The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 329

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin’s eyebrows twitched.

“Do you think that makes any sense?”

He didn’t hide his displeasure.

“It’s true I owed you a favor back then. But even if I promised, that would mean I’m risking my political career for you, wouldn’t it? This isn’t right.”

His voice naturally rose.

“Are you telling me to be Lawyer Choi’s stepping stone?”

“A stepping stone, you say?”

I nonchalantly retorted.

“More like a running mate.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin’s voice was sharp.

“Haven’t I always said? Once you lose in a presidential election, there’s no next time.”

“Lose? This is a victory.”

To calm him down, I continued calmly.

“If you clash head-on in the presidential election and lose, you’re right, there’s no chance of winning the next one. But if you step aside and join hands with the winning side, it’s a different story. There’s a good chance of winning the next election. For example…”

I wrinkled my nose and continued.

“Isn’t it already statistically proven that the next presidential candidate supported by the current president has a very high chance of winning?”

Instantly, the excitement on his face visibly subsided.

No, he seemed to be picturing the future in his head.

In fact, nothing I said was wrong.

There’s a world of difference between running and losing, and stepping down midway and having the candidate you supported win.

Moreover, if I get elected president and maintain high approval ratings, and then support him?

The leader of the Great Korea Party, no less?

In short, the next presidential election would be as good as his.

It was a very attractive proposition for Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin.

I aggressively added.

“Let’s say, Assemblyman, you just watch and wait in this election, and then run in the next one. Frankly speaking, do you think you can beat me if you meet me then?”

It wasn’t a pleasant thing to hear, but he had to admit it.

Whether I run now or in the next election, it was an undeniable fact that I was a strong candidate.

“After I’m elected, I’ll definitely push you as a presidential contender. Do you think you have a sweeter deal than this right now?”

No.

There couldn’t be.

He was already thinking of giving up on this election anyway.

If he’s going to give up, he might as well give up and secure a reliable ally in the next election.

Giving the presidency to someone who dreams of becoming president—what could be a greater cause than this?

However, he couldn’t easily make a decision and fell into *gomin* [deep contemplation].

Then, he cautiously asked.

“Okay, Lawyer Choi. I admit I can’t beat you. But if I run and then declare my support for you, do you think our Great Korea Party will stand still?”

“I will properly support the Great Korea Party during my term.”

I twisted my lips as I looked at him.

“As if a president from the Great Korea Party was elected.”

“…….”

“Then even if you resign, wouldn’t you have something to say to the Great Korea Party members? There’s a very clear reason.”

“Since the general election and the presidential election overlap, I can’t even be a member of the National Assembly until the next presidential election, can I?”

“Of course, you know that you can hold the position of party leader even if you’re not a member of the National Assembly, right? And frankly speaking…”

I added some polite words.

“For someone of your stature, it doesn’t really matter whether you’re a member of the National Assembly or not, does it? Your face and name are your business card anyway.”

It was a nice thing to say, but it wasn’t wrong.

His influence in the political world went beyond what a seat in the National Assembly could give him.

“Hmm…”

I slowly persuaded him.

“You need to see the big picture for the presidency. You know that prioritizing immediate gains may allow you to survive in Yeouido [the political center of South Korea, often used to refer to the National Assembly], but it’ll be difficult to enter the Blue House [the executive office and official residence of the President of South Korea], right?”

“Heo-eo…….”

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin let out a deep sigh.

“Think only of the presidency. The current member of the National Assembly, the party leader—that’s not everything. Your goal is the presidency, isn’t it? You have to go to the Blue House with me. I’ll go first and pave the way for you. Please trust me and help me.”

He closed his mouth and fell into serious *gomin*.

Knowing that it was not an easy decision to make, I did not urge him to answer.

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin pondered for a long time before finally opening his mouth with difficulty.

“Lawyer Choi… no, Pro Choi [short for Prosecutor Choi].”

He called me by the friendly title he used to call me when I was a prosecutor.

“Yes, Assemblyman.”

“If I push you, can you definitely get elected?”

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin spat out the words with great difficulty.

“If I succeed, it’s one thing, but if I fail, I’ll really be in the abyss.”

“Frankly speaking, even with your help, it’s not 100%.”

He bit his lip.

“Then frankly speaking, I…”

“That’s why!”

I interrupted him and shouted.

“I’m going to make the Korea People’s Party the same way.”

“……What?”

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin’s face was filled with shock.

“Are you serious?”

I nodded without hesitation.

“Yes, I am.”

“You’re going to make President Shin Dong-hyun resign too?”

“Yes, that’s right. That’s how it becomes 100%.”

I twisted my lips roughly.

“Didn’t you say that when you decide to run for president, you have to be sure?”

“Heo-eo…….”

He repeated sighs and *heotal* [a feeling of emptiness or futility] laughter before finally calming down and speaking calmly.

“Then are you going to make the same offer to President Shin Dong-hyun? I can’t accept that, if you support both the Great Korea Party and the Korea People’s Party…”

“No. That’s not it.”

I denied it firmly.

“If you think about the presidential term limit, it’s simple. After this election, Shin Dong-hyun cannot run for president. And if he resigns, I’ll be a strong supporter, and he won’t have to worry about political retaliation, so there’s no need to be mindful of the Korea People’s Party.”

“Then what kind of offer are you going to make?”

“That’s a secret.”

I put my fingertips together, smiled lightly, and looked at him.

“To put it simply, I’m not dealing with the Korea People’s Party, but with Shin Dong-hyun.”

“Yes. That’s how it’ll be…”

“Assemblyman, your goal has always been the next presidential election, not this one, right? Again, resigning during the election and declaring support is never a matter of cutting your political life short. It’s not losing in the presidential election either. Rather, if the person you support is elected, it becomes a solid foundation politically. I’ll be behind you, so there’s no need to explain that your political influence and power will be greater than now.”

I rattled off the words I had prepared in advance before he fell into deeper confusion.

“No one knows who will be the candidate in the next presidential election. Joining hands with me is like taking out insurance against that uncertain future.”

I didn’t spare any threatening remarks.

“If you refuse, I will join hands with the Korea People’s Party. And I’ll get elected no matter what. Then what do you think I’ll do after that?”

“…….”

His brow furrowed.

He could vividly picture me wielding power and the Great Korea Party collapsing miserably.

“I want to maintain a good relationship with you. I’m saying this because I want us to have a win-win relationship. I hope you don’t turn me into an enemy.”

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin let out a deep sigh filled with all sorts of agony.

Then, he pressed his temples as if his head was throbbing.

“Can I *gomin* a little more?”

“Yes, please do.”

I sat up straight in my seat.

This is enough.

Saying more would only add to the confusion.

All that was left was to wait for his answer.

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin’s *gomin*, which seemed short, lasted for more than 30 minutes.

During that time, he didn’t put down his cigarette for a single moment.

He was puffing away at cigarettes, thinking all sorts of things in his head.

In fact, I could see some of Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin’s thoughts.

In his heart, he would want to put my offer on hold and say that if Shin Dong-hyun OKs, he would accept it too.

Then, he would be safe anyway.

But he knew best that this was not the situation.

The decision had to be made before today’s meeting ended.

While he was *gomin*, the room was filled with thick cigarette smoke, and Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin barely opened his mouth after emptying a newly opened pack of cigarettes.

“Can I ask you just one thing?”

“Please speak.”

“Why are you running as an independent without the title of the Korea People’s Party? Frankly speaking, you can have the title of the Great Korea Party if you want. If it’s you, you could get elected with the title of the Great Korea Party or the Korea People’s Party without making this offer.”

I asked back without *gomin*.

“What is my image in the eyes of the public?”

“A hero to the common people, a hero to the nation. A prosecutor representing the country.”

“If such a person represents a specific party, wouldn’t the people who support the opposing party look at it unkindly?”

“You’re going to embrace all of them?”

“It’s not embracing.”

I revealed my *soknae* [true intentions].

“I’m going to make them all my people.”

His hand on the armrest twitched.

“Pro Choi, I think you’re a scarier person than I thought.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You’re really going to swallow Korea itself whole.”

“Isn’t that what a true president should do?”

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin didn’t say anything more and nodded slowly and for a long time.

He didn’t make eye contact with me, nor did he move.

Even as the cigarette in his fingertips burned and the ashes fell to the ground, he just closed his eyes.

Only silence followed.

Dictatorship.

It can’t be seen as a dictatorship.

However, it means that you can wield power that is infinitely close to dictatorship.

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin has been in politics for a long time as a six-term member of the National Assembly.

He has never been far from the center of power from the moment I first stepped into politics as a political prosecutor until now.

It means that he has witnessed the growth process of Choi Seo-joon from beginning to end with his own eyes.

Therefore, he would know that I would do whatever it takes to achieve what I just said.

So he had to choose.

Whether to stand tall like a bamboo tree and resist the flow, or to bend like a reed in the wind.

He would know.

That Choi Seo-joon has never been blocked by a bamboo tree.

Because he broke all the bamboo trees that stood in his way.

Assemblyman Kim Kang-jin took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and deeply, then looked straight at me and opened his mouth.

“I understand. I accept your offer. I’ll join you.”

“Thank you, Assemblyman.”

“Instead.”

He narrowed his eyes sharply and said.

“You must be elected.”

“Just trust me.”

I twisted my lips very roughly.

“I will definitely do it.”

Bloodless entry.

I got one step closer to that great ambition.