Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 84

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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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Making a Beggar (2)
‘1 a.m.’
As the elevator ascended, I checked my wristwatch.
Standing before the entrance, I punched in the passcode, hoping my parents were asleep.
As I stepped inside, my brother Jin-young greeted me.
“You haven’t slept?”
Jin-young shook his head instead of answering.
I could see Father sitting alone in the living room, drinking soju.
Lost in thought, he let out a bitter, hollow laugh to himself as he refilled his glass.
“Uncle came by and left.”
“Is that so?”
I could guess what they’d discussed.
Kim Yun-hwan’s promise to take responsibility for Jaejeong Construction’s future.
The man has no conscience.
He’d deserve acquittal even if beaten with a soju bottle.
Father noticed my arrival.
He forced a broad smile and waved his hand.
“My son!”
Jin-young tapped my shoulder.
“Go ahead. I’ve been dealing with this all night. Now that you’re here, I should get some sleep…”
Jin-young tried to slip away.
But Father wouldn’t let him.
“The youngest should stay too! That’s how brothers should be!”
I had no idea what brothers were supposed to be like.
But Jin-young obediently sat across from Father with me.
Father then picked up the bottle with satisfaction and spoke.
“You’ve been giving me plenty to hold my head high these days, son.”
My name had been circulating in the media.
Ever since the Yoon Min-woo case, Lee Eun-ha’s articles had been hitting big.
Though some time had passed, the interest showed no signs of cooling.
“Your younger brother’s the same. It’s wonderful to see you both striving for your dreams.”
Father continued speaking as he filled our glasses.
“You two must walk together for life. That’s what brotherhood is.”
Father was drunk.
He was simply spouting whatever came to mind.
But I understood his heart a little.
Shortly after, Mother led Father into the bedroom.
Then Jin-young held out his glass to me and spoke.
“About Kim Yun-hwan…”
“Jin-young.”
“Huh?”
I paused mid-sentence and brought the glass to my lips.
Kim Young-jun and Kim Yun-hwan both held shares in Jaejeong Construction under assumed names.
“You know Father won’t last much longer, right?”
Father was getting on in years.
Time was impartial to everyone, and he too needed to prepare for his eventual retirement.
And when that time came, there was no telling who would own the company.
Though it certainly wouldn’t be Kim Yun-hwan.
I would make sure of that.
Kim Young-jun and Kim Yun-hwan would end up with nothing but empty hands, like a dog chasing chickens.
I refilled my glass and posed the question.
“You have no interest in taking it over?”
It was a serious question.
But Jin-young clutched his stomach, laughing.
“Brother.”
“I know this isn’t your dream.”
“That’s not it.”
“Then what?”
“How old am I?”
Not even thirty yet.
“And you want me to jump into an executive position at the company? What could I possibly accomplish? Go play tycoon?”
Jin-young shook his head and continued.
“I’m not interested. What if my incompetence puts employees on the street? Father would beat me senseless.”
“Huh?”
“The capable ones should lead. Obviously that’s not Yun-hwan.”
I was genuinely surprised.
Throughout my years as a prosecutor, I’d met countless privileged people.
Children of the wealthy, sons of landlords.
They all said the same thing.
“Being born to good parents is a talent too!”
They walked the paths their parents laid out as if it were their birthright.
But Jin-young was different.
“You’re looking pretty impressive right now.”
“Enough. Just stop Kim Yun-hwan.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
Jin-young and I clinked our glasses together.
Kim Yun-hwan would be stopped regardless of what Jin-young said.
Of course, before that, I intended to deal with Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae first.
I brought the glass to my lips—
Click.
Seo Jin’s phone vibrated.
A message from Do Gwang-hyun had arrived.
-I’ll list the property while I’m drunk. Starting at 160,000 won per pyeong, haha.
It was about the land.
The current market price was 150,000 won per pyeong.
But Do Gwang-hyun proposed 160,000 won per pyeong as the opening bait to dangle before Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.
*
*
*
-It’s 2,000 pyeong, and he’s listing it at 160,000 won per pyeong. He knows the area’s being developed, so he says there’s absolutely no negotiation. He says even after taxes, there’s nothing left for him.
Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae was walking through the hallway, speaking with a real estate agent on the phone.
“Sigh….”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae exhaled heavily.
Land rumored to be developed soon.
Speculators had flocked to it, and prices fluctuated wildly.
It irritated him, but with no other listings available, 160,000 won was acceptable.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae fell into thought.
‘2,000 pyeong?’
At 160,000 won per pyeong for 2,000 pyeong, that’s 320 million won.
Even if it rises to 200,000 won, that’s 400 million.
The profit is merely 80 million.
‘Damn it, after taxes there’s nothing left.’
If the holding period is less than one year, capital gains tax alone is 50%.
By simple calculation, what actually hits the account is barely 40 million.
‘What a shitty world. What has it ever given me? Are they squeezing blood from a stone?’
After finishing his thoughts, Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae spoke into his phone.
“Got it. I’ll deposit the down payment right away, so let’s set up an appointment for the weekend. Call me if any other land comes up.”
At that moment, Gangwon District Prosecutors’ Office.
Seo Jin, who was working at his desk, felt his phone vibrate.
It was Do Gwang-hyun.
Seo Jin checked the caller ID and stood up.
After stepping into the hallway and pressing the answer button, a cheerful voice came through.
-The down payment came in. He must have been eager. He threw in 100 million won, hehe.
“Good work.”
-Oh my, the hard part starts now. There are still tens of thousands of pyeong left. We have a long way to go, a long way.
“Raise the market price gradually while selling bit by bit. You said you expected 200,000 won, right? Then push it up to 190,000 won, little by little.”
-But will he keep buying? This isn’t pocket change.
Of course he would.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae didn’t buy small and eat small.
“With two thousand pyeong, the expected profit is four thousand. He’s not the type to scramble for that kind of money.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae aimed to buy big and profit even bigger.
The information he’d gathered while trailing Kim Young-jun held no falsehoods.
“He has no fear of failure. So don’t worry. Dangle the bait and he’ll jump like a starving dog.”
And Seo Jin knew Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s obsession with money all too well.
“He’ll buy it even if he has to take on usurious loans. I’ll make sure he does.”
-Understood. I’ll continue with the preparations then.
*
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*
‘Not even a thief would do this…’
It was the weekend.
At a real estate office in Chuncheon, Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae furrowed his brow while examining the land registry.
The elderly man sitting across from him was selling land he’d purchased for 100,000 won just months ago for 160,000 won.
‘Insane.’
A profit of 120 million won in mere moments.
Even after taxes, it exceeded an ordinary salaryman’s annual wage.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae pressed his seal firmly and asked.
“But why are you selling?”
“I need the money.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae waved his hand dismissively.
“No, not such a fundamental answer. I’m genuinely curious what you’re really thinking.”
The elderly man in shabby clothes scratched his cheek.
“There’s talk of development now. Who knows how many years it’ll take, so I don’t want to just sit on it.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae chuckled softly.
The presidential election was imminent.
Before it, the government would distribute money to win public favor.
Land development was how they could give money and gain goodwill without violating election laws.
‘Fool. If he just waited a bit longer, it’d go up to 200,000 won.’
This was the difference between Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae and ordinary speculators.
Speculators relied on unreliable information and intuition to make money, but Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae bet only on sure games.
“Well, thank you for the good deal.”
“I hope you become wealthy.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae and the elderly man shook hands and concluded the transaction.
As the old man left the real estate office, the proprietor urgently sat down before Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.
“A three-thousand pyeong property just came on the market. What do you think?”
“How much?”
“Well, somehow word got out… they’re asking for 163,000 won.”
“Are you serious? Tell them to knock off the commission! It’s landlocked!”
“I wish I could, but you know that land across the street? It sold for 165,000 won the day before yesterday. Everyone in the neighborhood heard about it, so who’s going to accept a discount? Landlocked property has become precious.”
Jo Woo-jae’s brow furrowed.
‘Three thousand pyeong….’
495 million won.
If the land rises to 200,000 won per pyeong, arithmetically about 5,000 would remain.
‘This is driving me insane.’
As Jo Woo-jae smoothed his lips, the broker’s phone vibrated.
“Ah, you heard the news? That’s right. There’s development news on this side. Property listings? Of course. 165,000 per pyeong. I have a 3,000 pyeong plot. Right? It’s gone up quite a bit, hasn’t it? But this….”
In an instant, Jo Woo-jae snatched the broker’s phone and pressed the call-end button.
The broker’s expression turned bewildered.
“What are you doing?”
“I said I’m buying it.”
Jo Woo-jae held the phone in his hand.
Then he dialed his wife’s contact and pressed the call button.
“Hey, it’s me. Can I borrow some money from your father? 250 million. I’ll cover the rest with a loan. Did you see me moving on baseless rumors?”
Jo Woo-jae ended the call.
And having received a satisfactory answer from his wife, he opened his mouth with a subtle smile.
“Shall we put down the deposit first?”
Shortly after, Jo Woo-jae left.
And as the real estate office door opened with a ‘ding’, Do Gwang-hyun entered.
The real estate broker winked knowingly.
“Ah, thank you for your hard work.”
Do Gwang-hyun sat at the table and flipped through the documents.
The broker sat across from him and asked cautiously.
“But isn’t it a shame?”
“What is?”
“The rumor is that this land will go up to 200,000 won.”
At the broker’s words, Do Gwang-hyun let out a sigh.
“It’s a shame. Such a shame! Sigh….”
This entire region had become a speculator’s festival, skyrocketing in ways that defied belief.
Yet to crash it in a single moment.
‘Is that even possible?’
Do Gwang-hyun tilted his head.
He was moving under Seo Jin’s instructions, but doubts remained.
‘I don’t understand.’
Do Gwang-hyun squinted and sent a message to Seo Jin.
-Sold 3,000 pyeong at 16.5.
But a reply came immediately.
-Now sell at 13. This time not to Jo Woo-jae, but to speculators. Quite a lot.
The market price is 15.
Even at 16.5, Jo Woo-jae is buying eagerly.
But then.
‘130,000 won?’
Do Gwang-hyun checked the message several times, wondering if he’d misread it.
But Seo Jin’s message remained unchanged.
‘What is he trying to do?’
Do Gwang-hyun scratched his head in confusion, unable to make sense of it.
*
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*
“You’ve been coming here quite often lately.”
That night, Seo Jin met with Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae at a Korean traditional restaurant.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae chuckled while picking up some seasoned vegetables with his chopsticks.
“You know land prices in Chuncheon are rising these days, right?”
He blurted out the truth with unseemly eagerness, as if desperate to share his news with someone.
I had to play along.
“Ah, I’ve heard. Even people at our district prosecutor’s office have noticed.”
“Really? I actually bought some land there myself.”
I’d heard he’d emptied bank loans, borrowed from his wife’s relatives, and even raided his mother-in-law’s wallet.
But I wore a genuinely envious expression.
“Really? When?”
“A few months ago.”
“Then you bought it before the prices went up? If you have that kind of information, please let me know too.”
“Common people are struggling over this—you silver-spoon types shouldn’t get involved. You need to be in the same weight class.”
“It’s not my money anyway, it’s my father’s. And you said Kim Yun-hwan would be getting in on it too.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae brought the glass to his lips, then set it down with a sharp clink and opened his mouth.
“Listen, if you’ve got any money stashed away, get in now. It’s trading at 160,000 won per unit right now, right? It’ll go up to 200,000. Maybe even higher.”
“How much did you put in, Chief Prosecutor? Ah, is it inappropriate to ask such things? I’m just curious.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae grinned.
Then he spoke in a tone and expression that suggested he was telling me alone.
“Conservatively, I’ll be left with about 3 billion won.”
“3 billion won?”
“Yeah.”
To make 3 billion won meant he’d burned through several times that amount to get there.
Regardless of how much he trusted the information he’d received, he was betting his life on it in a terrifying way.
“Chump change earnings.”
Moreover, he was boasting.
As I added exclamations of admiration and flattered him a bit more, he continued in a lecturing tone.
“Seo Jin, you know what our greatest advantage is, guys like us? We can use information. While the common folk are uncertain, we can move in with certainty.”
“Still, for 3 billion won to be left over… isn’t the risk quite substantial?”
I made a subtle gesture of restraint.
But he had already tasted the thrill of speculation.
Telling him to stop wouldn’t work.
“The risks are for the small investors to bear.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae raised his glass with confident conviction and drained it in one gulp.
He continued his lecture on investment strategies.
His passionate discourse on government policy and value investing—listening to him, one might mistake him for Warren Buffett himself.
Seo Jin nodded along as Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae spoke.
“Ah, I should follow your lead and invest too, Chief Prosecutor.”
Seo Jin tapped away on his phone.
He searched for land and made inquiries in various places.
And then.
“You mentioned 16 earlier, right? But this place is going for 13 per pyeong. Should I go for it?”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s expression darkened instantly.
He sensed something was wrong.
“13 million won?”
“Yes.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae had transacted at 165,000 won per pyeong just this afternoon.
But 130,000 won?
That was 30,000 won per pyeong difference—but across several thousand pyeong, it amounted to nearly 100 million won in variance.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s eyes widened as he asked again.
“130,000 won, you say?”

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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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