Cunning and Evil

TURNING TABLES

Ri Jeong Hyeok has finished 3 sets— but he pushes himself to finish one more, and another,  even adding another set of  barbell plates on each side.

He wanted to exhaust himself, to condition his mind to focus on his exhaustion, rather on that certain assemblywoman who drives him insane.

"Ugh, shit!" He groaned as he finished another rep, his sweat profusely running down his face.

His political adviser, Pyo Chi Su, told him to vote yes for the bill. He even told the assemblyman to fully support it, as lending favors in the national assembly is the political capital they absolutely needed.

We never know when we can cash those favors, he reminded.

But Ri Jeong Hyeok wanted to piss Yoon Seri off— yet the nonchalance she had shown him, turned the tables and pissed him off more.

His frustration further grew when his mobile rang, signaling his alarm for 8:30 AM.

Taking his phone to check his calendar and schedule for the day, the 9:30 AM schedule for the budget hearing stared at him with judgment.

Late for that.

In Ri Jeong Hyeok's office in the National Assembly, everyone is literally panicking. In 5 minutes, the hearing on their proposed amendment will start, and the chairman of the Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Committee, Assemblyman Ri, is still nowhere to be found.

"Where is he?!" Pyo Chi Su asked Ri's Chief-of-Staff, Park Kwang Beom.

"He's not answering any of my calls, Sir!" He replied, gathering the files and folders on the desk and putting him into his briefcase just in case. "I'll call his dri—"

"I'm here, stop fretting." A voice from behind them calmly said, and no amount could match the intensity of his staff's relief. "Why are you all so tense? What's the worst thing that could happen?"

Ri Jeong Hyeok knew that by practice, these were all just formalities. "It's 9, let's go to the hall."

Walk with me. He instructed his Chief-of-Staff.

"Presentations?" Kwang Beom opened his briefcase while walking to take a printed copy of the presentation. The assemblyman browsed the file filled with numbers and nodded. "Tell me about this."

Then the briefer was the next file from the briefcase as Ri Jeong Hyeok took long strides toward the hall.

Two weeks worth of work of his staff was read by Ri Jeong Hyeok in 3 minutes, 5 minutes before presenting all of it to the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts.

Thankfully, the budget hearing isn't starting yet as Chairman of the Special Committee hasn't arrived.

Ri Jeong Hyeok stepped out of the hall for a minute to take the call, instructing his staff to inform him if the chairman had arrived.

The governor of Seoul, the one who asked for an amendment in the budget to include the costs for the repair of the Hangang Bridge, is calling him. They were old buddies on the university and members of the same fraternity.  "Brother, has the hearing started?"

"Not yet. I'll keep you posted." He paced around the corridor, "Why did you call?"

"Nothing. I just want to thank you in advance for dealing with this. I know it isn't easy to do this given the new leadership. If ever you need anything in Seoul, you know who to call."

New leadership? Ri Jeong Hyeok had foregone the comment as there are more pressing matters to deal in literally a few minutes time.

"Of course, brother."