Chapter 322: The Price of Power

“Just what is it you want, Chief Jin?”

Assemblyman Choi was clearly flustered by my unpredictable attitude; he even stammered.

“Don’t obstruct my path until the end of the year. Clear an entire lane for me, change the traffic lights if I jaywalk, and pave the dirt roads with asphalt. Even if I go on a rampage, just pretend you didn’t see it.”

“A rampage? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The prosecution will file unreasonable indictments, and the media will publish sensational stories. It’ll be no better than yellow journalism, and it could bury the presidential election news. The public prefers exciting stories over election talk, after all.”

Assemblyman Choi wore a troubled expression. Other prominent issues would negatively impact the election’s momentum.

“In return, I’ll start something that will be a great help to you.”

“A great help? How so?”

“The current President’s popularity is at rock bottom. Even though you’re from the same party, you’re already using the ‘change of power’ strategy, positioning yourselves as the opposition within the ruling party, aren’t you?”

“That’s true, but…”

The current President’s approval rating was so low it couldn’t simply be explained by the lame-duck phenomenon. The reason the ruling party was ahead in polls wasn’t because they were doing well, but because the opposition party was a mess.

Moreover, since the current President had suppressed the current candidate’s faction, who were once rivals, throughout his term, the keyword ‘change of power’ was firmly theirs.

“I’ll give you a decisive key. I’ll attack the current President’s older brother. Just stand back and watch, then make an appearance at the right moment with the right announcement. People will realize your candidate is definitely different from the current administration.”

“Attack?”

“He won’t avoid a prison sentence.”

“Chief Jin, what are you trying to gain by going this far?”

“Before the assemblyman’s candidate is inaugurated as President, I’ll be inaugurated as the Chairman of Soonyang Group. That includes Electronics and Logistics, of course.”

Assemblyman Choi looked more delighted than surprised. He was essentially grabbing two of the best lifelines at once: the President and the Chairman of Soonyang Group.

* * *

“You should be careful in your twilight years to live longer… Chief Jin, you’re planning to push me off a cliff. Ha ha.”

“There’s a safety net under that cliff. What’s there to fear?”

“They say even when bungee jumping, knowing there’s a rope tied to your ankle doesn’t make it easy to step off.”

The Prosecutor General whined, but it was just a ploy to show off; he had no intention of refusing.

There was no need to pressure him aggressively like other chaebols. I had a powerful weapon the other bastards didn’t: acting like a spoiled brat.

“Sunbae-nim, doesn’t it break your heart to see a much younger hoobae struggling to make a living? Please give me a real push.”

“Is that even something to say?! Coming from someone who holds three years’ worth of the national budget in cash?”

“Excuse me? Me?”

“I was so dumbfounded by the interview that I looked it up. It’s three times the Philippines’ budget.”

The Prosecutor General laughed heartily before picking up the receiver.

“Bring me the credit union data.”

After putting down the phone, the Prosecutor General asked again, with a respectful tone.

“But how did you know? About my involvement here?”

“I investigated a bit when I tried to acquire a decent one during the credit union crisis last year. That’s when the name popped up.”

A young employee cautiously entered and handed over the data before leaving. The Prosecutor General passed the information to me without even looking at it.

“Undeniable evidence. A little over 2.7 billion won.”

“You’ve been holding onto it?”

“I have to maintain some decency. He’s the older brother of the person who appointed me.”

“I think you’ve maintained your decency enough. How about we release it now? The ruling party’s presidential candidate’s camp will be thrilled.”

“Not the opposition party?”

“Their current election strategy is to draw a line against the current administration. They’ve judged it advantageous for voters to mistakenly believe the ruling party’s candidate is the opposition. Look at their campaign promises; economic democratization is at the forefront.”

“Clever, aren’t they?”

“You’re clever too, Prosecutor General. It’s time to switch horses.”

“Oh dear, Chief Jin. You’re too blunt. Ehehehe.”

“Isn’t it more comfortable this way? Because I don’t act pretentious. Haha.”

After a hearty laugh, the Prosecutor General subtly pointed at the documents.

“But why are you suddenly targeting him? He doesn’t seem particularly connected to you.”

“Nothing’s easier than negotiating with someone who’s fallen into the gutter.”

I simply smiled at the Prosecutor General’s utterly bewildered expression.

* * *

It started with five nominee accounts.

During the credit union crisis last year, while investigating money that had been withdrawn the day before the business suspension, the prosecution discovered nominee accounts presumed to belong to a specific individual. They announced that the actual owner of these accounts was a key figure in the ruling party, a member of the National Assembly.

Tens of thousands of people who had lost their entire fortune were enraged, and demands for the real name to be revealed poured in.

The prosecution naturally leaked the name to the media, and the media, thinking there couldn’t be a bigger bombshell ahead of the presidential election, made it the top news story.

“The real owner of the nominee accounts has been identified as Lee Sang-il, a key member of the ruling party and the current President’s older brother. It hasn’t been determined whether the five nominee accounts contain slush funds or personal assets, and the prosecution has announced it is tracing the flow of funds. Assemblyman Lee Sang-il will soon appear at the Prosecutor’s Office as a witness, but whether he will be converted to a suspect is uncertain.”

Lee Sang-il, standing at the Prosecutor’s Office photo line, maintained a grim expression and left a short statement in front of the reporters’ cameras before disappearing inside the building.

“The prosecution is being manipulated by the dirty tricks of the political world.”

But no fool believed those words.

As he sat in the Prosecutor’s Office interrogation room, drinking a glass of water, a young prosecutor entered and bowed his head.

Lee Sang-il checked the ID card hanging from the prosecutor’s neck and chuckled.

“Hey, Prosecutor Kim Ji-hoon. Go tell the Chief Prosecutor that sending a junior prosecutor to intimidate me is cliché. Tell him to bring the script himself.”

“I’m just following the script. According to the script, I’m the only character today.”

“What?”

Kim Ji-hoon gave a small, almost imperceptible smile to the scowling Assemblyman Lee.

“Today, more than one South Korean prosecutor received a call from the Blue House. But the only person who gave me separate instructions was the Prosecutor General. No one else even breathed a word. Oh, and the Prosecutor General said this: if I fail to make the witness a suspect today, he’ll transfer me to Jeju Island.”

Lee Sang-il felt his insides burn as he realized the scheme was far more complex than he had anticipated.

“Well, shall we begin? Oh, and by the way… I’d rather die than go to Jeju Island.”

Kim Ji-hoon gritted his teeth and spread out the documents.

“The total amount in the five nominee accounts is 2.7 billion won. There’s no evidence this money belongs to you, Assemblyman. It’s clearly bribes, and after looking into the people involved, I found about four credit union presidents and two big company names. We can prove it right now and issue an arrest warrant immediately.”

Prosecutor Kim Ji-hoon presented the evidence and questioned him point by point, but Lee Sang-il kept his mouth shut, saying nothing.

After a while, Prosecutor Kim Ji-hoon spoke.

“Since you’re invoking your right to remain silent, I’ll get the warrant. I’d feel wronged if I was the only one talking.”

Finally, Lee Sang-il opened his mouth.

“The prosecution has enough material with this. How about we turn off the cameras and talk?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Kim’s cell phone rang, and a text message popped up.

一 Begin.

After checking his phone, Kim Ji-hoon spoke slowly but firmly.

“Let me give you some options. First, we announce the 2.7 billion won bribe and throw the credit unions into chaos again.”

“And?”

“Second, we treat the 700 million won in one of the bankbooks as a bribe and announce the rest as your personal assets. You keep the 2 billion won, but you’ll have to do a perfunctory public apology.”

“Is that all?”

“If you choose the latter, the bribe-givers will be the big companies, excluding the credit unions. Reopening the already settled credit union crisis would be a burden on the next administration.”

Lee Sang-il’s half-closed eyes snapped open. The words ‘next administration’ grated on his ears.

“Is this our candidate’s plan?”

“You already know who the next president will be. Even if we’re just hunting dogs, would we bite the current administration without the other camp’s approval? Why are you acting like an amateur?”

Assemblyman Lee squeezed his eyes shut.

It was natural for the rising sun to try and erase the setting sun, but he hadn’t expected to be the first target.

However, the young prosecutor’s next words forced his eyes open again.

“We’ll announce that Jin Young-jun of Soonyang Electronics delivered the 700 million won bribe. Just so you know.”

“What? Soonyang? Why is that name suddenly coming up?”

“If we’re going to make things big, Soonyang needs to be involved, don’t you think? Besides, you received quite a bit of money from Soonyang too, didn’t you? You pocketed at least billions of won, so why the surprise now….”

Lee Sang-il, forgetting his own predicament, began to ponder why Soonyang had suddenly appeared.

* * *

“Judging by our son-in-law’s expression, we need to brace ourselves today. It seems like something very important will be discussed?”

“Yes. I only invited Father because I wanted to leverage my wife’s family’s influence.”

My father-in-law, who always wore a kind smile, now wore the cold expression of his days as a judge.

“Solicitations are usually made to prosecutors, aren’t they?”

“That side is already taken care of. Actually, I did consider contacting the judges directly, but I figured a call from Father would be more effective.”

“Is it because of that assemblyman who appeared at the Prosecutor’s Office today?”

“Yes, but Lee Sang-il is just the beginning. More people are waiting in line.”

“So, we know who the beginning is… Skipping the middle, who’s the end?”

“Jin Young-jun, the chairman of Soonyang Electronics. He’s my cousin.”

“I see… all your actions are solely for one purpose.”

I read his thoughts in his smiling expression.

He didn’t tell me to stop fighting and live comfortably since I had enough money and controlled 60% of Soonyang. He, too, had experience living for a single purpose.

“Alright, what should I say when I make the calls?”

“The prosecution will request arrest warrants. Please ensure that the warrants for Jin Young-jun and everyone involved are issued without fail.”

“There will be some heavy hitters involved, won’t there?”

“Yes, there might even be a current minister.”

As soon as I finished speaking, my father-in-law pulled out his cell phone.

“Starting today?”

“Yes.”

He immediately made a call, taking a deep breath.

“Oh, Judge Yoo. It’s been a while. Yes, yes, I’m doing well. Just enjoying the simple life, going back and forth from school. But I have a favor to ask. No… it’s a difficult matter, so I’m calling it a favor. It might be a burden for you.”

My father-in-law winked at me before continuing his call.

“The Central District Prosecutors’ Office will be requesting a warrant today. Issue it immediately, no questions asked. You know who I’m talking about, right? Yes, Assemblyman Lee Sang-il. Pretend to deliberate carefully and issue it around dawn. I’m counting on you.”

I bowed my head to my father-in-law after he ended the call.

“Thank you, Father.”

“Wait a moment, you can thank me later.”

My father-in-law made another call.

“Yes, Uncle. It’s sudden, but I need to hold a family meeting tonight. I need everyone to be there without exception. Ah… no, it’s nothing for me to worry about. It’s just that my unusual son-in-law needs the entire family’s support. Haha.”

Tonight, key figures in South Korea’s judiciary would gather. Because of me.

My father-in-law looked at me after finishing his call.

“You can thank me now.”

I jumped up and bowed deeply.

“I sincerely thank you, Father.”

* * *