The inspector is getting promoted!

The answer was so obvious.

Chief Prosecutor Kang Hyun-soo receives three bags, hands one to the heads of the Financial Crime Division and the Economic Crime Investigation Division, and keeps one for himself as a reward for his efforts.

Still, this was something anyone who knew about Kang Hyun-soo’s connection to Joo-ok Medical could deduce.

The problem, however, was that this wasn’t just about guessing or fitting together a puzzle—it was about finding concrete evidence.

Only then could it be used for blackmail, bribery, or any other leverage.

Especially in South Korea, where legal evidence is paramount.

Beep beep.

Another message.

I quickly picked up my phone.

– Sender: Song Hyun-seong

– Want to smoke a cigarette?

Damn.

I was startled for no reason.

Should I just calm my mind for a bit?

I went downstairs, and as expected, Song Hyun-seong was already outside, lighting a cigarette in the back of the building.

“You’re here?”

“You could just smoke in the designated smoking area, but you always pull me to this corner.”

“If I smoke there, it’s stuffy. Plus, my clothes smell like cigarettes.”

“When you smoke, your breath smells the worst.”

“That’s true.”

He chuckled and nodded, then suddenly asked.

“By the way, how’s Yong-ho doing?”

“He’s preparing for his second trial. It’ll take a few more months, but he’ll probably get probation this time.”

“Wow, Choi Seo-jun is really good.”

“Isn’t it my ability? It’s all thanks to the High Prosecutor’s support.”

“Well, that’s good. After fully handing over Yong-ho, I was uncomfortable about it, but now I can finally let it go.”

“Yeah, once Yong-ho’s case is sorted, you owe him a meal.”

“Of course. I’ll treat him to a tuna sashimi course. You should come, too. I’ll pay for the second round, but you’re covering the room.”

“Hahaha, you punk. Even if we combine the first and second rounds, it’ll be cheaper than the room.”

Song Hyun-seong chuckled and then stubbed out his cigarette.

I motioned for him to go up while I finished my cigarette.

“Go ahead. I’ll catch up after one more.”

“Alright. Take your time.”

After sending him off, I fell into thought.

The message.

After receiving Yoon Seol-ha’s ID last winter, I hadn’t heard anything for six months, but suddenly, this one came through.

Was this a hint that the messages could stop at any time?

I’d never overused or thought too carelessly about them, so it wasn’t a threat or a warning.

If not that, maybe the messages only come under special conditions?

At first, I thought the sender’s number was a special sign, but after receiving numerous messages from 29, I figured it had no particular meaning.

But now, it was 30.

It wasn’t a countdown, so I still couldn’t figure it out.

I would need to receive a few more messages to understand.

After finishing my second cigarette, I returned to my office.

Back to the contents of the message.

Chief Prosecutor Kang Hyun-soo of the Special Investigations Division hands over money-filled bags to the heads of the Financial Crime Division and Economic Crime Investigation Division.

And in return, they cover up all the attacks on Joo-ok Medical.

By the way, the guys in the Economic Crime Investigation Division were swapped out due to corruption, but it looks like the new ones are already indulging in their own corruption.

Is there no escaping it once you’re in that position?

I had thought the people Prosecutor Im Joo-young personally brought up would be different, but it seems not.

Anyway, there’s one contradictory thing here: the skipping of the Deputy Chief Prosecutor.

Im Joo-young may be unable to get involved, but both the Economic Crime Investigation Division and the Financial Crime Division are under the Deputy Chief Prosecutor.

But instead of the Deputy Chief Prosecutor, why is Chief Prosecutor Kang Hyun-soo of the Special Investigations Division managing both divisions?

Someone who reached the position of Deputy Chief Prosecutor shouldn’t be bypassed, so why did this structure form?

My head started to throb.

Even after smoking, the nicotine cravings returned.

Back at the Gwangju District Prosecutor’s Office, I used to smoke at the office with the window open sometimes, but here, I couldn’t even dream of doing that.

I resisted the urge to smoke and pressed my temples.

Skipping the Deputy Chief Prosecutor.

Why would they bypass the Deputy Chief Prosecutor?

There might be a connection between Chief Prosecutor Kang Hyun-soo and Joo-ok Medical.

But even so, it doesn’t make sense to pass over the Deputy Chief Prosecutor to deliver a bribe.

No matter how much the Chief Prosecutor oversees things, they still have to follow orders from the Deputy Chief Prosecutor.

Unless they were incredibly confident that they wouldn’t be caught, they wouldn’t act so recklessly.

The current Deputy Chief Prosecutor is someone who just got promoted earlier this year.

Even if that’s the case, by the time summer came around, they would have already gained control over the departments.

They weren’t someone who quickly rose through the ranks, so they wouldn’t have been ignored or sidelined due to seniority.

It didn’t make sense at all.

Did they think they wouldn’t get caught if the Special Investigations Division secretly passed the money?

No, the Deputy Chief Prosecutor still has the authority to direct investigations.

However, the fact that the investigation was stopped means that they must know about the bribe…

Wait a minute!

It might not have been a bypass after all.

What if Kang Hyun-soo is connected to the Deputy Chief Prosecutor?

In that case, it’s not a bypass, but rather a deliberate disregard.

Unlike the two division heads who received money from Chief Prosecutor Kang Hyun-soo, the Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Won Jong-seo, likely received money directly from Joo-ok Medical.

No, I’m certain of it.

Joo-ok Medical wouldn’t have just thrown bribes around a couple of times. They wouldn’t have done it this way if that weren’t the case.

Yes, it had to be like that.

Otherwise, there would have been no reason for Joo-ok Medical to take the risk of ignoring the Deputy Chief Prosecutor.

Alright, I’ve sorted it out.

The headache that had been nagging me disappeared in an instant.

The best move I could make now was clear.

I needed to catch the scene where Chief Prosecutor Kang Hyun-soo hands over money to Deputy Prosecutor Nam Woo-hyun.

It would be ideal to catch Deputy Chief Prosecutor Won Jong-seo receiving money directly from Joo-ok Medical, but that’s a bit greedy since I don’t have any information on that.

I’ll start with the information I have in hand.

First, the location from the photo in the message.

I wrote down the names of the signs and the location on a Post-it note and called the administrative officer sitting in the corner of the office.

“Ara.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know anything about corporate structures and things like that?”

“I can grasp the basics.”

“Then, you know that the first and second sons of the Joo-ok Group are in competition for succession, right?”

“Yes.”

“Please look into the subsidiaries that belong to the first son and the second son and separate them out.”

“Understood.”

It wasn’t a difficult task, so she’d easily be able to do it.

There were a fair number of subsidiaries, which might be annoying, but with a little time, she could easily gather that information from an internet search.

“And one more thing.”

“Yes?”

I handed her the Post-it note with the names of the signs and their locations.

“Please find out where this location with these signs is. As quickly as possible.”

“Got it.”

The phone numbers were listed, but when I searched, they were either non-existent or unlisted numbers.

I’d probably have to call directory assistance or 114 to find them.

Still, I should be able to find it within half a day.

***

“Jian-dongyo?”

“Yes.”

“How did you find it?”

“I searched the phone number with my navigation, checked the address, and confirmed it with Google Street View.”

Jo Ara pointed to her monitor.

“Here, you can see the two signs from the Post-it side by side. It’s almost certainly the right place.”

The photo from the message was too dim to distinguish colors, but the font and atmosphere of the signs matched perfectly.

“Good work.”

“No problem. Would you like a coffee?”

“Yes, sounds good.”

I slowly drank the iced coffee Jo Ara brought, lost in thought.

Jian-dong is about an hour’s drive from the Seoul District Prosecutor’s Office.

Did they go there to conduct a secret transaction?

The redevelopment area in Jian-dong is only half done. The other half is famous for its grand hanok (traditional Korean houses).

They probably didn’t go to Jian-dong to see the hanok.

It was already close to quitting time.

I couldn’t be sure if something special would happen in Jian-dong today, but I had to go there anyway.

I immediately called Yoon Seol-ha to briefly update her on the situation.

“… So, I got a tip about their secret transaction. We can probably close the account investigation for now. If I capture this scene, we won’t need the account anymore.”

I see. But are you sure about the information? If we go and it turns out to be a misunderstanding, I’d need to know the source…

“I can’t disclose the source, but the information is reliable.”

In that case, how about I go instead?

“You?”

Yes. If you go yourself and get caught, it could be really problematic. Plus, you’re probably not used to tailing people.

“Then let’s go together.”

No, I’ll go alone. I’ll take the photos and send them directly to you.

She’s right.

If I went with her, I’d likely get noticed and cause more trouble.

It’s better to leave this to an expert.

“Alright, let’s do that. We should meet and talk first. Where are you?”

I’m in Dongjak District. I’ll be at the High Prosecutor’s Office within 30 minutes.

“No, you need to go to Jian-dong, so I’ll head there. Please send me your address.”

Got it.