The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 105

Checks and Balances (1)

“Former Chief Prosecutor Kim Seok-won has been appointed as the Minister of Justice!”

The moment I heard Yoon Seol-ha’s words, chills ran down my spine.

Right, Kim Seok-won!

So that’s why he said those things when we met the other day.

I knew something was off.

Now I understand what President Kyung Dong-soo meant. “The most suitable man who is qualified to be a Chief Prosecutor and is close enough to be my wingman.”

Huh.

I had forgotten about Kim Seok-won.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Not only had Kim Seok-won retired recently, but his image at the time of his retirement was so vivid in my mind that I never imagined he would become the Minister of Justice.

It hasn’t even been a year since he retired, after all.

Kim Seok-won as the Minister of Justice….

This is a real jackpot.

With President Kyung Dong-soo and Chief Prosecutor Seo Ki-woong on my side, and now even the Minister of Justice, I am truly invincible.

If I can just get rid of that thorn in my side, Chief Kang Joong-shik, I can get promoted to Chief Prosecutor without any obstacles.

I couldn’t believe it, so I asked Yoon Seol-ha again.

“Are you sure Chief Prosecutor Kim Seok-won became the Minister of Justice?”

-Yes, I’m telling you. The investigators’ group chat is in chaos right now. Everyone is in a state of mental breakdown. Only we are hitting the jackpot.

She continued in a cheerful voice.

-It’s really Chief’s era now. Congratulations.

“Hahaha, no. I have something to confirm first… I’ll call you back later.”

-Yes, congratulations.

“Have a happy Chuseok [Korean harvest festival], Seol-ha.”

-You too, Chief!

I ended the call with her and immediately went online with my phone.

The President’s Chuseok greetings were linked to the real-time search terms, and the fact that Kim Seok-won was appointed as the Minister of Justice was buried in other articles as a short news item.

To the general public, it was just a short line in the news, but this fact meant a lot to the prosecution.

In a nutshell, the prosecutors who used to suck up to Kim Seok-won when he was the Chief Prosecutor but treated him like an old man after his retirement would all have to beg for forgiveness.

On the other hand, I, who had made a good impression on Kim Seok-won just two days ago, had a clear path to promotion.

It’s really my era, as Yoon Seol-ha said.

I immediately called Kim Seok-won.

After a long ringing, he finally answered the phone.

-Oh, Chief Choi!

He answered the phone happily.

“Chief Prosecutor! No, should I call you Minister now?”

-Hahahaha, I see you saw the news.

“I just heard it from my investigator. Congratulations!”

-Thank you.

He burst into a hearty laugh.

-I told you, I take care of my people.

The moment I heard those words, my fist clenched.

It’s over.

It’s perfect.

I never knew that not forgetting to be grateful would be rewarded in this way.

Life is full of surprises.

Who would have known that he would make such a spectacular comeback when he retired?

That’s why it’s fun to live, because you can’t predict what will happen.

“I remember it very well, Minister.”

-Good. Let’s create a wonderful new era together.

“I will do my best to assist you!”

***

First day back to work after Chuseok.

Four or five chief prosecutors belonging to the 2nd line of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office gathered and lamented.

“We’re screwed, we’re screwed.”

“Who knew that Kim Seok-won would become the Minister of Justice out of the blue, not even from our line?”

“I know, right? I heard from our line that Kyung Dong-soo was completely entrusted to appoint the Minister.”

“So Kyung Dong-soo took care of Kim Seok-won, who is a senior from his school. They are both from Wangsimni University.”

“Besides, our line didn’t help much in the presidential election in the first place, so Kyung Dong-soo can pick whoever he wants, right?”

“Well, frankly speaking, we messed up the election, so we should be grateful that he’s taking care of us even after being elected.”

Those in the 2nd line knew that they had not been of great help in the presidential election, so all they could do was talk behind his back, unable to speak openly to Kyung Dong-soo.

Chief Prosecutor Chae Jong-min of the Science and Technology Crime Investigation Department clicked his tongue and shook his head, saying.

“Choi Seo-joon must be having a field day.”

“That guy and Park Seung-soo, the chief of the Inspection Department, are both guaranteed promotions. They were the only ones who kept visiting Kim Seok-won, giving him gifts, and greeting him when everyone else was ignoring him.”

“I don’t know how Choi Seo-joon is so good at getting in line.”

“Ugh, is there anyone among us who is related to Kim Seok-won?”

At his words, the chief prosecutors’ gazes naturally focused on one person.

“Chief Chae, you used to work under Kim Seok-won.”

“I’m out.”

Chief Prosecutor Chae Jong-min sighed and shook his head.

“When he retired, I didn’t even give him a bouquet of flowers, let alone attend his retirement ceremony.”

“Oh, man. Why did you do that?”

“How could I have known that Kim Seok-won would become the Minister of Justice less than a year after retiring as Chief Prosecutor? If I had known, I would have visited him every day and begged him.”

In the break room, the chief prosecutors of the 2nd line sighed incessantly.

“So, do we really have to get in line with Choi Seo-joon this time?”

“Ugh, that young punk is already acting cocky as a chief prosecutor, and now we have to bow down to him?”

“What else can we do? Are you going to suck up to that iron fortress, Chief Prosecutor Seo Ki-woong?”

The chief prosecutors who thought of Chief Prosecutor Seo Ki-woong couldn’t bring themselves to speak.

As the modern-day embodiment of integrity, there was no room to suck up to Chief Prosecutor Seo Ki-woong.

“No, putting Kim Seok-won aside, how did Choi Seo-joon win the heart of Chief Prosecutor Seo Ki-woong?”

“That’s what’s crazy. I can’t even carry on a conversation with Chief Prosecutor Seo Ki-woong… but Choi Seo-joon stays in the Chief Prosecutor’s office for at least 30 minutes.”

“Moreover, it seems like even the deputy chief prosecutors in Choi Gyu-hyun’s line can’t beat Choi Seo-joon.”

“Is it that bad?”

“That’s right. You know Prosecutor Park Min-woo in the Special Investigation Department, right?”

“I know him. He’s one of the few in the Special Investigation Department who is in the 2nd line.”

“I heard from him that Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kwon Hyung-gi comes to Choi Seo-joon all the time.”

“Hmph….”

Once again, the chief prosecutors in the break room fell silent.

Clearly, the president was from their line, and the prosecutor general was also an individual belonging to the same line, but somehow it felt like the momentum had shifted to Choi Seo-joon, who belonged to the opposing line.

Then, one of the chief prosecutors cautiously muttered.

“So, do we really have to stick with Choi Seo-joon now….”

Everyone had thought about it in their hearts, but they couldn’t bring themselves to say it out of pride.

Just as a sense of defeat was deepening in their minds, Chief Prosecutor Chae Jong-min snapped his fingers as if he had thought of something.

“Ah, wait a minute!”

“Why, did you come up with a good idea?”

“There’s still one hope left.”

“Hope?”

The chief prosecutors focused their gazes on Chief Prosecutor Chae Jong-min with desperate eyes.

“Kang Joong-shik, the chief of the Public Security Department. That guy destroyed three departments of the Western District Prosecutors’ Office. If it’s that viper, maybe he can handle Choi Seo-joon?”

“No, Chief Chae. Are you suggesting we stick with that bumpkin from Busan?”

One chief prosecutor openly expressed his discomfort, but Chief Prosecutor Chae Jong-min immediately retorted without hesitation.

“Then are you going to stick with Choi Seo-joon? That guy is a dozen years younger than you. Isn’t it better to use that bumpkin from Busan to check him than to bow down to that nephew-like guy, right?”

“Well….”

Viper Kang Joong-shik.

There was no one among them who didn’t know him.

He was making his presence known as soon as he came up to Seoul.

Chief Prosecutor Chae Jong-min began to coax them, as if trying to persuade his colleagues.

“I heard from Prosecutor Park Min-woo recently that that viper seems to be digging into Choi Seo-joon’s background.”

“Is that true?”

“That’s right.”

The chief prosecutor of the Child Crime Investigation Department, who had been listening quietly, added.

“I found out that he’s in the current Chief Prosecutor’s line.”

Chief Prosecutor Chae Jong-min clapped his hands and shouted.

“Ah, now that I think about it, they’re both from the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office!”

“That explains it.”

Squeak.

At that moment, the door opened and Viper Kang Joong-shik entered the break room.

The chief prosecutors’ gazes all turned to him.

Chief Kang Joong-shik flinched and then twisted his lips into a smirk.

“It seems like you’re having an interesting conversation… Can I join in?”

Chief Prosecutor Chae Jong-min nodded as if he had been waiting for it.

“Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.”

Chief Kang Joong-shik’s forked tongue licked his lips greedily.

“Snakes always know the perfect timing to coil and strike.”

***

“Chief Choi, this is a great plan if it’s restructured and implemented in this way, but I don’t think the Chief Prosecutor will easily approve it.”

Chief Prosecutor Go Seong-hyun of the Criminal Division 3 skimmed through the data I handed him.

“So, I was wondering if you could put in a good word for me?”

I knew he would bring this up.

As my friendship with Chief Prosecutor Seo Ki-woong began to become apparent, the chief prosecutors in our line would come to me and ask me to put in a good word for them if they thought they would have trouble communicating with the Chief Prosecutor.

Thanks to the Chief Prosecutor’s trust in me reaching its peak, he was proceeding with the work in the direction I suggested in most cases.

I was slowly becoming the real power in the Central District Prosecutors’ Office.

The plan he presented wasn’t bad.

If he brought it directly to the Chief Prosecutor, it was likely to be rejected, but if I went and talked about it, it could be approved.

I had to take care of the people in the same line so that they could be my strength later, so I was usually granting their requests.

“Okay. I’ll talk to the Chief Prosecutor separately when I see him later.”

Chief Prosecutor Go Seong-hyun grabbed my hands with both of his.

“Oh, Chief Choi, thank you. You’re the only one I have. I’ll buy you a drink later.”

“It’s okay. I’ll talk to the Chief Prosecutor for a moment after the meeting today, so please stay.”

“Okay, I will.”

Knock knock.

At that moment, the door opened cautiously with a knock.

“Chief, it’s time for the meeting.”

At the words of Staff Jo Ah-ra, I looked at my watch and got up from my seat.

“Chief Go, let’s go in right away.”

“I will.”

I straightened my clothes and asked Jo Ah-ra.

“Today is the day the serial murder case of women is assigned, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“We have to get it.”

“It will probably be transferred to this side. It’s such a hot topic that it would be difficult to hand it over to the Criminal Division.”

As much as it was a hot topic, there was a high possibility that it would be transferred to the Special Investigation Department, and above all, it was a good case to attract media attention if it was solved.

These kinds of big cases are the most optimized for building achievements.

“Chief Choi, shall we go?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

I headed to the conference room with Chief Go Seong-hyun.

***

A meeting presided over by the Chief Prosecutor.

Basic cases were assigned to each department and transferred, and this was a brief meeting where the Chief Prosecutor directly confirmed special cases such as the serial murder case of women and handed them over to the department.

After the assignment of several cases, the turn of the serial murder case of women that I had been waiting for approached.

Chief Prosecutor Seo Ki-woong slowly scanned the case and opened his mouth.

“So, the serial murder case of women is a hot topic and will have a great impact….”

He naturally turned his gaze to me.

I thought that the case would be assigned to the Special Investigation Department without having to appeal.

But then, an unexpected person opened his mouth.

“How about the Public Security Department takes on this case?”

Chief Kang Joong-shik spat out the words as if he had been waiting for it.

“As the serial murder of women is a serious crime, it is a matter related to public safety and order, so I think it would be better for the Public Security Department to take charge.”

He finished those words and gave me a greasy smile.

A very unpleasant smile.