National Assembly Main Chamber, Yeouido, Seoul
Dressed in a black suit, Seok-won climbed up to the second-floor gallery. He leaned against a wall near the entrance, arms crossed.
Under the bright lights, he overlooked the semi-circular arrangement of parliamentary seats—an imposing sight centered around the high podium often seen on television.
The gallery, usually empty except for a few journalists, was noticeably crowded today, as it was the first day of the government questioning session.
Watching lawmakers trickle in after their lunch break, Seok-won rolled up his sleeve and checked his Rolex. It was just past 1:30 PM.
The fact that he was at the National Assembly instead of his office during prime stock trading hours meant only one thing—something big was about to unfold today.
As Prime Minister Woo Tae-hyung and other cabinet members settled into their seats, ruling and opposition party lawmakers gradually filled the chamber.
Seok-won muttered under his breath.
"Then or now, politicians have never really earned their keep. But at least back then, they did their job before starting their fights."
Politics only seemed to get messier as time went on.
He could already picture a future where parliamentary sessions couldn't even start because they failed to meet the required quorum. A time when the Speaker had to call out lawmakers' names for attendance checks, and party leaders scrambled to contact their absent members. Just the thought of it made him sigh.
Ten minutes later, with more than half of the seats occupied, the Speaker rose from his chair and leaned into the microphone.
"With the quorum met, we will now resume the government questioning session."
Bang, bang, bang!
The Speaker struck the gavel three times, signaling the session's commencement.
A ruling party lawmaker stood and walked toward the podium.
Seok-won's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Clad in a gray suit, first-term lawmaker Joo Kyu-hwang of the Minpyeong Party took his place at the lectern and fixed his gaze on the cabinet members' seats to his left.
"Minister of Justice, please step forward."
At his call, the Minister of Justice stood and moved to the empty podium across from him.
Clearing his throat briefly, Representative Joo Kyu-hwang surveyed the room before speaking with authority.
"You are aware, Minister, that back in August, the Minister of General Affairs let slip during a drinking session with journalists that a former president had secretly stashed away a massive slush fund, correct?"
"Yes."
"It's been over two months since the incident. Why hasn't the prosecution launched a proper investigation yet?"
The Minister of Justice had anticipated this question. Without showing any sign of panic, he calmly responded.
"The minister in question has already clarified that he was merely repeating unverified rumors. Given the extreme political sensitivity of this matter, we have chosen to approach it with caution rather than act rashly."
"So, if there were solid evidence, you would launch an investigation immediately?"
"Of course."
The moment the minister finished speaking, Representative Joo Kyu-hwang pulled a folded piece of paper from his inner pocket, unfolded it, and raised it high for all to see.
"Do you know what this is?"
"…I'm not sure."
"This is a bank statement confirming that former President Noh Ki-hoon deposited approximately 12.82 billion won under a shell company's name at Woo-young Bank's Seosomun branch!"
"…!"
At the bombshell revelation, the Minister of Justice's eyes widened in shock, and the entire chamber erupted in murmurs.
"Is that real?"
"Was there really a hidden slush fund?"
What had begun as a routine government questioning session in a post-lunch lull was now heating up dramatically.
The press gallery was the first to stir, with reporters scrambling to capture the unfolding scandal. Stunned lawmakers who had been slouching in their seats immediately straightened up, whispering among themselves.
Savoring the attention, Representative Joo Kyu-hwang straightened his posture and continued with even greater authority.
"This is just a fraction of the 400 billion won slush fund that former President Noh secretly stashed across more than 40 accounts in various commercial banks before leaving office!"
Fixing his gaze on the visibly shaken Minister of Justice, Joo Kyu-hwang pressed on.
"With such clear evidence, I demand that the prosecution immediately impose a travel ban on former President Noh and his associates and launch a full-scale investigation—just as you promised moments ago."
Trapped with no easy way out, the Minister of Justice hesitated, unable to respond right away.
Sensing his weakness, opposition lawmakers sprang to their feet, unleashing a torrent of criticism at the visibly sweating minister.
"Just a moment ago, you were talking so much—what, cat got your tongue now?"
"State clearly whether you will launch an investigation!"
"This is solid evidence the prosecution failed to uncover! Are you going to bury it again?"
"Why aren't you answering?"
"I… well…"
Cornered in an instant, the Minister of Justice turned pale and glanced toward the ruling party lawmakers, silently pleading for help.
Normally, this would be the moment when his party members stepped in to defend him. But the sheer shock of Joo Kyu-hwang's bombshell revelation left them whispering amongst themselves, scrambling to figure out how to respond.
"We can't just sit here and do nothing, can we?"
"But what are we supposed to do?"
"If we jump in now and that document turns out to be real, we'll all get dragged into the mess and ridiculed…"
Watching the ruling party lawmakers flounder, Joo Kyu-hwang smirked triumphantly before declaring in a booming voice:
"If the prosecution is incapable of handling this case properly, then we must appoint a special prosecutor to ensure every last detail of this slush fund scandal is exposed to the public!"
"Hear, hear!"
"That's right!"
As if rehearsed, opposition lawmakers erupted in loud agreement.
Beaten down by the overwhelming momentum, the Minister of Justice wiped away the sweat forming on his brow. Left with no choice, he hesitantly leaned into the microphone and spoke in a defensive tone.
"Financial crimes must be handled with great caution. We will carefully review the evidence presented by the lawmaker and verify its authenticity."
"Boo!"
"What nonsense is that?"
"And you call yourself the Minister of Justice?"
As jeers and criticism rained down on him, Joo Kyu-hwang pressed his advantage, his confidence swelling.
"A simple account trace would take less than half a day to confirm whether this is truly former President Noh's slush fund! Yet you hide behind the excuse of 'caution' just to bury the case? Minister, do you not realize that your response is nothing more than an insult to the people?"
"That's absolutely not the case!"
"How can the public trust a prosecution that remains passive in the face of undeniable evidence?"
"It's not that—I only just became aware of this evidence today. Given the enormous political and social implications of this case, I'm merely urging caution, with no ulterior motives."
Despite the Minister's desperate attempt to defend himself, the only response he received was an onslaught of scathing criticism.
"Where do you think you're trying to pull a trick?"
"If you're going to work like that, step down from your position!"
"You expect us to believe that over our own judgment?"
"Quit right now!"
As the commotion grew so intense that it became nearly impossible to proceed with the parliamentary questioning, the Speaker banged the gavel.
"Everyone, quiet down!"
He shouted several times, trying to calm the room, but it had little effect.
In the end, the Speaker, seemingly out of options, slammed the gavel down firmly and grabbed the microphone.
"I declare a one-hour recess!"
However, despite his declaration, the heated atmosphere refused to cool down. Instead, tensions continued to rise.
"A slush fund scandal involving former President No? This is a huge exclusive!"
"Call the desk right now!"
"Where's Representative Joo?"
The ones most thrilled by the unfolding chaos were the reporters in the observation gallery.
Excited by the unexpected scoop, they rushed downstairs in a frenzy, eager to squeeze out any additional details from Representative Joo Kyuhwang, who had just exposed the scandal.
Leaning against the wall, Seok-won watched the spectacle unfold, his gaze fixed on the still-chaotic parliamentary chamber. He murmured to himself.
"With a bombshell like this, the stock market won't escape unscathed. It's bound to shake violently."
Then, as if he'd seen enough, he pushed off the wall, turned around, and exited through the doorway.
* * *
After a hearty lunch, Deputy Manager Jung Hwan-yeop returned to the office, a toothpick in his mouth, and lazily clicked his mouse.
He was scanning for stocks worth trading when a voice suddenly spoke up behind him.
"Slacking off again, huh?"
"Ack!"
Team Leader Choi Ho-geun, dressed in a crisp white dress shirt and tie, took a sip of coffee from the vending machine and clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk. Look at you, getting all startled."
"Team Leader! I told you not to sneak up on me like that!"
"That's on you for zoning out, buddy."
"Are you some kind of assassin? How do you even move around without making a sound?"
"Quit spouting nonsense. So, what were you doing?"
Deputy Manager Jung Hwan-yeop clutched his chest in mock shock, then turned himself fully around in his chair.
"As you can see, I'm checking the market."
"I bet you've already met your quota for the day and are just slacking off, huh?"
"Come on, I'm not slacking off. I'm monitoring the market."
Team Leader Choi Ho-geun ignored his grumbling and gestured toward the monitor with his chin.
"Sure, let's go with that. So, did you make any money?"
"Who do you think I am? I already earned my keep in the morning session."
Puffing up with pride, Jung Hwan-yeop pulled up his trade records and showed them off.
Choi Ho-geun leaned in slightly, scanning the transaction history on the monitor. Finally, he smirked.
"You've been making a lot of small trades, huh?"
"But hey, I still made solid profits, didn't I?"
At that, Choi Ho-geun let out a chuckle.
"Good job. But keep it discreet, alright? There are other employees around. Don't slack off so openly that people start talking."
"Ehehe... Then, can I take a break and head up to the rooftop for a smoke?"
"Hahaha."
Choi Ho-geun burst into laughter—then shot him a sharp glare.
"What do you think?"
"I apologize."
Jung Hwan-yeop immediately bowed his head in mock repentance, then smacked his lips and changed the subject.
"By the way, the market seems oddly calm today. No major fluctuations."
"It's good to have days like this sometimes," Choi Ho-geun said, taking a sip of his now-lukewarm coffee.
"If the market kept swinging wildly every day like a heart patient's arrhythmia, how could anyone live in peace?"
"I get that, but still... Even the stocks that were on fire yesterday are all strangely quiet today. Feels like the calm before the storm."
Jung Hwan-yeop leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms over his head as he muttered.
Choi Ho-geun frowned and lightly smacked the back of Jeong's head with his palm.
"Haven't you heard? Words have power. Quit jinxing it and get back to work."
"Jeez, you could've just said that. There are other people around—aren't you being a little harsh?"
"Oh? Someone's acting like a senior now, huh? Getting cocky as you near the end of your time as an deputy manager?"
"No, I was just saying."
As Jung Hwan-yeop quickly backed down, Choi Ho-geun shot him a sharp look.
"If you don't see any good stocks to trade, don't force it. Just wrap things up for the day."
"Yes, sir."
Just as Choi Ho-geun turned to leave—
Suddenly, as if forewarning disaster, the trading center's phones began ringing all at once, filling the room with a sharp, chaotic noise.
Sensing something unusual, Choi Ho-geun furrowed his brows. At the same time, Yoo Seok-hyun, who had been sitting nearby, shot to his feet.
"Team Leader! The index just dropped over 10 points!"
"What?!"
Choi Ho-geun instinctively whipped his head around to check the large market board mounted on the opposite wall.
Sure enough, the composite stock index, which had been holding steady just moments ago, was now flashing blue and plunging downward.
"H-Huh? What the hell?"
"What's going on all of a sudden?"
Other teams also noticed the abrupt market shift and murmurs of confusion spread rapidly across the floor.
In the midst of the growing commotion, Yoo Seok-hyun quickly relayed the latest update.
"A few minutes ago, during the parliamentary questioning session, an exposé on former President No's slush fund was revealed!"
"Damn it! Of all the times—what kind of bolt from the blue is this?!"
Choi Ho-geun's face twisted in frustration.
"I don't care how—just find out exactly what happened, right now!"
"On it!"
Yoo Seok-hyun gave a firm nod and immediately grabbed the phone.
Choi Ho-geun also hurried toward his desk, intending to call a journalist he knew personally. But just then, their earlier conversation popped into his head, and he turned to glare at Jung Hwan-yeop.
Noticing the look, Jeong flinched and quickly averted his gaze, clearly feeling guilty.
Choi Ho-geun sighed and shook his head.
"For god's sake. You jinxed it. You're gonna be the death of me, I swear."
Grumbling under his breath, he hurried back to his desk.