To the Last Bullet, Without Leaving a Single One Behind. Part 2
“What… what exactly do you want, Mr. Jin?”
Assemblyman Choi was clearly flustered by my unpredictable demeanor. He even stuttered.
“Until the end of this year, don’t get in my way. Clear a 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 do you mean by that?”
“The prosecution will file excessive charges, and the media will run sensational stories. It’ll be no different from a tabloid. The election news might get buried because the public prefers scandalous stories over election talk.”
Assemblyman Choi looked troubled. It’s not ideal for other issues to overshadow the election, as it could negatively impact the campaign momentum.
“In return, I’ll start something that will be of great help.”
“What kind of help?”
“The current president’s popularity is at rock bottom. Even though you’re in the same party, you’ve already adopted a strategy of regime change, positioning yourself as the opposition within the ruling party, haven’t you?”
“That’s true.”
The president’s approval ratings are so low that they can’t simply be explained by a lame-duck phenomenon. The ruling party’s lead in the polls is due to the opposition’s disarray, not because the ruling party is doing well.
Moreover, the current president has been suppressing the current candidate’s side throughout his term, allowing them to seize the keyword of regime change.
“I’ll give you a definite key. We’ll target the president’s older brother. Just watch, and at the right moment, make an appropriate announcement. It’ll spread the perception that your candidate is distinctly different from the current regime.”
“Target him? How?”
“He won’t escape a prison sentence.”
“Mr. Jin, what are you trying to achieve by going this far?”
“Before the candidate you support is inaugurated as president, I’ll be inaugurated as the chairman of Sunyang Group. Including the electronics and trading divisions, of course.”
Assemblyman Choi’s expression was more of delight than surprise. After all, he was about to grab hold of the two most powerful lifelines: the presidency and the chairmanship of Sunyang Group.
“In one’s later years, they say you should be careful to live long… but it seems you’re planning to push me right off a cliff, Mr. Jin. Haha.”
“There’s a safety net at the bottom of that cliff. What’s there to fear?”
“They say that even when you know there’s a bungee cord tied to your ankles, it’s hard to take that leap.”
The prosecutor general was lamenting, but it was just for show; he had no intention of refusing.
There’s no need to press him like other conglomerates would. I have a powerful weapon that other conglomerate heads don’t possess: charm.
“Senior, don’t you feel sorry for a much younger colleague struggling to make a living? Give me a solid push.”
“Is that something someone holding three years’ worth of a country’s budget in cash should say?”
“Me?”
“I was so astounded by an interview that I looked it up. It’s three times the budget of the Philippines.”
The prosecutor general laughed heartily and picked up the phone.
“Bring me the savings bank files.”
After hanging up, he turned to me with a respectful demeanor.
“But how did you know about this?”
“Last year, during the savings bank crisis, I was investigating to acquire a decent one. That’s when the name came up.”
A young staff member entered cautiously, handed over the files, and left. The prosecutor general handed them to me without even looking at them.
“There’s no denying it. It’s over 2.7 billion.”
“Have you been sitting on it?”
“I have to maintain at least a minimal sense of loyalty. After all, he’s the brother of the person who appointed me.”
“I think you’ve shown enough loyalty. It’s time to let it out. The ruling party’s presidential campaign will be thrilled.”
“Not the opposition?”
“The strategy for this election is to position the ruling party candidate as if they’re the opposition. It’s advantageous for voters to perceive the ruling party candidate as an opposition candidate. Just look at the campaign promises. Economic democratization is at the forefront.”
“Smart move.”
“You’re smart too, aren’t you, Prosecutor General? It’s time to switch horses.”
“Oh, Mr. Jin, you’re too blunt. Haha.”
“Isn’t it comfortable? Because I don’t put on airs. Haha.”
After a hearty laugh, the prosecutor general subtly pointed to the documents.
“But why suddenly target that man? He doesn’t seem to be particularly involved.”
“Negotiating with someone who’s fallen into the gutter is the easiest thing.”
I just smiled at the prosecutor general, who looked utterly perplexed.
It all started with five accounts under borrowed names.
During the investigation into the money withdrawn the day before the savings bank crisis last year, the prosecution discovered accounts suspected to belong to a specific individual. They announced that the real owner of these accounts was a senior ruling party lawmaker.
Thousands who had lost their entire fortunes were enraged, demanding the disclosure of the real name.
Naturally, the prosecution leaked the name to the media, and the media, thinking there couldn’t be a bigger bombshell before the election, ran it as their top story.
“The real owner of the borrowed-name accounts has been revealed as Assemblyman Lee Sang-il, a senior ruling party member and the current president’s brother. It is yet to be determined whether the five accounts are slush funds or personal assets, and the prosecution announced they are tracking the flow of funds. Assemblyman Lee is expected to appear before the prosecution as a witness soon, though it’s uncertain if he will be charged.”
Standing at the prosecution’s photo line, Assemblyman Lee left a brief comment in front of the cameras thrust at him before disappearing into the building.
“The prosecution is being played by the dirty tricks of the political world.”
But no one was foolish enough to believe him.
As he sat in the prosecution’s interrogation room, sipping a glass of water, a young prosecutor entered and bowed his head.
After checking the ID hanging around the prosecutor’s neck, Assemblyman Lee let out a chuckle.
“Hey, Prosecutor Kim Ji-hoon. Go out and tell the chief prosecutor. I’m tired of the old trick of sending a junior prosecutor to intimidate me. Tell him to come with the script himself.”
“I’m actually following the script right now. According to the script, I’m the only character appearing today.”
“What?”
Prosecutor Kim Ji-hoon gave a faint smile in front of the scowling Assemblyman Lee.
“Today, there are more than a few prosecutors in Korea who received calls from the Blue House. But the only one who gave me separate instructions was the prosecutor general. No one else even opened their mouths. Oh, and the prosecutor general said this: If I can’t turn today’s witness into a suspect, he’ll transfer me to Jeju Island.”
Assemblyman Lee felt his insides burning as he realized the plan was far more complex than he had anticipated.
“Shall we begin, then? Oh, by the way… I wouldn’t go to Jeju even if you beat me to death.”
Prosecutor Kim Ji-hoon gritted his teeth and spread out the documents.
“The total amount in the five borrowed-name accounts is 2.7 billion. There’s no evidence that this money belongs to you, Assemblyman. It’s clearly a bribe, and when I looked into the people involved, I found the names of several savings bank presidents and two major corporations. We can prove it right now and issue a warrant immediately.”
Prosecutor Kim Ji-hoon presented the evidence and questioned him one by one, but Assemblyman Lee kept his mouth shut, saying nothing.
After a long pause, Prosecutor Kim Ji-hoon spoke.
“Since you’ve exercised your right to remain silent, I’ll issue the warrant. I can’t stand the thought of having talked to myself.”
Finally, Assemblyman Lee opened his mouth.
“By now, the prosecution should have enough material to use. Can we turn off the cameras and talk?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Prosecutor Kim’s phone buzzed with a text message.
一 Begin.
After checking his phone, Kim Ji-hoon spoke slowly but firmly.
“Let me give you some options. We can announce the 2.7 billion as a bribe and turn the savings bank upside down again.”
“And?”
“If you choose the latter, we’ll treat only the account with 700 million as a bribe and announce that the rest is indeed your personal assets. You can keep the 2 billion. But you’ll have to make a public apology or some such gesture.”
“Is that all?”
“If you choose the latter, the bribe-giving entities will be the major corporations, not the savings banks. Reopening the already concluded savings bank case would be a burden for the next administration.”
Assemblyman Lee’s half-closed eyes snapped open at the mention of the next administration.
“Is this something our candidate planned?”
“You already know who the next president will be, and no matter how much of a hunting dog we are, would we bite the current administration without the other camp’s consent? Why are you acting like this, veteran?”
Assemblyman Lee closed his eyes tightly.
It’s only natural for the rising sun to work on erasing the setting sun, but he hadn’t expected to be the first target.
But the young prosecutor’s next words made him open his eyes wide again.
“We’ll announce that the 700 million bribe was delivered by Jin Young-jun of Sunyang Electronics. Just so you know.”
“What? Sunyang? Why that name all of a sudden?”
“To make the game bigger, it has to be Sunyang, doesn’t it? And you did receive quite a bit from Sunyang, didn’t you? You pocketed at least tens of billions, so why act surprised now…?”
Assemblyman Lee, forgetting his own predicament, began to ponder why Sunyang had suddenly come into the picture.
“Seeing your expression today, son-in-law, I should brace myself. It seems like something very important is about to be discussed.”
“Yes. I wanted to ask for a favor from the in-laws, so I only invited you, Father.”
The father-in-law, who always wore a friendly smile, reverted to the cold expression he had during his days as a judge.
“Isn’t it usually the prosecutors who receive requests?”
“I’ve already taken care of that side. I did ponder a bit. I thought about approaching the judges directly, but I figured a call from you, Father, would be more effective.”
“Is it because of the assemblyman who appeared at the prosecution today?”
“Yes. But Assemblyman Lee Sang-il is just the beginning. There are many more waiting in line.”
“So, we know who started it… skipping the middle, who’s the last one?”
“Chairman Jin Young-jun of Sunyang Electronics. My cousin.”
“As expected… all your actions are for one singular purpose.”
I could read the understanding in my father-in-law’s smile.
With enough money and control over 60% of Sunyang, he didn’t tell me to stop fighting and live comfortably. After all, he was someone who had lived with a purpose himself.
“So, what exactly should I say when I make these calls?”
“The prosecution will be issuing arrest warrants. Please ensure that none of the warrants, including Jin Young-jun’s, are dismissed. They all need to be approved.”
“There must be some pretty influential people involved, right?”
“Yes, even a current minister might be on the list.”
As soon as I finished speaking, my father-in-law immediately pulled out his phone and said, “Starting today?”
“Yes.”
He took a deep breath before dialing a number.
“Ah, Judge Yoo. It’s been a while. Yes, yes, I’m doing well, just enjoying some peace and quiet between school visits. But I have a favor to ask. Well, it’s a difficult one, so I’m calling it a favor. It might even be a request. I know it could be a burden for you.”
He gave me a quick wink and continued the call.
“The Central District Prosecutor’s Office will be issuing a warrant today. Just approve it without any fuss. You know who it is, right? Yes, Assemblyman Lee Sang-il. Pretend to deliberate and release it around dawn. I’m counting on you.”
After ending the call, I bowed my head to him.
“Thank you, Father.”
“Hold on, save the thanks for later.”
He made another call.
“Yes, Uncle. I know it’s sudden, but we need to have a family meeting tonight. I want everyone there, no exceptions. Oh, no, it’s nothing serious. It’s just that something’s come up where our entire family needs to rally behind my rather unusual son-in-law. Haha.”
Tonight, the key figures in South Korea’s legal circles would be gathering, all because of me.
After finishing the call, my father-in-law turned to me and said, “Now you can thank me.”
I stood up quickly and bowed deeply.
“Thank you sincerely, Father.”