The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 77

The Aftermath (2)

“Ms. Seolha.”

“Yes?”

“Could you call Prosecutor Lee Do-hyung in here?”

“Understood.”

Yoon Seolha opened the door to leave but suddenly stopped.

“But, about meeting Han Jiyu…”

“It’s a secret. Please make sure it doesn’t leak out. I’ll explain to Ms. Jo Ara.”

Only then did she smile brightly.

“Understood.”

While she was away, I sat down and slowly went over things in my head.

Everything is going according to plan.

Exactly as I designed it.

That’s why, from here on out, even the slightest misstep is unacceptable.

A situation where I could end up in serious trouble.

After the impeachment motion was passed, the connection between the chief prosecutors and the SL Group is already receiving the most attention, so the public’s interest will quickly focus here.

Moreover, the woman at the center of the controversy was none other than Han Jiyu.

I had discussed it with her several times in advance to prepare for this day, but I called Han Jiyu just in case.

After the ringing tone went on for a long time, her voice was heard just before it was about to cut off.

-Oh, Oppa [Older brother/term of endearment used by a younger woman to an older man].

“Are you busy?”

-I’m in a meeting about the article right now. Why, what’s wrong?

“No, just in case.”

-Don’t worry. As we discussed, the agency will release a statement within 3 hours, and I’ve already informed the film company in advance, so there won’t be any impact on that side.

“That’s a relief. Good job.”

-Yeah. Is everything okay on your end?

“Things are just getting started here, so we’ll have to wait and see.”

-Okay. Then I’ll go back into the meeting.

“Okay. Call me if anything happens.”

-Okay. Bye.

It seems Han Jiyu’s side is proceeding smoothly as planned.

Since the premiere of , in which she stars, is coming up next week, the noise marketing [using controversy to generate publicity] will be very effective.

Since this matter will be resolved in no time, both the agency and the film company must be thrilled.

Knock knock.

With a knock, the door opened, and Prosecutor Lee Do-hyung and Yoon Seolha came in.

“Senior Prosecutor, what is going on?”

He rushed over with a surprised look.

“Ah, didn’t Ms. Seolha explain?”

“No. I thought it would be better for you to explain…”

“Good job. Can you give us a moment alone?”

“Yes.”

After she left, I gave Prosecutor Lee Do-hyung a light smile.

“It’s all planned.”

“Planned?”

Prosecutor Lee Do-hyung’s eyes widened.

“Yes. There’s no need to worry, but there’s something I need you to take care of.”

“Tell me. I’ll do anything that helps you, Senior Prosecutor.”

“Do you have some connections in the police?”

“Yes. I know people in Gangnam Station, as well as in Seoul and Gyeonggi.”

“Then, through them, frame Park Juwon, the reporter who wrote this article, with something related to pornography and arrest him.”

“He’s a reporter, would that be okay? It might look like revenge…”

“That’s why I called you.”

“Ah.”

He nodded as if he understood.

If I were to step in, the media might accuse me of a targeted investigation.

Soon, Prosecutor Lee Do-hyung wore a worried expression again.

“There’s a high probability he’ll get away with it by claiming freedom of the press or something similar.”

“I know. I’m not actually trying to put him in jail, just scare him.”

Only then did Prosecutor Lee Do-hyung grin, as if he understood.

“That won’t be a problem.”

“This matter will be resolved soon, so focus on that.”

“Understood.”

“Ah, and.”

I lowered my voice and said to him.

“It’s obvious, but see if you can find out where this tip came from. If you tell them that they’ll be exempt from prosecution, they’ll tell you.”

“Yes. I’ll do that.”

“Then, please put in some effort.”

He bowed and left the office.

***

As the sex bribery article broke, follow-up reports poured out, and the media began to stir.

Soon, my phone was ringing off the hook, and I had no choice but to turn it off.

I wondered if there was anything I could do, but all I could do now was wait.

The bribery case involving Chief Kang Hyun-soo was being handled by the inspection department, and waiting was the answer for the sex bribery case.

If I took even one step outside the prosecutor’s office, I would be bombarded with questions from the reporters waiting.

So, I sat in my office, leisurely surfing the web to see what kind of articles were being released.

Yoon Seolha exchanged glances with Jo Ara a few times and then cautiously asked.

“Prosecutor, is it okay for us to be so idle?”

“Is there anything specific we should be doing?”

“Well, it’s just that you seem too peaceful for someone who has shaken up the Republic of Korea.”

“Wait and see. We shouldn’t move now; we need to see how Chief Kang Hyun-soo reacts and then move.”

That’s when the real start begins.

Because right now, everything is flowing according to the planned scenario.

“By the way, how did you meet Han Jiyu?”

Jo Ara, unable to contain her curiosity, asked with sparkling eyes.

“It’s a complicated story.”

Feeling embarrassed, I turned my gaze to the monitor, where a new article had been uploaded.

“Ah, the agency’s statement is out.”

“You always seem to change the subject whenever your girlfriend is mentioned.”

“The article is really out. Take a look.”

Jo Ara and Yoon Seolha came together to check my monitor.

-Han Jiyu has no involvement in sex bribery… HS Entertainment’s official statement!

-HS Entertainment, the agency of Han Jiyu, who was named as the target of sex bribery by Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon, announced at noon today that the allegations of sex bribery are completely unfounded. Below is the full official statement from HS Entertainment regarding Han Jiyu.

-Hello, this is HS Entertainment. Han Jiyu is currently suffering greatly from various slanders regarding the allegations of sex bribery. As a result of HS Entertainment’s discussion with Han Jiyu, we have confirmed that there was no sex bribery. We are releasing Han Jiyu’s activities on September 19, 2018, the day TA Daily claims the sex bribery took place. Han Jiyu was out of Korea on a personal schedule from September 17 to September 20, 2018, and we have been informed by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office that Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon was working normally at the time. Therefore, we would like to inform you that Han Jiyu and Prosecutor Choi Seo-joon could not have met on September 19, 2018, the date the video was allegedly taken. Additionally, we are attaching Han Jiyu’s departure record.

-Departed from Incheon Airport at 07:20 on September 17, 2018.

-Arrived at Incheon Airport at 16:23 on September 20, 2018.

In the future, we will take strong legal action against any speculative reporting or reckless mention of related content.

-Reporter Lee Maeum, QS Daily

It was clean.

The attached photo showed Han Jiyu’s departure record, and the fact that I was in Korea at the time was clearly revealed.

They clearly tried to cut off my head but ended up making a mistake.

“Heok!” [Gasp]

Yoon Seolha, who had finished reading the article, gasped in surprise.

“Wait a minute, Prosecutor.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you say that you originally designed this whole thing?”

“I did.”

“So, you even planned for Han Jiyu to be out of the country on September 19 of last year?”

“Yes, that’s right. We were the ones who handed over that video in the first place.”

“Wow… were you already dating Han Jiyu at this time?”

“No. At this time, we met purely for business.”

Then, Jo Ara tackled Yoon Seolha.

“Investigator, you shouldn’t call her Han Jiyu.”

“Yes?”

Jo Ara smiled at Yoon Seolha, who was tilting her head.

“You should call her Madam.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

What’s right about that?

I wondered if I should have revealed that she was my girlfriend.

I shook my head and looked at Yoon Seolha.

“Forget it, just lend me your phone.”

“Are you going to make a call?”

“Yes.”

I found a familiar number in the pre-transferred phone book and made a call.

-Hello.

Reporter Park Su-hyung answered the phone as if he had been waiting, before the ringing tone even sounded twice.

“This is Choi Seo-joon.”

-Ah, I figured it was you since your phone was off. By the way, the official statement is out, right?

“Yes, I saw it. We should start moving too.”

-Just tell me what to do.

“You have my overseas travel records that I sent you last time, right?”

-Yes. I have the article all prepared so that I can upload it as soon as I get your order.”

As expected of Reporter Park Su-hyung. He’s known as one of the most thorough reporters.

“Upload it as an exclusive in exactly 30 minutes. That will clearly prove that I’m not the person in the video.”

-Understood.

If the article is released in 30 minutes, it will be resolved neatly without any room for misunderstanding.

I’m just sorry that I can’t see Chief Kang Hyun-soo’s expression when he sees the article.

***

-Chief, what the hell is going on?

Reporter Park Juwon, who had just been scolded by his superior, said to Chief Kang Hyun-soo as if he were demanding an explanation.

-You said it was certain. WK Daily just uploaded an article with Choi Seo-joon’s travel records. They couldn’t have met on September 19, right? I did this based on your word…”.

“What nonsense are you talking about!”

Chief Kang Hyun-soo shouted as if he were venting his resentment.

“Those bastards were definitely playing around! He definitely received sex bribery. Reporter Park, you saw the video too.”

-I saw it, but the face wasn’t visible, was it?

“I told you at the beginning, there’s no face.”

-Haa…

Reporter Park Juwon sighed deeply and said.

-The word came down from above that they might not be able to fulfill the amount I mentioned last time…”

At the mention of money, Chief Kang Hyun-soo’s face turned red.

“The dot, the collarbone dot! The dot on Han Jiyu’s left collarbone. And the scar on Choi Seo-joon’s right arm is the same. There’s no denying it, it’s both of them!”

-But we can’t reveal that, can we?

Chief Kang Hyun-soo trembled as if he were about to throw his phone.

“Can’t do it?”

-Yes. That’s literally pornography. No matter how much of a reporter I am, if I upload such a video…”

“If you can’t do it, I’ll do it.”

Chief Kang Hyun-soo gritted his teeth as if he were driven to the edge.

“I’ll upload it!”

-Pardon?

“Are you deaf? I’ll do it!”

Chief Kang Hyun-soo finally couldn’t hold back and exploded.

“I gave you a scoop, and instead of thanking me, you’re whining. That’s why you can’t get promoted and you’re stuck wiping the butts of senior reporters for the rest of your life!”

-What did you just say…”

Before Reporter Park Juwon could finish speaking, Chief Kang Hyun-soo hung up the phone.

‘These damn bastards. They’re clearly in the video, but they’re denying it?’

He gritted his teeth and slammed the table.

‘I can’t back down like this either.’

At that moment, a thought flashed through his mind.

Chief Kang Hyun-soo twisted one corner of his mouth.

‘That’s right. When he first received the sex bribery at the Dobby Hotel, he definitely said he moved to the next room, right?’

There was a gap.

A clear basis to hold onto him.

He immediately called one of the junior prosecutors who was under his control.

“Yes, Chief.”

“Immediately pull all of Choi Seo-joon’s card records, check if there are any CCTV recordings left from the day he paid at the Dobby Hotel, and secure them all if there are. Check Choi Seo-joon’s and Han Jiyu’s movements and bring me all the overlapping dates.”

“Understood.”

As the junior prosecutor left, Chief Kang Hyun-soo gritted his teeth as he looked at Choi Seo-joon’s name on the special investigation department’s organizational chart.

‘Alright. Let’s go all the way. I won’t die easily.’