PDLP Chapter 12 Blanket
Chapter 12 Blanket
Before coming to Indonesia, Jeong Do-hoon had considered various possibilities—
It would be ideal if the Director-General of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mahssa, were willing to assist in pressuring the tax authorities to return all the confiscated passports.
However, if he has business dealings with Natara Entertainment, the organizer of the variety show, and doesn't want to get too deeply involved, Jung Do-hoon has his own solutions.
For the tax authorities, investigating Natara Entertainment is just routine work. If it leads to legal proceedings, it would be troublesome for them and would do them no good.
However, Zheng Daoxun was, after all, just a diplomat. If he immediately contacted the tax bureau or even considered using legal means, it would not only be inconsistent with the normal procedures of diplomatic work, but would also easily give rise to criticism.
So he went to visit the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the morning with the mindset of just going through the motions, and the result was exactly as he expected.
"Clerk, the above is the personal information, income, and tax records of all the artists attending this concert. The lawyers and tax authorities have already completed the compilation."
Pei Dongyong compiled the organized materials into a booklet and handed it over with both hands. Zheng Daoxun glanced through it briefly and nodded slightly.
"Then I'll trouble Dong Yongxi and the lawyers to make the trip and submit these documents to the tax bureau to state our position."
We are willing to cooperate fully with the investigation, but please return the passports to us as soon as possible, without affecting the subsequent work arrangements of our personnel.
"Do we need to indicate that we will consider taking legal action against the tax bureau?" Pei Dongyong silently noted down the clerk's instructions and asked again.
Although Bae Dong-young had worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for over twenty years, the new secretary's style was sharp, and he couldn't quite grasp how tough Jeong Do-hoon intended to be in this negotiation.
"They're all shrewd people. They'll understand when they see you brought a lawyer."
After Jung Do-hoon finished arranging all the work and everyone in the meeting room left, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he made a phone call to the South Korean Embassy in Jakarta.
Jin Yongxian, the counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta, was his senior and an old friend. Before his rebirth, Jin Yongxian had also risen to the high position of Consul General in Spain.
While waiting for Bae Dong-young to negotiate with the tax bureau, Jung Do-hoon decided to visit his old classmate.
But as soon as he finished the call and pushed open the conference room door, he stopped in his tracks—
The afternoon sun streamed through the hotel’s magnificent lobby and fell on Sana Minatozaki, who was dozing on the sofa, her head tilted to one side, her dark brown hair falling down and obscuring her thin, delicate face.
Beneath the oversized short-sleeved shirt were blue denim shorts, revealing two long, shapely legs—
If you don't take care of your joints when you're young, you'll have your share of troubles when you're in your thirties.
After thinking for a moment, Zheng Daoxun decided to pretend he hadn't seen it and prepared to take a taxi straight to the embassy. However, as he passed the service desk, the central air conditioning, which was running at full power, sent out a strong gust of cold air, which messed up his bangs.
He stopped and instructed the receptionist to drape a blanket over the woman on the sofa before hurrying away.
While waiting for a taxi at the lobby entrance, several familiar celebrities and their managers came up to greet us. Among them was a girl named Kim Min-jung. When the manager introduced Jung Do-hoon, she stared intently at him. Only after the manager reminded her did the girl say "oh" and quickly bow.
She's quite a remarkable person.
Jung Do-hoon sighed softly, his gaze following the group of SM people into the hotel. He glanced at them again and saw that Minatozaki Sana was still asleep, but she was now covered with a beige blanket, which was draped over her thighs.
Was he making a fuss over nothing? Jung Do-hoon, chin in hand, pondered this all the way in the back of the taxi, but his mind was still a jumbled mess.
If only everything could be handled as easily as work.
When the taxi arrived, Jin Yongxian was already waiting at the entrance of the embassy. The weather was so hot that his shirt was slightly damp with sweat.
The two had known each other since they were students at Tsinghua University, but their contact gradually became less frequent as Zheng Daoxun went to work at the United Nations and Jin Yongxian was assigned to Indonesia.
They didn't become acquainted again until they worked together at the Asian Affairs Department, where Jung Do-hoon served as the secretary and Kim Young-seon as his assistant.
In the words of the two leaders, Jeong Do-hoon was born with the temperament, image and courage of a diplomat, while Kim Young-seon's patience and pragmatism enabled him to make steady progress in any position.
Unfortunately, Kim Young-seon was only the economic counselor and could not directly assist Jeong Do-hoon by bypassing the commercial or cultural counselors.
Meanwhile, another counselor at the embassy, also surnamed Jin and in charge of culture, is a complete non-stick pan.
"Senior, it's been a long time. You've been in Indonesia for a few years, and you look thinner."
Jung Do-hoon stepped forward and gave him a light hug, while the latter sighed, "The economic counselor is always dealing with trivial matters. Do-hoon, you're getting more and more handsome. You're doing a great job at the United Nations."
South Korea will assume a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council starting January 1, 2024, and Jeong Do-hoon played an important role in this process.
"Then, senior, why don't you invite the commercial, cultural, and consular counselors over tonight? I'll treat you all to a good meal."
"I knew you wouldn't come here unless you needed something." Jin Yong lit a cigarette for Zheng Daoxun before lighting his own. "How's the passport thing going?"
"The clerk has taken the lawyer to visit the tax bureau. I expect the tax bureau and the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will contact your people around this afternoon. I'll wait here."
"So it wasn't just a dinner invitation for us." Kim Young-seon, a heavy smoker, had already lit his third cigarette in the short time it took Jung Do-hoon to finish his. "How's your relationship with Sofia going now that you've been transferred back to South Korea?"
Zheng Daoxun paused for a moment, searching his memory for a long time before recalling the name. He then said calmly:
"We broke up a long time ago."
"That's how it is for us diplomats, it's hard to start a family, we can only find partners within the circle," Kim Young-seon said, tilting his head back to exhale his cigarette smoke, and patted Jung Do-hoon on the shoulder. "How about I introduce you to a few?"
"You should settle your own marriage first."
Jung Do-hoon remembered the girl who had dozed off in the lobby, shook his head, and immediately changed the subject:
"You've been in Indonesia for so long, have you considered going back to South Korea to develop your career?"
"I didn't achieve anything here, and there aren't any suitable positions for me over there either."
Jung Do-hoon didn't reply immediately, but pondered for a moment before gesturing for Kim Young-seon to come closer:
"The International Exchange Foundation is holding its general election next month."
The Korea Foundation for International Exchange, affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is dedicated to enhancing global understanding of Korea by funding overseas Korean studies research, organizing arts tours, and publishing periodicals.
It was an organization with money in hand and direct business dealings with Jeong Do-hoon.
Jin Yongxian frowned slightly, his gaze towards his junior brother becoming more serious and cautious, but his tone quickly shifted to a relaxed one:
"Then I should be treating you to dinner tonight."
"You can treat me to a meal when you go back to Korea."
"Dohoon, I really have to introduce you to someone now, only then will I feel at ease."