice.
“We have already secured all of JD Group’s key materials, and most of its executives are in custody. It will be difficult for Kim Yang-han to exert influence for the time being.”
More precisely, Kim Yang-han’s influence over JD would now be concentrated through the single channel of Kim A-ra.
“Good work, Secretary Seo.”
Lee Jin nodded, but Seo Yu-jin remained where she was. Her sharp gaze turned toward him.
“Your Majesty, may I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Do you truly trust Chairwoman Kim A-ra?”
It was a direct question. Seo Yu-jin still looked unconvinced.
“What about you, Secretary Seo?”
“I do not trust that woman. Considering what happened during the late Crown Prince’s time, and when she recently entered the palace as well...”
“Ahem. Ahem!”
Seo Yu-jin looked puzzled at the Emperor’s sudden cough, but continued.
“Kim Yang-han had Prince Ye, born of the Empress, in mind as the successor.”
“I know.”
“Chairwoman Kim, meanwhile, wanted to become His Highness the Crown Prince’s consort.”
But both had been killed by the rebels, and the one seated in that place was Lee Jin, an unexpected collateral imperial relative.
“Whether it was at Kim Yang-han’s instigation or Chairwoman Kim’s own desire to rise in status, we can only conclude that she has not abandoned her aim of controlling the Imperial House.”
Even so, throwing herself at Lee Jin when she had not even done so to the Crown Prince... Had Kim A-ra truly been driven so far?
Seo Yu-jin’s reasoning was flawless.
But Lee Jin could hardly say, with the dignity expected of an Emperor, ‘She was simply foolish and got the wrong idea.’
Lee Jin cleared his throat and hurriedly changed the subject.
“Secretary Seo’s concerns are reasonable. I do not trust that woman completely either. We merely use one another because our interests align.”
He continued.
“Kim A-ra told me something. No matter how effectively we use the Joint Investigation Headquarters to cut off Kim Yang-han’s hands and feet, it will only be temporary.”
“That is true. The empty places will be filled by others.”
The current charges could not bring down Kim Yang-han himself.
To kill a seven-headed snake, one had to strike not at its neck, but at its heart, its source.
The power Kim Yang-han possessed.
“The exchange rate is soaring, is it not?”
As Kim A-ra had told him, it seemed Kim Yang-han had begun his tricks.
And that was exactly what Lee Jin had wanted.
You fought economics with economics.
Footnotes:
[1] Ancestral shrines and the state: A traditional expression for the royal dynasty and the realm it rules.
[2] Capital’s great clans: Powerful hereditary elite families centered in the capital.
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried