The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 205

A Prosecutor’s Rise to Success! – Episode 205

Trust in This Industry (8)

-The laptop disappeared from the scene. The entire thing, with the USB still plugged in. It’s presumed someone took it during the brief power outage, which suggests someone intentionally….

The announcer, having grasped the situation, began explaining in an agitated tone.

“It’s really not there.”

Before I knew it, Yoon Seol-ha had also stepped closer, examining the TV.

“Completely gone, right?”

“Yes. It’s not a blind spot; it looks like it was taken outside.”

Indeed, the camera searching for the person who stole the laptop panned out to capture the entire press conference, but the woman was nowhere to be seen.

However, perhaps because the investigation had previously revealed that the man who brought the USB containing Jang Young-soon’s video was merely an errand boy with no connection to Jang Young-soon, none of the reporters paid her any attention this time.

“The reporters and viewers will be focused on the USB and laptop, so contact the investigators on-site and tell them to track down the woman.”

“Understood.”

She took out her phone and quickly left.

No matter how quickly they move, they won’t find her easily.

I crossed my arms, lost in thought.

Why did she leave from here?

Or was she forced to leave by someone?

One thing is certain: this power outage wasn’t accidental; someone intentionally tripped the breaker, disguising it as an outage.

The first hypothesis that comes to mind is that the woman who came on Jang Young-soon’s errand took advantage of the blackout to take the laptop and USB herself and leave the scene.

There could have been a way not to appear in the first place, but if it was Jang Young-soon’s instruction, there’s only one reason to do this.

For ‘bluffing.’

If she actually had no evidence but merely declared that she would reveal the truth, it’s entirely possible she would pull something like this.

However, there are one or two strange things.

If she was bluffing because she had no evidence, she would have approached Choi Gyu-hyun or me before the press conference to negotiate.

The bluff is only meaningful if she uses our anxiety.

But even if Choi Gyu-hyun didn’t, there was no offer or even contact with me.

It’s not like she was making up something out of thin air either.

Choi Gyu-hyun wouldn’t have joined hands with me if he had nothing to worry about.

If Jang Young-soon had even one piece of evidence that could raise suspicion among the public, the normal course of action would be to reveal it at least, then darken the press conference and slip away.

However, as soon as the press conference started, the woman suddenly disappeared with the USB.

In that case, the only possible conclusion is that someone other than Jang Young-soon was behind this power outage.

In this situation, there’s only one person I suspect.

Since it’s not me, the answer is only Choi Gyu-hyun.

He must have moved.

At that moment, belatedly, the broadcasting station also realized the woman had disappeared and spoke up again.

-Let me tell you what we’ve just heard from the scene: the woman who brought the USB has also disappeared. We will now turn the camera to the entrance of the press conference.

The TV showed the outside, but the woman from moments ago had already vanished.

I was relieved that the exposure was interrupted, but I couldn’t shake off this uneasy feeling.

I immediately took out my phone and called Choi Gyu-hyun, but as expected, he didn’t answer.

If it ends like this, the public will be suspicious of Choi Gyu-hyun and me, but that will be resolved by other issues and time.

However, Jang Young-soon will never stay still.

This doesn’t seem to be going as expected.

***

It was a full day later that I received a call from Choi Gyu-hyun.

“Yes, this is Choi Seo-jun.”

-Ah, Prosecutor Choi, I’m sorry. I was busy and didn’t realize you called.

Seeing him play it off, it’s clear this guy caused the power outage.

“I saw the press conference. What were you trying to do?”

-Hey, come on. Anyone would think I kidnapped someone.

I never mentioned the word kidnapping.

Did he really kidnap someone?

My suspicion grew.

I probed him slightly.

“Jang Young-soon will never stay still. She might get angry and try to blow up something bigger….”

-I don’t think that will be easy.

He couldn’t hide the laughter as he continued.

-That old hag’s press conference will be her last.

For some reason, his voice was filled with confidence.

“Assemblyman, you don’t mean….”

-No, I just have a feeling.

Choi Gyu-hyun burst into laughter.

-Prosecutor Choi, I helped you this time. You have to remember that.

“Assemblyman.”

I said sternly.

“If Jang Young-soon suddenly disappears from here, won’t suspicion be directed at us even more?”

-That’s true. But isn’t the presidential election the perfect opportunity to use this again?

At that moment, I knew it immediately.

This son of a bitch.

He was all for shaking hands when I said let’s work together, and now he’s trying to stab me in the back.

Even a stray dog knows that Jang Young-soon keeping her mouth shut is less damaging to us than her exposing us.

But that’s only if she never exposes us forever.

If we can hold out for a few more weeks until the presidential election, Choi Gyu-hyun will be elected president.

If that happens, even if Jang Young-soon speaks up again, she won’t be able to remove Choi Gyu-hyun from the position of head of state.

No matter how much she shouts that she was kidnapped or that he’s behind the crime, it will only scratch the surface of someone in the position of president.

But I’m a prosecutor.

If Choi Gyu-hyun is elected, it will be difficult for me to become a chief prosecutor, and if Jang Young-soon raises suspicions again, she will use that as an opportunity to attack me.

If that happens, it won’t be easy to maintain my position as a prosecutor.

If Choi Gyu-hyun is prepared to be wounded from the first year of his term, it’s a perfectly possible scenario.

Damn it.

It’s going to be quite a headache to deal with if he commits a crime like this so openly.

“Assemblyman, do you think I’m going to die alone if you come at me like that?”

I threatened.

“The presidential election is still a long way off. Don’t you know that if I decide to blow myself up, we could both die?”

-Hey, Prosecutor Choi. What do you take me for to say such a thing?

But he uttered meaningful words.

-We can live together. I told you, let’s stick together at a high place. Even after the presidential election, Jang Young-soon won’t be able to expose us.

“What do you mean?”

Choi Gyu-hyun changed the subject instead of answering.

-It’s late. I have to sleep. I have to go out for another campaign tomorrow. See you later.

He unilaterally ended the call.

My head started to throb even more.

Even though we were in a relationship where we were constantly stabbing each other in the back, he wouldn’t lie to me in this situation.

Besides, it’s suspicious that Choi Gyu-hyun hung up the phone in such a hurry, unlike his usual self.

We can live together….

I can’t even guess what he’s up to.

Whatever else, judging from his attitude, I can’t deny that Jang Young-soon won’t speak up before the presidential election, and I don’t have to worry about her exposing us in the future.

At that moment, a picture flashed through my mind.

What if Choi Gyu-hyun really kidnapped Jang Young-soon?

It’s a different story if he’s actually holding her in his grasp, rather than trying to appease, bribe, or threaten her.

Even though she was on the run, it was a possible thing to do considering this press conference.

Choi Gyu-hyun knows very well that Jang Young-soon doesn’t have any trustworthy connections right now.

In that case, even if Jang Young-soon didn’t directly hand over the money to the errand boy, she couldn’t prevent her appearance from being revealed in the process.

But what if Choi Gyu-hyun not only stole the laptop and USB during the power outage but also kidnapped the errand woman?

And what if he found out Jang Young-soon’s location through that middleman?

It’s obvious that Jang Young-soon would have no choice but to be under Choi Gyu-hyun’s surveillance.

If it’s been almost 24 hours since the incident at the press conference, it’s entirely possible.

If this is true, I can understand why Choi Gyu-hyun was so confident.

No, at least this much had to be done for him to feel relieved.

At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind, sending shivers down my spine.

Could he have killed her?

If so, it’s really dangerous.

Jang Young-soon’s death would put Choi Gyu-hyun and me, the two people she pointed out as criminals, on the suspect list.

It seems that if I’m not careful, I might get caught up in Choi Gyu-hyun’s scheme and get hurt.

I have to come up with a plan.

I immediately took out my phone and called someone.

“Yes, Mr. President. This is Choi Seo-jun. Let’s meet as soon as possible.”

***

Choi Gyu-hyun was clever.

No, he was cunning.

Even as he repeatedly insisted that he had absolutely no connection to Queen Investments, the comment army he hired was subtly appealing that Choi Gyu-hyun was the actual owner of Queen Investments, making people feel confident that he could restore the economy.

It’s amazing that the two claims are contradictory, but they’re working because they emphasize different frames.

Perhaps thanks to that, his approval rating, which had fallen to the low 50s, recovered and rose to the mid-50s.

The Min Guk Party is working hard, but Assemblyman Jo Hyun-woong’s approval rating is less than half of Choi Gyu-hyun’s.

With only two weeks left until the presidential election, it won’t be easy to reverse this.

From now on, we have to move on the assumption that he will be elected.

But there was another problem.

Jang Young-soon’s whereabouts are still unknown.

STC, the only media company she contacts, also said that they haven’t heard from Jang Young-soon since the incident, and there are no other movements.

It goes without saying that Jang Young-soon has begun to be forgotten by the public due to new issues and the presidential election.

Nevertheless, I was constantly preparing for the worst because I had an ominous feeling.

I couldn’t trust a human being like Choi Gyu-hyun.

At that moment, my phone rang.

The caller was none other than Kyung Dong-soo.

I answered the phone without hesitation.

“Yes, this is Choi Seo-jun.”

-Prosecutor, I think I’ll have some time this evening.

“Then where should we meet?”

-The location will be notified through the Chief of Staff. It will probably be near Gwanghwamun [a major intersection and landmark in Seoul].

“Understood.”

-See you later.

“Yes, go in.”

As I finished the call, tension began to build again.

I have to fight Kyung Dong-soo tonight.

Assuming that Choi Gyu-hyun’s election cannot be stopped, if Jang Young-soon is killed, my career as a prosecutor will be over.

The best-case scenario is that Jang Young-soon is alive and hiding somewhere, not showing up until she is completely forgotten by the public.

However, since I’m not sure that the scenario will be written as I want, I had to make plans to deal with all situations.

The scenario I had in mind was pretty good.

However, it can only be realized if Kyung Dong-soo agrees to it.

That’s why I had to bet everything tonight.

But then, Yoon Seol-ha came into the office with a hurried knock.

“Chief!”

“What’s going on?”

“I just got a call from the police….”

She was panting and struggling to speak.

“Jang Young-soon has been found.”

“Found?”

“Yes.”

Yoon Seol-ha’s expression was quite dark.

“Well….”

She sighed deeply and said.

“Jang Young-soon was found dead in her car, having committed suicide.”

Damn it.

The worst-case scenario.