The inauguration speech ended, and the inauguration party immediately began afterward.

All the reporters had been kicked out, leaving only invited guests in attendance.

Together with Han Kyungyeong, I headed first toward the table where Medvedev and Bo Xilai were seated.

“Thank you for attending.”

I slightly lowered my head in greeting, and hearty laughter returned immediately.

“Haha. It’s President Kim’s inauguration ceremony. Of course I had to come.”

“Honestly, I would’ve been disappointed if President Kim hadn’t invited me. Didn’t you attend when I became Shanghai Party Secretary as well?”

Among everyone gathered here today, there was no one more influential than Medvedev and Bo Xilai.

Medvedev was, openly or not, the leading candidate for Russia’s next presidency, while Bo Xilai was also being discussed as one of China’s future leaders.

“I was worried you might’ve rearranged your schedules too forcefully because of me.”

After finishing our greetings, Han Kyungyeong and I took our seats.

I sent Han Kyungyeong a glance. Reading my signal, Han Kyungyeong casually spoke to Bo Xilai.

“It’s a pleasure meeting you for the first time, Secretary Bo. I’ve heard a lot about you from President Kim.”

“The feeling is mutual. It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

Watching the two converse, I turned toward Medvedev.

“How’s the atmosphere in Russia these days?”

“What kind of atmosphere are you referring to?”

“The internal atmosphere. Power struggles and things like that. Nothing going on?”

“Hmm.”

After hesitating briefly, Medvedev spoke in a voice quiet enough that nobody else could hear.

“There’s a secret struggle underway to determine the next presidential candidate.”

“Does the President know about it?”

“Of course he does. He knows and still leaves it alone.”

“And the President’s intentions?”

“I don’t think he’s decided yet.”

No, he probably already had.

As far as I knew, he already favored Medvedev.

Yet the fact that he still hadn’t revealed his true intentions meant he was deliberately watching the conflict between the two factions unfold.

“You’ve firmly joined hands with the oligarchs, correct?”

“Yes. Just as you advised, President Kim, I joined hands with the oligarchs. That was when the siloviki began attacking me.”

A bitter smile crossed Medvedev’s face.

The siloviki, dominated by former KGB members and military generals, did not acknowledge Medvedev.

They disliked the idea of Medvedev becoming the successor simply because he was the President’s friend.

Still, for political stability, Medvedev had worked hard to reduce the distance between himself and the siloviki.

Despite that, the siloviki thoroughly ignored him.

That was why I had advised Medvedev before.

Not to side with the siloviki, but with the oligarchs instead.

“The oligarchs and siloviki are fighting fiercely over power. Of course it’s happening beneath the surface, but everyone who matters knows. Not long ago...”

Medvedev explained Russia’s current situation to me in detail.

After hearing everything, I advised him once more.

“It’d be better to leave things alone. Don’t respond personally. The President is probably watching everything directly. If Medvedev moves, the President will move too.”

“I’ll do that.”

Russia’s Tsar was a man with violent mood swings. If I interfered, there was no telling what whim he might indulge next.

The future of Russia I knew had already changed significantly. I couldn’t afford to create even more variables.

The oligarchs who were originally supposed to be purged had survived and were now battling the siloviki over power, and Medvedev had entered the center of authority far earlier than in my previous life.

I changed the topic and asked about the Eurasian Railway project.

“How’s the progress on the Eurasian Railway project? I’ve roughly looked into it already, but I wanted to hear directly from you.”

“As for the section entering Europe through Russia, every country has agreed. Railways connecting Russia and Western European countries had already been operating before this anyway.”

It was information I already knew, so I quietly nodded. Medvedev continued.

“As for the railway connecting Russia and China, we’re currently in discussions with the Central Asian nations. That part shouldn’t become a major issue either. Economically, they have no choice but to rely on Russia.”

The Central Asian countries that gained independence after the Soviet Union collapsed still depended heavily on Russia.

They couldn’t refuse Russian demands.

“I see. Keep paying close attention so the project proceeds without problems. The railway beginning from China isn’t something that’ll be resolved quickly.”

“Hmm, however... Japan keeps insisting on an undersea tunnel. An undersea tunnel connecting Russia and Japan.”

Looks like Koizumi and the Japanese government still hadn’t given up.

“And what does the Russian government think?”

“The siloviki are insisting we accept it unconditionally.”

“To keep me in check, I assume.”

Now that the project connecting the Korean Peninsula and the Siberian Railway had begun, there was absolutely no reason to start an undersea tunnel connecting Sakhalin and Hokkaido.

Originally, Russia should have been the side proposing that project first, not Japan.

But this time, Japan had grown impatient and brought it up first.

“That’s probably true. It’s a project costing over fifty billion dollars. Starting something like that purely for political reasons makes no sense. Connecting a Korea-Japan undersea tunnel would actually be far more efficient cost-wise.”

“There’s no way that’ll happen, so Japan must be getting desperate. The Korean government has no reason to throw away its advantage.”

Even afterward, I continued discussing various matters with Medvedev.

But I couldn’t spend all my time solely on him.

“Then I’ll contact you separately later.”

After ending the short conversation with Medvedev, I lightly patted Han Kyungyeong’s shoulder.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Secretary Bo Xilai. Let’s properly greet each other next time.”

“Haha. It was nice meeting you too.”

Bo Xilai and Han Kyungyeong finished exchanging greetings.

Han Kyungyeong switched seats with me and began talking with Medvedev while I spoke to Bo Xilai.

“Do you happen to have any other scheduled engagements?”

“No. This visit was purely for President Kim.”

“Still, if you return like this, people will talk later. Contact the Blue House and at least meet the Prime Minister before leaving.”

“That sounds reasonable.”

I raised the wine glass in my hand toward Bo Xilai.

Bo Xilai lightly clinked his glass against mine. We each took a sip and continued speaking.

Glancing around briefly, Bo Xilai lowered his voice.

“There’s been a lot of discussion within the Central Committee regarding Block 7.”

It was already something I had anticipated. I answered casually.

“Does China even have anything to say about it?”

“They’re insisting China also has rights to Block 7. Ah, this isn’t my personal opinion, so please don’t misunderstand.”

Bringing up the topic himself only to immediately insist it wasn’t his own opinion.

His intentions were transparent enough that I responded with a deep smile.

“What is there to misunderstand? Well, I suppose the Chinese government can have complaints. But under international law, China has absolutely no legal basis whatsoever to claim rights over Block 7.”

“But you understand, don’t you? The interests involved are far too large for people to obediently follow international law.”

“So what exactly are they proposing? Are Chairman Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao making those claims?”

“No. Xi Jinping is leading the charge.”

I narrowed my eyes.

Xi Jinping was already stepping forward this early?

“Xi Jinping?”

“Yes. Xi Jinping and several factions of the Princelings following him are pushing the issue.”

“Isn’t the Princelings faction the faction where you hold the greatest influence, Secretary?”

“Well...”

Bo Xilai trailed off awkwardly at my question.

“Go ahead.”

“...Zhu Rongji joined hands with Xi Jinping.”

“Zhu Rongji? Did Jiang Zemin make a move?”

“No. Chairman Jiang Zemin has essentially lost all influence and is practically living in seclusion. Zhu Rongji is filling that vacuum. The Shanghai Clique is making one last desperate struggle to avoid collapse.”

Zhu Rongji...

Originally, Zhu Rongji had more popularity and public presence among the Chinese people than Jiang Zemin anyway.

But he shouldn’t have been able to step directly into the front lines.

“Hasn’t Zhu Rongji already retired? Who’s actually moving directly?”

“Wang Qishan. Xi Jinping and Wang Qishan are increasing their influence together.”

“And Chairman Hu Jintao is just leaving them alone?”

“Even Hu Jintao can’t completely wipe out the Shanghai Clique here. If he crushes people desperately trying to survive, the backlash from the elders would be severe.”

No matter how much power Hu Jintao held, China fundamentally operated under a collective leadership system.

Unless Hu Jintao decided to deliberately destroy that system altogether.

But Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao weren’t rulers bold enough to do something like that.

“Xi Jinping...”

“What should we do? Would it be better if I stepped forward personally and dealt with this myself?”

I let out a faint scoff at Bo Xilai’s words.

Even in the original timeline, Bo Xilai had always pushed himself to the forefront. What he had just said stemmed from that confidence.

But you only know which stick is longer once you measure them.

In the end, he would be overtaken by Xi Jinping.

Eventually, Bo Xilai would end up in prison while Xi Jinping became the king of China.

If Bo Xilai attacked Xi Jinping carelessly now, he would only end up increasing Xi Jinping’s influence.

“No. Leave it alone for now. There’s no way China can insert itself into the Block 7 project anyway.”

It was an enormous project involving Korea, Japan, and even the United States.

The moment China tried to force its way in, America would step forward and strike China down.

Xi Jinping and Wang Qishan probably weren’t truly trying to participate in the project itself. They were merely using it for domestic political purposes.

“If we leave it alone, there’s no telling how large it’ll grow.”

“Are you afraid? Of Xi Jinping?”

Bo Xilai’s face stiffened hard.

But I continued speaking.

“You’re already ten steps ahead. The moment you start trying to suppress a latecomer like Xi Jinping, you’ll only end up increasing his stature. Take one step back from central politics and focus on Shanghai.”

I could understand Bo Xilai’s anxiety.

But acting rashly was absolutely forbidden.

Realizing what I meant, Bo Xilai slowly nodded.

“I’ll contact you separately later for a more detailed discussion. How long are you staying in Korea?”

“About a week.”

“Then let’s have a meal together before you leave.”

Bo Xilai probably needed time to gather himself mentally too.

“Then I suppose I should speak with some of the others now.”

After greeting Bo Xilai, I poked Han Kyungyeong lightly in the side and stood up.

Han Kyungyeong also exchanged farewells with Medvedev before standing to follow me.

Afterward, Han Kyungyeong and I moved from table to table, briefly speaking with the attendees.

It took three entire hours just [N O V E L I G H T] to make our rounds through all the tables.

* * *

[‘Studying Was the Easiest Thing for Me’ Perfect CSAT Scorer Kim Muhyuk Becomes Dreamhigh’s Korea Branch Manager]

Dreamhigh Investment announced today that Kim Muhyuk has been appointed the new branch manager of its Korean branch.

Branch Manager Kim previously drew nationwide media attention as a perfect scorer on the CSAT. He later entered Korea National University’s law school and also passed the first stage of the bar examination in a single attempt, earning recognition for both his exceptional academic achievements and legal reasoning ability.

Regarding Kim Muhyuk’s appointment, Dreamhigh Investment CEO Han Kyungyeong stated, “Branch Manager Kim Muhyuk’s academic accomplishments and experience in specialized fields are invaluable assets capable of elevating Dreamhigh Investment’s Korean market strategy to another level,” adding, “Under his leadership, we expect the Korean branch to discover innovative investment opportunities and accelerate growth within the Korean market.”

In his inaugural speech, Branch Manager Kim stated, “It is a tremendous honor to take on the responsibility of leading Dreamhigh Investment’s Korean branch,” and added, “I will seek paths toward mutual growth by identifying the Korean market’s unique opportunities and cooperating closely with local companies.”

Branch Manager Kim further emphasized, “In particular, I intend to discover and support innovative startups and small-to-medium enterprises within Korea, creating a model where they can grow together alongside Dreamhigh Investment.”

His inauguration is expected to bring a new wave into Korea’s financial investment market.

The three characters of Kim Muhyuk’s name were printed across the pages of Koryeo Daily.

It was the first moment his name had ever been publicly revealed.