NIS Agents Tearing Up the Japanese Empire - Chapter 24



Only Krnovel

Shanghai Romance – 2

The conference room became a mess with the attendees being grabbed by the collar, and that was the end of the conference.

As the two people who had initially joined and their group left, others followed them with sighs, and even those who seemed to be not thinking much of anything followed them.

Those who had remained either had no intention of staying there any longer or simply went out to smoke cigarettes, but one by one they went out.

The only people left in the conference room were Professor Lee Dong-nyeong and his group.

“Hoooooooo···.”

“hmm.”

Lee Dong-nyeong let out a weary sigh, as if he was tired, with his chin resting on his hand.

Others were no different.

Everyone was just sighing deeply or smoking cigarettes with a tired or fed up look on their faces.

“teacher.”

“?”

Then, a familiar face spoke to me.

“I am Jang Jin, the Chief of Police of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai.”

Kim Gu greeted me naturally, using a fake name that didn’t even work.

Given his fearsome reputation, he must have known about what had happened in Gyeongseong, but he only revealed one thing to me.

Kim Gu is testing me.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Baekbeom.”

Even though I mentioned his nickname, Kim Gu didn’t seem surprised or angry.

Rather, he just nodded as if he had expected that to happen.

“It’s as the rumors say, Mr. Lee.”

“You seem to know me.”

“I know.”

Kim Gu naturally led me to a corner seat while smiling with his signature smile that I had only seen in pictures.

Then he took out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

The cigarette he took out was the one I had given to Kim Sang-ok in Gyeongseong a few weeks ago.

The fact that Kim Gu is holding what was handed over to Kim Sang-ok means…

“It looks like things with Uiyoldan have been wrapped up well.”

“It wasn’t even work.”

“Is that so?”

Kim Gu had a complicated expression on his face and a cigarette in his mouth.

“Yaksan, that rascal kept whining and whining until his neck was bloodshot…”

“okay.”

As far as I know, Kim Won-bong and Kim Gu hated each other so much that they could be called enemies.

Both followed the cause of Korean independence, but the methods they pursued were different.

Kim Won-bong tried to regain the country through armed struggle, but the provisional government, including Kim Gu, tried to regain the country through diplomacy.

If only the methods had been different, their relationship might have been uncomfortable, but they wouldn’t have become such enemies···. Here, several incidents that would lead to a bad relationship between Kim Gu and Kim Won-bong broke out.

‘International Communist Party Funding Case.’

Lenin, who had just won the Civil War and transformed Russia into the Soviet Union, was fighting among independence activists over the gold he had provided for their independence.

Here, Kim Gu viewed Kim Lip’s distribution to leftist forces, including the Koryo Communist Party, as embezzlement and sent someone to execute him.

They went even further and kicked out all the communists who were active within the provisional government.

‘I hate communists too, but… this was a bit too much.’

From Kim Gu’s perspective, he was indignant that the communists had taken care of the issue among themselves, which should have been handled by the provisional ‘government’, which was the center of all independence activists.

But from the communists’ point of view, the provisional government was literally just a ‘provisional’ government.

They did not think of the provisional government as representing them, but rather as a means of communication that could mediate disputes with others.

‘It’s the same now as in the past: government departments and politicians don’t communicate with each other.’

Of course, this is not the nonsense that Koreans have a racially divided and fighting national character, as the Japanese claim.

At around the same time, in Japan, if the military did not like the prime minister, they would turn him into a beehive, and the army and navy would even go to war against each other, while in China, warlords would wage war with their private soldiers.

Compared to those crazy people, shooting each other over a minor misunderstanding isn’t that serious… right?

Anyway, Kim Won-bong left the provisional government, criticizing Kim Gu’s arbitrary decision to execute his compatriots.

No, to begin with, he was a person who advocated armed struggle, which was diametrically opposed to the diplomatic independence line of the provisional government led by Syngman Rhee, and so he was never a member of the provisional government. So, strictly speaking, he did not leave.

‘Kim Gu, who was focused on the signboard of the provisional government, and Kim Won-bong, who did not know about that and went around doing whatever he wanted.’

No wonder the relationship between the two couldn’t be good.

“So what happened with the Uiyoldan story? Did Kim Won-bong and the other members decide to join the provisional government?”

“Did he seem like such a great man?”

“He seems like a person who can do anything if he puts his mind to it.”

“Well… I don’t know about that.”

Kim Gu put out his cigarette on the table with his characteristically inscrutable smile.

“You kept causing accidents in Gyeongseong.”

“Who? Me?”

“Then, is there anyone else here besides this teacher?”

Everyone had left the conference room, so there was no one around.

“I thought the traffic bureau and the fire department had collapsed due to the police’s large-scale crackdown.”

“It’s true that they caused a lot of damage by stirring things up, but that doesn’t mean everything has disappeared.”

“is it so?”

This was another new fact.

In fact, if it weren’t for the spy’s report, the identity of Kim Sang-ok, who threw a bomb at Jongno Police Station, would not have been known, so it was understandable that the Transportation Bureau and the Yeontongje were still alive.

“Madam asked me to say hello.”

“Madam? Ah.”

When you say Madam, one person comes to mind.

“I guess I was really bad at making coffee, but I guess there was a reason.”

“Haha, please refrain from saying such things in front of me. It seems like Chunsim was already upset because of that.”

“What can we do if that is the case?”

“Sometimes there are things that need to be hidden.”

“Is this like the current situation of the provisional government?”

“······.”

Kim Gu smiled bitterly.

“You knew everything. Everything from me to the provisional government.”

Kim Gu had stopped using the polite form he used to use and started to speak to me in a flat tone, and now he was bowing his head to me.

“What are you doing now?”

“I am expressing my gratitude.”

“Why are you suddenly expressing gratitude?”

“Thanks to the activity fee you gave us, we were able to save face in front of others.”

“What do you mean by saving face?”

So, what Mr. Kim Gu said was this.

Since the domestic communication system and the transportation bureau collapsed due to the Japanese crackdown, the provisional government was withering away, repeatedly failing to secure funds.

Until then, this was the only place where money could be made, so others pretended to listen to the provisional government, but once that was gone, everyone thought of the provisional government as worse than a sack of barley that had been borrowed.

I don’t know if this is true or if it was just what Kim Gu felt.

“I invested in the provisional government with a light heart, so there is no need to bow your head like that.”

“In any case, thanks to your help, the provisional government has been able to breathe a sigh of relief, so I bow my head on behalf of the government officials.”

“Ah, yes···.”

It seems that Kim Gu had a stronger attachment to the provisional government than I thought.

‘So Kim Gu’s position is that the provisional government should remain an organization representing all independence movement forces.’

I haven’t talked to others like Lee Dong-nyeong or Kim Kyu-sik yet, but considering that they all remained in the provisional government until the very end, even though they were all historically separate, I don’t think they are all that different from Kim Gu, although there may be some differences.

“Raise your head, Mr. Kim.”

“A name is something that was given to me by my parents, so how could I call it something so carelessly? Just call me Baekbeom.”

“······Yes, Mr. Baekbeom.”

And he turned out to be more of a stickler than I expected.

“As you may know from what you heard about Gyeongseong, I will not be able to return there for the time being.”

“Of course. After blowing up the Jongno Police Station and slaughtering the Japanese in a brutal manner, how could we return to Gyeongseong?”

“He wasn’t just Japanese.”

I took out my notebook and showed it the Black Dragon Society’s emblem.

“They were the followers of the Black Dragon Society, a political group active in the Japanese Empire.”

“Black Dragon Society? What is that?”

“hmm.”

Kim Gu seemed unaware of the Black Dragon Society.

I tried to look at him a few times, thinking maybe he was acting, but he really didn’t seem to know me.

‘Is it because the Black Dragons are keeping their identity a secret? Or is it because the Provisional Government’s police department lacks intelligence?’

Either way it was a problem.

‘There are many things that need to be improved.’

The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai was an organization that was weak and lacking in many ways.

Looking at them, the support team that I used to criticize for not doing anything right started to look like fairies.

“Whew… Anyway, I’m planning on staying in Shanghai for the time being. Can you recommend a good place?”

In response to my words, Kim Gu’s previously confident and bold demeanor disappeared, and he mumbled in a voice that was crawling.

“Umm···. That···. The provisional government residence is full right now···. There’s no proper place for you to stay···.”

“Oh, there was a misunderstanding. I meant to find a house in Shanghai, not to come and live in the provisional government.”

“Is that so? If that’s the case, then it’s not difficult!”

Kim Gu’s face lit up when he heard that I had no intention of coming in to live there.

“I know an expert on that.”

“Expert? Who is that?”

“He is the person in charge of our government’s finances.”

Kim Gu grabbed me with one hand, the size of a pot lid, and strode down to the lower floor.

“Hey hyung! Hey hyung!”

As Kim Gu opened the door wide, people gathered in groups of three or five, having a late lunch, turned their heads.

When I took a quick look at their side dishes, I saw that they were all eating just one salted radish and mixed grain rice, without any soup or kimchi on the table.

Some people couldn’t even eat enough of it, so there were people who had to make tofu and eat the leftovers from it, or they couldn’t even eat that much.

“······.”

I was speechless at the sight of the provisional government officials not even being able to eat properly.

Kim Gu must have read my thoughts as he smiled awkwardly and acted coquettishly.

“There are a lot of people gathered today, but normally, I would separate the side dishes in front of everyone.”

“······.”

“Ahem···. There you are, hyung!”

“Why are you looking for me so desperately?”

At Kim Gu’s call, a middle-aged man who looked like he was about to enter old age put down his spoon and raised his head.

“Oh, well, this person here is the one who gave our provisional government a large amount of operating funds, and I heard he’s looking for a house in Shanghai this time.”

“If it’s activity expenses… Ah! Are you talking about a nobleman from Gyeongseong?”

“Yes! That’s him.”

The middle-aged man hurriedly wiped his hands, got up from his seat, walked towards me with quick steps, and held both my hands tightly.

“I am the person who served as the Minister of Finance in the Provisional Government. Our Provisional Government has been spending a lot of money, but there was no way for the money to come in, so we were in dire straits… Thanks to your help, I was able to take a big breath.”

“If it’s Lee Si-young… She’s the younger sister of Lee Hoe-young of the Baeksagong branch of the Gyeongju Lee clan.”

Lee Si-young smiled broadly and was very happy when she saw me recognize her.

“Do you know my brother?”

“I know. Aren’t they the children of some of the most prestigious families in Joseon?”

“Haha… That’s right.”

It was hard to believe that Lee Si-young was once a descendant of one of the most prestigious families in Joseon, as she looked so poor and shabby.

In particular, the worn-out hem of the teacher’s robe, especially around his elbows, caught my eye.

“Are you looking for a house in Shanghai?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right.”

“Then, there are a few houses around here where you can live.”

Lee Si-young trailed off as she watched my expression as if she was watching her parents on the day her report card came out.

“Well… As you know, this is the French Concession, so the housing prices are more expensive than I thought….”

He seemed worried that I might ask him for money.

“Don’t worry about money.”

“Is that so? That’s really fortunate.”

Lee Si-young sighed without anyone knowing.

Looking at him like that, I found myself sighing.

“Then I think you should go and look at the house first···.”

Lee Si-young glanced at the rice bowl she had left behind a little while ago and checked my expression.

It seems that he was very hungry because he had a late lunch.

“······I’ll buy lunch, so go out and eat.”

“Oh, if that’s so.”

Then Kim Gu followed suit.

“Ahem… This hyung, don’t you need an escort?”

“Oh, of course! If Baekbeom comes along, it would be incomparably reassuring.”

“The Chief of Police and the Chief of Finance are leaving, so don’t you think they’ll need more security?”

“Oh my… It’s been a while since I’ve been able to step forward.”

“I also have another pickled cucumber, which is amazing.”

When they heard that they were going to buy lunch, the provisional government officials all put down their spoons and followed them.

“······.”

“Oh my! The teacher is in trouble right now! What kind of rudeness is this?”

“No. I have enough money…”

I took out as much money as I could from my wallet and handed it to the young man next to me.

“With this, you can buy things like rice and meat from the street and eat until you are full.”

“Wow!”

“Thank you, teacher!”

“Today is meat day!”

“It’s been a while since I’ve smelled an animal!”

Everyone was as happy as children at the word meat.

And my heart became even more complicated as I looked at them.

‘We need a stable source of funding.’