The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 145

Prosecutor, You’re Going Places! – Episode 146 (145/341)

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“You called for me, Chief?”

Yoon Seol-ha entered the office, her arms full of documents.

“Did you find out anything about Chief Prosecutor Seo Gi-woong?”

“I was actually going to report on that today. Perfect timing.”

She smiled brightly and placed the documents she was holding on my desk.

“As you instructed, I looked into his background. There haven’t been any major changes to Chief Prosecutor Seo Gi-woong himself, but there have been some changes in the operating policies of the orphanage run by his wife.”

“Orphanage?”

“Yes. At Hope Orphanage, donors could previously remain anonymous, but now everyone has to reveal their names. They’ve also started restricting people who want to volunteer.”

This was further evidence to support Minister Kim Seok-won’s claim that Chief Prosecutor Seo Gi-woong suspected me.

“From what I’ve gathered, there’s been a sudden surge in anonymous donors over the past three months, and it seems like they’re from the Prosecutor’s Office.”

Wait a minute, I hadn’t heard about this.

“Did you find out exactly who they are?”

“I couldn’t pinpoint exactly who. However, there are quite a few prosecutors involved, and the amounts are substantial, so it doesn’t seem like ordinary public officials donating out of the goodness of their hearts.”

Ah, so that’s the problem.

I wondered why it felt off.

Seo Gi-woong isn’t the type to make an issue out of my past donations now.

This must be the ‘special occasion’ that Minister Kim Seok-won mentioned.

Probably, some people within the Prosecutor’s Office heard that Seo Gi-woong’s wife runs Hope Orphanage and donated money to curry favor.

But unlike me, who moved discreetly and donated to other places as well, if they openly flock to donate, there’s no way Seo Gi-woong wouldn’t notice.

That’s why I started being suspected as well, and Seo Gi-woong’s animosity towards me intensified due to what happened during the process of pushing out Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil.

Stupid bastards.

Seo Gi-woong isn’t some naive fool. There’s no way he wouldn’t realize they’re trying to get on his good side by donating to Hope Orphanage so openly.

I’d like to give them a piece of my mind if I knew who they were, but the water has already been spilled.

Now that Seo Gi-woong has started distancing himself from me, there’s only one conclusion.

I have to get rid of him.

Even if we remain on merely distant terms, there might be no disruption to my work, but as long as he remains as the Chief Prosecutor in charge of personnel matters, it’s as good as having a significant penalty on my promotion to Deputy Chief Prosecutor.

My biggest weakness is none other than my age.

As the youngest Chief Prosecutor, even if my promotion to Deputy Chief Prosecutor is delayed, it can still be seen as faster than the average person. If he’s determined to drag it out, he doesn’t have to promote me.

However, I’m not someone who’s satisfied with being just moderately faster than others. After Seong Tae-hyeon is elected president, I need to become the Prosecutor General to achieve my minimum goal.

To do that, I need to become a Chief Prosecutor within at least 10 years.

In the end, Seo Gi-woong becomes an obstacle to my goal of advancement.

But this would mean that the future text I received yesterday would hold me back.

There’s almost a year left until the Seoul mayoral election.

If I use the information in the text to get rid of Seo Gi-woong, it means I have to watch him until right before the election.

However, it won’t be easy for me to quietly endure that long without any harm, now that I’ve already rubbed him the wrong way.

No, there’s a high possibility that it will negatively affect my promotion, so even if the Chief Prosecutor changes a year later, there might be problems with my promotion.

In that case, I need to have some means to keep Seo Gi-woong in check before that…….

As I was racking my brains, an idea flashed through my mind.

Wait a minute, could this text be telling me to draw a bigger picture and make a move?

The possibility is high.

Unlike the other prosecutors I’ve ousted so far, Seo Gi-woong is so clean that he even has the nickname of a modern-day paragon of integrity.

No matter how much I dig up dirt on him, it won’t be easy to take him down in one shot.

So, like when Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil attacked me, I should first make a move to shake him up, and then deliver the final blow with the information related to the future text.

That might be the most optimized way to get rid of Seo Gi-woong.

I learned something while taking down Chief Kang Joong-sik and Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil.

The other insignificant figures collapsed on their own when I attacked them with perfect preparation, but when attacking those who have built up their strength firmly like vipers and mad dogs, I have to be prepared to take some damage.

If I had been even slightly complacent, it wouldn’t be the mad dog locked up in a cold prison right now, but me.

The guys who can block my path from now on are on a different level from those I’ve faced so far.

I’ve learned the hard way that I have to prepare flawlessly, read the opponent’s mind, and be one step ahead to achieve my goals without any harm to myself.

It’s fortunate that I restored my image with my marriage to Han Ji-yu this time. If it weren’t for the marriage, my image would have been significantly tarnished by the viper and the mad dog.

When I get rid of Seo Gi-woong, I have to prepare so that no harm comes to me.

That’s not the only thing I need to be mindful of.

The way to use the future text.

Along with that, I have to consider the means to keep Seoul Mayor Na Kyung-joon in check.

Slowly. And I have to move with a very broad perspective.

I need a plan to shake up Seo Gi-woong in the first stage and then bring down Na Kyung-joon and Seo Gi-woong simultaneously through the text.

“Yoon Seol-ha.”

“Yes, Chief?”

“First, find out about the Grand Church.”

“The Grand Church?”

“Yes. It’s one of the pseudo-religions. Investigate everything from A to Z, including its structure and any problems it has, even the smallest details.”

“Understood.”

“And I’m going to further investigate the prosecutors who donated to the orphanage you mentioned. Besides Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung, who else is trustworthy…….”

“Prosecutor Jang Ha-young.”

Yoon Seol-ha said without hesitation.

“When handling the tasks you’ve assigned, Prosecutor Jang Ha-young has done just as well as Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung. More than anything…….”

She added with a bright smile.

“She’ll do better because she’s a woman. This place is full of men, after all.”

Among the prosecutors, there are many naive scholars who have only studied, so it would be much easier to manipulate them.

“Let’s do that. Tell Prosecutor Jang Ha-young to come down to the smoking area below.”

“Should I tell her right away?”

“Yes.”

***

As soon as I put a cigarette in my mouth in the smoking area on the first floor, Prosecutor Jang Ha-young came down.

She bowed her head and approached me, lit my cigarette, and then took out one for herself and lit it.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other alone, right?”

“I believe so.”

She was brought in by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Doo-hyung as someone trustworthy, but because she wasn’t as trusted as Yoon Seol-ha or Lee Doo-hyung, I only assigned her tasks on a divided basis.

But now, she has been working with me longer than other prosecutors, so there’s no room for concern.

Above all, I heard from Yoon Seol-ha recently that she played a significant role in recruiting witnesses to oust Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil, so there’s nothing to worry about.

“How’s work these days, Prosecutor Jang?”

“I’m doing well, thanks to you, Chief, as I’ve been assigned to major cases.”

“I heard you had a hard time in Seoul instead of Investigator Yoon Seol-ha when Senior Prosecutor Park Jae-pil was ousted this time.”

“No, I just did what I had to do.”

Jang Ha-young bowed her head lightly and exhaled a thick puff of cigarette smoke.

“Prosecutor Jang.”

“Yes, Chief?”

I stared at her intently and continued.

“It’s time for Prosecutor Jang to get promoted, too.”

I twisted the corners of my lips slightly.

“Shouldn’t you become a Deputy Chief Prosecutor?”

She gasped.

But her joy was short-lived, and Prosecutor Jang Ha-young’s pupils began to shake.

“Then Deputy Chief Lee Doo-hyung…….”

She seemed confused by the thought of surpassing the person who had brought her up.

I chuckled and explained.

“That friend should become a Chief Prosecutor.”

“Ah!”

Prosecutor Jang Ha-young let out a short exclamation.

“Congratulations, Chief…… no, Deputy Chief.”

“No, no.”

I waved my hand.

“I’m not saying I’m getting promoted already.”

When I denied it, she seemed to think she had made a mistake and immediately bowed.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I got ahead of myself.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

I shook off the cigarette ash and raised her up.

“If I get promoted to Deputy Chief Prosecutor around next year, Doo-hyung will become a Chief, and you’ll be promoted to Deputy Chief…… but there’s an obstacle blocking the way.”

“Just say the word.”

“Someone donated to the orphanage run by Chief Prosecutor Seo Gi-woong’s wife to get on his good side, or so I heard. So the operating policies have changed too.”

As I said this and took out another cigarette, Prosecutor Jang Ha-young immediately lit it for me.

“So, I’m trying to find out who donated to that orphanage first.”

“So, all I have to do is identify the list?”

“For now, that’s it. But there’s one thing you need to know.”

I exhaled cigarette smoke and continued.

“My name will be on that list too.”

“Are you in danger, Chief?”

“It’s not so much that I’m in danger, but I’m involved. It’s from when Chief Prosecutor Seo Gi-woong first took office, but the problem now is the guys who donated recently.”

“I understand what you mean.”

“Good. Find out the list of those guys without revealing my name.”

“Understood. And then…….”

“Then I’ll give you additional instructions.”

“Yes.”

She finished speaking and put another cigarette in her mouth, following me.

This time, when I lit her cigarette, she respectfully put her hands together.

“Thank you.”

“Well, you don’t have to thank me for this.”

After Prosecutor Jang Ha-young exhaled a few more puffs of cigarette smoke, I called her quietly.

“Prosecutor Jang.”

“Yes, Chief.”

“Find me a talented person in the Special Investigations Department, excluding Prosecutors Hong Seok-jang and Jeong Hyeon-woo.”

“Does that mean…….”

“Like Deputy Chief Lee Doo-hyung brought you here.”

When I winked, Prosecutor Jang Ha-young bowed 90 degrees as if she was honored.

“Thank you!”

It’s a kind of solidification [cementing of power].

For Prosecutor Jang Ha-young, directly choosing someone and bringing them under her wing means that she has been recognized by me to some extent, and at the same time, it is an opportunity to further strengthen the connection with me.

In other words, her status in my line can be elevated.

As a result, Prosecutor Jang Ha-young’s sense of belonging will deepen, and she will naturally do her best to stay within my sight in order to further solidify her position in the Choi Seo-joon line.

It’s a win-win opportunity to solidify her as my person and stimulate her passion at the same time.

The reason why I keep creating connections with people in my line is one.

Even if I get promoted to Deputy Chief Prosecutor and continue to climb up, I have to hold on to the Special Investigations Department, which is the core department of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, until the end.

That way, I can exert even greater power as I climb higher, which is an obvious fact.

It’s a course that I have to take, but it’s an even better method because I can stimulate their loyalty here.

“Prosecutor Jang should also become the first female Chief Prosecutor of the Special Investigations Department and keep climbing up.”

“I will not be greedy and will do my best to assist you, Chief.”

“Yes, try hard.”

“Understood.”

Looking at Prosecutor Jang Ha-young’s firm and loyal expression, I couldn’t help but smile.

Yes, that’s why I’m in the Special Investigations Department.

It’s different from other departments where only small fries fill the seats.

A place where only the core of the core of the prosecution gathers.

A department where only those who can do anything to advance, and even risk death, gather.

I must completely dominate the people of this powerful Special Investigations Department so that they can be loyal only to me until the day I become king.

Only then can I truly reach the end of this world.