Chapter 347: Begging for Mercy

The Prosecutors’ Office and the police were lacking both systems to block the spread of the video online and relevant legislation.

It was obvious the video would continue to spread among people on the internet.

It involved a rising actor tangled up in a drug and sexual scandal.

And if the person involved happened to be a sitting National Assembly member, people’s interest would only grow.

“This is the business card of Goryeo Daily’s Editor-in-Chief, Hong Moon-young.”

I placed the card down in front of Oh Hyeon-woo.

Oh Hyeon-woo picked it up, wearing a peculiar expression.

“The ledger I handed over to you was also given to Goryeo Daily. You can release information bit by bit in cooperation with them. The Central District Prosecutors’ Office might handle it, but you can take it from the Special Investigations Unit. It gives us a solid reason for you to receive it back.”

If it were just a simple drug case, the Central District Prosecutors’ Office would struggle to find justification to seize it, but if it developed into a bribery scandal involving a politician, they’d have ample grounds.

As if he understood that, Oh Hyeon-woo shook the business card and said,

“It’d be easier for us if the media breaks the story first. But how much can we reveal?”

“I want everything laid bare, including his underwear. He should never make it out alive from this. Plus, I hope Lee Song-hee spends a good long time in prison.”

Oh Hyeon-woo tucked the card into his wallet and placed it back on the table.

“Well, that might be tough. If it’s just drug use, Lee Song-hee will hire an expensive lawyer and get out with probation. Actually, he might even get released on bail.”

“I’ll make sure it happens. Don’t worry about that.”

Oh Hyeon-woo’s face hardened in an instant.

“Mu-hyeok, manipulating evidence is…”

“What? Haha!”

His shocked reaction made me laugh without thinking.

He must have thought I would manipulate evidence to escalate the situation.

“Hyeon-woo, you really think I’d ask my friend to do something like that? No, I’m going to speak with the courts and push for the toughest sentence possible.”

Only then did Oh Hyeon-woo relax. Feeling embarrassed for having doubted me, he fidgeted with his empty glass of makgeolli.

“Right? I’m sorry. I’ve just seen so many cases like this that I jumped to conclusions.”

I laughed while refilling Oh Hyeon-woo’s empty glass.

There was no way I would trust Oh Hyeon-woo with orchestrating the case when he was meant to rise through the ranks and control the prosecution.

It was better not to involve him in anything that might stir up trouble later on.

And besides, this earnest guy was hardly the type to follow orders blindly.

“It might take some time, but you’ll be in charge of the prosecution soon. Then you can make the changes you’ve always wanted.”

How many people actually stay true to their intentions after stepping into the center of power?

Yet somehow, I felt like Oh Hyeon-woo would be one of the few to remain unchanged. Watching that unfold might be quite entertaining.

“Is the prosecution still stable regarding who to support in this upcoming election?”

“No candidate has been finalized yet. And no matter how much the prosecutor general tries to rally support, will the lower ranks really follow suit? Everyone’s too busy looking for their own survival, backing their preferred candidates instead. What a mess this has turned into again, with all the lineup shuffling and covert glances—a real circus.”

“You should steer clear of getting involved and just focus on what you need to do.”

Sticking my nose into matters that could cause unnecessary friction would do him no favors.

I raised my glass towards Oh Hyeon-woo.

“And make sure you handle this incident yourself—tighten things up as quickly as you can.”

Oh Hyeon-woo clinked his glass against mine and asked,

“What exactly did Lee Song-hee do to warrant this? It feels like a long time since I’ve seen you so serious.”

I briefly recounted what had happened the previous day.

After hearing the whole story, Oh Hyeon-woo gulped down his makgeolli with an expression of dismay.

For a while, he sat in silence before finally speaking up.

“Wow, Lee Song-hee has guts.”

Shaking his head in disbelief, Oh Hyeon-woo continued,

“Alright. I’ll move forward with the investigation as quickly as possible. Based on the footage, it seems that Lee Song-hee will be arrested for drug use and likely released the moment he meets with the prosecutor…”

We spent a long time discussing how to proceed with the case over makgeolli.

How long had passed?

Manager Ma, waiting outside, stepped in.

He leaned in close and whispered.

“Chairman Yoon is on the phone.”

The fact that he was contacting within a day shows how anxious Yoon Chang-ho is right now.

I took the phone, casting one glance at Oh Hyeon-woo.

Then I placed my finger to my lips, signaling for silence.

“Yes, Chairman. It’s Kim Mu-hyeok speaking.”

― Boss Kim… it’s me.

“What can I do for you at this hour?”

― Is this your work?

“What do you mean?”

― The video of Jeong Chan-seong and Lee Song-hee. Everyone knows about it; that’s why I’m calling you. Do you have any idea how crucial this moment is?”

“Are you trying to place the blame on me now?”

It seems Jeong Chan-seong has begged for mercy from Yoon Chang-ho.

― Huh… just meet up. Where are you?”

“I’m at my grandma’s place in front of Korea University with a friend. You know where that is, right?”

― I understand. I’ll be there in an hour.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

I handed the now disconnected phone back to Manager Ma.

“Chairman Yoon will be here in an hour. Please ask Grandma for some food while you’re at it.”

“Certainly.”

Manager Ma bowed his head and left. Oh Hyeon-woo furrowed his brows and asked,

“What’s going on? Chairman Yoon is coming here?”

I nodded, pouring myself some makgeolli before downing it in one go.

“Jeong Chan-seong must have begged for mercy.”

“No matter who it is, Chairman Yoon won’t be able to stop this now. The video has already spread too far.”

“The quality isn’t the best, is it? How many politicians have faced this kind of situation before? Tomorrow, during a press conference, they will claim that it isn’t them in the video, that it was manipulated, and that they barely know Lee Song-hee. That’s the narrative they’ll put forth. And that’s why I handed over the ledger—to tie it all together.”

Having seen politicians involved in scandals before, I was well aware of their usual excuses and prepared accordingly.

“If that isn’t enough, I’m even ready to call in a special prosecutor to clear things up, so don’t overexert yourself now.”

“Come on, with this much evidence, if we can’t catch him, then maybe he should just quit being a prosecutor. Don’t worry about it; just focus on blocking Chairman Yoon. If that guy steps in, even I won’t be able to conduct an investigation. He’s the most likely to become the next president, after all. Just imagine how much pressure there’d be…”

The thought made Oh Hyeon-woo grimace as though the idea repulsed him.

“Yeah, I’ll take care of that, so focus on summoning Lee Song-hee tomorrow.”

“Got it. I think I need to finish this and head in. It wouldn’t be pleasant if I ran into Chairman Yoon.”

Oh Hyeon-woo downed his makgeolli in one gulp and stood up.

I followed suit and also got up.

“It’s fine. I can go alone. When I’m done, I’ll treat you to something nice.”

“Sure, let’s grab a drink properly sometime soon.”

With a wave, Oh Hyeon-woo exited the shop, and I settled back down.

At that moment, Grandma, the owner of the shop, and Manager Ma entered.

As soon as Grandma saw us, she erupted with a torrent of complaints.

“You little rascal! When I told you to relax, you come back asking for food? You didn’t eat it all already, did you?”

Even while grumbling, she headed straight to the kitchen.

Still energetic as ever, she chuckled lightly and rubbed her stiff neck as she spoke.

“Get the staff here to tidy up and reset the place. Manager Ma, come chat with me for a moment.”

While Manager Ma summoned the staff to clean off the tables, I gathered my thoughts.

‘I wonder how Yoon Chang-ho plans to act…’

Depending on his actions, I might have to give him another chance.

After all, he had done well as my hunting dog until now.

However, If he continues to deceive me, I won’t hesitate to throw Yoon Chang-ho into the abyss.

“What’s the latest on Congressman Jeong Chan-seong?”

“They’re discussing countermeasures all day at the party headquarters.”

“So they plan to hold a press conference tomorrow?”

“Yes. They’ve informed the reporters that a press conference will be held at the National Assembly tomorrow morning.”

Looks like they’re planning to do a sob story at the press conference, just as we expected.

“They’re struggling to find a way out. What about Lee Song-hee?”

“He hasn’t left his house even an inch. His agency hasn’t made any statements either.”

I stroked my chin, contemplating. I didn’t want to see Lee Song-hee comfortable for even a moment.

“Contact Yoo Sung-jin and instruct him to convey to his agency’s head that they should abandon Lee Song-hee. If they ignore this warning, make sure to annihilate that company by any means necessary.”

“Understood.”

I continued sharing various instructions and conversing.

During this time, Grandma had set out new side dishes on the table one by one.

Checking the time, I realized it was about time for Yoon Chang-ho to arrive.

“He should be here soon. Inform the staff to block out the sight of outsiders. Use bigger guys to form a barricade, and when Yoon Chang-ho pulls up, let him come right in.”

With the election drawing near, we had no gain from attracting unwanted attention.

How desperate must he be to have rushed here without even taking a moment to think?

Thinking back to the anxious Yoon Chang-ho, who was the first to mention the political situation, I couldn’t help but smirk.

Moments later, Yoon Chang-ho entered with Manager Ma. Grandma, who had been in the kitchen, dashed out as soon as she saw him.

“Oh my, is that my Chang-ho? How many years has it been?”

“It’s been over ten years. Grandma, it’s been a while.”

“You’re showing some white hair now, aren’t you? The troublemaker Yoon Chang-ho is turning gray by now.”

“How much time has gone by? You’ve been doing well, I assume? I’ve been too busy to visit.”

“Oh goodness! Are you here to see Mu-hyeok?”

There was a reason she was called ‘grandma’ by the students at Korea University.

Despite the years, she had managed to remember each and every student.

“Alright, this old lady needs to get out of your way now. Drink moderately and the both of you head home. People working in government shouldn’t be drinking too much.”

Thanks to Grandma, the atmosphere turned quite warm. After glancing back at us a few times, she walked out of the shop with Manager Ma.

As the door closed, Yoon Chang-ho walked over to me and sat down.

“Nothing has really changed here, huh?”

“As you said, time always flows. The only thing that changes is the people.”

“True, you have a point. Can you pour me a glass? I still remember the taste of this makgeolli vividly.”

I lifted the pitcher and poured makgeolli into the chipped glass.

Yoon Chang-ho took the glass and downed it in one go.

He then handed the glass back to me.

“This is how it should be. You should join me for a drink too.”

As I took the proffered glass, Yoon Chang-ho poured makgeolli for me this time.

I too downed my glass in one breath.

Even with the alcohol, a tense atmosphere still hung between us.

Feeling the need to break the awkward silence, I spoke up first.

“I imagine you’re busy, so let’s get straight to the point. You came about Congressman Jeong Chan-seong, right?”

Yoon Chang-ho nodded.

“I’ve also heard about the trouble with Lee Song-hee. But did you really have to drag Congressman Jeong Chan-seong into this? You could have just let it slip to the media that Lee Song-hee was involved without mentioning Chan-seong at all.”

“Who said that? They’re claiming it was only Lee Song-hee. I framed it this way intending to take down both of them. Initially, I was going to handle them separately, but this moment unfolded as it did. They’re madly in love with one another after all. At least I got to take away some of their responsibility this way.”

Yoon Chang-ho’s face hardened, whether it was due to my sarcastic tone or the shocking news, I couldn’t tell.

“You say you’ve acted out of consideration, but don’t you think, Chairman, it isn’t me that’s calling the shots here? What on earth compelled this congressman, who isn’t even aligned with your faction, to ask for a private meeting with you barely a day after the news broke? What’s going on?”

A frigid silence fell over the small establishment with just the two of us inside.