Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 248

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Their Story (2)
The moment I stepped into the meat restaurant, the congressmen, chiefs of staff, and politicians gathered there began chanting my name.
“Seo Jin! Seo Jin! Seo Jin!”
Then a senior member of the Ruling Party stepped forward to greet me. A man with nationwide recognition. He extended his hand for a handshake.
“Thank you.”
I stared blankly at the senior congressman’s outstretched hand.
‘Thank me?’
I had brought down Kim Young-jun and destroyed Baek Ki-ho not for the Ruling Party’s sake. I had simply done my duty as a prosecutor—capturing a monster. There was no reason to receive gratitude. I had done it because I drew a salary from taxpayer money.
Still, I grasped his hand. The senior congressman broke into a wide smile and continued.
“Thanks to you, we’ve secured favorable ground for the presidential election.”
Our clasped hands shook. Then a roar of “Cheers!” shook the meat restaurant.
The gathering had begun. About two hundred people had assembled here—roughly fifty congressmen, about thirty party officials, plus their staff members. The place was teeming with people who claimed to govern the nation.
Soju bottles stacked rapidly on tables and the floor. These were the people who wielded South Korea’s fate, yet they showed no refinement. Water glasses were filled with soju, and cold noodle bowls sloshed with a mixture of soju and beer.
Within moments, faces flushed red. Loud voices erupted everywhere, and without exception, they called out to me.
“Prosecutor Seo Jin! Over here, over here! Have a drink with us!”
When I sat down, they filled glasses and offered similar remarks.
“Once the presidential election is over, we should set you up somewhere, right? Any place you’d like?”
They were certain of victory in the presidential race. They had popped champagne and were drinking kimchi broth prematurely.
“There’s been talk that staying in the Prosecutor’s Office might be difficult. If there’s anywhere you’d like to be dispatched, just say the word. After spending two or three years outside, the Prosecutor’s Office will settle down anyway. Where would be good? The National Assembly?”
As he spoke, a politician beside him who had loosened his belt chuckled.
“If you come to the National Assembly, it’d be perfect. We could drink together every day, right? Then after building some connections, you could quit the Prosecutor’s Office and enter Yeouido. How about it?”
That was when former Congressman Gong Dae-chul, his face flushed crimson, sat down beside him and spoke in a heavy voice.
“Stop talking nonsense!”
At those words, the politician who had loosened his belt immediately shut his mouth. Though Gong Dae-chul had left office, the weight carried by his name exceeded that of most politicians.
Gong Dae-chul poured soju into my glass and opened his mouth toward the politician.
“Building connections and then entering Yeouido? You’re spouting nonsense.”
“A prosecutor like Seo Jin should come to Yeouido. He’d be perfect for our party. Haha….”
The politician answered with an awkward expression, and Gong Dae-chul’s rebuke followed.
“When is there time to build connections? If Prosecutor Seo Jin wishes it, it’s already been discussed with Congressman Lee Sung-yoon to nominate him in the next by-election.”
“…!”
Congressman Lee Sung-yoon was a young politician and a star of the Ruling Party, said to hold considerable shares in the party. Though too young to participate in this presidential election, he was regarded as a certain future president.
When such a man was said to offer me an opportunity, the eyes of the politician who had loosened his belt widened.
“Right away? Politics is… still, one needs training….”
“What’s your background? Did you have a better credential than Prosecutor Kim to boast about? In this world where anyone can become a congressman with proportional representation, what could Prosecutor Kim possibly not do?”
“That’s true, I suppose….”
The politician laughed awkwardly and brought the glass to his lips. Then Gong Dae-chul’s gaze turned toward me. His expression was entirely different from when he looked at the politician. Gong Dae-chul smiled and opened his mouth.
“Even if you lose the election, don’t worry. There will be a general election right after. Then you can go proportional representation or run in your home district. It all depends on your decision.”
Others carried bags of money and moved between parties, desperate to wear a congressional badge even once. They yearned to wield tremendous power and make a name for themselves in the world. But I merely smiled faintly. Then, bringing the glass to my lips, I asked.
“By the way, why didn’t Congressman Lee Sung-yoon come?”
“He’s so busy with official duties. He’s probably out making the rounds at the market right now, listening to citizens’ complaints.”
“What a shame.”
I had wanted to see the face of this young politician, but it was disappointing. As I set down my glass, former Congressman Gong Dae-chul asked again.
“So, what do you think?”
“Well, I’ll give it some thought.”
“Yes, there’s no rush. Take your time and think it over.”
I lifted my gaze and surveyed the surroundings. The politicians had faces as if they’d been drinking straight from jars. National Assembly members, chiefs of staff—just ordinary humans, all of them.
There was no thought for the people in their voices. They only sought to elevate the presidential election victory.
“Did you see Baek Ki-ho’s expression when he stood in the photo line?”
“I recognized him the moment that bastard tried to look clean.”
“He was so arrogant. Serves him right.”
At least those cursing Baek Ki-ho were gentlemen. On the other side, they were talking about women.
“We should have another round after this, right?”
“I just opened a nice room salon in Jongno. Want to go?”
They drank relentlessly, spouting crude jokes about women’s bodies like street vendors hawking their wares.
I committed every face to memory. Then I quietly set down my glass and turned my gaze toward former Congressman Gong Dae-chul.
“Actually, I have a favor to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“It’s about Chairman Um.”
“Chairman Um?”
Last time, on Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s orders, we conducted a search and seizure at Chairman Um’s residence, but found nothing.
Thanks to the intelligence I provided, Chairman Um had already moved his assets.
“During the Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun gate hearings, could you summon Chairman Um?”
Chairman Um was a parasite who had lived alongside the history of South Korea itself. He had clung to the backs of successive administrations, sucking the blood of ordinary citizens. Such a man’s end must not be peaceful. After stripping away everything, we must show him true hell.
“The Prosecutor’s Office will move. We’ll uncover every crime Chairman Um has committed. Starting with him, please expose everyone connected to the public. Whether ruling party or opposition, I hope you’ll investigate without sacred cows.”
Former Congressman Gong Dae-chul’s eyes narrowed. Chairman Um had been investigated by Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun, but not a speck of dust was found.
‘He’s saying he’ll prove the crimes of such a man?’
But the person before him was Seo Jin. Somehow, it seemed his words would become reality. Former Congressman Gong Dae-chul wiped his lips and nodded.
“I promise.”
*
*
*
Chairman Um was walking through the garden of his residence with his secretary.
“There will be hearings about that bastard Kim Young-jun. My name will definitely come up. From the Shinma Group to everyone from the last administration—they’ll all have to put their necks on the guillotine.”
“….”
“But if that happens, only I will die. Historically, trash with power always do the same thing. They bow their heads when receiving money, but when in crisis, they start sacrificing merchants first.”
Chairman Um stopped walking and continued speaking.
“I’ll have to leave Korea for a while. As for Si-young and Seon-ju, they’ll have to wait for the next administration.”
Chairman Um’s eyes were sorrowful. The thought of leaving alone while his two daughters, Eom Si-young and Eom Seon-ju, remained imprisoned weighed heavily on his heart.
“At least there’s one consolation—I never held hands with Kim Young-jun and Baek Ki-ho to the very end.”
Had Chairman Um continued holding Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s hand, the situation could have become far worse.
The government and the Ruling Party would never have let Chairman Um live. They would have torn him apart mercilessly, making an example of him. But now, there was room to negotiate.
“Find a resort without an extradition treaty. Somewhere with a private swimming pool and close to the ocean would be ideal. And come with me. Just five more years of caring for this old man.”
The Secretary bowed her head. When no response came, Chairman Um stepped closer and continued.
“Five years… After that, I’ll live in even greater glory than now. Politicians crave my money, and I have plenty to give them. Then I’ll give you freedom.”
Chairman Um’s gaze shifted to her belly.
“You’ll live happily with my son. Don’t worry about Eom Si-young and Eom Seon-ju.”
The Secretary’s eyes drifted toward the door of the residence. She murmured, staring at the world with hollow eyes.
“Was I twenty? No, even younger than that? I can’t even remember when that was anymore. I was dragged before you to pay my father’s debts, and I’ve lived like this ever since. I watched people die at your command. I was terrified. So I had no choice but to stay silent, like a doll.”
“I promise you. Just five more years, and then you….”
The Secretary met Chairman Um’s eyes and spoke quietly.
“You know, don’t you? Even after that time passes, you won’t set me free. I’ll have to stay by your side until you die. And after that? Will Eom Si-young and Eom Seon-ju leave me alone? They’ll tear my hair out to protect whatever meager fortune remains.”
Chairman Um shook his head.
“I’ll resolve everything before I go. So….”
But this time too, the Secretary cut off the Chairman’s words and continued her own.
“Chairman… I didn’t want it, but I have a child now, a baby in my womb. Still, I want to save this baby.”
“Yes, that child too….”
“Maternal instinct is remarkable. It lets you betray even the terrifying Chairman.”
“…What?”
The moment the word “betray” left her lips, Chairman Um’s eyes narrowed. Bang! Bang! Bang! The front gate was pounded, then—crash!—it burst open.
“Prosecutor’s Office!”
A chilling voice rang out, followed by heavy footsteps. The prosecutors and investigators were entering.
Chairman Um’s eyes grew tense.
“You… you?”
The Secretary had stood by Chairman Um’s side for decades. She knew all his crimes. Betrayal meant handing those crimes over to the prosecutors. She smiled bleakly and opened her mouth.
“I’m sorry, Chairman.”
“You think you can live without me? Do you have money? You need money to raise the baby…!”
Chairman Um was a man who had lived his entire life for money. He evaluated people by their wealth and earned money through money. Even now, the word “money” spilled from his lips.
But the Secretary’s eyes were cold. As her gaze hardened, Chairman Um’s pupils began to tremble.
“Surely… you wouldn’t….”
Chairman Um remembered. When the search warrant had been executed not long ago, he had scattered his vast fortune across various overseas accounts through her.
“… You’re counting on that money, aren’t you?”
The Secretary didn’t answer. But Chairman Um was certain she intended to siphon off that money. He fixed her with a terrifying glare.
“Do you think you have the power to move that money? You don’t. For all that money to move, you need my power. So shut your mouth and stay quiet. Then I’ll at least spare your life.”
“Accept the sins you’ve committed, accept the punishment this world demands of you.”
“Die!”
Chairman Um seized the Secretary’s throat.
“Gasp!”
The Secretary’s eyes turned bloodshot. She felt her neck twisting in the old man’s grip. Her body trembled violently.
Chairman Um’s wrinkled eyes blazed with murderous intent.
“You promised! Five years! After that time, you’d be free! I fed you, raised you all this time, and you betray me?”
She endured the pain and laughed coldly.
“Those days when you fed me, sheltered me, clothed me… when I lived like a doll… every single day was hell.”
Investigators rushed in from behind and tore Chairman Um away. The old man’s body dangled in the air, his feet kicking uselessly.
“Kill her! Kill her! I’ll pay you! Kill this bitch first! Aaaahhh!”
Even as Chairman Um was dragged away, he pointed accusingly at the Secretary and raised his voice.
The Secretary knelt on the ground, touching his neck where fingernail marks remained, and exhaled heavily.
Then a familiar shadow appeared before the Secretary. As she lifted her gaze, she saw Seo Jin.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
Seo Jin smiled quietly and extended his hand toward her. She grasped it.
It was the day Seo Jin had previously encountered Chairman Um. Seo Jin had followed the Secretary, claiming he was going to the restroom, and had recruited her.
In exchange for revealing the route through which Chairman Um’s assets had been transferred, he promised that Eom Si-young and Eom Seon-ju would never learn of her pregnancy, along with a certain compensation.
She had informed Seo Jin of where the assets were hidden, and Do Gwang-hyun immediately moved into action.
Chairman Um’s hundreds of billions in assets were already being laundered through Do Gwang-hyun’s hands, and soon all of it would fall into Seo Jin’s possession.
“Once the hearing concludes and the relevant parties are arrested, I’ll give you the promised money. You’ve suffered enough—spend the rest of your life in peace.”
The Secretary nodded and looked toward Chairman Um being dragged away.
“That man… lived comfortably all this time. Please make the rest of his life painful.”
“That’s a promise too.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————