Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 221

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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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I Remember (7)
They advanced toward Director Son and the man in the black suit. Footsteps echoed across the desolate rooftop.
Director Son did not remain idle. He gestured frantically toward Jang Seok-min’s subordinates and shouted.
“Kill them!”
At the same moment, Director Son’s gang rushed toward Jang Seok-min’s men.
There was no conversation. Only fists flew and baseball bats swung. Dull thuds and screams followed in succession.
Director Son’s gang fought back desperately. But the numbers were against them. No matter how strong they were, they numbered barely a dozen.
It was difficult to overcome nearly thirty massive men that Jang Seok-min had brought.
“Arghhhh!”
“You bastards!”
Seo Jin passed through the chaos of the brawl and walked toward Director Son.
Director Son’s face was pale. He felt himself cornered.
But he resisted to the end.
“…Don’t come any closer if you don’t want to die.”
Director Son retreated step by step, his voice dripping with threats. He even pulled out a jackknife and waved it.
“I’ll kill you!”
But Seo Jin did not stop. He drew handcuffs from his pocket and spoke with deliberate calm.
“I’m arresting you on suspicion of attempted murder.”
“Don’t come!”
“You have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can be used against you.”
“I said don’t come!”
Director Son glared at Seo Jin with bloodshot eyes and lunged forward. He tried to stab him with the jackknife he was gripping.
But then Choi Ji-beom, who stood behind, grabbed his shoulder, and his movement faltered.
Director Son slowly turned around. Then Choi Ji-beom twisted his mouth into a grin and spoke.
“Let’s go together. To prison.”
“…What?”
Choi Ji-beom swept Director Son’s legs out from under him and sent him crashing down.
Crash!
Choi Ji-beom did not stop there. He quickly twisted Director Son’s arm and subdued him by grabbing his hair. Then he looked at Seo Jin and smiled awkwardly.
“Put the cuffs on.”
“No! Why should I go! Let go! Release me!”
Director Son struggled to the bitter end. He thrashed about, exerting every ounce of effort to break free.
But that was the end of it.
Seo Jin spun the handcuffs and locked them around Director Son’s wrists.
“You also have the right to retain an attorney.”
“Damn it! Ahhhhh!”
Director Son screamed.
Seo Jin turned his head away, ignoring Director Son’s cries.
The fight between Jang Seok-min’s men and Director Son’s gang had also come to an end.
The brawl was over, and only a desolate wind blew across the rooftop.
I brushed the dust from my hands and rose to my feet. Then I stepped before Choi Ji-beom and opened my mouth.
“Another choice has presented itself.”
“I’m listening.”
“First: expose Chairman Um’s crimes and go to prison together. Your children’s safety will be guaranteed. Second: remain loyal to Chairman Um until the end and pretend you know nothing about this. Then Chairman Um will kill not just you, but your entire family.”
Choi Ji-beom closed his eyes for a moment.
He had wagged his tail before Chairman Um for over thirty years.
And this was his reward—abandonment.
His deliberation was swift.
“I’ll expose him and go to prison.”
I tapped Choi Ji-beom’s arm approvingly.
“Good decision. Everything Chairman Um has built will crumble from this moment forward.”
That’s when it happened.
“You crazy bastards! Kahahaha!”
Director Son burst into laughter.
“Bring down the Chairman? You think that’s possible? The history of this nation lies with him. Politicians, conglomerates, everyone who’s ever held power has bowed before him!”
“….”
“Manager Choi, you know this well, don’t you? Money can summon even ghosts. The Chairman has enough money to summon legions of them. This whole affair will fizzle out. Only you’ll end up in prison.”
“….”
“And what do you think will happen then? You believe the Chairman will leave your family alone? He’ll make an example of them—kill them all! That way, men like us will be terrified and work even harder!”
“…!”
“So if you don’t want your family dead, shut your mouth!”
I smiled faintly and dropped to one knee before Director Son. Then I tapped his cheek and spoke.
“Watch. See how this Chairman Um you think is so powerful gets stripped bare. See how he crumbles. See what Chairman Um really looks like when he has no money left.”
“Bullshit!”
That was the moment.
My vision faded to black and white.
*
*
*
Director Son sat in his office, exhaling cigarette smoke as he muttered to himself.
“Kill Choi Ji-beom, you say?”
Director Son’s eyes narrowed. He appeared to be contemplating something.
Then his phone buzzed.
A call from Chairman Um’s secretary.
—The Chairman is coming.
Director Son’s eyes hardened with intensity.
It was time to decide when Choi Ji-beom would die.
Director Son set down his phone and smiled.
“Success means wealth beyond measure. Failure means prison.”
Director Son nodded and stood. As he turned to leave the office, he hesitated.
“…Perhaps death by suffocation….”
Director Son’s gaze shifted to the table. After a moment of hesitation, he approached the table again. He opened a drawer and retrieved an old mobile phone, tucking it into his pocket.
Shortly after, Director Son stood before Chairman Um’s Study Room.
The Secretary extended his hand.
Director Son handed over the mobile phone. Then he unfastened his belt and placed it in a basket.
The Secretary then searched Director Son’s body for any metal or electronic devices.
After confirming there was nothing, he opened the door.
“Please go in.”
Director Son walked inside with heavy steps.
Chairman Um sat at his desk, visible in the room.
Director Son approached him and spoke.
“I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“Listen here… Manager Choi has been under me for over thirty years. Shouldn’t I give him time to say goodbye to his family? Let’s set it for the day after tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
Director Son bowed deeply, then turned and stood at the Study Room door again.
As he turned the doorknob, Chairman Um opened his mouth.
“No, wait… The sooner the better. Right after dinner, move forward with it.”
“Yes.”
With those words, Director Son left the Study Room.
After retrieving his mobile phone from the Secretary, he walked down the Hallway.
Then, descending to the Parking Lot, Director Son sat in the driver’s seat and rolled up the hem of his pants.
An old mobile phone was visible inside. The screen showed a microphone symbol. It had been recording Chairman Um’s voice.
Director Son smiled faintly.
“I’m not stupid enough to die alone.”
*
*
*
The psychometry had ended.
Director Son was still spouting nonsense.
“Ha! A mere prosecutor can’t touch the Chairman….”
“Thank you.”
“…What?”
At the unexpected gratitude, Director Son blinked.
Seo Jin chuckled softly and bowed toward Director Son. Then he whispered into his ear.
“The recorded phone… did you leave it in the car? Or at the Office?”
“What… what are you talking about?”
Seo Jin observed his expression. He was flustered. His face had stiffened, and wrinkles formed on his forehead.
“Are you… carrying it with you?”
“What are you saying!”
“You’re carrying it.”
I rifled through Director Son’s jacket without hesitation.
What emerged was an old mobile phone.
Director Son’s eyes widened in shock. His lips turned pale, and the rambling voice that had been pouring out vanished.
The noisy space fell silent as Director Son’s body began to tremble violently.
“…P-please… save me.”
If the voice recording on the mobile phone were exposed to the world, not only Director Son but his relatives could be in danger.
“P-please… save me.”
I placed a cigarette between Director Son’s lips and answered.
“Sorry.”
*
*
*
“What, what did you bring in?”
That night, in my office.
Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyuk, who had been leaving work, returned.
I sat at the table and shrugged my shoulders.
“From now on, everything must remain secret. Only you and I know about this.”
“So what! Who are these people you’ve locked up in my office?”
I handed Director Son’s mobile phone to him and spoke.
“Men who received a contract to murder from Chairman Um. The mobile phone contains a recording of Chairman Um’s murder contract on Eom Dong-seok.”
“…!”
“And tomorrow morning at 9 AM, Choi Ji-beom will hold a press conference and reveal my aunt’s crimes.”
Choi Ji-beom is now sitting in the Prosecutor’s Office interrogation room.
This is the safest place.
When dawn breaks, Choi Ji-beom will leave the Prosecutor’s Office and move to the hotel.
And he plans to expose everything about Eom Si-young, my aunt.
Eom Si-young’s murder.
All the corruption she has committed thus far.
It is certain that Eom Si-young will be finished.
‘But… that’s just the beginning.’
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun will make his move in earnest.
I will have to face Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun, who clawed his way up from the very bottom to the top.
Though he sits quietly for now, I will confront the true nature of the monster that is Kim Young-jun.
‘First, Eom Si-young.’
As my eyes hardened with resolve, Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyuk picked up Director Son’s mobile phone.
When he opened the recording app, Chairman Um’s voice flowed out.
-No… anything fast is good. Move right after we finish eating.
A clear murder contract.
But Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyuk bit his lip and spoke.
“…Will the court accept it as evidence?”
Director Son, who accepted the contract murder, and Chairman Um, who commissioned it—this is a conversation between the two parties directly involved.
For an ordinary person, this would certainly be admissible as evidence.
But the other party is Chairman Um.
It may not be adopted because there are no direct statements like “murder” contained within it.
“It won’t be accepted as evidence. But Choi Ji-beom will expose it to the world through a press conference.”
“…!”
Then it could become perfect leverage.
Public outcry against the judge would reach the heavens.
I stepped down from the desk and brushed past Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyuk, speaking quietly.
“Prosecutor, please prepare for a search and seizure. The target is the residence of Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun.”
“But….”
It was an impossible task.
No matter how corrupt the Prosecutor General might be, he was still the head of the Prosecution Service.
Searching his home was unthinkable.
Yet I spoke as though it were possible.
Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyuk wiped his face and asked.
“You’re saying there’s a way?”
I slipped a note into Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyuk’s pocket.
“It’s the phone number of former Congressman Gong Dae-chul. It should help.”
Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyuk laughed heartily, scratching his short hair vigorously.
“Damn! This isn’t exile—this is career suicide.”
*
*
*
The next day.
Chairman Um’s expression, sitting on the sofa, was grim.
“I haven’t heard anything.”
Director Son had gone silent.
It wasn’t just Director Son. Choi Ji-beom and all the others who went with him had fallen quiet, as if they’d vanished.
When I called, there was only a dial tone.
I even contacted the Prosecution Service out of desperation, but no one knew anything.
“Could it be… that Choi Ji-beom persuaded them?”
Choi Ji-beom also had considerable wealth. He might have made a deal, offering his entire fortune.
“No… that’s not it.”
Chairman Um shook his head.
They feared Chairman Um more than money.
They knew well the price of betrayal.
Chairman Um placed his hand on the armrest of the sofa and began tapping his fingers rhythmically.
Then the Secretary approached rapidly.
“Chairman….”
The Secretary’s expression darkened. She quickly grabbed the remote and pressed the power button.
The television screen flickered to life, and Chairman Um’s face shattered across it.
“That… that bastard…”
*
*
*
At that very moment, in the Hotel’s press conference room.
Choi Ji-beom sat at the podium.
The reporters were dumbfounded. They exchanged glances and whispered among themselves.
“…Didn’t they say Congressman Gong Dae-chul was holding a press conference?”
“Then who is this person?”
The reporters had come here after hearing that former Congressman Gong Dae-chul would be holding a press conference.
But the man sitting before them was Choi Ji-beom.
Seo Jin had kept everything hidden until the very last moment.
And then Choi Ji-beom opened his mouth.
“I wish to speak about a murder that occurred thirty years ago, committed by Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun and his wife Eom Si-young.”
The reporters’ voices evaporated as if they had never existed. All eyes widened, fixed intently on Choi Ji-beom.
“What… what do we do?”
“Isn’t there a press embargo on this?”
“You idiot, embargo or not—whoever posts it first owns the story!”
The moment an article bearing the headline “Breaking News” went live on the Portal Website, Choi Ji-beom continued.
“I was at that scene. And I remember.”

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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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