Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2721 Shooting the Sun to Eliminate Insects (First Update, Please Subscribe)
Assassinating the President is a matter of life and death!
With years of experience in intelligence work, Kim Jae-gyu knew better than anyone that to ensure the success of an assassination, both surprise and accuracy were essential.

The assassin must not arouse Park Jung-woong's suspicion. The operation must be premeditated yet adaptable to changing circumstances. Strike when the opportunity arises, and wait patiently when it does not. More importantly, one cannot trust anyone's heart.

Therefore, this kind of thing must be done personally to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

With the decision made and the plan nearly complete, the decision was finalized.

Kim Jae-gyu immediately began making arrangements. He first called his close friend, Army Chief of Staff Jeong Seung-hwa, inviting him to dinner in Gungjeong-dong that evening, but he made no mention of Park Jung-woong's upcoming arrival.

Zheng Shenghe readily accepted the invitation. Immediately afterwards, he contacted Kim Jong-sop, the Vice Minister of the Central Intelligence Agency, and calmly instructed him:
"I had arranged to have dinner with General Zheng at Gongjingdong tonight, but the President suddenly wants to come, so I can't accompany General Zheng for the time being. Could you stay with him for a while? I'll be there as soon as the President leaves."

After arranging for the two men, Kim Jae-gyu called the Ministry's Protocol Department and ordered them to prepare a banquet at the Safe House according to the highest reception standards, and to select several beautiful young women to properly receive the President and his entourage.

Finally, he walked to the safe in the corner of the office, entered the password, slowly opened the door, and took out a West German-made PPK pistol—a small and concealed weapon that had always been the first choice for intelligence personnel.

He first loaded the magazine himself, and after confirming that there was nothing amiss, he chambered a round to ensure that it would fire with a single pull of the trigger. Then he hid the gun behind a volume of "International Intelligence Data" on the top shelf of the bookcase so that he could retrieve it quickly.

At this point, Kim Jae-gyu had made all the necessary preparations for the assassination.

Yes, all preparations are complete!

Then they went to Gongjingdong for a banquet.

At 5 PM, Kim Gye-won, the Secretary-General of the Presidential Office, arrived first at Gungjeong-dong and went straight into Kim Jae-gyu's office. Kim Jae-gyu stood up to greet him, his gaze slightly darkening, and asked bluntly:

"Secretary-General, President, why did you suddenly decide to have dinner here?"

Jin Guiyuan sighed, his tone full of helplessness:
"The President probably wants to ease the tension between you and Chief Che."

He paused, then lowered his voice and added:

"But what good is that? Che Zhiche is extremely arrogant, he's practically trying to control the emperor to command the princes, who wouldn't have a headache?"

"It was this mad dog who escalated the situation to the point of national outrage and public resentment."

A fierce glint flashed in Kim Jae-gyu's eyes as he looked at Kim Gye-won and said in an icy tone:

"Secretary-General Kim, I am determined to petition on behalf of the people and remove corrupt officials from the court."

These sudden words startled Jin Guiyuan, turning her face pale and causing her to tremble slightly. She quickly tried to dissuade him:

"Minister Kim, you mustn't act rashly! If you do this, the President will never let us off the hook!"

Kim Jae-gyu did not respond further, but merely glanced at him coldly. Then he stared at the other man, and Kim Gye-won was stunned by his icy gaze.

Kim Kye-won, Chief of Staff to the President, boasts an impressive resume. He has served as Minister of the Army, Minister of the KCIA, and Chief of Staff to the President, all high-ranking and powerful positions within the central government. Notably, the Presidential Secretariat, being the only government agency located within the Presidential Palace, was long known by the prestigious nickname: the Blue House (or Cheong Wa Dae).

However, Kim Gye-won himself seems hardly worthy of such a illustrious career. He achieved little in politics or the military; his most commendable qualities were his loyalty to Park Jung-woong and his mild-mannered and peaceful nature. Frankly speaking, the conflict between Kim Jae-gyu and Cha Ji-cheol escalated largely due to Kim Gye-won's incompetence.

Because Kim Kye-won was unable to suppress Cha Ji-cheol, whose rank should have been lower than his own, the power of the police station expanded day by day, and the number of things that were overstepped were also increasing. This caused friction between the KCIA, the police station, and even other government departments. Meanwhile, the chief of staff, who should have been mediating, did nothing and just listened to Park Jung-woong's orders and did nothing.

Since I've always been just coasting along, I might as well continue coasting along and waiting to die.

What was Kim Gui-won thinking when faced with such a cold gaze?
Instead of reporting, he chose to remain silent. Whether he was thinking about the West Ice Warehouse at that moment is unknown.

As evening fell, Park Jung-woong's motorcade slowly drove into Gungjeong-dong. Kim Jae-gyu immediately stepped forward as usual and respectfully ushered the president and his entourage into the dining hall.

The five accompanying guards were received by Kim Jae-gyu and Park Heung-joo and arranged to rest in the adjacent conference room. As planned, the five guards were to work in two shifts. Three of them went to eat first, while the other two remained in the conference room on standby. Park Heung-joo stayed in the conference room to chat with them and secretly monitor them to prevent any unforeseen events.

Inside the restaurant, Park Jung-woong, Cha Ji-cheol, Kim Jae-gyu, and Kim Gye-won took their seats. Park Jung-woong sat at the head of the table, followed closely by Cha Ji-cheol to his right, while Kim Jae-gyu and Kim Gye-won sat opposite him. The table was laden with delicacies, and the aroma of wine filled the air, creating an atmosphere of apparent harmony.

After a few rounds of drinks, Park Chung-woong inquired about the domestic situation:
"What is the domestic security situation and the state of martial law in Busan?"

"Nothing new."

Kim Jae-kyu responded calmly, his tone devoid of any emotion.

Park Jung-woong then asked, "How is Kim Hou-gwang doing lately? Does he still dare to come out?"

"Don't worry, President. We have kept Kim Hu-gwang under close surveillance at home and have cut off his contact with the outside world."

Kim Jae-gyu's tone remained calm. Then, Park Chung-woong inquired about his work with the New Democratic Party, at which point Kim Jae-gyu revealed a hint of complaint:

"The Republicans' statements disrupted our plans. Those who had promised to quit have now sided with the hardliners. Once they hardened their stance, our work became much more difficult."

"Shiba! Whether they're hardliners or students, if they dare to cause trouble, just arrest them all! Isn't that what your CIA does?"

Che Zhiche gulped down a glass of wine and shouted loudly, his tone full of arrogance and accusation.

Seeing that Kim Jae-gyu remained silent, Park Jung-woong assumed he was still throwing a tantrum. Remembering that he had come tonight to appease and reconcile him, he softened his tone and said:

"I know the CIA has done a lot of work, Minister Kim, thank you for your hard work."

He paused, then added:
"The Busan and Masan incidents were all orchestrated by the New Democratic Party. You need to gather more accurate intelligence. The Central Intelligence Agency needs to be more assertive. Simply having investigation reports is useless; you need to investigate and prosecute each case one by one."

"understood."

Kim Jae-kyu's mind was already in turmoil, and unwilling to dwell on the matter any longer, he simply gave a perfunctory response:

“When dealing with political issues, you have to give the other side some leeway so that they are willing to come to Congress; otherwise, things will only become more difficult.”

Park Jung-woong then changed the subject, mentioning Kim Geo-seok:
“I originally instructed that Kim Kyuk-seok be detained and prosecuted, but the Americans interfered and the order was rescinded. I still want to detain him. What's wrong with following the law? Does that mean Americans can break the law and go unpunished?”

Although the United States has now withdrawn from South Korea, it still wields considerable influence in South Korean politics, as US aid has not ceased.

"Although no legal action has been taken against Kim Gwan-seok, he has been dismissed by Congress."

Kim Jae-gyu's tone carried a hint of pleading.

Park Jung-woong's expression darkened slightly. He held up two fingers, stared at Kim Jae-kyu, and said firmly:
"Remember, we're under pressure from many sides, but the biggest threat still comes from the New Democratic Party, especially Kim Dae-jung and Kim Ju-seok. Once we subdue those two, everything else will be much easier." "Those bastards from the New Democratic Party, don't let a single one get away with it! Whether they're from the New Democratic Party or the old Democratic Party, if they dare to show their faces, arrest them all and execute them all!"

Cha Ji-cheol started yelling again. Drunk, his eyes were arrogant as he stared straight at Kim Jae-kyu.

"The situation in Busan has escalated to this point because Minister Kim was too lenient!"

"you!"

Kim Jae-kyu suddenly looked up, his eyes fixed on Cha Ji-cheol, the cold light in his eyes almost overflowing, his long-suppressed anger nearly erupting at this moment.

Seeing this, Park Jung-woong quickly tried to smooth things over:
"Alright, stop arguing, come on, let's drink!"

Kim Jae-kyu took a deep breath, suppressing the murderous intent in his heart. He slowly picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and then waved his hand. Two beautiful and voluptuous girls gracefully entered the restaurant. Shen Shoufeng and Shen Caishun leaned against Park Jung-woong and Cha Ji-cheol respectively.

With a beautiful woman accompanying him while he drank, the atmosphere at the banquet immediately eased considerably, and laughter and the sound of toasts gradually filled the air.

Around 7 PM, Kim Jae-kyu excused himself from the meeting and quietly went to the office, where he found Jung Seung-hwa already there, chatting with Kim Jung-seop. He put on an apologetic smile and said:

"Please wait a moment, I am having a meal with His Excellency the President. I will be there as soon as the meal is over. Please wait for me."

Jung Seung-hwa and Kim Jung-seop quickly agreed.

Once he confirmed the time was right, Kim Jae-gyu immediately summoned his trusted confidants—Park Sun-ho, the head of the protocol department of the Central Intelligence Agency, and his secretary, Park Heung-joo—and solemnly said:

"If the country falls, we cannot survive either. What do you think? Tonight, I'm going to kill them. Remember, the moment you hear the first shot, take action and eliminate their guards, understand?"

A flicker of hesitation crossed Park Sun-ho and Park Heung-joo's faces. Assassinating the president was no small matter; failure would mean the execution of their entire families. Seeing this, Kim Jae-gyu immediately encouraged them:

"With Chief of Staff Zheng and the Deputy Chief of Intelligence here, what are you afraid of?"

Upon hearing that Zheng Shenghe, who held military power, was also involved, the two men's concerns immediately vanished, and they nodded in agreement to carry out the mission.

Park Sun-ho pondered for a moment, then suggested in a low voice:

"Your Excellency has five guards. Why not find a more secure opportunity?"

"no!"

Kim Jae-gyu said sternly:
"If this goes on for too long, things will inevitably change, and many things may go wrong. Go and select three shrewd and capable men to provide support. Tonight, I will wipe them all out, leaving no one alive."

"Okay, give me thirty minutes, I'll make the arrangements right away."

After Park Sun-ho finished speaking, he and Park Heung-joo turned and left. Kim Jae-gyu then solemnly instructed them:

"Notify me immediately once you are ready, and do not delay the process."

The two nodded in agreement and went to their respective bodyguards, Lee Ki-joo and driver Yoo Sung-ok, to assign them tasks. They agreed that Park Sun-ho would be responsible for dealing with the two bodyguards in the conference room, while Park Heung-joo would lead Lee Ki-joo and Yoo Sung-ok to sneak into the car behind the kitchen and wait for an opportunity to deal with the other three bodyguards who were having dinner.

Outside the restaurant, the plan was proceeding in secret, the atmosphere tense to the extreme; inside, however, the atmosphere remained one of revelry and revelry. Back at his seat, Kim Jae-gyu smiled, drinking and laughing with Park Jung-woong and Cha Ji-cheol.

The girl next to Park Jung-woong was playing the guitar and gently urging him to drink. The president was already a little drunk and looked relaxed. Cha Ji-cheol was holding the girl next to him, his face flushed and his eyes were glazed with drunkenness.

As for Kim Gui-won, he looked very uncomfortable, sitting to the side as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

"Purge the court of corrupt officials... Is this kid really going to do it?"
However, that kid Che Zhiche is too arrogant.

Okay, let's do it!
"Chief Cha, Minister Kim, you two have a drink too. Let's get along well from now on and avoid any more conflicts."

Slightly drunk, Park Jung-woong smiled and tried to smooth things over. Cha Ji-cheol quickly picked up his glass and mumbled:

Cheers! Cheers!

Kim Jae-gyu slowly raised his glass, his gaze sweeping over Park Jung-woong and Cha Ji-cheol's faces, silently waiting in his heart.

On October 26th, around 7:33 PM, the head chef personally carried food and drinks into the dining room. After setting down the trays, he quietly approached Kim Jae-kyu, leaned down, and whispered in his ear:
"Director Park has something to discuss with you."

Kim Jae-kyu felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that the plan was ready.

He stood up without making a sound, then followed the head chef to a room next to the dining room, where Park Sun-ho was waiting. Upon seeing him, he immediately lowered his voice and reported:
"Minister, everything is ready."

Kim Jae-kyu's expression was stiff. He nodded slightly and solemnly reminded him again:
"Remember, take my first shot as the signal. Once the shot is fired, act immediately and do not miss."

After saying that, he quickly went up to the office on the second floor, took out the hidden pistol from behind a book on the bookshelf, pulled the bolt, and after confirming that the bullet was in the chamber, he inserted it into his left waistband and carefully covered it with his coat.

Only after confirming that he would not be exposed did Kim Jae-gyu take a deep breath.

"Phew, that's enough! A true man serves his country today!"

After saying that, he composed himself, quickly returned to the restaurant, and sat down again.

At this moment, Park Jung-woong was already quite drunk and was leaning on the girl's shoulder; while Cha Ji-cheol was still drinking heavily with the girl in his arms, completely unaware of everything around him.

As for Kim Gye-won, he looked uneasy, but because he kept his head down, no one noticed him.

As soon as Kim Jae-gyu returned to his seat, sweat involuntarily beaded on his forehead, and his body trembled slightly. But this was not out of fear, but out of excitement for the impending ultimate counterattack.

After a moment of silence, Kim Jae-kyu suddenly stood up and roared at Park Jung-woong:
"President, when it comes to politics, you have to consider the bigger picture!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly pointed at Che Zhiche beside him, his anger erupting completely, and he shouted angrily:
"How can one conduct politics well by following such a scoundrel?"

His angry rebuke shattered the restaurant's peaceful atmosphere like a thunderclap.

Park Jung-woong and Cha Ji-cheol froze instantly, their smiles fading. Before they could react, Kim Jae-gyu had already drawn the pistol from his waist.

Gunshots rang out suddenly, shattering the tranquility of Gongjing Cave.

(End of this chapter)