Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Being Competent (1)
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I jolted awake at the blaring alarm, my upper body rising from the bed.
“Ugh.”
I touched my throbbing head, recalling last night.
There had been a celebratory dinner to commemorate the thorough defeat I’d dealt to Attorney Koo Sang-jin.
The first round started innocently with beer, but once the word “drink until we die” erupted from someone’s mouth, the table was soon lined with soju bottles.
And it all ended when someone grabbed the investigator’s cheeks and pulled them.
What that person had said at the time was….
“You’re so cute, investigator.”
For reference, that person was in their early thirties, while the investigator was in their late forties.
I was genuinely worried about how I’d face the investigator when I got to work today.
I let out a quiet laugh, climbed out of bed, and headed toward the shower.
As I turned on the water, the cold spray hit my skin, and last night’s events came back into sharper focus.
It wasn’t just Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo’s team at the dinner.
The chief prosecutor had stopped by briefly, and other prosecutors had passed through, each offering me a word or two.
Summarized, their message was simple.
“You’re lucky. Work hard.”
I agreed with that assessment.
I had been lucky.
My psychometry ability had manifested at the perfect moment, and Woo Su-kyung’s phone had been discovered.
Thanks to that, Attorney Koo Sang-jin, known as a veteran, had been utterly destroyed without throwing a single punch.
I exhaled a quiet sigh.
‘I’ve fastened the first button well.’
Now I had to fasten the second and third buttons, transforming luck into skill.
I finished showering and stepped out.
Toweling my hair dry, I gazed at the calendar sitting on the table.
It was a desk calendar still in its packaging, unopened.
It had been sitting on the table since I first came to this place.
I’d heard that Shin Jong-seung had distributed it when the new year began, sharing it with me and Lee So-hee.
I’d heard that Shin Jong-seung and I had been close, but I didn’t know why it had been left unopened and discarded.
In any case, I unwrapped the calendar and placed it on the table.
Then I checked the date.
Soon, the announcement of my new assignment would be released.
‘Where will I be going?’
It didn’t matter much where I went, but I was hoping to be stationed in the Seoul metropolitan area if possible.
‘The announcement will come in about a week.’
As I tapped the calendar with my finger, the world suddenly drained of color, and psychometry began.
“Take one. My father always said we’d become rich if we collected bank calendars, so he’d bring home so many.”
Norah Jones’s “Don’t Know Why” played softly in the bar.
Shin Jong-seung pulled a desk calendar from the shopping bag and handed it to Kim Yun-hwan.
Kim Yun-hwan accepted it with a light chuckle.
“Thanks.”
“So your father’s going to move that guy to Seoul?”
“Uncle must have asked. He wants Seo Jin to be in Seoul.”
“And he agreed?”
Kim Yun-hwan nodded.
“At first, he’ll pretend to keep him in Dongnam County. Then at the last moment, he’ll reluctantly let him go. That way, Kim Seo-jin will feel grateful.”
“Puhahahaha!”
Shin Jong-seung laughed as if sesame seeds were scattering from his mouth, eventually doubling over and clutching his stomach.
He looked ready to roll on the floor any moment.
After laughing for a while, Shin Jong-seung suppressed his chuckles and spoke.
“But what are you planning to do with that guy once he gets to Seoul? Make him your subordinate?”
“For now, he’ll probably just deal with malicious comments, right? He needs time to soften up.”
“Puhahahaha! If he’d stayed in Dongnam County, he might’ve caught real cases, but malicious comments? Just thinking about that bastard regretting it makes the rock that was stuck in my stomach disappear. Perfect, absolutely perfect!”
Shin Jong-seung made a commotion while Kim Yun-hwan smiled faintly and raised his glass.
“A toast.”
As the world regained its color, the calendar came into Seo Jin’s view.
Recalling the world seen through psychometry, I tilted my head in confusion.
I’d heard that Shin Jong-seung, Kim Yun-hwan, and Kim Seo-jin were close friends.
Yet they were tearing each other apart behind the scenes.
It was so childish that I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
‘So? They’re going to soften me up and use me as a subordinate?’
Summarizing the content….
-My father asked Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun to arrange for me to go to Seoul.
-But once I’m in Seoul, I’ll probably end up dealing with malicious commenters.
-The reason is that Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun plans to make me Kim Yun-hwan’s subordinate.
I shook my head.
My eyes, hidden beneath my hair, gleamed sharply.
‘Is that so?’
I decided not to go to Seoul.
It’s far more advantageous to stay in Dongnam County, hide my claws, and build my power than to rush to Seoul and become a lackey.
Fortunately, among the prosecutors exiled to Dongnam County, many former swordsmen have been stationed.
If I gain their allegiance, they’ll become a formidable force.
I organized my objectives.
-Acquire money and power.
-Devour the world.
-First, become human.
I need to gather people around me.
Those in power who take notice of me will draw closer.
Slowly, without rushing….
My greatest weapon in this rebirth is youth.
I have ample time to prepare, and Seoul can wait.
A sharp awl will eventually pierce through a pocket.
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After buying a hangover drink at the convenience store, I headed to the Local Prosecutor’s Office.
Stepping out of the elevator and grasping the office door handle, I heard a harsh voice from inside.
“Do you really think that makes sense!”
I entered carefully.
The administrative official looked at me with a tense expression and gave me a subtle nod.
The investigator was nowhere to be seen, and Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo was on the phone with someone, his face twisted in anger.
“Compared to offices with three or five people, this place is large? What good does size do! This is an exile post! An exile post! If you like it so much, come work here yourself! Why are you dumping a young guy in this hellhole!”
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo’s face had flushed crimson up to his neck, and he loosened his necktie in frustration.
Then he slammed the phone down with a sharp ‘bang!’
In the middle of winter, he opened the window to cool his anger.
The office was so silent that even turning a single page of documents felt conspicuous.
After a long while, Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo turned his body and looked at me.
“Hey.”
Until yesterday, he had seemed somewhat approachable, but now there was nothing of that in Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo’s expression.
His voice cut through like a cold wind.
“Your family is wealthy, right?”
“Yes.”
“Your father’s brother is Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun, right?”
“Yes.”
“Use some connections.”
“Pardon?”
At his sudden words, I wore a bewildered expression, but Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo remained composed.
“I’ll pretend I don’t know anything, so call your father or do whatever you need to—use some connections!”
“What do you mean….”
“It hasn’t been announced yet, but it looks like your next posting is roughly decided. The problem is you. If you stay put, you’ll be stuck in Dongnam County.”
Dongnam County is actually a fairly nice place.
The sea is beautiful and there are many good restaurants.
But for prosecutors, it’s an exile post.
An inescapable prison.
“If you stay here too long, it’ll hurt your credentials. If you’re associated with guys like us, rumors will spread that you’ve been corrupted. Then the higher-ups will dislike you. A promising young man doesn’t need ideological vetting, right? So use your father’s influence and escape. I’ll pretend I don’t know.”
The administrative official nodded in agreement.
I couldn’t throw a pile of shit onto the bright future of a young man not yet thirty.
But….
“I’d like to stay here.”
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo’s hand, which had been holding a cigarette, froze.
He slowly looked at Seo Jin.
“…What did you say?”
“I will remain here.”
“Hey….”
“I know what kind of people Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo, the chief prosecutor, and the head of the Local Prosecutor’s Office were in the past. That’s why I want to learn from closer proximity.”
“This bastard….”
“I don’t want to put on airs from the start. And I want to stay here and learn more. Please allow me to do so.”
Seo Jin slowly bowed at the waist.
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo’s face contorted.
“Do as you please.”
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo left the office, leaving a cold wind in his wake.
As the door slammed shut, the administrative official quietly laughed and spoke.
“He’s embarrassed, that’s why he’s acting like that.”
Shortly after, Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo stood in the smoking room and placed a cigarette between his lips.
The faint smile on Seo Jin’s face that he had just witnessed came back to him.
His words about staying here were sincere.
But the reason was that he wanted to learn from and observe the traces of Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo’s past.
‘Damn it.’
The problem was that the Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo of the past no longer existed.
Eyes that had once been sharp and resolute had lost their focus, dulled by alcohol.
There was nothing to teach, only shame.
‘What could I possibly teach….’
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo exhaled cigarette smoke and shook his head.
‘It won’t do.’
He has both ability and passion.
I can’t let him rot away in a place like this.
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“You heard? You’re going to the main office?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to Seoul.”
“Congratulations.”
Shin Jong-seung and Lee So-hee sat in a conference room at the Local Prosecutor’s Office, drinking coffee.
They were still trainees, receiving various training at the judicial academy and the Local Prosecutor’s Office.
The current training was practical education conducted under the direction of the head of the Local Prosecutor’s Office.
The two of them were waiting for Lee Myung-soo, the instructor for today’s session.
The door opened and Seo Jin walked in.
Shin Jong-seung spoke as he watched Seo Jin greet them.
“I heard. You’re staying here? What’s your plan? You’re trapped in exile from the start, aren’t you? Why don’t you use your uncle’s connections?”
Shin Jong-seung mocked him, pretending ignorance while knowing full well.
But there was no displeasure on Seo Jin’s face.
He held Shin Jong-seung several steps below him.
Let him bark or stay silent—it made no difference.
Lee So-hee smiled quietly at his composure.
“He has the skills, so he’ll transfer elsewhere soon enough. I’m not just saying this to sound good. I genuinely believe it.”
When Lee So-hee spoke as if acknowledging Seo Jin’s abilities, Shin Jong-seung let out a derisive snort.
“Skills? You’re saying that because of this case? That’s just luck. All the other prosecutors said it was luck.”
Lee So-hee stared at Shin Jong-seung intently.
Her eyes screamed ‘pathetic,’ though Shin Jong-seung remained oblivious to it, brimming with confidence.
Just then, the door opened and Lee Myung-soo entered.
Lee Myung-soo’s expression was fierce.
Sensing he shouldn’t draw attention, Shin Jong-seung quietly averted his gaze.
But Lee Myung-soo pulled out a document and slammed it down on Shin Jong-seung’s desk.
“What did you say your name was?”
“Shin Jong-seung.”
“How should we handle this?”
Shin Jong-seung lowered his eyes and began reading the document.
Article 347 of the Criminal Act—a fraud case.
Fraud requires digging into intent first, making it one of those crimes with a high likelihood of receiving a non-prosecution disposition or acquittal.
One had to be careful.
Shin Jong-seung began reading with meticulous focus, not missing a single character.
The CEO had absconded with hundreds of billions of won, and the secretary who managed those funds was implicated as an accomplice.
The secretary naturally protested their innocence.
“…Shouldn’t we file for non-prosecution?”
“Why?”
“This person is merely a secretary and gained no benefit. Their salary is barely minimum wage…”
“What do you think?”
Lee Myung-soo cut off Shin Jong-seung’s words and turned his head toward Seo Jin.
Seo Jin opened his mouth in a flat tone.
“There’s a high probability they were an accomplice.”
“Why?”
“The secretary received only minimum wage. For a secretary who worked alongside the CEO for nearly a decade at a company handling this magnitude of funds to receive only minimum wage is difficult to accept. It feels forced, as if they were deliberately kept at minimum wage to avoid things like health insurance costs…”
“Keep going.”
“Excluding other employees and business partners, there should be an account where money was deposited at regular intervals. If we find the owner of that account and pull their phone call records, the secretary’s connection to the CEO will be revealed. I believe the secretary was receiving kickbacks in the form of commissions from the CEO.”
Lee Myung-soo smiled slightly and pointed his finger at Shin Jong-seung.
“So you think differently from this fool?”
Shin Jong-seung flinched, and Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo’s gaze shifted back toward Seo Jin.
He leaned his body forward, drawing closer to Seo Jin, and spoke in a low voice.
“The reason you shouldn’t be here.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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