After Seong-ho and Do-beom left, Tak-hyeon sat alone, keeping the chamber.

Some two hours passed that way before Do-beom returned.

"You're back?"

"Yes. I've handled everything."

Do-beom answered and looked at the ashtray before Tak-hyeon. Cigarette butts were piled high inside it. Thinking he'd have to replace the air-circulation filter, Do-beom reported, "I conveyed our position clearly to the president's side. And I promised 20 billion in campaign funds."

Hearing it, Tak-hyeon wore a sour expression. "Right. With the campaign funds we've promised, the sitting president can keep exercising influence over his party, so he won't be able to say anything more. We've saved his face, in effect."

The other side had come asking a favor, and not only had they refused it — they'd spent money too. And the 20 billion wasn't the end of what had to be spent.

"As Kim said, don't forget to make the same promise to the opposition side."

"Yes. Understood."

They'd decided to fund not only the president's side with 20 billion but the opposition with the same amount.

Tak-hyeon's sour expression deepened. "We're the ones who received the favor, and we end up only spending money instead. Four hundred billion of it, no less. Heh." He thought a moment and shook his head. "And considering we won't recover the 300 billion already spent on top of that, the loss this time is enormous."

At that, Do-beom said carefully, "Since you'd made up your mind to acquire Dubo Steel anyway, might it have been better to play ignorant and grant the president's request?"

Do-beom didn't mean they should have granted it. With everything already handled, the choice couldn't be reversed. He only offered it to confirm once more that Tak-hyeon's decision had been the better choice. Tak-hyeon caught that intent too.

"The president has less than a year left in his term. How far could we cover up his disgrace? Try to cover it and we could get dragged in ourselves. Thinking of the future, cleanly giving up the 300 billion is best."

"Then couldn't you have withdrawn simply by refusing the request?"