The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 140

A Man Who Sees One Move Ahead (6)

“I, Park Jae-pil, swear to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, according to my conscience, without any concealment or addition. I understand that if I lie, I will be punished for perjury.”

It wasn’t the prosecution but I who requested Park Jae-pil, the Chief Prosecutor, as a witness.

Currently, I am suspected of commissioning a murder, and I’ve pointed to Park Jae-pil as the mastermind behind it. If he’s innocent, there’s no reason for him not to appear as a witness. Therefore, the appearance of the Mad Dog is a natural development.

In fact, Hong In-na, the first witness, was just bait. Park Jae-pil was the real target.

Today will be the decisive moment in my battle with him.

I must extract the answer I want from him.

If I succeed, I live. If I fail, even if I survive, it’s only a matter of time before I’m constantly manipulated by the Mad Dog and eventually collapse.

After Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil took the witness oath, the judge addressed us.

“Defense, examine the witness.”

Once again, Attorney Gu Eun-ho rose from his seat.

His face had turned as white as a sheet since Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil entered the room.

His body was completely frozen.

To Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil, Attorney Gu Eun-ho must have seemed like nothing more than a small fry, not even worth a bite.

As evidence, the Mad Dog didn’t bother paying attention to Gu Eun-ho. From the moment he appeared, he had been staring solely at me.

Of course, I hadn’t taken my eyes off him either.

It was more like a staring contest, a kind of psychological warfare.

I had no intention of avoiding the Mad Dog’s provocation, nor did I want to. No, I had to respond.

Today, Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil’s attention had to be focused solely on me.

Gu Eun-ho should be made to feel like just a supporting actor, no, an extra.

Suddenly, the Mad Dog subtly gestured forward with his chin towards me.

A gesture telling me to come out and fight him directly instead of Gu Eun-ho.

But I couldn’t do that.

In this scenario, the protagonist wasn’t me, but Gu Eun-ho.

Attorney Gu Eun-ho, who stepped up to examine the witness, swallowed hard, making it obvious to everyone that he was nervous, and raised his questionnaire.

“Ch, Chief Prosecutor… I mean, I’ll ask the witness.”

Gu Eun-ho was stuttering, beyond just trembling.

Only then did Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil smirk and turn his gaze away.

“Yes, ask away.”

“Have you ever been to a place called Fantasia in Busan?”

“Yes, I have.”

He nodded without a moment’s hesitation, as if it were obvious.

This was also mentioned in the testimony of the first witness and proven by the ledger he gave me as the only clue.

“I used to go often when I was in the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office, and after being promoted to the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, I went occasionally when I visited Busan. It’s been my favorite regular bar for a long time.”

“I see.”

Attorney Gu Eun-ho answered calmly and raised the questionnaire.

However, his hands were trembling.

As a result, his hand slipped while turning to the next question, and he dropped the stack of papers to the floor.

“S, sorry.”

Gu Eun-ho, his face as red as a beet, bowed to the judge and immediately squatted down to gather the scattered papers.

With an ‘Oops’ expression, I clenched my fist on the desk so hard that I muttered ‘Damn it’ to myself.

Of course, my body was turned halfway towards the witness and the attorney examining him.

Then, as if expressing frustration, I grabbed my forehead.

In my peripheral vision, I saw Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil looking at me with a pathetic expression.

Letting out a sigh and running my hand through his hair, Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil said to me with his lips:

‘You should have come out yourself.’

I couldn’t bring myself to answer and lowered my head as if I couldn’t bear to watch this scene.

Meanwhile, Gu Eun-ho, having finished collecting the dropped documents, cleared his throat and stood up.

“Ah, so… uh, um…”

Having made one mistake, he opened his mouth, clearly flustered.

“You did go to Fantasia, right?”

“That’s right.”

Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil didn’t even bother paying attention to Gu Eun-ho anymore, his eyes fixed on me as he answered.

He seemed eager to see my desperate reaction.

To satisfy his expectations, I repeatedly grabbed my forehead and tore at my hair in despair.

Meanwhile, Gu Eun-ho asked again.

“Our lawyer… no, our client has accused the Chief Prosecutor… no, the High Prosecutor, as the mastermind behind the murder-for-hire of the suspect Do Hyun-seung… Haa.”

He took a deep breath and continued.

“The witness denies ever commissioning Do Hyun-seung to commit murder, correct?”

“That’s right. I have nothing to do with this case in the first place.”

The moment I heard that answer, I cheered inwardly.

Yes!

I couldn’t help but hide my expression by covering my face with both hands to prevent the corners of my mouth from rising.

That’s it.

It’s over.

The game is overturned!

To others, it was just a statement to deny the murder-for-hire charge, but Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil’s answer that he had never met Do Hyun-seung was a product of his perfectionism and carelessness.

Since my initial arrest, I had consistently pointed to Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil as the mastermind behind the murder-for-hire.

Moreover, I had been sending Attorney Gu Eun-ho to Do Hyun-seung to persuade him to reveal that the Mad Dog had commissioned the murder.

I even sent Gu Eun-ho again two days ago to show my intention to change his mind.

Having done this much, he would have no choice but to think that I was focusing all my attention on revealing that Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil was the mastermind behind the murder-for-hire as a way to overcome this situation.

Considering that I had already bluffed him once and been caught, the Mad Dog must have thought I was in a desperate situation.

Of course, I actually was.

Therefore, he couldn’t imagine that I would come up with another plan because my vision was limited.

Rather, the mistake of bluffing back then helped me this time.

It was a blessing in disguise.

As evidence, I elicited the answer from the Mad Dog that ‘he had never met Do Hyun-seung.’

In the end, the picture I wanted was drawn.

My real goal, hidden behind the feint of trying to persuade Do Hyun-seung, was not to reveal Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil’s murder-for-hire charge, but to actually make him commit a crime.

And he just committed a crime.

One move.

Seeing just one move ahead will lead me to victory.

However, I couldn’t show my joy right away.

The game could be overturned the moment he realized it.

It’s not over until it’s over.

Attorney Gu Eun-ho continued his performance.

“Th, then, have you ever engaged in prostitution or similar sexual acts at Fantasia?”

This time, he not only stuttered but also cracked his voice.

Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil snorted, finding the sight ridiculous.

“Not at all.”

“Then, do you have any resentment or animosity towards the late Chief Prosecutor Kang Jung-sik…?”

After that, Attorney Gu Eun-ho asked questions that were completely meaningless but seemed to be digging into the details related to the murder-for-hire, and Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-pil, like a cunning old fox, skillfully evaded them.

Well, this was a natural result since these were questions that gave him room to escape so that he wouldn’t pay attention.

In that way, the trial concluded as if it were completely meaningless.

“The verdict will be delivered after the final trial next week.”

After hearing the judge’s words, I left the courtroom with an expression full of defeat.

I walked for a while until I reached a place where there were no people around, and then I opened my mouth.

“Thank you for your hard work, Attorney.”

Only after I greeted him normally did Attorney Gu Eun-ho check that there was no one around, relax his frozen expression, and cautiously ask.

“Was it alright?”

“It was a very excellent performance.”

I smiled and added.

“You could have become an actor instead of a lawyer.”

Only then did Attorney Gu Eun-ho let out a sigh of relief.

“Haha, thank you.”

Now that the tension was gone, a smile appeared on his face as well.

“Prosecutor, your acting was no joke. Your angry expression was amazing… Khee.”

He even raised his thumb and said.

“Prosecutor, you should prepare to celebrate.”

“It’s not too late to celebrate after everything is over.”

Attorney Gu Eun-ho asked with sparkling eyes.

“Still, can we say that the game has tilted in our favor to this extent?”

“Of course.”

I shrugged my shoulders and added.

“Although Park Jae-pil himself doesn’t know it yet.”

Thinking about his dismayed expression when he finds out in a few days that his carelessness has brought about a huge disaster, I can’t help but burst into laughter already.

My lips twisted and contorted at the happy thought.

This game has already tilted in my favor.

Without Park Jae-pil knowing.

And very steeply.

***

“…Considering the above, there is no evidence that the defendant commissioned the murder suspect, and the connection with the murder suspect cannot be confirmed. The court sentences the defendant Choi Seo-jun to be not guilty.”

Yes!

I clenched my fist and left the courtroom.

I waited and waited for the verdict.

I wasn’t worried because it was obvious that I would be acquitted.

Joy erupted at the fact that the time to draw my sword had finally come.

After stopping by the detention center and packing my belongings, Han Ji-yu was waiting for me.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Ji-yu, you must have had a hard time waiting. I’m sorry.”

After giving her a light hug, I immediately got into the car.

Han Ji-yu handed me a black plastic bag from the back seat.

“Don’t tell me, it’s tofu?”

At my question, she smiled shyly and nodded.

“Even if you were in the detention center, you still have to eat [a Korean tradition to celebrate release].”

Inside the bag was a large block of tofu.

“Eat it quickly.”

I laughed loudly, picked up the tofu with my bare hands, and took a big bite.

“Thank you.”

Han Ji-yu looked at me silently and handed me my cell phone.

“You have to move right away, right?”

“Yeah.”

She didn’t even ask me to bring my cell phone.

As expected, she understands me perfectly.

I took another bite of the tofu and immediately took out my cell phone to make a call to one place.

Before she answered the phone, Han Ji-yu cautiously asked.

“Is the counterattack starting now?”

“Of course. I have to get revenge, right?”

I took another bite of the tofu and swallowed it, and then the call was connected.

-Yes, Chief! Are you out of prison?

Yoon Seol-ha’s cheerful voice came through the phone.

“Out of prison? Getting out of the detention center doesn’t even count as getting out of prison.”

-Hahaha, I’m just kidding. Congratulations! You’ve really been through a lot.

“Thank you.”

After answering lightly, I went straight to the point.

“Let’s move properly now.”

I twisted the corners of my mouth and added.

“It’s time to arrest and throw Park Jae-pil in jail for perjury.”