The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 139

A Person Who Sees One Move Ahead (5)

I could sense the surprise on the other end of the phone.

-You’ve come up with a good idea.

“Yes. This one is really good. There’s no way Park Jae-pil can deny it.”

-Understood. Is there anything else I need to do besides what you’ve mentioned?

“First, that’s the most important thing. Any small circumstantial evidence linking Mad Dog and Do Hyun-seung is fine. Collect everything, and send me Lee Ha-yeon’s phone number right away.”

-I’ll send it to you right now.

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”

With that, I ended the call.

Less than a minute after I hung up, I received a text from Yoon Seol-ha, and I immediately called Lee Ha-yeon.

-Hello?

“Yes, this is Choi Seo-joon.”

-Ah, Prosecutor?

The voice on the other end of the phone brightened up.

-It’s been a while. How have you been… Ah, you’re inside right now, so I shouldn’t be asking that. Sorry.

“It’s okay.”

I skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.

“Actually, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

-What is it?

“It might be a bit rude to say this…”

-It’s okay, feel free to speak.

“I heard from Investigator Yoon Seol-ha that Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil specifically requested you at Fantasia…”

-Yes, that’s right. When he was in Busan, he frequented the place like it was his own home. I was always his designated girl. My alias at the time was Gahee.

“This might be a bit of a difficult request for you…”

As I trailed off, Lee Ha-yeon replied without a moment’s hesitation.

-Just say the word. Prosecutor, you saved my life.

Hearing her resolute voice on the phone, it seemed she still vividly remembered the time I saved her from Reporter Bae Jin-soo.

Still, because of the nature of the request, I hesitated once more.

“It could be dangerous. It might become difficult for you to work at Fantasia again.”

-Please, feel free to ask. I was planning to go to Seoul this time anyway.

“Seoul?”

-Yes. Every time I came back after work, I felt a sense of emptiness… What am I even saying? Anyway, it’s okay because I won’t be staying in Busan anymore. However, could you help me so that they don’t retaliate?

“Of course. I’ll take care of the aftermath.”

-Then I’ll help you as much as I can.

“Could you possibly testify in court?”

-Testify?

“Yes. Just testify to the fact that Do Hyun-seung and Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil actually came to Fantasia together. That they played at the same table.”

-Of course. If you ask me, Prosecutor, I can even testify to a lie.

“You don’t have to go that far. Then I’ll let you know the schedule through Investigator Yoon Seol-ha.”

-Understood. Is that all?

“Yes. I’ll call you if I need anything else.”

-See you later.

“Take care.”

For now, it’s safe to say that Lee Ha-yeon is completely on my side.

I could already feel that the new plan I had set up was starting to fall into place.

As soon as I hung up, I immediately picked up my phone and called PD [Production Director] Song Jae-hoon this time.

It was frustrating that I couldn’t meet him in person because he was in jail and had to give all the instructions over the phone, but in the current situation, I was just grateful that I could even talk to him.

After three or four rings, I heard PD Song Jae-hoon’s voice.

-Hello?

“Jae-hoon, this is Choi Seo-joon.”

-Oh, you can make calls?

“No. I’m doing it secretly.”

-Hahaha, I see. What’s going on this morning?

“It’s about the informant you mentioned in your letter last time.”

-Ah, the woman who saw Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil and Do Hyun-seung at the same table?

“Yes, that’s right. Could you possibly ask her to testify?”

-Are you talking about testifying in court?

“Yes. She might be reluctant, but it’s a situation where her testimony is absolutely necessary. Of course, it’s not about testifying about the murder-for-hire, but just about being together.”

-I’ll talk to her about it. She seems to be fed up with how dirty the upper world is, so if we do it right, she might come out.

“Please.”

-Yes, take care.

I finished the call and handed the phone to Attorney Gu Eun-ho.

He had been quietly watching the situation so far, and he seemed to have noticed my thoughts, as he asked with a surprised expression.

“Prosecutor, are you perhaps planning to proceed with that method?”

I smirked.

“You have a good sense, Attorney Gu.”

Even if he was just a butler attorney, it didn’t mean he had no ability at all.

“Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil will try to prove his innocence. But that will backfire.”

“I see. But Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil is very perceptive… Will it be okay?”

“That’s the biggest concern.”

The most important thing was that he didn’t notice my plan.

At that moment, Attorney Gu Eun-ho’s face, which was seriously contemplating, caught my eye.

Wait a minute.

Using Attorney Gu Eun-ho might actually make it easier?

In reality, Attorney Gu Eun-ho’s role was just a butler attorney [an attorney who primarily handles administrative or support tasks].

People in the legal or political circles would judge that Attorney Gu Eun-ho was just serving them, not acting as a true attorney.

I had a feeling that this person would be the real key to my plan.

“Attorney Gu.”

I called him with a serious expression.

“This time, I need Attorney Gu’s help.”

“Me, me?”

He always just did errands, so he seemed very nervous at the sudden request for help.

However, his expression showed that he wanted to do it somehow.

He must have realized that this was an opportunity for him.

Since we were going to work together anyway, I pumped him up once more so that he would work properly for me.

“If you just stay still and it ends, you’ll have no choice but to stay at the current law firm. But what if Attorney Gu plays an active role this time?”

I twisted the corners of my lips.

“Later, you can put up a sign with your own name and open your own practice with the title of being the attorney in charge of Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon.”

Even if the industry knows that he’s a butler attorney, ordinary people who are ignorant of the law will think of him as a capable person just because he was in charge of Choi Seo-joon’s defense, and they’ll bring him money.

“If you handle this well, I’ll let you use that title.”

Gulp.

The sound of Attorney Gu Eun-ho swallowing echoed in my ears.

“What do you want me to do?”

He was a law school graduate, but as expected, he was a human who knew how to seize an opportunity when it came.

I leaned my upper body towards him and opened my mouth.

“First, keep meeting Do Hyun-seung for the next few days.”

“The murder suspect?”

“Yes. Meet him and keep acting like I’m trying to win him over. Keep tempting him with sweet words that I’ll give him money, honor, and guarantee his safety. He won’t fall for it, and I don’t actually intend to make him fall for it.”

He blinked his eyes greatly.

“You’re trying to get it into Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil’s ears.”

“That’s right.”

“It’s important to act as sincerely as possible.”

No matter how I looked at it, he didn’t seem like someone who would just be a butler attorney.

“That’s right.”

“Yes. How much should I offer?”

“Say that you’ll match whatever he wants. If it’s too much, it won’t work, so set the first maximum at 5 billion won [approximately $3.7 million USD], and then raise it to 9 billion won [approximately $6.7 million USD] after talking to me a few times. Create an atmosphere that you can’t go up to 10 billion won [approximately $7.4 million USD] because you don’t have enough funds.”

“We have to go into great detail.”

“That’s how that guy will believe it.”

“Understood.”

Attorney Gu Eun-ho answered with a firm expression and even clenched his fist.

“Is there anything else I need to do?”

“There’s one more thing.”

This is the most important thing.

“You have to defend me in court, not me.”

He blinked in surprise.

“Are you sure?”

It was understandable that Attorney Gu Eun-ho was flustered.

As an incumbent prosecutor, it would be better to defend himself in court, so there was no need for a butler attorney to follow him to court and defend him.

In fact, unless they had committed a crime and were using the top 4 law firms, it was common for prosecutors to defend themselves because ordinary lawyers were frustrated.

But either way, I was sure to be acquitted, so there was no need for me to step in.

The purpose is only one.

“Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil will be relieved if you step up.”

I added a word with a smirk.

“Of course, you have to do everything in court according to the script I wrote.”

***

Perhaps it was thanks to regaining my senses after being hit once, but the second plan I set up went smoothly without being disrupted.

However, the method I was aiming for this time was Park Jae-pil’s perfectionism and carelessness. It was difficult to coexist, and it could only succeed if the two tendencies appeared at the same time, so I became more and more nervous as the actual battle approached.

Of course, I was inducing the two ironic tendencies to appear at the same time.

After a long time, in June, I stood in court.

After several legal battles, the first witness requested by our side appeared.

“I, Hong In-na, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, according to my conscience, without any concealment or addition, and to be punished for perjury if I lie.”

Hong In-na.

The owner of Fantasia and the madam who actually runs the place.

I had not contacted her even once since obtaining the ledger through Yoon Seol-ha.

Therefore, she seemed to be even more uncomfortable with the fact that she was called here as a witness.

Perhaps she had no choice but to come because the ledger had already been handed over.

“We will begin the examination of the first witness, Hong In-na. The defendant’s side, please examine first.”

“Understood.”

The person who answered and stood up from his seat was not me, but Attorney Gu Eun-ho.

The prosecutors and judges were quite surprised by the unexpected situation, but they did not show it outwardly.

Attorney Gu Eun-ho carried out the plan as he had simulated it several times in the reception room.

“I will ask the witness. You run a business called Fantasia in Busan, right?”

I could feel the trembling in Attorney Gu Eun-ho’s voice as he asked the first question.

It wasn’t just me who felt that he was nervous, but everyone here felt the same way.

I held back the smile on my face and deliberately made a frustrated expression.

Because the fact that he was trembling was all acting.

He even had Han Ji-yu give him acting lessons through the manager’s cell phone outside, so there was no way others wouldn’t be fooled.

“Has Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil ever come to Fantasia as a guest?”

“Yes, he has.”

“Did prostitution take place inside?”

“No. We are a pure bar and have been officially licensed, and we only do business within the legally permitted limits.”

“Understood.”

Attorney Gu Eun-ho asked a few more questions and finished the witness examination.

After the prosecution finished examining Hong In-na, the next witness appeared.

The second witness was none other than Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil.

From the moment he appeared, he showed me a confident smile.

Yes, laugh as much as you want now.

Because now is the time to start fishing in earnest.