The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 48

Prosecutor Choi’s Success – Episode 48

The Hilt of the Sword (4)

-Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon’s Re-examination of Choi Eun-jung’s Sex Bribery List! A Petition to the Blue House Demanding the Release of All Thirty Names is Flooding In…

-Suspicions Spreading that Vice Minister Park Seong-hyun is Included in Choi Eun-jung’s Sex Bribery List. Police Still Keeping the List Confidential.

-Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Directly Apologizes. Press Conference Promising to Grasp the Situation and Improve It.

-Is There Really No Way to Stop Habitual Sexual Harassment Using Authority Like Cha Yun-taek and Lee Eun-taek?

-Who is the Successor to Park Seong-hyun, Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism?

-Sentence Prediction Office! Predicting the Indictment and Sentence of Vice Minister Park Seong-hyun!

Already, the internet was treating Park Seong-hyun as if he were a convicted criminal.

Women’s groups not only protected and supported Lim Seon-mi but also continued to criticize Vice Minister Park Seong-hyun.

Due to Lim Seon-mi’s accusation and two MeToo cases, he had already fallen into a deep hole, and it could be said that he was close to being beyond recovery without my intervention.

All that remained was to properly wrap up the case and hand it over to the public prosecutor, and my mission would be complete.

After the detention investigation was over, I went to see Vice Minister Park Seong-hyun off as he left the detention center.

It was seeing him off in name, but from his point of view, it would seem like I was going to mock him. From my point of view, it was to expedite the process.

“Oh, Vice Minister. Are you leaving now?”

“…….”

Vice Minister Park Seong-hyun put on his clothes without a word.

“You should probably take off your clothes yourself this time. If you go to trial, it’s not retirement, it’s dismissal, so you won’t be able to receive that generous pension.”

“Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon.”

He looked at me and asked quietly.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Why? A report came in, and I just did what I had to do.”

“Ha.”

He let out a deep sigh and put on his coat.

I closed the door to have a more private conversation.

“Are you going to keep claiming innocence?”

“Not innocent, but not guilty.”

“Are you going to keep your position as Vice Minister?”

Vice Minister Park Seong-hyun laughed humorlessly and looked at me.

“Thanks to someone, I don’t think it’ll be easy to do that.”

“I’m sorry. Isn’t that how the world works?”

“You wouldn’t hold a grudge against me. Who told you to do it?”

“Told me to do it?”

He glared at me sharply.

“Is it Assemblyman Kang?”

“I’m not capable of being moved by anyone.”

He took a deep breath without saying a word.

“Let me out. I have to go.”

Just as Vice Minister Park Seong-hyun was about to leave, I blocked the door again and even closed the blinds on the window.

He frowned and glared at me.

“What are you doing?”

“Submit your resignation within three days. Then I’ll handle it with a suspended sentence.”

“……What?”

“Why are you acting like this when you know everything? Admit it appropriately and just buy time until you’re forgotten during the trial.”

“…….”

His pupils began to shake violently.

“You know the media situation better than I do, don’t you? If you keep denying it, you won’t even be able to keep your job.”

It was better for each other to handle this kind of case quickly and get rid of it.

“Huh.”

“You’ve been in jail, so you know, but prison life is not something you can handle easily.”

I pretended to do him a favor to test him.

“I’m giving you this much consideration because of Prosecutor General Kim Jae-wook.”

His lips pouted.

Proof that he definitely asked Prosecutor General Kim Jae-wook for something.

I got everything I needed for now, and I told him what I had to say, so I opened the door and stepped aside.

“You can pick up your belongings over there.”

“It’ll be your way this time, but it won’t always be like that.”

“That’s what makes life more interesting.”

“Okay.”

“It’s three days. That’s the best I can do.”

“I’ll think about it.”

***

That day, when his detention expired, President Kwon Jae-cheol made a very righteous announcement through the Blue House spokesman [the presidential residence and office in South Korea].

-We must avoid a society where whistleblowers are targeted and ignored. If that continues, we will not be able to report corruption and will only swallow it and let it fester inside. Therefore, the Blue House will specially hire Secretary Lim Seon-mi if it is proven that she did not falsely accuse Vice Minister Park Seong-hyun of sexual harassment.

A special recruitment to the Blue House.

It was an incident that would have caused a commotion or suspicion at any other time, but this time it was different.

Just raising doubts about the special recruitment would have been enough to be fiercely criticized by women’s groups and civic groups.

Rather, most of the media were praising and supporting the Blue House’s decision.

There was nothing difficult.

It was very smooth, like a sail in a tailwind.

All that was left was for Vice Minister Park Seong-hyun to choose whether to step down himself or to hold out until the end.

However, in the current situation, it seemed almost impossible to hold out until the end.

Time passed, and it was the last of the three days I had given him.

As expected, Vice Minister Park Seong-hyun held a press conference to announce his resignation.

-I would like to apologize to everyone. Above all, I am very sorry to Lim Seon-mi, who must have suffered because of me. I hope you will forgive my foolish actions. My initial opinion that we had an agreement was my mistake. I will step down from my position as Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism as of today, and I will also suspend all political and public service activities in the future. I am very sorry for causing concern to so many people.

It was clean.

A perfect picture that did not deviate from the initial scenario at all.

Just when I thought everything was over, I received a call from Prosecutor General Kim Jae-wook.

“Hello, Prosecutor General.”

“Oh, sit down.”

He was making a rather stern expression, unlike usual.

“Vice Minister Park submitted his resignation this time.”

“Yes, I saw the report.”

I could see his upper lip twitching.

“Choi Pro.”

“Yes.”

“You said you’d give him a suspended sentence.”

He leaned his upper body towards me and put his fingertips together to support his chin.

“Who told you to drive him out?”

“…….”

I didn’t answer.

There was no need to answer, and I didn’t feel the need to.

“Choi Pro, even so, I’m your boss. I need to know.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh.”

Prosecutor General Kim Jae-wook stroked his forehead and let out a deep breath.

“Is this related to the Blue House announcement this time?”

Did he notice?

No.

If he had, he would have immediately thrown a fastball from the beginning.

He’s definitely testing me.

This guy’s not that quick-witted.

There’s no need to be intimidated.

When I kept silent, he rubbed his forehead and sank back into the sofa.

“That’s right. Looking at it, the Chief of Staff and you are both from the Choi family. No matter how good you are, you can’t beat blood ties.”

Blood ties? Chief of Staff?

This guy is completely barking up the wrong tree.

“I won’t say much because this case is going to result in a suspended sentence, but I’ll be in trouble if there are any more cases like this in the future.”

“I understand.”

“You know best that I have the right to make personnel decisions regarding Choi Pro, right? Don’t you?”

He quickly changed to an arrogant expression and slowly scanned me.

“Report to me if there are any more cases like this in the future. You know what win-win means, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Go now.”

“Rest well.”

I bowed my head and left the Prosecutor General’s office.

Ha.

I had a hard time holding back the corners of my mouth from turning up inside.

That bastard is so immersed in the position of Prosecutor General that he doesn’t even try to hide his inner thoughts.

If he knows that his capacity is only that much, there’s nothing he can do, but he’s too easy to read.

Of course, I may be affected while Kim Jae-wook is holding on as Prosecutor General, but it’ll be 1 year at most.

Even if it’s not me, that guy will be fired within a year.

He’s so full of arrogance that he’s acting the same way here as he did when he was the High Prosecutor General of Daejeon.

It seems like he thinks the provinces and Seoul are the same.

It seems like he’s lost his touch too much after spending years going around in the provinces.

I think he’ll get a big nosebleed soon [suffer a major setback].

Even if he doesn’t, he’ll retire here as his last post if he continues to act like that.

I have no intention of catering to that guy’s taste or flattering him.

I just need to maintain a professional distance and wait for the moment when he gets cut off.

Rather, my mind became lighter.

I was about to return to my office when my cell phone rang.

The caller was Park Soo-hyung, a reporter from WK Daily.

I moved to the lounge and answered the phone.

“Yes, this is Choi Seo-joon.”

-Ah, Prosecutor Choi. I saw this case as well. You’ve worked hard.

“Oh, no, I just did what I had to do.”

-If you’re okay with it, let’s have a drink together soon. It seems like Jae-hoon hyung [older brother/friend] is also on vacation after finishing his coverage this time.

PD [Production Director] Song Jae-hoon was also busy going on business trips here and there because he had a lot to investigate, but it seems like he’s finished to some extent and has some free time.

I’m not sure about Park Soo-hyung, but I needed to continue to manage my connections, at least considering PD Song Jae-hoon.

“Yes. Then set a date and let me know.”

-Okay.

I was about to hang up when he asked one more question.

-Ah, Prosecutor. A friend of mine wants to meet you, Prosecutor. Would it be okay if I saw you together then?

“A friend?”

A friend.

Park Soo-hyung might be useful in this regard.

But I had to be careful for now.

“Since my job is what it is, I’m a little wary of people in the public service or in this industry…….”

-Ah, you don’t have to worry about that. He’s in the movie business. Would you like me to call him if you’re okay with it? What do you think?

Movie business.

There’s nothing bad about meeting him for now.

I don’t have anything related to this side in what I’m in charge of right now.

“Yes. Then let’s meet together.”

-Okay. I’ll set a date and text you.”

“Okay.”

***

“Hello, this is Jin Tae-yong.”

“This is Choi Seo-joon.”

I thought he would be an old man with white hair because he was in the movie business, but he looked much younger and neater than I thought.

He’s in his 40s.

When I checked the business card he handed me, the title of president of ‘Star Production’ caught my eye first.

“Can I call you President Jin?”

“Hehehe, please feel free to call me, Prosecutor.”

President Jin Tae-yong smiled pleasantly and sat down.

“I saw the news a while ago. You did a really great job this time.”

“Hey, don’t praise me. I’m embarrassed.”

“It’s true, though. Hahaha.”

Jin Tae-yong laughed loudly and said cheerfully.

“Eat as much as you want today. It’s on me.”

The faces of PD Song Jae-hoon and reporter Park Soo-hyung, who were next to me, lit up at his words.

I smiled and said to President Jin Tae-yong, who was tilting his head, not knowing what was going on.

“I can’t accept anything because of the Kim Young-ran Act [anti-corruption law in South Korea].”

“Ah!”

He put his hands together with an embarrassed expression.

“I forgot about that, I’m sorry.”

“No. Please feel free to eat. I just have to do 1/N [split the bill equally] at the end.”

I can trust PD Song Jae-hoon and reporter Park Soo-hyung, but I can’t trust President Jin Tae-yong, whom I met for the first time today.

Putting this much insurance on it was a basic precaution.

As Jin Tae-yong, who works in the entertainment industry where entertainment is commonplace, 1/N would be awkward, but I couldn’t help it.

Jin Tae-yong scratched the side of his head and made an apologetic expression.

“Ah, I’m sorry for saying that for nothing.”

“I’ll get arrested if I don’t pay Dutch [go Dutch]. I can’t help it because of my job, hahaha.”

After speaking comfortably, he smiled and replied.

“Then I can’t help it. I’ll treat you secretly later.”

“You should have told me that secretly from these two.”

“Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry.”

Starting with that joke, we laughed and had a long chat.

While we were talking, Park Soo-hyung and PD Song Jae-hoon naturally got up from their seats.

“We’re going to smoke a cigarette. Do you want to come with us, Seo-joon?”

“Ah, I went to the bathroom a little while ago and smoked. You two go.”

“Yes. Feel free to talk.”

As they headed to the smoking area, the topic naturally changed.

“By the way, what kind of productions do you handle?”

“We mainly handle dramas and movies. We just finished a drama a while ago and are now producing a movie.”

“A movie?”

“Yes. It’s a movie called ‘The 정석 [textbook/standard] of Noir’, but it’s just in the preparation stage…….”

President Jin Tae-yong, who was talking, seemed to have thought of something, clapped his hands, and leaned closer to me.

“Ah, Prosecutor. Can I make a suggestion?”

“A suggestion?”

“Yes.”

He started talking with his eyes shining.

“It’s not complicated…….”