Pak said: ‘Tell me why you’re here.’
‘You’re a soldier, you like to get straight to the point, so I’ll do the same,’ said Kai. ‘I’ll tell you the plain truth. The overwhelming priority of the Chinese government is that North Korea should not fall under American control.’
Pak looked indignant. ‘It should not fall under anyone’s control, except that of the Korean people.’
‘We agree,’ said Kai immediately, though it was not quite true. Beijing would prefer some kind of joint Chinese-Korean rule, at least for a time. But that detail could be left until later. He went on: ‘So the question is, how can we make that happen?’
Pak’s expression became disparaging. ‘It will happen without Chinese help,’ he said. ‘The regime in Pyongyang is on the point of collapse.’
‘Agreed, again. I’m glad we’re seeing the same picture. This is a hopeful sign.’
Pak waited in silence.
Kai said: ‘That brings us to the question of what will replace the government of the Supreme Leader.’
‘There is no question. It will be the Pak government.’
No false modesty here, then, Kai thought. But this was a front. If Pak had really believed he had no need of Chinese help then he would not have agreed to this meeting. Kai looked him in the eye and said simply: ‘Perhaps.’ Then he waited for the reaction.
There was a pause. Pak looked angry at first, and seemed about to protest. Then his face changed and he hid his ire. ‘Perhaps?’ he said. ‘What other possibility is there?’
Now we’re making progress, Kai thought. ‘There are several, most of them unwelcome,’ he said. ‘The final victor here could be South Korea, or the US, or China, but that doesn’t exhaust the field.’ He leaned forward and spoke intensely. ‘If you are to have your wish, and North Korea is to be ruled by North Koreans, you need to make an ally of at least one of the other contenders.’
‘Why would I need allies?’ Kai noticed the use of ‘I’， assuming Ham was translating exactly. As Pak saw things, he himself was the rebellion. ‘I am winning,’ he said, confirming Kai’s thought.
‘Indeed you are,’ said Kai with an admiring tone. ‘But so far you have fought only the Pyongyang regime, which is the weakest of the forces involved in this conflict. You will finish them off with only a little further effort: today’s air assault must have damaged them fatally. But you may find yourself in difficulty when you come into conflict with South Korea or the US.’
Pak looked offended, but Kai felt sure the man saw that the logic was undeniable. Stern-faced, Pak said: ‘You have come here with a proposal?’
Kai had no authority to make proposals, but he did not admit this. ‘There could be a way for you to take control of North Korea and at the same time give yourself an impregnable defence against future interference from South Korea or the US.’
‘And that is . . .?’
Kai paused, choosing his words carefully. This was the crucial moment of the conversation. It was also the point at which he exceeded his orders. He was now sticking his neck all the way out.
He said: ‘One: attack Pyongyang immediately with all your forces except nuclear, and take over the government.’
Pak showed no reaction: this had always been part of his plan.
‘Two: be recognized immediately by Beijing as president of North Korea.’
Pak’s eyes lit up. He was imagining himself as the acknowledged president of his country. He had long dreamed of this, no doubt, but now Kai was offering it to him tomorrow, guaranteed by the might of China.
‘And three: declare an unconditional unilateral ceasefire in the war between North and South Korea.’
Pak frowned. ‘Unilateral?’
‘That’s the price,’ Kai said firmly. ‘Beijing will recognize you and at the same time you will declare the ceasefire. No delay, no preconditions, no negotiations.’
He expected resistance, but Pak had something else on his mind. ‘I’ll need President Chen to make a personal visit to me,’ he said.
Kai could see why that was so important to Pak. He was vain, of course, but politically shrewd too: the pictures of the two men shaking hands would legitimize him in a way nothing else could. ‘Agreed,’ said Kai, though he did not have the authority to agree to anything.
‘Good.’
Kai began to think he might have achieved what he had hoped for. He told himself it was not yet time to rejoice. He could yet be thrown into a cell. He decided to get out of there while he was winning. ‘There’s no time for formal written agreements,’ he said. ‘We’re going to have to trust one another.’ As he spoke, General Ham’s words came back to him: Don’t trust them. But Kai had no choice. He had to gamble on Pak.