The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 133

Prosecutor, You’re Going Places – Episode 133

Invasion (3)

Two minutes.

Just two minutes made all the difference, allowing us to breathe.

The fact that the article was published before the warrant was issued holds significant weight.

If the article had been published after the warrant, it would have been difficult to shake off suspicions of using the media for damage control. However, with the article preceding the warrant, we could argue that the investigation was a sting operation that led to misunderstandings from the Inspection Department, as the article suggested.

Above all, since the warrant was directly requested by Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil, who then called an emergency meeting, we could mitigate the situation by claiming ignorance of the warrant request itself.

It wasn’t a perfect defense, but it created enough wiggle room to escape.

In the aftermath of the search and seizure storm.

Hong Seok-jang belatedly arrived at his office after the Inspection Department had swept through. [The Inspection Department is an internal affairs division within the prosecutor’s office, responsible for investigating misconduct.]

Huffing and puffing, he rushed to the entrance of the Special Investigations Department and immediately apologized.

“I’m sorry!”

He bowed deeply, as if trying to bury his head in the floor. Hong Seok-jang knew better than anyone that this situation couldn’t be resolved with just an apology.

The atmosphere was so tense that all the prosecutors and investigators in the Special Investigations Department had retreated to their offices, holding their breath.

Hong Seok-jang and I were the only two standing in that vast space.

Seeing his face, my anger flared up again.

“Hoo.”

Slowly, I took a deep breath.

I wanted to slap him, but I held back.

Even without physical violence, he would understand the gravity of his mistake.

I shouted loud enough for the other prosecutors to hear.

“Everyone, come out.”

It wasn’t a loud voice, but everyone had been watching, even with their doors closed. They all opened their doors and emerged as if they had been waiting for the summons.

“Listen carefully.”

I began with a cold voice.

“I don’t engage in shameless acts like cutting off the tail to escape [abandoning subordinates to save oneself] or ignoring someone trapped and dying. I will take responsibility for and protect my people until the end. I promise this on my prosecutor’s badge.”

I looked at each of the prosecutors in the Special Investigations Department and continued.

“But I don’t clean up other people’s messes. The thing I hate most is cleaning up other people’s messes. I’ll extend a hand to someone who’s stumbled, but I won’t forcibly pick up someone who’s fallen.”

The room instantly became solemn.

My words were a warning.

There were complex reasons for Hong Seok-jang’s selection as an internal investigation target, but regardless of the circumstances, it was undeniable that he had done something problematic.

Along with a reassuring declaration that I would protect my people with my life, it was also a declaration that if problems arose due to their corruption, they would be directly responsible.

I should have said this before, but I missed the timing. I think it’s a good thing that I can imprint it in the minds of the Special Investigations Department prosecutors through this opportunity.

“Behave yourselves. You’re not all going to end up as ordinary prosecutors and then take off your robes, are you?” [referring to retiring without achieving significant success]

I pointed to the chief’s office that I use and said.

“Are you just going to stare at that office from afar and have it taken away by a rolling stone?” [A rolling stone gathers no moss, meaning someone new will take over the position.]

In that moment, I caught the eyes of a few prosecutors flashing.

It naturally stimulated their ambition and drive.

This is enough.

These are prosecutors from the Special Investigations Department, after all.

They all understood.

I turned my gaze to Prosecutor Hong Seok-jang.

“Hong Seok-jang.”

“Yes, Chief!”

He hurriedly raised his head and stood straight.

“I’m stepping in because there’s never been anything like this in the Special Investigations Department before. There won’t be a next time.”

“I understand.”

“Everyone, get back to work. Hong Seok-jang, you come in with me.”

I turned my back on the prosecutors and entered the chief’s office.

As soon as I sat in the seat of honor, Hong Seok-jang bowed his head again.

“Chief, I’m really sorry.”

“Sit down.”

“I deserve to die…….”

He was about to kneel, so I said very cynically.

“I said sit down.”

Only then did Hong Seok-jang grasp the atmosphere, flinch, awkwardly stop, and sit on the sofa.

Without delay, I went straight to the point.

“Do you have a ledger of the bribes you’ve received so far, or not?”

He couldn’t hide his bewildered expression at my question.

It wasn’t because of the existence of such a ledger, but because he was surprised that this question had come up.

He must have come prepared to be scolded.

But I had no intention of scolding him any further.

He’s not a child, and he’ll reflect enough with just the reprimand I gave him a moment ago.

It would only hurt my mouth to say more.

Prosecutor Hong Seok-jang straightened his back and answered.

“I don’t have one. I only remember it in my head.”

“Since coming to Seoul, how many places have you taken from?”

“Three, including BH Construction.”

“Three in less than half a year. You’ve eaten a lot.”

“……I’m sorry.”

“We’ve put out an article saying we’re conducting a sting operation regarding bribery, so create a ledger of the three places you’ve taken from and spit it all out.”

“I understand.”

Prosecutor Hong Seok-jang answered without hesitation, but he cautiously asked if there was anything he was worried about.

“But those companies won’t just sit still.”

“BH Construction is being investigated by the Senior Prosecutor, so put that on hold for now. Give the other two a suspended sentence and have them put up a dummy CEO to say they gave it. Otherwise, the guys who gave the money will all be arrested for bribery. What are they going to do? They have to listen.”

“Ah.”

“Shouldn’t we know how to use the power we have?”

He couldn’t hide his admiration.

“As expected of you, Chief…….”

“Enough.”

I got up from my seat.

“Listen to Yoon Seol-ha, the investigator, and Jo Ara, the clerk, and handle it properly.”

“I understand.”

He followed me and got up, turned his feet towards the door, and bowed to me at a 90-degree angle.

“I’m sorry for disappointing you.”

I returned to my seat and said.

“Prosecutor Hong.”

“Yes, Chief.”

“We have to go a long way together. You can’t die easily, can you?”

“I will make sure that something like this never happens again.”

“The moment something similar happens again, it won’t be ‘next time,’ it will be ‘the first time.'”

I turned my gaze away from him.

“Because at that time, the three letters ‘Hong Seok-jang’ will disappear from my mind.”

The sound of him swallowing hard echoed softly in the office.

***

“It was a planned investigation?”

“No, it wasn’t planned. Senior Prosecutor Park Seung-soo, as well as our guys, didn’t know anything about it.”

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Song Hyun-sung let out a hollow laugh.

“He literally brought in the information himself. The source itself was Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil.”

As expected, it was a game set up by Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil from beginning to end.

“Are they going to put up a dummy CEO for BH Construction too?”

“No, strangely enough, they didn’t seem to have gained any practical benefits after giving the bribe. We’ve put that on hold for now, thinking there might be something else.”

“Good job. I think that mad dog has a connection with BH Construction.”

“Really?”

“I heard that Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil’s cash cow in Seoul is BH Construction.”

If that’s the case, it explains this situation.

Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil ordered them to give the money and moved as if he had received a tip.

It’s a plausible story.

BH Construction is a company in the construction industry, which is called a hotbed of corruption, so if the prosecution decides to shake it up, there will be a lot of dust. BH Construction had no choice but to do what Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil told them to do.

Song Hyun-sung put a cigarette in his mouth and said.

“Fortunately, there’s nothing special in the confiscated data, so if we tie it to a sting operation as you said, it will be concluded as not guilty.”

“I took a breather thanks to you.”

“Manage your guys well, you idiot. I helped you this time, but I don’t know what will happen next time.”

“Yeah. Thanks a lot.”

He blew out cigarette smoke and clicked his tongue.

“Anyway, I’m going to have a proper fight with that mad dog soon.”

“I have to.”

Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil’s goal wasn’t to take down Prosecutor Hong Seok-jang.

He was just laying the groundwork to hit me.

Even if Hong Seok-jang falters, he will endure, so Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil made a mistake in buttoning the first button [making the first move], but it was undeniable that it was a declaration of war against me.

“Didn’t Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil have any separate instructions?”

“No, he didn’t say anything after the tip came out and the warrant was requested.”

Beep, beep.

At that time, the phone rang.

I tilted my head at the unfamiliar number, and Song Hyun-sung asked.

“Who is it?”

“It’s an unknown number.”

Song Hyun-sung leaned over and looked at my phone screen, then immediately took out his own phone and compared the two screens.

“Why, do you know him?”

He laughed and answered.

“That’s the mad dog’s number.”

“What?”

“Answer it first. It’s going to hang up.”

Doubting my ears, I carefully answered the phone.

“Yes, this is Choi Seo-joon.”

-Oh, Chief Choi. This is Park Jae-pil. Is this the first time we’ve talked on the phone?

Why is this guy calling me?

“Ah, yes. Hello, Chief Prosecutor.”

-Where are you now?

“I’m out for a smoke.”

-That’s good. If you’re not busy, come to the High Prosecutors’ Office for a moment.”

“Excuse me?”

He added a word with an interesting voice.

-I think we have something to talk about?

***

“I didn’t know the Special Investigations Department was conducting such a sting operation.”

He continued with an innocent face.

“I thought they were just happily taking what BH Construction gave them.”

“Ah, that’s not true.”

“I didn’t know that, so I took the tip and stepped in. I’m sorry. I unknowingly broke the alliance that we shouldn’t touch each other.”

I was about to laugh at his words, pretending to be a mistake now.

I know that he set the trap, and Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil has fully grasped the fact that I know.

But on the outside, he’s pretending to care about me like this.

I didn’t feel the need to hold back anymore, so I burst into laughter.

As expected, Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil frowned at the smile that spread across my face.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Chief Prosecutor, let’s stop wearing masks now.”

I leaned my upper body towards him.

“Wouldn’t it be better to drop that empty talk about an alliance?”

“Chief Choi.”

Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil instantly became serious and lowered his voice.

“Can you handle me?”

“I have to handle it.”

I twisted the corners of my lips.

“Can you handle me, Chief Prosecutor? Have you forgotten that you have dementia and that I cut off the lifeline of Chief Kang Joong-sik, whom you cherished so much?”

“Chief Kang…….”

He scoffed.

“Yes, you killed Chief Kang.”

In that moment, I felt something eerie in Park Jae-pil’s expression.

At that time, the phone vibrated.

Beep, beep.

A long ringing phone.

The caller is Yoon Seol-ha.

I told her that I was meeting the High Prosecutor and returning, so she wouldn’t call unless it was an emergency.

But the fact that she called, not texted, means that something must have happened.

“Answer it.”

Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil said generously.

“You can answer it here. Isn’t it an urgent call?”

I felt uneasy, but I couldn’t go out and answer it when the conversation wasn’t over.

I pressed the call button for now.

“Yes, this is Choi Seo-joon.”

-Ch, Chief. Is it okay to talk right now?

Yoon Seol-ha’s flustered voice was transmitted over the phone.

I wondered if she had ever been this embarrassed before.

But I couldn’t show it to Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil.

I said to Yoon Seol-ha as calmly as possible.

“Just tell me the point quickly.”

-That’s…… Chief Kang Joong-seok was just murdered.

“What did you say?”

Surprised, I forgot to try to calm down and shouted, and as if waiting for it, Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil opened his mouth.

“Chief Choi.”

In that moment, he turned around and was grinning.

He knew I would be surprised.

I had a feeling right away.

This, this bastard planned it.

Was the attack on Prosecutor Hong Seok-jang not the end?

I immediately hung up the phone and put it down.

Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil crossed his legs and sat arrogantly, looking at me, and said.

“Can you handle that too?”

A bitter smile spread across his lips.