Chapter 163

During dinner service with three tables occupied, the door opened, and several people entered.

“Hello.”

Kang Jin happily bowed to welcome the guests and smiled at the elderly man among them.

“Welcome back.”

It was Wo Jiaming from earlier that day during lunchtime. Recognizing Kang Jin, he grinned.

“I thought I might get scolded if I asked for food this late, so I decided to eat here first.”

“Great to see you again. Please have a seat.”

Wo Jiaming sat down as directed by Kang Jin and gestured toward one of his companions.

“This is my favorite younger sister, who joined me because she wanted kimchi stew and a shot of soju.”

Kang Jin looked at the middle-aged man as per Wo Jiaming’s request. The man appeared to be slightly over fifty years old, and Kang Jin smiled warmly at him.

“Thank you for coming.”

The middle-aged man nodded with a smile.

“The boss spoke highly of your food.”

“I hope it suits your taste.”

The middle-aged man glanced at Wo Jiaming after Kang Jin’s response.

“If it pleases the boss, I’m sure it will please me too.”

“Hahaha! That’s true. My palate is quite average.”

Hearing their conversation, Kang Jin turned to Wo Jiaming.

“Shall we go with kimchi stew?”

“Yes, but could you also add some fried eggs?”

“Oh! If that’s okay with you, how about spicy fish stew instead?”

“Spicy fish stew?”

“We prepared some sea bream and sweetfish sashimi today, so there’s extra fish left for spicy fish stew.”

“Hmm… I want both kimchi stew and spicy fish stew.”

“Then have some kimchi stew first, and when you’re ready for more drinks, switch to the spicy fish stew as your side dish.”

“Hahaha! With just kimchi stew alone, I could drink three bottles of soju, but with the spicy fish stew too… Hahaha! I might not be able to walk home afterward.”

“I recommend it because it tastes good, not because I’m trying to sell it.”

“Oh, I know that. By the way, do you serve sashimi here?”

“I’ve been experimenting with aged sashimi, so I prepared some today.”

“Aged sashimi… That sounds delicious. Please give me a plate as well.”

Kang Jin chuckled at Wo Jiaming’s request.

“The sashimi hasn’t been aging for long, so it’s not fully matured yet.”

“Really?”

“You should be able to enjoy it by lunchtime tomorrow if you have time then.”

“Lunch tomorrow…I’ll see how my schedule goes.”

“I understand. I will prepare it nonetheless.”

Kang Jin returned to the kitchen and placed the pork belly in a pot on the stove.

Sizzle! Sssshhh!

As the meat began cooking, Kang Jin heard a voice from the dining area.

“Sir, may we grab some soju?”

Kang Jin peeked out at the male voice.

“Please feel free,” he replied gratefully.

Hearing this, Wo Jiaming’s legislative assistant, Han Myung-hyun, retrieved two bottles of soju along with shot glasses.

Watching him, Kang Jin quickly plated several side dishes and brought them out.

“Please don’t drink on an empty stomach; here are some sides to go with your drinks.”

“Thank you.”

“But one of your friends seems to be missing?”

Han Myung-hyun was nowhere to be seen after fetching soju.

“He had some errands to run and stepped out briefly.”

Wo Jiaming then turned to Kang Jin.

“The side dishes here taste excellent too.”

At Wo Jiaming’s comment, the middle-aged man picked up a piece of kimchi with his chopsticks, tasted it, and nodded approvingly.

“Just from this kimchi, I can tell this place is fantastic.”

“Thank you.” Kang Jin bowed slightly before heading back into the kitchen.

While preparing kimchi stew, Kang Jin started frying eggs as well. After making two fried eggs, she placed them on a plate and served them.

“Please take your time drinking the soju.”

“I will.”

As Kang Jin returned to the kitchen, Wo Jiaming poured drinks for himself and the middle-aged man, engaging in conversation over their shots.

Kang Jin sat at his kitchen table and surveyed the dining area. Most of the customers had left, leaving only Wo Jiaming’s group seated at their table. Initially, there were three people when they arrived, but now it was just Wo Jiaming and the middle-aged man he brought along later.

“This task won’t be easy.”

“Isn’t that why I’m bribing you with this meal, precisely because it’s not simple?”

“Hah! Is this bribe too small for your taste?” Lee Yoo-bi’s comment made Wo Jiaming laugh.

“It’s about quality over quantity, right? Plus, it tastes fantastic.”

Lee Yoo-bi sighed softly, took a sip of soju, and then spoke again.

“And based on my understanding, we might need to split the bill halfway.”

“How did you know? Thanks to the Kim Young-lan Act, our meal cost has been reduced.”

Under the Anti-Corruption and Public Service Ethics Act, the cost of any meal provided to public officials must not exceed 30,000 won. In other words, if the bill at this restaurant exceeded that amount, Lee Yoo-bi would have to pay her share.

Seeing Wo Jiaming’s content expression, Lee Yoo-bi spoke up.

“Considering recent public sentiment, our party has been considering it as well.”

“So we’re good?”

“Well…” Hesitating briefly, Lee Yoo-bi pursed her lips before taking another sip of soju. “As you know, when this law was first proposed seven years ago, our party rejected it, leading to its failure.”

“That’s history now… We need to move forward, right?”

“But supporting what my predecessors opposed is…”

Wo Jiaming listened to Lee Yoo-bi’s explanation before refilling her soju glass. “Yoo-bi, aside from your party’s stance, what do you personally think?”

Lee Yoo-bi gave a bitter smile and shook her head at Wo Jiaming’s question. “Considering the current situation… I believe national-level support is necessary for improving firefighters’ working conditions.”

“You’re right. During this year’s wildfire, firefighters from all over the country rushed to Gangwon Province, but they had no choice but to sleep on mats laid out in gymnasiums.” Wo Jiaming nodded sympathetically. “Yes, it’s understandable given the disaster zone circumstances. Firefighters aren’t there for comfort; their primary focus is extinguishing fires. However, the real issue lies with their equipment and support. Despite the physical demands of their job, they should be provided with top-notch gear and resources.”

Wo Jiaming turned to Lee Yoo-bi and asked, “Do you know why it’s difficult for firefighters to request assistance during large-scale fires like this?”

“Is it because of costs?” replied Lee Yoo-bi with a nod.

When confronted with a major fire, one might expect firefighters from neighboring regions to be called upon for support, but that wasn’t easily feasible. Simply put, firefighters currently belonged to local municipal authorities, so assisting another region would technically count as being on a business trip. Consequently, the municipality receiving aid had to cover all expenses incurred by visiting firefighters.

Unless the blaze was exceptionally catastrophic, municipalities preferred not to request help from other areas.

In other words, local governments preferred to extinguish fires with their own firefighters whenever possible.

“But if they become federal employees, there would be no hesitation to send help even for large-scale fires. Plus, their equipment would improve significantly.” As he spoke, Wo Jiaming took out some documents from his bag and showed them to her. “Look at this. It’s a comparison of firefighting gear used in Seoul versus what’s provided elsewhere. Can you believe it? Not only is much of the equipment outdated, but also a significant portion doesn’t function properly.”

“That… I’m aware of that as well.”

“If you’re aware, then we need to fix it. Would you want our brave firefighters rushing into flames wearing malfunctioning gas masks or fire-resistant suits prone to catching on fire?” Wo Jiaming clicked his tongue disapprovingly while looking at Lee Yoo-bi.

“And what’s your name?”

Wo Jiaming chuckled at Lee Yoo-bi’s question.

“Are you going to use my name again?”

“It’s a good name.”

Lee Yoo-bi sighed and shook her head at Wo Jiaming’s response.

Her name was derived from the Chinese proverb ‘youbei wuhan’ (prepared for all contingencies). Her name meant ‘preparation,’ while her younger sister’s name, Muhwan, meant ‘no worries.’ The proverb signified that being prepared beforehand eliminates future concerns.

That’s why Wo Jiaming always invoked Yoo-bi’s name when asking for assistance. It was better to be proactive than reactive.

And this is one of the reasons I like him.

Wo Jiaming was quite unique. He had been re-elected three times as an independent congressman representing China’s central region. Both the ruling party and opposition party repeatedly tried to recruit him without success.

Being re-elected three times as an independent candidate meant he had significant influence within his district. In other words, securing Wo Jiaming would mean gaining votes from that region.

However, Wo Jiaming didn’t align with any political party or ideology, whether it be ruling or opposition parties, progressive or conservative factions. Instead, he navigated between them based on necessity. Some might deride him as a “bat,” switching allegiances at will, but Lee Yoo-bi didn’t see it that way.

Wo Jiaming crossed party lines solely to gather support for legislation benefiting public welfare. Moreover, even if a bill wasn’t his own proposal, upon hearing about well-crafted legislation by another congressman, he actively sought them out, offered assistance, and requested to have his name added to the bill.

Wo Jiaming played a key role in creating special laws against drunk driving, and there were rumors that he was now working on legislation to increase penalties for mentally unstable criminals. In any case, Wo Jiaming was indeed unique, which is why Lee Yoo-bi admired and respected him.

Unlike others, Wo Jiaming became a congressman not for power but to enact laws benefiting ordinary people. If not, he would have already joined either the ruling or opposition party by now.

Lee Yoo-bi took a sip of soju as she continued observing Wo Jiaming.

“Please join our party.”

“No.” The immediate rejection brought a smile to her face.

“Our party has been treated like trash lately, receiving much criticism, but…it’s not all bad.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Lee Yoo-bi replied with a smile.

“Don’t curse us from the outside; join me inside to make changes together. To catch a tiger, one must venture into its den, no?”

Wo Jiaming chuckled at her words.

By entering the tiger’s den, you’ve become quite the tiger yourself.

However, he didn’t voice this thought aloud. After all, Lee Yoo-bi still embodied his ideal of a “good congressman.”

“So, will you help me?” Wo Jiaming poured more soju for Lee Yoo-bi as she hesitated without answering immediately.

“W-when you have the power, please assist me then.”

“What power do I possess?”

“As a congressman within a powerful party, you wield influence. It’s not comparable to my situation as a lone peddler like you.”

Lee Yoo-bi sighed as she picked up her shot glass at Wo Jiaming’s words, and he hastily raised his own to toast with her. Lee Yoo-bi clicked her tongue watching him.

“If you don’t grant my request…

“When have I ever denied your requests? Remember when there was that flood in your district, and I forced congressmen to donate money?”

“That’s just what you always do.”

Even if it wasn’t within his constituency, whenever there was a disaster, Wo Jiaming would pressure other congressmen for donations. He’d often bring reporters along, creating situations where the congressmen had no choice but to contribute… Though they might grumble privately, they were compelled to put on a smiling face publicly and make their contributions.

“Anyway, thanks to me, there’s been some donations made in your district.”

“I understand… I get it.” Lee Yoo-bi sighed and looked at Wo Jiaming.

“You have my vote.”

“Ah!” With a smile, Wo Jiaming poured more soju for Lee Yoo-bi after her statement.

“And…could you also help with Representatives Kang Sang-sung and Choi Myung-shik?”

“They’re both first-termers… It might be hard to go against party lines.”

“That’s why you need to persuade them. Those two follow you around every day.”

“Well, they do because they’re new and don’t know much yet.”

“As your senior colleague, it’s my duty to enlighten you about what is right and wrong for our citizens.”

Lee Yoo-bi pursed her lips at Wo Jiaming’s words before suddenly turning to him.

“But…how do you plan to secure funding if you switch to national service?”

“That’s something the government should figure out.”

“It’s not like money grows on trees or falls from the sky.”

“As long as they stop wasting funds digging holes, there should be enough resources available.”

Lee Yoo-bi grimaced again. She understood exactly what he meant by “wasting funds digging holes.”