Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 119

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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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The Shadow (4)
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A spacious office that appeared to span roughly 2,000 square feet.
Filled with luxurious plants sourced from who knows where, this was the office of So Sang-woo, an emerging power broker in Jongno.
So Sang-woo, age 43.
Final education: elementary school graduation.
A former street thug and gangster who had clawed his way up by licking the boots of the wealthy and powerful.
And now he was sneering at the monitor before him.
“A declaration of war?”
The screen displayed an article titled “Prosecutor Seo Jin Declares War on the Illegal Loan Market.”
“Insane bastard.”
So Sang-woo stuck a cigarette in his mouth and began typing a comment.
-Look at how these hack journalists write headlines. And don’t they know the economy collapses without the loan market? Underground finance is the lifeblood of this country.
Just then, an employee approached So Sang-woo’s side and carefully opened his mouth.
“…Boss, one of our business partners underwent a Prosecutor’s Office investigation yesterday.”
So Sang-woo’s gaze shifted to the employee.
“Who?”
“A manager named Lee Dong-jun.”
“Ah… I know him. The guy at the intersection, right?”
“Should we prepare something just in case?”
“Prepare what? Have we done anything wrong?”
As a loan operator, I hadn’t broken any laws.
Whether lending to business partners or individuals, I collected the legal interest rate meticulously.
The books were organized that way.
The high-interest loans were thoroughly concealed, so even the Prosecutor’s Office’s grandfather couldn’t find them.
But the problem wasn’t the loans.
“It could escalate to the stock price manipulation case.”
The Prosecutor’s Office doesn’t strike directly.
They circle the perimeter, gradually tightening the noose.
And this time would be no different.
“The prosecutor apparently asked about your name several times.”
So Sang-woo’s movements froze.
Only his eyes shifted to regard the employee.
“…Me? My name?”
“Yes, and this prosecutor is Seo Jin—quite a famous person these days.”
Seo Jin had sent a police chief, a senior prosecutor, and even the leader of a pseudo-religious cult to prison.
He was known for mercilessly apprehending anyone.
Though the employee relayed this information, there was no tension in So Sang-woo’s expression.
He chuckled softly, exhaling smoke with leisurely indifference.
“The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office? Terrifying, truly terrifying. But you know what? I’ve met prosecutors several times, and these bastards only touch the common people. Those without power or connections who work hard to survive.”
“….”
“But they can’t touch those who play above the law, those with real power. Even if they beat someone, snort drugs, or rape women, they turn a blind eye.”
Those people are So Sang-woo’s patrons.
And the Shin Ma Group Youngest Son is one of them.
“So don’t worry and go do your job. Now.”
So Sang-woo waved his hand dismissively.
The employee left, and So Sang-woo’s gaze returned to the monitor.
Seo Jin’s face appeared on the screen.
Staring at that face, So Sang-woo muttered under his breath.
“Stupid bastard.”
So Sang-woo licked his dry lips and picked up his phone.
‘Still… I should take out insurance.’
The prosecutor had drawn his sword and begun to make his move.
I calculated there was a 99% chance he’d rampage alone and then quiet down, but I had to be cautious about that one percent.
After all, when a blade swings, someone can get hurt.
So Sang-woo flipped through his contacts, deliberating.
Should I contact the Shin Ma Group Youngest Son, or call my current patron instead?
The deliberation was brief.
The Shin Ma Group Youngest Son is arrogant and lawless.
Even if a prosecutor showed up at his home and rang the doorbell, he wouldn’t care.
His father is the chairman of Shin Ma Group.
‘Then, my patron it is.’
So Sang-woo pressed the call button and held the phone to his ear.
“Boss, did you happen to see the news today? There’s a guy named Seo Jin at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.”
A damp voice came through the phone.
-Seo Jin?
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At that moment, Seo Jin was facing Kim Young-jun, the Prosecutor Chief.
Kim Young-jun lit a cigarette and spoke in an indifferent tone.
“You’re going after the loan shark market?”
“Yes.”
Seo Jin glanced at Kim Young-jun’s expression.
Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s family are major players in the loan shark market.
And I suspect that Kim Young-jun’s Wife is one of the prime suspects in the death of the original Seo Jin.
If Kim Young-jun knew anything, his expression would surely change.
But Kim Young-jun’s expression remained unchanged.
I speak of the investigation into loan sharks without the slightest hesitation.
“When enforcement begins, they scatter like cockroaches. And these bastards will do anything for money. So avoid getting involved if you can—let the police handle it.”
Kim Young-jun assumed Seo Jin’s target was an ordinary loan shark.
Had he known that Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s family and the Shin Ma Group Youngest Son were at the end of this, he would have stopped it immediately.
Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s family is one thing, but the Shinma Group is truly dangerous.
They are one of the massive conglomerates capable of influencing political circles.
If they grow angry, Kim Young-jun’s path to becoming Prosecutor General will become treacherous.
That’s why I felt sorry.
‘I apologize.’
And this case would likely become the first shit I throw at the Prosecutor General.
While I was silently apologizing, the real reason Kim Young-jun had called me began.
“That aside… clear your schedule this weekend. There’s somewhere we need to go together. You know I hold gatherings, right?”
I know well.
A place where the true powers of South Korea gather.
Powerbrokers from both ruling and opposition parties like Song Won-tae and Baek Ki-ho, the heads of various institutions and industry leaders—that place!
‘Finally….’
Entry into high society.
Kim Young-jun extended his hand to me.
Inviting me to ascend into the world of power together.
I naturally do not refuse.
I will grasp that hand and climb the stairs of power.
And I thought to myself.
That I would slowly strangle them all.
That I would seize all that power entirely for myself.
Since I’m attending the gathering, I must become its king.
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-I’m ready. I’ll file an official complaint against the Shin Ma Group Youngest Son tomorrow morning.
I walked through the streets while speaking with Lee Du-jin.
“Request a travel ban as well. It’s their specialty.”
These bastards flee overseas whenever trouble looms.
And when things settle down, they return and live as if nothing happened.
A perfect display of treating law and citizens as dogs and pigs—it had to be prevented beforehand.
-What about you, Prosecutor?
“I plan to see their faces in my own style.”
It was difficult to meet with Lee Du-jin face-to-face for consultations.
The opponent is a conglomerate.
I must stay completely submerged, gnawing away at their weaknesses.
Otherwise, I could be crushed like an insect.
But if I feared such things, I wouldn’t be myself.
And my targets weren’t limited to the Shin Ma Group Youngest Son—they also included the one who killed the original me.
I had to find him. To do that, I needed to walk into the tiger’s den without hesitation.
I slipped my phone into my pocket and looked up.
A sign reading “SW Loans” came into view.
So Sang-woo’s office.
‘A prime location.’
He occupied an entire floor of a building notorious for its expensive rent.
‘The thug made it big.’
I smiled coldly and climbed the stairs with steady steps.
Second floor.
I opened the office door and stepped inside.
It looked no different from any other office.
Dozens of employees in neat business attire—they weren’t thugs or delinquents.
They were ordinary people who treated this place as a company, clocking in and out each day.
‘These people don’t matter.’
But not all the employees were genuinely ordinary.
Someone here was definitely doing dirty work.
That was inevitable given So Sang-woo’s origins.
“How can I help you?”
An employee standing by the door greeted me.
“Where’s the boss? In his office?”
The employee blinked.
Recognition came quickly.
The demon who had declared war on loan sharks just days ago.
“K-Kim Seo-jin?”
“Show me the way.”
“Y-yes, right away.”
The employee spun around and rushed off, while I followed slowly behind.
“B-boss!”
The employee burst through the door and called out to So Sang-woo.
So Sang-woo, who had been dozing with his feet propped up on his desk, snapped his eyes open at the urgent voice.
“What? What is it?”
“W-well….”
“A prosecutor is here.”
I appeared from behind the employee, speaking leisurely.
So Sang-woo blinked at the sight of my face.
He couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.
“Since I need to speak with the boss, you can leave.”
I smiled gently and gestured toward the door.
The employee bowed respectfully to So Sang-woo before leaving the office.
I closed the door with a soft slide.
Then I slowly turned my head toward So Sang-woo.
The smile that had existed on my face while the employee was present vanished the moment he left.
When dealing with a thug, pleasantries are a luxury.
“Get your feet off the desk. How dare you be so insolent?”
So Sang-woo lowered his legs and reclined in his chair before opening his mouth.
“Wow, it’s like seeing a celebrity. So, did you bring a warrant?”
“No, I came to see your face today.”
“What wrong have I committed that you’d come to see my face? I’m just an ordinary citizen living diligently and lawfully.”
The bastard was swaggering.
He believed his backing would protect him.
A fool.
In a world bound by money, there is no loyalty.
Once you’re no longer useful, you’re discarded without hesitation in this world.
I pulled a chair from the table and placed it in front of his desk.
Then I sat down and opened my mouth.
“What do you mean a thug has done nothing wrong?”
“It’s been a while since I washed my hands clean. I’ve paid my debt to society and now I’m living an upright life. I even volunteer sometimes.”
His voice dripped with sarcasm to the very end.
But I let out a short laugh and shook my head.
“There’s an old saying—people don’t change, they just get recycled.”
“Why speak of old sayings in the age of smartphones? But prosecutor, why do your words always seem incomplete? I’m quite a bit older than you, it seems.”
I didn’t answer.
I folded my arms and tilted my head while studying his face.
Then I murmured his name.
“So Sang-woo, So Sang-woo….”
“What?”
“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before, but I can’t quite remember.”
“I’ve never met you before, prosecutor. Though I’ve seen you on television.”
I narrowed my eyes.
I was certain I’d seen that face somewhere, but the memory eluded me.
No, it wasn’t quite that—it was something raw and irritating, gnawing at my chest like an itch I couldn’t scratch.
Then suddenly, a word burst out.
“Cow bastard?”
So Sang-woo’s brow furrowed.
“What?”
“Beef testicles?”
Beef testicles are a dish made from cattle gonads.
And at that very moment.
“Damn it!”
So Sang-woo slammed his desk and shot to his feet.
He leaned toward Seo Jin and opened his mouth.
“I don’t know where you heard such nonsense, but stop it. A prosecutor shouldn’t mock people like this.”
It came back to me.
A kid from the orphanage back in middle school, the same time as Seo Jun-kyung.
I remembered how we’d cruelly mocked him with nicknames based on his name and physical characteristics.
The orphanage had closed and we’d never crossed paths again, yet here he was running petty thug operations without even finishing middle school.
‘Good grief.’
I decided I needed to give this old friend a proper lesson so he’d never set foot in this world again.
But first, there was something I needed to do.
“You know the Shinma Group Youngest Son?”
“Ha… Why? Are you planning to go after them now instead of loan sharks? Prosecutor, I’m telling you this sincerely. Don’t do it. You’ll actually die. He’s not a good guy like me.”
“Lately, a lot of people are worried about my funeral. Forget it. Let’s just have a drink.”
So Sang-woo stared at Seo Jin intently.
Out of nowhere, he wanted to meet the Shinma Group Youngest Son through him.
So Sang-woo couldn’t understand what Seo Jin was thinking.
As So Sang-woo’s eyes darted around, Seo Jin spoke.
“Don’t overthink it. All you need to do is contact that youngest bastard. He’ll make the decision.”
So Sang-woo bit his lip.
In that moment, Seo Jin leaned toward him and continued.
“And one more thing. I had an accident three years ago. Someone pushed me from the 5th floor of an apartment building. That bastard’s in this world too. If you bring him to me…”
“…”
“I’ll give you two billion won.”
This was why I’d come here personally.
So Sang-woo had suddenly become a rising power player in this world.
For an orphan-turned-thug to establish himself here without any real effort meant there had to be a real heavyweight behind him.
If word spread that I was investigating the connection and digging into what’s behind them, their shadow would definitely emerge.
“You don’t like two billion?”
So Sang-woo’s eyes widened.
Two billion out of nowhere—it sounded like madness.
But Seo Jin’s eyes were sincere.
“Then how about four billion?”
“…What are you asking me to do right now?”
“Good. Four billion, sold. You’ve got thirty seconds. Think about it. Otherwise, I’m going to another office.”
Seo Jin opened the stopwatch app on his phone.
He showed the screen to So Sang-woo and continued.
“I don’t want to catch a lackey like you. I want to catch the one above you. Twenty seconds left. Four billion disappears. Ten, nine, eight…”
“Wait, just a moment!”
So Sang-woo grabbed Seo Jin’s hand.

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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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