Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 160

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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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Hidden Secrets (5)
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The fire was completely extinguished around dawn.
Eom Seon-ju stood before the warehouse reduced to ash.
Eyes wide open, saying nothing.
The security guards and men in black suits watching Eom Seon-ju thought to themselves.
That Eom Seon-ju would surely hurl everything in his hands and unleash a torrent of curses.
They bowed their heads, waiting for the moment of verbal and physical violence.
But their expectations were wrong.
Time passed, yet Eom Seon-ju said nothing.
Only silence.
Literally, the calm before the storm.
In that instant, Eom Seon-ju’s eyes shifted with chilling intensity, and a spine-tingling voice flowed from his lips.
“Manager Jung.”
The man called Manager Jung hurried to Eom Seon-ju’s side.
Manager Jung was the one responsible for bringing the men in black suits here.
He quickly clasped both hands below his navel and bowed his head.
Today was the worst of days.
If he upset Eom Seon-ju even slightly, he would die.
He had to grovel as much as possible.
“Yes, Director.”
Manager Jung exhaled nervously.
Knowing Eom Seon-ju’s temperament, there was no way this would pass without consequence.
He would surely want to tear everyone here to shreds.
And now his prediction proved correct.
“Get me a list of everyone here. Hand it all over to Manager Lee.”
“…!”
The Manager Lee that Eom Seon-ju mentioned was a human butcher—rumor had it he even dealt in organ trafficking.
Of course, it seemed like mere rumor, but that man was every bit as cruel as the stories suggested.
Manager Jung licked his dry lips and opened his mouth with extreme caution.
“Director, the police are here.”
“…And?”
“They’ll begin investigating to determine the cause of the fire. However, if anyone goes missing during the investigation, we could become suspects.”
“Ha….”
Eom Seon-ju exhaled a sigh.
Then he continued quietly in a measured voice.
“The police? You won’t punish them because you’re afraid of a police investigation? How interesting. When did you start fearing the police so much? Do I need to say it twice?”
“My apologies.”
Eom Seon-ju shot Manager Jung a glare as she brushed past him, and he remained bowed at the waist until her car disappeared from view.
Only when Eom Seon-ju’s vehicle was completely out of sight did Manager Jung straighten his spine.
“Damn it….”
The Security Guard and the men in black suits stationed here had labored through the night extinguishing fires, and they were now battered and exhausted.
Before any rebuke, he thought a simple “You did well” should come first.
But those words never left Eom Seon-ju’s lips.
“Sigh….”
As Manager Jung exhaled heavily, his phone vibrated.
A call from an unregistered number.
Yet when Manager Jung answered, a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.
“Understood.”
Manager Jung ended the call quietly and walked toward the forest path beside the warehouse.
His strides were long and purposeful.
And there, in that darkness, Seo Jin stood waiting.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
As Seo Jin, a cap pulled low over his head, spoke, Manager Jung smiled slightly.
“Think nothing of it.”
The man who had called Eom Seon-ju to say the fire trucks couldn’t get through easily.
The man who had deliberately arrived late, bringing the men in black suits with him.
It was Manager Jung.
When Seo Jin offered his hand, Manager Jung grasped it without hesitation.
In Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” their trick failed because they hadn’t secured the detective’s cooperation.
Seo Jin had brought everyone at this location under his control—everyone except Eom Seon-ju.
To make her the sole fool.
Had she shown even the slightest hint of humanity, Seo Jin’s plan might have failed.
But to Eom Seon-ju, they were merely dogs guarding the house, and they had simply changed masters for a larger prize.
Manager Jung exhaled cigarette smoke and spoke with a worried tone.
“That woman will try to kill us all…. What do we do?”
“Don’t worry. As I mentioned, the police investigation into the fire will begin, and we can buy about a week. Within that time, Eom Seon-ju won’t be able to do anything….”
“So you’re saying I should flee abroad depending on how things develop.”
“Yes, six months. Everything will be settled before the year ends, so enjoy your vacation. You have enough money, don’t you?”
Manager Jung nodded.
Then, with eyes full of questions, he looked at Seo Jin and asked.
“…But which organization are you from?”
Seo Jin let out a quiet laugh.
He’d heard this question before.
These men never once considered that it was an investigative agency attacking them.
‘Could it be any other way?’
It was difficult for investigative agencies to bring down people like these.
They were bound by legal constraints.
While they follow procedures, those bastards hide their tracks and cover their tails.
But my methods are radical and unconventional. It’s natural that investigative agencies wouldn’t suspect me.
As I remained silent, Manager Jung asked an unexpected question.
“…Could it be Japanese capital?”
“Japanese capital?”
“Think about it. Jeo Hoo-an from China was dragged away, and now you’re targeting Eom Seon-ju. Doesn’t that mean the Japanese side is trying to take everything? Am I right?”
I didn’t answer this time either.
Then Manager Jung smiled bitterly and continued.
“I’m hardly one to talk after betraying you, but be careful. That woman is truly dangerous.”
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When I arrived at Shin Ji-yeon’s Commercial Building, it was just past 7 a.m.
I parked in the building and climbed the stairs.
A banner announcing a lien enforcement fluttered with an eerie desolation.
This was a place no one used.
Moreover, under Shin Ji-yeon’s protection, it was a place no one could enter or leave.
It was perfect for temporarily storing money.
Do Gwang-hyun was in Room 401.
I headed toward Room 401 and opened the door.
The door creaked open.
Then Do Gwang-hyun, who had been feeding money into a bill counter, greeted me with a chuckle.
“Oh boy, I took a loss.”
“A loss?”
“Yes! A loss. I thought they were all 50,000 won bills, but it seems the warehouse was used like a piggy bank—they saved so meticulously. Hehe.”
“They’re not all 50,000 won notes?”
At my question, Do Gwang-hyun waved a stack of bills.
“There’s foreign currency too.”
Dollars and yen.
Bundled by denomination from small to large.
Several boxes of each.
“I have no idea what they were planning to use it for….”
Do Gwang-hyun brushed off his hands and continued.
“So I don’t know the exact amount. But roughly estimating….”
I looked around, waiting for Do Gwang-hyun to finish.
There were nearly 200 apple boxes filled with money.
Just as Do Gwang-hyun said, I didn’t know what Eom Seon-ju had been planning to use it for, but this was money he had meticulously accumulated.
The estimated value of that money was.
“Once we count it and check the exchange rates, it’ll likely exceed 200 billion won.”
“Insane….”
I’ve seen people use shell accounts or artwork to hide money, but I’ve never seen anyone accumulate cash like this.
This is absolutely insane.
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Crack!
The sharp sound of a slap echoed through Eom Seon-ju’s Small Building Basement Office.
That afternoon, Eom Seon-ju was meeting with Seo Jin’s Aunt.
“What kind of money is that!”
Seo Jin’s Aunt glared at Eom Seon-ju with murderous eyes.
But Eom Seon-ju was no pushover either.
She didn’t back down—instead, she lifted her gaze defiantly.
“Ha! You think only your money was in there? My money was in there too.”
The two were sisters.
But there was no sisterly affection between them.
Only mutual benefit and a shared objective kept them together.
And that objective had just gone up in flames.
All that remained was ash.
“Did I set the fire on purpose? What do you want me to do about it now?”
At Eom Seon-ju’s retort, Seo Jin’s Aunt bit her lip until blood came.
Then she slowly stepped toward Eom Seon-ju.
“Shut that mouth of yours before I kill you right now. And I don’t care how much your money was. That money was for Yun-hwan. That’s why I covered for you. So return that money. If you don’t, I’ll put you in prison.”
Eom Seon-ju’s lips twisted.
“Are you going to run to your brother-in-law and tattle? You think I’ll just sit back? Want me to get your name in the news? I’ll tell them about a crazy woman who invested in illegal loans—and she was the Prosecutor General’s wife! Hundreds of billions! People will love that.”
Seo Jin’s Aunt fell silent.
She only glared at Eom Seon-ju with cold eyes.
She was struggling to suppress the rage boiling up inside her at the realization that she’d been cornered.
Then Eom Seon-ju rubbed her face and shook her head.
When she spoke again, her voice was warm and affectionate—a stark contrast to before.
“Sister, don’t be angry. I lost too. The ship has a hole in it—should I sit around trying to figure out who made it? I need to calculate the losses and rebuild. Right?”
“Rebuild?”
“In a year or two, we can rebuild it. Trust me. It won’t take long.”
Seo Jin’s Aunt, who had fallen silent in thought, shifted her gaze.
It landed on the calendar hanging on the wall.
“Do you know why I was saving that money?”
“Jaejeong Construction?”
“Let’s take it easy. Easy….”
Seo Jin’s Aunt continued speaking as she slowly walked toward the calendar.
“Yun-hwan will be coming soon. I’ve already talked it over with your brother-in-law. When he arrives, I want to give him a good future. That was my promise.”
“…So?”
“I’m curious about something. If Seo Jin weren’t around, who would take over Jaejeong Construction?”
Eom Seon-ju tilted his head.
“…Kim Seo-jin? Isn’t he uninterested in inheriting the company?”
“Seo Jin told me directly that becoming Chief Prosecutor isn’t his goal. So if he leaves that position, would he become a lawyer? How much money does that make?”
Seo Jin’s Aunt stood before the calendar.
She continued speaking as she flipped through the pages one by one.
“If Seo Jin weren’t here, what would happen to Jaejeong Construction? We need to prepare succession now to avoid tax issues later…. That younger brother Jin-young doesn’t have what it takes to be a company owner, our Yumi has no interest, and Yun-hwan will be back soon?”
The same words repeated.
Only now did Eom Seon-ju understand what Seo Jin’s Aunt had been saying.
She wanted Seo Jin eliminated.
Eom Seon-ju’s face went pale.
But he forced a smile and opened his mouth.
“…He’s grown so much.”
“Don’t get any strange ideas. I was just curious, that’s all. But there is a way for us to continue together, a way we don’t have to compensate for our losses with money. There is one.”
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Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
I was washing my face.
After wandering around all night, exhaustion was finally catching up with me.
Just as I was wiping away the dripping water with a towel.
My phone in my pocket vibrated.
‘…!’
The caller ID was Seo Jin’s Aunt.
I felt my heart drop as sleep vanished instantly.
The thought that I’d been caught searching the warehouse dominated my mind.
There was no other reason for her to call.
It wasn’t as if we exchanged pleasantries.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to recall if I’d missed anything.
CCTV, dashcams, and so on.
But unless someone informed on me, there was no way I could be caught.
‘What is it?’
I couldn’t hide the tension in my eyes as I brought the phone to my ear.
“Yes, Seo Jin’s Aunt.”
-Can you come see me for a moment?
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It was the Coffee Shop in Front of District Prosecutors’ Office.
I sat across from Seo Jin’s Aunt, greeting her as if pleased to see her.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing much. I just wanted to say something awkward.”
Seo Jin’s Aunt fell silent for a long while after that.
Seo Jin didn’t press her either.
He simply waited for her voice while sipping his coffee.
One misstep could cast a shadow that would be impossible to escape.
Of course, he wasn’t merely drinking coffee in silence.
He tried to anticipate what lay beneath his aunt’s dark exterior.
Eom Seon-ju’s Warehouse had been ransacked last night, and his aunt had rushed over immediately—the reason why.
Yet she wore a troubled expression without saying anything.
If she’d known Seo Jin was the culprit, she would have grabbed him by the collar on the spot, but that wasn’t it either.
‘Why?’
Without letting his expression betray him, Seo Jin assembled and scattered fragments of anxiety and impatience repeatedly.
Then his aunt finally spoke.
“Remember when I mentioned before that I knew a bit about the Illegal Loan Shark Market?”
“Yes, I do.”
“My family was a major player in it. My younger brother still runs that business.”
Seo Jin’s mind went cold in an instant.
A fact he’d already known.
The problem was he couldn’t predict why she was revealing it now.
His aunt stirred the ice in her drink with a straw as she continued.
“Honestly, it bothered me. I worried my younger brother might fall into my nephew’s hands. But I can’t let that happen anymore.”
Seo Jin licked his dry lips.
His aunt was like a time bomb—he could never predict what reckless move she might make.
His aunt smiled bitterly and spoke.
“I happened to hear that my brother might be putting our nephew in danger.”
“What?”
His aunt seized his hand urgently and continued.
“And in the process, he might use me as an excuse. I’m the weaker one, after all. Who would look favorably upon the wife of a Prosecutor General coming from a loan shark family?”
“….”
“That’s why I came. Since it’s a family matter and a household affair, could you handle it quietly?”

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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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