The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 33

Prosecutor’s Success – Episode 33

Chase (5)

Reporter Bae Jin-soo’s eyes sparkled as if he already had a strong scent of a scoop.

“Do you know about the Paju manor?”

“Yes. I’ve even made a reservation. I’m planning to go with you, Reporter Bae.”

“Finally, I get to see the manor that was shrouded in mist.”

He couldn’t contain his rising excitement.

“Thank you. I’ll have a rare experience thanks to you.”

“No thanks needed. We’re partners.”

He shrugged and continued.

“I’ll cover the prostitution fees and the cost of the drinks.”

If I made a mistake in this part, Chief Kang Hyun-soo’s side could counterattack and catch me by the tail with the Kim Young-ran Act [a South Korean anti-corruption law], so it was better to handle it cleanly.

I wasn’t short on money at all right now.

“Just make sure you have enough money to pay the person who will be the bait.”

“Before that, you need to tell me who the target is. I need to know who it is so I can talk to the higher-ups and estimate how much to prepare.”

I answered him with the words that would have the biggest impact.

“Three senior prosecutors from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office and one conglomerate chairman.”

“Heo [an exclamation of surprise or disbelief].”

Reporter Bae Jin-soo took a deep breath and finally burst into laughter.

“I’m already drooling just hearing the source.”

“It’s probably too much to eat alone, right?”

“It looks sweet enough to stuff in my mouth even if I know my stomach will burst.”

He should have understood enough with this.

“Please prepare enough money.”

“With that much, I’ll be able to prepare enough bullets.”

If he said this much, there would be no shortage of funds.

Of course, it should be. It’s an opportunity for the newspaper to monopolize internet traffic for days.

“The timing for securing evidence will probably be around autumn.”

“Autumn?”

“Yes. I’ll briefly explain the plan. First, next week, we’ll go to the Paju manor…”

***

“Cough, cough!”

The entrance of an old building covered in a haze of dust.

The floating dust made me cough involuntarily.

I doubted anyone could live in a place like this, but the address Detective Jeong Hyeong-jun gave me was definitely here.

The house where a guy who was imprisoned for violating the Special Act on Sexual Violence by filming with a self-made miniature spy camera and was released after serving his sentence lived. Or should I call it a hideout?

After passing through the green iron gate and going down to the semi-basement through the cobwebs, an old rusty iron front door came into view.

Ding-dong.

Ding-dong. Ding-dong.

There was no answer even after ringing the doorbell.

Detective Jeong Hyeong-jun said he would definitely be home at this time.

I knocked on the door with my fist and shouted.

“Is anyone there?”

After knocking for a while, a man with messy hair opened the door with a lot of wariness.

“Who are you?”

The man, peeking out through the narrow doorway, looked me up and down and spat out words irritably.

“…Who are you?”

I took out my prosecutor’s ID from my pocket and showed it to him.

The moment his eyes turned to the ID.

“What the f–”

He swore and quickly tried to close the door, grabbing the doorknob.

However, thanks to quickly putting my shoe in the doorway, he failed to close the door, and I pulled on the doorknob.

He tried to close the door somehow, but he couldn’t beat my strength, and he eventually gave up and let go of the doorknob.

At the same time, he jumped into the house and quickly began sweeping the hard drives and spy camera equipment into the drawer.

“No, it hasn’t even been a month since I got out! Why are you only doing this to me!”

The man made a cracking, metallic sound with a voice full of malice.

“I’m not here to arrest you, so calm down and let’s talk.”

“…Yes?”

Only then did the man open his eyes blankly and stick his head out.

I clicked my tongue and pulled over a stool that was lying around and sat down.

“I like green tea, but… I don’t think I can drink it for hygiene reasons, so let’s get straight to the point.”

“…”

The man still didn’t understand the situation and pulled a chair away from me with a dazed expression and sat down.

I met his eyes and opened my mouth in an oppressive tone.

“Are you still filming secretly these days?”

“Ah, no.”

He hurriedly waved his hands, but looking at his expression, it seemed like he had something to hide.

Even if he wasn’t filming secretly, he must have committed a crime at least.

“I’ve washed my hands now.”

“Then I can confiscate all the hard drives you hid in that drawer, right?”

When I pointed to the drawer where he had just hidden the hard drive with my chin, he let out a deep sigh and lowered his head.

“Really, Prosecutor, why are you doing this? I’m not a cop, why are you after a small fry like me…”

“Detective Jeong Hyeong-jun introduced me.”

“Ah, Detective Jeong, that bastard…”

He tried to swear but stopped when he saw my eyes.

“I came because I have a favor to ask, so let’s just make a clean deal.”

“What happens if I don’t listen?”

“Detective Jeong Hyeong-jun is coming to catch you, what else.”

I twisted the corners of my mouth and continued.

“Now, are you interested?”

“…Yes, I’m very interested.”

I took out two necklace boxes from my pocket and threw them on the table.

He opened the box without a moment’s hesitation.

A golden string and a green emerald embedded in the center.

“Is this genuine?”

“Does it look genuine?”

“Yes. Oh, is this the reward?”

“No, embed a lens in that emerald.”

“A lens?”

“Yeah. Both of them. Make the capacity large enough.”

At those words, the criminal twisted the corners of his mouth.

“Oh, Prosecutor. If you had this kind of taste, you should have told me sooner. I misunderstood. I know everything. These little pleasures between us men…”

Bang!

When I slammed the table hard with my fist, he shut his mouth like a chick that had eaten honey.

“It’s going to be used for investigation, so don’t talk nonsense.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Make sure it’s absolutely not noticeable. So that you can’t tell at all even if you look closely.”

“Ah, this is not an easy task, Prosecutor. How much detailed skill is needed and how difficult it is…”

I took out a bundle of 50,000 won bills [approximately $40 USD] from my inner pocket and threw it to him.

“Down payment of 5 million won [approximately $4,000 USD]. 5 million won more when completed. It’s been laundered cleanly.”

The man flipped through the bundle of 50,000 won bills with his fingers and tore the corners of his mouth as if there was nothing to worry about.

“It’s a definite call. When do I have to make it by?”

“Next Wednesday.”

“It seems a little tight.”

“If you can’t do it, go to jail.”

“I’ll definitely make it.”

He jumped up from his seat and bent his waist 90 degrees.

“Don’t even think about digging out that jewel. It’s fake, so it’s useless.”

“Ah, is that so?”

The man, who was carefully holding the necklace, threw it on the table.

“I thought it looked cheap.”

In fact, it’s genuine.

I searched for the same design as the necklace worn by the woman named Wolhyang in the video, but in the end, I couldn’t find a fake and had no choice but to buy a genuine one.

I decided to hide it because I was worried that he might get greedy if he knew it was genuine.

“Then I’ll just drill a hole and put the lens in it.”

“I don’t know the details, just make sure it’s not noticeable.”

“I understand.”

“Next Wednesday. If it’s late, I’ll bring Detective Jeong Hyeong-jun right away.”

“Ah, don’t worry.”

I turned around and got up from my seat, leaving him making a confident promise.

“Where should I contact you when it’s done?”

“Contact Detective Jeong Hyeong-jun.”

“Yes.”

On the way out, I found a tie pin with a lens.

“Do it moderately. You’ll be a four-time offender if you get caught again.”

“Ah, I really quit filming secretly these days. That’s all equipment I used to use in the past.”

“Then what about that hard drive from before?”

“It’s for trading. Video trading.”

“Is it the video I’m thinking of?”

“Yes. I have a collection of 1 terabyte of relics, would you like me to give you one?”

“Please shut up and work.”

“I understand, Prosecutor.”

I waved my hand at him, who was bowing politely again, and left his hideout.

***

Next Tuesday.

A welcome face returned to the office.

“Investigator Yoon Seol-ha reports her return to work to the Prosecutor!”

Yoon Seol-ha came to the office three weeks later, a week earlier than she said.

“Welcome back.”

Jo Ara greeted her with a happy face.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

She stretched her arms out to both ends as if it was nothing, then stopped abruptly.

“Ouch.”

It seems like she hasn’t fully recovered yet.

At that sound, me and Jo Ara, except for her, burst into laughter.

“I told you to come back when you’re fully recovered.”

“No. The bones are attached, but my body is surprised because I haven’t used my muscles in a long time. Don’t worry.”

If I said more when she said that much, Yoon Seol-ha would be embarrassed, so I decided to stop nagging.

She went to her seat cheerfully, put down her bag, and asked.

“What kind of investigation are you doing these days? Is there anything interesting?”

Jo Ara waved her hand.

“It hasn’t even been a month since we came to the Special Investigation Department. Right now, I’m just coordinating and helping with other prosecutors’ cases. I haven’t fully adapted yet.”

“Ah, come to think of it, it’s only been a little over half a month.”

“Yes. Investigator, you didn’t have to rush back.”

“Hey, I have to be here to keep our office in the center. Isn’t that right, Prosecutor?”

“That’s right.”

After chatting for a while, I pointed to the vending machine in the hallway with my thumb and said.

“Seol-ha, shall we go out for a cup of coffee?”

“Sure.”

She smiled brightly and followed me.

After walking a few steps out of the office, I ran into Chief Kang Hyun-soo, who was just coming to work.

“Hello, Chief.”

I bowed halfway as usual as a courtesy, but Chief Kang Hyun-soo’s face turned red and blue instead of accepting the greeting.

Sure enough, Yoon Seol-ha was at the end of his gaze.

Unlike Kang Hyun-soo, who was angry, Yoon Seol-ha put her hands together and bowed.

“Oh, hello, Chief. I’m back today too. To the Special! Investigation! Department!”

He gritted his teeth and replied.

“…I’m glad you’re okay.”

“It took me a long time to heal, so I have to be healthy. I’m going to buy a foreign car next time.”

“Heo [an exclamation of disbelief or surprise].”

Chief Kang Hyun-soo chuckled and shook his head, then turned around and went into the chief’s office.

It’s understandable.

Because Yoon Seol-ha took a picture of the secret transaction scene and I was humiliated like that.

But Yoon Seol-ha, after being in a car accident like that, is acting so shamelessly.

When it comes to guts, she might be second to none.

I went out to the hallway, took out a cup of milk coffee from the vending machine, and handed it to her.

“Don’t worry about Chief Kang Hyun-soo acting like that.”

“I don’t care at all. Don’t worry.”

She smiled even more brightly than before.

“We’ll be seeing him every day in the Special Investigation Department, isn’t Chief Kang the one who can’t come to his senses?”

“Maybe.”

Yoon Seol-ha blew on her coffee and asked carefully.

“By the way, is there really no separate case these days? Prosecutor… No, should I call you Deputy Chief now?”

“Call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Prosecutor is stuck in my mouth, hehe.”

She smiled and continued.

“I don’t think the Prosecutor would be satisfied with such a boring case in his style…”

She knows me too well.

Well, I brought her out to talk about this case, so there’s no problem.

I thought that Yoon Seol-ha, as an investigator, should know about this case, even if Jo Ara didn’t.

“I was going to talk about it anyway. I caught an interesting case…”

I looked around once and lowered my voice.

“I think I’m going to grab Chief Kang Hyun-soo’s leash.”

“Really?”

“Yes. This Friday…”