The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 138

A Person Who Sees One Move Ahead (4)

I think I miscalculated something.

Has my sense dulled because I was locked up?

Damn it.

Things seem to be going worse than I thought.

Looking at Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil’s smug expression, I could be sure of one thing, if nothing else.

There’s no evidence.

The fact that his face wasn’t caught on Fantasia’s CCTV.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so confident.

The business ledger might have records of his visits, but that won’t hold any weight when it comes to commissioning murder.

Unlike other cases, murder requires very clear evidence.

In this situation, even if I can clear my name, there will be no way to take down Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil.

My head started to throb.

“Chief Choi, you suddenly don’t look so good?”

Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil twisted his lips with a smirk.

“Don’t you think you took me too lightly?”

You son of a bitch.

Was I too complacent, thinking the situation wasn’t bad?

I should have remembered that Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil was above the viper, Chief Kang Joong-sik, and much more difficult to deal with, but I forgot.

Before I could even move, he saw through everything and prepared for it, and my mental state started to waver, and I blurted out without realizing it.

“Do you still trust Do Hyun-seung 100%?”

A bluff.

But a bluff made when cornered wouldn’t work.

“Chief Choi, you’ll get in trouble if you just throw words around.”

He scoffed.

“I once took down a gangster who killed Do Hyun-seung’s family in the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office. That guy had nothing left to protect in society, and after that incident, he swore allegiance to me. Do you think he would fall for your sweet talk?”

Damn it.

I’m going to mess things up if I talk any more here.

I got up from my seat and approached the door to call the detective outside.

He curled his eyes and said.

“Seeing Chief Choi, who was soaring high, about to plummet, I feel sorry for you, so I’ll give you a hint.”

My teeth gritted.

But with the feeling of grasping at straws, I had no choice but to stop.

“The only connection between Do Hyun-seung and me is the ledger in Fantasia. I left it there on purpose. Do you know why?”

I could feel his gaze looking down on me from behind, even without seeing it.

“I wanted to see Chief Choi struggling. I was so curious to see you thrashing around with a sliver of hope.”

Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil chuckled softly and said.

“I hope you satisfy my expectations.”

He’s no ordinary madman.

True to his nickname of ‘Mad Dog,’ he’s acting completely insane.

“Senior Prosecutor.”

I took a slow breath and turned to face him.

“That arrogance will kill you.”

“Really?”

He stroked his chin as if he found it interesting.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

I clenched my teeth and stormed out of the interrogation room.

***

Damn it.

I took a hit.

I took a serious hit.

Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil’s fist landed right in my solar plexus.

“Hoo.”

I took several deep breaths, but the rising anger wouldn’t subside.

To be played by such a madman.

Everything so far has gone according to his plan.

From the attack on Prosecutor Hong Seok-jang to this murder commission.

I knew he wouldn’t be ordinary since he was called a mad dog, but I never thought he would actually kill his own subordinate, Chief Kang Joong-sik, who was also his right-hand man.

No, the fact that he killed him and flaunts it like it’s something to be proud of makes him seem less than human.

Whether Kang Joong-sik failed to kill me and he didn’t like that, or it was just a means to get rid of me, I couldn’t let the situation continue like this.

What should I do?

It won’t just end with this one case.

At this rate, the Senior Prosecutor might really reach out to Han Ji-yu…….

“You son of a bitch!”

The thought of the Senior Prosecutor extending his evil hand to Han Ji-yu made me curse and slam my fist against the wall.

Get a grip.

I can’t do this.

Getting agitated like this is exactly what the mad dog wants.

Even when I faced him in the interrogation room during the day, I made the mistake of bluffing because I was cornered like this.

Let’s think calmly.

“Hoo.”

I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths.

It still didn’t calm me down, so I poured cold water over my head, and only then did my mind slowly start to settle down.

Setting a trap with Prosecutor Hong Seok-jang is already in the past. There’s no need to think about that in the current situation.

I need to put out the fire that’s right in front of me first.

Even if this case is sent to the prosecution and goes to trial, I will be acquitted due to insufficient evidence. That much is certain.

However, acquittal and innocence are completely different, so the embers of suspicion will not be extinguished on the internet.

No, even if it doesn’t become a problem, Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil will instigate it to become a problem. He has that much power.

Moreover, Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil will definitely prepare a follow-up attack as soon as he sees the picture of an acquittal. He might already be preparing it.

Even if my innocence is proven regarding the murder commission, if Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil attacks again, the situation could really get worse.

Since various suspicions have already been raised through the media, if I’m not given time to restore my image, the public’s trust will collapse.

The reason I, as a Chief Prosecutor, have more power than others is because I have public opinion on my side, but if I’m caught up in these suspicions, those wings will naturally be clipped.

Then, naturally, my power will wane, and I’ll be devoured by the Senior Prosecutor.

That’s the scenario the mad dog is drawing, and if I stay like this, I’ll be played as he wants.

The attack from the mad dog must end with this one time.

I have to bring him down at the same time as I finish this.

The best way is to reveal that Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil commissioned Do Hyun-seung to commit murder.

However, even proving the connection between the two was not easy.

With the CCTV gone, all that’s left is the business ledger and the testimonies of those who worked there.

However, a serious crime like commissioning murder cannot be convicted with just a few testimonies.

It’s the same reason why I’m being acquitted.

Given Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil’s cautious nature, he would never have talked about commissioning murder in front of others in the first place.

How should I come up with a plan?

What card should I pull out to drive him away?

While I was worrying, time passed quickly, and it was past midnight, but far from feeling sleepy, my mind became clearer.

By now, Yoon Seol-ha would have raided Fantasia with the police.

I have to come up with a way before morning.

That’s the only way I can survive.

***

I stayed up all night.

I came up with a few ideas, but they were all trivial.

In the end, I greeted the morning sun without taking a single step forward.

In the lawyer’s reception room, where I went out with a deep sigh, Attorney Gu Eun-ho had already connected Yoon Seol-ha on the phone and was waiting, so I immediately took the phone.

“Yes, this is Choi Seo-joon.”

-Ah, Chief, hello?

I could hear the exhaustion in her voice as well.

She probably didn’t get a wink of sleep all night, checking the evidence collected from Fantasia.

“How did it go?”

-Yes. We secured the business ledger, CCTV records, and the hard drive before the replacement. The ledger confirms that high-ranking officials and various bureaucrats from Busan have visited, but the problem is with the CCTV…….”

“There’s no recording of the Senior Prosecutor, right?”

-How did you know?

She asked in surprise.

-Did you already know?

“No. I met the Senior Prosecutor yesterday. Listening to what the mad dog said, it seemed like there were no records left other than the ledger…….”

-Ah, yes. That’s right.

She continued in a apologetic tone.

-The ledger does record the Senior Prosecutor’s visits, but the CCTV doesn’t seem to have captured anything at all. It has been confirmed that the CCTV was not working on the relevant dates.

As expected.

If this is the case, then Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil has anticipated everything I would do.

I’m still being played in his palm.

I’m not just frustrated, I’m starting to feel pathetic.

As I let out a deep sigh, Yoon Seol-ha asked cautiously.

-Should we try to tie him up with the ledger first? Since we have the visitation ledger, should we give money to the business people and fabricate testimonies?

“No. That’s an action that will tighten our necks. If this fact is leaked to the Senior Prosecutor or the media, we’ll be crushed in reverse.”

-Ah, I’m sorry. I was short-sighted.

“No. Did you give money when you acquired the ledger?”

-Yes. Of course, I didn’t give it directly, but I gave plenty to the local police through Prosecutor Hong Seok-jang, and I told the madam that I wouldn’t harm the business operation along with pocket money, and then I received it.

“You did well. If it’s that much, even if Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil knows, he won’t be able to make an issue of it.”

Now the problem is how to break Park Jae-pil’s scenario.

The ledger he left behind.

Whether he left it behind because he had no choice, or whether he really left it behind to mock me, it’s the only hint that can flatten the nose of the mad dog who has become arrogant to the point of being conceited.

I have to use this.

“How many times does Do Hyun-seung’s visitation record appear in the ledger?”

-The visitation record shows that he visited almost two to three times a week. On the other hand, Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil has hardly come since he went to Seoul, and he only visited twice around the Lunar New Year holiday this year. Of course, Do Hyun-seung’s visitation record is not written on those dates.”

As expected.

Since they were together, there would be no record.

-If you check the ledger’s visitation dates, you can infer to some extent, but it’s circumstantial evidence. All we can do is say that Park Jae-pil and Do Hyun-seung each frequented illegal businesses. But even this is because the business itself has never been cracked down on…….”

At that moment, a flashing idea flashed through my mind like lightning.

Ah, that’s right!

There was such a way!

Park Jae-pil is literally a perfectionist.

He wouldn’t tolerate even the slightest flaw in himself.

If I try to prove his connection with Do Hyun-seung, he will definitely try to deny it.

Using that, I came up with a very brilliant way to strike his neck in reverse.

Not for commissioning murder, but for a completely different charge.

It’s different from Kang Joong-sik’s case.

Just as I dropped him into the abyss through drug planting, Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil has definitely prepared countermeasures for this.

I won’t be dragged away for a false crime that I didn’t actually commit.

Moreover, the current Senior Prosecutor is a vice-ministerial-level official. It’s not easy to even start an investigation with ordinary cases.

However, it’s different if he actually committed a crime.

Even if he’s a Senior Prosecutor, if he commits a crime in a situation where everyone is watching and it’s being recorded, he’ll have no choice but to step down.

Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil will actually commit a crime.

Because I’m going to make him do it.

After finishing organizing all my thoughts, I said.

“Yoon Seol-ha.”

-Yes, Chief.

“Find all the evidence that Do Hyun-seung and Park Jae-pil are acquaintances. Not just business CCTVs, but also nearby traffic CCTVs, crime prevention CCTVs, and testimonies from business officials. That will be a very big help.”