Free Web NovelJeong Taehun carefully accepted the glass of alcohol.
I tilted the bottle and filled it to the brim.
“Drink first, then answer.”
After a brief pause, Jeong turned his head slightly and emptied the cup in one go.
Setting it down, he spoke in a solemn tone.
“I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”
His voice carried desperation. People with nowhere else to cling to are the easiest to use.
I nodded in satisfaction.
“You look uncomfortable. Sit properly.”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s me who’s uncomfortable.”
Only then did Jeong straighten up. I spoke again.
“It might be a tough job. I’ll block as much pressure from above as I can, but there will definitely be people who try to interfere.”
“......”
“The evidence is solid, and the press will move with us. But it’s tied to religion... it might get messy. Can you see it through to the end?”
It was connected to Heaven’s Church.
Choi Seonman himself might move, and even if he didn’t, no one knew what the church would do internally.
“Religion...”
“Specifically, it’s related to Heaven’s Church.”
At the mention of Heaven’s Church, confidence flashed across Jeong’s face.
“Heaven’s Church? That’s not even a formal denomination — just a new religious sect, isn’t it? I can handle that much.”
“Really? Can I trust you?”
“Yes, you can! Just tell me what I need to do.”
His voice was loud and crisp, like a new recruit standing at attention.
I liked men like this — ambitious ones. Feed their desires a little, and they’ll give you everything in return.
Not just for one use either. He could be useful for a few more rounds.
Thinking that, I nodded lightly.
“Good. When you leave, I’ll have the materials ready for you. Proceed as an ex officio investigation, and keep the informant’s identity strictly confidential. The moment my name shows up anywhere, your opportunity disappears completely.”
“...Yes, understood.”
He was quick on the uptake. The moment I said “opportunity,” his face tightened.
I smiled gently and lifted the bottle again.
“Have another drink.”
Just as the real talk was about to begin, a noisy commotion came from outside.
“Hyunwoo, sorry, but could you check what’s going on...”
Before I could even finish, Oh Hyunwoo was already on his feet, heading for the door.
When he opened it, a man appeared, his arms held tightly by Ma’s subordinates.
Manager Ma, frowning deeply, was scolding him.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I— uh... they said the restroom was this way...”
This was the innermost private room in the entire restaurant. Restroom? Ridiculous.
The man turned his head, maybe trying to hide his face.
But Hyunwoo recognized him immediately and raised his voice.
“Wait— Reporter Hong? What are you doing here?”
The man, now identified as Reporter Hong, spoke hurriedly.
“Prosecutor Oh! I was just looking for the restroom when these people suddenly grabbed me—”
“Don’t spew nonsense, Reporter. You know exactly how this place operates. Were you tailing us?”
“No, Prosecutor Oh! That’s not it! Are you threatening a journalist now?”
When his excuse failed, he suddenly shouted in indignation.
“You’ve got some nerve! Unbelievable. Should I expose this properly, Reporter Hong? You know I’ve just been reassigned to Beomjeong, right?”
“......”
“Should I? I know very well you’re not exactly clean yourself.”
“N-no, Prosecutor Oh, that’s not—”
As Hyunwoo kept his composure and pushed back, the man instantly lost his steam and lowered his head.
“Hyunwoo, who’s that?”
The situation was dragging on, so I got up and joined him by the door.
I glanced at the man still avoiding eye contact.
“Oh, he’s a Supreme Prosecutor’s Office correspondent. Looks like he was following me.”
“A reporter? Why would he follow you?”
“No idea. Damn... this is annoying.”
Hyunwoo replied irritably while staring down at the man.
I too looked him over, curiosity flickering.
But something felt off. The man wouldn’t look at me directly.
So his target wasn’t Hyunwoo, but me? I muttered dryly before I could stop myself.
“Guess it’s me, huh?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
When Hyunwoo asked in confusion, I gestured toward the man.
“He wasn’t following you. He came here for me.”
“What?”
Hyunwoo stared at the man, dumbfounded.
“Reporter Hong?”
“......”
The man said nothing, and Hyunwoo frowned.
“Ha... figures.”
With a deep sigh, Hyunwoo turned toward me.
He knew perfectly well how much I despised journalists.
“What should we do? He’s still a reporter.”
It was a dilemma. Ma’s expression had already turned ice-cold.
But if this guy was known well enough for Hyunwoo to recognize him, his sudden disappearance would cause a stir.
“Hmm. Which paper?”
“Sesin Daily.”
“Sesin Daily?”
Sesin Daily? Now this was getting interesting.
“How did you find me? Did Heaven’s Church send you? Or Hwaseung?”
“......”
“If you don’t talk, the man next to me might get unpleasant.”
The man clamped his mouth shut.
I smiled faintly and asked again.
“Whose orders?”
“...Personal curiosity.”
“Curiosity? And how exactly do you know me?”
“How many reporters in this country don’t know Kim Muhyuk?”
Not much of a liar for a journalist. There’s no way a rank-and-file reporter knows me.
“That’s not true. Not knowing me would be normal. To know me, you’d have to be an editor-level executive — and you don’t look like one.”
“I’ve been a correspondent at the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Supreme Prosecutor’s Office for a long time. Before that, I was on the political desk. I just happened to learn about you. I saw you heading this way and followed instinctively. I didn’t expect Prosecutor Oh to be here too.”
He glanced toward the inside of the room and muttered in surprise.
“I didn’t expect him to be here either.”
“You know him?”
“Of course. Any journalist covering the prosecution knows him — the textbook example of a dragon born from the gutter.”
Maybe this one could be useful too. I looked at Ma.
“Let him go.”
Though clearly unhappy, Ma gave a signal to his men.
They released his arms.
As Reporter Hong stumbled from being freed, I gestured toward him.
“Come in. Since fate brought us together, join us.”
“R-really?”
“Yes. Come in.”
If it had been any other newspaper, I would’ve dismissed him outright.
But Sesin Daily — owned by Heaven’s Church — was another matter.
“Are you sure about this?” Hyunwoo whispered.
I nodded slightly.
“Manager, have them reset the table. We can’t serve leftovers to a guest, can we? We’re almost done eating anyway, so just bring something that goes well with drinks.”
“Understood.”
Grunting softly, the man took off his shoes and climbed into the room, smiling brightly as if nothing had happened, extending his hand.
“Ha-ha, I’m Hong Junseong, reporter for Sesin Daily. It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Kim Muhyuk.”
“Come in.”
I ignored his outstretched hand and turned away.
Hyunwoo leaned in close and murmured to him in a low voice.
“Anything said here is under embargo. If it goes public, we’ll be meeting in an interrogation room. And we both know you’ve taken plenty of money for stories before. You understand what I’m saying, right?”
Hong’s grin vanished instantly.
“You keep threatening me, Prosecutor Oh. Don’t underestimate the press. Even for someone with a golden pedigree like you — don’t cross the line.”
“Guess you’ve still got some pride, huh? But you’ll regret it. Can you handle the fallout? You think Sesin Daily will protect you while going against me?”
Hyunwoo knew his place in the hierarchy.
He no longer felt uncomfortable using his grandfather’s influence.
Maybe in his twenties he’d hated it, but in the prosecution, sentimentality was a luxury.
Still, watching someone try to assert pride against one of the prosecution’s elite was almost amusing.
“Hyunwoo, that’s enough. Leave him be.”
I stopped him lightly. Hyunwoo nodded and tossed out one last remark.
“Suit yourself. I’m only saying this for your own good, Reporter Hong.”
With that, he turned and went back to his seat.
Hong pursed his lips, clearly not understanding the warning.
“Sit down.”
I pointed beside Jeong Taehun. Hong sat and greeted him.
“Prosecutor Jeong Taehun, I’m Hong Junseong from Sesin Daily. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Jeong just nodded stiffly. Awkward, Hong chuckled and said,
“Didn’t expect this lineup. The noble Prosecutor Oh Hyunwoo and the commoner Prosecutor Jeong Taehun, meeting Kim Muhyuk? What’s going on here?”
At the word “commoner,” Jeong turned his head sharply, his expression fierce.
“Oh, come on! It’s just a joke — and true, anyway.”
Hong waved his hand playfully. I couldn’t help but laugh. A Sesin Daily reporter indeed — birds of a feather.
“You’re quite the entertainer. But judging by the place and atmosphere, you should watch what you say.”
As I refilled Jeong’s glass, Hong turned his head.
“Excuse me? You mean me?”
“Who else? Calling someone a commoner to his face — you trying to start a fight? How’d you feel if I called you less than a Goryeo Daily journalist?”
“......”
Just as prosecutors had their own ranks, journalists did too.
Those from mainstream outlets like Goryeo Daily looked down on the rest.
“I invited you out of interest, not to listen to boring jokes. If you don’t like that, feel free to leave. No one will stop you.”
The door opened and a server came in to reset the table.
It didn’t take long for new side dishes to be set down.
“Serve yourselves.”
Still, I poured a drink for Hyunwoo.
“So, Reporter Hong — how exactly do you know me?”
“While tracking Chairman Yoon Changho, your name came up.”
“That couldn’t have been easy.”
“I’ve been covering legal affairs for years. It’s what I do.”
He sounded proud. I chuckled.
He probably knew it wasn’t praise, but still had the gall to act smug.
“So you know who I am?”
“Roughly. I didn’t dig too deep. Felt like I shouldn’t. I just followed you today out of curiosity.” freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
“This place doesn’t exactly have lax security.”
This was a high-end restaurant frequented by officials — not somewhere anyone could just walk in.
Without a confirmed reservation, you’d be stopped at the entrance.
“I come here often too. One phone call and I’m in.”
So even this place’s water had gone muddy already. I clicked my tongue as I refilled my own glass.
“By the way, the moment I heard ‘Sesin Daily,’ you mentioned Heaven’s Church and Hwaseung Group. You familiar with them?”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on them lately.”
“Interested, are you? Come on, you know they’re not exactly worthy of Mr. Kim Muhyuk’s attention. They’re cult-level ridiculous.”
He had quite the tongue. I’d expected a fanatic reporter, but apparently not.
“Careful. That’s not something you should say while taking their paycheck.”
“You can’t hide the sky with your hands. Everyone knows already.”
Amusing guy. I smirked and lifted my glass.
“But it’s funny, isn’t it? We were just talking about Heaven’s Church, and here you are tailing me — a reporter from their own paper. Quite the coincidence.”
“Huh? Heaven’s Church? What do you mean...?”
“You’ll see. In a few days, a bomb’s going to go off.”
I set my empty glass down. Hong still looked confused.
“It’s an exclusive for Goryeo Daily, so I can’t say more. Even if I did, Sesin Daily wouldn’t be allowed to publish it anyway.”
With a faint smile, I poured myself another drink.
“It’s something that’ll turn Heaven’s Church upside down.”
