The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 101

Prosecutor, You’re Going Places – Episode 101

Wings (4)

“Ah, it’s been a while. How have you been?”

-Yes. I’ve been taking trips I never got to, taking care of people around me, and resting comfortably.

“I should have contacted you sooner, but I’m very late.”

-Hahaha, no. Isn’t that position usually busy?

“Thank you for understanding.”

The 20th President of South Korea, Kyung Dong-soo, chuckled and continued.

“It’s busier than I thought. Today, I only slept for four hours before waking up and getting straight to work.”

-Oh my, you’re so busy, yet you still called me. I’m deeply grateful.

“Hahaha, don’t say that.”

He wasn’t forcing a laugh; he was genuinely smiling comfortably.

“So, you don’t have any particular plans for your future, do you?”

-That’s right. My son is getting married this year, so we’re planning to give him the house we live in as part of his wedding gifts, and then my wife and I will move to the countryside to enjoy the fresh air and relax.

The man on the phone spoke as if he had no regrets, but there was still a hint of disappointment in his voice.

-I’ve worked hard for over 30 years, so it’s time to rest.

“Where have you decided to go?”

-We’re looking at Jeju Island.

“Ah, Jeju Island?”

-Yes. But I was surprised at how expensive the houses are there. Some areas are even more expensive than Seoul.

“Jeju Island is quite pricey these days…”

Kyung Dong-soo trailed off, then cautiously brought up the reason for his call.

“By the way, do you have any thoughts of returning?”

-Returning?

The man, referred to as “senior,” sounded slightly surprised before bursting into laughter.

-Hahaha, I’ve already retired. There’s nowhere to take me back.

“No. I’m the president now. What’s the problem?”

At those words, the person on the other end realized that Kyung Dong-soo wasn’t just testing the waters but was serious.

When he fell silent, Kyung Dong-soo carefully continued.

“A position will be opening up soon.”

-Wait a minute, Mr. President.

The man was startled by the word “soon.”

-Are you perhaps telling me to take the place of that person who’s been the subject of much talk?

“That’s right.”

Kyung Dong-soo smiled.

“You are more than qualified, senior.”

-Hmm…

“The position will be vacant before the end of this year. Come up then.”

-Before the end of the year, it seems things will be settled sooner than I thought?

“That’s right. The ‘problem solver’ prosecutor will be helping.”

-Could it be…

The man asked with a hopeful tone.

-Are you talking about that friend, the problem solver prosecutor?

Kyung Dong-soo twisted his lips into a smirk.

“That’s right. It’s him. I’ve received so much help from him this time that I’m planning to have a long and deep relationship with him.”

At those words, the man on the phone burst into laughter.

-It seems that friend helped you with your presidential campaign?

“Of course. It was incredible. If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be sitting in this position.”

-Hmm…

Kyung Dong-soo’s words evoked genuine admiration from the man.

-Are you saying I’m being chosen thanks to that friend?

“No, it’s not like that, but I’m telling you in advance because he’s quite close to you, senior. Don’t misunderstand.”

-I understand. Then I should prepare in advance.

“Yes. Don’t be too nervous, just relax and get ready.”

-Okay, goodbye.

“I’ll see you in winter.”

Kyung Dong-soo finished the call with a satisfied greeting.

If he put this man in the position that was causing so much controversy, it would be a person who would inevitably pass the confirmation hearing with 100% certainty.

And if he got rid of the most problematic figure among the ministers currently referred to as Kyung Dong-soo’s cabinet, his own position would become even more solid.

The person currently in that position is someone from a very wealthy family, so no matter how much the media attacks, they seem to be blocking it with money, but that’s only a matter of time now.

Because he plans to ask that problem solver to take care of this.

Kyung Dong-soo called him with anticipation.

The call rang for a long time, and just before it was about to cut off, he answered.

-Yes, this is Choi Seo-joon.

***

“Yes, this is Choi Seo-joon.”

-Ah, Prosecutor Choi, it’s been a while. Are you busy?

“No, I was in a meeting, but we took a break. You can take your time.”

-Oh my, I feel like I interrupted you. I’m sorry.

“I was just about to take a break. Please, speak comfortably.”

-Thank you for saying so, hahaha.

President Kyung Dong-soo laughed heartily and then got straight to the point.

-It’s nothing much, but now that the noisy matters are mostly settled, I was hoping we could meet in person.

At Kyung Dong-soo’s words, his ears perked up.

Yes, we should meet.

They may have seen each other on TV numerous times, but they had never met in person.

After being elected president in May, he had been too busy dealing with the turbulent situation, and meeting with me immediately after the election could have caught Choi Kyu-hyun’s eye and raised suspicion.

But now it’s September. Entering autumn, it was a sufficiently relaxed time to hold a secret meeting.

-I also have a favor to ask while we meet, haha.

He chuckled lightly.

He was speaking as if it was nothing, but if he was asking in person, it meant it wasn’t a small matter.

The president’s support for the special investigation unit at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office has been extraordinary, giving them a lot of power. If we become even more closely connected, I can’t even imagine how much greater our power will become.

“Of course. We should meet. When would be a good time for you?”

-How about sometime this weekend?

“I’m fine with that. Saturday evening would be good.”

-Then I’ll confirm the location and get back to you.

“Yes, I’ll be waiting.”

-Thank you.

“Take care.”

-Goodbye.

On a weekend evening, there would be many eyes outside, so he would probably be invited to one of his secret spaces.

It seems like interesting things will unfold.

After finishing the call and coming down to smoke a cigarette, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung lit my cigarette as if he had been waiting.

A woman was standing next to him.

Jang Ha-young.

A female prosecutor who was with us during the meeting just now.

She was brought in as a result of asking Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung to choose a reliable successor right after the presidential election.

What’s unique is that she’s the only woman in the special investigation unit.

At 171cm [approximately 5’7″], she’s as tall as a man, with a cool, short haircut. Tall and with a refreshing face. Her firm eyes and straightforward way of speaking were quite appealing.

The results of her work so far have also been far superior to those of typical prosecutors.

Another advantage is that she also smokes, so we can come out together and smoke comfortably.

“Did the call go well?”

In response to Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung’s question, I took a deep drag of my cigarette.

“Yeah, it went well.”

Prosecutor Jang Ha-young, who seemed to have finished her cigarette, carefully expressed her curiosity.

“He didn’t seem like an ordinary person…”

“Ah, he was a VIP [Very Important Person].”

Her eyes widened, and I smiled and shook my head.

“It’s nothing special, he just asked to meet.”

“I’m newly grateful that I got on the chief’s line.”

At Jang Ha-young’s words, I playfully twisted my lips.

“I haven’t said I’ll accept you yet, have I?”

“Ah.”

Instantly, Jang Ha-young realized she had made a mistake and lowered her head.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

I smiled lightly and waved my hand.

“You’ll be soon, anyway.”

Both seemed to have already finished their cigarettes, but Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung naturally took out another cigarette and put it in his mouth, and Prosecutor Jang Ha-young also took out a cigarette.

“Ah, Prosecutor Jang.”

“Yes?”

At my call, she stopped and looked up at me.

Looking at her widened pupils, she seemed quite nervous.

“It’s hot, you can go in first.”

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung also noticed my intention to talk to him alone and nodded.

“Yes. Go in and rest.”

“Ah, yes. I understand.”

Prosecutor Jang Ha-young bowed her head, her black-brown bob swaying, and returned inside the building first.

After her figure completely disappeared, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung cautiously asked.

“What do you think of Jang Ha-young?”

In Lee Doo-hyung’s eyes, anxiety and anticipation coexisted.

As she was the person he had chosen after three months of deliberation, it was a moment when his choice was being evaluated.

“She doesn’t seem bad.”

He let out a sigh of relief.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. But the fact that she’s a woman is a bit concerning.”

Rather than a stereotype about gender, it was because female prosecutors often resigned and joined law firms as lawyers after getting married and giving birth.

I had heard quite a few stories from people in my line about how they had trouble because female prosecutors resigned due to family matters around the time when trust was being built and their positions were becoming solid.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

However, Deputy Chief Lee Doo-hyung firmly stated.

“Why?”

“After looking into it, her sense of independence is very strong, and she values work more than love, so if she had to choose between the two, she would definitely choose work.”

Suddenly, Yoon Seol-ha’s image overlapped with hers.

“Is she a single-minded person like Investigator Yoon?”

“No. She meets men and thinks about marriage, but she doesn’t seem to want children. It’s too difficult to raise children in Korean society these days.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Lee Doo-hyung tapped his cigarette ash and suddenly asked.

“Shouldn’t the chief start thinking about marriage soon?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

It was almost like I had received permission for marriage after going on a trip with Han Ji-yoo’s parents a while ago.

“But Ji-yoo is a celebrity, so there will be restrictions if we get married, so I’m thinking about it.”

“Ah, that’s true too.”

I nodded and extinguished my cigarette.

“Anyway, let’s go with Jang Ha-young for now. There’s nothing to worry about, and if Deputy Chief Lee chose her, she must be a good person.”

“Thank you for trusting me.”

“You know it’s your fault if it goes wrong, right?”

I made a joke mixed with seriousness, but he nodded confidently.

“Don’t worry. Jang Ha-young is really trustworthy.”

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung said with a glint in his eyes.

“Besides, because she’s a woman, male prosecutors are less wary, so there’s less concern that our connection will be exposed.”

“That seems pretty good.”

I nodded slowly.

“Okay. I understand for now.”

I moved towards the prosecutor’s office lobby.

“I’ll push some big cases that are coming down next week, so tell her to blow them up properly. Don’t help her with this one. I want to see Jang Ha-young’s abilities.”

“Understood.”