Chapter 452: I’ll Go Meet You Just Like That
by xennovelThree days had passed since Seo Jae-hoon was locked up in detention.
Seo Jae-hoon’s case was assigned to Criminal Division 5 where Jeong Tae-hoon served as Deputy Prosecutor and personally interrogated him.
Every morning Deputy Prosecutor Jeong Tae-hoon summoned Seo Jae-hoon from detention to the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office.
In the interrogation room of Criminal Division 5.
“Mr. Seo Jae-hoon. The evidence is crystal clear. Why do you keep trying to wriggle out of this by claiming you know nothing about it?”
“Prosecutor Jeong. The Vice Chairman truly knows nothing about this. It was all Han Ji-ho’s doing.”
For three days Seo Jae-hoon hadn’t uttered a single word.
Only his attorney Jang Geun-seok answered on his behalf.
Jeong Tae-hoon felt frustrated with Seo Jae-hoon who just sat there with his eyes closed and arms crossed.
“Prosecutor Jeong let’s not do this. Why make unnecessary moves? Han Ji-ho confessed to everything. So why are you so desperate to pin crimes on the Vice Chairman?”
“Mr. Jang Geun-seok. Why do you keep speaking informally? Didn’t I tell you not to do that?”
Jeong Tae-hoon glared at Jang Geun-seok irritably.
“Listen here Prosecutor Jeong. I’m your senior. Surely I can speak this way.”
“Senior? I’m someone who got a GED and never went to college. What senior do I have? I’ve never called anyone senior or junior in my career as a prosecutor. So show some respect.”
“Come now the Judicial Research and Training Institute is still a school.”
“I don’t care about such things. This is your final warning. And why are you obsessing over seniority when you’ve already left the prosecutor’s office you bastard?”
“W-what did you say?”
Jang Geun-seok’s face flushed at the insult.
Even as Jang Geun-seok stared daggers at him Jeong Tae-hoon responded dismissively.
“I told you not to speak informally.”
“The Seoul District Prosecutor General is my junior. I speak informally to that bastard so why should I show respect to you?”
“Take that up with the Prosecutor General yourself.”
Jeong Tae-hoon picked at his ear like he was hearing a dog bark.
“You’re insane.”
“Speak informally one more time and I’ll throw you out. I’ll show you why they call me the mad dog of the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office. Go ahead try it.”
Of course Jang Geun-seok knew Jeong Tae-hoon was no pushover.
A prosecutor with just a GED. Always an outsider this crazy bastard.
A prosecutor who lived by the sword taking on cases no one else would touch just to survive in the prosecutors’ office.
But suddenly he’d pulled some strings and skipped over the Assistant Deputy Prosecutor position to become Deputy Prosecutor in an unprecedented move.
There was only one reason this man could be so rigid with Il-seong Group’s Vice Chairman.
Kim Mu-hyeok. Jeong Tae-hoon had definitely secured Kim Mu-hyeok’s backing.
“I said try it.”
When Jang Geun-seok didn’t respond Jeong Tae-hoon provoked him.
“I’ll be careful.”
Jeong Tae-hoon raised an eyebrow and nodded.
“But when is Mr. Seo Jae-hoon going to speak? With his attorney constantly answering for him I can’t tell if I’m interrogating Mr. Seo or his lawyer.”
“What is there to say when there’s nothing to tell?”
It had been like this for three days.
Of course both Kim Mu-hyeok and he had expected this.
However Kim Mu-hyeok planned to use the full ten-day detention period before indictment simply summoning him to the prosecutors’ office daily and sending him back to detention late at night.
I get they’re using the full period just to torment him but this is getting too boring.
As Jeong Tae-hoon furrowed his brow and fell silent Jang Geun-seok seized the moment tapping his wristwatch.
“It’s lunchtime. Let’s continue after lunch.”
Jeong Tae-hoon checked the wall clock closed his laptop and stood up.
“Fine. We’ll resume in two hours.”
Seo Jae-hoon opened the interrogation room door. Four Il-seong Group attorneys stood outside.
They held expensive lunch boxes in both hands from who knows where.
“So Mr. Seo Jae-hoon has no mouth for talking but has one for eating. Where did these come from?”
“…”
Clicking his tongue at their wooden silence Jeong Tae-hoon said.
“Must be tough for you all. Struggling to pass the bar exam only to end up running lunch errands. Go on in.”
As Jeong Tae-hoon finished speaking two attorneys opened the door and went inside.
Jeong Tae-hoon watched them briefly before returning to his office.
Shortly after the prosecutor interrogating Han Ji-ho arrived at the Deputy Prosecutor’s office.
Jeong Tae-hoon warmly welcomed him from his seat.
“Prosecutor Kim good work. Have a seat.”
“Yes Deputy Prosecutor.”
Kim Min-wook sat down at Jeong Tae-hoon’s gesture.
“Is Han Ji-ho still parroting that he killed Patrick and knows nothing about the other disappearances?”
Kim Min-wook furrowed his brow and nodded.
“Yes. No matter what evidence we present he won’t budge. And with Il-seong Group’s legal team standing guard we can’t make any deals. It’s frustrating Deputy Prosecutor.”
“We expected this didn’t we?”
As Jeong Tae-hoon spoke someone knocked on his office door.
“Come in.”
The secretary entered carrying plastic bags.
She set lunch boxes in front of Jeong Tae-hoon and Kim Min-wook.
“Did you get theirs too?”
“Yes I ordered for everyone.”
“Good go ahead and eat yours too.”
After the secretary left Jeong Tae-hoon opened his lunch box and spoke.
“Eat. I ordered from the place across the street.”
As Jeong Tae-hoon started eating Kim Min-wook followed suit.
“Listen while you eat.”
“Yes.”
“You know we have more than enough to indict both of them right? Aren’t you curious why we keep calling them in?”
“…”
Kim Min-wook stopped using his chopsticks.
It was indeed puzzling.
But what confused him more was why they weren’t summoning Kim Mu-hyeok.
From day one Han Ji-ho had claimed everything was done under Kim Mu-hyeok’s orders.
But Jeong Tae-hoon ignored that.
“It’s disgusting. They’re trying to cut loose their tails until the end despite clear evidence. We’ll use the full ten days before indictment. So keep doing what you’re doing.”
“Understood.”
After finishing speaking Jeong Tae-hoon picked up a piece of sushi and put it in his mouth.
As he chewed he looked at Kim Min-wook’s face and smirked.
“You still look like you have questions.”
“No not at all.”
“Why? Is it about Kim Mu-hyeok? Wondering why we haven’t called him in as a witness?”
Kim Min-wook hesitated then nodded.
“Yes honestly I don’t understand. Shouldn’t we at least summon him as a witness for questioning? He could be a key witness.”
Jeong Tae-hoon put down his chopsticks and opened a cola bottle while speaking.
“He’ll come on the last day. So don’t think about anything else just focus on what you’re doing now.”
“Will you call him as a witness?”
After taking a drink Jeong Tae-hoon slowly shook his head.
“No he knows nothing. He’s just someone with bad blood with Seo Jae-hoon. That’s why he’s coming to meet Seo Jae-hoon personally.”
Kim Min-wook put down his chopsticks.
“Is he perhaps your sponsor Deputy Prosecutor?”
Jeong Tae-hoon spat out his cola at the word ‘sponsor’.
He kept coughing and looked at Kim Min-wook like he was crazy.
“Isn’t it strange? It’s odd that you suddenly took on this case Deputy Prosecutor. It’s not even the kind of case that should come to you.”
“You crazy bastard. Acting just as crazy as me so no one can say you’re not my kid.”
Jeong Tae-hoon looked proudly at Kim Min-wook.
Kim Min-wook was the only prosecutor Jeong Tae-hoon trusted in the office.
“Hey Min-wook.”
“Yes Deputy Prosecutor.”
“He’s not someone who can be explained with words like ‘sponsor’.”
“I’ve looked into him too.”
Jeong Tae-hoon shook his head after finishing his cola.
“He’s more influential than what you’ve found out. So stop talking nonsense and just do as I say. You know us dirt spoons need a strong lifeline to survive in the prosecutors’ office right?”
Kim Min-wook nodded.
He’d graduated from a provincial university barely passed the bar exam and finished the training institute with decent grades.
But like Jeong Tae-hoon he was always an outsider in the prosecutors’ office.
Seoul High-Korea University graduates were the sacred bone class while other Korea University graduates were the true bone class.
Other Seoul university graduates might be considered the sixth rank bone class.
Provincial university graduates were always destined to be marginalized.
But suddenly the ultimate outsider Jeong Tae-hoon had bypassed the sacred bone class to become Deputy Prosecutor first among his peers.
He’d even been given the important position of heading Criminal Division 5 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
“If you say so I’m grateful. Let’s have a meal together sometime.”
“I’ll come running whenever you call.”
After his rapid promotion Jeong Tae-hoon had become my complete follower.
It made sense since rewards had come immediately after he completed the tasks I’d given him.
“We’re almost there.”
At Manager Ma’s words I turned to look out the window. The wedding venue entrance was visible in the distance.
“I should hang up now. I’ll see you then.”
“Yes sir take care.”
Shortly after ending the call with Jeong Tae-hoon we arrived at the wedding venue.
After getting out of the car and passing through the entrance guests were already gathered in small groups chatting.
Most were people I’d seen at least once on television.
Those who recognized me greeted me with their eyes. I returned their greetings the same way.
It was hard to tell if this was a wedding venue or a social gathering for those who run Korea.
In the distance I could see Oh Jeong-seok and Oh Hyeon-woo.
“Boss we’ve arrived.”
At Manager Ma’s words I turned to look out the window. The entrance to the wedding venue was visible in the distance.
“I should hang up now. See you then.”
“Yes Mr. Ma Seok-dae here.”
“Manager Ma this is Jeong Tae-hoon.”
“Boss it’s Prosecutor Jeong.”
When I held out my hand Manager Ma passed me the phone.
“Prosecutor Jeong this is Kim Mu-hyeok.”
“Yes sir. Are you heading to Oh Prosecutor’s wedding?”
“Haha yes. I wanted to invite you too Prosecutor Jeong but I heard you were too busy.”
It was the wedding day of the grandson of the current Transition Committee Chairman and a major figure in legal circles.
As such many heavyweights from political and legal circles had gathered.
The outdoor wedding venue which could accommodate up to 200 people filled up quickly.
It would have been a good opportunity for Jeong Tae-hoon to build connections but unfortunately the number of invitees was limited.
“Haha it’s fine. I knew that would happen so I congratulated Prosecutor Oh in advance. I tried to give him a wedding gift but he said it wasn’t necessary.”
“Ah you already greeted him? That’s good.”
“Yes. Actually I called to ask if you’re still planning to proceed with the schedule as planned. You said you’d come before we indict Seo Jae-hoon right?”
I had planned to meet him on the last day before Seo Jae-hoon’s indictment.
“Yes I’ll go meet him just like that.”
“Understood. Then I’ll make sure other prosecutors can’t come in.”
As expected Jeong Tae-hoon had the ability to pinpoint exactly what I wanted.
I answered with a satisfied smile.
“Thank you. I know it’s an unreasonable request.”
“Not at all. This isn’t difficult. I can do even more. Just give the order.”
“I appreciate you saying that. Let’s have a meal together sometime.”
“I’ll come running whenever you call.”
After his rapid promotion Jeong Tae-hoon had become my complete follower.
It made sense since rewards had come immediately after he completed the tasks I’d given him.
“We’re almost there.”
At Manager Ma’s words I turned to look out the window. The wedding venue entrance was visible in the distance.
“I should hang up now. See you then.”
“Yes sir take care.”
Shortly after ending the call with Jeong Tae-hoon we arrived at the wedding venue.
After getting out of the car and passing through the entrance guests were already gathered in small groups chatting.
Most were people I’d seen at least once on television.
Those who recognized me greeted me with their eyes. I returned their greetings the same way.
It was hard to tell if this was a wedding venue or a social gathering for those who run Korea.
In the distance I could see Oh Jeong-seok and Oh Hyeon-woo.
Getting out of the car and passing through the entrance guests were already gathered in small groups chatting.
Most were people I’d seen at least once on television.
Those who recognized me greeted me with their eyes. I returned their greetings the same way.
It was hard to tell if this was a wedding venue or a social gathering for those who run Korea.
In the distance I could see Oh Jeong-seok and Oh Hyeon-woo.