The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 83

When a Tiger Shows Its Teeth (4)

In an instant, my head went ice cold.

Even as he left, the Prosecutor General didn’t go quietly, trying to maintain his last bit of pride, as befitting his position.

– Choi Pro, are you listening?

“Ah, yes. Is this confirmed?”

– Of course. I called the Prosecutor General’s aide and heard it directly.

“I understand. Thank you for letting me know.”

– Okay. Keep your wits about you. You could end up in a bad spot.

“Yes, take care.”

Just moments ago, the atmosphere had been lively, but everyone quickly realized something was wrong with me, and the air immediately turned heavy.

The festive mood vanished in an instant.

However, I didn’t have the leeway [mental space] to think about them in the current situation, so I immediately got up from my seat.

“Prosecutor Lee, come out here for a moment.”

“Yes, Senior Prosecutor.”

I went outside the restaurant with Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung and lit a cigarette.

Only after taking a drag of the harsh smoke did my chest calm down.

“Hoo.”

The hazy smoke mixed with the cold air and disappeared.

Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung was anxiously watching me, unable to even ask what was going on.

“Prosecutor Lee.”

“Yes, please speak.”

“That bastard Kim Jae-wook appointed Han Tae-min as the Chief Prosecutor right before submitting his resignation.”

“R-Really?”

A look of bewilderment spread across his face as well.

“Then…….”

I flicked off the cigarette ash and took out my card from my wallet.

“For now, Prosecutor Lee, stay here and have dinner with everyone. Use this card for the bill.”

“No, I’ll come with you.”

“No.”

I shook my head firmly.

“I’ll try to handle it myself first, and if it doesn’t work out, then help me.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“Yeah. I don’t want to ruin the mood because of me.”

“Yes. Then, inside…….”

“Just tell them something urgent came up and I had to leave first. If things go well, I’ll call later and join you.”

“Understood.”

I stomped out the cigarette butt and immediately got into a taxi.

“Please go to Sinchon.”

“Yes, I’ll take you there right away.”

As soon as the car started, I immediately called Han Tae-min.

– Hello?

A slightly nervous voice.

I took a deep breath and said.

“Let’s meet now. I’ll go to Sinchon.”

***

“It happened without me even knowing.”

Han Tae-min also seemed quite taken aback.

He had been promised the position of Chief of the Special Investigations Department by Prosecutor General Kim Jae-wook, but he apparently didn’t expect him to issue the appointment while running away like this.

He subtly revealed his inner thoughts.

“Still, it’s the last legacy that the Prosecutor General I followed left me, so how can I simply ignore it?”

“Chief Han.”

I lowered my voice seriously.

“Have you ever heard of the idiom ‘penny wise, pound foolish’?”

The smile completely disappeared from Chief Prosecutor Han Tae-min’s face.

“Now, following Chief Kang Hyun-soo, Prosecutor General Kim Jae-wook has also stepped down. But Chief Han is determined to come in…….”

I chuckled slightly to deliberately show confidence.

“Do you think you can withstand it?”

“…….”

I could feel his pupils trembling.

It was inevitable.

In reality, the people in his line, the 2nd line, had been completely pushed out, and even Prosecutor General Kim Jae-wook, who had been holding on, had stepped down today.

Even if the general public didn’t know, everyone in this field knew that Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung, who took down Prosecutor General Kim Jae-wook, was my man.

He knew better than anyone that my words were not empty.

“Chief.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed.

He swallowed silently.

That meant Han Tae-min was also nervous.

“If you are confident in handling the aftermath, stand against me in this competition, or step down.”

It’s different from before.

Back then, Prosecutor General Kim Jae-wook was firmly supporting him, but if he came to the Special Investigations Department now, he would have to face me alone.

“It’s best to avoid a tiger when it shows its teeth.”

I closed my mouth after saying those words.

I simply crossed my legs and waited for his answer.

That much would be enough for him to understand my meaning.

He looked down at his teacup and fell into silence.

He must be thinking deeply.

Whether to fight me with the desire to come to the Special Investigations Department, or to safely protect his current position.

He would have to choose between a dangerous rise and stability.

Of course, he would know which is the right answer.

After a long silence, he suddenly turned his head to look out the window.

“This area of Mapo is connected to Sinchon and Hongdae, so there are many buskers nearby.”

Following his gaze, I saw two young men carrying a speaker and a guitar.

“I really like watching busking [street performing]. I feel the passion when I see it, and it gives me motivation and makes something boil inside.”

Han Tae-min spoke slowly, as if he had given up.

“The Western District Prosecutor’s Office is in Mapo, so it’s easy to see busking, which is very convenient and nice.”

At those words, a smile naturally appeared on my face.

“Besides, my house is near Sinchon, so the Western District Prosecutor’s Office is close for commuting. There’s no need to go all the way to Gangnam.”

He took a sip of coffee and slowly closed his eyes before opening them.

“I don’t want to be in a rivalry with Prosecutor Choi.”

“You’ve made a good choice.”

I didn’t hide the smile blooming on my face.

“Good things are good.”

He put down his teacup along with his greed.

Only then did Han Tae-min relax and show his easygoing side.

“I told you, I was just doing what the higher-ups told me to do. They told me to go to the Chief of the Special Investigations Department, so I said I would go, but I had no intention of coveting Prosecutor Choi’s position.”

The person who had been talking about legacies just a moment ago had completely changed his attitude.

Of course, he was inevitably saying that now, but there was no need to nitpick in this atmosphere.

“The higher-ups are at fault.”

“Yes.”

He nodded.

“I will submit my refusal to the appointment tomorrow and stay at the Western District Prosecutor’s Office.”

“Understood.”

I got up from my seat and extended my hand to him.

“It’s good that things have been resolved well.”

He also got up from his chair and took my hand.

“I want to become closer to Prosecutor Choi because of this incident.”

“Well, I don’t forget a hand I’ve held once.”

I winked at him.

Han Tae-min would remember me for a while.

Of course, it wouldn’t last long.

***

Knock knock.

The door opened at the same time as the knock.

“Oh, are you busy?”

As soon as I saw him, Investigator Yoon Seol-ha and Clerk Jo Ara, as well as myself, jumped up from our seats.

“What brings the Deputy Chief Prosecutor here?”

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kwon Hyung-gi.

The 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor, the direct superior in charge of the Special Investigations Department and a member of the 1st line.

He was the one who had informed me of Han Tae-min’s appointment as Chief Prosecutor, and he was the Deputy Chief Prosecutor closest to me.

“I came to deliver some news.”

He looked around the office and said.

“I hope I’m not interrupting you while you’re busy?”

“Not at all. Please speak.”

“I just came back from the Deputy Chief Prosecutor’s meeting.”

My ears perked up at the words “Deputy Chief Prosecutor’s meeting.”

Since the Prosecutor General’s position was currently vacant, appointing a Chief Prosecutor was the authority of the 1st Deputy Chief Prosecutor, who was acting as the Prosecutor General.

If it was a Deputy Chief Prosecutor’s meeting, it was highly likely that they had discussed the appointment of a Chief Prosecutor.

I waited for his next words with a glint in my eyes.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kwon Hyung-gi approached me and extended his hand.

“Choi Pro, congratulations. I should call you Chief Choi now.”

Nice!

I clenched both fists and immediately grabbed Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kwon Hyung-gi’s hand and bowed my head.

“Thank you!”

No sooner had I finished my greeting than.

“Wow!”

I heard Yoon Seol-ha and Jo Ara cheering.

Because the door was open, the other prosecutors belonging to the Special Investigations Department, as if they had heard it from outside, approached and showered me with applause.

“Deputy Chief, congratulations! Ah, you’re the Chief now!”

“Congratulations!”

“Yippee!”

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kwon Hyung-gi smiled contentedly and said.

“I wanted to deliver the good news in person, so I came like this.”

“I’m honored to hear it from you, Deputy Chief.”

“Hahaha, you’re good with words.”

He patted me on the shoulder and encouraged me.

“I have expectations for the future.”

“I won’t let you down.”

“Okay. I’ll leave you old folks to it, so the Special Investigations Department can work together.”

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kwon Hyung-gi turned around and shouted to the Special Investigations Department prosecutors.

“The Chief is treating you to beef today!”

“Yeah!”

The prosecutors cheered brightly like children.

Oh, Deputy Chief Kwon.

Of course, I had no intention of backing out on a day like this.

I confidently took out a credit card from my wallet and raised it high.

“Let’s eat until we die!”

“Hoo!”

“Chief! Chief!”

The prosecutors chanted “Chief” and didn’t stop cheering for me for a long time.

***

After the festive atmosphere passed and things finally calmed down, I slowly started packing my things in the Deputy Chief’s office.

Then, Yoon Seol-ha suddenly looked at the air and said.

“Ah, but now it’s really goodbye.”

“Yes?”

Her voice was dripping with sadness.

“When you go up as Chief Prosecutor, you don’t have an investigator attached to you. Only Ara, the clerk, will go up as the Chief’s assistant.”

Yoon Seol-ha said with a regretful expression.

“Thank you for everything.”

I shook my head and asked playfully.

“Are you saying goodbye to me because I’m going up as Chief Prosecutor?”

At my words, she chuckled.

“Are you going to throw away your position as Chief Prosecutor because of me?”

“I think I’ll still need Seol-ha even if I go up.”

Yoon Seol-ha tilted her head as if she didn’t understand what I meant.

“If I could, I would naturally want to stay by Prosecutor…… no, Chief’s side. But it’s difficult because of the system…….”

“I think there would be no problem if only Seol-ha said okay.”

I smiled slyly, but she still had her eyes wide open.

“I’m naturally okay, but…….”

Knock knock.

At that time, the sound of knocking came again.

“You came just in time.”

“Yes?”

“Come in.”

The door opened and Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung came in.

“Oh, Chief. I’m sorry for coming late. I went to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and just came out.”

“Hahaha, it’s okay.”

“Congratulations on your promotion to Chief Prosecutor!”

He raised both thumbs and sparkled his eyes.

I waved my hand and changed the subject.

“By the way, Prosecutor Lee.”

“Yes?”

“You know that you can add one more investigator when you come up as Deputy Chief Prosecutor, right?”

“I know.”

Since it was something I had already discussed with Lee Doo-hyung, he looked at Yoon Seol-ha while making a playful remark.

“It would be nice if Yoon Seol-ha came.”

Yoon Seol-ha, who had been listening quietly, blinked her eyes and looked back and forth between me and Lee Doo-hyung.

Lee Doo-hyung shrugged his shoulders and continued.

“Ah, but Investigator Park Cheol-woong is enough for me…….”

Only then did Yoon Seol-ha realize what the situation was and raised the corners of her mouth.

“Then I can go under Prosecutor Lee’s command and take care of the Chief.”

“That’s perfect.”

This was the plan.

Officially, Yoon Seol-ha’s affiliation was under Lee Doo-hyung, but in reality, she would be helping me with my work.

Although I trust Lee Doo-hyung, it could be a win-win situation because I could monitor him through Yoon Seol-ha in case he turned his eyes elsewhere.

I trust him 99.9%, but I can’t rule out the 0.1% possibility in this field.

Of course, Lee Doo-hyung would not be thinking about this at all.

“Seol-ha, please take care of me in the future too.”

“I will do my best, Chief.”

Yoon Seol-ha shook hands with me with a much brighter smile than usual.