The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 265

Taming (3)

“It’s me. Can’t you recognize me?”

The man spoke with a disappointed tone.

I turned around to look directly at him, but he was a complete stranger.

I frowned and asked,

“…Who are you?”

“It’s Go Seong-tak. God’s Hand, Go Seong-tak.”

That couldn’t be.

I had heard he had completely changed his face. So, I understand why I couldn’t recognize him, but the Go Seong-tak I knew didn’t have this voice.

As I didn’t erase my suspicious gaze, he immediately noticed and clapped his hands.

“Ah, it’s because of my voice, isn’t it?”

He smiled brightly and then.

“Ahem.”

He vibrated his Adam’s apple, pressed his neck with two fingers, and opened his mouth.

“Does it sound a bit more like it now?”

A familiar voice.

The very Go Seong-tak I knew.

“What the hell?”

“I touched up my vocal cords a bit too. If I strain my voice, I can make my original voice, but my usual voice is completely different.”

I’ve heard of such technology, but…

Wait.

Come to think of it, I remember hearing that Lee Doo-hyung couldn’t speak during the election and communicated via email.

Was it because of this?

However, I couldn’t trust him, who suddenly showed up and made such claims.

“If you’re still suspicious… um, what could I do?”

Contacting Go Seong-tak’s phone or looking at his ID would be meaningless.

If he was determined to impersonate Go Seong-tak, he would have stolen everything from Go Seong-tak overseas.

The real Go Seong-tak might be dead or alive, for all I know.

Knowing this, the man in the back seat also pondered for a long time, stroking his chin.

A fact that only Go Seong-tak would know, not someone else.

“Where did we meet after the presidential election?”

“The Hill Consience Hotel VIP Lounge. Also known as the Penthouse.”

“Where did you directly encounter Seong Tae-hyun?”

“It’s a slightly painful memory, but…”

He answered immediately without much hesitation.

“The first room on the right side of the lounge. Was the room number 17?”

Accurate.

“I was comforting you, but Seong Tae-hyun came, so I had to leave.”

It perfectly matched my memory.

“Do you trust me a bit now?”

This is a fact that only Go Seong-tak would know.

“It seems so.”

Only then did I let go of my wariness and took a deep breath.

“If you were coming, you should have contacted me in advance.”

“I was going to.”

Go Seong-tak moved his body greatly and crossed over from the back seat to the passenger seat.

“If that information leaked out, it would be troublesome, wouldn’t it? If they found out I contacted you while they thought I was hiding overseas, it would all be for nothing.”

That’s true.

He pulled the seatbelt and said,

“Anyway, it’s really nice to see you after a long time. I was so bored and lonely while recuperating that I almost died.”

I turned on the interior light and stared intently at his face.

There was no trace of God’s Hand, Go Seong-tak, left.

The middle-aged look had disappeared, and he felt even younger than me.

You could believe it even if he said he was in his early 30s.

“I’m embarrassed if you stare at me like that.”

He scratched his head as if he was embarrassed.

Looking closely, you can see signs of plastic surgery.

It was still impossible to become a completely new person with modern technology.

“Where did you get plastic surgery?”

“I did everything. I got fillers in my forehead, and jaw shaving is basic. Double eyelid surgery, lateral canthoplasty [surgical procedure to lengthen the eye opening], medial epicanthoplasty [surgical procedure to remove skin folds from the inner corner of the eye], nose, lip corners… I can’t even remember them all.”

The important thing is that even though he had his entire face redone, it didn’t feel excessive.

I only thought he might have had surgery on his nose or eyes.

No one would realize he was Go Seong-tak unless he said so himself.

“Your recovery was faster than I thought.”

“Yes. These days, technology is so good that even double jaw surgery recovers in 6 months. I was surprised too. You can’t even tell now, can you?”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“It’s nothing.”

I started the engine and asked,

“How have you been?”

“Except for working on Lee Doo-hyung’s by-election, I’ve been in the hospital. All I did was watch the news and eat three meals a day.”

“You’ll be busy now. I was going to start preparing anyway, but your timing is amazing.”

“That’s good. I was feeling sluggish, but I was confident I could perform well.”

The rain gradually subsided while we were moving.

After finishing the simple greetings, I went straight to the point.

“I’ve created a new identity for you.”

“I’m becoming a completely new person.”

“Yes. You know the current government likes people from overseas, right?”

“Yes. I heard President Seong Tae-hyun is less so, but the Prime Minister is especially fond of them.”

“So, I prepared you as a graduate from the United States.”

I gestured and said,

“Open the glove box over there.”

Go Seong-tak took out a thick document envelope from it.

“Your name is Go Joong-hyuk. Your American name is Leonard.”

Inside the envelope were university diplomas, various resumes, and a new ID card.

“You graduated from Harvard in the United States and worked as a lobbyist for 10 years after graduation.”

“Isn’t it difficult to fabricate Harvard? It would be easy to track…”

“Don’t you think too little of me?”

“It’s not that, but…”

“I made it so that even if you search the Harvard official website, Go Joong-hyuk’s name will appear on the list of graduates. It took quite a bit of effort, but as expected, there’s nothing you can’t do with money.”

“Ah…”

He chuckled in amazement.

I continued to explain.

“And you came to Korea at the beginning of this year and entered Lee Doo-hyung’s election camp through the introduction of the president of TA Media. You were active there.”

“So, what I helped with via email from Japan…”

“Yes. That will be your first spec [short for ‘specialization,’ referring to a specific area of expertise or achievement] in Korea. For reference, I made it so that you built a relationship with the president of TA Media when you were a student in the United States.”

Go Seong-tak nodded.

“After the election, I made it so that you worked as a staff member for executives of various media companies through Loach. Of course, it’s recorded that you helped in the shadows, so there are no accurate records, but if the Blue House [the executive office and official residence of the President of South Korea] conducts a verification, those executives will prove it.”

In fact, Loach had performed all those roles.

However, they didn’t know Loach’s identity, and Loach also introduced himself as Go Joong-hyuk, so the media companies would naturally think that the person who helped them was Leonard, that is, Go Joong-hyuk.

“Perfect.”

“In addition to the experience of writing speeches for famous figures in the political world when you were in the United States, and various minor specs, the Prime Minister won’t be able to resist.”

A resume that the Blue House can’t help but covet.

If the Prime Minister finds out, he will have no choice but to take him as his staff or aide.

Above all, with the Minister of Justice’s case breaking out and all the spotlight on it, he will need talented people even more.

“Loach and the Hitman will continue to shake the media. Then, the government will naturally feel threatened. If you approach them naturally at that time, they will have no choice but to take you.”

“I see.”

Through this series of processes, Go Seong-tak will contact the Prime Minister and enter the Blue House.

“There’s one thing I’m worried about…”

He asked cautiously.

“Doesn’t the Blue House know that Assemblyman [member of the National Assembly, the legislature of South Korea] Lee Doo-hyung is on the Prosecutor’s side? Won’t the experience of working in that election camp be a hindrance?”

“Rather, that will help.”

I twisted the corners of my lips lightly.

“If you know yourself and your enemy, you will never be defeated.”

“Ah!”

“They will rather think that if they take you to their side, they can get information about Doo-hyung and me.”

“I see.”

“You can spread some weak sources.”

Go Seong-tak’s lips also naturally went up.

“Something that looks good, but the reality is not important.”

“That’s my specialty.”

I slowly stepped on the brake and turned my head to the passenger seat.

“Mr. Go Seong-tak. No, Mr. Go Joong-hyuk.”

“Yes, Chief Prosecutor.”

“Please thoroughly grill the Prime Minister.”

“I will definitely make it a success this time.”

His eyes burned with enthusiasm.

***

“You son of a bitch!”

Central Investigation Department, Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

The documents thrown by Chief Prosecutor Kwak Cheol-gyu hit Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook’s head.

The corner of the document file hit his face, slightly tearing the skin and creating a scratch.

However, the Hitman, Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook, didn’t say anything and still stood with his hands behind his back, bowing his head.

As if this wasn’t enough to relieve his anger, Chief Prosecutor Kwak Cheol-gyu picked up his nameplate.

“Please calm down, Chief!”

Chief Jeong Min-seong grabbed Chief Prosecutor Kwak Cheol-gyu’s body with all his might to stop him.

“You’re the same, you bastard! How did you teach him that he acts like this?”

Chief Prosecutor Kwak Cheol-gyu was furious.

“After making such a fuss, you suddenly went into hiding and came to work today and said what? That you’ll take care of it yourself?”

“I’m sorry, Chief. I’ll talk to him and…”

However, before the chief’s words were finished, Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook opened his mouth as if resisting.

“I belong to the Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.”

“The Central Investigation Department?”

Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook’s words meant ‘The Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office can take on cases independently without the permission of a superior’.

The prosecutors here were on a different level from the prosecutors of ordinary district prosecutors’ offices.

Each prosecutor was at least at the level of a deputy chief prosecutor or higher.

That’s why Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook was selected as the Hitman, and he succeeded in monopolizing the land speculation case of Minister of Justice Park Chang-shik.

Even so, it is an unspoken rule and etiquette to move under the instructions of a superior.

If you don’t follow it, it’s obvious that you’ll be targeted by your superior and won’t be promoted.

However, Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook moved without even seeking permission, let alone receiving instructions from his superiors.

And he took on the case of corruption by the Minister of Justice, who reigned over the Prosecutor General, the head of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

He directly took care of a case that no one in the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, let alone the High Prosecutors’ Office or the District Prosecutors’ Office, would ever want to be assigned to.

It’s a minister. And the Minister of Justice at that.

Such a high-ranking person will not easily collapse.

Even if he steps down from the position of minister, his influence can never be ignored.

Therefore, the Minister of Justice’s retaliation is obvious.

Chief Prosecutor Kwak Cheol-gyu, who had already been scolded by the Prosecutor General and the Deputy Prosecutor General, couldn’t relieve his anger no matter how angry he got.

If things go wrong, his path to success will be blocked.

“You son of a bitch. You piece of trash. You sparrow-sized bastard. Do you only want to be promoted? Do you only want to go up? At least you should know what you’re doing, right?!”

“Prosecutor Gong, quickly apologize!”

Chief Jeong Min-seong urged Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook, but he glared and said sharply.

“Are you the Chief Prosecutor of the Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and want to suck up to others?”

“What, what?”

“We are prosecutors. No matter who the other party is, if they have committed a crime, they must be punished. That’s what prosecutors should do. If you’re afraid of high-ranking officials and tremble, who will catch the corruption in this country? Is that what a prosecutor should say? You’re not even as good as a tissue that wipes other people’s shit. A prosecutor in the Republic of Korea is not a job to be afraid of!”

“You bastard!”

In the end, Chief Prosecutor Kwak Cheol-gyu threw the nameplate he was holding at Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook.

Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook didn’t deliberately avoid it.

Thud!

With a dull sound, the nameplate hit the side of Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook’s head, creating a long wound.

Blood flowed down, dripping onto the floor.

However, Chief Prosecutor Kwak Cheol-gyu was still panting and shouting.

“You’re not in the Central Investigation Department from today. You’re on standby!”

“The moment you put me on standby, I’ll sue you for assault.”

Prosecutor Gong Sang-wook pushed his head forward as if to show off his wound.

“You know that this will definitely result in a prison sentence, right?”

He said and smirked.