The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 196

A Double-Edged Sword (2)

Just a moment.

Jang Young-soon?

I rubbed my eyes, thinking I might have misread it, but the text clearly read, ‘A double-edged sword, Jang Young-soon.’

If it’s the Jang Young-soon I’m thinking of, she was one of the queen bees who ran a large-scale Ponzi scheme in Gangnam [a wealthy district in Seoul] during the military regime.

If my memory serves me right, she must be over 70 years old now.

Or is it a different Jang Young-soon?

The fact that this text came the moment I thought partnering with Queen Investments was a double-edged sword… does that mean it’s related?

Whatever else, the comma in the middle of ‘A double-edged sword, Jang Young-soon’ was the problem.

It was unclear whether it meant Jang Young-soon was the double-edged sword, or whether it was referring to both the double-edged sword and Jang Young-soon, warning me to be careful of both.

In the current situation, the exact meaning was unknown.

All I could do was remember it and guess if something related came up later.

“If it’s serious, should we talk about it later?”

I shook my head at James Kim’s question.

“No, it’s alright.”

I put my phone in my pocket and looked at him.

Back to the main topic.

James Kim smiled broadly and said,

“I think this proposal is not bad for you, Prosecutor… what do you think?”

“It’s a good offer. But…”

I clasped my hands together and placed them on my knees.

“If it’s a policy-related proposal, it would have been better to go directly to Congressman Cho Hyun-woong. No matter how influential I am, I’m just a prosecutor. It’s the congressmen and the president, the politicians, who make policies.”

James Kim said without a moment’s hesitation.

“To exaggerate a bit, your name comes out of those politicians’ mouths all the time.”

He twisted the corners of his lips with a sly smile.

“Talking to people in the line these past few days, I’ve constantly heard things like, ‘Talk to Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon,’ ‘Choi Seo-joon said so,’ ‘It seems Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon ordered it.’ Seeing this, isn’t partnering with you the right way to get in line?”

It wasn’t just flattery.

Since joining the 2nd line with Sung Tae-hyun, my influence within the political circles has been at its peak.

Of course, not everyone in the political circles felt quite like he said.

“You’ve exaggerated quite a bit, not just a little.”

Still, praise is praise.

I didn’t feel too bad.

“I’ll think about the offer.”

“Thank you.”

James Kim smiled brightly and stood up.

“You won’t regret it.”

“Just in case, do you independently manage the company? Or do you receive instructions from the US headquarters?”

“It has nothing to do with the US headquarters. However…”

He looked around and took a step closer to me.

“There is one person in Korea who is higher than me.”

“That person is the real CEO?”

“I’m in charge of operations, and that person is in charge of funding.”

“Tell me who that person is.”

“Michelle Jang.”

James Kim lowered his voice.

“Her Korean name is Jang Soon-ok. I call her Madam Jang Soon-ok. Of course, except for a few key people within the company, including the media, no one knows of her existence.”

In short, the woman named Jang Soon-ok is the real power behind the throne.

“I want to meet her.”

“Yes. If you think the offer is good, please contact me. I’ll arrange a meeting.”

“I will.”

He bowed and blended into the crowd.

Michelle Jang, huh….

I don’t know why, but I had a gut feeling that I shouldn’t trust her 100%.

I immediately took out my phone and called Yoon Seol-ha.

-Yes, Chief.

“Investigate Queen Investments. Everything from the company structure to any internal problems, and what relationship it has with the US headquarters.”

-Understood.

***

The next day, just before lunchtime, I received a brief report on Queen Investments from Yoon Seol-ha.

“Queen Investments is a company that mainly deals with penny stocks and delisted stocks…”

“I know what kind of company it is. You can skip that.”

“Ah, then should I report on the CEO first?”

“Yes.”

She turned the document she was holding to the next page and continued.

“The CEO is James Kim. His Korean name is Kim Hyun-dong. Born in 1972, he is a second-generation Korean-American. He is known to have made quite a name for himself on Wall Street after graduating from Harvard. He came to Korea in 2020 and has been active since then. While working in the Korean securities industry, he joined KH Trust in 2022 and began serving as the CEO as a professional.”

I’ve never heard of KH Trust.

“After that, there were no significant moves until October 2024, when KH Trust was absorbed by Queen Investments in the United States and began to act as a Korean branch. Even then, he did not step down, but was rather appointed as the CEO. Since then, it has rapidly grown to its current size.”

This is the first time I’m hearing this.

More than anything, what’s strange is that the CEO didn’t change even after the merger.

This is beyond questionable.

“The CEO didn’t change even after the merger?”

“Yes. I found that strange too, so I checked, but there is no particular reason given. Moreover, although it appears to be a merger on the surface, it is actually registered as a business closure.”

The fact that it was closed down and transferred, rather than a normal acquisition, is something to pay attention to.

Even if the name changes, a normal company cannot close down if it wants to generate sales or be recognized for its performance.

But closing down means turning everything the company has done into nothing.

Even so, they closed down?

There is only one thing a normal company can gain from closing down.

Obtaining the legal right to destroy all information obtained while running the company.

In this case, the reason is obvious.

There was a problem with the management of KH Trust.

This is starting to smell fishy.

However, it is difficult to track information when they have deliberately closed down the business.

“KH Trust has grown rapidly since being acquired by Queen Investments in November of last year…”

Yoon Seol-ha’s briefing continued, but the name of the woman James Kim mentioned was not mentioned.

“…That’s all.”

“Did the name Jang Soon-ok come up during the investigation?”

“Jang Soon-ok?”

She asked back as if she had never heard of it.

“It’s a name I’ve never heard of. Is there any connection?”

“Yes. She’s said to be the real owner… or it could be the name Michelle Jang.”

“I don’t remember any such name in the process of my investigation.”

That means she’s operating completely behind the scenes.

“However, all the information I have reported is about Queen Investments in Korea, and it seems difficult to conduct a detailed investigation into the headquarters in the United States in the near future.”

“How long will it take?”

“Roughly a month.”

A month is too late.

I need to secure funds at least within this month.

“Then, what is the reputation of Queen Investments in the United States?”

“It doesn’t seem to be well known to the public, but it has a good reputation among experts and in current affairs media.”

This is going to be a difficult decision.

Looking at the indicators in Korea alone, it’s suspicious, but it’s hard to find a reason to refuse.

Besides, I don’t know if I can meet someone who offers better conditions than James Kim right now.

Therefore, there is a high possibility that I will have to take the risk.

If I just stand by and do nothing, Choi Kyu-hyun will run wild in the presidential election.

It’s better to carry a bomb into enemy territory than to wait and have my head cut off.

As the presidential election approaches, the time I spend contemplating each step lengthens.

It’s enough to make my head throb.

It’s not like when I was at the bottom; now that I’ve risen to the position of Chief Prosecutor, everything could collapse and turn to dust if I make even a small mistake.

It’s like walking on thin ice.

In this chaotic situation, where it’s hard to see even an inch ahead due to the thick fog, one thing is certain: the probability of Congressman Cho Hyun-woong losing the presidential election is very high.

Then, not only will I not be able to fulfill James Kim’s request, but I will also become an indirect promotional model for Queen Investments, and the citizens who have been influenced and invested will blame me.

But I can handle that much.

According to James Kim, he will use Han Ji-yoo’s influence to spread the word that Choi Seo-joon also invested, drawing people’s attention.

That way, after the matter is settled, I can also play the victim, which will be taken into account to some extent.

Of course, a few may still harbor resentment and hate me, but I can’t do anything if I consider that.

All of this is to prepare for the presidential election in April.

The goal of this presidential election is not to defeat Choi Kyu-hyun, but to weaken his power.

If I prepare to be elected, I might make an unreasonable move and end up giving wings to Choi Kyu-hyun.

Not the worst outcome, but the second worst.

I had somewhat foreseen that this situation would arise since I stabbed Choi Kyu-hyun in the back, but it feels even tougher.

Still, I have to endure.

If you want to wear a crown, you have to bear its weight.

“Do you have any further instructions?”

“Investigate Madam Jang Soon-ok.”

“You said she’s the same person as Michelle Jang?”

“That’s right. She’s definitely related to Queen Investments.”

“Understood. I’ll come back within three days.”

I glanced at my watch and pushed my chair back.

“It’s already past 12 o’clock. Let’s go eat quickly.”

“Aren’t you eating, Chief?”

“I have something to think about.”

“Understood.”

She bowed and left the Chief Prosecutor’s office.

I closed my eyes and pondered in the empty office.

Queen Investments.

And the future text, ‘A double-edged sword, Jang Young-soon.’

Maybe what I know is not everything.

The future text wouldn’t have come just for this situation.

I must move, anticipating that there is definitely something hidden.

At that moment, my phone rang.

The caller was none other than Shin Yong-ho.

A call after a long time, what’s going on?

I immediately picked up my phone.

“Oh, what’s up?”

-You little rascal, so cold. I’m in the parking lot now. Come out.

“Suddenly?”

-Let’s eat, you idiot. I came to see your face after a long time, so come out quickly. No refusal.

With those words, the call ended.

Is this guy for real?

I got up and looked out the window with half doubt and half expectation, and Shin Yong-ho’s car was indeed visible in the parking lot.

He still has a knack for surprising people, just like before.

I was going to skip lunch, but I guess I’ll be a husband who listens to his wife’s words and eats on time against my will.

I grabbed my coat and went straight down to the parking lot.

I approached the familiar car and got into the passenger seat.

“You came?”

Shin Yong-ho smiled and put his hand on the steering wheel.

I chuckled and fastened my seat belt.

“Why do you come without any notice? What if I was out on business?”

“I contacted Ara and confirmed that you were in the office.”

“What if I had an appointment?”

“I was going to shamelessly go and sit with you.”

“Ugh, that’s so Shin Yong-ho.”

He started the engine and scolded me.

“When was that Shin Yong-ho? It’s been so long since I changed my name.”

At that moment, as if hit in the head with a hammer, one thought flashed through my mind, and I involuntarily exclaimed.

“That’s right, name change!”

Why didn’t I think of that?