Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: Dawn Confrontation on the Mountain Path
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The court seemed like nothing more than a servant of Gu Ik-hwan, poised to reject both warrants.
It was a crisis hurtling toward the worst possible outcome.
Park Min-seong, acting like the chief prosecutor's lackey, was trying to get only the detention warrant approved, leaving Hwang Jae-eun—who had been waiting passively for decisions on both warrants—stunned as if struck from behind.
"This can't be right."
She hurriedly tied back her hair and threw on her jacket as she spoke, heading somewhere.
"I'm going to the Namyangju Branch right now."
"...Pardon?"
"I need to make a statement. This is absurd. It's a political decision. Who the hell is the judge handling the warrants?"
"W-Well... I'll upload the related materials right away, but the judge designated only Prosecutor Park Min-seong, the branch chief, as the person to consult regarding the suspect's pre-detention interrogation."
"Then at least I'll observe the hearing. Just prepare the car."
"Yes, ma'am."
Hwang Jae-eun's head was spinning.
Had Gu Ik-hwan's influence already seeped into the court?
Moreover, Park Min-seong showed no intention of assisting her and Kang Hyun's investigation.
Far from helping, the situation made it obvious he would obstruct them.
"What about Kang Hyun? Where is he?"
She called him urgently, but there was no answer.
Hwang Jae-eun's eyes trembled.
It was because the first clash with Park Min-seong had come so abruptly, right before her eyes.
With Kang Hyun absent, she was on her own.
"Here is the notice of the interrogation date."
"...Namyangju Branch, Single Judge Courtroom 16, Room 8."
She stood silently for a moment, swallowing hard, then read the location aloud and rushed out of the prosecutor's office. Her steps quickened.
Her heart pounded with tension, as if it might burst. Losing here meant the end.
It was a head-on collision. Park Min-seong would undoubtedly push only for approval of the detention warrant, while rejecting the arrest warrant she had requested.
'No time to prepare.'
She had to stop it. Relying solely on her own skills built up until now.
Around five-thirty in the morning.
Even at this hour, which could be called dawn, plenty of people were coming and going on the neighborhood's back mountain.
Energetic schoolkids out early, young couples walking their pets.
Elderly folks fetching spring water for exercise, too.
If you gave a bit of meaning to these ordinary scenes, it was like the diverse lives of people from all walks had shrunk the whole world into this place.
'It's about time for him to show.'
Amid that world, Kang Hyun waited in ambush at a pre-scouted spot. Dressed plainly in workout clothes, carrying nothing.
No backup, no execution documents—just blending in like someone who came here every day.
In this small neighborhood back mountain, he silently waited for the person he wanted to appear.
'He'll come. He has to.'
Waiting blindly without basis was a ridiculous waste of time, but waiting grounded in information and deduction could add a bit more plausibility even to a hunch.
Besides, success here could massively impact the entire case.
It was the most crucial piece of intel he'd gleaned from Uijeongbu Prison last time.
The fact that the person he sought had a daily routine of circling the back mountain every morning.
Such trivial daily details could only come from family.
"...There he is."
Atop the mountain, in a clearing with a pavilion and a few wooden chairs, an elderly middle-aged man finally came into view, heading toward where Kang Hyun sat.
His build and face were perfectly ordinary, blending seamlessly into the mountain.
But one thing was clear: he was the one.
He looked exactly like the man Kang Hyun had met yesterday. No doubt about it.
James Park. His face, eyes, even the shape—spot on.
'President Park Jeong-seok. The morning walks were real.'
The man Kang Hyun had been waiting for on this neighborhood back mountain was none other than Park Jeong-seok, the key to the KW case.
He climbed alone, without aides or anyone else. It seemed like an unbreakable daily routine.
"Good morning."
As Park Jeong-seok passed by, Kang Hyun stood naturally and greeted him.
The man's eyes, scanning him up and down, softened a bit at Kang Hyun's utterly ordinary attire, though he startled at first.
"Wh-Who are you? Do you know me?"
"Nice air up here. Care to walk another lap around? It's an opportunity."
"..."
"Or we could head down together."
And so, the two began walking side by side for a bit.
Step by step.
At his original pace, nothing unnatural or tense about it.
But Kang Hyun could sense the tension and tremor radiating from Park Jeong-seok.
The kind of vibe someone who knew they'd done wrong might give, even without knowing who Kang Hyun was. Without further explanation, Kang Hyun broached it casually.
"It's an emergency arrest, but your rights are guaranteed—no cuffs, and I'll provide transport. Meaning, cooperate, and it'll go smoothly."
He let out a tense sigh, his body rigid.
"You're... police?"
"Prosecutor Kang Hyun from the Criminal Division. I'm handling your case, Mr. Park Jeong-seok."
"Ah, a prosecutor. Now I see."
After a few words, he seemed to regain some composure, recognizing Kang Hyun.
He was no rookie in this game. He'd met prosecutors more than once or twice, and had prepared accordingly.
Though he probably hadn't expected such a bold, direct approach.
"This approach won't end well for you."
"That's not for you to decide, Mr. Park Jeong-seok. The truth decides."
"Prosecutors have their youthful rash judgments too. Back in the day."
"What do you mean?"
"That urge, that craving to shove anyone involved into prison no matter what. Young prosecutors always have it. I've seen plenty."
"Is that so? Interesting."
"KW has not a single speck of corruption or wrongdoing. If you're trying to fabricate something, you'll bleed for it."
His eyes bulged wildly. Behind the ordinary uncle's face, the cruel old man's expression emerged.
"Will I? Plenty of people want the truth to come out."
"The truth. What's the truth, really?"
Park Jeong-seok's lip curled slightly. He was warning Kang Hyun.
"I've seen plenty of old-timers chasing the truth and falling into pits. Stabbed to death, or vanishing completely with a sack over their head."
Threatening him—what would happen if he was touched, what troubles he'd face.
But Kang Hyun wasn't fazed at all.
If anything, he was utterly relaxed.
Park Jeong-seok was an easy mark, really. No need to put on a strong front.
Just state the facts.
"Unfortunately, you'd need to keep better watch over your family for threats like that to work."
"What?"
Kang Hyun's words halted his flare-up.
"Your youngest son helped a lot. I'm just following the flow. Luckily, I have none of that youthful rashness, urge, craving, or desire you worry about from young prosecutors. No need to ponder who pocketed the most cash, either."
"What the...?"
"He spilled everything."
Kang Hyun steadied his breath. Time to start the legal process.
"Mr. Park Jeong-seok, beyond the KW Construction negligent homicide and bribery cases you're thinking of, I'm placing you under emergency arrest for violation of the Narcotics Control Act."
No matter what he spouted, thinking he could beat Kang Hyun was a miscalculation.
"...Wh-What?"
"You prepped hard for the KW Construction case, I see, but that's irrelevant. Your son sold you out to save his own skin. This is about the narcotics investigation."
"N-Narcotics...?"
"Violation of Article 3, Paragraph 2 and Article 7 of the Narcotics Control Act—prohibiting general acts. Conspiracy in receiving and administering. Plus, Criminal Code Article 151, Paragraph 1: harboring a fugitive, James Park's acquaintance. The testimony secured after significant time has passed raises concerns of evidence tampering, other charges are unresolved, and the gravity of your crimes warrants it legally."
Park Jeong-seok's eyes wavered. As expected, his weakness was his son.
Even amid all the corruption and yakuza ties, he had love for his kids, it seemed.
Kang Hyun had exploited that perfectly, even buying time for talk.
Now that they'd come this far, just one final outcome needed.
"James Park and his friends say they'll testify in court about your charges to lighten their sentences."
"That bastard..."
They'd reached the parking lot at the base of the mountain.
A single gray sedan with the prosecutor's office emblem waited there.
"Choose."
Kang Hyun politely gestured to the car.
"I'm alone here—no one else. Just me and the driver. Board willingly, and the whole investigation proceeds smoothly, step by step. You'll even get a chance to explain yourself."
With no hint of coercion, Park Jeong-seok could only stand there, tongue-tied in astonishment.
Suddenly hit with his son's drug case, now being summoned to the prosecutor's office out of nowhere.
"But refuse, and go home to await the joint police-prosecutor team. You'll be dragged off in cuffs. As for your son and his friends' drug case, I'll investigate down to the last thread, ensuring they face judgment for every wrong. Your charges, Mr. Park Jeong-seok, will undergo full public investigation."
"Public investigation?"
"Considering the severity of the crimes and the situation, the entire investigation contents will be disclosed to the media. Any fallout from other cases is yours to bear."
"No, that's a human rights violation!"
The momentum had shifted sharply.
Kang Hyun smirked. As if it was too easy, and too disgusting.
"Construction Technology Management Act Article 35, same Article 56, Enforcement Rules Article 24 and 25. Ignoring unqualified personnel in construction leading to shoddy work and potential disasters, condoning illegal subcontracting by unlicensed fly-by-nights, neglecting official duties, resulting in many deaths."
"Wh-What...?"
"As the father of the man who, after using drugs at Namyangju Intersection, crashed his car killing 5, seriously injuring 8, lightly injuring 21, and fled—harboring his acquaintance at your Namyangju home under your name, aiding the drug offender's flight across the board, conspiring in narcotics receipt."
As Kang Hyun glared, Park Jeong-seok's head drooped involuntarily.
"The emergency arrest isn't executed yet. Haven't informed you of right to counsel or to remain silent. Board carefully and plan ahead, or go home and wait for forced summons—your call, Mr. Park Jeong-seok."
Prosecutor-suspect contact.
Contrasting Kang Hyun's politeness was his brutal tone, forcing Park Jeong-seok into a life-or-death decision.
"..."
In this peaceful neighborhood back mountain, as the morning sun rose.