The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 31

Prosecutor, You’re Going Places! – 31

Chase (3)

What is all this nonsense all of a sudden?

A VIP [Very Important Person]?

“Why would the President want to see me…?”

“We haven’t received the exact reason either. The secretariat contacted us and told us to clear your schedule for lunch with him in two days. That’s all I know.”

I don’t understand what’s going on at all.

If something like this happens, I should at least have some idea why, but I don’t have the slightest clue.

“Did they say he only wants to meet with me? Or other prosecutors…?”

“I heard it’s a one-on-one meeting between you and the VIP.”

A private meeting with the President…

This seems like a big deal.

Did he find out that I joined hands with Vice Chairman Lee Cheol-yong?

Is that why my righteous prosecutor act caught his eye?

No, that couldn’t be it.

No matter how many times I’ve had my picture taken, I’m not someone the President would pay attention to.

Then why?

All sorts of guesses filled my head, but I couldn’t think of any good reason.

Jo Ara looked at my complicated expression and said cautiously.

“The secretariat’s voice wasn’t that dark, so I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. Don’t worry too much.”

“I hope so.”

I couldn’t shake off the deep worries and swept my hair back.

“Please check if I can see the chief prosecutor for a moment.”

“You mean the head of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office?”

“Yes.”

Chief Prosecutor Lim Ju-young.

He might know something.

***

“Hello, Chief Prosecutor. I’m Choi Seo-joon, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Special Investigation Department.”

“Wow, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“I’m sorry. I should have come to see you sooner.”

“You should have. It’s already been almost two weeks since you moved from the High Prosecutors’ Office to the District Prosecutors’ Office, and you’re only showing your face now. You’re too late.”

“I’ve been busy adjusting.”

“Alright. Let’s stop with the greetings and sit down.”

Chief Prosecutor Lim Ju-young guided me to the sofa.

Before asking what I was curious about, I started with a simple greeting.

“I heard you’re going to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office soon.”

“I have to go. I should have the title of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office on my business card, shouldn’t I?”

“You shouldn’t just stop at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office; you should go all the way up to the Prosecutor General.”

“That might be possible if you don’t throw chili powder on me [implying causing trouble or hindering his progress].”

Chief Prosecutor Lim Ju-young, who deliberately made a joke to embarrass me, laughed heartily and crossed his legs.

“Anyway, what’s going on?”

Since the formalities were enough, I went straight to the point.

“The VIP invited me to lunch in two days.”

“The President did?”

His voice was startled, but his body didn’t move; he just grabbed the armrest tightly.

I was going to ask him if he knew anything, but it seems like Chief Prosecutor Lim Ju-young heard it for the first time too.

“Yes. So I’m going to stop by for a bit, and I came to tell you in advance.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Chief Prosecutor Lim Ju-young nodded and then stopped looking at my face.

“You can report that through the chief prosecutor; why did you bother coming all the way here?”

He twisted his lips and said jokingly.

“You didn’t come here to brag, did you?”

“I came to ask if you knew anything.”

“I don’t know anything at all.”

Chief Prosecutor Lim Ju-young pondered for a while and then took a deep breath.

“As far as I remember, the President has never had a private meeting with a mere prosecutor…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence and let out a hollow laugh.

“I have no idea. The VIP is too unique these days.”

As expected, Chief Prosecutor Lim Ju-young didn’t receive any separate information.

“I’ll let you know if there’s anything special.”

“Okay. I’m curious about this too.”

He raised his eyebrows at me.

“We’re all in the same boat now, aren’t we?”

I smiled and replied.

“I know we’re in boats right next to each other.”

“You’re so bold; I like that. You don’t back down even in front of the chief prosecutor.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Then it’s a compliment.”

He laughed and waved his hand.

“Go on.”

“Rest well.”

***

President Kwon Jae-cheol, who has various nicknames such as a genius of politics, a genius of debate, and a genius of speech.

He is known to be very warm to the people, but his unique poker face never changes when he is doing politics.

As expected, he was maintaining a perfect poker face today.

I couldn’t read his thoughts at all.

The secretary told me that I was called in to receive an award for being an honest public official, but I wondered if it was really necessary to go this far.

“Award for honest public official. Choi Seo-joon. The above public official…”

The voice of the woman reading the plaque on behalf of the President was heard, but I was so nervous that I let it go in one ear and out the other.

“…therefore, this plaque is awarded. 19th President Kwon Jae-cheol.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Only after the reporters from the Blue House [the executive office and official residence of the South Korean president] took pictures of me receiving the plaque and shaking hands with the President was I able to move to the restaurant to enjoy the luncheon.

On the way to the restaurant, the President naturally started talking to me.

“I saw the case where you eradicated corruption in the prosecution through the news.”

“Ah, is that so? Thank you.”

“More than anything else, I wanted to praise your courage and guts for taking 1.2 billion won this time and handing it over to the inspection department without any hesitation.”

Is that why he called me?

“Thanks to this, the public’s trust in public officials has greatly increased. It’s all thanks to you.”

“You flatter me.”

The President, whom I glanced at, was still frozen with a poker face.

Did he really call me to praise me for this?

To even create a luncheon for that.

Or is he going to get to the point while eating?

I don’t know if it’s because all sorts of thoughts kept filling my head or because the conversation was not nutritious, but the content of the conversation I had until I sat down at the meal didn’t leave much of an impression.

When the chefs and staff who had finished setting up the main course had completely left the restaurant, a slightly lighter tone of voice, unlike the stern voice so far, came out of the President’s mouth.

“Let’s stop with the stiff formalities and have a comfortable meal.”

At that moment, the President’s poker face broke.

At the same time, a cowardly expression like a mean street thug appeared on the President’s face.

He smirked and reached out his hand instead of chopsticks, picked up a meat pancake, and took a bite.

“If you’ve climbed up to the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Special Investigation Department of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, which is the most coveted position in the Korean prosecution, at the young age of thirty, you should know a thing or two, right?”

“…Yes?”

I can’t figure out the situation.

Is he trying to test me?

Or is he really this kind of person?

Was this the purpose from the beginning?

The President spoke frankly.

“Politics is all a show. I saw your press conference, and you seem to have quite a talent for it. When you get older, quit being a prosecutor and go into politics. It’s more fun here.”

“I don’t have any big thoughts about politics yet.”

“Yeah. You don’t have it ‘yet’.”

He snorted and continued.

“I’ve never seen a guy who says he’s not interested in politics not jump into politics.”

The President shook his head and picked up a chicken leg this time.

He took a big bite of the succulent, glossy chicken leg and then looked at me, who was still frozen, and asked casually.

“How much did you get?”

“…Pardon?”

“It must have been pushed by the eldest son of the Juok Group. Otherwise, what would you believe in to make such a bold bet as to hold a press conference?”

Cold sweat dripped down.

Should I tell the truth?

No.

If I say it now, nothing will work out.

He has no evidence.

He’s just guessing based on the situation.

It’s best to play dumb for now.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Tsk, tsk. You’re quite stubborn.”

He clicked his tongue and chewed on the meat pancake.

“Okay. Let’s say you didn’t receive it.”

“…”

“Eat. You’ll get indigestion if I ask you more.”

The President looked at me, who was still standing still, and asked again while tearing off the chicken leg.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

Smirk.

Soon, the corners of his lips went up.

“You have a face that says you don’t know why I called you here. Am I right?”

“…That’s right.”

He put down the chicken leg and reached out his arm to me.

“A conscientious prosecutor who is so sincere that he will become a national star.”

The President hit his chest with his opposite hand and continued.

“And a warm president who praises his achievements. How good is the picture?”

A picture?

In the end, did he give me an award for being an honest public official and even arrange a private luncheon just to show the people a picture of us shaking hands?

And he’s expressing this situation as a show himself?

Was this the real 모습 [Korean word for ‘appearance’ or ‘figure’] of President Kwon Jae-cheol?

I feel like laughing.

No, it’s so funny that I feel like laughing.

This is real politics.

This is what the back world of power is like.

I thought I had a lot of fun coming up to Seoul, but I realized that I still have a long way to go.

I want to know more.

That the president at the pinnacle of power is such a human being.

What’s stopping me from standing there too?

I was clenching my fist tightly to hold back the laughter that was about to come out, but the President threw out an unexpected word.

“What do you think about marrying my daughter?”

I was momentarily tempted.

The President’s son-in-law.

Promotion?

That’s not even a problem.

Forming a blood relationship with someone at the pinnacle of power. This is literally like approaching the final boss.

I clenched my fist tightly without realizing it due to the excitement that was rising on its own, but I soon came to my senses.

Then, I took a step away from the sweetness and looked at it coldly.

What the President handed over was a poisoned apple.

It’s a poisoned apple that will obviously fly off your neck before you can even taste it properly.

There’s no need to even test it.

I stood up, bowed politely, and politely refused.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m just kidding; why are you taking it so seriously?”

He threw the bones of the chicken leg he had eaten into the bone bucket and continued.

“My daughter is already over forty, but she’s not thinking about getting married. Ugh, I hope she meets a decent guy and shows me a grandchild soon.”

“Ah…”

He twisted his lips and looked at me.

“The reason for refusing is obvious, what. No matter how much you rush, it will take another 1-2 years to get married, and after that time, it will be the lame duck period [the final period of office for an elected official after the election of a successor]. You noticed that it’s a candy that has lost all its sweetness. Isn’t it?”

He guessed exactly right.

It feels like he’s completely piercing through my head.

“Didn’t you think about everything I said?”

The answer was replaced by silence.

Knowing that it was a silent affirmation, he continued frankly.

“If it were other guys, they would have said yes right away without even looking at my daughter’s face, or they would have accepted it because they were burdened to refuse, but you refused without leaving any room… You’re not an ordinary guy after all. I think I saw you right.”

The President was pleased that he liked me and twisted his lips satisfactorily.

“Let’s see each other sometimes.”

He raised his hand high, and I quickly got up, approached him, and grabbed his hand.

His greasy fingers dug deeply into the side of my hand.