The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 278

Poisoned or Not (2)

“Ah, Chief Prosecutor.”

Surprised that I answered the phone so quickly, Sung Jin-hyun opened his mouth with a startled voice.

“Thank you for answering. How have you been?”

“Cut the small talk about my well-being.”

I continued in a stiff voice.

“What’s the matter?”

I mustn’t let my guard down for even a moment.

There’s a possibility that he might be deliberately recording to find my weaknesses.

“I would like to have a serious conversation with you. Would it be possible to meet in person?”

“I asked what’s the matter.”

“…….”

A moment of silence followed.

It was an implicit way of saying that the topic was difficult to discuss over the phone.

However, I have no intention of giving in easily.

Unless I know what he’s up to, there’s no need to be led around by his intentions.

“I want to apologize.”

My brow furrowed.

“That’s what you do when you’re asking for forgiveness.”

“Yes. That’s why I wanted to say I’m sorry and apologize.”

That’s like hearing thunder out of a clear sky [an unexpected and shocking event].

Apologize my ass.

His cousin is the president, and he knows I’ve broken up with him, so there’s no reason for him to apologize to me, nor does he need to.

“I’m hanging up.”

“Wait a minute, Chief Prosecutor!”

He urgently grabbed me [stopped me from hanging up].

“I just found out what Tae-hyun *hyung* [older brother/male cousin] did to you. I learned the truth, and I realized that I had been misunderstanding a lot. So I wanted to say I was wrong…….”

“I understand. I appreciate the thought, but I don’t want to meet in person.”

“Tomorrow!”

He said desperately.

“I’ll be waiting at the cafe in front of the High Prosecutors’ Office after work tomorrow. Please…….”

“I’m hanging up.”

I ended the call without listening to him any further.

“Hmm…….”

I turned away from my attempt to leave and sat back in my chair.

He learned the truth and apologizes, huh…….

That’s plausible enough.

I ran myself ragged and mobilized my subordinates to help with the election, but as soon as the election was over, I was abandoned like an old shoe, and to top it off, I was stabbed in the back. Even if he’s a relative, he might think it’s not right.

However, that’s only if Sung Tae-hyun hadn’t been elected.

No matter how it happened, his cousin became the president.

And he’s only been in power for a year.

But even if he belatedly learned the truth, there’s no need for him to come to me and apologize.

There are two possibilities here.

The first is that he’s truly a rare and virtuous person, with a level of ethics and values that would barely make sense, and he sincerely wants to apologize to me.

The second is that Sung Tae-hyun sent him.

He knows that I won’t stand still after being betrayed by him.

No, even just seeing me gathering forces like this, he must have sensed that I’m a threat to him.

Therefore, it’s much more likely that Sung Jin-hyun was sent to act as a spy, pretending to apologize and sticking by my side to monitor what I’m preparing.

It’s better to think of it as poison rather than a sweet apple.

In that case, of course.

I’ll grab it in my hand.

And shove it in Sung Tae-hyun’s mouth.

***

“Oh, it’s snowing.”

At Yoon Seol-ha’s words, I turned my head, and snowflakes were falling one by one outside the window.

“It’s already winter.”

“I know, right? It felt like the rainy season until yesterday…… Time really flies. Don’t you think?”

“I don’t know.”

I gave a bitter smile.

“Thinking about waiting for the opportune moment, it feels like time is moving very slowly for me.”

“Ah…….”

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

I chuckled and put down my pen.

“It’s the first snow of the year, you should go on a date.”

“I’d like to, but there’s no one to go with.”

I’ve known her for a long time, so I know she’s a believer in remaining single without her having to say it.

“Shall I prepare to leave work?”

“No. I think I’ll have to work overtime today.”

Yoon Seol-ha tilted her head and asked.

“Is there any work that I haven’t grasped?”

“No. There’s someone I’m waiting for.”

“I understand. Then I’ll prepare some tea.”

“Do you have any urgent work to take care of, Seol-ha?”

“Nothing urgent.”

“Then let’s have dinner together.”

“Yes. What should we have?”

“I’m craving a warm bowl of *udon* [thick wheat flour noodle soup].”

“I’ll make a reservation right away.”

“Okay.”

***

It was 9 p.m., well past the *toegeun* [leaving work] time of 6 p.m.

The lights of the prosecutor’s office still showed no sign of going out, and the streets were brightly lit.

The same was true of the cafe.

After subtly sending Yoon Seol-ha to check, Sung Jin-hyun was still sitting in the corner of the cafe, anxiously waiting and constantly looking at his watch.

He must be quite anxious by now.

I slowly got up from my seat.

“Are you leaving now?”

“Yes. I won’t be long.”

“Be careful.”

I smiled instead of answering and headed straight to the cafe.

Sung Jin-hyun was still sitting in the corner of the cafe, repeatedly looking at his watch and phone.

I ordered an Americano, walked up to him, and sat across from him.

“It’s been a while.”

“Ah!”

He looked up from his phone, his face brightening, and he quickly typed something into his phone with one hand before putting it in his pocket.

“You’re here!”

“I was delayed because of work.”

I didn’t say I was sorry.

Looking at his face, which resembled Sung Tae-hyun, I didn’t want to say those words at all.

I need to stay calm, especially at times like this.

However, his face showed no composure; he was so excited that I had come.

Seeing how expressive he is, he’s definitely not going to be a big figure like Sung Tae-hyun.

I don’t want to admit it, but I could tell from the first time I saw Sung Tae-hyun that he was different from the start.

He only resembles him in appearance; otherwise, he’s completely different.

“Let’s get straight to the point.”

“Ah, yes.”

Sung Jin-hyun straightened his posture and began to speak.

“You know I’m at the Northern District Prosecutors’ Office now, right?”

“Yes. I believe you were appointed this year.”

He went there as soon as the Sung Tae-hyun administration came into power.

“To be honest, I initially thought you were quite ruthless, Chief Prosecutor, just from hearing Tae-hyun *hyung’s* [older brother/male cousin] stories.”

I listened to him with a poker face.

“But I recently heard from our Chief Prosecutor that I seemed to have misunderstood.”

“Are you talking about Chief Prosecutor Choi Geon-woo?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I’ve met him a few times, but we’re not particularly close.

However, as a member of the Korean Party, Chief Prosecutor Choi Geon-woo should know enough about the inside story.

“At first, he talked as if he was asking if what he knew was the truth. So, after I asked him a few times, I realized that Tae-hyun *hyung* [older brother/male cousin] had been hiding the truth from me.”

Sung Jin-hyun clenched his fist and said.

“He told me that you had betrayed him during the election.”

I listened quietly.

“But the truth was that you had been so dedicated, but as soon as Tae-hyun *hyung* [older brother/male cousin] was elected, he stabbed you in the back.”

Hearing him say this, it’s highly likely that he actually had a conversation with Chief Prosecutor Choi Geon-woo.

However, the problem is that there’s no way to prove whether that conversation was initiated by Sung Jin-hyun’s intention or, as he says, it started by chance thanks to Choi Geon-woo.

I went a little prickly to get a clearer picture of his intentions.

“So, what are you trying to say?”

Sung Jin-hyun’s eyes flashed as if he had made up his mind.

“So, I want to apologize on behalf of *hyung* [older brother/male cousin] for what happened, and as a sign of atonement, I want to help you, Chief Prosecutor.”

“What do you know about what I’m doing that you want to help?”

He clenched his fist as if he had made up his mind.

“I’ll help you get revenge on Tae-hyun *hyung* [older brother/male cousin].”

In other words, he had been beating around the bush to say that he wanted me to let him work under me.

Frankly speaking, Sung Jin-hyun isn’t that attractive as a prosecutor, except for the fact that he’s Sung Tae-hyun’s cousin.

He’s not particularly skilled at his job, nor is he good at handling people.

The fact that he was rotting away in the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office because he couldn’t rise on his own, and that I brought him to Seoul, speaks for itself.

However, the fact that he’s Sung Tae-hyun’s cousin covered all those shortcomings.

That alone was enough for him to rise to the position of Senior Prosecutor in the Northern District Prosecutors’ Office.

Therefore, he’s the perfect person to hand the knife to in order to cut off Sung Tae-hyun’s head.

However, the biggest problem is that there’s a high probability that the blade will be pointed at me, not Sung Tae-hyun.

“You must find it difficult to trust me. I would too.”

He continued with a miserable expression.

“But I’m serious. I feel so sorry that I was deceived by Tae-hyun *hyung* [older brother/male cousin] and criticized and insulted you, Chief Prosecutor, who I had admired as a role model and respected the most, that I couldn’t just stand by and watch. That’s why I came to see you in person to apologize and offer my help. Please give me a chance to wash away my sins and set everything right.”

His tone of voice was serious.

So much so that it didn’t feel like acting.

But I didn’t believe it.

No, I shouldn’t need to believe it.

In fact, my mind had been made up before I came, and it’s still the same now.

It’s difficult to trust him, and there’s a possibility that it’s not true that he’s betraying Sung Tae-hyun.

I’m sure of my thoughts, but unfortunately, I don’t have any evidence.

The lack of a way to prove it creates a 1% doubt.

The possibility that he might be sincere.

If, by any chance, everything he’s said so far is the truth and not a fabrication, and if I miss him due to suspicion and dismiss him as just a poisoned apple, I’ll be making a mistake by deliberately avoiding the shortcut to bringing down Sung Tae-hyun.

However, there’s no certainty anywhere.

Therefore, I couldn’t come to a conclusion about whether he’s an ally or an enemy.

It goes without saying that in times like this, it’s right to make decisions by avoiding *buanhan* [unstable/uneasy] factors.

Also, there’s a 99% chance that Sung Tae-hyun sent him, so it’s right to follow my rational judgment.

However, the desire to take down Sung Tae-hyun in one fell swoop keeps flickering before my eyes.

Let’s think *naengjeonghage* [calmly/objectively].

Which decision is best for me?

Soon, my thoughts were organized in my head.

No.

This is wrong.

The very idea of taking on the risk, regardless of the probability, is wrong.

The reason I planned the *binjipteol-i* [empty house raid/burglary] from the beginning was to bring down Sung Tae-hyun completely, even if it took time.

There’s no need to hold a bomb in my arms now.

I just need to use him.

Yes.

I need to use Sung Jin-hyun to tighten Sung Tae-hyun’s noose.

I need to see his own neck being cut off by the knife I handed him.

At that moment, when I came to that confident conclusion.

Buzz, buzz.

My phone vibrated violently.

-Sender: 40

-Video

And as a result of watching the video.

The remaining 1% possibility disappeared.