The inspector is getting promoted!

I personally entered the interrogation room of the prosecutors who had been pushed to the provinces after working in the Economic Crime Investigation Department.

This level of leniency would have been fully permitted even without being part of the Inspection Division, under the approval of Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Seok-won.

The first prosecutor assigned was Prosecutor Jeong Won-ho, who was demoted to Gyeongnam.

I am Yong-ho’s friend. You know Shin Yong-ho, right? He was assigned to the Boseong District Prosecutor’s Office…

Yes. I know.

No matter how much he was demoted, Jeong Won-ho was once a person who was in line with Im Seong-jin. He wasn’t someone who could be easily dealt with.

However, the one who is urgent here is not me, but Jeong Won-ho.

“I’m going to be straightforward.” You did a few things when you were in the Economic Crime Investigation Division, didn’t you? That’s why you were demoted.

He didn’t answer and just gave an awkward smile.

“Anyway, the video isn’t recording and the audio isn’t working either.” Feel free to speak comfortably.

Jung Won-ho subtly checked under the table and confirmed that the recording function was indeed not working.

To reassure him, she pointed to the black window next to her and added a few words.

“There’s no one beyond the double glass either.” You and I are the only ones hearing this conversation.

Only then did he feel relieved and let out a deep breath.

“Sigh, it’s not just me; everyone is the same.” Not just Yongho, but also Heeju.

“In fact, since you’ve already been demoted for some of the mistakes you made, I won’t hold you accountable any further.”

First of all, of course.

I started by alleviating his worries.

As expected, a smile appeared on Jung Won-ho’s face.

“Can you testify about Chief Prosecutor Lim Seong-jin’s misconduct?”

“It’s still difficult.”

He spoke with an open-hearted expression.

“You know his personality.” If he even survives… ugh. We’ll be done for that day.

As expected, it seemed like he wouldn’t say a word unless he was whipped.

“Didn’t you see the PR that Deputy General Manager Lim Sung-jin did regarding the bribery allegations?”

“See?” That’s why I’m being investigated like this right now.

“For the already revealed bribery charges, you will be considered punished by being reassigned, and you will not face any further penalties.” According to the principle of ne bis in idem. But…….”

I handed him a file folder that I had placed on the table.

This time it’s the whip.

“If you received additional bribes, this would be hard to cover up.”

When one is more complacent than ever, the whip that threatens their life has the greatest effect.

“Yes?”

Unlike his previously calm demeanor, Prosecutor Jung Won-ho opened the file folder with wide eyes as if he had heard a thunderbolt.

“This, what is this…….”

The look of confusion on his face as he checked the documents didn’t fade.

Of course, it’s surprising.

That’s the document I personally completed, which was originally a file the Economic Crime Investigation Division started writing to pin the bribes they took on Im Seong-jin and other demoted prosecutors, but they stopped halfway through.

Of course, I didn’t go through the trouble of writing everything down.

Just one page.

One powerful page will be enough to persuade those who are cornered.

“No.” I’ve never taken anything like this. It’s the entire bribe of the Economic Crime Investigation Department. The amount I took is not even one-tenth of what is listed here.

However, I explained with a calm expression.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg.” These documents indicate that you, Ms. Han Hee-joo, and Shin Yong-ho accepted bribes. This came from the Economic Crime Investigation Division.

“No.” They are trying to pass the bribery charges onto us and get away with it. You know, Prosecutor, you also know that Prosecutor Shin Yong-ho wouldn’t go this far.

“Regardless of what I think, this is the material we seized during the search.” In court, this will be used as evidence.

Only then did Prosecutor Jeong Won-ho speak in a hurried voice.

“Yong-ho, what does Yong-ho say?”

He had a desperate look in his eyes, but he shattered that expectation.

“That friend is the first whistleblower.”

Jung Won-ho had a dazed expression on his face.

He would have been able to reasonably predict what kind of privileges would be given to Shin Yong-ho.

Realizing that the position of prosecutor, which he thought he had firmly secured even in the provinces, was now shaky, Jung Won-ho must have started to feel the heat.

Done.

Now he has only one choice left.

“I know, of course, that Yongho wouldn’t do something like this.” So that’s why I’m telling you now.

Leaning forward, he made an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“If this continues, you will have no choice but to cover it up.” You three need to testify together and identify Lim Sung-jin as the main culprit. That’s the only way you can get out of this.

“Im Seong-jin, you bastard…….”

His ranting tickled my ears.

You could say that we’ve already surpassed 70%.

“But what if Im Seong-jin makes a comeback…?”

I spoke firmly to him, who was worried.

“Choose.” “Will you wait for the pirate ship that left you stranded on a deserted island and starve to death, or will you board the righteous warship that will sink that pirate ship?”

Unless you’re a fool, there’s only one choice.

If you just stand by like this, you’ll be accused of bribery by the Economic Crime Investigation Department and get kicked out.

“……Damn it, I’ll testify.”

Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

Han Hee-joo had the same reaction.

When he thought he could survive, he said it would be hard to testify, but as soon as he became a threat, he immediately sided with us.

It was a very fitting appearance, considering he was from the Im Seong-jin line.

The situation went more smoothly than expected.

Initially, Chief Prosecutor Lim Sung-jin also struggled to find a way out, but since there was so much prepared material, the situation now unfolded where instead of seeking help from higher-ups, he was looking for someone within the Economic Crime Investigation Division to take the blame.

However, it seemed that Lim Sung-jin did not have a loyal subordinate to take responsibility for all of this, and the first summons date arrived without any traffic control in place.

Most of the regular prosecutors in the department attended, but the key figures, Im Seong-jin and his right-hand man, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jo Won-hyung, did not show up.

“Didn’t you come even after the first attendance request?”

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Seok-won asked, seemingly incredulous.

“Yes.” I checked with the Central District Prosecutors’ Office, and it turns out that Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jo Won-hyung took sick leave that very day. Im Seong-jin took a day off.

“These bastards, aren’t they just passing the buck to each other?” Whether you die or I die.

“It seems so.”

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Park Seung-soo said with a sneer.

“I really don’t understand why you tried to escape through PR.” Thanks to that, the public and media’s attention is focused on this side, so we can’t even slip away smoothly, can we?

“If it weren’t for that, the chief prosecutor would have put in more effort.” He was cornered and acted rashly. So, there was no pressure from the chief prosecutor or higher-ups. “Maybe Im Seong-jin has been abandoned by now too.”

It was abandoned.

Is this where Im Seong-jin’s life ends?

However, the article I had seen on my phone kept bothering me, so I asked Kim Seok-won.

“If the current evidence is handed over to Deputy Chief Prosecutor Cho Won-hyung, could Im Seong-jin survive?”

“That’s right. There’s no clear evidence against Im Seong-jin. At most, it’s just testimony from some disgraced prosecutors in the provinces, and without physical evidence, it’s hard to strip him of his position with that alone.”

“Then, even if Im Seong-jin survives, can we say his career is over?”

“Not necessarily. The people in this field are quite cunning. Even if they throw him away when he’s dead, if he survives, they’ll take him back into the fold as long as he’s still useful. I’m sure even the Prosecutor General would act like he doesn’t know anything, but as long as Im Seong-jin doesn’t get completely ousted, he’ll eventually be brought back.”

From Im Seong-jin’s perspective, if he’s not part of the Prosecutor General’s line, there’s no chance of survival, so even if he resents it, he would still go to him.

It’s a cruel world.

Then, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Park Seung-su’s eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had just thought of something.

“If this doesn’t get resolved, aren’t both of them going to end up dead?”

“That’s right. For now, Cho Won-hyung is definitely going to be ousted. But no matter how much Im Seong-jin is pushed aside, the Prosecutor General wouldn’t want to see him actually die, so in the end, they’ll use their power to make sure he only gets a demotion.”

The rest of the prosecutors had no choice but to step down as well.

Before the case got any bigger, they’d quit voluntarily.

If they held out too long and got dismissed, it would be hard to even become a lawyer afterward.

If they resign before the case is over, even if it’s not a big law firm, they could still find a job at a regular firm, leveraging their background as prosecutors.

Even after committing corruption, they could still get a salary in the high six figures.

Being a prosecutor is a filthy good job.

“What do you think about the current situation?”

Im Seong-jin asked, his face noticeably clouded with worry, unlike before.

“The atmosphere isn’t right. It looks like it will be hard to cover this up.”

“So, what do you think Deputy Chief Prosecutor Cho should do in this situation?”

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Cho Won-hyung was silent, unsure of what answer Im Seong-jin was looking for.

After a moment, Im Seong-jin called him by his name in a soft tone.

“Cho Won-hyung. No, Won-hyung.”

It was the first time.

In the seven years they’d known each other, it was the first time Im Seong-jin had addressed him not as Deputy Chief Prosecutor Cho or simply Cho, but by his first name.

His voice was soft, but it felt colder than ever, only intensifying the sense of unease.

Im Seong-jin, without showing any emotion, quietly said:

“You take the fall.”

“What?”

It was completely unexpected.

He had worked like a dog by Im Seong-jin’s side, enduring everything, only to be discarded in the end.

But before the shock could fully settle, Im Seong-jin delivered the final blow.

“I’ll take good care of your wife and Su-jeong.”

Cho Won-hyung clenched his teeth.

This wasn’t just telling him to be exiled to the provinces.

It was, quite literally, telling him to take the fall for everything and leave this life behind.

“If you take responsibility, this can end here. But you want to survive, right? Not only will everyone beneath you die, but I’ll die too. Will that be the end? No. This could spill over to the Prosecutor General. If things go wrong, it could even reach a congressman… Even if you survive, it won’t be living.”

“Sir, but for my child to grow up without a father…”

Cho Won-hyung could not lift his head as he continued speaking.

“My wife will struggle, but it’s really not something I can put my child through. I’m sorry.”

Before he could even refuse, Im Seong-jin’s voice turned icy and filled the room.

“Cho Won-hyung.”

Unlike earlier, the sudden coldness in his voice sent a chill through the office.

“Do you want your child to see you living behind bars?”

“…”

“Sometimes, death might be better than living.”

Cho Won-hyung clenched his fist tightly, lowering his head.

Im Seong-jin then softened his voice and tried to sway him again.

“I’ll make sure Su-jeong gets through college. I’ll contribute plenty for her living expenses… No, I’ll guarantee she’ll live more comfortably than she does now. I’ll be a father to her. I hear her medical bills are quite expensive because of her leukemia. Once this case is settled, she’ll get VIP treatment at a top hospital.”

“But, sir…”

He raised his face, eyes reddened from crying.

“My wife, who trusted me enough to marry and live with me all these years, when she hears that I’m gone…”

Seeing that his persuasion was not working, Im Seong-jin’s tone turned ominous.

“You know your wife’s statute of limitations is still valid, right?”

That one line silenced Cho Won-hyung.

“Let’s not all bleed together. It only has to be you. We can cleanly resolve everything.”

Cho Won-hyung could no longer refuse.

It was true that Im Seong-jin had previously covered up his wife’s past mistake before they married.

When he had been Deputy Chief Prosecutor, even if things blew up, he had received a suspended sentence.

But if this case led to him losing his current position, he’d be facing at least prison time.

No matter how much he wanted to protect his family, he couldn’t bear seeing them suffer because of him.

“How could I let my daughter see both of her parents serving prison time? One of us needs to stay alive.”

Seeing the thinly veiled threat disguised as concern, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Cho Won-hyung finally lowered his head.

“If I take responsibility, please leave my wife alone.”

“Leave her alone? On the contrary, I’ll protect her. I can promise you that.”

“I understand.”

Im Seong-jin twisted his lips into a smirk and nodded.

“You made the right decision. Su-jeong will be much better off with this than having both her mother and father with criminal records.”

Cho Won-hyung felt a deep sense of helplessness.

He could only resent himself for being powerless in front of such overwhelming force.

“Get your mind in order, and let’s wrap this up as soon as possible.”