Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 37

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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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Secretively (3)
Lee So-hee’s gaze shifted back to the paper I’d extended.
-Dongnam Central Hospital.
Ten years ago, it began when Jang Yong-min, the director who came down from Seoul, acquired an orthopedic clinic on the brink of bankruptcy.
It started as a small hospital of about 300 square meters, but has since grown into a general hospital and become a landmark of Dongnam County.
While not as sprawling as a university hospital in the city, it’s like a blessing from heaven in a rural area starved of medical facilities.
People from Dongnam County and surrounding regions seek it out.
And the locals praise Dongnam Central Hospital as a kind hospital that provides much charity and volunteer work.
But I intended to scrutinize this hospital.
“Why this…?”
Three years ago, the Police received a tip and conducted an investigation.
And looking at the materials the Police produced at the time…
-Issuance of false medical receipts and manipulation of medical charts.
-Patients who didn’t require hospitalization being admitted.
-Fraudulent receipt of long-term care benefits from the National Health Insurance Service and insurance payments.
The money obtained fraudulently that way totaled tens of billions over time.
Yet Jang Yong-min, the director of Dongnam Central Hospital, wasn’t even indicted.
He received a ruling of no probable cause, claiming the Police investigation was mere speculation.
Naturally, it was a senior prosecutor from the Dongnam District Prosecutors’ Office who issued that ruling.
But strangely, the Police side remained quiet as well.
Lee So-hee opened her mouth.
“It’s a case from three years ago. And it’s one where the senior prosecutors issued a no probable cause ruling. But you’re dragging it back up now? Do you understand what that means?”
It was disrespecting the seniors.
It meant clenching my fists and confronting them, baring my fangs in a savage display.
I shook my head.
“Those prosecutors already left office.”
The prosecutors who’d issued the no probable cause ruling left office after the case ended, as if by prior arrangement.
Lee So-hee opened her mouth.
“Are there only one or two prosecutors leaving office at our District Prosecutors’ Office?”
This place is a place of exile.
Finding someone who leaves office isn’t difficult.
If you suspect everyone who leaves, there’s no end to it.
Furthermore.
“Leaving office doesn’t mean it’s over. Their colleagues and classmates remain. They won’t view this favorably. Without solid evidence…”
“I have it.”
“What?”
“So work with me.”
I couldn’t solve this case alone.
Moreover, it was work that required moving in secrecy.
It would be difficult to direct a senior prosecutor around, and Lee So-hee was the most comfortable and trustworthy partner I could rely on.
And whenever I see Lee So-hee, a chill runs through me.
She seems to be hiding something, and that secret appears connected to power.
I wanted to approach her slowly and uncover it.
Lee So-hee was conflicted.
Handling this case could draw attention again.
It would increase the odds of leaving Dongnam County and transferring somewhere better.
Lee So-hee’s eyes drifted toward the tablet PC.
The same tablet she’d used to search for Assemblyman Baek Ki-ho.
After a moment’s hesitation, Lee So-hee swallowed dryly and shook her head.
“I’m sitting this one out. I have too much on my plate. Especially now that Prosecutor Woo’s hospitalized from a car accident.”
My gaze shifted to Lee So-hee’s desk.
Documents were stacked higher than her head.
Work that needed to be processed.
I had to read through each one carefully, find the legal grounds, distinguish between cases to indict and those to dismiss, and conduct interrogations.
The workload was so heavy I’d have to take files home and come in on weekends.
Staring blankly at the documents, I opened my mouth.
“Want me to help?”
“No thanks. You’ve got plenty to do yourself.”
Though the stack on my desk was enormous, the senior prosecutors had adjusted my workload out of consideration for my rookie status.
From their perspective, it was the kind of load where they’d say, “With that much, I’d finish by morning and head to a sauna.”
But my counterpart was Seo Jin.
A rookie only in name.
“I’ve got work, but I’ll help anyway.”
“I said no.”
“Tomorrow’s Saturday anyway. You’re coming in, right?”
Before she could respond, I was already grabbing stacks of documents from Lee So-hee’s desk and dividing them up.
All while saying, “I’ll take this much.”
Lee So-hee tried to stop me.
“Are you drunk? You’re overdoing it.”
“We’ll finish by morning and grab kalguksu for lunch.”
Lee So-hee laughed in disbelief, letting out a scoff.
“Finish by morning? All of this?”
“Yeah.”
“You think that’s possible?”
“Of course.”
“Fine then. Give it a shot.”
Lee So-hee was incredulous.
No matter how exceptional Seo Jin was, it was impossible.
Because what ability could accomplish and what experience could accomplish were two different things.
I’d always believed that experience could never be gained without investing time, but….
The next day, the impossible became reality.
I tapped the documents on the table with my fingers and opened my mouth with a smug grin.
“Want to grab some soup?”
“…What?”
Lee So-hee blinked.
She still had more than half the work left.
Yet I had actually finished everything by morning.
Lee So-hee looked at me with eyes full of suspicion.
“…You did it half-heartedly, didn’t you? Don’t you know what happens if you cut corners?”
For prosecutors, documents are just work.
But for the people whose names are written on those documents, their entire lives hang in the balance.
They could become defendants instead of suspects, and become subjects of brutal courtroom battles.
That’s why we must review and review again with all our effort.
Lee So-hee narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
Then she stood up from her desk, went to the table, and flipped through the documents rapidly.
‘Huh?’
But it was all correct.
She examined it carefully, multiple times even, and it seemed right to her as well.
She checked the other records too, and it was the same.
Lee So-hee’s eyes changed to surprise.
‘…He’s insane.’
Lee So-hee widened her eyes and turned toward me.
“How did you do that?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“You can tell just by looking—whether it’s prosecutable or not.”
“That’s impossible.”
Lee So-hee headed back to her own desk.
Then she handed me one of the cases she’d been reviewing—the complicated one that took a long time.
“Try this one too.”
“You shouldn’t keep doing this to me.”
I laughed and flipped through the documents.
And then.
“Prosecute.”
At my firm voice, Lee So-hee blinked.
It takes her quite a long time just to read through documents.
But I skimmed through it and gave my answer.
“Let me see.”
Lee So-hee reviewed it again.
And this time too, my answer was correct.
Her gaze shifted toward me.
It doesn’t feel like a rivalry between peers.
It’s like watching some ancient water dragon who’s crawled through this profession arrogantly laughing at me.
She muttered under her breath.
“Incredible.”
“It’s nothing special. You’ll be able to do it too once you get the hang of it.”
You’ll be able to do it too… The way he said it made her skin crawl, as if he were showing off.
But Seo Jin had proven his skill.
Overwhelmingly so.
From elementary school through middle school, high school, university, and law school, Lee So-hee had never once fallen behind in competition.
Though there were reasons she’d been pushed down to Dongnam County, she’d never doubted her own abilities.
But now a monster worthy of admiration had appeared.
While she agonized for long hours to reach an answer, he casually extracted results.
Lee So-hee hung her head and muttered to herself.
“I’m such an idiot.”
Lee So-hee sat down at her desk with a dejected expression.
Watching her settle into her seat, Seo Jin spoke up.
“The hospital case—we’re doing it together, right?”
“Yeah, let’s do it. We should. No excuses left anyway.”
“Should I help with the rest too?”
“That’s enough.”
As Lee So-hee buried her gaze in the documents, Seo Jin picked up the tablet PC.
The same tablet PC that Lee So-hee had used yesterday to search for Baek Ki-ho.
‘Baek Ki-ho.’
Lee So-hee was clearly conscious of Assemblyman Baek Ki-ho.
Seo Jin accessed the internet on the tablet and checked the search history.
Assemblyman Baek Ki-ho visits orphanage. Comforts children with warmth
Assemblyman Baek Ki-ho, “Presidential ambitions? Not interested. I’ll stand with the people in humble places.”
Assemblyman Baek Ki-ho donates 100 million won for low-income families
There were no separate comments or other activities.
But she was paying excessive attention.
There were only two possibilities in cases like this.
Either affection or hatred.
But judging from Lee So-hee’s expression, it seemed closer to hatred.
There was definitely some connection between them.
Seo Jin etched the name ‘Baek Ki-ho’ into his mind.
Another hour had passed.
Lee So-hee closed the documents and stood up from her seat.
“Let’s go get something to eat.”
Seo Jin also set the tablet PC down on the desk and turned his head toward Lee So-hee.
“You finished?”
“Yeah, thanks to you.”
The two of them who had left the District Prosecution Office sat across from each other at a nearby sundae soup restaurant.
It was a well-known spot where ordering sundae soup came with a complimentary serving of head meat.
Before the soup arrived, Lee So-hee pulled out her chopsticks and spoke.
“The hospital—you said there’s solid evidence?”
“The prosecutors who retired, Jang Yong-min, the director of Dongnam Central Hospital, and the police chief at the time—they’re all members of the Dongnam County Tigers Club.”
The Tigers Club was a global organization dedicated to volunteer work and community development.
But volunteering was merely a front; in reality, it operated as a social gathering for local elites.
Seo Jin looked at Lee So-hee and spoke.
“Don’t you smell something off about this?”
“It doesn’t seem like evidence though?”
“Woo Myung-soon, the prosecutor who quit right after the case ended, is living in Seocho-dong now. Kang Chi-ha is a Porsche owner.”
“He opened a law practice and made a lot of money….”
Seo Jin shook his head.
“Check the dates. He bought it before he made all that money.”
A righteous prosecutor had been exiled and discovered the taste of wealth.
And using his prosecutorial power, he had absolved criminals of their crimes.
Seo Jin pointed at the registry with his finger and continued.
“Dongnam County is going to get noisy again.”
If Dongnam County kept drawing attention, the villains who wanted a hunting dog would make their move.
Seo Jin was waiting for that moment.
And there was another reason why Seo Jin had targeted Dongnam Central Hospital.
-Eom Il-seop: Member of the National Assembly from Dongnam County.
-The person who would challenge the position of Songpa-gu assemblyman in the upcoming general election, leaving Dongnam County.
Assemblyman Eom Il-seop believed he had joined hands with Seo Jin.
But Seo Jin had switched his allegiance to Chief of Staff Woo Jin-wook.
-Chief of Staff Woo Jin-wook: Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Cho Seon-bong of Songpa-gu.
He intended to run as a candidate for Songpa-gu alongside Seo Jin.
So Assemblyman Eom Il-seop was a target to be destroyed, and he too was a member of the Tigers Club.
Three years ago, according to police reports, Director Jang Yong-min, Assemblyman Eom Il-seop, and the prosecutors at the time had been particularly close.
They played golf, drank together, and went to room salons.
So the plan was to tie them all together through this hospital corruption scandal and lock them away.
And once Chief of Staff Woo Jin-wook became an assemblyman, it would be over.
Seo Jin would gain an incredibly powerful weapon—a member of the National Assembly.
“So the first thing we need to do is….”
*
*
*
After finishing their soup, Seo Jin and Lee So-hee headed to the hospital.
Since they were reopening a past case, they needed to proceed carefully for now.
In other words, at this point in time, getting help from the Police would be difficult, so I decided to first walk around the scene and get a sense of the atmosphere.
Despite it being the weekend, the hospital lobby was quite crowded.
Visitors coming to see hospitalized patients, patients who’d stepped outside because their rooms felt suffocating.
Seo Jin and Lee So-hee sat in the lobby, observing their surroundings.
“Will we actually get answers this way?”
At Lee So-hee’s question, Seo Jin nodded and opened his mouth.
“Listen carefully to the patients’ conversations. Topics about insurance payouts, public funds, or part-time work. Then we might just get our answer.”
That was when it happened.
My phone vibrated.
The caller was Do Gwang-hyun.
I slowly rose from my seat.
“Want anything to eat? I’ll run to the Convenience Store. Some kimbap triangles?”
“Do I look like a pig to you? We just ate. Never mind. Just get me some ice cream instead.”
Hearing her voice asking me to bring back a World Cone or Melona, I headed toward the Convenience Store.
And when I turned the corner and stepped out of her sight, I pulled out my phone from my pocket.
But it wasn’t the phone I usually used.
A completely different design.
As I brought the phone to my ear, Do Gwang-hyun’s voice came through.
-The bank account is ready. We’re about to start now.
I let out a subtle smile.

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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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