The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 36

Prosecutor, You’re Going Places! – Episode 36 (36/341)

The Net of Heaven (3)

You crazy son of a bitch.

I barely managed to stop myself from cursing out loud the moment the video ended.

Reporter Bae Jin-soo was still fast asleep next to me, completely knocked out.

I guess it’s true what they say about greed; he must have lost his mind at the thought of all that money.

He probably intended to intercept the payment the newspaper was going to give Wolhyang.

It’s a relief that, judging from Wolhyang’s attitude, she hasn’t been cheated out of her payments before.

In a way, it’s not like he stabbed me in the back… no, rather, he blocked a potential leak of information, so I can’t say he betrayed me.

But this method isn’t right.

It’s not the way I wanted things to be, and I don’t want things to proceed like this.

Just because Wolhyang sells her body doesn’t mean I can look down on her or ignore her. More than anything, I believe you should never do something as unscrupulous as stabbing someone in the back who helped you, whether it’s for money or anything else.

Bae Jin-soo.

We were on the same boat, but now that I know he’s so blinded by greed, I can’t stay close to him anymore, even if he didn’t betray me.

I’d like to cut ties right now, but I’m already in too deep.

I should probably finish this job and distance myself immediately.

I need to come up with a separate plan for Wolhyang.

It looks like things are going to get more complicated than I thought.

***

Over the weekend, I made a concrete plan on how to save Wolhyang.

Even if the plan was complete, there was nothing I could do until the end of November anyway, so all I could do was wait for Bae Jin-soo to contact Wolhyang and for news to come.

The future text has never been wrong, so there probably won’t be any special problems until then.

“Hoo.”

I exhaled thick cigarette smoke and looked down at the building.

Numerous buildings and cars speeding along the road. Citizens hurrying along the sidewalk.

Seeing people desperately living with their own purposes made me feel stimulated.

Buzz.

At that moment, my cell phone vibrated.

The caller was an unknown number.

I put a cigarette in my mouth and answered the phone.

“Yes, this is Choi Seo-joon.”

-Ah, Prosecutor. Hello. This is Han Ji-yoo. You saved me at the hotel back then… Do you remember?

How could I forget?

I even saw the text that Kang Hyun-soo used her to exploit my weakness, so there’s no way I wouldn’t know.

I was thinking of sorting things out on this side before autumn ended, and she just happened to call.

“Yes, I remember. What’s the matter?”

-I have something to tell you, so I was wondering if we could meet as soon as possible?

Something to tell me.

The fact that she wants to meet as soon as possible means that Kang Hyun-soo has started to move.

“I’m free today.”

-Ah, then would you like to have dinner together? I’d like to treat you to a meal as a thank you…

“Sure.”

It was true that I liked it.

Aside from the political reasons with Kang Hyun-soo, it was a dinner with a top actress who I consider my ideal type.

Han Ji-yoo continued in a bright voice.

-Okay! Then how about around 7 p.m.?

“Yes. I think I’ll be able to make it.”

-I’ll text you the location. See you then.

“Okay.”

I hung up the phone and took a deep drag of the last bit of my cigarette.

If she’s repaying me with gratitude, she probably won’t stab me in the back.

So, Kang Hyun-soo will intervene at the next meeting, not today?

No. If that were the case, she wouldn’t have even mentioned that she had something to tell me.

Kang Hyun-soo is already on the move.

I have to keep my wits about me.

If he gets a hold of my weakness, his weakness at The Fairy [a reference to a previous event or location] will only be used to shut him up.

Unless I act and change things, the future text has never been wrong.

I’m meeting Han Ji-yoo for the first time since seeing that video.

Han Ji-yoo’s future actions probably depend on the conversation we have today.

Depending on how the conversation goes, Han Ji-yoo will either become my bait or Chief Kang Hyun-soo’s bait.

I put out my cigarette in the ashtray and headed to the bathroom.

I have to go prepare for battle.

***

The place where I met Han Ji-yoo was a very luxurious restaurant.

Thanks to the private room, I didn’t have to risk my face being recognized.

I’m somewhat known, but Han Ji-yoo is so famous that even one picture could cause a scandal.

It’s better for both of us to be careful, as it would only be a headache for me if I got involved.

“Is the food to your liking?”

“Yes, it’s quite delicious. I think I’ll have to come here often.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Han Ji-yoo smiled faintly and fiddled with her fork.

Seeing her not eating the good food, she must have something to say.

I put down my fork and knife and asked directly.

“What is it that you wanted to tell me?”

Only then did Han Ji-yoo carefully look up at me.

A moment of silence.

Then she opened her mouth with difficulty.

“I met Chief Kang Hyun-soo a while ago.”

As expected.

The fact that she told the truth from the start is a good sign.

It means she’s still on my side.

“That bastard thinks I slept with the prosecutor.”

“He probably does.”

I continued without changing my expression.

“I told him to get rid of all the remaining sponsors by giving me all of Han Ji-yoo’s sexual favors.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Han Ji-yoo make a gesture as if she understood, and she looked apologetic.

“I heard you moved to the special investigation department because of me…”

“It was a combination of reasons. I didn’t move just because of Han Ji-yoo.”

“Ah.”

She slowly clenched and unclenched her fist.

“So that’s what he meant…”

It seems today’s topic is related to sleeping together.

Han Ji-yoo swallowed her words and continued slowly.

“I also watched and told him in a suggestive way that I slept with the prosecutor. But…”

She brushed her hair aside as if she were ashamed and said.

“That man told me to film a video of me giving the prosecutor sexual favors.”

I knew it.

Kang Hyun-soo, that bastard, isn’t backing down after one failure; he’s obsessively clinging on like this.

“He threatened to bring up my parents’ cult issue again if I didn’t film the video.”

“Isn’t that over already?”

“I thought so… but it can be used as a weakness at any time.”

You son of a bitch.

He decided to end it by exploiting Han Ji-yoo’s weakness with the sexual favors, but he was still milking it.

Han Ji-yoo lowered her head and said in a barely audible voice.

“I’m sorry for causing you trouble twice. I don’t know what to do on my own…”

“What did you say in response?”

“…Pardon?”

“Chief Kang Hyun-soo told you to film a video, right? Did you say you would?”

“I haven’t answered yet.”

She must have been restless after hearing the threat and called me urgently.

Judging from Han Ji-yoo’s personality and style, she seemed willing to sleep with me if I asked.

Of course, it would be business, not love.

But if I did that and handed over the video, it would be the same as giving Kang Hyun-soo a leash on me, and if I refused, Han Ji-yoo would be threatened again.

Kang Hyun-soo thinks that once I fill all the sexual favor opportunities, I’ll have nothing to do with Han Ji-yoo, so he probably thinks I won’t care even if he brings up that issue.

Even if I somehow get through this opportunity, it’s a problem.

If Chief Kang Hyun-soo comes out like this, he’ll keep trying to get a hold of my leash, even if it’s not this.

There’s no guarantee that the future text will always tell me and help me, so no matter how careful I am, there will be gaps if he deliberately attacks.

Even if I hold on until autumn and get a hold of his weakness, I’m planning to keep it for a little longer until I can become a chief, rather than immediately exposing it, so Chief Kang Hyun-soo will continue to try to do this to get a hold of my weakness.

I think I should end it with this incident…

Suddenly, the easiest and simplest method flashed through my mind.

Actually sleep with Han Ji-yoo, hand over the video, and reveal that I’m dating her if there’s a problem.

Then, no matter how much Chief Kang Hyun-soo shouts about sponsorship, it will only be seen as a conspiracy theory and an evil force trying to interfere with the romance between a star prosecutor and a top actress.

But I didn’t like this at all.

Aside from sleeping with Han Ji-yoo, I hated the very idea of giving the feeling that things were going according to Chief Kang Hyun-soo’s scenario.

Han Ji-yoo still couldn’t raise her head with a guilty look on her face.

The only positive thing in this situation is that Han Ji-yoo is on my side, not Kang Hyun-soo’s.

I didn’t think that look was an act.

In this situation, it might be better to go with the scenario I came up with when I first saw the video.

Give Kang Hyun-soo something similar to a weakness to stop him from trying to find one.

That method would be perfect for Kang Hyun-soo, who only thinks of stopping when he has something in his hands.

I organized my thoughts and immediately said to her.

“Tell Chief Kang Hyun-soo that you accept.”

“Pardon?”

“Tell him you’ll film the video. I’ll take responsibility for the rest.”

“Ah, then…”

She curled her fingers and blushed.

“I’m saying this in case you misunderstand, but nothing like what Han Ji-yoo is thinking will happen.”

“Then, may I know what you’re going to do?”

To her worried question, I lowered my voice and leaned forward.

“I’m going to hire actors.”

“Actors?”

“Yes. Professional actors who will deceive Kang Hyun-soo.”

Han Ji-yoo’s eyes began to fill with hope, unlike before.

But I had no intention of explaining the details to her.

“Han Ji-yoo will also become one of those actors.”

I said firmly to her, who didn’t understand.

“You just have to act like you slept with me in front of Kang Hyun-soo.”

“Me with Prosecutor Choi?”

“Yes. Of course, nothing will actually happen. Instead, you just have to deliver the video I create to Chief Kang Hyun-soo.”

She had a puzzled expression as if it were difficult to read my intentions, but she didn’t ask any further questions.

She was completely on my side and decided to do what she could, but not interfere with what I was doing.

“With this, Han Ji-yoo will be completely free.”

“Okay.”

Han Ji-yoo nodded firmly as if she had made up her mind.

“Tell me anything. I’ll do as you say.”