Chapter 183 "Lawyer, how did the investigation go?"
Choi Jonghyeon would be dying to hear how the investigation went, so after dropping Jo Bongjun off at his place in Seocho-dong, I headed straight to the office.
No sooner had I opened the office door than all eyes turned to me. We hadn't taken on any major cases yet—just a few consultations—so it seemed Kang Minjae and Office Manager Oh had been eagerly awaiting any news I might bring.
"How'd it go? Jeong Changyun sunbae is from your training academy days, right? Did you two get along at least?"
"I told you we weren't close."
"Yeah, but still…."
Kang Minjae glanced at me cautiously, then let out a long sigh.
"It didn't go well, huh."
"I wouldn't say it ever does, but this time he's no friend to us either."
I'd always had rotten luck with prosecutors. The big cases always pitted me against ones who were outright hostile. Yang Hansuk was a prime example, and now Jeong Changyun too.
"Why? Is he another Wooshin lapdog like Yang sunbae?"
Kang Minjae bristled as he asked.
"No. He's the lazy type who just sings the praises of settlements."
"Ah."
Unless the client was extraordinarily wronged, lawyers generally preferred settlements too. It was the quickest, smoothest way to resolve things. But when that wasn't the case, running into a prosecutor like Jeong Changyun could be infuriating. You'd roll up your sleeves fighting for your client, only for the prosecutor to look down on you like it was all a waste over something trivial.
Kang Minjae, having been through it himself, grumbled that dealing with those kinds of prosecutors just drained your energy.
"We're still gathering evidence, so things should progress. Oh, and Kang."
"Yes?"
"Do you know anyone at the Western District Prosecutors' Office?"
"Western District? Yeah, I do."
"Then look into Jeong Changyun for me."
"You said no need when I offered last time."
Kang Minjae pouted like that had been bugging him, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward. I smiled faintly. Seeing him so unable to hide his feelings, maybe it had been a bit harsh to think of Kim Chan-young as the black-hearted version of Kang Minjae.
"I'm not asking for his personality or style. Dig into his connections—close friends, any love calls from firms, where he might jump if he quits. That kind of thing."
Jeong Changyun's strength was his medical background. Whether doctor or prosecutor, they were both so-called "white-collar" jobs with similar prestige. Financially, doctors often came out ahead, so it was rare for med school grads to bother with the bar exam. Those who did usually found the legal profession inherently appealing or burned with a sense of mission in that direction—unless there were special circumstances.
And if my memory served, Jeong Changyun had solid grades at the Judicial Research and Training Institute. He could've easily aimed for judgeship, so choosing prosecution meant there was a reason he had to be a prosecutor.
Typically, that stemmed from a passion to personally investigate and deliver justice. But judging from today's attitude, that didn't fit. It wasn't just that he wouldn't side with us; I couldn't sense that unique zeal of someone thirsting for the truth.
So maybe he was building a prosecutor resume to jump to a law firm. His rare doctor-prosecutor combo was a huge asset—even without prosecution experience, firms would court him—but people have their own ideas.
If he was targeting a firm, and that firm was Taegwang, it would explain his close ties and why he's handling this case under Minghwa Pharmaceuticals' influence. We'd need countermeasures.
"Got it. I'll check it out."
"I'll ask around too. We investigators hear the rumors before the prosecutors do."
Office Manager Oh, who'd been quiet, chimed in. Spot on. The ones closest to prosecutors weren't fellow prosecutors in the office, but the investigators and staff. Rumors often circulated among them first before reaching prosecutor ears.
"Thanks."
"How much time left?"
"Five minutes."
Today was broadcast day. Officially the third one. The first had spiked over 2,000 viewers thanks to the buzz, but the second topped out in the 1,000s. Today felt different, though. Over 1,500 were already waiting, and it looked like it'd hit 3,000 soon.
"Look at these punks waiting 'cause we said we'd spill the prosecution story today."
Jo Bongjun chuckled while checking the pre-broadcast chat.
"Starting the broadcast."
Kim Jeongu adjusted the camera angle and announced. Choi Jonghyeon and Jo Bongjun scrambled to the table and nodded. As their faces appeared on screen, Choi Jonghyeon kicked things off.
"Hello, this is reporter Choi Jonghyeon."
"Apollo Jo Bongjun here."
"Third broadcast today, right? Lots of viewers already."