The inspector is getting promoted!

I had the police calm Jo Won-hyung down and instructed them to clean up the room filled with carbon monoxide. I also asked him to make sure that the motel owner would remain silent until the situation was sorted out.

The motel owner had no reason to oppose the order, so he would follow it without question.

Jo Won-hyung, sitting on the bed, no longer had that dazed look in his eyes, but his body still seemed lifeless.

I opened a can of soda from the mini-fridge and handed it to him.

“Are you starting to come to your senses?”

He drank the soda and sighed deeply.

“Why didn’t you just let me die? Why did you interfere?”

“You can’t die. Think about the family you’re leaving behind. I heard your daughter is only seven years old. Why would you leave a young child like that?”

“Do you think I want to go? I have no choice.”

He interrupted me and spoke.

“I have to go. I have to do it for the family you mentioned.”

It was as I suspected—Im Seong-jin had used his family as a tool for blackmail.

Jo Won-hyung’s face was ashen.

“It wouldn’t make a difference if you take me to the prosecutor’s office. Did you see the letter?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll take all the responsibility. It’ll be the same when I attend.”

“Can you tell me why?”

He clenched his fist.

It looked like he wanted to say something, but he relaxed his fist and shook his head.

“I’m sorry. Even if I talk, nothing will change.”

“It might change.”

But he shook his head in despair.

“No matter what you say, someone has to take responsibility for this. Do you think Im Seong-jin is going to just sit back and let it all blow over?”

“Of course not. That’s why he pushed you to the brink.”

“You know it well. If he finds out I’m still alive, he’ll make sure I end up dead. If that doesn’t work, he’ll take the knife himself and kill me.”

Jo Won-hyung was someone who had followed Im Seong-jin for a long time, so his fear of him was even greater.

He knew all too well how cruel Im Seong-jin could be, pushing people aside and disposing of them.

The blackmail Jo Won-hyung had faced must have been something so fatal that he chose death over living.

At this point, it was clear that soft words or gentle persuasion wouldn’t change his mind.

But one thing was certain: Jo Won-hyung didn’t want to die either.

If his safety were guaranteed, there was a strong possibility he would join our side.

If Jo Won-hyung chose to die, it would only cause a small scratch for Im Seong-jin.

No, that man would probably view it as a glorious wound.

If Im Seong-jin held firm, the connection I’d uncovered between him and the chief prosecutor would likely never see the light of day.

A punch might seem like a counterattack when covered in blood, but when everything is fine, it can be blocked or avoided.

I had to pull out the card I had been holding back.

If I let this pass without using it, it would likely rot in the ground without ever being useful.

“What if I make sure Im Seong-jin doesn’t get the knife back?”

For just a moment, his brow furrowed and then relaxed.

“Did you receive a message from the deputy chief prosecutor?”

“No. I’m acting alone today.”

He openly displayed a displeased expression.

“Even if you’re the source, you’re just a low-ranking prosecutor. Normally, I’d be grateful you even used formal language with me.”

Jo Won-hyung tried to assert authority, but deep down, he knew that I held the upper hand in this situation.

“So, you’re just going to end it by dying?”

“……”

“I will take the knife from Im Seong-jin and make sure he can’t kill you.”

“Is that possible? If you think Im Seong-jin is just like a mere chief prosecutor, you’re seriously mistaken.”

“That’s why we have to take him down while it’s still chaotic.”

I said with a smirk on one side of my mouth.

“Chief Im Seong-jin, please hand over additional corruption materials. Something that can really take his head off.”

“What?”

“Surely, as his close associate, you know where the dirt is hidden. You know where the stench is coming from. A regular prosecutor wouldn’t know, but you should. If you don’t know that, then you don’t deserve to be Im Seong-jin’s right-hand man.”

He suddenly jumped to his feet.

“Are you asking me to betray him?”

His face turned bright red, clearly angry and flustered. His pride was obviously hurt.

“I’m not asking you to betray him, I’m asking you to survive.”

I said without blinking.

“You need to choose who’s going to die. If you die, Im Seong-jin survives, and if Im Seong-jin survives, you die.”

“Do you even understand what you’re saying? If I step forward, my family will get hurt. I tried to kill myself to protect my wife and daughter!”

“Tell me the reason, and I will protect you.”

“How would someone like you stop it?”

“I’ll meet with the Chief Prosecutor.”

Jo Won-hyung’s eyes widened in shock.

“What?”

“I’ll talk to the Chief Prosecutor. We’ll get rid of Im Seong-jin and save you. From the Chief Prosecutor’s perspective, both of you are just dogs with leashes in hand. If someone has to go, it won’t matter who gets cut. He’ll protect you as long as it doesn’t harm him.”

“Are you really involving the Chief Prosecutor…?”

“I’ll keep that a no-comment.”

I shrugged and said.

“So, what will you do? Will you die, or will you kill?”

Looking at Jo Won-hyung’s expression, he still seemed in shock, not expecting that I might have a card related to the Chief Prosecutor.

He didn’t ask about that card, knowing full well I wouldn’t give him details.

“Do you think Im Seong-jin will feel even the slightest gratitude if you die? He’ll just think of it as cutting off a limb to survive.”

After some deep thought, he slumped down onto the bed and finally told me the secret about his wife that Im Seong-jin was holding over him.

***

The next morning.

The evidence he brought was utterly insufficient.

“Is this all you have?”

Jo Won-hyung lowered his head, silently answering.

“How am I supposed to use this to take down Im Seong-jin? With this, it’s hard to even send him to the provinces. You know that better than anyone.”

“But…”

He spoke as though feeling wronged.

“If it’s evidence that can take down Im Seong-jin, then I’ll die along with him.”

“I told you I’ll filter it and handle it. Are you worried I’ll stab you in the back after what I said yesterday?”

“…”

“I’ve already set up a meeting with the Chief Prosecutor today. Should I cancel it if you don’t want me to proceed?”

Jo Won-hyung slowly lifted his head.

“Please give me two more days.”

“Alright, I’ll wait.”

There was still a lack of trust in me.

But I wasn’t worried.

Loyalty to a man who forces his right-hand man to choose death can’t last forever.

Soon, Jo Won-hyung’s mind will waver.

Now, it wouldn’t be me shaking him, but Im Seong-jin who would do the job himself.

***

Im Seong-jin’s plan started to unravel.

He had hoped to use Jo Won-hyung as bait to silence the media and divert public attention.

But Choi Seo-jun overturned the plan.

“I’m sorry. I should have been more careful in my approach…”

“How did that bastard even find out?”

Jo Won-hyung kept his mouth shut.

He knew he shouldn’t speak carelessly until everything was settled.

From now on, the person he was bound to was not Im Seong-jin, but Choi Seo-jun.

Im Seong-jin should not find out about this.

After drinking a glass of cold water, Im Seong-jin looked at Jo Won-hyung sharply and asked.

“How did you testify?”

“I testified that everything was under my orders, but the situation isn’t that simple.”

He didn’t tell Im Seong-jin the truth.

Yesterday, instead of testifying, he had discussed with Choi Seo-jun how to manipulate the situation.

When Jo Won-hyung started feeling guilty about lying to Im Seong-jin, someone he had loyally served for nearly ten years, Im Seong-jin nervously asked.

“When do you think you can carry out the plan?”

“Plan.”

He was talking about suicide.

Forcing someone who had already attempted suicide once to die again was an immoral act, but there was no sign of remorse on Im Seong-jin’s face.

Only the unease about someone digging into his past was evident.

Jo Won-hyung, seeing his attitude, gritted his teeth.

It had only been yesterday.

He didn’t expect an apology, nor did he expect to hear that Im Seong-jin cared, asking if he was alright or acknowledging the emotional turmoil Jo Won-hyung was going through. Even a simple pat on the shoulder without words would have been enough.

But instead of showing concern, Im Seong-jin asked when he would die.

Jo Won-hyung was nothing more than cannon fodder in Im Seong-jin’s eyes.

This was the only explanation for his attitude.

Betrayal.

Even worse, the humiliation.

This emotion alone was enough to justify betraying Im Seong-jin.

“It’s going to be difficult for the time being.”

Jo Won-hyung hid his emotions and replied.

“I think they’ve assigned someone from the inspection division to follow me. I’ve been under surveillance.”

This was part of Choi Seo-jun’s plan.

To buy time, feign loyalty to Im Seong-jin, and secretly work to take him down.

It was necessary.

If Im Seong-jin found out that he had betrayed him, he would immediately expose his wife’s scandal.

Im Seong-jin asked irritably.

“What about your house? They can’t possibly find that, right?”

Jo Won-hyung had to hold back the urge to clench his fists.

He had been told to die for his family, but now, Im Seong-jin was telling him to die at home.

Wouldn’t that traumatize his family?

Jo Won-hyung was certain of one thing.

Im Seong-jin saw him not as a subordinate, but as a tool.

“About my family…”

“Sigh. The more time passes, the worse it gets for us. If this goes on, we’re all going to die.”

“I understand. I’ll find a way as soon as possible. Also, Chief.”

“What?”

“Because of the suicide attempt and the testimony, the inspection division is trying to dig up something on me. I’ll have to go to the high prosecutor’s office a few more times.”

“Alright. Keep your mouth shut.”

Im Seong-jin spoke as if giving a final warning.

“Handle it so there are no problems.”

No problems.

This meant that Jo Won-hyung had to clean up everything and protect himself, without bringing any trouble to Im Seong-jin.

Not only was he told to die, but he was given this last order as well.

In that moment, whatever remaining loyalty Jo Won-hyung had for Im Seong-jin completely vanished.

“Understood.”

With that, Jo Won-hyung had shed all the guilt he felt for betraying him.

And in his heart, he reaffirmed his resolve.

He wouldn’t die—he would kill.

He would survive.