Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 82

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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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Desperation (2)
Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s face went rigid.
He couldn’t compose himself, his expression betraying just how shocked he was.
“This… this can’t be…”
The serial murders of schoolgirls was the kind of story that drove journalists into a frenzy.
My resolve to go all-in and Yoon Min-woo’s desperation were converging, drowning public opinion beneath their weight.
Even trivial articles were flooding with comments, setting every online community ablaze.
But what if news broke that the Chief Judge and the defense attorney had met before trial?
‘This can’t happen…’
Attorney Kim Jong-jae swallowed hard.
Becoming a legal advisor to L Group was no longer the issue.
In the worst case, his family’s personal information could be exposed, subjecting him to every conceivable humiliation.
The thought that he had to stop this at all costs consumed his mind.
Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s eyes darted frantically left and right.
Thinking no one was watching, he suddenly snatched the USB drive and hurled it to the ground.
He began stomping on it with his shoe—crack, crack, crack.
“Attorney!”
I shouted.
But Attorney Kim Jong-jae didn’t stop.
His eyes blazing red, he continued crushing it beneath his heel.
The USB drive shattered and splintered.
Once the drive was completely destroyed, Attorney Kim Jong-jae slowly lifted his head.
His bloodshot eyes glared at me with raw fury.
I bit my lip.
Seeing my reaction, Attorney Kim Jong-jae thought he’d won.
He smiled wickedly and opened his mouth.
“You picked the wrong person. And remember this—this is the peak of your life. From here on out…”
“Are you serious? You think I’d pull out a USB without thinking? Ever heard of cloud storage?”
I spoke with a pitying expression.
“Sorry, but I already saved it.”
Attorney Kim Jong-jae still didn’t understand what I was saying.
All he could do was roll his eyes.
So I spelled it out for him clearly.
“Destroying the USB is pointless. It’s already backed up on the cloud.”
“You bastard!”
Only then did Attorney Kim Jong-jae grasp the situation, and he grabbed me by the collar.
“Delete it! Delete it now!”
I let out a sigh.
I had no idea why so many people had taken to grabbing people by the collar lately—I wasn’t even a punching bag.
I struck Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s arm away.
The hand that had been gripping his collar fell away limply.
I stepped forward toward attorney Kim Jong-jae and opened my mouth.
“If you’ve done wrong, you have to pay the price. You studied law—don’t you know that?”
“Don’t get cocky. Don’t make this bigger than it is. If this gets messy, it’s you who’ll get hurt.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Wondering who’ll actually get hurt.”
With that, I gripped my briefcase and turned away.
I had no desire to hear his whining voice.
But behind me, attorney Kim Jong-jae began to thrash about desperately.
“Hey! Do you know what kind of relationship I have with your Prosecutor General, huh!”
I walked forward, ignoring his voice.
And I recalled what Prosecutor General Yeo Jun-hyuk had said before the trial began.
“From now on, even if attorney Kim Jong-jae mentions my name, don’t worry about it. Do whatever you want.”
I waved my hand and spoke.
“Do as you please.”
As I left the courtroom, attorney Kim Jong-jae’s eyes gleamed with malice.
“That bastard….”
Attorney Kim Jong-jae hurriedly pulled out his phone.
He searched for Prosecutor General Yeo Jun-hyuk’s number, then shook his head.
‘Weak.’
Right now, crushing me wasn’t all there was to it.
He also had to block the video from reaching the media.
Prosecutor General Yeo Jun-hyuk didn’t have that kind of power.
Attorney Kim Jong-jae quickly moved his fingers again, finding another contact.
Baek Ki-ho, Assemblyman
A four-term National Assemblyman with a background as a judge.
Though he had an image of being down-to-earth and humble, he was one of the massive power brokers capable of controlling the media.
Attorney Kim Jong-jae pressed the call button firmly.
The dial tone continued, and soon a leisurely voice came through.
-What’s the matter?
“Assemblyman, I have a favor to ask. I’m currently handling a trial, and….”
-Yes, I know.
If he already knew, there was no need to explain.
Attorney Kim Jong-jae got straight to the point.
“This guy named Seo Jin is trying to use my meal with the Chief Judge against me.”
-So?
“I’d like you to have Seo Jin transferred away.”
A low chuckle came through the receiver.
At that laughter, attorney Kim Jong-jae clenched his fist.
‘Done.’
Now all he had to do was package it as a donation and send a bribe.
Then I’ll punish Seo Jin and control the media as well.
But.
-Listen here, do you even know who Kim Seo-jin is? His uncle is Kim Young-jun, the Chief Prosecutor at Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
“W-who?”
-Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-jun, I said.
Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s lips trembled visibly.
And the words that followed drove the final nail in the coffin.
-Do you really think I’d exile Kim Seo-jin just because you asked me to?
Attorney Kim Jong-jae’s hand, which had been gripping his phone, slowly dropped without his realizing it.
“K-Kim Young-jun?”
Attorney Kim Jong-jae staggered backward, clutching at his head.
Seo Jin stood in front of the courthouse.
As I surveyed my surroundings, reporter Lee Eun-ha came running quickly and stopped in front of me.
Reporter Lee Eun-ha didn’t even catch her breath before smiling brightly at me.
“You called, didn’t you?”
“I said there was no need for you to come.”
“No, I was already nearby. It’s fine. But why?”
She was clearly far away, yet she’s lying.
Well, that doesn’t matter.
It’s not important right now.
I held my phone and sent a message to reporter Lee Eun-ha.
And spoke with indifference.
“Post it.”
“Pardon?”
Reporter Lee Eun-ha quickly checked the message.
It was CCTV footage.
The Chief Judge and attorney Kim Jong-jae entering a Korean traditional restaurant together.
“Huh? This… this is…”
Reporter Lee Eun-ha looked at me with wide, startled eyes.
“See the date on the footage? It’s before the trial. What kind of conversation do you think those two had?”
It’s obvious.
They must have schemed to win the trial.
“B-but this is something that involves the Chief Judge.”
“Isn’t that what journalism is supposed to do?”
“That’s true, but…”
“Can’t you do it?”
“No, I can. But it feels like I’m incurring another debt…”
“Just buy me a meal sometime.”
As reporter Lee Eun-ha blinked, I brushed past her and descended the stairs.
Reporter Lee Eun-ha opened her mouth urgently.
“Prosecutor, when are we eating?”
“When the time comes.”
Lee Eun-ha gazed intently at Seo Jin’s back.
“Senior?”
It wasn’t until Lee Eun-ha heard her junior colleague’s voice that she tore her gaze away.
“Huh? Oh.”
“What? What did I say?”
“You’re being pretty cool about it.”
“Sorry?”
“Never mind. Find me a nearby Coffee Shop right now. I need to write an article.”
At the Coffee Shop, Lee Eun-ha wrote two articles.
One was naturally about the secret meeting between the Chief Judge and the lawyer.
And the other was about Seo Jin, who had resolved this case.
[Prosecutor Kim Seo-jin’s Resolve: ‘If I cannot uncover the truth, I will resign.’]
The public did not trust the investigative authorities who had forced Kim Tae-kyung into the role of perpetrator through overzealous investigation.
Moreover, the killer who had erased every trace without a shred of evidence continued to refuse to admit his guilt until the very end.
And finally, there was even a lawyer of judicial background seeking preferential treatment—Prosecutor Kim Seo-jin stood at the edge of a cliff…(omitted)….
But Prosecutor Kim Seo-jin focused solely on Yoon Min-woo, and as a result, forced the truth from the lips of that horrific serial killer.
People yearn for a prosecutor with conviction.
They desire a Superman-like prosecutor who extracts the truth under any circumstance.
And Seo Jin’s performance this time struck exactly the right chord with the public.
Seo Jin’s name dominated the search rankings.
*
*
*
That night, Criminal Division 2 was a festival.
Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon raised his glass and shouted with vigor.
“Drinks are on me!”
At Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon’s words, the other prosecutors’ eyes widened.
Prosecutor Han Jung-ah tried to stop Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon.
“Chief! We’re not pigs!”
“It’s fine, eat and drink as much as you like! I’ll even allow you to loosen your belts.”
Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon had been under considerable stress all this time.
Whenever a prominent lawyer appeared, Criminal Division 2 had been powerless and suffered all manner of humiliation.
But this time, the appointed lawyer was also a heavyweight.
Not just any heavyweight—Kim Jong-jae, a former congressman.
Whenever other prosecutors saw Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon, they would click their tongues.
“Again? Another heavyweight?”
“Why is it always like this?”
Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon had been living with antacids all along.
But that big shot was slaughtered by Seo Jin.
There’s even a rumor that he and the Chief Judge became close allies.
Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon burst into delighted laughter.
“I was actually wondering if I should perform a gut ritual for good luck, you know? Bwahahaha!”
The drinks after victory always taste sweeter.
Everyone opens their mouths, recalling the courtroom spectacle.
“Did you see Kim Jong-jae’s face? I’ve never seen someone’s expression change so dramatically before!”
“Hey, there’s an article about Seo Jin. The comments are going crazy. They’re saying you should be Prosecutor General. Hahaha!”
That’s when Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon raised his hand.
“Wait.”
As the chatter died down at that single word, he continued.
“Bring beer glasses.”
Prosecutor Han Jung-ah swiftly brought five hundred beer glasses.
Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon grabbed a soju bottle and poured it generously into the beer glasses.
“I need to give my youngest a drink.”
Then he set a glass brimming with soju—so full it sloshed—directly in front of me.
“Drink!”
This crazy bastard.
This isn’t a congratulatory drink—it’s a punishment drink.
But Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon’s gaze is far too warm to refuse.
‘Fine!’
I grabbed the glass and drained it in one go.
The prosecutors erupted in cheers.
“Wow!”
After emptying the glass completely, I spoke.
“Chief, I’d also like to express my gratitude.”
With that, I unhesitatingly grabbed the soju bottle.
The prosecutors went “Huh? Huh?” but it was already too late.
The glass was filled with soju, and I presented it to Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon with utmost courtesy.
I even bowed my head respectfully and said:
“Thanks to your excellent guidance, I was able to wrap this up cleanly.”
Anyone could see it was retaliation.
But Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon couldn’t refuse.
The other prosecutors were clapping and laughing hysterically.
“Chief, you have to drink it, right? Your pretty youngest is giving it to you!”
“The youngest already did a shot!”
Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon furrowed his brow.
“Damn it! If I drink this, I’m starting a round. Be prepared.”
I smiled broadly and placed a perfectly grilled slice of beef on Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon’s plate.
“Thank you!”
“Cunning bastard.”
Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon brought the glass to his lips.
Moments later, the prosecutors’ faces had flushed crimson.
One after another, they approached Seo Jin and offered their words.
Some spoke of how hard I’d worked, others said they saw their younger selves in me.
Yet even as they spoke, my phone continued to vibrate incessantly.
Bzzt.
Most were from strangers.
From law school classmates to high school and middle school friends—I had no idea how they’d gotten my number.
Prosecutors working in private practice asking to grab a meal, someone who’d opened a fried chicken restaurant asking me to stop by.
The messages varied wildly.
I reached for my phone to turn it off.
If I left it on, there was no telling what pointless messages would follow.
Even as I moved, the phone vibrated again.
But this time it wasn’t a message.
The caller ID showed….
-Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.
I stood up to answer the call.
The already-intoxicated prosecutors didn’t even notice me leaving, still chattering away.
As I stepped outside the restaurant, a cold winter wind swept across my face.
I exhaled slowly, letting the alcohol dissipate a bit, then brought the phone to my ear.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s voice came through.
-Ah, there you are.
“Yes?”
I turned my gaze.
“Over here!”
Across the street stood Prosecutor Kim Young-jun and Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.

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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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