On the way back to the hotel, I casually asked Baek Cheol-su, “What happened with Vice Director Im Dong-ok?” Baek Cheol-su turned to look at me. His face held no emotion.
“It is a gift for Boss Kim.”
“You’re afraid of the military, yet you have the power to summarily judge the military hard-liners… That doesn’t add up.”
“The General fears nothing.”
His firm answer revealed his deep loyalty to Kim Jong-il. Well, that was why Kim Jong-il kept him close. The sight somehow reminded me of Section Chief Ma, and I let out a quiet laugh.
When the car stopped in front of the hotel, Baek Cheol-su got out first and looked around.
“You may get out now.”
By the time I followed Baek Cheol-su into the Goryeo Hotel lobby, the banquet seemed to have already ended. The people from South Korea were gathered in small groups. Leaving behind the people who looked as though they had a lot to ask me, I returned to my room.
What’s the greatest benefit I could gain by spearheading a peace treaty in America? Once the tension left me, everything felt bothersome. I changed clothes roughly and lay down on the bed, going over the conversation I had had with Kim Jong-il that day. My brow furrowed as thoughts wandered through my mind.