Chapter 295: But You Remember My Name?

“But you, how did you manage to remember my name?”

Kim Ji-hoon spoke with a hint of surprise. He probably thought of it as a fleeting connection. It wasn’t easy for someone like me, who only briefly showed my face during exams, to remember the name of someone who diligently went back and forth between school and the library.

“I’m the one who made you come to this position today. Wouldn’t it be stranger if you didn’t remember?”

“What?”

“The Financial Investigation Department of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office. A powerful position where anyone in South Korea can look into those accounts. Who do you think put you in this seat?”

Public Security Department, Special Investigation Department, and the Financial Investigation Department.

These were the three coveted positions in the Central District Prosecutors’ Office.

Of course, it wasn’t that Kim Ji-hoon’s alma mater or grades were lacking, but it was a position that prosecutors with at least two years of experience could aspire to. How many prosecutors with good grades from Seoul National University were there? But Kim Ji-hoon had snagged this position from the first day of his career as a prosecutor.

Inside the Financial Investigation Department, people wondered who Kim Ji-hoon’s backer was, but no matter how much they dug into his background as a country boy, all they found were an orchard farmer and a vice-principal of a rural school.

Kim Ji-hoon himself was surprised holding the appointment letter.

He had expected at most a position in the Criminal Department of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office, but being suddenly appointed to a key post, how could he not be surprised?

It wasn’t that he didn’t have any ideas. Among his peers, the grandson of Korea’s top chaebol family was the only person of influence he knew. But the depth of their connection was too shallow for that. No, it would be more accurate to say it was non-existent.

But as I smiled at him, he must have been so shocked he couldn’t even open his mouth.

“If you feel bad about me pulling strings or if it hurts your pride, tell me. I’ll move you to a position you want. But if you try to imitate dramas and throw a punch, I’ll sue you for assault, so take the power out of your fists.”

He, who still couldn’t speak, barely managed to open his mouth.

“It was you? My backer that everyone was curious about…?”

Prosecutor Kim Ji-hoon looked back with a ‘crap’ expression. It was obvious that he was looking around because higher-ups would be watching from behind the one-way mirror.

“It’s okay. No one’s here. I asked beforehand to talk to you quietly.”

He shook his head and plopped down on the chair opposite me.

“What is it? What’s this quiet talk we need to have?”

“You little rascal, shouldn’t you at least say thank you if you like the position?”

“It’s not like you’re being considerate because we’re classmates. You put me here thinking there would be a time when I’d be needed, right? Showing you by acting as you want is a hundred times better than words.”

“Showing me with actions rather than words, I like that. You’ll do as I want?”

“I’ll hear it out. A prosecutor siding with a chaebol looks pathetic. Hehe.”

He was the same as before.

When we first met in front of the library, Kim Ji-hoon showed a friendly tone and attitude, not even feeling awkward.

It’s the same now. Although we only bumped into each other a few times in school, he was as natural as if he was meeting a very close classmate.

“More than that, tell me the reason for doing this. What is it? Do you have so much money you don’t know where to throw it, so you’re paying taxes?”

“I don’t have enough to eat and die. Where in the world is there money to throw away? It hurts so much I’m crying tears of blood.”

“Then why did you do it? Don’t tell me it’s some kind of noblesse oblige?”

“That’s a family matter. Don’t ask, and did you review it?”

“You little rascal. How can I look through that massive amount in three days? The department head also said so. Since Soonyang’s Jin Do-jun is putting on a show, just make sure you coordinate well with the National Tax Service!”

Kim Ji-hoon flicked the pile of documents he had put down.

“Then there’s nothing more to do, right?”

“What more can we do to a chaebol who pays 600 billion won in taxes that they didn’t even have to pay? The department head will announce that we applaud Mr. Jin Do-jun’s decision.”

There’s nothing more for the prosecutor’s office to do. Now it’s the National Tax Service’s turn to review the gift procedures of the two uncles, pushed by public opinion.

“Shall we talk about my business now?”

He nodded and perked up his ears.

“I invested 60 billion won of company money in foreign derivatives. And I lost it all. To cover that, I circulated company promissory notes and barely managed to raise the money. Isn’t this enough for the prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office to jump on?”

“Seeing that you lost 60 billion won, it’s not you. If you had earned 60 billion won, it would have been you.”

“Jin Tae-joon. The eldest son of Vice-chairman Jin Dong-gi. The general executive in charge of the finance department of Soonyang Construction and Heavy Industries. He’s my cousin. Five years older.”

As his prosecutor’s blood began to boil, Kim Ji-hoon seemed a little excited. He took out a notebook and held a pen in his hand.

“Eldest son? Are there only sons?”

“No, he has an older sister above him. Jin Soo-kyung, two years older. Below him is a younger brother, Jin Sung-joon. They haven’t gotten involved in the group’s affairs yet.”

“Is the 60 billion won his sole doing? Or does Vice-chairman Jin Dong-gi know about it?”

“His sole doing. If not, he wouldn’t have come to me to borrow money.”

Kim Ji-hoon’s hand, which was diligently scribbling, stopped.

“You’re the one who lent him the money?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you must have the promissory notes in your hands?”

“Yes. The promissory notes are the clue.”

“Clue, my foot. It’s solid evidence.”

He put the pen and notebook in his pocket. Since there was solid evidence, there was no need to figure out the circumstances.

“What do you want me to do?”

“How far can you go?”

“I don’t think it’ll be as you want, but up to the limit of my ability and authority.”

He’s a really strange guy.

He doesn’t seem to think much of targeting an investigation from the chaebol’s side.

This guy, was he a corrupt prosecutor?

Was he the type who dug into all sorts of black money in the Financial Investigation Department, took kickbacks, and covered things up?

“Why do you have that expression on your face?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Prosecutor Kim Ji-hoon chuckled and said.

“Why? Is it weird that I agreed too readily?”

“It’s not that.”

When I waved my hand, he stopped laughing.

“Looking at it, it’s obvious you’re using the prosecution for your family feud, so what if I said I couldn’t do it? You’d meet the district attorney and find another hitman, and all the prosecutors in our Financial Investigation Department are ambitious, so they’d all volunteer, wouldn’t they?”

“Since someone will do it anyway, you’ll do it yourself?”

“Something like that.”

“Then that means you’re also an ambitious prosecutor? What do you want? Prosecutor General? Minister of Justice?”

He shook his head.

“I want to succeed, yes. But I don’t have those kinds of dreams.”

“What does that mean?”

“Civil servants, you know, if they have clear dreams, they end up digging their own graves.”

“Huh?”

“They don’t chase dreams, they only chase after the dream itself. If my goal was to be the Prosecutor General, I’d only look for key positions. If I went to the Criminal Department, I wouldn’t work and would only lobby and network to move positions. Then I’m out.”

“Hehe, civil servants must be diligent?”

“That’s right. That’s the first step to success.”

“Then you don’t want anything from me?”

Kim Ji-hoon stared intently into my eyes before slowly opening his mouth.

“Not now. I’ll tell you if I ever do.”

“Does that mean you might never want anything?”

“I don’t know about that. Oh, there’s one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t change my position as you please. Check with me first before making demands to the higher-ups. I’m done going to other positions without knowing why. Hehe.”

“You don’t want to be a puppet?”

“I’ll make the judgments and choices. You just need to help when my strength is not enough.”

“Alright. I’ll do that.”

Kim Ji-hoon gathered his documents again and stood up.

“We’ve killed enough time, and it seems like we’ve finished the main part of our conversation?”

“Yeah. Take care of what I asked you to do.”

“60 billion won?”

“Yeah.”

“How far are you going to dig into that? It clearly looks like it’s for blackmail?”

“That’s right. The district attorney will tell me when to stop. It’ll be over when an agreement is reached with the creditor banks.”

Kim Ji-hoon nodded and picked up the documents.

As I was about to open the door of the interrogation room and leave, he spoke.

“Hey, but you… did you put powder on your face?”

* * *

“Suddenly a national hero. He’s just paying back taxes he cleverly avoided….”

“I know, right? Anger about tax evasion should come first….”

“That anger is being directed at your uncles. Anyway, congratulations. From today, you’re the public enemy of the chaebols. Public opinion is growing for a full-scale reinvestigation of chaebols’ inheritance and gift taxes. Hehe.”

Chairman Lee Hak-jae was the only person among the heads of major corporations who was not concerned with taxes. For him, this was just watching a fire across the river.

“Go on. Go and see what state the Soonyang headquarters is in and tell me. I have to go get interrogated by the prosecution.”

“Are you meeting with the district attorney?”

“Yeah. The Commissioner of the National Tax Service said he’s coming too, so I have to meet them and bow my head at least once. To say sorry for the trouble.”

“But I paid 600 billion won in taxes, so there will be worthwhile rewards for the trouble.”

It was something everyone was satisfied with, but there were also people who voiced their dissatisfaction, their great dissatisfaction.

It was Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi and Jin Young-jun, father and son.

* * *

“That bastard ruined everything. Suddenly pulling off such crazy짓.”

The National Tax Service hadn’t shown any stance yet, but Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi was using the same method he had when he inherited the group.

With the third-generation succession work being mentioned little by little through the media, no matter what Jin Do-jun’s crazy intentions were, the National Tax Service could not help but closely observe them.

“Father. That Lee Hak-jae also appeared for prosecution questioning. What if he says unnecessary things at the prosecutor’s office?”

“I spoke with the Prosecutor General. It’s a voluntary tax payment, so there won’t be an expanded investigation. Just….”

Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi spoke to Chief of Staff Baek Jun-hyuk.

“How is it going now?”

“For now, we’ve put the share transfers on hold. The National Tax Service might conduct a thorough investigation into the changes in Soonyang Group’s shares. We’ll proceed again when this wind dies down.”

“Good. You did well.”

Jin Young-gi took a deep breath and slowly opened his mouth to the people discussing with him.

“It’ll be difficult for Vice-chairman Jin Dong-gi to come out of this alive. There are rumors that he’s already a target of the prosecution’s intensive investigation…. Being on the brink of bankruptcy and under attack from the National Tax Service and the prosecution means the regime has turned its back on him.”

People who could be called Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi’s closest aides secretly felt relieved.

The request wasn’t to take everything from the collapsing Vice-chairman Jin Dong-gi. It seemed like the words would be to avoid getting hit by the shrapnel and be careful.

“So I’ve been thinking carefully…. How about we separate the affiliates this time?”

“Ah, Father…!”

At least his son said something.

The rest bit their lips to stop the sounds from coming out. Not just being careful, but building a wall and running away!

“Look at Logistics. The damage amount alone is over 200 billion won. I’m not the one managing it, but the risk is the same.”

“But Father, if Soonyang is broken up, its ranking in the business world will drop significantly.”

“A company isn’t a place to play ranking games.”

“That means its influence will also decrease.”

“The ones who took Soonyang’s money are still there. As long as those guys are alive, our Soonyang’s influence won’t change. And Chief Secretary Baek.”

“Yes, Vice-chairman.”

“Draw up a plan for independent expansion using Electronics’ retained earnings. Let’s acquire a few of Dong-gi’s affiliates first, and then acquire other useful companies. Wouldn’t that make affiliate control easier?”

“If Soonyang Electronics acts as a holding company for other affiliates, the governance structure will become more solid. Also, there are many companies struggling with financial difficulties due to the financial crisis in the Middle East and the US. Stock prices have also fallen a lot, so now is the best time for corporate hunting.”

Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi wore a satisfied expression at Chief of Staff Baek Jun-hyuk’s positive answer.

“Look at Daehyun. It completely broke apart, but because the automobile group grew in size, they ended up absorbing most of it. We also need to learn Joo Tae-shik’s methods.”

Unlike Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi’s confidence, only one thought came to the minds of his close aides.

Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi might be afraid of Jin Do-jun.