Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 42

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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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Outer Reaches (4)
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“For a while, don’t drink with reporters and keep our staff’s mouths shut.”
It was the District Chief’s office.
The District Chief’s piercing gaze swept across the Chief Prosecutors seated before him.
In the silence, the District Chief’s voice continued.
“Don’t allow any leaks to the press. Not even brief articles.”
It was a medical matter.
One misstep could backfire, so I had to hide my claws and approach this delicately.
“Keep it secret from your families too.”
At the District Chief’s sharp directive, the Chief Prosecutors nodded with grim expressions.
As the brief meeting drew to a close.
“But District Chief, are you going to keep entrusting this to a newcomer?”
It was Lee Jae-seung, Chief Prosecutor of Criminal Division 1.
All eyes turned toward him.
Lee Jae-seung twirled his pen as he continued speaking.
“Kang Chi-ha is a lawyer involved in this. No matter how much he’s stepped away, he’s still one of us. But being manipulated by a green newcomer—isn’t that an insult?”
But Lee Jae-seung’s voice suddenly faltered.
The District Chief was walking toward him with heavy, deliberate steps.
The District Chief stopped before Lee Jae-seung and shook his head.
Then, with a terrifying gaze, he fixed Lee Jae-seung with a stare and opened his mouth.
“Jae-seung.”
At the changed tone, Lee Jae-seung stiffened.
“Yes, District Chief.”
“You feel sorry that Kang Chi-ha is being insulted?”
“That, that is….”
“Don’t you think we were insulted by that bastard Kang Chi-ha?”
The District Chief’s fierce eyes seemed ready to devour Lee Jae-seung.
As Lee Jae-seung lowered his gaze, the District Chief unleashed his voice like thunder.
“Because of that bastard, our entire office became corrupt prosecutors! A former prosecutor involved in the sexual exploitation of minors? Taking money to cover up cases? What will people think? Bribery prosecutors? Sex prosecutors? But what’s truly despicable is that I was the District Chief of Dongnam District Prosecutors’ Office right before that bastard retired!”
“….”
“Jae-seung, can you tell your daughter with pride that you’re a Chief Prosecutor at Dongnam District Prosecutors’ Office? That you’re close with that bastard Kang Chi-ha who sexually exploited minors!”
Lee Jae-seung lowered his head.
“…I apologize.”
The District Chief leaned forward before Lee Jae-seung and spoke in a low voice.
“And still you think we should care about that bastard being insulted?”
“No, sir.”
“Then go get him. Right now.”
It was the voice of a starving carnivore.
Chief Prosecutor Lee Jae-seung nodded, his eyes trembling.
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The Local Prosecutor’s Office felt like the calm before a storm.
In the tense atmosphere, staff moved with perfect coordination.
We had brought in President Hong Ju-dae and dragged in Attorney Kang Chi-ha.
A search and seizure of the hospital followed.
“At this rate, isn’t the nickname ‘exile post’ going to disappear?”
A female employee from the General Inquiry Office spoke, holding coffee in her hand.
Outside the window it was dark, yet she showed no regret about not leaving work.
Rather, she was brimming with vitality.
It was because I felt time, which had been frozen until now, finally flowing.
“Then that’s good. My friends have been teasing me as a tax Robin Hood, but now I have something to say, right?”
The female employee laughed quietly at the male employee’s response.
Then she hesitated and asked carefully.
“But is it true that the District Chief is aiming for Seoul?”
“After the general election, there will probably be talks with the political circles, and he’s served in exile for a long time, and there’s nothing problematic with the current administration, right?”
“Who will he take with him?”
There is such a thing as a line.
Even if you go up to Seoul, you need people who will be your hands and feet.
He will definitely take someone with him.
“Chief Prosecutor Kim Gwan-yong is certain, and then….”
“Prosecutor Seo Jin?”
“Huh?”
At the female employee’s words, the male employee tilted his head.
Then he nodded repeatedly.
“Right. He’s the hottest these days. There’s potential, but….”
The male employee narrowed his eyes and brought the coffee to his lips.
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In the Interrogation Room, President Hong Ju-dae sat with his legs crossed casually.
There was no tension whatsoever.
With a composed face, he stared arrogantly and confidently at Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo.
“Prosecutor, why should I be here?”
“You know well enough.”
“Do you not know who I am?”
“I do. You’re a criminal.”
“Listen here!”
A harsh voice cut through the air as the interrogation room door creaked open and a woman stepped inside.
Mid-forties, with a sharp bob cut that gave her the appearance of a career woman.
It was Woo Myung-soon, a lawyer practicing in Seocho District.
She smiled warmly upon seeing Lee Myung-soo.
“Oh my, you’re the one handling this?”
Lee Myung-soo and Woo Myung-soon had been through thick and thin together at the Dongnam District Prosecutors’ Office.
They were called the “Myung Siblings” because both their names contained the character “Myung”.
They had been that close and relied on each other greatly, but Lee Myung-soo didn’t smile.
He opened his mouth with a cold tone.
“This is an official setting, so please refrain from informal speech.”
“You’ve lost your warmth.”
Woo Myung-soon smiled bitterly and took a seat beside President Hong Ju-dae.
Then she opened her mouth in a businesslike tone.
“Shall we begin?”
Woo Myung-soon understood as well.
They had been close once, but not anymore.
They had disappointed each other, betrayed one another, and chosen different paths.
In other words, now they were adversaries.
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Seo Jin and Lee So-hee watched the scene through the interrogation room’s glass window.
Seo Jin exhaled softly and spoke.
“Woo Myung-soon is also implicated in the hospital’s corruption.”
She had received money in exchange for turning a blind eye to the hospital’s crimes.
She had purchased an apartment in Seocho-dong and was now wealthy.
“She returned to Dongnam County as a relief pitcher for lawyer Kang Chi-ha and President Hong Ju-dae, but in truth, she’s here to save herself.”
If the investigation deepened, Woo Myung-soon would likely face arrest as well.
Lee So-hee turned her gaze toward Seo Jin.
“When are you leaving?”
Seo Jin twisted his wrist to check the time.
Then he nodded.
“Now.”
Seo Jin put on his jacket and headed out.
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Back in the interrogation room.
Lee Myung-soo dropped the documents he was holding onto the table with a thud and opened his mouth.
“Solicitation of a minor….”
Woo Myung-soon immediately shook his head.
“That never happened.”
“But there was a number written down.”
“I must have picked up a business card somewhere.”
“What about the hotel CCTV footage?”
Woo Myung-soon’s gaze shifted toward Hong Ju-dae.
“Do you remember going to that hotel?”
“I do.”
“How so?”
“There are unfortunate children out there. Kids who run away from home and come here to see the ocean. I have a daughter at home too, so it breaks my heart to see them like that. That’s why I let them rest at the hotel where I have a stake. But I’m not just helping one or two underprivileged people….”
“So that kid is just one among many. You don’t remember them, right?”
“That’s correct.”
Woo Myung-soon’s gaze turned toward Lee Myung-soo.
“Bring me evidence of solicitation. Don’t treat a person who helped the underprivileged like a criminal.”
Lee Myung-soo shook his head in disbelief.
“That kid testified. About solicitation with President Hong Ju-dae….”
“Ha!”
Woo Myung-soon laughed loudly.
And then.
“Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo? No, Prosecutor. What credibility does a runaway kid have? You know how they grab onto anyone and cling like vengeful spirits, right? And do you know how much President Hong Ju-dae donates every year?”
“Donates?”
“Yes, ‘donates.'”
Lee Myung-soo chuckled softly.
After laughing for a while, he reached under the table and pressed a button.
He stopped the recording and audio.
Now their conversation would not leak outside this interrogation room.
Then he pulled out his phone and placed it on the table.
A sign that he wouldn’t record.
Woo Myung-soon nodded and placed his own phone on the table as well.
Then Lee Myung-soo spoke in a low voice.
“Donates? Enough to purchase an apartment in Seocho-dong? Two billion won? That’s a bit enviable.”
“Envious?”
“How could I not be envious of someone who buys property by putting down two billion won?”
At the same time, Woo Myung-soon bared his teeth in a smile.
“You could get it too. And Myung-soo, your parents aren’t in good health, right? Don’t you think I understand?”
“….”
“This case won’t go through the District Chief’s power. You’ll get hurt. So just pretend you don’t know. I’m saying this for your sake.”
To Lee Myung-soo, Woo Myung-soon was a senior and an older sister.
She continued speaking to Lee Myung-soo with eyes full of concern.
“There are many things in this world you must turn a blind eye to.”
Lee Myung-soo remained silent.
Then President Hong Ju-dae’s twisted lips moved.
“I know some people. Sex trafficking, hospitals—there’s no solid evidence anyway, is there? It’ll all fade away. Let’s not bother each other and wrap this up cleanly. I’ll even get you a place to live in Seocho-dong.”
Attorney Woo Myung-soon spoke again.
“You know who’s behind us, don’t you?”
“….”
“We’ve fought them before. That’s why we’re here.”
“….”
“So you want to fight again? Against those monsters? Stop this fight that no one will even acknowledge. We’ve done enough.”
Just then, buzz.
Lee Myung-soo’s phone vibrated.
The caller ID showed Seo Jin.
Lee Myung-soo gripped his phone and pressed the speakerphone button.
Seo Jin’s voice came through.
-We’ve secured the transaction records for the shell account. President Hong Ju-dae’s face is clearly captured on the bank’s CCTV. And I’ll go check on Congressman Eom Il-seop’s face as well.
“Bring him in if you can.”
-Yes.
Lee Myung-soo ended the call.
Then he looked at Attorney Woo Myung-soon and President Hong Ju-dae and opened his mouth.
“That’s what he said.”
President Hong Ju-dae was flustered.
At the mention of the shell account being caught, he wiped his stiffened face several times.
He swallowed hard and shook his head with vacant eyes.
Then he asked.
“Wait… You’re bringing in Congressman Eom Il-seop?”
Lee Myung-soo nodded.
Then Attorney Woo Myung-soon and President Hong Ju-dae began laughing simultaneously.
A mocking laugh.
A laugh that said you could never do this.
Attorney Woo Myung-soon opened his eyes wide and spoke in a voice still tinged with concern.
“Are you insane? You want to die? If you fall apart here, you’ll have nowhere to go!”
Lee Myung-soo smiled faintly.
“You asked earlier if anyone would acknowledge this if we fought like this. But I’m not a prosecutor because I want acknowledgment, am I? I just enjoy crushing bastards like you. And if that bastard happens to be a congressman, even better.”
Attorney Woo Myung-soon and President Hong Ju-dae’s faces contorted.
Lee Myung-soo pressed a button beneath the table and opened his mouth.
“Get ready. I’m going to crush you starting now.”
Attorney Woo Myung-soon bit his lips hard.
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I drove toward Eom Il-seop’s office in the National Assembly.
The radio blared loudly.
-The Minguk Party’s candidate for Songpa District has been decided. With incumbent Cho Seon-bong announcing his withdrawal from the race, the Minguk Party has selected Woo Jin-wook as the candidate for Songpa District….
I parked the car and stepped out.
A nameplate reading “National Assemblyman Eom Il-seop” came into view.
I climbed the stairs slowly.
Thump, thump—my footsteps echoed with an ominous tone, and I smiled coldly.
‘Eom Il-seop….’
The man who had taken bribes from Wi Jun-sang, the Dongnam County councilman.
Originally, I had intended to make Eom Il-seop the National Assemblyman for Songpa District.
But that plan had changed, and now Eom Il-seop had become a target to be destroyed.
Once this case concluded, I would gain a new weapon: National Assemblyman Woo Jin-wook.
Ding.
The bell chimed as I opened the door and entered.
Eom Il-seop, who had visited his constituency after a long time, saw me.
Eom Il-seop still believed I was on his side.
Unaware that the axe he trusted would soon strike his heel, he opened his mouth with a broad smile.
“Ah, Prosecutor Kim. It’s been a while.”
At his ingratiating tone, I slowly bowed.
“It has been a while.”

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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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