The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 259

Prosecutor, You’re Going Places! – Episode 259

Expansion (2)

“What is this?”

“It’s a video message Han Jiyu sent to the President.”

“My sister-in-law did?”

That couldn’t be.

Sung Taehyun doubted his ears and accepted the tablet PC.

He knew Han Jisu and Han Jiyu were in contact, but they had been worse than strangers since the election.

“How did she send it?”

“It’s a segment on a PBC [a fictional broadcasting company] entertainment show called ‘A Top Star’s Childcare Diary’…”

“She sent it through a broadcast?”

Sung Taehyun nodded in understanding.

Although she had been on hiatus from broadcasting for the past few years, it was about time for her to start preparing for a comeback.

More than anything, if Choi Seojun retired from his position as a prosecutor, Han Jisu would have to step up and work.

Thinking that was the reason, Sung Taehyun chuckled and accepted the tablet PC.

After all, he thought the production team had just written a script, pretending to ask a favor since she was family, to boost viewership ratings.

But what was this?

-So please, create a country where children can live happily.

Seeing the video message with content completely different from what he had expected, Sung Taehyun felt anger boiling up inside.

“That low-life bitch!”

He ended up turning off the screen before the video ended.

“Now you’re going to use me to gain benefits?”

The Chief of Staff cautiously opened his mouth.

“It seems she’s trying to give strength to Lee Duhyung’s election. He’s pushing a campaign that emphasizes children’s rights, which differentiates him from other candidates…”

“I know, so be quiet!”

There was no way Sung Taehyun wouldn’t know.

He was already keeping an eye on Choi Seojun, who was trying to poach MinGuk Party [a fictional political party] lawmakers by using Shin Donghyun.

The same went for Lee Duhyung.

The timing of his resignation was suspicious, so he had a hunch that he would run for office, but he never thought he would use him in his campaign like this.

Sung Taehyun sneered.

“I’ve been had.”

“…”

“What’s Lee Duhyung’s approval rating?”

“Until yesterday, he couldn’t break through the 17% barrier, but in just one day, it’s approaching 20%.”

It was literally a surge.

“If he continues to rise at this rate, he could reach 23% within three days.”

“What’s the difference with first place?”

“There’s still nearly a 12% gap. The Daehan Party [a fictional political party] is also holding steady in the middle with 26% of the vote.”

“That’s not a safe number at all in a by-election. You know that, right?”

“I know.”

A National Assembly member from a prosecutor’s background is always a threatening figure.

It’s only natural that they possess prosecutorial connections, which are the most threatening to politicians.

More than anything, as people who handle the law, they know the law perfectly. There were many who shook up the board by campaigning in a way that barely avoided violating election laws, but in an outright manner.

Just like how Choi Seojun is utilizing entertainment shows.

“Give a warning to PBC Broadcasting and tell them to be more careful during the election period.”

“Understood.”

“And contact the National Intelligence Service to keep a close watch on Choi Seojun and Lee Duhyung. If they violate the election law even a little bit, crush them immediately.”

“Yes, I will relay the message.”

After the Chief of Staff left, Sung Taehyun buried his head in the chair.

‘So, you’re not going to die easily, huh?’

The corners of his lips twisted slyly.

‘Keep struggling until the end.’

The result is already determined anyway.

‘A mere prosecutor can never beat the President.’

At that moment, the corners of Sung Taehyun’s lips twisted roughly.

He reflexively picked up the receiver.

“Chief Gong, compile a list of prosecution executives and bring it to me.”

***

“Drive safely!”

The man made a booming voice and bowed to me at a 90-degree angle.

“See you again.”

I smiled brightly and got into the car.

“I’ll be departing now.”

Yoon Seolha stepped on the accelerator and smoothly exited the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office.

Through the side mirror, I could see the man behind us bowing until we were out of sight.

That man is Choi Geonwoo, the head of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office.

He is the person who came up to take the place of Min Hosun, who was promoted and transferred to the Deputy Prosecutor-General of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office a while ago.

Among the prosecution executives, he is the first member of the Gyeongju Choi clan [a prominent Korean clan] I’ve seen in a long time.

We didn’t talk about much when we met.

It was just a simple greeting along with congratulations on the inauguration of the Northern District Prosecutor’s Office as the head of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office.

It turned out that we were from the same family, so the conversation got a little longer, but there were no problems with the plan.

In fact, there was another reason why I visited this place today.

It’s because Seongwang-dong is on the way from the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office back to the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office.

That’s why I had scheduled the visit to the Northern District Prosecutors’ Office as an official event a long time ago.

That way, I could naturally pass by Seongwang-dong and run into the group campaigning.

While driving towards Seongwang-dong, we stopped at a traffic light, and Yoon Seolha cautiously asked.

“This is just my personal feeling, but Prosecutor Choi Geonwoo seems to have a completely different disposition from Min Hosun?”

“Of course, he’s different. That friend is a member of the Daehan Party to the bone.”

“Then shouldn’t he be even more uncomfortable?”

“Well…”

I smiled faintly.

“Would he really be?”

Yoon Seolha clicked her tongue.

“I feel like there’s still a lot I don’t know, even though I’m with you every day, Prosecutor.”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Facing the huge common enemy of President Sung Taehyun and the ruling party that produced him, it’s only natural to get closer to the Daehan Party.

Of course, not to the extent that it becomes obvious.

So far, we are secretly contacting them so that the MinGuk Party doesn’t notice.

We haven’t decided on a definite course yet; we are literally testing the waters.

What’s important is that the decision will be made after this by-election.

If I gain the casting vote through the election, the Daehan Party will have no choice but to stick with me in order not to be swayed by the MinGuk Party.

In the opposite case, there is a possibility that I will be dragged around instead.

That’s why this election is even more important.

“How much further is it to Seongwang-dong?”

“We’re entering now.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a sign indicating the entrance to Seongwang-dong came into view.

The election vehicle of the Manse Party [a fictional political party] candidate could be seen in the distance.

Before we went a few blocks, an election song that was a modified version of a famous CM song [commercial music] came to our ears.

I could definitely feel that it was the election period.

As we went further inside, Lee Duhyung’s election vehicle, which was giving a full speech at the Seongwang Digital Complex, began to appear in the distance.

“Shall we stop around here?”

“No. A little closer.”

Yoon Seolha stopped the car at a distance that was neither too far nor too close.

I got out of the back seat and leaned against the car, watching Lee Duhyung holding the microphone and campaigning at the top of his lungs.

The people listening were mostly in their 30s, and the rest were mostly in their early 40s.

Thanks to deliberately timing it with lunchtime, there were more people than usual.

People with employee ID cards around their necks were holding coffee in one hand and standing still, looking at Lee Duhyung.

Of course, most of them didn’t listen for even 10 minutes and passed by.

For them, the work they had to do today and the appointments with friends and family after work were more important than who would be elected.

But then.

Lee Duhyung, who had been informed that I had arrived, naturally changed his tone to a stronger one.

“…What if your precious children, who are so precious that you wouldn’t want to put them in your eyes, suddenly couldn’t be seen from tomorrow?”

A loud voice and a topic that digs into the ears.

Passersby stopped one by one and gathered.

“Is it right for the government to encourage people to have children and then not provide any help when an accident occurs?”

He raised his voice.

“What’s the point of just talking about raising the birth rate and the country providing support? They don’t take responsibility when a problem arises!”

An exclamation of ‘That’s right!’ erupted from the audience.

It goes without saying, but the person who elicited applause was a person who had been infiltrated by the election camp.

Although it was just one person’s cry, it was enough to make the people listening lean towards Lee Duhyung.

That’s why, in various elections, other candidates also mix election camp personnel into the audience, disguised as citizens.

“That’s why I’m trying to work hard for children’s rights. Is it the end if you have precious children and send them to kindergartens and daycare centers for free? Raising children itself is difficult. They say having children is patriotism, but why does the country ignore you after you have children? That shouldn’t be the case!”

He gave a more enthusiastic campaign speech than ever before.

But that was only for a moment.

Although a lot of people gathered, office workers who had a set lunch time began to leave one by one before long.

Now is the time when the most people are gathered.

Lee Duhyung pretended to take a breather and entered a lull.

As if waiting, one of the people mixed in the audience pointed at me and said.

“Oh, isn’t that Prosecutor Choi Seojun over there?”

At a woman’s voice, people’s attention turned to me in an instant.

“It’s him!”

“That’s amazing.”

“It’s really Prosecutor Choi Seojun?”

“Since when were you here?”

People flocked around me in an instant.

The person who first discovered me mixed into the crowd and quietly left.

She was also one of the people running in Lee Duhyung’s election camp.

However, other people were just taking pictures of me with their cell phones as if they were curious, and no one was paying attention to her.

“Hyung!” [Korean honorific term for older brother or close male friend]

Lee Duhyung deliberately shouted into the microphone and approached me.

As he approached, one of the citizens shouted.

“Mr. Choi Seojun, did you come to help Lee Duhyung’s election?”

“No. Not at all. Duhyung… No, candidate Lee Duhyung is a friend who is like a real younger brother, so I was just listening while passing by.”

“Then are you going to vote for Lee Duhyung?”

“No.”

I said nonchalantly.

“I’m not a resident of Seongwang-dong, so I can’t vote even if I want to.”

At that, laughter broke out lightly among the audience.

“Besides, I’m a public official, so please understand that I can’t reveal my political tendencies or say anything that could affect the election.”

“Then do you have anything you want to say? Anything is fine!”

“As my wife said on the broadcast the day before yesterday… I really want to create a country where children can live happily. I will also do my best to make sure that such a country can be created by catching criminals and making them punished.”

Applause and cheers erupted from the citizens.

This was not a reaction induced by someone, but a sincere reaction from the citizens.

While we were talking for a moment, Lee Duhyung approached me, bowed, and shook hands.

“How did you come without contacting me?”

“I stopped by the Northern District Prosecutors’ Office and stopped by on the way to the High Prosecutors’ Office.”

“Ah, is that so.”

This guy, his acting is top-notch.

He’s already like a politician?

“It’s the election period, so I don’t think I should stay long because I might be misunderstood if I’m with you. Everyone, I’ll be going first.”

“Drive safely!”

“Goodbye!”

I hit Lee Duhyung on the shoulder and pretended to bend a glass with my hand in front of my mouth [miming drinking, suggesting they celebrate later].

“Duhyung, let’s have a drink after the election.”

“Yes. Goodbye!”

He bowed his head and greeted me.

I got into the car right away.

“Please depart immediately.”

“Understood.”

Yoon Seolha started the car and smiled lightly while looking in the rearview mirror.

“You’re almost as popular as a celebrity?”

I laughed lightly and retorted.

“I’m better than most rookies.”

The atmosphere around the election camp reflected in the side mirror definitely looked good.

Before long, the fact that I appeared, as well as the video, will spread quickly through social media.

It was only a short time of less than 30 minutes, but it is certain that it will have a big impact.

I subtly cheered on Lee Duhyung’s policies and even appealed that I was close to him with a friendly attitude.

Being close to me was tantamount to naturally transferring credibility to Lee Duhyung.

One of the methods used by politicians when they hand over their constituencies to their right-hand man.

It barely violates the election law, so you can’t catch it.

As the pursuit of other candidates has accelerated thanks to Han Jiyu’s entertainment show, it is only a matter of time before the independent Lee Duhyung emerges as a leading candidate.

He will go up to a high place.

Soon.

He will give me wings.