The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 208

Prosecutor Hwang is Going Places! – Episode 208

Even if the sky falls, there’s always a way out (3)

4 years.

Prosecutor Hwang Cheol-min couldn’t possibly be unaware that this meant a seat in the National Assembly, even without a detailed explanation.

The proof was the bobbing of his Adam’s apple.

“Is that really true?”

I nodded leisurely.

“Of course. I’m not the kind of person to lie about something like this.”

Hwang Cheol-min couldn’t possibly be unaware that I was more than capable of making it happen.

That’s probably why he was speaking so respectfully to me, even though he was higher in rank and seniority.

“How could I have earned the title of the youngest chief prosecutor if I were just making empty promises?”

His eyes sparkled.

“You can’t just stay as the youngest chief prosecutor.”

The youngest prosecutor general.

A prosecutor general before even turning 40.

I barely suppressed a chuckle and asked.

“Have you decided?”

“Ah, but…”

He paused, seemingly hesitant.

Then, he cautiously looked at me and asked.

“The media is making such a fuss right now, so given the current situation…”

I understood his concern.

He acknowledged Choi Seo-jun’s abilities and power, but he seemed worried about whether I could keep my word, given that I had been cornered in recent days.

“If I were about to collapse at this level, I would be too busy trying to survive, let alone making such an offer.”

I continued confidently.

“The public opinion will soon be reversed. The people who are pointing fingers will raise their hands and shout, ‘Go, Choi Seo-jun!'”

“Ah…”

He let out a soft exclamation.

“If you’re really worried, you can submit your resignation after you see the public opinion start to turn around.”

“Would that be alright?”

He looked at me with wide eyes.

That way, he could move forward with certainty, not just belief.

“Yes. I’ll take it that’s what we’ve agreed on.”

However, our conversation was just a verbal agreement. If he didn’t submit his resignation before the presidential election, I would be the only one getting the short end of the stick.

Still, if it were any other time, I would have just ended the conversation there. But since he had expressed concern about the possibility of me not keeping my promise, I had to do the same for him.

Well, it would also help prevent any potential betrayal.

To make sure he keeps his promise, there are methods like bribing him with money or suppressing him with power, but the best way to make it binding is…

“However, if, even in the slightest chance, Prosecutor Hwang doesn’t keep his promise…”

Fear.

“Not only will your life be ruined, but your family’s lives will also be thrown to the bottom. Let’s make sure to keep this in mind, no matter what.”

Hwang Cheol-min flinched.

“Don’t worry. I won’t go back on my word.”

Only then did I smile with satisfaction and reach out my hand to him.

Hwang Cheol-min jumped up from his seat, reached out with both arms to grasp my hand, and bowed respectfully.

“I look forward to working with you.”

“I’ll have my office cleaned thoroughly. I’ll even have it disinfected.”

The corners of my lips twisted sharply.

***

“I’m home.”

“Huh?”

Han Ji-yu, who was preparing dinner, came out to the living room wearing an apron to greet me.

“The intercom didn’t say a car was coming.”

“I dropped it off at the repair shop.”

“Ah…”

Han Ji-yu opened her mouth slightly and looked at me with concern.

“Is it tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you really going to be okay?”

Her eyes were filled with anxiety.

“What if something really goes wrong…”

I walked over to Han Ji-yu and held her in my arms.

“I’m your husband, Choi Seo-jun.”

“I know. But we also have Ji-hoon, so…”

I had hinted at the plan to Han Ji-yu.

Since it wasn’t a normal situation, I couldn’t tell her the details, but I just told her that I was doing something that might have some risks.

If I didn’t, my wife might be shocked if she suddenly heard that I was hospitalized.

Of course, I didn’t tell her about what I saw in the future text message.

She’s already worried enough, and if I told her about the scene I saw in the video, she would definitely be against it.

“I won’t stop you since you said you’re going to do it…”

She looked up at me with teary eyes.

“Don’t get hurt.”

“Okay. Don’t worry.”

Han Ji-yu nodded instead of answering.

I stroked her hair and changed the subject.

“Something smells delicious. What’s for dinner?”

“Mackerel kimchi stew.”

Han Ji-yu took my hand and pulled me to the table.

“Come and sit down, it’s all ready.”

***

April 18, 2025.

I thought the weather had warmed up quite a bit, but perhaps because of the sudden rain, it felt quite chilly.

I had dropped off the car I usually drove at the repair shop last night.

In reality, there was nothing wrong with it, but I told the repair shop that it felt like it was slipping when I stepped on the brakes.

That way, there would be a plausible reason for me to commute by public transportation.

I finished my work at the prosecutor’s office as usual and headed home.

The only difference from usual was one thing.

I took the subway to work, and I was taking the subway home.

As expected, because I was taking public transportation, I occasionally saw people recognizing me.

Some people denied that Choi Seo-jun would take the subway, and some secretly took pictures, but no one spoke to me.

Because Choi Seo-jun, the prosecutor, was no longer seen as a national hero in the eyes of the public.

I just held onto the handle, fixed my gaze on the window, and waited to arrive at my destination.

How long did I listen to the sound of the subway moving and the doors opening and closing?

At exactly 7:30 PM, I arrived at Munseo Station.

The closest station to my house.

I swiped my card at the gate and was heading towards Exit 3 when a noisy sound caught my ear.

The downtown area on Fridays is always crowded with people, but it felt more chaotic than usual.

While going up the stairs, I even heard sounds similar to women’s screams.

As I followed Exit 3, I saw a group of people forming a large circle and murmuring not far away.

“Kyaa!”

Once I came out, the source of the sound became clear.

The screams of women were coming from one side.

I naturally moved my steps towards that direction.

“Excuse me.”

As I pushed my way through the crowd, I saw a man standing in the center of the circle.

No, to be exact, it wasn’t just a man, there was also a woman.

However, the man had his left arm around the woman’s shoulder from behind, pulling her close, and he was holding a knife in his right hand, so I could tell that they were definitely not together.

As expected, many people were already holding up their cell phones and filming this scene.

The citizens were maintaining an invisible boundary with the assailant.

I turned to the citizen next to me.

“Please call the police.”

After saying that briefly, I immediately crossed the invisible boundary.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down.”

I approached the assailant very slowly.

The man’s eyes were bloodshot, whether he was drunk or on drugs.

“Who the hell are you, you bastard!”

He pointed the knife he had been holding to the woman’s neck at me.

I heard surprised sounds from the crowd, but I tried to remain as calm as possible, slowly placed my bag on the ground, and raised both hands to show that I had no intention of attacking.

“I’m Choi Seo-jun, a prosecutor from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s talk it over.”

“Ah, so you’re the famous prosecutor?”

Once again, there was a murmuring sound among the citizens, and everyone’s cell phones started pointing towards me.

Soon, the assailant’s voice covered the murmuring of the citizens.

“Talk? You want to talk?”

His eyes rolled wildly.

“I’m about to go to jail because I fell for the police’s trick of talking!”

The assailant shouted and put the knife to the woman’s neck again.

Perhaps because he was so agitated that he couldn’t control his strength, the sharp knife slightly pierced her neck.

A stream of blood flowed down her neck, as if capillaries had burst.

“P, please, save me.”

The woman was begging the assailant with her hands clasped together, her face covered in tears, but he didn’t even listen.

“What has the country ever done for me? What has the country ever done for me that I have to go through this humiliation!”

“I’m sorry, I’ll apologize on their behalf. If you have any unfair grievances, I’ll help you resolve them. So please put down the knife first…”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

The man’s arm began to tremble.

I wondered if it was a seizure, but seeing that it was maintained, it seemed that his excitement had reached its peak.

The woman being held by the assailant kept collapsing as if her legs were giving out, and she was sobbing beyond just shedding tears.

I had a feeling that she wouldn’t be able to hold on, so I raised my arms higher and took a step closer to him.

“I’ll be taken hostage instead. Please release the woman.”

Then, the man pulled the hostage woman even tighter, who was about to sit down, and threatened to stab her in the neck at any moment.

“If you take even one more step, this woman will die.”

At that moment.

Eeeeeeeh-.

The sound of sirens began to be heard loudly from behind.

It seemed that the police had been dispatched after receiving the report.

“You bastards, who reported me!”

The assailant swung the knife in the air towards the citizens.

In an instant, the citizens retreated one step back as if they were being pushed by a wave.

“Please calm down. That will only make the situation worse.”

“My life is already stuck in the basement anyway, it’s not going to get any better.”

The man put the knife to the woman’s neck again.

At that moment.

“Freeze!”

Four police officers appeared from among the citizens.

One seemingly dazed patrolman and three nervous police officers.

At that moment, I cheered inwardly.

I had seen their faces.

The faces I had seen in the future text message video.

One of the police officers shouted loudly.

“Han Beom-soo, you’re on parole right now! You could rot in jail for the rest of your life!”

The citizens’ murmuring grew louder at the police officer’s words.

“Isn’t Han Beom-soo the perpetrator of the Nowon couple murder case?”

“That’s right, that’s right. I knew his face looked familiar.”

The Hand of God had cast one actor properly.

A situation where a guy with a murder record was threatening to kill someone.

Of course, the police officers wouldn’t have come empty-handed.

Two of them had guns in their hands, and the other had a taser gun.

The remaining one was holding something, but I couldn’t see it well.

“You bastards, I didn’t kill anyone. Why would I kill my wife!”

“Han Beom-soo, if you release the hostage and surrender peacefully, at least…”

The moment the assailant was talking to the police officers.

“Agh!”

The assailant raised the arm he was holding the woman with.

Apparently, the woman had bitten the assailant’s arm.

Startled, the assailant paused, and the hostage woman began to run away among the citizens.

This was an unexpected scenario.

However, the assailant did not surrender peacefully and reached out his arm towards the woman.

The hostage, whose legs had given out, couldn’t run away quickly, and eventually, she was grabbed by the hair by the assailant.

He realistically raised the knife and struck down at the hostage.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I jumped at him and tried to grab the arm holding the knife, but the assailant’s knife deviated from the expected trajectory and cut into my shoulder.

“Agh!”

Pain began to rush in as the muscles tore.

However, fortunately, I succeeded in separating the hostage from the assailant, and the hostage succeeded in running away without looking back.

“You son of a bitch!”

The assailant trembled and tried to strike down at me again, and as I tried to block it, our bodies began to become entangled.

However, no matter how much it was me, I couldn’t subdue him with my shoulder dislocated.

Eventually, I began to be pushed back by his strength, and my forehead above my eyebrow was very slightly torn by the knife he was holding.

I barely pushed him away and got up, but the assailant grabbed my body again and clung to me.

And as if he was planning to kill me, he gripped the knife in reverse and was about to strike down at my neck.

At that time, a voice was heard from among the police officers.

“Shoot, shoot him!”

It must have been a story told to the police officer holding the taser gun.

But.

Bang-!

A gunshot was heard, and suddenly I felt a very hot sensation in my stomach.

A burning sensation as if a fire had been set inside my stomach.

What the hell.

I told them not to stab my stomach because it would be dangerous after seeing the future text message…

It felt like all my organs were being torn apart.

At this point, it’s not a blank shot, it’s a live bullet.

Why is the first shot not a blank shot, but a live bullet?

At that time, the assailant was immediately subdued and fell to the floor after being hit by the taser gun, and I collapsed as I clutched my stomach.

Soon, my vision became distant, and then it became blurry and completely dark.