The Ultimate Inspector, Kang Ji-hyeok - Chapter 101



Only Noblemtl

【 Kang Ji-hyeok, active in the heavy water department 】

I stood in front of the elevator going to the top floor.

I saw the emergency exit, but the door was locked and I couldn’t open it.

It was a form that only opened from the inside.

‘Of course. You can’t open it from the outside and go in.’

The elevator to the water supply department was at the far left.

There’s no one waiting in line.

It’s like an unwritten rule of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office.

I stood in front of the elevator.

I pressed the up button and looked at the arrow coming down from the 15th floor.

“That elevator is for the central headquarters only. It’ll be here soon, so take this one.”

One of the inspectors standing next to me spoke to me cautiously.

I smiled at him.

“I’m going to the water treatment plant.”

“That’s true… Oh, really? Kang―”

“This is Kang Ji-hyeok. Starting today, I have been transferred to the Central Investigation Department.”

“More than I thought―”

“Are you handsome?”

“No, because it looks difficult.”

“You’re probably younger than you think. Well, let’s implement a just society today as well.”

Tiing.

The elevator arrived and I got on.

A thorough sense of privilege.

It seemed like the prosecutors at the Central Investigation Department had planted that seed from the beginning.

‘Even this elevator’s buttons start at the 15th floor.’

16th floor.

The office I was assigned to was room 1602.

Tiing.

When the door opened, a glass door was visible.

Let’s show the card we already received,

– Verify your fingerprint.

A mechanical voice, awkward for this era, was heard saying.

‘Double lock······.’

Beep.

When I put my index finger on it, the glass door opened.

Bam.

I flicked the glass door with the back of my hand.

‘Is it bulletproof or something like that?’

“It’s bulletproof. When I was in the special forces, it was reinforced glass, but when I became the heavy water unit, they changed it to bulletproof.”

A familiar voice greeted me.

I could tell who it was.

“Prosecutor Choi.”

“We’ve finally come this far. To the water supply department.”

It was a tired-looking face.

“I guess you didn’t get off work?”

“There’s a member of the National Assembly who’s being prepared to be arrested on bribery charges, and he’s a damn prosecutor, so he’s avoiding things like a fox and never getting caught.”

This is it.

At that time, the problem that Chief Nam Jun-mo of the Heavy Water Resources Department was talking about.

That was when.

A man in his early 40s with disheveled hair appeared.

He had a toothbrush in his mouth.

Wait, is this guy?

“Is this the guy? The genius prosecutor Kang Ji-hyeok who is coming in today?”

“Hello. This is Kang Ji-hyeok.”

“You look a lot younger than you did on screen?”

“I am still young.”

“As Prosecutor Choi said, he is a bit arrogant.”

“You’ll understand once you experience it yourself. You’re Generation X.”

“Generation X is shit. Want to experience it for yourself? Just follow me for now. Chick.”

“Good. Kang Ji-hyeok. Come with me. It’s time for the meeting about that congressman.”

“Okay. I was wondering.”

He is clearly Prosecutor Seo Tae-in.

I know him as a prosecutor who has handled quite a few major cases.

He was a man who was called a ‘story legend’ even among detectives.

“He’s a prosecutor who creates a story with just a few photos of the incident.”

“But that fits perfectly. They say that if you find evidence that matches the story, the problem is strangely solved.”

“Well, you’ve quit being a prosecutor and entered the National Assembly.”

“He’s a good guy. He’s a member of the National Assembly, so he handles all sorts of issues in his region. I guess he’s pretty popular.”

He was now like the left arm of Chief of the Central Investigation Department Nam Jun-mo.

First day at work.

To meet such a legendary inspector······.

Am I lucky?

bang.

Prosecutor Seo Tae-in kicked open the door and entered.

The door didn’t warp because it was a sturdy iron door.

“Prosecutor Seo.”

“Loyalty!”

There were three inspectors gathered together and four screens were turned on.

There were two screens running in real time.

A parking lot somewhere.

And it was at someone’s doorstep.

‘That must be the parking lot of that congressman’s house, and in front of his house. This is how the Central Investigation Department operates. Installing that CCTV must have been illegal, right?’

Prosecutor Seo Tae-in put the toothbrush he was holding into the water cup on the table.

I knew he fell asleep here watching the video last night too.

Prosecutor Seo Tae-in called my name while watching the CCTV.

“Hey Kang Ji-hyuk.”

“Yes, Inspector Seo.”

Prosecutor Seo Tae-in seemed surprised that the young prosecutor recognized him.

He turned his head and looked at me and said.

“How did you know my name?”

“Prosecutor Seo Tae-in, are there any prosecutors you don’t know?”

“Oh. Not much.”

“I’m glad I knew.”

“Did you dare to do background checks?”

“Our chief prosecutor told me.”

“Lee Cheol-jung? Hmm. Well, that could be possible.”

He spoke casually and then turned his head away again.

“Hyunsoo. Is everything okay?”

“It’s so quiet as X.”

“It’s quiet?”

“It’s quiet.”

“Okay, Inma. Don’t act rudely when there’s a newbie here.”

“Is Kang Ji-hyeok here? That guy is so cool.”

“I’m here. Say hello, Inspector Kang.”

“Hello, Prosecutor Oh Cheon-su.”

“Do you know me too?”

“I know.”

Prosecutor Seo Tae-in said sarcastically.

“That kid knows everything. He’s so fucking smart.”

Prosecutor Oh Cheon-su.

He is the prosecutor who was the ace of the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office.

Among the mostly gentle prosecutors of the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office, he was the most fearsome.

A mad dog style that was called a ‘bulldog’ among detectives.

That red tracksuit was his trademark, and I didn’t know it then, but looking back I saw that it was the Spanish national team tracksuit.

“It’s an honor. I’m your fan.”

“thank you.”

A prosecutor wearing horn-rimmed glasses and with his hair pulled back came up next to me.

“Check this right now. It’s an investigation report, and it has everything we discussed during today’s meeting.”

Tall, over 185 cm tall.

Horn-rimmed glasses.

All-back style.

And a sharp nose.

I also know this inspector who is wearing stylish clothes.

Prosecutor Na Su-hyeon.

During my high school days, I also worked as a model for a girls’ magazine.

He was quite popular as he was admitted to Korea University Law School as the top student in the country.

It is said that he was also good at sports such as Taekwondo and Hapkido.

Of course, he was called ‘the biggest irritant’ among detectives······.

Still, he was a prosecutor who was incredibly good at investigations and had the highest indictment rate in the country.

“Inspector. There are too many reports.”

“It’s only about 40 pages. But I packed it full of content, so read it carefully.”

Prosecutor Seo Tae-in didn’t just let it go.

“Look at that. That bastard Kang Ji-hyeok, Na Su-hyeon knows too. They all know, f*ck. It seems like the personal information of the Central Investigation Department’s prosecutors has been leaked.”

‘My former detective seniors used to say that Prosecutor Seo Tae-in was like a mother-in-law to me, and it’s true. She talks a lot.’

I was annoyed by the constant nagging of Prosecutor Seo Tae-in, so I tried to pick a fight with him.

“By the way, isn’t it difficult to accept the CCTV as evidence because it contains illegal elements?”

Prosecutor Seo Tae-in did not just let it go and approached me.

“Ji-hyeok. Kang Ji-hyeok.”

“Yes, Prosecutor Seo Tae-in.”

Sigh.

He smiled, the corners of his lips raised.

“I like guys like you. I like drawing lines without any ups and downs. That kind of thing. It’s cool.”

“I didn’t draw a line. It’s just that if that CCTV is illegal······.”

Seo Tae-in brought his face close to mine.

It smelled like refreshing toothpaste.

I didn’t avoid his eyes.

“Prosecutor Kang. What are our weapons?”

“It is the law.”

“Yeah. That’s the weapon that ordinary prosecutors have, right? Law. Justice. Things like that.”

“Yes.”

“But you know, Inspector Kang, someone has to be above the law, right? Are those bastards you locked up afraid of the law?”

“I am not afraid.”

“Right? What should we do with those law-abiding bastards who aren’t afraid of such laws?”

It was as I had hoped.

That question.

“We will thoroughly destroy it with evidence and logic.”

“Yeah. I like that about you too. But to do that, we have to be above the law.”

“Above the law?”

“Yes. Precariously! You have to climb on the tightrope of the law and cross it. So precariously that you absolutely cannot fall or break.”

I thought I knew what you meant.

Although this CCTV is illegal, it can at least provide ‘pressure’ or ‘a decisive blow’ to criminals.

“That’s why the Central Investigation Department exists. While ordinary prosecutors fight with the law as their weapon, we catch lawbreakers on top of the law. Okay?”

“All right.”

“I knew you’d understand quickly. It took Kang-han a month to convince him. Right? Prosecutor Choi Kang-han.”

“Yes.”

“But, Choi Kang-han still doesn’t 100% acknowledge it. Everyone here does. No one acknowledges it 100%.”

Seo Tae-in spoke coldly and bluntly. Each and every word seemed alive and breathing.

As expected, he was the best prosecutor.

“I understand.”

“Okay. I’ll give you 30 minutes. Let’s read the report and analyze the CCTV together. Then, let’s bring that bribe-taking congressman down to the level of the law.”

“I like that. Bringing the lawbreakers down to the law.”

I also raised the corners of my mouth when I looked at him.

Seo Tae-in returned to his seat and said while looking at the CCTV.

“I like it too. Prosecutor Kang Ji-hyeok. I ask for your help in the future.”

From now on, I have to make them all my side.

The aces of the heavy water department.

How can I hand out my business card when I’m being pushed around by these people?

“Here’s some coffee.”

“Thank you, Inspector Choi.”

Only then did the strongest inspector hand me the iced Americano he had been holding for a while.

Huruk.

I took a mouthful of coffee and started checking the investigation report.

‘Born in 1951. 3-term National Assembly member… His constituency is Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. He divorced his wife before becoming a member of the National Assembly.’

However, once you become a member of the National Assembly for a third term, your constituency doesn’t really matter.

Because he is already a central politician.

‘When he started as a member of the National Assembly, he declared assets including a house in Cheongju worth 100 million won and cash worth 320 million won. He currently owns an apartment in Cheongju with a deposit of 50 million won, and his cash and bonds total 41.87 billion won.’

Huruk.

I smiled as I took a sip of my iced Americano.

‘This guy is funny. It’s amazing that he’s been able to increase his wealth to this extent during his 12 years as a member of the National Assembly······.’

“Prosecutor Kang. What do you think? Isn’t he an interesting congressman? His wealth has increased tremendously while he was a congressman?”

Prosecutor Na Su-hyeon asked me a question.

I answered him, speeding up my reading of the report.

“It’s not that his wealth has grown, it’s that he has officially reported it all. Now that he’s above the law, he’s telling me to go fuck myself.”

Prosecutor Na Su-hyeon looked at me with surprised eyes.

“Huh. Look at this kid. It seems like Nam Joon-mo is really good at judging people.”

“I also agree with what Kang Ji-hyeok said.”

“I admit that it kills my adaptability.”

I didn’t mind that kind of recognition.

This report is starting to smell a little fishy.

It’s like the smell of rotten alcohol.

* * *

10 minutes.

It was the time when I memorized the entire report.

Thankfully, my sharpened abilities shined brightly even in brief moments.

I went out to the office where the CCTV cameras were clearly visible and sat down at the table.

Prosecutor Na Su-hyeon, who was standing next to me, asked me.

“Are you tired of reading reports?”

“No. I saw it all. It was organized so neatly that I saw it quickly.”

“You’ve already seen it all? In just 10 minutes?”

“Yes. I saw everything. It turned out that the antiques that my ancestors had left behind in their house were extremely expensive historical antiques, so I sold them and became rich.”

“That’s right. Those antiques were sold at auction for 500 million to 1 billion won each. Through an official auction company called ‘Garahan Auction.’”

“With that alone, I came to have a fortune of 36,064 million won. After that, I gradually increased my fortune by investing in stocks while taking appropriate losses······.”

“Even the amount? Hmm. Looking at the report again, I remember it exactly.”

“The key is that antique, and the evidence is clear and the taxes have been paid cleanly.”

“I heard you even received an award for being an excellent taxpayer. But you actually live in a big mansion in Gangnam.”

Selling antiques is a classic tax evasion method, but he paid his taxes properly.

Even through an official auction house, neatly put.

Prosecutor Oh Cheon-su shouted.

“Wait a minute. Representative Gu Seong-jin’s car is coming in now. Please look at the parking lot screen.”

Everyone was focused on the CCTV.

A black, fancy foreign car pulled into the parking lot. After parking, Rep. Gu Seong-jin took a large box of apples out of the trunk.

Prosecutor Oh Cheon-su, excited by the sight, grumbled and said.

“An apology box in plain sight? That—”

“If there are a lot of 50,000 won bills in there, how much is it worth?”

“1.2 billion. Judging by the weight, it seems full.”

That’s what I answered.