The Inspector Is Getting Promoted! [EN]: Chapter 87

A Prosecutor’s Success Story – Episode 87

Submersion (2)

“Yes, I’ve arrived at the entrance, but the iron gate is locked.”

-If you look next to it, there’s a small door open. You can come in through there.

“I brought my car…”

-Oh, you did. I would have opened it sooner if I had known. I’ll be right out. I’m sorry.

“Yes, take your time.”

-Please wait a moment!

I hung up with the female employee, sat in the driver’s seat, and slowly tapped the steering wheel.

The place I am now is in front of Somangwon.

It is an orphanage run by the wife of Chief Prosecutor Seo Gi-woong.

I was worried that Yoon Seol-ha might have problems if she helped me, so I even made the call myself to make an appointment.

Before long, I saw a female employee running towards me in the distance, and I immediately got out of the car and greeted her.

“Hello.”

“Ah, yes. Did you wait long?”

“No, not at all.”

She made eye contact with me, looked surprised, and asked.

“Um… are you the prosecutor?”

The start is good.

The fact that the female employee recognizes me means that the director probably knows as well.

“Ah, yes.”

I answered appropriately, pretending to be embarrassed.

“Wow…”

She exclaimed, opened the locked iron gate, cleared the way, and then came to her senses and said.

“If you go around to the back of the building, there’s a parking lot. You can park there.”

“Okay.”

I immediately drove the car to the place the female employee pointed out.

After parking and getting out of the car, I glanced around the building and realized that the orphanage was definitely over capacity.

The balconies I looked up at were covered with drying racks, and laundry was hanging there. The shoe racks were also overflowing with shoes.

In the meantime, the female employee who had approached me kindly guided me.

“Please come this way.”

She immediately took me to the director’s office.

When I opened the door and went inside, a woman with an elegant demeanor stood up and greeted me.

“Welcome. I’m Director Lee Young-mi.”

“Hello, I’m Choi Seo-joon.”

I could feel the surprise in her eyes as she looked at me.

It seemed she recognized me even though the female employee didn’t tell her.

As expected, she curved her eyes into crescents and asked.

“Are you Chief Choi Seo-joon from the Special Investigations Department?”

Good start.

I didn’t have to subtly reveal that I was a special investigations prosecutor.

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“My husband and I have seen you on TV a lot.”

“It’s an honor.”

“The honor is all mine. Please, have a seat.”

After the female employee who prepared the tea left, we naturally started a conversation.

“When I came in, it seemed like there were quite a few children.”

“Ah, we’ve had a lot of new children come in recently.”

She continued in a soft voice.

“Thanks to that, we’re very busy. This morning, one of the staff overslept, so it was complete chaos.”

The words themselves were not high-end vocabulary, but the more I talked to her, the more I realized that her words had a sense of dignity.

Usually, when you think of the director of an orphanage, you think of an atmosphere close to that of a school teacher, but this woman is more like a wealthy housewife.

She feels very perfect as the wife of the incorruptible Chief Prosecutor Seo Gi-woong.

“You’re going through a lot. One of my close high school classmates grew up in an orphanage, and he said that life in an orphanage wasn’t easy.”

“Oh my, if you have a friend who is from an orphanage, you must know something about this life.”

“Yes. That’s why I’ve been interested in it for a long time, and I thought I’d like to help the orphanage this time because I have some time.”

I naturally steered the conversation in this direction.

Of course, as I got into the main topic, I made sure not to look arrogant at all. I opened my mouth very humbly and gently.

“But since I haven’t lived here, I don’t know exactly what’s needed, so I thought it would be better to make a financial donation.”

“Ah, a donation?”

Even at the word ‘donation,’ she maintained her elegant attitude and continued with a worried tone.

“Actually, I know that my husband is a prosecutor, so his financial situation isn’t that great, but I think it’s amazing that you’ve made this decision.”

“No. I also have something my father left me, so I’m doing it with the desire to give back to society.”

After building a gentle image, I asked slightly as if I was curious.

“But your husband is a prosecutor… May I ask his name?”

“Ah, it’s Seo Gi-woong.”

I widened my eyes as if I didn’t know at all and took a breath.

“Is he the chief prosecutor who was appointed to the Central District Prosecutors’ Office this time?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Even as she said that, there was no arrogance in her tone at all.

She was just talking about her husband.

“To think that you were the chief prosecutor’s wife… I should have recognized you sooner.”

“No. Please see me here as the director of this place. I only mentioned my husband because the topic came up.”

“Ah, yes.”

As I acted awkwardly, she naturally led the conversation.

“If you don’t mind, may I ask how much you would like to donate?”

“I was thinking of about 100 million won [approximately $75,000 USD], how about that?”

“100 million won?”

I could feel Director Lee Young-mi’s pupils trembling for a moment, as she had been maintaining a poker face until now.

The 100 million won, which I had carefully chosen, seemed to be enough to embarrass her.

It was a little more than the amount that Yoon Seol-ha had identified as being able to put out the urgent fires in the orphanage’s operating expenses.

Of course, if it was more than this, it could be judged as excessive for a single prosecutor to donate, so I didn’t overdo it.

“Is 100 million won a little too much?”

As I asked, pretending not to know, she shook her head.

“No. We’re so grateful. But it’s such a large amount… Are you really okay with that?”

“Yes. I’m satisfied with my current life and I don’t have a great desire for money.”

“Ah, I see.”

100 million won was a warm-up process.

Now it’s time to take out the card that will open Director Lee Young-mi’s heart.

“Ah, but there’s one thing I’d like to ask…”

“What is it?”

“I’d like to keep the donation anonymous, is that possible?”

“Anonymous?”

Her calm expression was shaken again.

“May I ask why?”

“I’m already getting too much attention from the media right now, so I’m actually feeling burdened. A prosecutor should do his job as a prosecutor, but now it seems like I’m being known in other ways, so I don’t want this good deed to be seen in a different light.”

I added with a serious expression.

“As I’ve been promoted to chief prosecutor, I want to focus on my work.”

“Ah.”

She said quietly.

“You are truly one of the few true prosecutors left in this era.”

“I’m just grateful that you said that.”

“If you want to donate anonymously, we will of course respect your wishes.”

She said without a moment’s hesitation.

“Yes, then I will donate 100 million won anonymously.”

Her eyes sparkled and she bowed her head.

“Thank you so much. I don’t know how to thank you for donating such a large amount…”

“Please take good care of the children so that they can grow up healthy. That’s all I want.”

I could feel that her favorability towards me was rapidly increasing.

If things continue like this, it may not be impossible to win over Chief Prosecutor Seo Gi-woong.

“Should I send it to your account right away? Or in cash…”

“No. There are processes to prepare, such as creating a donation certificate, so I will contact you separately.”

“Yes. Just in case, I was worried that my name would be revealed in the operating expense transaction history if I deposited it into the account, so I prepared it in cash.”

“You prepared it in advance?”

“Yes.”

“Ah.”

She thought about something for a moment, then her eyes flashed and she asked me.

“Then, would you mind waiting a little bit?”

“Yes, I don’t mind.”

Unlike before, she got up from her seat as if she was busy and picked up the receiver.

From the way she was talking, it seemed like it was the same female employee from before.

It seemed like she was preparing documents related to the donation.

Seeing that she was busy, I also got up from my seat.

“I have a bag in the car… I’ll bring it.”

“Ah, yes. I understand.”

As soon as I came out of the director’s office, a smile spread across my face.

Even if nothing else, I was sure that I had succeeded in pleasing Director Lee Young-mi.

Given her personality, the fact that I donated would never be spread to the outside and my anonymity would be protected, but that’s not a waste at all.

She wouldn’t hide this fact even from my boss and her husband, Chief Prosecutor Seo Gi-woong.

In the first place, if this donation itself was only known to Chief Prosecutor Seo Gi-woong and his wife, the original purpose would be achieved, so I had no intention of having any pathetic lingering feelings.

As much as I have risen to my current position, I can always create an image through the media.

After smoking a cigarette outside and slowly bringing the bag from the car, the documents were already prepared and placed on the desk.

“Please read it carefully and sign it.”

“Yes.”

I slowly read the documents.

I was going to sign it anyway, but I wanted to give Director Lee Young-mi a slightly more intellectual image.

After reading the contents, I signed it without hesitation and put the bag on the desk.

“Ah, Prosecutor. If you donate in cash, it will be impossible to get a tax deduction, is that okay?”

“Yes. No problem.”

After signing everything and putting down the pen, Director Lee Young-mi asked kindly.

“Would you like to take a look around the building?”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

***

I took a tour of the interior and headed to the car.

“Thanks to you, the children of Somangwon will be able to live in a better environment. Thank you so much.”

“I hope it will be of some help.”

When I arrived at the parking lot, the children of the orphanage were gathered near my car, looking at it.

It must have been amazing to see a clean, foreign car in a parking lot that is always full of empty spaces.

“Kids, say hello.”

The children, who appeared to be in the upper grades of elementary school to middle school, bowed brightly.

“Yes, hello.”

The moment I saw the children, an idea flashed through my mind.

A card that can completely capture Director Lee Young-mi’s heart.

“Ah, Director. By any chance…”

I opened my mouth in an extremely warm tone.

“Can I also come for volunteer work?”

“Yes. Of course.”

Director Lee Young-mi’s eyes sparkled again.

“If it’s you, Prosecutor, just playing with the children or talking to them would be a very sufficient service.”

“Yes. Then I’ll set a date and come.”

“Thank you.”

The director thanked me again and came out to the entrance of the orphanage to see me off.

Looking at Somangwon getting farther away in the side mirror, I was filled with one conviction.

The conviction that I can make Seo Gi-woong, the powerful figure of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, my ally.

The day I rise to power is not far off.