The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 132

132. I’m Your Excellency’s Second!

The reporters’ relentless coverage led to the exposure of the notebook’s list in the media.

The Blue House [the presidential residence of South Korea] was turned upside down, of course.

The opposition party launched a barrage of attacks, seeing this as a godsend.

The Blue House and the administration were shaken to their core. It was the biggest crisis of the regime.

However, the public’s interest lay elsewhere.

She was a single mother with a young son, and the burning question was, who was the father?

“I heard it’s the son of the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency?”

“Namsan Tonkatsu [a slang term referring to someone connected to the KCIA, which was headquartered in Namsan]? No way. Some say it’s the Prime Minister.”

“No, it’s the President. I heard she frequented Seonungak [a high-end Korean restaurant often used for political meetings and entertainment]. The most powerful person must have taken her.”

The common talk pointed towards the Prime Minister.

Reporters investigated her and her brother meticulously, and it was confirmed that the Prime Minister had visited her house and looked after her.

The most likely theory was that the child, when grown up, would sue the retired Prime Minister for paternity.

The President had a big fight with Madam Yu over this matter.

The issue was barely settled when her younger brother confessed, and the Prime Minister resigned.

The younger brother served decades in prison and, after his release, belatedly confessed to the media that he was not the one who shot.

The biggest scandal of the Third Republic was buried by the powers that be.

Knowing this well, the President, immediately after taking office as the 6th President, stopped visiting *yujeongs* [Korean-style restaurants with private rooms often used for discreet meetings] altogether and immediately dismissed and replaced the problematic Prime Minister.

The scandal that should have erupted two years ago passed quietly.

Due to the returning President’s preemptive measures, there were no Daeyeonggak Hotel fire or Wau Apartment collapse, and saving Robert Kennedy led to Nixon’s defeat, preventing the famous Watergate scandal.

However, even though the biggest crisis of the Third Republic was averted, the ill-fated relationship was not severed because she was still alive.

*

Seonungak.

The courtyard was modestly decorated as a traditional Korean garden.

In a room, the madam was scolding Madam Jeong.

“What brings you here! Get out now!”

“Sister, are you really doing this? You told me to step outside for a moment.”

“Don’t you have any sense? That means get out. You broke the most important rule.”

She had given birth as a single mother and openly leaked information about the guests.

Here, maintaining the confidentiality of the guests’ identities was paramount.

So, the madam transferred her to a small bar in Gangnam [an affluent district in Seoul].

Originally, it was expulsion, but many influential figures and tycoons who favored her showed her consideration so she could still make a living.

However, it was not enough for her, who had only dealt with powerful high-ranking officials.

“Sister, do you think I’m some commoner who deals with lowlifes? I have strong backing.”

“Are you threatening me now?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“There’s nothing more to say. Get out now!”

Madam Jeong left Seonungak, fuming.

“Now they’re treating me like trash. Just you wait.”

*

Mansion.

A housekeeper was taking care of a 5-year-old child.

She stared at the child for a moment, then went into the room and made an international call.

“Please connect me to the Ambassador. It’s his sister.”

After a moment, a deep male voice was heard.

– Yes, this is Ambassador Jeong.

The man was the child’s father, who had been dismissed from the Prime Minister position and appointed as the Australian Ambassador.

Even though the President dismissed him after taking office and sent him far away to Australia, the two continued to communicate.

Now, meeting when he returned to Korea was all they had.

“When are you coming?”

– Well, I can only move when the country gives me instructions; it’s not up to me.

“You came back last time and left without even saying hello.”

– I had to return in two days because of an urgent foreign affairs meeting. I didn’t have time for anything else.

“Do you have meetings at night too?”

– …….

“Jun is 5 years old now. What are you going to do?”

– 5 years old….

“Now the child is growing up and starting to recognize things. I can’t go to bars anymore.”

– I understand. I’ll send you living expenses.

“It’s not about living expenses now! What about the child? You have to take responsibility, responsibility!”

– I’m sending you living expenses.

“Are you going to make him a child without a father?”

– And frankly, there’s no guarantee that Jun is necessarily my child.

“What did you say?”

– It’s true. We’re not married, and you worked with different customers every day.

“Are you going to deny it now? Fine. I’ll file a paternity suit.”

– Don’t do this. I’m a public figure. That’s a path to ruin for both of us.

They argued for a long time, but there was no resolution.

Hanging up the phone, she lit a cigarette.

Whoosh~

She exhaled a long stream of smoke.

She looked at herself in the vanity mirror.

She definitely wasn’t the same as before.

If she didn’t cover it with makeup, she was getting to the age where she would have to become a madam.

She became anxious.

She picked up the receiver and called.

– Oh, Sis….

A young man’s voice, just awakened from sleep, was heard from the receiver.

“Hey, you! The sun is high in the sky! Are you still lying down?”

– Sis, I got off work at dawn. It’s still lunchtime.

It was her younger brother, who worked as a driver.

“Don’t you know you have a schedule at 1 o’clock?”

– Ah, is it today?

“And you, I told you not to mess with the girls at the bar, right?”

– It’s not my fault if the butterflies come to the flower.

“Are you rubbing it in? Don’t ever come into the bar again!”

– Okay, okay! Nagging from the morning.

“And why does a driver drink so much!”

– It’s okay in the early morning. There are no cops then.”

“You’re going to get into big trouble. Don’t ask me to save you.”

– I got it. My ears are bleeding.

“Come quickly!”

*

Hotel coffee shop.

Madam Jeong, wearing sunglasses, was meeting with K Group’s Director Kim (54), who was lacking in substance.

Director Kim said,

“Why did you want to meet in a coffee shop when we could meet in a room? There are eyes watching.”

“Director Kim, when can I stop relying on hotel rooms?”

“Huh? Why? What’s wrong with a hotel?”

“Why are you playing dumb? Don’t you know what I mean by setting up a household [becoming his mistress]?”

Director Kim looked around and said,

“Please, be quiet. Everyone can hear.”

“Does it matter if they hear?”

“Honestly, if I buy you an apartment, will you quit working? Will you only look at me?”

“…….”

“You won’t. Where can you find a free spirit like you?”

“So, you’re saying I’m all used up. Fine. I’ll file a paternity suit.”

“What, a paternity suit? What are you talking about? There’s no probability that it’s my child.”

“It will be revealed in court.”

If there was a court application, they could receive a genetic test that was not yet common.

However, whatever the result, it would be fatal to Director Kim, who was married.

His family would be shattered.

The lawsuit itself was frightening.

She also knew the weaknesses of famous people well.

“Okay, okay. I’ll buy you an apartment.”

“You should have done that from the start.”

“…….”

She got up to leave.

Director Kim asked.

“Where are you going? To the room….”

“Abstain until I move into the apartment.”

She crossed the lounge haughtily.

She was preparing for retirement by threatening wealthy and powerful people to expose them and raise a large sum of money.

She had made a lot of money in the meantime, but her spending was extravagant, and her bank account was empty.

She regretted it belatedly and was planning to prepare a store now and retire from her current job.

*

Dawn.

Vroom~

A car staggered down Gangnam Avenue.

Madam Jeong was on her way home from work in a car driven by her brother.

Madam Jeong shouted.

“Hey, you drank again, didn’t you? The car is swerving, you idiot!”

“Come on, Sis, you’re drunk too, so why are you nagging? I didn’t even go up to the bar today.”

“Hey, you just crossed the center line!”

“There are no cars at this hour. I’m the best driver. Don’t worry, I won’t have an accident.”

Just then.

As they entered Hannam Bridge, they saw the police blocking the road and conducting a DUI checkpoint.

“What? Why are the police doing business at this hour?”

“See! I told you you’d get into big trouble, didn’t I?”

“Damn it, I’m screwed. Damn it!”

He turned the steering wheel sharply, made a U-turn, and started to run away.

Vroom~

The police radioed.

“A silver Corona vehicle suspected of drunk driving is fleeing east towards Samsung-dong. Arrest them!”

Vroom~

The fleeing vehicle didn’t go far before seeing a patrol car waiting and making another U-turn, only to crash into the sidewalk.

Crash!

The police dragged the two out and handcuffed them.

“You are under arrest for drunk driving, obstruction of official duties, destruction of public property, speeding, and crossing the center line!”

The younger brother resisted violently.

“Hey, you bastard! Do you know who I am?”

“I don’t care. The investigation will be conducted at the police station.”

“You little punk! Release these handcuffs right now! One phone call from my sister, and you’ll all be fired! Where’s the phone, the phone!”

“The phone is at the police station.”

“Good, let’s go!”

*

Police station.

The two handcuffed people were being interrogated separately.

Detective Oh asked her, who was wearing a skirt and crossing her legs.

“State your rank and name. Name, resident registration number! Or show me your resident registration card.”

“I don’t need that crap; I just need to make a phone call.”

It was an era without cell phones, so she needed a landline.

“Really, you’re stubborn. Who are you calling anyway?”

“The Blue House.”

“The Blue House? It’s been gone since it moved. Anyway, the place where the President is.”

“Your Excellency is a busy person. He doesn’t have time to hang out with drunk hit-and-run criminals. And why have you been speaking informally since earlier? You seem much younger than me?”

As she seemed to be overwhelmed by the pressure, a lie came out of her mouth without her knowing.

“I’m raising the President’s child.”

“Huh? A child? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Can’t you understand? I’m the President’s mistress!”

The detective snorted at the absurd confession.

“Puhahaha! Look here, you seem like a bar girl, you’re really drunk.”

She took out a notebook from her luxury bag.

And she opened the notebook and held it in front of the detective’s eyes.

“They’re all my customers.”

The police officer took the notebook and glanced through it.

It contained the names and personal contact information and dates of everyone from the Prime Minister to ministers, vice ministers, military generals, and *chaebol* [large industrial conglomerate] leaders.

It was a list of people she had met and slept with, from Seonungak to recently.

The detective’s eyes widened.

“W-what is this?”

“Now you’re showing some reaction. Can I use the phone?”

“…….”

The detective, feeling uneasy, handed her the phone.

She looked at the notebook and made a call somewhere.

She talked to someone for a long time.

And after a while.

Ring~ Ring~

The phone rang.

The detective answered the phone.

“Yes, this is Detective Oh.”

– Hey, is there a Jeong Yun-suk there who is being investigated for drunk driving and hit-and-run?

“Yes, Chief.”

– Release her immediately!

“Yes? She’s a criminal caught in the act?”

– Hey, don’t worry about that and send her away. She’s a woman with great backing.”

“But she clearly committed a crime….”

– Detective Oh, do you want to see me lose my job?”

“I understand.”

The detective hung up the phone.

“Damn it!”

She took out a cigarette and said haughtily.

“See? What did I tell you.”

“…….”

“Untie these handcuffs first.”

The detective fumbled and untied the handcuffs.

“What are you doing? Are you going to keep me here?”

“Ahem, ahem, go.”

“Bring my brother too.”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a lighter?”

The detective lit her cigarette with a lighter.

“Whoosh~ You shouldn’t mess with just anyone.”

Detective Oh told the other investigators what the police chief had said.

The two opened the police station door triumphantly and went out.

Detective Oh slammed the desk with his fist.

“Damn it, I can’t do this because it’s so dirty. This is truly guilty without crime!”

At this time, there was someone inside the police station who had watched this whole situation.

It was a resident reporter who was wandering around looking for a story.

Social affairs reporters often stayed overnight at police stations where incidents and accidents were reported.