Chapter 1163: Chapter 1163

—I’m not sure what you’re trying to say, Mister Prime Minister.

Kim Myeong-Chan’s expression crumpled. “Listen here, Chief Secretary!”

He wouldn’t have minded being much, much more frank than this. However, he wasn’t the only one listening to this phone conversation.

There were no such things as ‘secrets’ in a phone call between countries one. Knowing other people, especially the interpreters, were listening, Kim Myeong-Chan couldn’t help but monitor his own tone.

“Are you trying to turn a blind eye to this situation?”

—That’s not it, Prime Minister, but... I genuinely do not know what you’re saying.

Kim Myeong-Chan gritted his teeth.

‘This sly son of a b*tch!’

The situation couldn’t get any simpler than this. According to the Assembly’s information, the Japanese gumis were targeting South Korea. Not just one or two, either, but many of them had united as a massive army to launch an all-out invasion!

Even if the martial world and the surface world not interfering in each other’s business was the unspoken rule, this war was about to break out on Korean soil. How could the Korean government sit on its hands and do nothing when foreign martial artists wanted to pillage the country!

If it were possible, this invasion must be stopped diplomatically.

However, the Japanese Prime Minister's office wasn't even answering the phone, forcing Kim Myeong-Chan to deal with the substitute, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, instead!

“Are you trying to deny it, Chief Secretary?”

—It’s not that we wish to deny it...

For a few seconds there, no sound came from the phone’s speaker. Eventually, though, an indifferent-sounding voice from the Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary broke the tense silence.

—Even if something like what you say is really happening, I hope you understand how unreasonable it is to demand us to control this situation. It doesn't matter which country, their government cannot hope to control their own martial societies. That includes China and even the USA. Oh, wait. Maybe it's a bit different for the USA, but still.

“...What are you trying to say?”

-Simply put, we cannot interfere.

The Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Takahiro, still sounded indifferent on the phone.

—Think about it from our perspective, Mister Prime Minister. If the Korean martial society is planning to invade the Japanese shores and wage war against the Japanese martial society, will the Korean government step in and stop them?

“Should I take that as you acknowledging the current situation, then?”

—No, I'm speaking hypothetically, of course.

Kim Myeong-Chan’s cheeks twitched ominously just then.

This was how the high-ranking Japanese would always behave. No, that wasn’t quite correct. The high-ranking Japanese politicians always behaved this way!

They would never offer a straight answer even when discussing important topics. They prioritized creating several escape paths first before discussing anything in earnest.

Politicians being sly bastards also applied to South Korea, but the Japanese politicians were easily on another stratosphere in this subject compared to their Korean counterparts!

—We have not received reports of our people making any unsavory movements. And even if we did, there isn't much we can do about it. We'll investigate right away, of course. And if our side has made such moves, we'll try our best to mediate the situation in consideration of the two countries' ties. Unfortunately, at this stage... It'll be difficult to give you any assurance regarding whether they can be stopped or not.

“Look, Chief Secretary! I’m not interested in such a...”

—Mister Prime Minister, please think about this carefully.

The Chief Cabinet Secretary's slimy tone stoked the flames burning in Kim Myeong-Chan's heart even higher.

-You already know that this situation cannot be resolved via the official channels. Officially, nothing has happened, and nothing will. We can't discuss a non-existing matter, wouldn't you agree? Saying we'll try to mediate is already our side doing our best in consideration to our working relationship.

“Did you say this is your best?” Kim Myeong-Chan gritted his teeth loudly. “There was a rather amusing incident not too long ago, now wasn't there? Maybe you are still not aware of it, then? You see, a Japanese ship that existed for real entered the Korean maritime borders, only to vanish into thin air!”

—Mister Prime Minister... I still have no idea what you mean by that. Are you saying such an incident happened under our watch? Do you have any records of that?

“A record, you say?!”

Of course it didn’t exist. Both sides chose to erase all evidence, after all!

The Korean government erased the evidence in consideration of the Japanese’s situation. However, to think that this damn bastard would use that as ammunition in this discussion!

Kim Myeong-Chan’s teeth clattered in anger.

—Please calm down and be rational about this, Mister Prime Minister.

When he heard that, Kim Myeong-Chan instantly sobered up, his eyes coldly flickering.

‘So... With that, you’ve finished responding according to the script.’

The Japanese most likely had already predicted the Korean government lodging a formal complaint. From this exchange, it was pretty clear to Kim Myeong-Chan that they had already made up their mind on how to respond to the complaint.

Simply put, it didn’t matter what Kim Myeong-Chan said or suggested, it’d fall on deaf ears.

“So, does this mean...”

Since that was the case, Kim Myeong-Chan decided he’d no longer play nice.

“...Even if the invasion occurs, the Japanese government will not hold itself responsible for whatever happens?”

—Mister Prime Minister, it sounds like you might not be fully aware of this, but...! This is how the matters of the other world are dealt with internationally.

—I don’t know what the situation in South Korea is like, but here? We’ve let the other side deal with their own problems for decades.

‘You dare say that now?’

When the Japanese gumis got themselves a cruise ship to sail toward South Korea, it was the Japanese government that secured the sea route and even erased the shipping records. That was an open secret most people already knew!

However, this was how the Japanese politicians behaved. They unhesitantly lied despite the lie being so obvious and unreasonable. Even when evidence disproving them was shoved in their faces, they would still argue that it didn't prove anything.

How did others tolerate such behavior from the Japanese politicians? Simple, really. Because Japan as a country wielded tremendous power.

The so-called international community was nothing more than a jungle where the strong preyed on the weak under a few tacitly agreed rules and regulations.

Nations with power could do whatever they wanted, and the international community would still be willing to understand. As for the weak countries, they could bring as many justifications as they want, but it'd ultimately be for naught as they would be ignored in the end.

The only reason the Japanese politicians could behave this way was because they knew South Korea couldn't do anything diplomatically to Japan regardless of how unreasonable the situation was.

“I see. Then, we understand now,” Kim Myeong-Chan replied coldly, his expression frosty. “To summarize, the Japanese government has not detected the Japanese martial society’s attempt to invade South Korea, and even if it has, it’s still unable to intervene. Is that right, Chief Secretary?”

—Regrettably, we can’t exactly say that...

What a stinking dog of a man! Even though Kim Myeong-Chan oh-so kindly summarized the situation, the Japanese politician still refused to state his position clearly.

Kim Myeong-Chan should be more or less used to this behavior by now, but there wasn't much he could do about his temper threatening to boil over.

“In that case, I’m going to assume that you won’t acknowledge the existence of Japanese martial artists entering South Korea.”

“So, even if all of them disappear from the face of Earth one day, Japan will not protest diplomatically. That’s what you’re indicating, yes?”

The response sounded a little panicky, maybe even rushed. Kim Myeong-Chan's mood improved a little at the sound of the Chief Cabinet Secretary sighing in frustration.

—Mister Prime Minister. Protecting one's citizens is the sacred duty of a government. If those entering your country with valid visas meet with any strange accidents, the country of Japan will not sit still and do nothing.

‘You are unwilling to stop your own goddamn martial artists from invading another country, but you don't mind lodging official complaints through diplomatic channels if they get into trouble? Is that it?’

“...I see. You don’t want to swallow any losses whatsoever, then.”

—Mister Prime Minister, please do not forget decorum in official discussions . I am Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary. Even if your position ranks higher than mine, is it not the correct diplomacy to maintain the minimum level of politeness?

“Yes, sure, Chief Secretary. Anyone who enters Korea officially will receive the government's full protection. However, those who enter through other means will not. After all, this is the custom practiced by the international community, the one you keep implying since earlier.”

—...Well, yes. You could say that.

“I see now. Then, I hope this incident won't damage the amicable relationship between us two nations. As you've said, their problem is theirs to worry about, not ours.”

—Indeed, Mister Prime Minister. Thank you for considering our delicate position. This incident will surely strengthen our two countries' cooperative relationship in the future.

“How amusing it is to hear that from you, not from your Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Very well. Good day.”

Kim Myeong-Chan angrily slammed the phone down on its receiver, then kicked the desk.

“You stinking Jap bastard!”

He usually tried his hardest not to reveal his true emotions, but his anger still got the best of him this time.

Kim Myeong-Chan mouthed a cigarette and angrily yanked out his lighter.

The damn lighter seemed more reluctant than usual to do its job today. After finally lighting his cigarette, Kim Myeong-Chan hurriedly sucked in a couple of deep lungfuls of unhealthy smoke. Without saying anything, he massaged the bridge of his nose.

Even though he was the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, he couldn’t even pressure a mere government minister of Japan! Even though South Korea boasted much greater prominence on the global stage these days!

Kim Myeong-Chan could easily imagine how much humiliation his predecessors must've endured while dealing with Japan diplomatically in the past when the country wasn't so favorably received globally.

‘Damn. They sure were a patient bunch, weren’t they...?’

Although he couldn’t agree on plenty of things with his predecessors regarding politics or ideals, Kim Myeong-Chan still had to take a bow at them for how they managed to develop this country while humoring those Jap bastards. That must’ve been a lot of hard work, that’s for sure!

Kim Myeong-Chan groaned deeply, then pulled out his smartphone. Although he hadn’t calmed down yet, he still had things to do.

A few loud ringtones later, an energetic voice greeted Kim Myeong-Chan.

—Hello, Mister Prime Minister. It’s Lee Hyeon-Su speaking.

“Mister Lee, I’ve spoken to the Japanese.”

Kim Myeong-Chan cut straight to the chase without wasting time on pleasantries. Not only did he greatly dis situation, but he also didn't want to get too friendly with the martial world's people if he could help it!

As a matter of fact, the more he had to contact other countries and learn about the martial world, the more he wanted to distance himself away from that part of the world!

—I see. And their response was?

“Out of everyone entering Korea, they will pretend none the wiser on those who do so unofficially.”

-Which means they'll protect those who enter through proper channels?

“Yes, that seems so.”

—They are rather self-centered, aren’t they? Will it be okay for you, sir?

Kim Myeong-Chan gritted his teeth.

‘Did you just ask if it’ll be okay for me?’

That one question said everything he needed to know. In short, Lee Hyeon-Su wanted to dump the responsibilities of handling the Japanese martial artists entering the country through proper channels on the government.

Whether it was the Japs or this bastard, Kim Myeong-Chan didn’t like them one bit!

“We might be able to stop a large group trying to enter the country somehow. However, there will be a clear limit to that. Preventing individuals from entering the country legally will lead to diplomatic issues, after all.”

—Don’t worry about that, sir. We’ll handle that part.

—They aren't the only ones capable of putting up a show of strength, sir. We can also do that. Quite well, in fact. Having some people dispatched to airports will prevent the Japanese from rashly forcing their way into the country.

—If the government can assist us by preventing large groups from entering, we'll be able to divide and conquer their forces. That's why you must lend us your assistance, sir.

Kim Myeong-Chan fiercely massaged the bridge of his nose again.

Assisting the Martial Assembly...? What a crappy situation this was.

The Korean government's official position was that it did not cooperate with the Korean martial society. It must distance itself from this shadowy world.

However, every nation on Earth still secretly supported their respective martial societies and enjoyed various types of benefits along the way.

It was unknown what things were like in other countries where this system had been in place for a while, but in South Korea, it had only just started. Which meant, as the current Prime Minister, Kim Myeong-Chan had to consider so, so many things first before saying yes.

“We’ll try our best.”

—Mister Prime Minister. If this situation is resolved favorably, we won’t be the only ones reaping the benefits. Sir, I promise you that the country will benefit greatly, too.

—Then, please call me if something particular happens. Huh, maybe I should prepare a case of top-grade mountain ginseng as a thank-you gift later, sir.

“Don’t scare me like that, Mister Lee. My head might roll if that happens. You know how scary the world has gotten lately, don’t you?”

After cracking that little joke, Kim Myeong-Chan ended the call before shooting up to his feet.

He felt numbing tightness at the back of his neck.

‘Everyone has gone nuts, I tell you.’

Kim Myeong-Chan’s complexion darkened.