Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 97

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

When You Meet Your Prey (3)
Shin Ju-eon’s aide bit down on his lip.
But only for a moment.
Then he forced himself to smile.
“I’m not sure what you mean, sir. Haha.”
There was only one reason.
Song Won-tae was definitely listening to this conversation right now.
‘I have to stop this.’
I needed to package the suspicions Seo Jin had brought as nothing serious.
Otherwise, my nomination for the local elections could end up being nothing but a dream.
I knew Song Won-tae’s character well.
An old man who saw every human being as a tool.
If my guilt was exposed, I’d be discarded without mercy.
‘That can’t happen.’
My gaze turned toward Seo Jin.
And I deliberately opened my mouth as if it were nothing serious.
“Prosecutor, I misjudged the person. But I certainly understand why you’d raise such suspicions.”
“….”
“When you’re in this field, you receive temptation calls dozens of times a day.”
“‘We’ll give you money, so introduce us to the congressman.'”
“‘Get involved in local interests.'”
“But you know, I’ve never once succumbed to such temptation. Because my actions could cast a shadow on the congressman’s future.”
“….”
“We aides live for just one thing—the success of the congressman we serve. So I’m taking bribes? I suppose someone could slander me that way, haha.”
His voice continued relentlessly.
His tongue was remarkably glib, steeped as he was in politics.
“I understand the slander too. The people I meet are so numerous, and not all of them are clean, so….”
But the man’s voice trailed off.
And he ground his teeth, glaring at Seo Jin.
“Prosecutor….”
It was because of Seo Jin’s expression.
Seo Jin was sneering at Shin Ju-eon’s aide.
And at his disrespectful behavior, the man cried out.
“Prosecutor!”
In an instant, Seo Jin slammed the table and unleashed a vicious voice.
“Cut the bullshit.”
Because of this bastard’s sordid scheme, Seo Jun-kyung had been branded a sexual assaulter and suffered humiliation.
Even now, after all this time, the name Seo Jun-kyung carried the stigma of “sexual assault prosecutor” burned into it.
‘All because of a wretch like this….’
A man desperately trying not to be abandoned by Song Won-tae.
A worthless scum who only cares about party nominations—because of trash like him, Seo Jun-kyung’s life had been twisted into a wreck.
Finally, a dry laugh burst from Seo Jin’s lips.
“This is absurd, absolutely absurd! Hahahahahaha!”
That laughter was vicious and relentless.
Shin Ju-eon’s expression began to crumble pathetically.
‘Does he have evidence?’
Shin Ju-eon swallowed hard.
Even high-ranking civil servants defer to a National Assembly member’s aide.
But Shin Ju-eon served under Song Won-tae, no ordinary congressman.
Without concrete evidence beyond mere suspicion, a prosecutor couldn’t act this brazenly.
‘Damn it….’
Shin Ju-eon’s eyes darted frantically.
He licked his lips and opened his mouth very quietly.
“…What do you want?”
At the abrupt question, Seo Jin’s expression turned bewildered.
“What?”
But he was desperate.
He began whispering in a voice too low for the adjacent room to hear.
“You wanted to meet privately because you want something, didn’t you? What do you need? I heard your father is the CEO of Jaejeong Construction—would it help if I pushed through a redevelopment project? We’re talking hundreds of billions….”
Shin Ju-eon continued speaking while subtly gauging Seo Jin’s expression.
Seo Jin’s eyes were cold and lifeless.
No interest whatsoever.
He quickly changed tack.
Still whispering.
“If not that… how about this? I’m already promised a party nomination in the next local election. I’ll start as a local executive, but my goal is central politics. I’ll back you up, prosecutor.”
“….”
“Consider Song Won-tae’s age. He won’t be much help to your future. Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-jun? Same situation. He’ll retire soon. But I’m different. I could be your ally for the next ten-plus years.”
Shin Ju-eon glanced at Seo Jin’s expression again.
He was nodding.
At this sign of agreement, Shin Ju-eon clenched his fist.
‘Perfect.’
Now he just needed to talk Seo Jin into letting him walk out of here.
If he could just leave quietly from this room….
‘I’ll kill you.’
Everything Shin Ju-eon had said so far was a bald-faced lie.
He believed that given time, he could eliminate Seo Jin.
‘The chief prosecutor’s nephew? So what?’
He was a man who belonged among politicians who controlled the Republic of Korea.
Compared to those giants, Seo Jin was nothing but an insect he could crush to death whenever he pleased.
‘Seo Jun-kyung got cocky like that too and ended up dead. You’ll be the same.’
Shin Ju-eon leaned in again with a disarming smile.
“Prosecutor, you’re wondering how you can possibly trust me right now, aren’t you? But do you really need to trust me? Trust the leverage you’re holding over me instead. If you use that weakness as a leash, wouldn’t we become the perfect partners?”
And Seo Jin, who had been silent until now, finally opened his mouth, his expression clouded with deliberation.
“That’s… not a bad proposition.”
Formal speech flowed from Seo Jin’s lips once more.
Shin Ju-eon broke into a broad smile and extended his hand toward Seo Jin for a handshake.
“That leash will become the express lane to your future.”
But Seo Jin did not accept the handshake.
He stared pointedly at the man’s outstretched hand, then shook his head slowly.
“It’s not enough.”
“Pardon?”
“The money you received at the Redevelopment Site—once the apartment prices rise and a few years pass, it’ll all fade away. It could be completely laundered. But I can’t move forward with you based on that alone. You could harbor today’s events and stab me in the back later, couldn’t you?”
“Prosecutor!”
“One of the things you should never trust in this world is a politician’s promise. How could I possibly trust you?”
Shin Ju-eon’s brow furrowed.
He thought he’d already crossed the finish line, but now the brakes were being applied out of nowhere.
He spoke urgently.
“I’m not that kind of scoundrel.”
“It’s insufficient. I need more safeguards before I can entrust my back to you.”
“Then… what exactly do you want?”
Seo Jin tapped the table deliberately as he spoke.
“Put other corruption on the table. Only when the stakes are high enough can I truly trust you and move forward, don’t you think?”
“Prosecutor!”
At the same moment, Seo Jin leaned toward Shin Ju-eon and whispered.
“You said we’d go together. You said we’d be partners, didn’t you? For us to truly be partners, we need to trust each other, don’t we? Trust me and place your bet.”
“…!”
“Until you betray me, I’ll carry this secret in my heart. Otherwise, should I start digging into the reconstruction fraud? Would you prefer to have this conversation as defendant and prosecutor instead of partners?”
“…!”
“Stop hesitating and trust me. Let’s do this!”
Seo Jin’s final words came out loud.
He had deliberately raised his voice.
He wanted his words to carry into the adjacent room where Representative Song Won-tae was undoubtedly listening.
As expected, Shin Ju-eon flinched in alarm.
“Keep your voice down! The restaurant staff will hear!”
Seo Jin found the sight of Shin Ju-eon’s eyes darting anxiously quite satisfying.
Thinking of that face crumbling made it nearly impossible to suppress his laughter.
Yet the man still interpreted Seo Jin’s smile as a positive signal.
“Fine. I’ll put it all on the table. Hah, this is like making a confession to a priest…”
“Please, speak freely.”
“You see, there’s the district chief, city council members, and district council members in our constituency. I received some spending money in return for helping them secure their candidacy nominations.”
The leash of a local councilor is held by the district representative.
Because their nomination is swayed by the congressman’s influence.
And the one who served as the congressman’s eyes and ears in the district was Shin Ju-eon, the resident chief of staff.
“I told the congressman and helped you receive favorable scores in the nomination review. How many times was that….”
The money received that way totaled approximately 2 billion won so far.
“Isn’t this enough as a safety measure?”
He thought it didn’t matter if Seo Jin knew about his corruption.
Because he could handle it as soon as he left this place as planned.
‘That damn brat.’
From speaking in casual language to trying to seize his leash, Chief of Staff Shin Ju-eon felt like he wouldn’t be satisfied until Seo Jin was dead.
‘If only Congressman Song Won-tae wasn’t in the next room, you’d already be dead, you bastard!’
Chief of Staff Shin Ju-eon smiled and gulped down his drink.
And he imagined Seo Jin’s name filling the portal websites.
Prosecution! Another Sexual Assault!
Prosecutor Kim Seo-jin, using his power and position to commit sexual violence
The true face of the Prosecution Service, where does it end!
Chief of Staff Shin Ju-eon set down his glass with a thud.
‘Perfect.’
The drink tasted good.
But that’s the end of drinking here.
I’ll have my next drink at Seo Jin’s funeral.
But that was the moment.
The smile vanished from Seo Jin’s face.
The instant Shin Ju-eon thought ‘What?’, Seo Jin’s voice struck like lightning.
“Interfering with nominations! Accepting bribes from construction contractors!”
Chief of Staff Shin Ju-eon’s face split open as if struck by the very axe he trusted.
“W-wait, Prosecutor!”
By the time he realized he’d been deceived, it was already too late.
As Chief of Staff Shin Ju-eon blinked, Seo Jin’s voice continued relentlessly.
“A bastard like you shouldn’t be under the congressman! Two billion won in bribes? You’re insane.”
Chief of Staff Shin Ju-eon’s gaze shifted to the next room.
At this volume, Congressman Song Won-tae would have heard everything.
‘No, this can’t be happening.’
Chief of Staff Shin Ju-eon felt dizzy.
And he shot back with an even louder voice, turning the tables.
“What the hell are you talking about!”
Chief of Staff Shin Ju-eon couldn’t back down.
Congressman Song Won-tae was in the next room.
He pounded the table furiously and glared at Seo Jin with bloodshot eyes.
“Are you openly trying to make me a criminal? Did you think I’d just sit back? Touching me is the same as touching the congressman!”
Right now, there’s no evidence whatsoever.
So whoever shouts the loudest wins.
I just need to get past this moment.
Just this moment….
That’s when the door creaked open.
Song Won-tae entered with a terrifying expression.
A sudden arrival.
Seo Jin blinked as if he hadn’t noticed.
“C-Congressman?”
Shin Ju-eon quickly positioned himself beside Song Won-tae.
“Congressman! This bastard is defaming us! Since my name isn’t in the ledger, he’s spouting nonsense and threatening to summon me to the Prosecutor’s Office!”
Shin Ju-eon’s face crumpled as he looked at Song Won-tae.
Then he turned his gaze back to Seo Jin, and his expression completely transformed.
A twisted smile spread across his face as he looked at Seo Jin.
‘Insane bastard.’
I’d been by Song Won-tae’s side for over a decade.
If he told me to lick his shoes, I licked them. If he told me to crawl like a dog, I crawled on all fours.
We’d spent all that time together.
‘He’ll believe my words here.’
And once I get outside, I can accelerate the plan.
I just need to take care of him before he produces any evidence.
‘You’re finished, you bastard.’
Shin Ju-eon laughed wickedly.
But then Seo Jin rummaged through the bag he’d brought.
What he pulled out was a thick stack of documents.
His pupils trembled.
‘What is this?’
Seo Jin held the documents with both hands.
Then, bowing at the waist in an extremely respectful posture, he handed them to Song Won-tae.
Anyone could see reverence in his manner.
Even in his voice.
“I apologize for meeting you under such circumstances, Congressman.”
Song Won-tae’s gaze shifted to the documents Seo Jin held.
“…What is this?”
“Circumstantial evidence that my chief of staff received bribes at the Redevelopment Site. I was quietly asking him to resign from his position to prevent any damage to you, Congressman, once the investigation begins. If the Opposition Party were to find out, it would become quite a scandal. But my chief of staff….”
Shin Ju-eon erupted in rage.
“Hey!”
He was desperate.
He trampled over the table laden with food and lunged forward, seizing Seo Jin by the collar in an instant.
His eyes blazing crimson, he glared at Seo Jin and opened his mouth with a sinister voice.
“What the hell are you doing! You think you can do anything to me with that fake evidence? Do I look like a fool just because I’m standing here quietly? Huh!”
“Ha….”
I exhaled a long sigh.
Again… I had him by the collar.
But I didn’t feel bad about it.
Watching his face tremble with anxiety this close was truly exhilarating.
“Do I look like a fool to you!”
In that instant, Song Won-tae exploded.
“Stop, stop, stop! Shin Ju-eon!”
Shin Ju-eon’s gaze snapped sharply toward Song Won-tae.
At the same moment, Song Won-tae hurled the documents in his hand straight at his face.
The thick stack of papers struck him squarely in the face.
Smack!
The documents scattered across the floor.
The room fell silent, and Shin Ju-eon stood there dazed.
His grip on my collar loosened and fell away.
“M-Member….”
He stared at Song Won-tae with eyes that looked ready to cry.
A life lived like a dog.
He had tried to live like a human being after receiving the party nomination, but now it seemed he would end like a dog.
And Song Won-tae strode forward past him.
“Did you take money from the district?”
If an aide takes bribes, people won’t believe the National Assembly member didn’t know about it.
They assume the member received it.
“Did you interfere with the nomination process?”
The real problem was the nomination.
If this fact became known, Song Won-tae’s political base would crumble.
“You damn bastard!”
Song Won-tae erupted.
That’s when I quickly stepped in front of him.
“Member!”
Song Won-tae’s wide eyes turned toward me.
“What? If I hit him, will you charge me with assault?”
“No, sir. I think it would be better if you took off your watch. You might hurt yourself.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————