Homeward Bound
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this…”
“Oh, no, it’s fine. I’m grateful you told me in advance. But are you sure? Is the Ministry of Justice really targeting me?”
“Yes. I have a friend from law school at the Southern District Prosecutor’s Office. He got a call from a senior at the Ministry, and he seemed quite troubled. He was told to report directly, bypassing his superiors.”
The chief prosecutor wasn’t mistaken. This information came straight from someone who received the orders.
A whirlwind of thoughts stormed through his mind.
Could he be the scapegoat in this political turmoil?
Was the prosecution trying to control the election by taming lawmakers, and he was their chosen tool?
He shook his head.
Now wasn’t the time to ask why, but who.
“Chief Jang, do you know who gave the order?”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t find out. The investigation started with the Ministry’s Inspection Bureau, so the highest authority we know of is the head of that bureau.”
The head of the Inspection Bureau targeting him?
No way.
It would have to be someone like the Minister of Justice or the Prosecutor General to go after someone of his stature at Sunyang.
“Don’t apologize. Anyway, thank you. I won’t forget this. Let’s grab a drink sometime.”
Lee Hak-jae stood up hastily.
He needed to find out who was holding the knife aimed at him.
As soon as he parted ways with Chief Jang, he grabbed his phone.
“Gather everyone immediately. No exceptions. Meeting room… No, meet me outside. You know the Japanese restaurant in Gwanghwamun? Thirty minutes.”
Lee Hak-jae jumped into his waiting sedan and shouted to the driver.
“Gwanghwamun. We need to be there in 30 minutes.”
“Yes, sir.”
The sedan sped from Seocho-dong to Gwanghwamun.
As he entered the restaurant, the owner greeted him warmly.
“Welcome, sir.”
“The others are here?”
“Yes, this way…”
When he stepped into the private room, his heart sank.
Only three men were there, avoiding his gaze as if they were guilty of something.
He felt embarrassed for using the plural “others” when there were only three.
“Sit down. Look me in the eye. Are you guilty of something?”
As they hesitantly took their seats, Lee Hak-jae gulped down a glass of cold water.
“Where are the others? Did they not come because they didn’t know, or because they knew and chose not to?”
“I informed them, but…”
“They didn’t want to come because I’m not their boss anymore?”
“No, sir. They said they’d try to slip away.”
“Slip away, huh…”
He couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt by those who didn’t show up. But hadn’t he sent them off himself, asking others to take good care of them?
Lee Hak-jae sighed without realizing it.
He understood.
They might have thought they were part of a privileged elite under him, but they were just salaried employees.
They had to follow the orders of those who paid their hefty salaries and be mindful of their positions to get raises and promotions.
Now, the person they had to be mindful of had changed.
Jin Young-ki and Jin Dong-ki were their new masters.
It hadn’t been long since they switched sides, so they must be treading carefully.
With only three people responding to his call, Lee Hak-jae realized he was now just a relic of the past.
“Sir…”
Seeing Lee Hak-jae’s devastated expression, the loyal ones couldn’t help but get teary-eyed.
“You idiots! Are you crazy? What are you doing? Are you pitying me?”
“No, sir.”
Lee Hak-jae shouted and stood up.
“I’m not here to blame those who didn’t come. They made a wise choice. I was foolish to call you like before, but you were foolish to come. I’m not your boss anymore, so you didn’t have to.”
He took out a check for a million won and placed it on the table.
“Have a meal on me.”
Avoiding their gazes, Lee Hak-jae walked out.
The early March night wind was still biting.
“Damn it… Couldn’t they wait until after the 49th day memorial?”
“Brother, this doesn’t look good. Rumor has it they have enough evidence for an arrest warrant.”
“Sir, I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do to help. The ones who drew their swords are the core of the prosecution. There are plenty of prosecutors who would jump at their orders.”
“Perhaps you should go abroad for a while? It might be for the election, so come back when things settle down. It won’t be more than three months.”
Everyone Lee Hak-jae met was quick to step back.
“Sir, the situation at the Blue House is a mess. We have to stop the impeachment. If we try to intervene with the Ministry of Justice or the prosecution now, it’ll backfire. I’m sorry. Let us handle our own crisis first, and we’ll get back to you.”
Even the Blue House, his last hope, turned its back on him. Considering they were in a worse predicament than he was, it was understandable.
Lee Hak-jae, exhausted, got into his car.
“Take me home.”
Not long after the car started, the driver kept glancing at the rearview mirror, which was annoying.
“Hey, what’s going on? Why do you keep looking back?”
“Well, something’s been bothering me for a few days. I think we’re being followed.”
“Followed?”
He turned to look behind, but with the road packed with cars, it was impossible to tell which one.
“Those bastards!”
Lee Hak-jae pulled out his phone. He had held back long enough, but now he had no choice. It might escalate into an all-out war, but it was time to target the head of the snake. He needed to start with the Minister of Justice, who was likely following orders from above.
After a moment’s hesitation, he dialed the number.
Just as the call was about to end, the other party picked up.
― Ah, Director Lee. It’s been a while.
“Minister, let’s skip the pleasantries. I don’t have the luxury.”
― Oh? Ah, right. You’ve had a tough time with the chairman’s funeral.
“You know everything and yet you pretend. I’ll be brief. Stop it.”
― What? What are you talking about…?
“If you truly don’t know, it means you’re not coordinating with the Inspection Bureau. If you’re pretending, then you understand what I’m saying.”
― The Inspection Bureau?
“Be careful. If I open my mouth, my story will overshadow the impeachment. If you can handle that, go ahead.”
Lee Hak-jae hung up, gritting his teeth. With this bait, the one holding the knife, not just the blade, would reveal themselves.
But before the one holding the knife showed up, the blades themselves appeared. And of all places, it was right in front of Lee Hak-jae’s house.
“Mr. Lee Hak-jae. Sorry to bother you so late, but we need a moment.”
Two men in suits and one in a jumper.
Lee Hak-jae was taken aback.
He hadn’t expected the Minister of Justice to act so swiftly.
“Where are you from?”
“The Central District Prosecutor’s Office, Financial Investigation Division.”
“Did the Minister send you?”
“We only see the Minister on TV. We just follow our chief’s orders.”
“Voluntary accompaniment?”
The two prosecutors smirked.
“You know the drill. Let’s go.”
The Minister of Justice knew he wouldn’t go quietly, and he couldn’t. There must be follow-up measures. Lee Hak-jae wanted to know what they were.
“What if I refuse?”
“The warrant judge is on standby. If you go home now, a search warrant will be issued. Your house will be turned upside down. Are you okay with that?”
“A detention warrant is also in the works. There are photographers waiting at the prosecutor’s office. Can you handle that?”
The Minister’s clear warning came through the mouths of the prosecutors.
They were throwing his own words back at him.
Lee Hak-jae, glaring at the two prosecutors, slowly spoke.
“I’ve been getting home earlier since I quit. If you can wrap this up before midnight, I’ll go with you.”
“Just the essentials. We promise.”
“You better keep that promise. Otherwise, you’ll see the Prosecutor General’s slush fund account number on the front page tomorrow.”
The Prosecutor General’s slush fund.
The shock of those words froze the two prosecutors.
“What are you waiting for? Lead the way. I told you, it has to be done by midnight.”
Director Lee barked orders at the prosecutors as if they were his subordinates.
Sitting in the interrogation room at the Central District Prosecutor’s Office, he drank a glass of water and waited.
It was a common tactic, but it always worked.
Especially when you didn’t know why you were brought in, the anxiety was unbearable.
He had come willingly to hear why the Ministry of Justice was hunting him, but as he sat alone, the anxiety grew.
The man who entered the interrogation room looked familiar.
“Hello, Director.”
“I’m not doing well. But… who are you? Have we met?”
“We met at a dinner with the former Prosecutor General. I introduced myself, but I doubt you’d remember.”
The business card he handed over read, “Criminal Planning Division, Prosecutor’s Office.”
“The Prosecutor’s Office? I heard the Inspection Bureau was involved, but now the Prosecutor’s Office too?”
“It’s not just one department. It’s more like a task force.”
“Have I fallen so low that a mere section chief sits in front of me?”
“There’s a saying that leaving home is like a dog’s life.”
Leaving home?
It could simply mean he lost power after severing ties with Sunyang, but the word “home” felt unusually heavy.
“One thing’s clear: the chairman’s sons are either complicit or turning a blind eye.”
“Soonyang isn’t a charity, so there’s no reason for them to look after former employees. Please, don’t ask me any more questions. I really don’t know the inner workings of Soonynag.”
“Then just tell me what you do know.”
The head of the investigation department placed a few documents on the table.
“There’s a penthouse in Hong Kong under your child’s name, a 15-story building in Seattle, and a winery on the outskirts of France. I just learned that a winery is a place where they make wine. I used to think it was just a fancy wine fridge. Anyway, this is just the known assets. If we dig deeper, I’m sure we’ll find offshore accounts too.”
“Let’s talk about that once you actually find them. As for the overseas properties, as long as the inheritance tax is paid, it’s all above board. Anything else?”
“This isn’t just about inheritance tax. We’re talking about embezzling funds through Soonynag’s overseas subsidiaries, which involves foreign exchange laws and embezzlement charges. You know how to dodge the law, but with this amount, it’s a serious crime.”
Now that he knew what cards they were holding, it was time to reveal a few of his own.
“If you’re planning to parade me in front of the prosecutors’ cameras, think again. Your superiors know exactly what I might say to the press. The reporters will be more interested in my words than in some overseas properties.”
The head of the department shrugged with exaggerated nonchalance.
“You’re bluffing. We both know you won’t turn this into a public scandal. You might be willing to take the hit, but dragging Soonynag Group and the late Chairman Jin’s legacy through the mud? I doubt it.”
“Whether it’s a bluff or not, we’ll see…”
Both sides had laid their threats on the table.
Now it was time to figure out how to end this game. Since it started with the enforcers, their demands needed to be addressed.
“You’ve put me through enough trouble. It’s time to tell me what you really want. Isn’t that why you brought me here?”
As the head of the department scratched his head, hesitating, the door opened and a middle-aged man walked in.
“Enough of this wild goose chase. It’s time to come back home, Director.”