Chapter 201
Chapter 201
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: Securing Testimony from Jack Daniel
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“Phew, the humid weather this morning has left me feeling drained.”
“Chairman, you're here.”
In a room twice the size of a chief prosecutor's office, a man in ordinary hiking clothes soaked with sweat from a workout wiped himself down with a towel handed to him.
KW Construction CEO and President, Park Jeong-seok.
But within the company, he was called 'Chairman.'
Perhaps because he was the real power among real powers.
Flick.
He took the report from another man, then tossed it aside roughly with a displeased look.
“You've been making all this fuss over something so trivial? What did the district office head say?”
“He said he'd hold a press conference right after the release.”
“And the release is possible?”
“We've already worked on the court. The judge in charge is a junior of his.”
“That guy, even if he's lost his marbles, somehow slithers right toward his own survival like a snake.”
Even as he said it, he gulped down water with an uneasy, uncomfortable expression.
Despite the media and prosecution squeezing from all sides with all their might, the impact on him had been virtually nil up to now.
Lately, though, two worries gnawed at him relentlessly.
The first was the warning from Daijin Group.
Because of this incident, many at KW Construction had been purged.
Rumors swirled that Daijin's people would take over the vacant chairman and vice-chairman positions, and while he wouldn't have to give up his CEO seat outright, it was practically no different from entering emergency receivership.
The moment he realized he was their puppet. He could be backstabbed and ousted at any time.
And the second one right after.
“We went and poked the powder keg...”
The prosecution's movements were no joke.
He knew full well that Gu Ik-hwan, the branch chief prosecutor, was a dead issue, but he hadn't expected a few bribes to drag him into this mess.
In other words, he was smack in the middle of political infighting, set up as the sacrificial lamb.
So he had to do something.
“Chairman, it's ready.”
“Yeah, alright. Shall we go?”
He slipped into the shirt and jacket his staff brought out, then headed quickly to the prepared car.
He planned to meet a few reporters he'd bought off. He needed to accelerate his efforts to extricate himself.
“Kang Hyun.”
Right after directing the investigation, Kang Hyun sensed Hwang Jae-eun following and stopped.
“Yes.”
“What if the arrest warrant is rejected?”
She knew this course of action was extremely risky and unconventional. That's why no one else in the office could waver, or the whole thing would fall apart.
How risky? If the warrant was rejected, recovery was impossible.
Preparing to reapply wouldn't work without new evidence—the rejected warrant wouldn't be issued. They'd have to start over from scratch in another direction.
'Methodically investigate those around him, gather evidence to nab the bigger fish, and finally take down the king.'
That was investigation 101. No wonder Park Min-seong had scoffed.
“Our investigation direction is too focused on successfully arresting Park Jeong-seok.”
“The arrest will succeed. So we don't need to think about other directions.”
“So how are you going to do it? If it's rejected?”
“I'll take responsibility and bring Park Jeong-seok in myself.”
Kang Hyun caught his breath briefly before continuing.
Emergency arrest, straight away.
Kang Hyun was looking two moves ahead.
“It's the backup plan. I'll proceed on my end, so you prepare for all-out war with Park Jeong-seok. If the warrant comes through, I'll stop acting alone and join right away.”
Hwang Jae-eun tilted her head after hearing the explanation.
“I have no idea what you're planning. Two prosecutorial offices and part of the administrative staff are involved. You've basically turned against Chief Park Min-seong. But your explanation sounds like a low-probability, low-success-rate option...”
“If we get a confession, that's it.”
“We have to assume he'll deny everything.”
“If I bring him in handcuffed, he'll confess.”
“Should I really believe this...”
Hwang Jae-eun muttered skeptically, while Kang Hyun stood tall confidently.
“Believe in me like you have so far. I'll be back after I step out.”
“At this hour? Where to?”
“Uijeongbu Detention Center.”
“Detention center?”
He turned to leave after dropping that clear, simple line laced with questions. Worry flickered across Hwang Jae-eun's face.
She couldn't just let him go when he looked so busy.
“...Detention center? What, going for a visit?”
“No time. Senior Park Min-seong will definitely go for a speed war.”
“...Fine. Call if anything comes up.”
“Yes.”
In the end, as she sent Kang Hyun off, Prosecutor Hwang Jae-eun felt confused.
By standard procedure, none of the suspects currently detained warranted a visit for crucial statements.
“...What on earth is he thinking?”
Unable to get an answer, she hurried off as he left.
As Kang Hyun said, to get Park Jeong-seok in front of them, even just procedurally, they needed meticulous preparation.
Uijeongbu Detention Center.
After checking his prosecutor ID at the outer building, he followed the guards inside, passing a vast open yard.
Even in broad daylight, the cold air felt eerie.
“This way.”
Clang.
The iron gate opened to reveal the visitation room.
The man seated across from him was none other than the defamation suspect and drug case suspect.
The defendant and singer, Jack Daniel.
'This case is the culmination of every Namyangju incident.'
Jack Daniel was James Park's acquaintance, and Park Jeong-seok was James Park's father.
During James Park's accident, Park Jeong-seok had given up his own house to hide him, establishing complicity.
And that wasn't all. James Park was implicated with Jack Daniel in the drug case. The accident happened after doing drugs and driving.
That was it.
Kang Hyun aimed to tie Park Jeong-seok to every prior incident.
'More than enough for emergency arrest grounds. If I can just get the statement here.'
Unlike the slight tension rising in him, Kang Hyun hid his expression, smirked, and took his seat.
Clunk!
“Eek.”
Jack Daniel flinched.
Kang Hyun simply stared at him intently for a long while.
To make each feel the other's position more viscerally. Kang Hyun had no intention of begging or going low.
Instead, he'd make him regret his actions twice over. Make him squirm.
Now that he knew the terror of the law, Kang Hyun's mere presence should exert considerable pressure.
“Mr. Daniel Seo, I was worried you might be struggling, but you look well. Suits you in here, I guess.”
When Kang Hyun called him by his real name, he bowed his head further.
“...”
“...”
“You already know that. So I assume there's a reason you didn't refuse my unofficial visitation request.”
“...”
Daniel Seo kept his head down silently. He didn't even seem to consider glaring at Kang Hyun, defying him, or getting angry.
But he had a vague idea why Kang Hyun was here.
Leveraging the sentence to extract a statement.
In plain terms, 'sentence reduction.'
“How much can you reduce the sentence?”
“Looks like you've already shared info with your friends.”
“...”
As his true colors showed, Kang Hyun sneered sharply.
“...I heard it's common.”
“You're sorely lacking in this area. Not even worth sugarcoating with words like ‘leniency’ or ‘forgiveness.’”
“I'm sorry.”
“A drug offender who nearly ruined one person's life forever, casually bringing up his own sentence.”
“Sorry, I, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for dragging Yoon Haneul into it too. I didn't know she was connected to you, Prosecutor...”
“Shut up.”
At Kang Hyun's word, he bowed his head and replied.
“...Yes.”
“I'll do the talking. And the proposing.”
Daniel Seo nodded frantically, bowing deeply. Kang Hyun continued coldly questioning.
“Did you know Park Jeong-seok and James Park were doing drugs?”
“...What kind of question.”
“I said answer only what's asked. Don't you get it?”
He rolled his eyes around.
It was truly a do-or-die moment. The first button mattered.
No matter what was offered, if he clamped his mouth shut, Kang Hyun could do nothing.
So Kang Hyun neither begged nor pressured hard. Just tossed out the question casually.
30 seconds, 1 minute.
After about 3 minutes, as Kang Hyun opened his mouth to add slight pressure.
“...Yes.”
A groan-like answer barely escaped him, as if forcing out what he'd swallowed.
Kang Hyun expressed his joy as a smirk.
'Got him. I can dig and connect it.'
To not let the hooked fish slip, Kang Hyun pressed on relentlessly.
“Park Jeong-seok covered for his youngest son, James Park.”
“Yes?”
“James Park got high, caused an accident, and hid in a house under Park Jeong-seok's name. Park Jeong-seok hid him. If he wasn't on drugs, there's no reason he'd run, so they all knew. Right?”
“...”
He went silent, hit right on the mark.
Of course. This meant selling out a friend—and even the friend's father who protected them.
But once his mouth opened.
His silence didn't last even 10 seconds anymore.
“The uncle, I mean Mr. Park Jeong-seok, covered for us. He knew about the drugs, let us hide and party. Hid us when it got dangerous.”
“He was your protector.”
“Yes. Protector role.”
“Coming out smooth, huh.”
Noticing Kang Hyun's face brighten slightly, Daniel Seo's words sped up.
“J-James Park is the bastard who got me into drugs.”
“Is that so?”
“Without that bastard, my life wouldn't be like this. His dad, James Park's father, is no good either. Construction CEO flashing his card, bringing thugs to quash sites. In this drug case, he's the ringleader!”
“Ringleader. James Park?”
“Yes?”
“James Park? Park Jeong-seok? Or do you think both are responsible?”
“N-No, that's...!”
Click.
“...?”
As he started getting agitated, Kang Hyun quietly placed a blank sheet of paper down, leaving him momentarily baffled.
“...Ah!”
But Daniel Seo wasn't stupid.
“B-Both.”
“Write it. Give a written statement.”
“Hey, the deal...”
“Consideration for surrender.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Scribble, scribble, scribble.
What a flimsy bond. Turn tail at the first sign of downside.
Betrayal comes this easily.
'Hah!'
Kang Hyun could only click his tongue.