"This partition is modular. Let's dismantle this and quickly replace it with the one we brought."
Oh Se-hyun had already prepared the workers and a new partition, and he handed a money envelope to the owner of the Japanese restaurant."
"When we're done, we'll put it back to its original state, okay?"
The restaurant owner, feeling the weight of the thick envelope, smiled brightly. "Oh, sir. Of course, we should provide convenience."
"But today, we have a reservation at 8 PM, right? It should be Room 3 or Room 5."
"Oh? Yes, there is a reservation for Room 5. Room 5 is a bit larger."
"Okay."
Within thirty minutes, the six workers had replaced the partition, and they could hear the clinking of glasses even from outside.
Room 4 was reserved for Oh Sehyun and the reporters, Room 3 was occupied by himself, and he waited for their arrival.
"Oh, Representative Oh. I don't know what's going on, but... isn't this a bribe or something?"
The five reporters laughed and spoke as they saw the envelopes placed at each seat.
"Reporter Park, just leave it there. It's an allowance, an allowance. Who complains about the allowance given by superiors? Even the president throws his wallet occasionally. Why make a big deal out of it?"
When Oh Sehyun shook his head in disbelief, the reporters laughed, pocketed the envelopes, and took their seats.
"Let's make one request. Let's stop with the rumors about Dae-ah Construction's bleak future and everyone responsible gathering in one place. Try to understand my perspective a bit. To clean up a rotten place, you need these guys."
"As expected. This is a cure-all. Hehe."
"Again, again with that! All I'm asking is this. Now, let's have a drink."
After a few rounds of soju, the reporters began to converse. They were careful not to miss any potentially valuable information and listened attentively.
At that moment, they heard noisy footsteps from outside, and the adjacent room became lively.
"Come on, let's loosen up today. Drink as much as you want. After tomorrow's vote, our candidate, Go Gyeongyeol, will become the mayor of Seoul. Haha."
Upon hearing the name Go Gyeongyeol, all the reporters in the room fell silent.
Even though they were economic reporters, they were well aware that Go Gyeongyeol was the frontrunner in the polls.
"Who's that? His supporters?"
"Maybe campaign workers?"
"Shh. That voice sounds familiar. Keep it down."
Afraid that they might be overheard from the next room, the reporters began to whisper softly.
"Why are you doing this? It's ruining the taste of the soju. Let's just enjoy our drinks without worrying."
"Representative, be quiet. Just a moment. Let's confirm."
Oh Sehyun tried to divert the reporters' attention by offering them more drinks, but their focus had shifted to the adjacent room.
Oh Sehyun smiled subtly as he silently observed the reporters. The voices from the next room grew louder.
"Tomorrow is the last day, and we have to squeeze out every last drop of energy. That's why we're having this dinner tonight. After the election, I will never forget your hard work."
"Now that it's certain you'll become the vice-mayor, right?"
The mention of the vice-mayor position caused the reporters to collectively hold their breath. They realized that the people in the next room were key figures in the election campaign.
Some reporters even discreetly took out small voice recorders.
"Hey! Do these people see me as just Kim Gwanhyeok? Do they think I'm fretting over such a trivial position?"
When the name Kim Gwanhyeok was heard, the reporters exchanged glances. Perhaps a big scoop was about to unfold.
"Oh, no, not at all. You, sir, should be the one to inherit the next mayoral seat. Haha."
"What? Inherit it?"
When Kim Gwanhyeok's rough voice was heard, the adjacent room fell silent once again.
"I made our candidate, Go, into the mayoral candidate. What is there to inherit? Now, the person who must be sent to Yeouido is Go, our candidate. I've erased all traces of that aristocratic stench."
"Then, is that suspicion true?"
"What suspicion?"
"The military exemption issue."
"This guy here, are you innocent or just plain stupid? Do you think someone of Go Gyeongyeol's stature would send his child to the military? The military is for ordinary folks like us."
The journalists, as reflected in Oh Sehyun's eyes, all appeared to be silently praying.
Go Gyeongyeol's biggest vulnerability was his military exemption issue, and the journalists desperately hoped that the explicit details of it would be revealed.
"Despite what he did to keep his three children from going to the military? I've personally fabricated dozens of fake medical diagnoses. But that aristocrat is quite unlucky too. Even though he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he had kids one after another in Korea. If he had them while working in the United States, they wouldn't have to serve in the military. Haha."
"No, if he had U.S. citizenship, he would have had to voluntarily enlist when he ran for Seoul mayor."
"Now that I think about it, you're right. Anyway, he's one lucky aristocrat. Haha."
The journalists were already getting excited. This was a scoop of all scoops. Of course, the final decision rested with the editor, but it was safe to say that if this information made it to the newspapers, the owner of the mayoral seat would change. Now, the media had the power to decide who became the mayor of Seoul. They couldn't afford to miss such a golden opportunity.
"But why did his third son enlist in the military?"
"Because of his wife."
"His wife? Go's wife?"
"Yes, his bastard."
Now, even Oh Sehyun was dumbfounded. Wasn't that the term for a child born out of wedlock?
"It must have been when Go was working alone in Japan. A man living alone abroad for several years, do you think he'd stay celibate? He had an affair with a female diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
The journalists covered their mouths with their hands, fearing that even their breath might be heard.
"Go Gyeongyeol had no choice. Just the fact that his wife registered the child in the family registry was enough to get him exempted from military service. He simply sent his son to the military without using his connections to get him into the Reserved Forces. It was because the kid's eyesight was really bad that he went to regular military service."