The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 301

A New Owner of the Throne (4)

“I need Shin Dong-hyun’s weaknesses.”

Chief Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook couldn’t hide his surprise as he asked,

“Do you mean…”

“Are you perhaps planning to use them in the party primary?”

“No, Shin Dong-hyun will win there. The data you’ve gathered will be used in the presidential election.”

“So, you mean you’re going to support the Korea Party?”

“Of course not.”

I put down my chopsticks and smiled lightly.

“Shin Dong-hyun will become president. We have to make it happen. However, it’s important for the Korea Party to think I’m helping them without knowing my true intentions.”

Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook immediately understood my meaning and nodded.

“I need to find not only the points to attack but also the means to defend against them.”

“That’s right.”

He understands perfectly with just a hint.

“Understood. By when should I find the data?”

“The sooner, the better, if possible.”

“I will find it before the presidential election campaign begins.”

“Good. Please get plenty, like two or three.”

“Yes, I understand.”

***

Coinciding with the end of the regular National Assembly session, the party primary to select the presidential candidate began.

Actual media surveys showed Shin Dong-hyun and Prime Minister Park Hyung-tae competing closely at a ratio of 6:4, but in reality, the vote difference was an overwhelming 85 to 15.

If they were at a similar level, one might worry about the underdog effect or the bandwagon effect, but with this much of a vote difference, there was no need to worry.

However, if Prime Minister Park Hyung-tae were to raise questions after the actual vote, I would express regret a few times, saying it seemed like the opposite of the Bradley effect [a theory that some voters will lie to pollsters about their preferred candidate] occurred because he was part of the Sung Tae-hyun line. There would be nothing they could do about it.

The presidential candidate was already decided, and I had already thought about how to help Shin Dong-hyun, so what I needed to focus on most now was the general election.

The general election to elect 300 members of the National Assembly.

The number of National Power Party members was 151, as the Sung Tae-hyun line and my people were split but had reunited.

Currently, they had secured a majority of the seats, but from the National Power Party’s perspective, the current situation was bound to cause a lot of concern.

“I don’t think we’ll achieve as big of a victory as we did in the last general election.”

Floor Leader Jo Byung-gap cautiously opened his mouth.

“It’s impossible to predict how the Sung Tae-hyun former President case will affect the general election…”

Assemblyman Park Cheol-seong nodded in agreement with his words.

“That’s right. It could be seen as good, but also as bad…”

Even I couldn’t easily predict this time.

Although we had a lot of data accumulated through long experience and manpower, we had no experience holding a general election immediately after the death of a president like Sung Tae-hyun, let alone a presidential election.

It was true that Sung Tae-hyun had clearly caused public outrage among many people during his lifetime.

His approval ratings, as well as the reactions of citizens, were such that you could hear people cursing Sung Tae-hyun wherever you went.

However, it was also undeniable that public opinion had changed significantly since his death.

There was a great deal of sympathy for the fact that he had committed suicide despite holding the high position of president.

Nevertheless, many people cursed him, and many people defended him.

Because public sentiment was divided every day due to this situation, even experts were unable to make predictions.

“I really think we’ll only know after we open the ballot box this election.”

The lawmakers slowly nodded at my words.

“Still, we must prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

A scene from the past must have flashed through the minds of Floor Leader Jo Byung-gap and Assemblyman Park Cheol-seong.

If the number of seats secured in the general election is small, there is a possibility that bills could be passed helplessly, no matter how much the National Power Party unites, as was the case during the four-year term limit.

To prevent this, they had to secure at least the minimum number of seats.

Of course, it was unlikely that they would lose more than 30 seats from the current 151, but they couldn’t just sit back and relax, or they could be in for a big surprise.

“So, what should we do?”

Assemblyman Park Cheol-seong cautiously asked.

“It doesn’t seem easy to overcome this situation by simply focusing on the general election…”

“Is there a special method?”

I shrugged my shoulders and said,

“We need to deploy strong candidates in the general election.”

More powerful lawmakers in competitive districts.

Also, candidates with a low probability of losing in safe districts.

“Then, the personnel arrangement…”

“Isn’t that what we’re gathered here to discuss?”

I unfolded a map with all the electoral districts in the country.

“Let’s start with the most important, Seoul.”

“Yes. Then, Jongno seems to be the most important…”

Floor Leader Jo Byung-gap opened his mouth, watching my reaction.

“How about someone with a lot of experience and multiple election experiences?”

“That’s not bad either. But.”

I cut him off.

“Isn’t it because you’ve been holding general elections like that every time that Jongno has been the Korea Party’s territory for years?”

“Ahem.”

The lawmakers looked at each other and turned their heads.

“Then, who do you have in mind, Prosecutor?”

I lightly curved the corners of my lips.

Then, I said in a confident voice,

“Assemblyman Lee Doo-hyung.”

“…Yes?”

The eyes of Floor Leader Jo Byung-gap and the four lawmakers widened.

“If it’s Assemblyman Lee Doo-hyung, isn’t he already active in Seongwang District as his constituency?”

“He was elected through a by-election, so his constituency isn’t fixed. More than anything, he proved his ability by being elected in the second political district.”

“But…”

“To put it bluntly, has there ever been a lawmaker who ran and was elected as an independent in Seongwang-dong until now?”

The lawmakers’ mouths were firmly shut.

I had Lee Doo-hyung run in Seongwang-dong for this day.

No matter how much of a first-term lawmaker he is, if he was elected in Seongwang-dong, there is no doubt about his popularity and ability.

In this situation where the National Power Party doesn’t have a clear owner of Jongno, if Lee Doo-hyung joins the National Power Party and declares his candidacy in Jongno, they have no justification to stop him.

And if Lee Doo-hyung is elected, the political landscape will change dramatically.

First term in Seongwang-dong.

Second term in Jongno.

Moreover, a prosecutor-turned-lawmaker in his 30s, just looking at forty.

The possibility of becoming a rising star in Yeouido [the center of South Korean politics and finance, often compared to Wall Street or Capitol Hill] is highly likely.

And if such a person is my man, my position in the political world will naturally become more solid and broader.

“Jongno wants young blood. To put it bluntly, who in the National Power Party right now has the confidence to run in Jongno and win? Everyone is scared and just trying to protect their own districts.”

It was a fact.

Although there is a high return to abandoning the districts they have been elected in so far and challenging Jongno, they have to bear too much high risk.

However, Assemblyman Park Cheol-seong muttered in a low voice as if something was still bothering him.

“But even if young Assemblyman Lee Doo-hyung goes, Jongno is not an easy place, and it’s such a meaningful place…”

If I try to say it nicely, he’ll keep complaining all day.

It seems like he hasn’t properly recognized the difference in positions yet.

In this case, I need to properly engrave it in his head.

I frowned and looked straight at him.

“Then, would Assemblyman Park Cheol-seong like to go to Jongno?”

Upon hearing those words, he couldn’t say anything more.

Although Assemblyman Park Cheol-seong is a four-term lawmaker, he is only a four-term lawmaker from Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, which supports the National Power Party to the bone.

Such a person runs in a fiercely competitive district?

Beyond losing confidence, if he were to lose the election by any chance, all of his four terms so far would be dismissed as ‘regional development.’

Therefore, what Assemblyman Park Cheol-seong can do in this situation is.

“It seems like what the Prosecutor is saying is right.”

Just lower his tail.

I smiled brightly.

“Thank you.”

“And I’m thinking of Park Myung-cheol as the candidate for Seongwang-dong, what do you think?”

Instantly, the eyes of the four lawmakers and Floor Leader Jo Byung-gap widened.

“P, Park Myung-cheol as the candidate?”

The person who planted the flag in Suncheon City, Jeolla Province, a stronghold of the Korea Party, in the last by-election.

And to explain again, he is the lawmaker who made the biggest contribution to me holding the casting vote.

“Yes. He made such a contribution in the last election, so shouldn’t we reward him this time?”

“Then, in Suncheon…”

“We’ll have to think about who will go. However, Park Myung-cheol is not the one to go.”

“…”

“We can’t just take away the districts of other lawmakers in the Gyeongbuk region, which is the foundation of the National Power Party, can we?”

The lawmakers’ faces began to turn ashen.

It was only a matter of deciding on the candidates for two districts, but the meaning they were receiving was more than that.

It meant that I would handsomely reward those who held my hand and gave me the casting vote.

In other words, we would divide the core districts among ourselves, and the lawmakers who were attached to Sung Tae-hyun would compete for the remaining districts.

Even if they noticed my thoughts, there was nothing they could do.

If they rebelled and got on my bad side, they would no longer be able to protect their authority and power within the National Power Party, and they might even lose their place in the future.

In order to occupy even a delicious district where victory is guaranteed, they would just have to rub their hands together to me.

I asked them with a benevolent smile.

“Do you have any complaints about my thoughts? If so, I’d like you to tell me right now.”

Floor Leader Jo Byung-gap bit his lip and answered with difficulty.

“…No.”

“The others feel the same way, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Then…”

I’ll say it.

“Shall we talk about the candidates for other districts as well?”

You just have to nod.

***

The work of deciding on the candidates for the general election continued for several days.

The main districts were progressing as I had thought, but we had to carefully decide on the people for the districts in Jeolla Province, which is the Korea Party’s stronghold, where there was some possibility, and for the competitive districts.

In addition, we had to decide on the order of the proportional representation candidates, so there were quite a few things to consider.

Was it thanks to focusing on work?

While I was organizing the candidates, time flew by, and the party primary was completed.

The result was an even bigger difference than I had expected.

Shin Dong-hyun secured 88% and Park Hyung-tae secured 12%, winning by an overwhelming margin.

Park Hyung-tae himself said that he would focus on state affairs as the acting president for the remaining period, so there was no need to pay attention to him anymore.

Therefore, all I have to do now is hold the 24th presidential election and strive to ensure that Shin Dong-hyun sits on the new throne.

I will make it happen.

That way, my plan, bloodless entry, will be one step closer.