Episode 203
“You knew?” Yoo Ho-chan asked, startled by Senior Prosecutor Oh’s mention of Baek In-hwi. “But why didn’t you…?”
“Everyone knows about him.”
“That’s right! He’s Chunha Group’s enemy, the mastermind behind the IT bubble scam, and countless other crimes! We have to catch him!”
“Can you even catch him? He’s in China.”
“We can work with the Chinese authorities once we have enough evidence. And even if we can’t get Baek In-hwi, arresting Kim Min-sik will lead us to him.”
“So your targets are Kim Min-sik and Baek In-hwi.”
“Exactly. We can start with this assault case and work our way up. We’ll uncover his true nature…”
“Prosecutor Yoo.” Senior Prosecutor Oh interrupted him. “Everyone knows about Baek In-hwi’s crimes. Why do you think the government is doing nothing?”
“…”
“Because there’s no proof.”
“That’s why I’m going to find it!”
He said calmly, “Yes, a prosecutor’s duty is to uphold justice and investigate suspicious activities. But why is the government doing nothing?” He shook his head. “They’re not fools. There’s a reason. We just don’t know it.”
“So we’re just going to let him get away with it?!” He bristled at his superior’s words, as if he was questioning his dedication.
“Yes. Let it go.” His eyes widened. “L-let it go?”
“You’re poking a beehive, Prosecutor Yoo. A beehive that could explode at any moment. They’re carefully removing it, and you’re poking it with a stick. It’s been damaged, yes, but hitting it with a stick will only cause more damage. We have to move it carefully.”
He suddenly realized something and gritted his teeth. “Did you receive orders from above?”
Senior Prosecutor Oh nodded. “Yes. Close the case after questioning the attackers.”
“This is political pressure!”
“That’s right, it is. So, Prosecutor Yoo…” He closed his eyes. “…just let it go. That’s the right answer.”
“Senior…” He had been addressing him formally, but now he used the informal term, indicating that he wanted to speak privately. They were from the same university and had known each other for decades, so they used formal titles in public and informal titles in private. “It’s not just about catching the bad guys. I’m not an idiot. You said the government isn’t stupid? I know. And I know there’s a reason for their inaction.”
Senior Prosecutor Oh shook his head. “You know that, and yet you’re pursuing this? Didn’t you think there might be something they’re hiding? Something they’re being pressured to cover up?”
He snapped his fingers. “That’s the point.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, his face creased with concern.
“They’re being blackmailed or threatened by Baek In-hwi. That’s why they want him to leave. They’re not letting him go willingly.” His eyes gleamed. “If I can find some evidence, some leverage against him, wouldn’t that change the situation? They wouldn’t be so helpless then.”
“If it were that easy, Baek In-hwi wouldn’t have gotten away with so much. Daehoo Group, the government, countless other companies… they couldn’t even touch Kim Min-sik, let alone Baek In-hwi.”
He said confidently, despite his superior’s skepticism, “Just because others failed doesn’t mean I will. I’m Yoo Ho-chan. We have solid evidence of assault and battery. We can use that to charge the attackers and then work our way up to the ones who ordered the attack. It might start with a minor assault case, but it could lead to something bigger. You know how investigations work!”
Senior Prosecutor Oh sighed. “You have a point, but it’s not that simple. Joongang Investment Group has already started withdrawing its assets. They’ve probably destroyed all the evidence.”
“It’s never too late. We’re wasting valuable time! The evidence against Baek In-hwi and Kim Min-sik could disappear!”
He bit his lip, thinking, and then said, “Are you sure about this?”
“I don’t care about certainty. I just charge forward.”
He looked at him intently and sighed. “Fine, I’ll try to buy you some time.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“But I can’t stall them forever. I’ll tell them I’m proceeding with the investigation because of the public pressure and Chunha Group’s involvement. Act accordingly.” He was giving him time to investigate while pretending to be pressured by external forces.
“Alright, I’ll play along. Thank you so much, senior!”
“They’re still in custody?” I asked.
Park Jong-bum nodded. “Yes.”
“It’s been ten days!”
The arrest warrant, citing assault and battery and the risk of flight, had been undeniable.
But I had assumed they would be released within a few days after I applied pressure through my government contacts. And yet they were still being investigated.
“Does an assault case usually take this long?”
“Of course not. We provided the CCTV footage and the witnesses. It should have been a simple fine and release. They’re claiming they’re being thorough because of the public and Chunha Group’s involvement…”
“Who’s the prosecutor in charge?”
He handed me a document. “Yoo Ho-chan. He’s known for his tenacity.”
I scanned the document. “A tenacious prosecutor who’s yielding to political pressure… he’s stalling. Is he trying to use me as a stepping stone?”
I chuckled. “He’s chosen the wrong opponent.”
The heihaizi in custody were sixth-generation recruits. He would have to climb several levels to reach me. And my cell structure was designed to prevent that. The only way to take down my organization was to target me directly.
“Just in case, have the sixth-generation handlers transferred to the base.”
That was the advantage of a cell structure. Removing the upper levels eliminated the ladder.
“Yes, sir.”
“This takes care of the immediate problem, but…” I smirked. “…he’s targeting me, isn’t he? How dare he?” I had even brought the president to his knees. And now a mere prosecutor was challenging me? I would repay kindness with kindness and malice with a vengeance.
“And the timing is perfect.”
Baek In-hwi had 10 trillion won in cash doing nothing after the Haixin Group operation.
I smirked. “I’ll crush him with money.”
I started transferring a large amount of funds from China.
After the IMF crisis and the IT bubble burst, Korea was welcoming any foreign investment. But the Chinese origin of the funds was a problem. “This is Baek In-hwi.”
-
It’s been a while. The Blue House chief of staff called me urgently after the funds arrived. – We have a question for you. We received a $200 million deposit from China today, the source of which is unclear. Do you know anything about it? He was being indirect, but he was talking about me.
I chuckled. “That was me.”
-
You promised to stop interfering in Korea. His voice hardened.
“And you haven’t fulfilled your promise yet.”
-
What promise…?
I smiled. “The assault case.”
-
Assault? The Chinese nationals who were arrested?
“Yes.”
-
They’re still in custody? He probably hadn’t been paying attention to such a minor incident.
“Yes, it’s been ten days. Does an assault investigation usually take this long? It seems like a deliberate attempt to provoke me.”
-
…I wasn’t aware of that. But breaking your promise because of such a minor incident…
I interrupted him. “Let me be clear. It’s $200 million today, and it’ll be $500 million tomorrow.”
-
Mr. Baek! He was alarmed.
“$1 billion the day after tomorrow, $2 billion the day after that, and then $4 billion.” I said in a low voice, “I’ll keep sending money until they’re released.”
Baek In-hwi, whom they had barely managed to drive out, was back, with even more money.
-
I-I’ll… take care of it.
“That’s your job. Just remember, the longer they’re in custody, the more money I’ll send.”
-
I’ll have them released immediately. His voice was strained.
A high-ranking government official like him wouldn’t be groveling before me just because of a few billion dollars.
It was because of Joongang Investment Group, the securities company and the bank under my control, the potential for financial chaos.
The Korean government was being forced to tolerate me, hoping for a clean and complete withdrawal of our assets.
Once we were gone, they could use legal means to prevent our re-entry.
“I don’t tolerate any deviations from my plans. And you haven’t fulfilled your promise. Was it that difficult? A simple assault case? Or…” I smirked. “…are you planning something else?”
-
Something else?! he exclaimed.
“Like… trying to use this to frame me? But assault is a bit… weak, isn’t it? For something like that?”
-
Absolutely not!
Of course, I knew they wouldn’t try anything so reckless. The potential losses far outweighed the potential gains. Joongang Investment Group hadn’t completely withdrawn its assets yet. They knew I could easily cancel the withdrawal and cause even more chaos.
“Let’s make this a clean break. A clean break is a beautiful thing.”
-
…Don’t worry.
I smiled.
“Remember, I’m choosing to leave, not being forced out.”