Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 92

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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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Was That Really the Only Reason? (1)
The moment I finished speaking, the man’s eyes wavered.
The ferocity in his gaze softened instantly.
He became a docile lamb standing before the larger men.
And then.
“Restrain him.”
Before my words even finished, four men lunged at him.
There was no twist to it.
The man with his sturdy frame and menacing presence crumpled like a discarded piece of paper, slamming into the ground.
Crash!
He stared ahead with eyes full of terror.
I was walking toward him, step by step.
“Ah….”
He swallowed hard, watching me approach.
He had certainly thought I looked gentle.
Kind and handsome—that’s how he would have described me.
But not now.
I was staring down at him with eyes so cold that even demons would recoil.
Then I slowly knelt down to meet his gaze directly.
At the same time, I grabbed his hair firmly and opened my mouth with a terrifying voice.
“Did you kill Detective Eom Young-jin?”
The investigators arrived more than ten minutes later.
“Prosecutor!”
The investigators who rushed up the stairs were startled.
The man bound with clothesline.
“Wh-what is….”
He was trembling violently.
He was so terrified he couldn’t even lift his gaze.
“Wh-who is this?”
“He came to destroy evidence. Take him to the Prosecutor’s Office. He’s dangerous, so proceed with caution.”
The investigators couldn’t ask further questions after hearing my dry tone.
Several investigators placed handcuffs on his wrists, then grabbed his shoulders and lifted him up.
Then they dragged him away to the car.
He offered no resistance whatsoever.
He went along quietly, his head bowed low.
My gaze shifted to the locked door.
I could interrogate him at the Prosecutor’s Office later.
Right now, I needed to unlock this door and find the ledger.
Click!
The investigators turned the door handle.
It was locked, as expected.
The investigators lifted the potted plant sitting in the hallway and searched for a key.
But it wasn’t there.
“What do we do?”
According to the Criminal Procedure Act, during the execution of a search and seizure warrant, necessary measures such as unlocking or opening could be taken.
In other words, they’d need to call in a specialist to open it.
But then.
“Forcing the door open.”
Seo Jin took the hammer the investigators had brought and gripped it firmly.
Before the investigators could even open their mouths, I swung it without hesitation.
Crash!
The investigators jumped in shock.
In cases requiring urgent action where a warrant from a court judge cannot be obtained, even property damage is permissible.
But afterward, there would be mountains of justifications to provide.
This was the first time they’d seen a newly appointed prosecutor act so recklessly.
‘Have you ever seen anything like this?’
‘They said he doesn’t back down, and it’s really true.’
For the investigators who had wasted time trapped by legal procedures, it was a refreshing moment.
Crash!
After swinging the hammer a few more times, the door crumbled easily.
Seo Jin kicked the shattered door aside and brushed off his hands.
“We can just bill the owner for the broken door. Please find the homeowner’s contact information.”
Speaking as though it were nothing, I stepped inside.
Madam’s house was a pigsty.
Scattered undergarments, dishes left to rot for ages, traces of delivery food, and bottles of soju everywhere.
“Woof!”
A dog came trotting over, wagging its tail.
Amid all this chaos, the dog was well cared for.
It was plump and its fur was immaculate.
Seo Jin stroked the dog’s head while surveying the surroundings.
The investigators were sweeping everything into Prosecution boxes.
Laptops, unused phones, and even fashion magazines.
My gaze shifted past their shoulders.
‘Where the ledgers would be….’
I rose to my feet and headed toward the television.
Then I yanked open the drawer of the display cabinet beneath it.
Only cigarettes and lighters filled it.
Given the state of the house, she wasn’t the type to hide things meticulously.
But if it wasn’t here, that meant….
‘Could she have hidden and stored it somewhere else?’
Seo Jin moved into the bedroom and searched beneath the vanity and bed.
‘As expected.’
A spiral notebook lay visible under the bed.
I reached out, seized the notebook, tucked it into my chest, and headed for the restroom.
Then I locked the door and immediately flipped through it with quick, deliberate motions.
Just as anticipated—ledgers, familiar names everywhere.
From Choi Hee-jun to the Police Chief.
And as I turned the pages, my face twisted.
—Song Won-tae.
A senior ruling party congressman and chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
One of the targets I’d pursued when I was Seo Jun-kyung.
A scoundrel aligned with Prosecutor Kim Young-jun, accepting all manner of bribes and covering for street thugs.
I stared at his name and wiped my lips.
‘Could it be….’
Seo Jun-kyung’s death and Congressman Song Won-tae.
I couldn’t say what it was, but something reeked.
He was the type who’d do anything to preserve his position.
He could have pulled the strings on the Police Chief and Prosecutor Choi Hee-jun to strike down Seo Jun-kyung.
The probability he was deeply involved in Detective Eom Young-jin’s death was high.
My eyes flashed as I emerged from my thoughts.
Then I tore his name from the notebook, folded it neatly, and slipped it into my chest.
With a spiral notebook, there’s no trace of removal.
‘His name can’t be here.’
Prosecutor Kim Young-jun was eyeing the position of Prosecutor General while watching the political landscape carefully.
And with the Judiciary Committee involved, I had to be even more cautious.
‘He’ll hide it.’
Prosecutor Kim Young-jun would try to minimize the case.
If his name appeared in the ledger, he could fabricate perjury charges or let the case fade away entirely.
‘Or perhaps….’
There was also the possibility that Prosecutor Kim Young-jun would seize this ledger and use it to control Congressman Song Won-tae by the throat.
Then Congressman Song Won-tae would become Prosecutor Kim Young-jun’s dog.
‘I have to stop that.’
Prosecutor Kim Young-jun was already collecting the misconduct of countless congressmen, waiting for his moment.
That power was turning Prosecutor Kim Young-jun into a monster.
I couldn’t stand by and watch that happen again.
I intended to unravel the mystery of Seo Jun-kyung’s death and capture Congressman Song Won-tae myself.
I turned and opened the restroom door.
Then I moved back into the bedroom and tossed the ledger back, avoiding the investigators’ eyes.
Soon, an investigator’s voice rang out.
“We found the ledger!”
*
*
*
At that moment, Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
“Choi Hee-jun was acting like a thug.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae spoke while looking at Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s gaze was fixed on the monitor.
There, Prosecutor Choi Hee-jun and Seo Jin were visible.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae continued to study Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s expression as he pressed the recording app on his phone.
The audio, synchronized with the video, played out.
Prosecutor Choi Hee-jun shouted.
-You fucking bastard!
It was when Prosecutor Choi Hee-jun lunged at Seo Jin.
Seo Jin was removing his watch.
Watching this, Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun let out a chuckle.
“He took off his watch?”
What followed was even more ridiculous.
Prosecutor Choi Hee-jun grabbed his collar, but Seo Jin was kicking his shin.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun laughed heartily.
‘That’s how a prosecutor should be. Success demands that kind of action.’
Destroy everything in your path.
Use everything you can.
Regardless of whether it’s a senior or anyone else.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun was satisfied with Seo Jin’s actions and results.
The fact that he resembled himself so closely pleased him even more.
It was truly a matter of bloodline.
“So what did you do with that bastard Choi Hee-jun?”
“We’ve got him locked in the Interrogation Room for now.”
“Good work. Have Seo Jin interrogate him directly.”
“Yes, sir!”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae was in high spirits.
It had been a long time since he’d received praise from Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun.
And as Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun rose from his seat, he continued speaking.
“And Woo-jae, there’s something you need to handle.”
“Just say the word, sir.”
“A junior colleague apprehended a senior colleague.”
The Prosecution Service is an organization with strict hierarchies.
No one welcomes the sight of a junior colleague grabbing a senior colleague by the collar and shaking the dust off them.
He might even face ostracism.
And the petty ostracism of educated people is far more terrifying.
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun considered what would come next and issued instructions to Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae.
“Frame it so that Seo Jin had no choice but to act that way. Make it known that Choi Hee-jun assaulted Seo Jin to cover up his own crimes. Paint Choi Hee-jun as the more vicious criminal. And seal this CCTV footage so no one can ever see it again.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae understood Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s intent.
He immediately bowed and answered with certainty.
“Understood.”
*
*
*
-The Special Forces have combat athletes on staff. Hehehehe!
Seo Jin was heading to the District Prosecutor’s Office while speaking with Do Gwang-hyun on a burner phone.
-I asked them to stick to the shadows and appear like a flash when danger strikes.
Do Gwang-hyun was elated.
He giggled with delight at the news that the bodyguards he’d hired had finished the job decisively.
-Since they did well, I’ll make sure to give them a bonus.
“Yeah, and pass along my thanks. Oh, wait a second….”
Police were conducting a sobriety checkpoint.
As Seo Jin lowered his window, the officer conducting the checkpoint spoke up.
“You’re Prosecutor Seo Jin, aren’t you?”
Seo Jin narrowed his eyes and looked past the officer’s shoulder.
The Jongno Police Station Chief stood there with a stern expression.
The officer conducting the checkpoint continued with difficulty.
“Just a moment….”
“I understand.”
Seo Jin turned the steering wheel.
He pulled onto the shoulder, got out of the car, and approached the Police Chief.
The Police Chief’s face was grave.
He’d heard that Seo Jin had conducted a search and seizure at Madam’s House.
And he also knew from somewhere that they’d found the ledger.
“Could we talk?”
Seo Jin nodded.
The Police Chief then picked up his phone and handed it to the officer standing beside him.
“I’d like to speak frankly, and these things get in the way, don’t they?”
He was concerned about recording.
Seo Jin shrugged and opened his mouth.
“I don’t have a phone. It’s broken.”
“Ah, is that so?”
The burner phone was still in the car.
As Seo Jin patted his body to indicate he had nothing, the Police Chief opened the rear door of the vehicle.
“Get in.”
Seo Jin got into the car, and the Police Chief sat down beside him.
He licked his dry lips and opened his mouth.
“Prosecutor, I hate to bring this up, but I heard you found the ledger.”
When Seo Jin nodded, the Police Chief continued carefully.
“Have you had a chance to verify it?”
“Yes.”
“You must have noticed my name is in there too? But taking it won’t do you any good.”
Seo Jin shifted his gaze to study the Police Chief’s expression.
The man couldn’t hide his anxiety—his face rigid with tension.
His eyes darted nervously, unable to find focus.
The Police Chief’s tongue wagged on.
“Assemblyman Song Won-tae’s name must be in there too. As you know, he sits on the Judiciary Committee and there’s talk he’ll become Minister of Justice soon. But Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-jun right now….”
The Police Chief was quite the talker.
Summarizing his words, the message was clear.
-Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-jun wants to become Prosecutor General.
-He needs Assemblyman Song Won-tae’s power, and the case will definitely be buried.
-Your career as a prosecutor is just beginning—do you really need to be marked by Assemblyman Song Won-tae?
-So let’s just doctor the ledger a bit.
“At my age, I’ve learned that taking things easy and comfortable is a good life too. Frankly, what harm comes to the citizens if we pocket a little spending money? As long as we handle public safety and security well, that’s all that matters. So….”
The Police Chief didn’t trust Assemblyman Song Won-tae.
He was terrified that his superiors’ cover-up would reach his own neck.
To powerful men, a police chief was nothing more than a chess piece to be sacrificed.
Moreover, Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-jun would use this case as a feather in his cap.
Before becoming Prosecutor General, he’d want to be remembered as the prosecutor who beheaded a police chief.
The Police Chief didn’t want to be the sacrificial lamb.
That’s why he’d even conducted drunk driving checkpoints to find Seo Jin.
To survive.
“So I’m asking you for this favor. Then going forward, our officers will cooperate with you….”
Seo Jin nodded as he listened to the Police Chief’s words.
A smile gradually formed at the corners of the Police Chief’s mouth.
He thought they’d reached an understanding.
But the words that came from Seo Jin’s lips were nothing like what the Police Chief expected.
“There wasn’t one.”
“Pardon? What wasn’t…?”
“Assemblyman Song Won-tae’s name wasn’t in the ledger.”
The Police Chief’s face went blank.
“What, what do you mean…?”
“And Police Chief? Since I’m here, I’ll tell you this. Let’s go.”
“Wh, where are we going?”
“Where else? The Prosecutor’s Office.”
Seo Jin yanked open the car door and stepped out.
Then I moved to the driver’s seat and extracted the memory card from the dashcam.
The Police Chief’s face twisted with fury.
“You bastard! Why isn’t Song Won-tae’s name here! Why the hell isn’t it!”
The Police Chief’s voice was deafening.
I exhaled a sigh and slowly turned my gaze toward the Police Chief.
When he flinched at the chilling look in my eyes, I opened my mouth.
“Shut your mouth.”

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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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