Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 152

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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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Talent Runs in the Family (2)
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The meal had come to an end.
My father and Kim Young-jun had emptied several bottles of wine before rising from their seats.
My father smiled warmly toward Kim Young-jun.
“If you need anything in the future, just let me know.”
“Of course. I’m always grateful, brother.”
After exchanging final pleasantries, my family stepped toward the entrance.
But then I felt someone tugging at my collar.
I turned to see it was Kim Young-jun’s Wife.
“Wait a moment.”
“Yes.”
I told my parents I would join them shortly.
Jin-young looked at me with concern, but I raised my hand slightly to reassure him.
My family left, and I turned to face Kim Young-jun’s Wife.
She gestured for me to follow with a meaningful glance, then turned away.
Back to the kitchen—where the remnants of our meal still lay scattered.
The housekeeper was clearing the dishes, but Kim Young-jun’s Wife pulled out a chair and sat down.
The housekeeper seemed invisible to her. Whether from carelessness or indifference, she spoke without hesitation.
“You’re preparing to manipulate the hiring process?”
“Yes.”
“You’re done with the illegal loan shark market?”
I didn’t mind that the housekeeper was right beside us.
I had intended to make this public anyway—the more people who heard, the better.
“You told me not to cross the line, remember? So I’m not going to. You even expressed your concern, and I couldn’t just pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“Is that so?”
A flicker of something passed through Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s eyes.
Those eyes studied my expression with crystalline clarity.
And I decided to lay down more smoke—the cover story I had prepared for when the trap was sprung.
“To be honest, your husband’s inauguration ceremony was held not long ago.”
Of course, Kim Young-jun’s Wife had been there as well.
I remembered her sitting quietly, affecting an elegance that didn’t quite suit her.
As Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s eyes drifted into memory, I continued.
“I was eating some fruit when your husband called me over, and thanks to that, I got to greet several prosecutors.”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife nodded, as if the memory had returned to her.
“And then?”
“After greeting everyone, I was heading back to my corner when one of them quietly called me over and said, ‘Your current track record is already sufficient—don’t strain yourself trying to build it further. From now on, what matters isn’t achievement, but avoiding any blemishes on your record.'”
Climbing to higher positions required careful management.
You don’t need a flawless resume that everyone admires—you need one without blemishes.
The moment Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s eyes gleamed, Seo Jin spoke the words she wanted to hear.
“It felt like being struck by a hammer. I’ve been trying to build my resume through competitive ambition, but I realized none of that matters.”
A smile bloomed at the corners of Kim Young-jun’s Wife’s mouth.
The smile deepened gradually, and I continued speaking.
“I have a long road ahead, and I don’t want to get hurt fighting wealthy people this early on.”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife nodded.
She was beginning to misunderstand my true intentions.
Kim Young-jun’s Wife opened her mouth as if genuinely concerned for me.
“That’s right. To reach the top, flaws matter more than achievements.”
There’s an old saying: even a dog at a village school learns to recite poetry after three years.
Kim Young-jun’s Wife was a prosecutor’s spouse who had witnessed her husband’s rise to Prosecutor General.
She knew exactly how to reach that position.
“So, Seo Jin—do you want to become Prosecutor General yourself?”
Her eyes brimmed with expectation, her expression eager to confirm my ambitions.
And she was already calculating how to exploit Seo Jin, intoxicated by the allure of power.
Could it benefit Kim Yun-hwan?
If so, how could she leverage it?
I could sense every thought passing through her mind, as if I’d been inside her head.
And I opened my mouth with the most humble expression I could muster.
“Oh no, I’m still just a prosecutor. I haven’t even thought about becoming Prosecutor General. But since I’ve come this far, I’d like to at least become a District Prosecutor.”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife laughed heartily at my words.
She rose from her chair and approached, stroking my arm.
I felt as though a serpent had brushed past me, but I maintained my composure and smiled quietly.
“Our nephew, when you become a District Prosecutor, this aunt will help you. So work hard.”
“Work hard?”
Kim Young-jun’s Wife smiled faintly.
“Go easy.”
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Next to the kitchen was a staircase leading to the second floor.
And Kim Young-jun stood there with his arms crossed.
He had been listening to the conversation between me and his wife.
A peculiar smile played at the corners of Kim Young-jun’s mouth.
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I had publicly declared to Kim Young-jun and his wife that I would expose the employment fraud.
But a week had passed without any contact from Lim Chang-beom, the executive at SR Pharmaceutical.
‘Was the pressure not strong enough?’
That couldn’t be it.
Lim Chang-beom was genuinely terrified and had no choice but to comply with my demands.
I had decided to wait just one more day.
Buzz.
My phone vibrated.
The caller was Lim Chang-beom.
-I found what you asked for. But… I won’t have any problems, right?
Lim Chang-beom was only concerned about his own safety.
I readily put his mind at ease.
“Of course.”
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A coffee shop near SR Pharmaceutical.
When Lim Chang-beom arrived, he looked haggard from the stress he’d endured.
His skin was ravaged, dark circles deepened beneath his eyes.
Lim Chang-beom placed a USB drive on the table and spoke.
“I saved everything as PDF files…”
I pulled out my laptop and inserted the USB drive.
The screen displayed a list of PDF files Lim Chang-beom had mentioned.
Orders from above.
Instructions to promote a contract employee to permanent staff.
Emails exchanged between Lee Jong-seok and his daughter Lee Ha-ram before the permanent hire was finalized.
Lee Ha-ram’s attendance records.
This was more than enough.
I closed the laptop and spoke.
“As long as you don’t engage in any illegal operations going forward, you won’t see me again.”
At those words, Lim Chang-beom exhaled deeply, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped the sweat from his brow.
“…I won’t anymore.”
The promise of never seeing me again was likely the most reassuring thing he could hear.
I stood up and bowed respectfully toward Lim Chang-beom.
“Then.”
I left the coffee shop and got into my car immediately.
Then I pulled out my phone and held it to my ear.
“Uncle, it’s Seo Jin.”
I had decided to present this case as a gift to Kim Young-jun.
Since becoming Prosecutor General, Kim Young-jun has been putting his name in the media every three days.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun visited such and such place.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun ordered the formation of a dedicated team for a certain case.
A strategy to make his name known through the media.
Propaganda from a man living in a tens-of-billions-won mansion, trying to project an image of being one with the common people.
The public sees only what the media shows them, and they praise Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun.
They await a new Prosecution Service.
But Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun is not satisfied.
Every case he touches now is merely a continuation of his predecessor’s work.
If he doesn’t demonstrate that he’s crushing corruption, the illusion will evaporate.
Then the public, who had hoped for a new Prosecution Service, will turn against him.
They’ll hurl stones at a Prosecution Service that hasn’t changed.
‘That’s why….’
I intend to make the Food and Drug Administration director a sacrifice for Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun.
By scratching where Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun itches, I gain his unwavering trust.
‘Think of me as a puppet, see me as a hunting dog.’
I pressed down hard on the accelerator.
The light changed, and my car raced toward the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.
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Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun was staring at his laptop screen.
The USB drive that Lim Chang-beom had handed him—the PDF file inside it.
After examining it for some time, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun looked up at me.
“You want the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to direct this?”
“Yes.”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun didn’t swallow the bait I offered immediately.
He ejected the USB and set it on the table, then remained silent for a long moment.
After sitting in thought, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun finally spoke.
“Why not do it yourself?”
I had anticipated this response from Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun.
So I delivered my prepared answer.
“I’m not ready to take off my uniform yet.”
A prosecutor is a single institution unto himself.
If he wishes, he can draw his blade against anything.
But the consequences are not pleasant.
Exile or removing his uniform and leaving the Prosecution Service.
“The target is a director. No matter how much my uncle is the Prosecutor General, I thought the aftermath would have to follow precedent.”
“….”
“And I judged that it would be difficult for me alone to bring down a government agency director. Those people have the power to erase all traces if we don’t move quickly.”
As my answer ended, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun tapped the USB with his finger and opened his tightly sealed lips.
“Is that all?”
I swallowed hard.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun wanted Seo Jin’s hidden agenda as well.
That glint in his eyes made Seo Jin pause for a moment.
How much should I reveal?
How could I speak in a way that wouldn’t invite suspicion, yet keep myself useful enough to be deployed again and again?
The moment of deliberation was brief.
“I’m not sure how you’ll take this, but I thought of it as Uncle’s inauguration gift as Prosecutor General.”
At Seo Jin’s words, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun looked taken aback before breaking into a hearty laugh.
Then, gripping the USB in his hand, he spoke with a satisfied gleam in his eyes.
“I’ll contact the Central District Prosecutor’s Office director right away. The investigation will be led by the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2, Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae, and you. Head back to the District Prosecutor’s Office immediately. Prepare for the search and seizure of the Food and Drug Administration and SR Pharmaceutical.”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun didn’t keep the gift to himself.
He passed the credit to Seo Jin as well.
Building up his track record.
So he could climb steadily upward.
Seo Jin bowed deeply toward Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun.
“Then I’ll go prepare right away.”
Seo Jin turned and slipped out of the Prosecutor General’s office.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun watched his departing figure intently.
‘Well, well…’
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun smiled unknowingly.
Watching Seo Jin reminded him of his own past.
He appeared cautious in his movements, yet nothing held him back.
He exploited everything he could.
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-The Prosecutor’s Office has received a tip regarding hiring irregularities at SR Pharmaceutical and has executed a surprise search and seizure. SR Pharmaceutical has expressed bewilderment and stated that the Prosecutor’s Office…
Thump, thump, thump.
Seo Jin walked down the hallway of SR Pharmaceutical.
Investigators carrying prosecution boxes rushed toward the Human Resources Team.
The investigators burst through the door and shouted.
“This is the Prosecutor’s Office! Don’t touch anything! This is evidence destruction!”
The expression of the HR Team employee who had been shredding documents and hiding PCs hardened.
It was already too late.
The Prosecutor’s Office seemed to know everything.
But Seo Jin brushed past the HR Team.
He continued down the hallway and moved toward the Management Support Team.
Where Director Lee Ha-ram was.
But at the end of the hallway, a woman in her mid-twenties carrying a luxury handbag walked quickly toward him.
It was Lee Ha-ram.
Having heard about the search and seizure for hiring irregularities, she was trying to flee.
She believed that if she just laid low for a while, her father would resolve everything for her.
Seo Jin extended his hand, blocking Lee Ha-ram’s path forward.
“Stop.”
Lee Ha-ram stared at Seo Jin with frightened eyes.
The same Lee Ha-ram who had posted on social media to friends struggling with employment: “Stop blaming the world and work harder!”, “I started as a contract worker too.”
Her first words to Seo Jin were.
“D-do you know who my father is?”
“Yeah, I do.”
At Seo Jin’s calm voice, Lee Ha-ram’s eyes trembled.
She realized that Seo Jin did not fear her father.
“Your whole life has been easy, hasn’t it?”
Job seekers had to pull all-nighters and pass grueling exams just to get hired at this company, but Lee Ha-ram was different.
A few exchanged emails were all it took for her to transition from contract worker to permanent employee.
But that pleasure ends here.
The paradise she tasted through her father—now it was time to experience hell.
“D-do you have a warrant?”
Lee Ha-ram asked, backing away hesitantly.
A warrant? This was the moment I realized how movies and dramas ruin people’s understanding of reality.
“Don’t need one.”
Female investigators approached Lee Ha-ram with heavy footsteps.
As the female investigators gripped Lee Ha-ram’s arm firmly, Seo Jin’s voice continued.
“Speaking on behalf of every job seeker out there—I’m going to have you arrested within 48 hours.”

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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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