The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 119

Prosecutor, You’re Going Places! – 119

Winter (6)

“Ah, I see.”

Chief Kang Joong-shik nodded with a look of sincere empathy.

“If something like that had happened, I wouldn’t have been able to stay still either.”

He was meeting Lee Hong-jae, who had reported the information over the phone, to hear his story in person.

The story that Chief Kang Joong-shik was nodding along to, expressing his agreement with Lee Hong-jae, was none other than the things he had experienced within the Juok Group.

Being such a large company, and with the department’s work being no ordinary task, the strict and demanding chain of command was undeniable.

In that process, Lee Hong-jae was not an excellent employee who could handle anything, but rather a problematic employee who constantly made mistakes.

He managed to get in through connections with a senior from his hometown, but surviving within was entirely up to his capabilities.

However, as a security guard, he had made several significant mistakes in a short period. He wasn’t physically assaulted, but he was subjected to abusive language that insulted his character due to his many mistakes, and he couldn’t bear it, eventually running away.

He harbored resentment about this fact, but as a mere civilian, all he could do to express his dissatisfaction with Juok Group was to boycott their products.

Then, when news and articles about an incident he knew about appeared, he decided to report it to the Public Security Department with the thought of getting some revenge, and it happened that Chief Kang Joong-shik was the one who received the call.

After hearing the whole story, Chief Kang Joong-shik honestly thought that in a conglomerate’s security department like Juok Group, being criticized for lacking personal ability was naturally the individual’s fault, but in the current situation, he had no choice but to side with Lee Hong-jae.

Because he was his only salvation.

“Those kinds of guys need to be severely punished.”

Unaware of these inner thoughts, Lee Hong-jae could only nod repeatedly at the flattering words Chief Kang Joong-shik was outwardly saying.

“That’s right.”

“Hong-jae’s tip is going to be a great help in messing with those Juok Group guys.”

“Please make sure that happens.”

“Yes. I’d like you to tell me a little more about the part you mentioned on the phone….”

“Ah, so it was three years ago from now, the exact date is….”

He even remembered the exact date.

He had brought the work log he had written when he was working there, so it couldn’t be wrong.

“That day, the foreign car was so full of apple boxes that there was no room to put them. The trunk, as well as the back seat and the passenger seat, were completely filled… it was so full that it was really interfering with driving.”

“Do you remember the approximate amount?”

“There were ten apple boxes, so… wouldn’t that be a lot?”

Chief Kang Joong-shik couldn’t hide his intriguing smile.

If you filled an apple box with 50,000 won bills [Korean currency, approximately $40 USD per bill], it would be about 1.2 billion won [approximately $900,000 USD].

If there were ten boxes, that would be a whopping 12 billion won [approximately $9 million USD].

He had vaguely expected that they had taken bribes in the 10 billion won range, but the thought of them actually taking that huge amount of money and pretending to be such clean prosecutors sent chills down his spine.

Lee Hong-jae continued, recalling his memories.

“There’s a reason why I remember that exactly.”

He continued, looking through his work log.

“A few days after I loaded that money, that prosecutor held a press conference saying he had received 1.2 billion won from Vice Chairman Lee Cheol-gi.”

“So, he received that money as compensation for revealing the money he received from Lee Cheol-gi?”

“That’s my guess.”

In reality, it wasn’t compensation but a gift from Choi Seo-joon, but if Chief Kang Joong-shik pieced it together, it was a situation that made perfect sense.

Chief Kang Joong-shik finished calculating in his head and asked cautiously.

“Could you testify to this in court?”

“In court?”

Lee Hong-jae couldn’t hide his bewildered expression at the word “court.”

“That’s a bit….”

“Is there a problem?”

“I’m worried about being retaliated against….”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Chief Kang Joong-shik said firmly.

“We will protect you for sure.”

However, the informant Lee Hong-jae still couldn’t erase his worried expression.

Chief Kang Joong-shik, who had already gained the upper hand, could do anything as long as he could gain confidence.

And he knew very well what these kinds of people would fall for.

“If you stand in court, I would like to give you a small reward as a token of my appreciation.”

Lee Hong-jae’s eyes sparkled at those words.

“A reward?”

“Yes.”

Chief Kang Joong-shik said with a twisted smile.

“It’s not an official reward, but I’m so grateful that I wanted to give it to you personally.”

“Hmm hmm, in that case….”

Lee Hong-jae, who had instantly changed to an agreeable attitude, asked with a lecherous look in his eyes.

“Then, how much are you giving….”

“I’ll give you 30 million [approximately $22,500 USD].”

Lee Hong-jae’s eyes sparkled at the large sum of 30 million won.

For him, who was in his late 20s and unemployed, 30 million won was by no means a small amount.

And seeing that reaction, Chief Kang Joong-shik, realizing that he would definitely agree, went one step further.

“But I wish I could give you more….”

“Oh, no. This is already a lot for me.”

However, Chief Kang Joong-shik shook his head with a lecherous smile.

“If you make a slightly more provocative statement, I’ll give you 100 million [approximately $75,000 USD].”

“100 million?”

Lee Hong-jae’s eyes shook greatly.

100 million.

Even in the security team of that large company, Juok Group, he, as a new recruit, had never dreamed of earning an annual salary of 100 million won.

Of course, others would receive pocket money from the chief of staff, but Lee Hong-jae, who was always causing trouble, didn’t have the ability to receive it.

Therefore, the 100 million won that Chief Kang Joong-shik offered was bound to captivate Lee Hong-jae’s heart.

Also, it was enough for Chief Kang Joong-shik to realize that he had fallen for it.

He opened his mouth with a lecherous look in his eyes.

“So, you’re saying you saw him receiving the money.”

“……Pardon?”

“You said you witnessed him receiving the apple boxes. The truth is, you saw that it was full of 50,000 won bills. To put it bluntly, it’s a subtle difference, but I’m giving you 100 million won for that.”

Lee Hong-jae, who already had his eyes on the 100 million won, nodded without hesitation.

“I’ll do that.”

“If possible, even when interviewing with the press….”

“I understand. It’s not difficult.”

“Good.”

Chief Kang Joong-shik reached out his hand to him with great satisfaction.

“It seems like the case will be resolved very interestingly.”

***

Thanks to hearing the exact date, the investigation, which had been aimless, was able to quickly find direction.

The Inspection Department wasn’t providing much cooperation with the investigation, but just obtaining that authority allowed them to legally and quickly investigate the movements of everyone related to Choi Seo-joon.

And Chief Kang Joong-shik, exactly three days after receiving the tip, found 1 billion won hidden in Choi Seo-joon’s borrowed-name account.

They couldn’t find the whereabouts of the remaining 11 billion won out of the 12 billion won, but they confirmed that 1 billion won remained intact in the account.

Even the money laundering process was perfect.

It was a shame that they couldn’t grasp the whereabouts of the other money, but 1 billion won was enough to cut off Choi Seo-joon’s head.

Not only that.

With the controversy growing, the informant Lee Hong-jae had given an interview to True Media a few days ago as he had requested, so among the public, Choi Seo-joon’s bribery charges were being regarded as confirmed.

He didn’t know what cards he was preparing, but no matter how much of a Choi Seo-joon he was, it would be difficult to overturn the media that had already reached this point at once.

‘Or maybe he doesn’t have any cards at all.’

Chief Kang Joong-shik was diligently indulging in wishful thinking.

With the security guard’s testimony and his own evidence, Choi Seo-joon couldn’t escape.

He had the glorious end of the star prosecutor, who was called the youngest prosecutor, right in front of his eyes.

“Chief.”

“Oh, why?”

One of the junior prosecutors approached with sparkling eyes.

“Chief Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon didn’t come to work today due to sick leave [a common practice for officials facing scandal].”

“Really?”

A smile instantly spread across Chief Kang Joong-shik’s face.

This was perfect.

The typical procedure of a collapsing public official.

He felt a sense that the day to see the end of Choi Seo-joon was not far away.

‘I threw it to the media thinking I was going to be forced to eat mustard [a Korean idiom for being forced to do something unpleasant], but to think the case would proceed like this.’

The thought of being rejected by High Prosecutor Park Jae-pil and even thinking about resigning flashed through his mind like a panorama.

‘It’s not the strong who survive, but the one who survives is strong.’

He had been humiliated by Choi Seo-joon several times, but in the end, he would be the one to survive.

The thought that he was the one who would bring down that exceptional Choi Seo-joon made Chief Kang Joong-shik feel the most exhilarating feeling since he came up to Seoul.

***

-I’m really sorry. But according to our kids, they can’t see the contents of the apple boxes in the security office… I think he’s making statements based on delusion.

“No, whether it’s delusion or not, it’s the truth.”

Choi Seo-joon said in frustration.

“But I can’t argue that there’s no money or that it’s something else.”

If he did, it would be admitting that he received the apple boxes.

He was trapped in a situation where he couldn’t deny, affirm, or excuse himself.

“Chairman, if this is revealed, not only will I be screwed, but you’ll die too. You know that, right?”

-Of course, I know. That’s why I’m running around trying to save the prosecutor.”

“Haa….”

He let out a deep sigh, but no brilliant solution came to mind.

Chairman Lee Cheol-yong seemed to be the same, as he cautiously brought up another matter.

-Take a rest for now. I have a villa in Gangwon-do, so take a few days off there and clear your head….”

“I’m already in Jeju Island.”

He was currently at Han Ji-yu’s villa.

Not only were they starting to suspect him, but now they were confirming him as a bribery offender, and reporters were swarming in front of the prosecutor’s office and his house, so he couldn’t stay home.

“So, I told those guys who left several times to keep their mouths shut….”

He was so angry that he couldn’t continue speaking and slammed the wall.

-I’m sorry.

All of these situations were created because of that one informant.

That’s why Chairman Lee Cheol-yong was constantly apologizing, but there was no way to fix it since that Lee Hong-jae had already sided with Chief Kang Joong-shik.

-I’ll assess the situation more and find a solution and contact you.”

“I understand. Just in case, don’t approach that Lee Hong-jae first. If you mess up, even that will be recorded and if it blows up, you’ll really be destroyed.”

-Yes. I don’t act without thinking either.”

“Contact me again.”

He hung up the phone after saying those words.

“Hoo.”

It had been a few days since the article broke, but he hadn’t been able to hold a press conference even once, even though he had prepared for it dozens of times.

Therefore, the suspicion about him was growing more and more, and the anxiety about the clutches that Chief Kang Joong-shik was gradually extending was only increasing.

After wiping his face roughly several times, Han Ji-yu approached with a worried expression.

“Oppa [a Korean term for older brother used by females, often used affectionately], eat something. You haven’t eaten anything for two days now.”

“I’m sorry, Ji-yu.”

He only felt apologetic.

As he was being hounded as a bribery offender, the criticism of the citizens naturally extended even to his girlfriend, Han Ji-yu.

Thanks to that, she had even temporarily suspended the movie shooting she was doing well and escaped to Jeju Island with him.

However, Han Ji-yu never blamed him or complained.

She was just taking care of and comforting him.

“No, what are you sorry for? There are times like this and times like that in life.”

She stroked his back and continued.

“No matter who says what, I believe in you, Oppa. Don’t worry no matter what happens. I’ll support you.”

How could he not be grateful to her for saying this much in this situation?

“Don’t get too stressed.”

Instead of being a source of strength as a man, he was just getting comfort from his girlfriend.

He was pathetic.

Unable to see her face in his miserable state, he turned his head, and the sight of white snow falling more powerfully than ever before came into view through the window.

It was a colder winter day than any winter that had passed until now.