Chapter 91
The screen flipped quickly as the next news segment played.
Standing blankly in front of the TV for a moment, I snapped back to reality and moved to my laptop.
Since the ring had shown up clearly in photos from his prosecutorial summons photoline, it had to be visible in online news images too.
I picked out the clearest shots of the ring from the portal site's images. The lettering on the ring still wasn't legible, but at least I could confirm I wasn't seeing things. It was the exact same design. And with his height over 190 cm and sturdy build to boot. On top of that, Jo Hyeon-seok was the guy suspected of pimping women to Senior Secretary Ji Nam-ho.
Considering all those women in the video, it fit perfectly.
That also meant Jeong Yeongjun didn't need to risk exposure to reporters by heading to Yangjin F&B headquarters to check personnel records.
What time is it?
6:35 p.m. We'd planned to arrive at headquarters by 6:30. Had he already gone inside?
I checked my phone. No messages. Maybe he hadn't entered yet.
First, I called Kang Minjae.
"Yes, Lawyer Cha."
"Kang, where are you right now?"
"At the headquarters underground parking lot. But something's off."
"What?"
"Reporters are swarming here too. I'm debating what to do. I was about to call security again to find another route—"
"Don't bother with another route. Just turn around and come back."
"Pardon?"
"No need to check personnel records."
I scrolled through material on Jo Hyeon-seok with it displayed on screen.
"Why?"
"Found the cameraman."
"For real? How? Who is it?"
"Come back first, then we'll talk. Bring Jeong Yeongjun to the office."
"Got it. Heading to the office now."
They returned to the office an hour later. I'd arrived early and was digging deep into the Ji Nam-ho sex-for-favors case and public info on Jo Hyeon-seok.
"Lawyer Cha."
Behind Kang Minjae stood Jeong Yeongjun, face hidden behind sunglasses and a mask. Fortunately, my timing on the call had been good—he didn't look hounded by reporters.
"It took a bit to slip out without the press noticing."
"They have no idea Jeong Yeongjun was at headquarters?"
"Probably not. My car's unfamiliar, plates too. They'd figure it for an employee's vehicle. But if it pulled in and out right away, some might tail us, so I pretended to park for a sec..."
"Anyway, you ID'd the cameraman? Who is he?"
Jeong Yeongjun removed his sunglasses and mask, staring at me with trembling eyes.
Instead of answering, I turned my laptop screen toward them.
They rushed forward like moths to a flame.
After a brief moment identifying the photo's subject, both men widened their eyes and dropped their jaws in unison.
"Jo Hyeon-seok? You mean he's the one who filmed my video?"
"Jo Hyeon-seok's official height is 193 cm. Ex-basketball player. He's accused of supplying entertainment and hostess women to Senior Secretary Ji Nam-ho and several high-ranking officials. Now they're checking if he did the same for other political and business elites."
"...If it's Jo Hyeon-seok, all those women in the video? Well, not great phrasing, but he'd have easy access."
"Exactly. And above all, this ring. It's decisive. That's our guy."
I zoomed in on the ring for them. The news photo was sharper than the NIS-restored video.
While they were en route, I'd had the NIS confirm the ring in the reporter photo matched the video one. He'd sent an overlay image with transparency adjusted and angles aligned. The lettering was still unclear, but the positions of the capital letters matched perfectly.
And that wasn't all. A few profile pics on Jo Hyeon-seok's Cyworld sealed it as the cameraman.
Panatech 718Q. The exact model from the Jeong Yeongjun video.
It was serious business, but that post had me stifling a laugh at first glance. Moments like this really drove home that I was living in 2009. Classic Cyworld emo vibes.
For an ordinary person, it'd just be a cringe black history moment. For Jo Hyeon-seok? Pure cynicism fuel. A guy exploiting people for profit waxing poetic about loneliness? Total clown show.
"Jo Hyeon-seok... how...?"
Jeong Yeongjun slumped onto the sofa. Staring blankly at the ceiling with a dazed expression, he clutched his chest repeatedly.
"So, does that mean he's having an affair with Secretary Kim Eun-ha?"
"Can't confirm that yet, but our video expert analyzed the reporter photo. First letter looks like N. No N in Kim Eun-ha's name."
"N surnames like Na or No..."
Kang Minjae rattled off guesses, but I didn't see much point in speculating names right now. We'd fixated on the lettering length to hunt suspects. The Kim Eun-ha couple seemed a fit, but that was wrong. Now Jo Hyeon-seok was confirmed as cameraman. The case could break in a new direction.
"Jo Hyeon-seok's under suspicion for sex-for-favors not just to Ji Nam-ho, but tons of political and business bigwigs. Big corp execs and heirs too, probably."
"Yes."
"Ever heard Jo Hyeon-seok linked to Yangjin Group?"
Jeong Yeongjun nodded without much hesitation.
"Yes."
"Wait, really? Any details on how he's connected?"
Kang Minjae lit up at Jeong Yeongjun's straightforward reply. Jeong looked a bit flustered by the sudden enthusiasm but calmly recounted.
"Not exactly 'linked' per se... more like, I've met him. Or rather, exchanged greetings."
"Was that the day the video was shot?"
"No. There was an event at River View Hotel, a Yangjin subsidiary. Most execs and staff attended."
"And Jo Hyeon-seok showed up?"
"Not during. After, Jin-ah, me, the CFO I mentioned, and another director went to the hotel rooftop bar. That's where we ran into him."
"Who spotted him first?"
"He greeted us first. Not targeting anyone specific. Said he'd heard about the Yangjin event and asked if we were doing afters, then shook hands all around. First time for me, but he acted like he knew me, so we greeted back."
Jeong Yeongjun paused, double-checking his memory, then nailed it down.
"That was when you were at Yangjin F&B?"
"Yes. We passed by after that. Over drinks, we asked who he was. CFO was shocked I didn't know—said anyone in that scene knows Jo Hyeon-seok. On the way home, Jin-ah said knowing him's no good, bad guy, stay away."
The Ji Nam-ho case blew up when an actress from one of those booze sessions spilled. She'd secretly recorded Ji and his cronies. Pre-entry checks for electronics missed her phone somehow. That recording pinned Ji—no denials possible.
As the probe kicked off, Ji didn't want to go down alone and named other VIPs he'd shared favors with. Jo Hyeon-seok's name dropped. Ji claimed Jo knew more names, way more elites serviced through him. Open Jo's mouth, and it'd shake the nation.
No way Yangjin Group execs—seventh-largest conglomerate—weren't in that web. Top suspect Chairman Go Sang-gyeong couldn't be exempt.
Recapping: Go Sang-gyeong had the strongest motive. Now a link to cameraman Jo Hyeon-seok seemed likely. At minimum, Go knew of him. Go Jin-ah warning Jeong about Jo meant she knew his rep too.
Go Sang-gyeong not knowing a scene fixture like Jo? Absurd.
In novel terms: Jo learns Go's thorn is Jeong Yeongjun, offers to handle it by leaking the video. Strengthens his Go connection, maybe scores extras.
"Now we've got proof Jo Hyeon-seok's the cameraman—why not hand it to prosecutors? News says they're digging hard into him. If this video's his handiwork—"
"Bad idea. Leak from any channel, and Jeong Yeongjun's branded a shameless john."
Jeong let out a long sigh at my words. Beyond what I'd told him, more reasons not to involve prosecutors.
From past-life recall, this case didn't end clean. Ji got jail time post-trial, some others sacked. But superficial. Public interest waned as it dragged, other scandals piled on.
First, Jeong's sex vid blew up amid the heat, shifting eyes.
Second, a celeb list leaked—somewhere—sparking tearful pressers.
Then Jo, who'd clammed up, bargained: lighter sentence for more names. Dumb prosecutors cut a deal. Case became Jo's puppet show. He got a slap on the wrist, even early release.
Prosecutors wouldn't help. Even if capable, Jeong's case would sideline.
"We'll focus on Jo Hyeon-seok for now, dig deeper ourselves."
"Any way to do that?"
Jeong's voice trembled with anxiety.
"Yes. Rest easy for now. Kang'll drive you to your parents'."
Maybe my firm assurance helped. Jeong nodded, face eased, and left with Kang.
I pulled out my phone, scrolling contacts.
Heaven-sent: I knew someone in Special Crimes 1 handling the Ji Nam-ho case.