Free Web NovelIt had been a while since I’d had dinner with all my friends.
Mindful of how many eyes were on me, I deliberately arranged the meeting not in Seoul but at a restaurant in Gyeonggi Province.
When I arrived, Myungsoo was the only one there.
“You’re early.”
“Oh, you’re here?”
“Where are the others?”
“They’ll be here soon. Sit down.”
At his prompting, I took off my coat and handed it to Chief Ma, then stepped into the private room.
“Is Chairman Cheon doing all right?”
“Same as ever.”
“Even with all that money, he’s still a pain in the ass. How does someone come back to Korea after so long and immediately start thinking about filing a lawsuit? I don’t get it.”
Grumbling, Myungsoo poured me a shot of soju.
I took the glass, accepting the clear liquor as it filled to the brim.
“Let’s have a drink.”
The sharp, pleasant sound of our glasses clinking rang out.
The soju burned bitterly as it slid down my throat.
“Let’s blow it up now.”
When I set the empty glass down and spoke, Myungsoo’s eyes narrowed.
“Blow what up? Kim Junggeun?”
Even though I’d only said “it,” he’d hit the mark.
I nodded silently.
“Already? Weren’t we going to time it with the nomination season next year to make a splash?”
“That was the plan, but it looks like Kim Hakgwon and Seo Yonggeon have joined forces. They’re making noise by tying Grandfather to Geukseong Group. I need to hit first and bury every other issue.”
You cover a scandal with a bigger scandal.
No matter how sensational a case is, it can’t beat a corruption scandal involving the president — everything else gets buried.
“Yeah, I saw. Looks like Ilseong’s going all in. The Central Investigation Department is pressing hard on Geukseong Group, and the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office is digging into Chairman Cheon’s case.”
“Mm. They’re probably bloodshot-eyed trying to dig up anything they can.”
My calm tone seemed to irritate him; Myungsoo poured himself another shot and knocked it back.
Then he wiped his lips and muttered a low curse.
“Damn it. What the hell are they doing, going after a sick man?”
“I didn’t expect them to go after Grandfather instead of me, either. But the prosecution probably won’t push the investigation any further.”
He looked puzzled, as if to ask what I meant, so I explained.
“Rank-and-file prosecutors aside, all the top brass are implicated. If this blows up... they’ll smother it themselves to save their own skins.”
“Unbelievable. When are we doing it?”
“Let’s blow it up right after this weekend — Monday. You summon Kim Junggeun first. Ignore any pressure from above. If you move first, Koryeo Daily will have the exclusive. Then the other outlets will follow naturally.”
A hint of grim determination flickered in Myungsoo’s face. I smiled faintly at his nod.
“You know to record any pressure from above, right? After the press conference, hand the case over to Hyunwoo and step back. I’ll make you into a hero.”
Once again, Kim Hakgwon had been the one to let go of my hand first. That meant I could go after Kim Junggeun with a clear conscience.
This was a chance to bury the issue involving my grandfather while turning Myungsoo into a tragic hero of the prosecution. I hadn’t planned it, but everything was blowing up at just the right time.
“A hero? Don’t be ridiculous. What hero?”
“You saw how Yoon Changho got into politics, didn’t you? The public wants heroes like that — Don Quixote types who don’t bow to living power.”
“Pff...”
Just then, there was a commotion outside.
The door swung open and Oh Hyunwoo came in with Han Minkyung.
“What, you two are early? Have we started already?”
Without answering, Myungsoo gave them a sleepy-eyed look.
“What’s going on? You two a thing now?”
He teased them in his trademark mocking tone.
“Why are you being gross?”
Han Minkyung shot him a look of open disdain and stepped inside.
“What’s with you two coming in together? Looks weird.”
“Our quitting times matched, so we came together. I told her to ride with me since we’d obviously be drinking. What’s weird about that?”
Hyunwoo grumbled as he followed her in, brushing off Myungsoo’s prodding.
Minkyung took the seat beside me, and Hyunwoo sat next to Myungsoo.
“How’ve you been?”
I already knew from the grapevine, but I asked anyway. Minkyung’s reply was steady.
“Same work as any judge. You? I heard your grandfather’s really sick. I was going to visit, but they said it’s not possible.”
“The hospital says he needs complete rest, so he’s not seeing anyone.”
She didn’t hide the sympathy in her eyes.
I averted my gaze and turned to Hyunwoo.
“How about you?”
Bickering with Myungsoo, Hyunwoo glanced over.
“Me? Not much going on. It’s election season, so everyone’s in a ‘don’t influence the vote’ mood — just doing investigations.”
“Any big cases?”
“Not yet. And anyway, when have we ever needed a case to start something? We hit when it’s time to hit.”
That was true, so I nodded.
The CID’s storage was full of chaebol corruption files and assorted political dirt.
When to open a case wasn’t up to the prosecutors — the department head gave the order.
“By the way, is it true what Minkyung said? Chairman Cheon’s condition’s bad? Rumor’s going around the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.”
“There’s a rumor?”
“Well, there’s no one in the top ranks who hasn’t taken a little pocket money from him.”
A crooked smile flickered on Hyunwoo’s lips before his face returned to ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) normal.
“Now that they’re trying to tie him to Geukseong Group, I heard the deputy prosecutor handling that case went pale and ran to see the Prosecutor General.”
“The Prosecutor General’s a Kim Hakgwon man. They’re only tying Grandfather in to create noise — they’re not going to really investigate.”
Hyunwoo nodded in agreement.
“What, everyone’s early?”
While we were talking, Yoon Jaeha came in.
“I’m the last one?”
“Hyunseong’s not here yet. Hey, Jaeha, forget that — listen to me. Hyunwoo and Minkyung came together earlier. Suspicious, right?”
As soon as Jaeha sat down, Myungsoo made a fuss.
“How’s that suspicious?”
“It just is. No reason for them to come in the same car. Am I the only one who thinks so?”
“Idiot.”
Ignoring him with a smirk, Jaeha turned to me.
“They’re pushing to speed things up with the Atlantic case. I’ll handle it — you don’t need to worry.”
“Yeah?”
“They probably want the lawsuit done quickly. But there’s no reason for us to match their pace. The judge even suggested we settle between ourselves and resume later, but they’ve requested a bench change.”
Not surprising — I already knew Ilseong and Cheon Sooman wanted a judge swap in their favor.
“Think they’ll get it?”
“They probably will. But I’ll make sure it’s not the judge they want, so don’t worry.”
“Thanks.”
“No big deal. Anyway, what’s with the untouched food? Waiting for a ritual? Eat — Hyunseong will show up. I’m starving.”
“No, forget the food — Jaeha, listen to me—”
Myungsoo kept needling, but the rest of us ignored him and picked up our chopsticks.
Hyunseong arrived soon after, and we caught up over dinner.
Over dessert — sujeonggwa and coffee — I got to the point.
“Hyunwoo, we’re starting the Kim Junggeun case.”
He looked up from his coffee in surprise.
“What?”
“I don’t like Grandfather’s name being dragged around. It’s fast, but this will also lay the groundwork for Myungsoo’s debut in politics.”
“When are you going to hit it?”
“I’ll issue the summons next Monday. That’ll kick it off, and Koryeo Daily will...”
I laid out the prearranged scenario for the Kim Junggeun case.
When I finished, Hyunwoo nodded.
“I should get ready too, then.”
“Kim Hakgwon won’t be able to stop it. If he even tries, it’s the same as throwing away the general election. He’ll end up sacrificing his son.”
Hyunwoo, quick on the uptake, continued in a serious tone.
“After Myungsoo’s press conference, I take over the case.”
“Right. Even the Prosecutor General won’t be able to touch you.”
Even retired from the front line, Oh Hyunwoo — grandson of former Chief Justice Oh Jungseok — couldn’t be forcibly sidelined by anyone in the legal world.
“Got it. This time, no matter what they say, I’ll stick it out and investigate.”
“Thanks.”
“Friends don’t need to make a big deal of it. Buy me a drink next time.”
“When this matter’s wrapped up, we’ll set up another get-together. Right now I’ve got too much on my plate.”
With that, I stood.
Since everyone had been drinking, I told the staff under Chief Ma to get them all home. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Thanks to having kept my schedule clear, the weekend passed quickly.
On Monday afternoon, I got a text from Myungsoo.
[Just sent the summons.]
After getting his message, I contacted Koryeo Daily and told them to run the article tomorrow.
Even today, Aseong Daily was still hammering away at Geukseong Group, and lately other newspapers, after testing the waters, had begun joining in.
So far, Aseong Daily was the only major paper reporting on the case, but the others couldn’t be ignored.
“Pull all ads from any paper that’s printed even a single article linking Geukseong Group and Grandfather.”
“Yes, Boss.”
After giving the order, I started reading the documents Chief Ma had dug up on Jang Daeho.
The more pages I turned, the deeper my frown became.
“So... you’re saying Founder Seo Ilseong and Jang Daeho were close friends?”
“Yes.”
“Then how has no one ever heard of him?”
The file only contained a summary, not the details.
Rather than squint at scraps of paper, it seemed better to hear directly from Chief Ma.
“From what I’ve found, he never played much of a role in Ilseong’s business. He fled south from the North during the Korean War, settled in Daegu, and it’s believed he met Seo Ilseong then. Beyond that, details are scarce. Right now he’s said to be farming in Gyeongsan.”
“He must be getting on in years?”
“Yes.”
Jang Daeho was on the verge of turning eighty.
“His health?” frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
“As far as I know, no problems yet.”
“And Chairman Seo Yonggeon just leaves someone like that alone?”
“He may not be known publicly, but the connection with Seo Ilseong is known to all of Seo Yonggeon’s children. Back when Seo Ilseong was alive, he would take his children down to see him every holiday.”
If he was close to Seo Ilseong and all his children, including Seo Yonggeon, it would be difficult for me to get to him.
I glanced back through the file, thinking that if his children were wastrels, it might be easy to win him over.
But there was only his name listed.
“No children’s names?”
“Apparently, since settling in Daegu, he never remarried. There are rumors he left a wife and kids behind in the North, but nothing confirmed.”
If I couldn’t get direct help, I’d hoped at least to find someone who would inherit from him — but the fact he had no children in the South left me at a dead end.
“And his assets?”
“Besides his stock holdings, he owns a lot of land in Gyeongsan. He’s lived quietly, but everyone in the area knows him as ‘Old Man Jang.’ He’s well-regarded for helping people in need.”
So he had a good reputation.
Most people with that much wealth are stingy when it comes to giving, but he had apparently continued to help the needy without publicizing it — a man of character, very different from the detestable Seo Yonggeon.
I wanted to meet him.
“Old Man Jang...”
I murmured his name, rubbing my chin.
It was a day for heavy thinking.
* * *
“What? Stop it right now!”
President Kim Hakgwon had known nothing about Kim Junggeun’s corruption involving influence-peddling.
But he understood perfectly well how much it could damage his political standing.
“I’ve already instructed the Prosecutor General to block it.”
“Get Junggeun in here immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kim Hakgwon pressed his temples, his head throbbing.
“Why now, of all times — right before the general election?”
Summoned by his father, Kim Junggeun quickly came to the Blue House.
The moment he stepped into the president’s office and saw his father’s grim face, he flinched.
Hakgwon glared at him, his fist trembling.
“You...”
“Father, it’s not what it—”
“Sit down first.”
“Yes, Father.”
Forcing himself to rein in his anger, Hakgwon asked,
“Is it true? That you took money from all over?”
“...”
“Why aren’t you answering? Did you or didn’t you?”
“...I’m sorry.”
Seeing his son bow his head, Hakgwon felt as if the sky was collapsing.
“Why? What were you lacking? Was being a National Assembly member not enough? Why did you do it?”
“I must have lost my mind.”
“No, spare me the excuses. Tell me the reason.”
“At first, it was a friend’s introduction. Then we had drinks a few times and...”
Junggeun began stammering through an excuse.
“One night, he talked about his troubles, and I, being tipsy, said I’d help...”
“Fine, you could help. There’s nothing wrong with that. But why take money?”
“...”
“If it was really just friendship, you shouldn’t have taken a single won!”
“I’m sorry.”
Hakgwon barely stopped himself from smacking the back of his son’s head.
Taking a deep breath, he asked again,
“How much did you take?”
“...About 4 billion won worth. None in cash. Watches, things like that... and stocks.”
“Phew... I’ll try to contain it, but stay out of sight for now. Understand?”
“Yes, Father.”
When Junggeun finally looked up, his eyes were brimming with tears.
Seeing his foolish son like that, Hakgwon’s heart ached.
At that point, he had no idea it would get worse. He still thought it could be contained.
But things didn’t go as he expected.
* * *
The day after the summons from the prosecution, Koryeo Daily devoted not only its front page but pages two and three to an exposé on Kim Junggeun’s corruption.
It wasn’t mere allegations — they printed detailed accounts and evidence, throwing the public into uproar.
President Kim Hakgwon had built his support on an image of integrity.
And now his son was caught in a bribery scandal.
Even mere suspicion would have been a political disaster — but here were concrete details.
The centrist party and even the conservatives were quick to condemn him.
The progressives, on the other hand, blasted the prosecution, calling it a political attack.
The public was split; anywhere two or more people gathered, the Kim Junggeun Bribery Gate was the topic.
And just as I’d planned, Grandfather and Geukseong Group had slipped from the spotlight.
For now, public opinion was still more favorable toward Junggeun, but once Lee Myungsoo held his press conference, the criticism would inevitably turn on him.
“How much time’s left?”
“About an hour.”
Having thrown South Korea into chaos, I was now leaving Seoul and heading down to Gyeongsan to meet Jang Daeho.
