Alliance Breakdown 2
“We’ve uncovered evidence of a massive slush fund, hidden in the international banks of Labuan, Malaysia, amounting to billions of won. Our investigation is ongoing.
Let me share what we’ve found so far.
This slush fund belongs to the owner of a major domestic conglomerate. To clarify, the real owner of these funds is not a corporation but an individual.”
“The way these funds were amassed is different from typical embezzlement. Large sums were siphoned off under the guise of purchasing non-existent ghost companies overseas. The prosecution is already tracking down the related documents.
It appears this slush fund was created during the IMF financial crisis…”
“The owner of this account is expected to be summoned soon, and there’s a high probability they will be charged.”
I turned off the TV and reached for the bottle.
“Must be giving you a headache, Chief Prosecutor.”
The Chief Prosecutor, biting his lip slightly, raised his glass to accept the drink.
“After pulling a stunt like that this afternoon, they’ve gone into hiding. The discipline in the prosecution office is a mess. When a junior prosecutor holds a press conference behind the backs of their superiors, it’s just a way to get their face on TV and start their own practice, isn’t it?”
The Chief Prosecutor, without taking a sip, set his glass down and began to eye me suspiciously.
“Anyway, the district attorney will have to handle it. But tell me… could it be…?”
“Why? Do you think that account belongs to Sunyang Group?”
“Did you ask to meet me because you sensed this press conference coming? Even dragging the late chairman into this?”
“You heard it yourself. The money was siphoned off during the IMF crisis. I was just a college freshman back then. How could I have amassed such a fortune?”
“That’s not what I meant. I was asking if you’re here on behalf of Vice Chairman Jin Young-ki. Or perhaps Vice Chairman Jin Dong-ki?”
When I didn’t respond, he slapped his forehead.
“Oh! So it was the late Chairman Jin’s account. That’s why you said you had a message from him….”
“No, Chief Prosecutor. I wanted to meet you for a different reason.”
I handed him a note similar to the one I gave the Minister of Justice.
“It seems you’ve had a connection with my grandfather since your days as a deputy prosecutor.”
The Chief Prosecutor’s reaction was no different from the Minister of Justice’s. Initially surprised and flustered, he soon began to ask questions, and I repeated what I had told the Minister.
He seemed relieved that the secretive relationship he had maintained would continue and was perhaps even grateful that it was me, not my aggressive uncle, who had taken over the reins.
“Though it’s a bit embarrassing, I must say this. I look forward to working with you.”
“You’re too kind. I hope I can be of some help to someone destined for greater things.”
“Do I have any great tasks left? The pinnacle for a prosecutor is the Chief Prosecutor, and having reached it, all that’s left is the descent.”
“Not at all. I recently met with the Minister of Justice, and it seems a cabinet reshuffle is imminent. Naturally, the Minister will be part of it. If you have the ambition, joining the cabinet isn’t out of the question.”
“Oh, becoming a minister is beyond my wildest dreams….”
Though he feigned disinterest, I didn’t miss the change in his eyes.
“You’ve already passed the National Assembly’s confirmation hearing, so you’ve been vetted. From the Blue House’s perspective, you’re the top candidate.”
I had flattered the Chief Prosecutor enough. Now it was time to make my request.
“But Chief Prosecutor, could you turn a blind eye to that billion-won slush fund case for a while?”
“What do you mean…?”
He blinked briefly, then slapped his knee.
“Of course! This is related to Sunyang, isn’t it?”
“Who knows? It’s still uncertain. The first person to ask you to cover up this investigation will likely be the account’s owner. I’m asking you not to cover it up, so… it’s a bit different, isn’t it?”
The Chief Prosecutor, who had been frowning in silence, slowly relaxed his expression.
“Do you know what it means to know too much?”
What was he trying to say with this sudden, cryptic remark?
“A young prosecutor like the one on the news thinks he’s becoming more important.”
“Without realizing he’s becoming more dangerous.”
“You understand well. The secret to longevity is not showing curiosity about things better left unknown.”
A smile spread across the Chief Prosecutor’s face.
“So, just pretend not to know?”
“Exactly. The Chief Prosecutor can’t stop a case being investigated by the assigned prosecutor. That’s enough.”
“Then when should it be covered up?”
“I’ll contact you separately.”
“But know this: a covered-up case will eventually resurface. By then, I won’t be the Chief Prosecutor. I might not be able to stop it.”
“The statute of limitations is three years. Let it sit until it’s ripe. By then, you might be the Minister of Justice. For now, using it is enough for me.”
“Taking a bite and leaving the rest for me? Haha.”
“It’s a billion-won fortune. No matter how much I take, it won’t even show.”
“It feels like I’ve received a lot of gifts today… just staying put makes me feel guilty.”
Those in power only need to feel guilty towards those with money. Receiving much and giving little is their privilege.
“My grandfather taught me not to burden others. Don’t worry about it.”
With the exchange concluded, we raised our glasses. Wasn’t this a successful deal?
The missed call count revealed Vice Chairman Jin Dong-ki’s anxious state. I watched my constantly ringing phone with amusement.
The one who comes to you is beneath you.
I had to make my uncle swallow his pride and come to my office.
Even a mutt barks loudly in its own yard.
As I leisurely spun in my chair, the door burst open, and Vice Chairman Jin Dong-ki appeared.
“You…!”
“Oh, Uncle. What brings you here?”
“Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
“You called? I must have had it on silent. I didn’t hear it. I’ve been packing.”
“What? Packing?”
“Yes. Didn’t you say I’d be kicked out next week? So I’m packing.”
Vice Chairman Jin Dong-ki glanced around my office and shouted.
“Are you mocking me? There’s no sign of packing!”
I pointed to my desk.
There sat a lone tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush.
“I don’t use this office often, so that’s all I could find.”
Among our family, my second uncle was the most refined in character.
A young nephew taunting him like this would usually result in something being thrown or at least a grab at my collar, but all he did was clench his fists and tremble.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Please, have a seat. You seem to have a lot to say.”
My second uncle glared at me until his heavy breathing subsided, then collapsed onto the sofa.
“I saw the news.”
“You did? It was a must-see, wasn’t it?”
“Are you an idiot?”
Though he glared at me as if he could kill, his voice had calmed considerably.
“Do I look like one?”
“Is this a do-or-die situation? Did you hand over the Labuan slush fund documents to the prosecution to take us both down? Is that your way of threatening me?”
“Do you really think I’m an idiot? The prosecution knows how that slush fund was created. Do you think they found it through their investigation?”
“You must have prepared it. Do you still have the documents? Or… is it just a bluff?”
“Why would someone like you, who knows that wishful thinking is just a comfort, act like this? Look at reality.”
“Reality? You’re the one who’s deluded. Even if you have the documents, I can just deny everything. Besides, the slush fund is in your hands. The first target of the investigation will be you. If you thought they’d start with you and end with me, you’re still a child. The investigation will begin and end with you. You’ve dug your own grave.”
He spoke confidently, but his expression betrayed his unease. He knew I wasn’t that foolish.
“Why do you think I’d be the first target? I haven’t even seen the billion-won slush fund. Oh, correction. I have seen it.”
Perhaps it was my confident demeanor or the fact that I claimed only to have seen it, but my uncle’s face grew more anxious.
“The money is still sitting in that bank. I haven’t touched or moved it. There’s no trace of me anywhere.”
Finally, his face turned pale. He couldn’t even open his mouth.
“I have the documents for the ghost company purchases in South America during the IMF crisis, and the two employees who handled it are living comfortably abroad. They’re ready to testify anytime. Plus, I have the bank cards and accounts, so the money can’t just disappear.”
“You… from the start…?”
“Did you think I planned this from the beginning? I didn’t need the money, so I left it alone. I didn’t know I’d use it like this.”
I feigned innocence, but he didn’t seem convinced. The fact that I had hidden all the evidence and witnesses in advance was proof of premeditation.
But my uncle didn’t press further. He knew it was more important to deal with the impending crisis than to dwell on the past.
“Because of you, the prosecutor on the news today will have his life ruined.”
After a long silence, my uncle issued a stern warning.
“Driven by ambition, his reckless investigation will brand him as the one who tarnished the reputation of a leading domestic conglomerate’s owner. He won’t even be able to start a law practice.”
Did he think such a threat would work on me? Or was it the only way out he could see?
“Uncle, do you really think you can keep covering up the truth by painting a lone factory worker as the villain? This time, you’re up against someone different.”
“Whether it’s a prosecutor or a factory worker, they’re all the same to me!”
“Well, I’m backing that prosecutor. I have the power to turn him into a star. Have you forgotten who controls half the media in this country?”
His face turned pale again.
It finally dawned on him that I was talking about my father, his own brother, who had never been involved with the conglomerate.
“A brave prosecutor standing up to the mighty Sunyang Group, the so-called absolute power in Korea. A righteous man who resists all temptations to expose corporate corruption. A hero who recovers a billion won in slush funds for the state. Just one week on a variety show, and he’ll be a national hero. You know as well as I do that variety shows get much higher ratings than the news.”
My uncle must have realized that if he lost even once in the battle of media and public opinion, his arguments would be dismissed as the excuses of a corrupt tycoon.
“We still have time. By the board meeting next week, I’ll have made that prosecutor a star. Meanwhile, you can try to turn him into the scum of the earth. Let’s see who wins, shall we? Oh, and remember one thing: the people of this country still trust a prosecutor’s word over a tycoon’s.”
I stood up, leaving my uncle sitting there in a daze.
“Think carefully about what stance you want to take at the board meeting.”
I shoved the toothpaste and toothbrush from the desk into my pocket and gave him one last warning. His face remained ashen.