Free Web NovelThe prosecution and police still had no system or laws in place to stop a video spreading online.
The footage was bound to keep circulating endlessly across the internet.
A rising actress caught in a drug-and-sex scandal—
and the man involved being a sitting member of the National Assembly?
The public’s attention was inevitable.
“This is the business card of Go Moonyoung, the editor-in-chief of Koryeo Daily.”
I laid the card down in front of Oh Hyunwoo.
He picked it up with a strange look.
“I already sent the ledgers I gave you to Koryeo Daily as well. You can coordinate with them and release it step by step. The Central District Prosecutors’ Office will probably try to take the case, but pull it into the Central Investigation Department yourself. Those ledgers give you enough justification to claim it.”
If it were just a drug case, the Central Office might not have had reason to seize it.
But with bribery and a politician involved, the Central Investigation Department would have every right.
Knowing that, Oh Hyunwoo twirled the card and asked,
“It’ll be easier once the media breaks it first. But how far do you want it to go?”
“Strip them bare—down to their underwear. Make sure they can never crawl back out. And I want Lee Songhee to rot in prison for a long time.”
He tucked the card into his wallet and set it back down on the table.
“Hmm, that’ll be hard. If it’s just drug use, she’ll hire an expensive lawyer and get a suspended sentence. Hell, she might even make bail.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
At those words, Oh Hyunwoo’s expression instantly hardened.
“Muhyuk, come on. You’re not talking about falsifying evidence, are you—”
“What? Haha!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his startled tone.
He actually thought I meant fabricating evidence to blow up the case.
“Hyunwoo, would I really ask my friend to do something like that? No. I’m just going to have a word with the court and ask for the maximum sentence.”
Only then did he relax again, looking embarrassed for even doubting me. He fidgeted with his makgeolli cup, awkwardly silent.
“Right? Sorry. I’ve seen too many cases like that lately. I jumped to conclusions.”
I smiled and refilled his empty cup.
I never intended to make him tamper with evidence anyway.
He was destined to rise and take control of the prosecution—better not to taint him with something that could resurface later.
Besides, this stiff-necked bastard wouldn’t do it even if I told him to.
“It’ll take time, but once you’re the head of the prosecution, you can change things. That’s enough.”
How many people stay true to their principles once they’re at the center of power?
And yet, somehow, I had the feeling Hyunwoo might be one of the rare few who would.
Watching that happen from up close might actually be entertaining.
“The prosecution hasn’t decided which candidate to back in the upcoming election yet, right?”
“There’s no confirmed nominee. And even if the Prosecutor General favors one side, do you think the people below him listen? Everyone’s busy saving their own skins, backing whoever benefits them most. Every election turns into a circus—faction fights, sycophancy, backstabbing. It’s a mess.”
“Then don’t line up with anyone. Just do your job.”
There was nothing to gain from stepping into political chaos—it would only hurt him.
I lifted my cup toward him.
“And this case—you handle it yourself. Personally. Make sure it’s cleaned up completely, and fast.”
He clinked his cup against mine and asked,
“What did Lee Songhee even do to you? Haven’t seen you this pissed in a long time.”
I briefly told him what had happened the day before.
When I finished, Hyunwoo grimaced and downed his drink in one go.
After a long pause, he finally muttered,
“Damn, that woman’s got guts.”
He clicked his tongue, shaking his head.
“Alright. I’ll move the investigation as fast as possible. From the footage, it’s obvious she was on drugs. Tests will confirm it right away...”
We spent quite a while after that, drinking makgeolli and discussing how to handle the case.
I lost track of time until Manager Ma, who had been waiting outside, stepped into the bar.
He leaned down and whispered,
“Chairman Yoon is calling.”
So soon? Not even a full day had passed.
Looks like Yoon Chang-ho’s stomach must be burning already.
I took the phone from him and glanced at Hyunwoo, then pressed a finger to my lips, signaling for silence.
“Yes, Chairman. This is Kim Muhyuk.”
— Kim... it’s me.
“What makes you call at this hour?”
— This is your doing, isn’t it?
“What do you mean?”
— The Jeong Chanseong–Lee Songhee video. Don’t play dumb. Everyone knows. Why are you doing this now of all times? You know how delicate the political climate is.
“Did you call to scold me?”
So Jeong Chanseong must’ve already gone crawling to him, begging for his life.
— Haa... just meet me. Where are you right now?
“I’m at Grandma’s place near Korea National University, drinking with a friend. You know the spot, right?”
— I do. I’ll be there within an hour.
“Alright. I’ll wait.”
I hung up and handed the phone back to Manager Ma.
“Chairman Yoon’s coming here. Said it’ll take about an hour. Call Grandma and ask her to prepare some food for him.”
“Yes, sir.”
He nodded and left. Oh Hyunwoo frowned.
“What, Chairman Yoon’s coming here?” freewebnøvel.com
I nodded, poured another cup of makgeolli, and downed it.
“Jeong Chanseong must have begged him to save his life.”
“Even Yoon Chang-ho won’t be able to stop this. The video’s everywhere already.”
“The resolution isn’t great. You know how politicians are. Tomorrow he’ll hold a press conference and say, That man isn’t me. The footage is fabricated. I don’t even know Lee Songhee. Predictable. That’s why I gave you the ledgers—tie them together and nail him down.”
I already knew exactly how politicians acted when caught in scandals, and I’d prepared for it.
“If it gets messy, I’m ready to push for a special prosecutor, so don’t overextend yourself.”
“With evidence like this, if I can’t take him down, I should quit being a prosecutor. Just focus on handling Chairman Yoon. If he steps in, even I can’t keep the investigation alive. The guy’s practically the next President. The pressure from above will be insane...”
Just imagining it made Hyunwoo shudder.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him. Just summon Lee Songhee tomorrow.”
“Got it. I’ll finish this drink and head out. No point bumping into Chairman Yoon—it’d just be awkward.”
He emptied his cup and stood up.
I rose with him.
“It’s fine, I can go on my own. Treat me to a good meal after this is over.”
“Sure. Next time, we’ll drink properly.”
He waved and left. I sat back down.
Right then, Grandma and Manager Ma came in.
The old woman burst out in her usual rough dialect.
“You rotten brat. You told me to go rest, and now you’re makin’ me cook again? Didn’t you just eat?”
Even while grumbling, she marched straight into the kitchen.
Still as lively as ever. I chuckled and massaged my stiff neck.
“Have the staff clean this place up and reset the table. Manager, stay here with me for a moment.”
While he called in the men to tidy up, I organized my thoughts.
‘Let’s see how Yoon Chang-ho plays this...’
Depending on his reaction, I might give him one more chance.
After all, he’d served faithfully as my hunting dog for years.
But if he tried to deceive me again, I’d drag him straight into ruin.
“How’s Assemblyman Jeong moving?”
“He’s been in meetings all day at his office.”
“Any word on a press conference?”
“Yes. Reporters have been told it’ll be held at the National Assembly tomorrow morning.”
Just as expected. He was going to cry to the press.
“Struggling desperately to wriggle free, huh. What about Lee Songhee?”
“She hasn’t left her house. Her agency’s staying silent as well.”
I stroked my chin, thinking.
I couldn’t stand the thought of her spending even a moment in peace.
“Contact Chairman Yoo Seongjin. Tell him to warn that agency’s president to drop Lee Songhee. If they ignore the warning, destroy the company—by any means necessary.”
“Understood.”
I gave several more orders and exchanged a few words with him.
By then, Grandma began bringing out new dishes one by one.
Checking the time, I saw that Yoon Chang-ho would be arriving soon.
“He should be here any minute. Have the men block all outside visibility—line up the biggest ones at the entrance. When his car pulls up, make sure he can come straight in.”
With the election just around the corner, it wouldn’t do for anyone to see us together.
He must have been desperate to come here in person without thinking twice.
I smirked at the thought of Yoon Chang-ho lecturing me about timing while rushing over like this.
Before long, he entered with Manager Ma. Grandma peeked out from the kitchen and gasped.
“Well, I’ll be damned! Chang-ho, is that you? How many years has it been?”
“Over ten, probably. It’s been a while, Grandma.”
“You’ve gone gray already! Little troublemaker Yoon Chang-ho with white hair, imagine that.”
“It’s been a long time. How have you been? I should’ve visited sooner, but I’ve been so busy...”
“Bah. Enough of that. You’re here to see that rascal Muhyuk, aren’t you?”
There was a reason the students around Korea National University called her “Grandma.”
Even after all these years, she remembered them all.
“Well, this old lady will get out of your hair. Don’t drink too much, you two—and you, a man of politics, shouldn’t be getting drunk, y’hear?”
Thanks to her, the tension eased a little. After glancing at us a few times, Grandma and Manager Ma left.
As the door closed, Yoon Chang-ho came over and sat across from me.
“This place hasn’t changed at all.”
“As you said yourself, time always passes. What changes isn’t time—it’s people.”
He ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) chuckled. “You’re right. It’s people who change. Pour me a drink? I still miss this makgeolli sometimes.”
I lifted the kettle and poured into the dented cup.
He took it and drank in one gulp, then held it out toward me.
“This is the taste I remembered. Your turn.”
When he poured for me, I did the same—drank it all at once.
Even with the alcohol, the air between us remained stiff.
To break that uneasy silence, I spoke first.
“You must be busy, so I’ll get straight to the point. You came because of Assemblyman Jeong, right?”
He nodded.
“I heard about your clash with Lee Songhee. But did you really have to drag Jeong Chanseong into it? You could’ve leaked it to the press and dealt with her alone.”
“Who told you I only targeted her? I planned to take them both down from the start. Originally I was going to handle them separately, but things worked out conveniently. Turns out they were head over heels for each other—saved me the trouble.”
Whether it was the tone or the content, his face hardened.
“You should know better than anyone why I did it, Chairman. Why do you think I chose to destroy a three-term centrist lawmaker like Jeong Chanseong at such a critical time?”
I raised one corner of my mouth.
He bit down on his lip.
Well, well.
The rabbit hadn’t even been caught yet, and the hunting dog was already showing its teeth.
Suppressing my irritation, I spoke coldly.
“But tell me, Chairman. Assemblyman Jeong isn’t part of your faction, is he? Not even a day has passed, yet you’ve come to meet me in person—for a lawmaker who isn’t even yours. How should I interpret that?”
The air inside the little bar grew icy.
