Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 228

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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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Gathered (3)
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In the hotel restaurant’s VIP room.
Shin Ji-yeon sat alone in that spacious chamber.
Holding her phone, Shin Ji-yeon tilted her head in curiosity.
Public opinion was ablaze. Everywhere—it was all about Seo Jin.
The news that Seo Jin had solved the case in an instant spread like wildfire across social media and community sites, with articles flooding in.
Prosecutor Seo Jin, Unsolved Case Specialist, Identifies Culprit in a Single Stroke
Prosecutor Seo Jin—See Him and You Know. Woman Rescued from the Brink of Death
An Ability Bordering on the Miraculous. The Hero of Our Time?
As Shin Ji-yeon scrolled through the comments, her lips curved upward. She set her phone down with a soft tap and murmured.
“My younger brother….”
Shin Ji-yeon crossed her legs and recalled the day she first met Seo Jin.
Back then, she had thought him merely a somewhat clever prosecutor. But that was no longer the case.
Shin Ji-yeon lowered her phone and murmured.
“How far will he go? I’m curious.”
That was when it happened.
The door creaked open and Seo Jin entered. Detective Jin Yu-kyung and Attorney Lee Du-jin followed in his wake.
Detective Jin Yu-kyung’s eyes widened slightly as she surveyed the VIP room. The minimum meal cost per person here was 340,000 won, and the interior design was equally lavish. That alone was enough to be intimidating.
“I’m Shin Ji-yeon.”
Shin Ji-yeon rose from her seat. With a subtle smile, she greeted Detective Jin Yu-kyung.
Detective Jin Yu-kyung’s eyes, which had been somewhat vacant until now, narrowed.
Shin Ji-yeon was a member of Shinma Group. While she had no direct connection to the deaths of her son and husband, it was difficult for Detective Jin Yu-kyung to warm to her.
“I’m Jin Yu-kyung.”
As Detective Jin Yu-kyung answered while biting her lip, Shin Ji-yeon bowed deeply with impeccable courtesy.
“Prosecutor Seo Jin told me about what happened. I am truly sorry.”
“…!”
“I understand that no apology, however sincere, will ease your pain. But all I can say is… I am deeply sorry.”
Detective Jin Yu-kyung’s eyes widened.
The Shin Ji-yeon portrayed in the media was haughty, her gaze piercing. She was not a woman who would bow her head to anyone.
Yet here she was, bowing to Detective Jin Yu-kyung.
Shin Ji-yeon slowly straightened and spoke.
“A person who kills someone while driving under the influence, yet walks free with a suspended sentence….”
“…!”
“Someone who can change the world’s laws with a single word. I was taught and raised to be like that, but now I wish to change.”
“…!”
“I wish to stand with you, Detective Jin Yu-kyung. Please grant me that permission.”
Detective Jin Yu-kyung and Attorney Lee Du-jin both stared in stunned silence.
While everyone else remained silent, Seo Jin clapped his hands and asked.
“I’d like to hear your reasons. Why you want to strike down your siblings, President Shin Ji-yeon.”
Shin Ji-yeon’s gaze slowly swept across Detective Jin Yu-kyung and Attorney Lee Du-jin before she spoke.
“A prince and princess who fail to ascend the throne—their fates are predictable. The prince gets cast out from the castle and dies, while the princess is forced into an unwanted marriage. She must sell her smile… live a life on display.”
“…!”
“I despise the idea of becoming my husband’s accessory. Is that reason enough?”
Shin Ji-yeon’s eyes turned back toward Detective Jin Yu-kyung.
“My apology is sincere. Once I take that position, I will apologize for everything I’ve done. And to catch those people… you’ll need me.”
Detective Jin Yu-kyung closed her eyes. Then she nodded.
“That’s why I came.”
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Moments later.
Seo Jin was turning the steering wheel.
‘Shin Ji-yeon, Jin Yu-kyung, and Lee Du-jin.’
Another faction had been formed.
They would attack Shinma Group and keep Chairman Um in check.
So far, I had assembled two distinct groups.
One consisted of Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyuk, Prosecutor Lee So-hee, and Reporter Lee Eun-ha—an investigation and intelligence unit.
They would serve as my head, overseeing all strategy.
The second group comprised Shin Ji-yeon, Jin Yu-kyung, and Lee Du-jin—a faction to check the conglomerates.
They would suppress Shinma Group’s political influence and obstruct Chairman Um’s final gambit.
‘Now….’
Information and wealth rested in my hands.
But to seize the world, two more things were absolutely necessary.
One was power, and the other was prestige—the kind that moves the world.
‘I have power.’
Politicians surrounded me.
Not only sympathetic figures like former Representative Gong Dae-chul, but also puppets I’d ensnared with their own corruption.
‘The problem is….’
Prestige.
Even with information, wealth, and power, I couldn’t lead and move people without it.
When the vehicle hit a red light, Seo Jin picked up his phone and searched for articles about himself.
‘It’s not enough.’
My name had become known.
Many people were supporting me.
They were captivated by my abilities.
But that was merely praise for my profession in law enforcement.
What I needed now was something definitive, something concrete for this moment.
‘What I possess….’
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun and Representative Baek Ki-ho possess it too. No, if we’re talking about what they have, they’re overwhelmingly superior.
‘That’s precisely why….’
Seo Jin was confident.
The opposition placed unwavering faith in their own power.
But the stronger one’s belief in their own strength, the less they scrutinize the cracks in their fortress.
Seo Jin tapped the steering wheel with his finger and laughed quietly.
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At that very moment, inside Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s residence.
The door opened with an ominous creak.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun was entering while on a phone call.
-Have you seen? The Prosecutor General hasn’t even mentioned running in the presidential election, yet his approval ratings are skyrocketing. Ha ha ha!
Representative Baek Ki-ho’s voice came through the phone.
-The Blue House must be in a bind. They orchestrated the game, only to find themselves on the losing end. Prosecutor General… if you help me, I can make it. After me comes your turn as president.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun ended the call. Then he slowly surveyed his home.
The house was silent and hollow.
Eom Si-young, who used to charge at him with bloodshot eyes while drunk, was gone.
Kim Yun-hwan, who used to greet him cautiously, was now in the detention center.
The housekeeper who helped with household chores had quit.
In that vast house, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun was alone.
Standing vacant for a moment, gazing at the living room, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun loosened his tie and walked toward the sofa.
He sat down and buried his back into the cushions, staring up at the ceiling.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun remained motionless like a statue for a long while. Then he checked his wristwatch and closed his eyes.
Just then, the doorbell rang with a cheerful ‘ding dong! ding dong!’
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun furrowed his brow and rose to his feet. He approached the intercom.
His older brother Kim Jun-man appeared on the screen, smiling and leaning toward the camera.
As Kim Young-jun opened the door, Kim Jun-man entered immediately, carrying a plastic bag full of something.
“You haven’t eaten, have you? I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
Kim Jun-man didn’t wait for Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s response and headed toward the kitchen. He set the plastic bag on the dining table and continued talking without pause.
“Your sister-in-law rolled up her sleeves and made kimchi the other day, you know? It turned out great. I brought a jar, so help yourself.”
Kim Jun-man chattered on without stopping. He was worried about his younger brother. He wanted to lift his spirits with something more than empty consolation.
That’s why he didn’t mention Eom Si-young or Kim Yun-hwan at all.
“This is instant rice. The instant rice these days is pretty good. You know how to use the microwave, right?”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun didn’t answer. He simply leaned against the kitchen wall at an angle, quietly watching Kim Jun-man prepare the food.
Kim Jun-man pulled out pork and continued.
“I’ll make you kimchi stew. I’ll cook it nice and spicy, and we’ll have a drink together.”
“….”
“I’ve had a lot of complicated things at work, and I wanted to have a drink with you. You used to love the kimchi stew I made back then.”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun chuckled and shook his head.
“I ate it because there was nothing else to eat.”
Kim Jun-man hesitated. He blinked and asked.
“What? You didn’t like it?”
“How could I like eating the same thing every day? And what you made—it’s not even proper kimchi stew. It’s just ramen with kimchi thrown in.”
At Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s words, Kim Jun-man laughed awkwardly and held up the ramen.
“Still tastes good though.”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun chuckled, and Kim Jun-man began stir-frying the pork.
“Remember when we first came up to Seoul? The landlady gave us kimchi. That woman had real skill—I miss it sometimes.”
“Did she?”
“Yeah, where else would the kimchi we ate have come from?”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun shrugged.
“I didn’t care much for that woman. She checked every day how much water and electricity we used. ‘Don’t use the fan. Turn off the lights after nine. If you use even a little extra, she’d nag.'”
“….”
“You know how she’d keep calling me whenever you went to work and I sat down to study? Same thing every time. ‘Save electricity, be careful.'”
Kim Jun-man gazed quietly at Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun.
In those days, they had struggled together and faced the same hardships. Yet their memories of that time were different.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun remembered only the bad parts.
Kim Jun-man smiled faintly and spoke.
“Today I added pork too, so it’ll taste better than before.”
The kimchi stew was complete. Kim Jun-man and Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun ate while talking, soju glasses tilting as they brought the stew to their lips.
“It’s a bit bland, isn’t it?”
At Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s words, Kim Jun-man shook his head.
“Bland is better for your health.”
“You messed up the water ratio, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t. Don’t you know we’re at an age where we need to think about our health?”
“Come on… that’s not it.”
“Just drink.”
The two brothers continued joking for a while longer.
When two bottles of soju had been emptied, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun filled Kim Jun-man’s glass and spoke.
“I’m sorry, hyung.”
“Huh?”
“I said I’m sorry.”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun thought to himself.
The crisis wasn’t over. His assets were frozen, and he didn’t know when they’d be cut off.
If he couldn’t seize Chairman Um’s wealth, everything he’d planned would crumble. Politics and power both required money.
So he’d devised a second plan: Jaejeong Construction.
If he couldn’t take Chairman Um’s assets, he’d seize Jaejeong Construction as a fallback.
What would happen was predictable.
His brother Kim Jun-man would come to hate him, and in the process, Kim Jun-man might end up in prison.
“…Even if things are difficult for now, they’ll get better. I’ll make sure of it.”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun continued, raising his glass.
“When I succeed… I’ll remember it’s all thanks to you, hyung.”
Kim Jun-man laughed bitterly.
Unable to read Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s thoughts, he simply assumed he was struggling with the situation involving Eom Si-young and Kim Yun-hwan.
“Hang in there, man.”
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The next day.
I walked through the hallway.
Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyuk approached from the opposite direction.
We exchanged greetings with only a glance, saying nothing.
Too many eyes were watching. We couldn’t risk word reaching Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun in any form.
The moment we passed each other, Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyuk handed me a cell phone and a USB drive.
The phone was what we’d found digging through the recycling bin near Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s residence last time. It belonged to Eom Si-young. The USB contained its contents.
“There might be information about your family on it… I haven’t looked.”
“Thank you.”
We exchanged a few quiet words before passing each other.
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Back in my office, I powered on my laptop and inserted the USB drive.
The phone was filled with messages and contacts from Eom Si-young’s conversations with various people.
I scrolled through the messages, reading through her exchanges.
Nothing important. Most of it was trivial.
What luxury items had arrived at the department store for the new season, which watches were worth buying.
There were signs of infidelity too. I could see her having sweet conversations with some unknown man.
‘Next, next, next….’
I continued scrolling through the files.
Then I paused at a conversation with Choi Ji-beom.
-Manager Choi: Regarding Jaejeong Construction, the Chairman has approved it.
I gripped Eom Si-young’s phone tightly, my eyes narrowing.
‘Jaejeong Construction?’
In that instant, my vision flooded with black and white.

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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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