Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 137

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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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One Step at a Time (7)
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Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
Jang Ji-hyuk, a prosecutor, sat down beside me in the outdoor break room with a roasted sweet potato in hand, noticing I was lost in thought.
He was a prosecutor who had come from the police academy and had worked with me on the Gimpo warehouse murder case.
He held out a roasted sweet potato to me and asked out of the blue.
“Did you have a fight with your girlfriend?”
“No, I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Then why do you look like that?”
“What’s wrong with my expression?”
“You look like you’re pondering a question that has no answer.”
I let out a dry laugh.
I was waiting for Jeon Chang-hyun’s call, which I had received a few days ago, while thinking about Anna Roux’s Organization.
Anna Roux—she was an illegal alien.
Yet with such a status, she met without hesitation with powerful figures in South Korea.
Just from that alone, I could infer how vast the capital and influence of the organization she belonged to must be.
And when I thought about peering into that organization, the possibility of confronting the true face of corrupted power made my heart race with exhilaration.
“As long as nothing’s wrong, it’s fine. Eat.”
Jang Ji-hyuk smiled faintly and bit into his roasted sweet potato.
I tilted my head, looking at the roasted sweet potato.
“Where did you buy that? You don’t see roasted sweet potatoes much these days.”
“There was a vendor across the street.”
I brought the roasted sweet potato to my lips.
Perhaps because it had been a while since I’d tasted one, it was truly delicious.
Jang Ji-hyuk opened his mouth to speak.
“By the way, did you see the personnel transfer announcement? Your department’s Chief Prosecutor is being replaced?”
It was the season for regular personnel transfers.
Prosecutors who had completed their tenure were reassigned to various offices.
My department was no exception.
The current Chief Prosecutor was leaving, and a new person was coming.
“I heard he’s a difficult person.”
“That’s what I’ve heard too.”
The current Chief Prosecutor’s personality is quite pleasant.
Thanks to that, the team’s atmosphere was more enjoyable compared to other departments.
But the rumors about the incoming Chief Prosecutor were different.
I’d heard that he runs the team based on performance metrics and, due to his sensitive temperament, the team atmosphere would be like walking on thin ice.
Well, that’s something I’ll slowly come to understand once it happens.
My gaze shifted toward Jang Ji-hyuk.
Jang Ji-hyuk blew on a piping hot sweet potato and took a bite.
‘Want to join me?’
I was in the middle of dealing with a loan shark.
But I was exposed.
To put it a bit dramatically, they’d send in a suicide squad.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I was under meticulous surveillance.
That’s why I’d been searching for someone who could move like a shadow.
Someone with the courage to push forward stubbornly, yet someone those bastards hadn’t caught wind of.
I’d been watching Jang Ji-hyuk and judged him fit for the role.
“Prosecutor.”
“What?”
“Would you like to go into business with me?”
“Business? Sweet potatoes?”
“No, loan sharks.”
Jang Ji-hyuk’s gaze shifted to me.
Jang Ji-hyuk knew well that I’d been poking around the illegal loan shark market.
“Why? Is it getting too much for you to handle alone?”
“Yes, I’d appreciate your help.”
Jang Ji-hyuk set down his sweet potato and turned his body toward me.
Then he smiled faintly and spoke.
“If you’re saying this, then the guy must be pretty formidable, right?”
“Pardon?”
“You don’t mess with weak guys.”
In Jang Ji-hyuk’s eyes, I was someone who created paths where none existed.
If a door was locked, I’d smash it with a hammer; if a criminal was hiding, I’d chase them down and grab them by the collar.
When such a person asked for help, his interest was piqued.
“Fine. Tell me the business plan first.”
“For now, if I just give you the big picture—I’ll strike the perimeter while you head straight for the main target. I’ll explain the details later when we have time.”
Just then, my phone vibrated.
It was Jeon Chang-hyun, the son of Assemblyman Jeon Yu-gon.
I stood up and brought the phone to my ear.
“Yes.”
—I overheard Father on the phone.
Assemblyman Jeon Yu-gon’s unofficial meeting.
One week later, in the VIP Room of the Chinese Restaurant at Daejeong Hotel.
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I stepped out of the car.
It wasn’t the car I usually drove.
Today, I borrowed Jin-young’s car instead of driving my own.
But my attire was equally different from usual.
Not a suit, but casual clothing.
I headed to the trunk, pulled out a hat, and checked my reflection in the window.
At first glance, I looked like someone else entirely.
Even people who knew me would have difficulty recognizing me without looking closely.
‘Not bad.’
They knew my license plate number and my face.
That’s why I borrowed Jin-young’s car and covered my face with the hat.
There was no harm in being cautious.
I closed the trunk and trudged toward the Elevator.
This was the Underground Parking Lot of the Daejeong Hotel.
I went up to the Lobby and settled into a Coffee Shop where I could see the entrance.
After ordering a caramel macchiato, I sat back leisurely and directed my gaze toward the entrance.
They wouldn’t park in the Underground Parking Lot like I did.
They’d definitely use valet parking at the hotel entrance.
With thirty minutes until the appointed time, there was no rush.
I pulled a newspaper from my bag and unfolded it.
Of course, to conceal my face.
My gaze remained fixed on the entrance.
Shortly after, Jeon Yu-gon appeared.
He headed toward the Elevator with his staff.
The people in the Lobby paid no attention to Jeon Yu-gon.
With so many people coming and going, no one would care who showed up.
I glanced at the CCTV cameras.
Jeon Yu-gon’s face would be captured clearly.
A few more minutes passed.
‘Here she comes.’
Anna Roux, whom I’d only seen in photographs, appeared in the Lobby with roughly a dozen burly men.
As I’d heard, she had quite a beautiful face, and the form-fitting one-piece dress she wore revealed her perfect figure.
Anna Roux removed her sunglasses and slowly surveyed the Lobby.
A criminal’s tell—paying attention to their surroundings in crowded places.
I raised the newspaper to cover my face, and once Anna Roux felt safe, she clicked toward the Elevator in her high heels.
After Anna Roux entered the Elevator, I brought my phone to my ear.
It was Jo Woo-jae, the Chief Prosecutor.
“I need a favor. It’s at the Daejeong Hotel—could you request police cooperation? Around… thirty officers?”
Jo Woo-jae, suddenly asked for thirty officers, let out an incredulous voice.
-…Thirty? Are you going to bust up some gangsters this time?
“Well, something like that.”
The target was an illegal resident, but with a dozen burly men beside her, it wasn’t an inaccurate description.
-So you said Daejeong Hotel, right?
Arresting a thug at a hotel—Jo Woo-jae, the Chief Prosecutor, was immediately concerned.
-I’ll notify the hotel too. You know who owns Daejeong Hotel, don’t you? If something happens there, it’ll damage the image….
“No, let’s just go.”
-Hey….
“If I call ahead, they’ll just object anyway. They’ll tell me to go out and fight it out. And this time, I really need to move carefully.”
I still don’t know the true nature of the organization Anna Roux belongs to.
I haven’t even grasped how deep their roots run.
That’s precisely why I need to be more cautious.
If they’re connected to anyone at Daejeong, the moment word gets out, they’ll flee.
-Ha… understood.
Jo Woo-jae, the Chief Prosecutor, had no choice but to obey my instructions.
After ending the call, I rose to my feet.
Then I slowly made my way toward the elevator.
My mind kept cycling through various scenarios that might unfold during Anna Roux’s arrest, appearing and vanishing in rapid succession.
Among them, I prepared myself for the worst-case scenario.
‘What if they take a civilian hostage?’
The most painful situation would be an innocent person getting hurt.
Anna Roux is being protected by a dozen or so large men, and though I couldn’t confirm it, there’s a possibility she’s hiding a blade on her.
‘This place is crowded….’
The lobby has constant foot traffic, and the space is vast.
I can’t predict what variables might arise.
‘Then, should I target the moment they exit the elevator?’
A sudden ambush on them.
Of all my considerations so far, this was the safest approach.
I boarded the elevator and headed to the Chinese Restaurant, their designated meeting place.
Once I arrived at the restaurant, I surveyed every corner.
Their movement routes took shape in my mind.
After thoroughly examining every space, I smiled quietly and brought my phone to my ear again.
It was Jo Woo-jae, the Chief Prosecutor, once more.
“Please position police in front of Elevators 3 and 4 in the first-floor lobby.”
I relayed the route I’d been planning and ended the call.
Then I tucked my phone away and brushed my hands off.
‘Now… let’s see.’
All I need to do is let Anna Roux slip away.
‘Please, run.’
I was genuinely hoping for it.
That their connections reached into the police, that they’d get advance warning and please, just flee.
If Anna Roux runs, she’ll undoubtedly head to their organization.
Even if she somehow gets caught, that wouldn’t be the worst outcome—but it wasn’t the best either.
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At that moment, in the VIP Room of the Chinese Restaurant at Daejeong Hotel.
Jeon Yu-gon sat across from Anna Roux.
“I will provide 5 billion won in the first installment. For the second and third installments, I’m planning to provide them once we enter the full presidential election phase. Does that work for you? There’s no need to worry—the money is cleanly laundered.”
Jeon Yu-gon cleared his throat with a dry cough.
The party was preparing for the presidential election, and astronomical sums of money were required for such campaigns.
Beyond official activities, there was extensive behind-the-scenes work to be done.
“If Assemblyman Jeon Yu-gon provides part of those funds, I believe there will be no issues with the next nomination and the one after that.”
There was even a possibility of seizing party leadership and rising as a presidential candidate for the election after next.
After all, politics was about money.
But Jeon Yu-gon’s eyes did not linger on the bag overflowing with cash.
That money would merely pass through his hands before being deposited into the party account.
Of course, Jeon Yu-gon could have pocketed it himself, but he was a man who understood the bitter end of petty greed all too well.
So his gaze was fixed on Anna Roux.
More precisely, on her beautiful figure.
The alluring scent that emanated from her.
Her dignified expression, neither light nor frivolous, and her intelligent manner of speech.
Anna Roux felt the weight of his desire-filled gaze.
Yet she pretended not to notice, smiling with her thickly lined eyes.
Jeon Yu-gon licked his lips and asked.
“Surely we should have a drink together, shouldn’t we?”
Anna Roux shook her head.
She knew well that the moment she took the assemblyman’s hand and entered a guest room, her value would diminish.
And she knew how to exploit a man’s desire.
“I would like to take more time to get to know you better, Assemblyman.”
Anna Roux turned her head away with an embarrassed expression, avoiding his gaze.
In doing so, her graceful neck line was exposed.
It was the moment Jeon Yu-gon swallowed hard, his gaze turning sinister.
Her phone vibrated.
“I apologize. Just a moment…”
Anna Roux brought the phone to her ear.
“Yes, Boss… What?”
Anna Roux’s brow furrowed.
Just as I had anticipated, her organization had made contact with the police.
She had just heard that I had requested police assistance to apprehend her.
She ended the call and stood up urgently.
“Assemblyman, I think it’s better we have that drink another time.”
“What? Right now?”
Jeon Yu-gon’s expression turned bewildered, but Anna Roux offered no further explanation.
The more a man possessed, the more fear gripped him.
If he learned the police were pursuing her, he might avoid their future encounters altogether.
“My apologies. I have an urgent matter to attend to.”
Anna Roux’s gaze swept across the room.
There was no trace of money changing hands anyway.
Even if the police arrived, they couldn’t arrest a National Assembly member without evidence of wrongdoing.
Only Anna Roux, with her illegal immigrant status, faced real danger.
She simply needed to slip away.
Anna Roux bowed to Jeon Yu-gon, leaving him with the words, “I’ll buy you a drink next time,” before slipping out of the VIP Room.
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Standing beside the elevator and gazing out the window, I exhaled heavily.
Plainclothes officers were streaming down in droves—a courtesy to the hotel’s reputation, no doubt.
‘Of all times….’
The police had arrived remarkably fast.
They must have rushed over the moment they received the call.
‘What do I do….’
At this rate, Anna Roux would be caught.
Even with a dozen bodyguards, it would be nearly impossible to evade and escape the thirty police officers waiting downstairs.
Then came the sharp click-clack of high heels.
I turned to see Anna Roux approaching with her bodyguards swarming around her.
Her expression betrayed no alarm.
Whether police were present or not, she walked with an icy, unwavering gaze.
They didn’t recognize me in my hat as they pressed the elevator button firmly.
I licked my dry lips.
If Anna Roux descended in that elevator, she’d be arrested.
Then I’d never see the mastermind. They’d disappear into even darker shadows.
Lost in thought for a moment, I picked up my phone.
I held it to my ear as if answering a call.
A natural, casual tone flowed from my lips.
“Huh? Police in front of units 3 and 4? What’s going on? Oh, I can see them from the window here. Those people are police?”
I glanced sideways at Anna Roux.
‘I’ve given you enough of a hint. Catch on.’
And fortunately, she did.
She slipped beside me and peered down through the window.
I continued my fabricated conversation while observing her.
“The other elevators too? Just this one? Got it. I’ll head down quickly. Wait for me.”
Listening to my words, Anna Roux walked down the hallway toward the other elevators.
And Seo Jin regarded her retreating figure with a cold, penetrating gaze.
Everything was dancing in the palm of Seo Jin’s hand.
Seo Jin laughed quietly to himself.
‘Excellent.’
First, I would ensnare Anna Roux.

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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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