Chapter 193
Chapter 193
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 194
Chapter Title: Gangnam Standbar Raid
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Knock knock.
"Senior Prosecutor Hwang?"
Prosecutor Kim Si-hwan knocked on the door, but there was no response from Room 422, Senior Prosecutor Hwang Jae-eun's office.
"What's going on? He shouldn't have left for the day yet. Is he not in?"
After pondering for a moment, Kim Si-hwan cautiously pushed the door open.
Creak.
As the door opened slowly with a careful sound, Kim Si-hwan peeked his head inside and glanced around.
Flinch.
In the dim, dark room sat a solitary silhouette, head bowed, utterly motionless.
Lost in thought, perhaps. Or maybe having stopped thinking altogether.
"Senior Prosecutor Hwang...Senior? Are you okay?"
The prosecutor's office was steeped in a limp, heavy atmosphere that cut through the darkness. The senior prosecutor's room, which should have been buzzing with activity, was so quiet that it felt like the entire prosecutor's office was shrouded in silence.
But Kim Si-hwan, who had a rough idea of the situation, slowly stepped inside and flicked on the light with a sharp click!
"Aw, come on. This isn't like you, Senior Prosecutor... Gasp."
The moment the light turned on, Hwang Jae-eun's chilling figure came into view, glaring at Kim Si-hwan with the fierce expression of a leopard.
Her hair was a total mess. Her makeup was smudged, her face filled with anger and irritation.
It had to be because of Director Park Min-seong's betrayal and Kang Hyun's crisis.
Hwang Jae-eun didn't seem normal in any way—physically or emotionally.
"...Get out while I'm being nice."
"I... I can't do that."
Kim Si-hwan cleared his throat unnecessarily and spoke to her.
"How can I just ignore it when my senior is all slumped over and not doing anything? I made a promise. Until you pull yourself together..."
"Scram."
"Yes, I was just passing by. Have a great day!"
He gauged her mood for a second, then wilted at the murderous glare in her eyes—like she'd kill anyone who crossed her—and his resolve crumbled instantly.
As Kim Si-hwan scrambled to leave, Hwang Jae-eun suddenly called out to the back of his head.
"Hold on, Prosecutor Kim."
"...Pardon? Yes, yes, Senior."
The reason Hwang Jae-eun stopped Kim Si-hwan, who was bolting out, was Kang Hyun.
"Is Kang Hyun struggling a lot?"
Her heavy voice laid bare her worries in an instant.
Kang Hyun's impending failure.
She couldn't hold back and spoke up out of concern for how he'd despair and break down.
"Ah..."
Kim Si-hwan stood still, unable to speak, his face complicated.
"See..."
Seeing this, Hwang Jae-eun closed her eyes heavily.
Thoughts of Park Min-seong, the Namyangju branch office, and Kang Hyun flashed by, and she hid her swirling confusion.
In the end, Kang Hyun would become a target for the media.
Scoffed at for pretending to be hotshot only to have his incompetence exposed, from the incompetence rumors to the bubble theory next.
The sequence that followed was set: an investigation for conduct violations, disciplinary action, then disappearance.
There had been plenty of talented prosecutors and lawyers who vanished like that. And none of them had escaped history's erasure.
No prosecutor was ignorant of what happened when the media latched on, and Kang Hyun knew it well too.
It was obvious he'd be in despair. Regretting his choices and blaming himself, no doubt.
But Kim Si-hwan's face was odd as he hesitated, like he had more to say even after seeing Hwang Jae-eun's reaction.
"Uh, well..."
Shrug. As he lifted his shoulders, a flicker of curiosity crossed Hwang Jae-eun's face.
Kim Si-hwan wore a subtle expression, gesturing as if something unexpected was unfolding.
"...?"
"Sip."
"...What?"
"Kang Hyun's in really good shape right now?"
"What?"
"He's working his ass off."
"Wor...king?"
"He said just catch one thing. That it's actually perfect, and he's just going at it."
"Hey. You, after all this time, lying to me now?"
As she bristled, Kim Si-hwan backed away like a coward despite doing nothing wrong and hurriedly replied.
"No, Senior, it's true. Room 323 is super busy. Right now."
That couldn't be.
Director Park Min-seong had lured Kang Hyun into a trap with his own feet, and the entire criminal division was just watching his scripted failure.
Even a veteran prosecutor hit with this would be so shocked they couldn't read the case files.
He had mental fortitude beyond that?
"No way."
Hwang Jae-eun shot to her feet. Kim Si-hwan held her back.
"First, calm down a bit. You need to keep your wits about you, Senior. Kang Hyun's really doing something. That's why I'm going to grab food for the team instead—wanna come?"
"Huh? No?"
"Got it. Kimchi fried rice is fine for you, right, Senior? I'll get yours too."
"Uh? Yeah. Sure."
"Yep. Trust in Kang Hyun, Senior."
Slam, click!
The sadness, frustration, anger—all those shocking emotions seemed to flee with Kim Si-hwan.
"What the hell was that?"
She, who had forsaken food and sleep, was suddenly getting kimchi fried rice. Hwang Jae-eun froze, staring blankly at the spot Kim Si-hwan had vacated, her face bewildered.
His words—"trust in him"—echoed in her head alone.
"Kang Hyun's... doing something?"
* * * ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Haa, those bastards, I should just tie 'em all up and kill 'em..."
He should have seen it from the start, with the string of incidents from drug parties in Namyangju near Seoul.
And James Park, Jack Daniel—their English names should have been a dead giveaway.
Kang Hyun gathered a few documents into a folder, confirmed the related files were saved on his phone, and left the office without a shred of hesitation.
There was no need to waver. The moment he confirmed the two knew each other and were in contact, the story was over.
Because all these cases had one thing in common: "drug parties."
Whether James Park or Jack Daniel, whoever it was, they were ringleaders of drug parties.
"Drug-loving scum."
Drugs had fixed distributors by region. Especially for guys in the same area with the same crew.
"The drug source is obviously the same."
As he exited the main gate, a taxi approached from afar.
Vroom!
"Come on in. Gangnam, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
One day left before the case investigation was halted.
His destination: Gangnam. The entertainment district teeming with clubs packed with rich, young crowds.
Gangnam, Seocho-gu, 3 a.m.
The back alleys bustled with bars and clubs gearing up for Friday dawn, thriving even on a weekday with more people than expected.
But Kang Hyun had no eyes for that.
Weaving deftly through the drunks staggering about, he hurried toward his target.
The bar where James Park, the youngest son of KW Construction, had gotten smashed and left in the "Namyangju Intersection Accident" case.
That was the place.
"Welcome! This is Gangnam Standbar!"
Whether the young part-timers saw his expression or not, they greeted his entrance loudly. Without time to respond, Kang Hyun pushed inside to find the owner.
"Welcome. Huh? Pro-Prosecutor Kang Hyun?"
Amid the stench of booze, cigarettes, perfume, and sweat in the heart of the nightlife district, the young female owner recognized him and widened her eyes in shock.
Bang!
Ignoring her attempt to play nice, Kang Hyun slammed the desk and spoke in a harsh tone.
"Good, you recognize me. Which crew does Jack Daniel usually roll with?"
"Pardon? Hold on. What's with the sudden ambush? Do you know how tough it's been with all the recent incidents? Coming here to sabotage business again..."
"Sabotage?"
Before she finished, Kang Hyun's face turned ferocious. Strength to strength. In the middle of Gangnam's entertainment strip, no mercy.
As if he already knew everything, as if pretending ignorance was pointless.
He radiated that vibe hard.
That was the way to get the best info fast with minimal effort here.
"The rookie James Park in ongoing heavy case 1008 got wasted here, took his car keys from you, and you waved him off while he was blackout drunk—it's all on record.
Criminal Code Article 32(1): Aiding another's crime makes you an accomplice. Not a hard area for designated drivers, but you sold booze to drunk-driving principal offender James Park, ignored it, handed over the keys, encouraged and abetted the crime as bar owner. Wanna just get a few days' business suspension? Or tangle it up more and drag you to trial?"
"N-No... popping up out of nowhere, what are you even saying...? I'll call the cops!"
"The cops?"
Kang Hyun's face turned ice-cold.
"I know over 10% of the drugs circulating in Gangnam pass through here. Cops? Didn't you hear about the massive drug bust sweeping Gangnam clubs? Wanna get tangled with the club mamasans and MDs and end up in jail too?"
Clink!
The front part was a threat grounded in truth, but the back was pure bluff. Kang Hyun's fabricated "rumor."
But the owner paled, dropping the glass she held with trembling hands.
"This place... has nothing to do with it."
"Guide me and talk. Where's Jack Daniel's crew partying?"
"H-He didn't come tonight..."
"Not here on a Thursday night turning into Friday dawn?"
"......I-I'll double-check."
Her eyes bulging, the owner caved without resistance and spilled. Kang Hyun whipped out his prosecutor badge like drawing a prepared sword and flashed it.
"Fine. Take me inside now."
"Okay, b-but no more commotion."
The frozen owner led him straight to the back VIP room.
Smooth as silk—that's what this was. All severed threads tied up, tangled skeins unraveled.
If he just nailed one thing.
Bang!
"Eek!"
"What the hell, this guy?"
The room door flew open as if about to shatter, and Kang Hyun strode in, casually folding his extended leg.
The startled crashers: spoiled rich daughters, an underground rapper with some fame, chaebol heirs. That crowd.
"Hey. I'm Kang Hyun. Banmal from now on. Everyone up. Unless you want a drug test. Traces last up to six months."
Swift intro, badge in hand, ferocious glare promising to grab collars at the first peep— the trinity made it seem like a halo glowed behind him.
Like magic, the drunk kids rose from their seats one by one.
"Good. Nice and polite—set down glasses gently, stub out smokes, answer my questions only. Got it?"
"Uh, who even are y—"
"Shh! Idiot, that's Kang Hyun."
"Kang Hyun? The prosecutor?"
That one phrase: "Kang Hyun? The prosecutor?"
And everyone in the room couldn't drag him out or bolt.
They just seemed ready to answer him.
Shallow ties bound by booze and drugs—nothing more, nothing less—they clearly wanted no entanglement with him.
Just hoping to survive this hour.
"Alright, let's begin."