Chapter 397: Chapter 397: I Won’t Answer If You Contact Me
Jeong Tae-hoon furrowed his brow as he watched the clash between the police and the cultists.
Resistance was fiercer than expected, and now police officers were starting to get injured.
"I'm going to catch some flak for this later."
Muttering softly, Jeong Tae-hoon extended his hand to the investigator beside him.
"Kim, hand me your gun."
"What?"
Investigator Kim Wan-seong looked startled and replied.
"Just give it to me. If this continues, those poor police officers will get hurt more."
"…There's definitely going to be trouble later on."
"Come on, you know I'm already on the edge here, right? I'm just a high school graduate prosecutor without a safety net, that's a bigger issue for me."
"Prosecutor…"
Kim Wan-seong had been watching Jeong Tae-hoon for quite some time.
Thanks to that, he was well aware of how frustrated Jeong Tae-hoon had been within the prosecution's organization.
"If we handle this well, won't it be viewed positively from above? Isn't that what we agreed on?"
"That's why I'm asking for the gun. Before things get worse. Don't you see those lunatics waving their weapons?"
"…"
Kim Wan-seong turned his head to scan the surroundings.
He saw police officers struggling to maintain order with their batons, while people with sharp weapons resisted.
With a sigh, Kim reluctantly pulled out his pistol and handed it over.
It was the revolver used by the police in Korea.
"The first three shots are blanks. After that, they're live rounds. You get three warnings, Prosecutor Jeong."
As Kim explained while passing the gun, Jeong Tae-hoon nodded firmly.
"Prosecutor Jeong, are you really going to use that?"
Hong Jun-seong, who was taking pictures while watching the clash, asked.
"If we leave this as it is, it could lead to a disaster. We need to act fast."
Jeong Tae-hoon replied calmly, pointing the barrel upward and pulling the trigger.
Bang!
The loud sound of blanks echoed through the air.
In that instant, everyone froze.
"Everyone drop your weapons. Or I'll fire."
"…"
"Suppression team, everyone draw your weapons."
The detectives waiting in the back jumped in surprise at the command, checking with their colleagues.
Jeong Tae-hoon warned the cultists again.
"Everyone, drop your weapons."
But the cultists still glared at the police, clutching their weapons tightly.
Jeong Tae-hoon pulled the trigger again.
"Everyone, draw your weapons!"
When he shouted once more, all the detectives drew their pistols.
Seeing that, Jeong Tae-hoon quietly issued a warning.
"This is the last time. Everyone drop your weapons."
Were the fanatics truly afraid of death? Jeong Tae-hoon wasn't sure, even as he fired blanks.
But this was the best approach he had at the moment.
Bang!
The final blank shot fired, but no one lowered their weapons.
"Everyone fire blanks!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Simultaneously, the detectives' guns also roared with blank shots.
The deafening sound filled the air, but the cultists' gaze did not falter.
Jeong Tae-hoon turned his gun towards the crowd.
"Um, Prosecutor Jeong."
Hong Jun-seong's voice trembled.
"…Are you really going to shoot?"
Jeong Tae-hoon didn't answer, just looked at Hong Jun-seong.
Seeing sincerity in his eyes, Hong Jun-seong took a step back, frightened.
"Drop your weapons and surrender immediately."
Even the emotionless warning failed to make the cultists lower their weapons.
With a finger resting on the trigger, Jeong Tae-hoon gradually applied pressure.
― If things escalate, be ready to fire. That's for the best. Injuries to the officers will be a heavier burden for the prosecutor than firing a gun. I'll take responsibility for the aftermath, so don't worry.
Kim Mu-hyeok's confident voice ehoed in Jeong Tae-hoon's mind.
With his lips pressed tight, Jeong Tae-hoon was just about to fire.
"Drop your weapons, everyone."
A man and woman walked down from a building. It was Han Seong-jin and his wife, Kim Seon-ja.
"Chairman!"
"Back off! His glare is sincere. Are you all ready to die? Step back and drop your weapons."
"Yes!"
The people who wouldn't budge in front of the gun instantly complied with Han Seong-jin's command.
They dropped their weapons simultaneously and stepped aside.
Seeing that, Jeong Tae-hoon lowered his hand.
"No way, this is ridiculous. Is that cult leader scarier than a gun?"
"How can we understand the will of the fanatics? But thankfully, it worked. If shots were fired, it could have led to bigger problems later."
Nodding slightly, Jeong Tae-hoon passed the gun back to Kim Wan-seong, who stood nervously beside him.
He pretended to adjust his clothes, relaxing his stiff body.
Despite pretending, he was clearly tense, his hands trembling.
Once he calmed down a bit, he walked over to where Han Seong-jin was.
"Chairman Han Seong-jin. I'm from the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office. I need your cooperation."
"Seoul District Prosecutors' Office? Is the current district chief the one I know?"
"Yes. It's Hyun Seong-taek."
Han Seong-jin stroked his chin, deep in thought.
"Who's behind this? The fact that I didn't get a single call means it was carried out secretly."
"…"
"Is it Hyeon-woo? Or maybe Hyeon-soo? Or could it be…"
Han Seong-jin turned to look at Kim Seon-ja, who was beside him.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"No?"
"What are you talking about?"
Kim Seon-ja replied sharply, showing her displeasure.
"Don't tell me you think I accused my own son?"
"Then we're good."
"Honey!"
Kim Seon-ja called him in a piercing voice, but Han Seong-jin ignored her as if it was nothing.
Turning his attention back to Jeong Tae-hoon, he asked in a flat tone.
"Is my son being accused of murder?"
"Yes. There are also several other criminal allegations like rape and assault, but for now, murder is the main charge. Clear evidence has been secured. That's why it's not just a summons investigation; an arrest warrant was issued directly by the court."
Hearing the charges against his son, Han Seong-jin simply clicked his tongue but showed no further reaction.
"Tch. I thought we'd hit a dead end… If it were solid evidence, it must be a video. Otherwise, there's no way they'd barged in this way."
"That's still under investigation. I can't disclose anything further."
Han Seong-jin nodded. His surprisingly calm demeanor took Jeong Tae-hoon by surprise.
"Go inside and take him away."
"Honey!"
"Chairman!"
The people surrounding Han Seong-jin protested, but he knew.
It was already too late to act.
The cult was more important to him than his son. Han Seong-jin warned Jeong Tae-hoon, who was about to step forward.
"Be satisfied with just Hyeon-jin. If you dig deeper, a real all-out war will break out."
"That will depend on the investigation results."
"…I'll warn you once more. Don't expand the scope of the investigation beyond Hyeon-jin. If you do, you'll witness hell. Don't take my words lightly."
Han Seong-jin had no intention of ending the Heaven Church he had built over decades over something like this.
After delivering his warning, Han Seong-jin's gaze shifted to the man behind Jeong Tae-hoon.
The man holding a camera and continuously pressing the shutter seemed vaguely familiar.
"You…have we met before? You look familiar. Are you a reporter?"
Facing Han Seong-jin's question, Hong Jun-seong lowered his camera and replied.
"Hello, Chairman. It's been a while."
Hong Jun-seong flashed a mischievous smile, bowing his head.
"…It's been a while? You've met me before?"
"Of course. I worked for Se-shin Daily until recently. Now, I'm with Goryeo Daily."
"…"
A prosecutor who isn't afraid of fanatics and a reporter who switched from Se-shin Daily to Goryeo Daily.
At that moment, Han Seong-jin realized their intentions.
"Oh, this is truly a dead end. Haha!"
Han Seong-jin burst into an uproarious laugh, startling everyone.
"I don't know who it is, but this was some serious planning. I'm dying to know whose work it is."
Though laughing heartily, Han Seong-jin's gaze was chilling.
Ignoring Han Seong-jin, Jeong Tae-hoon walked past him and entered the building with the detectives.
* * *
Choi Seon-man asked with a fierce expression.
"What? Is that true?"
Jang Min-hyuk, who had just finished whispering, stepped back and responded.
"Yes, I just got the call."
"…How could I not know?"
Choi Seon-man shifted his gaze toward me, and anger registered in his eyes.
"It was you, right? You're behind this, aren't you?"
"What are you talking about?"
Feigning ignorance while caressing the teacup, Choi Seon-man's mask of composure cracked.
"You're daring enough to pull off this scheme while coming to see me?! Contact Hyeon-seong-taek right now."
"Yes, Sir."
"I won't answer if you contact me."
"What?"
Casually stating this, Choi Seon-man glared at me as if to kill me.
I brought the teacup to my mouth and smiled slightly.
"District Chief Hyeon-seong-taek won't receive your call. So don't waste your time trying to reach him."
"…You must not know the relationship between me and Hyeon-seong-taek."
Jang Min-hyuk pulled out his phone and started dialing.
Seems even smart people lose their composure when they get excited.
I didn't say he wouldn't answer; I said he couldn't answer.
"I appointed the current district chief. He can't just ignore me!"
"Is that so? But why didn't the president know about today's events? It's been happening at the Central District Prosecutors' Office. Is it really possible for this to happen without the Central District Prosecutor's knowledge? That would be utterly impossible within such a rigid organization."
"…"
Flames of anger kindled in Choi Seon-man's eyes. As Jang Min-hyuk ended the call, Choi gritted his teeth and asked.
"Hyuk, not picking up the phone?"
"Yes, Sir…I'm sorry."
"Hahaha!"
Choi Seon-man laughed loudly. He was laughing, yet there was nothing humorous in his expression.
"How amusing. So Hyeon-seong-taek betrayed me? Even after promising to make him the next Prosecutor General? What on earth did he do?"
I placed my empty teacup down and said.
"No. He didn't betray you. His loyalty towards the president is tremendous. I'm in awe of that loyalty. I should learn a thing or two from it."
"…What do you mean by that?"
"Thanks to him, I was left with no choice but to resort to extreme measures."
"What?"
I pointed toward the television set in the room.
"It should be making headlines by now. Please check the news for a moment."
"…Hyuk."
"Yes, Sir."
Jang Min-hyuk turned on the television. As he tuned to the news channel, an announcer was broadcasting breaking news in a stiff voice.
"Central District Prosecutor Hyeon-seong-taek has been arrested on charges of aiding murder and bribery. Hyeon-seong-taek was recently appointed as the Central District Chief and has been involved in various legal issues…"
No matter which channel I switched to, the news about Hyeon-seong-taek echoed.
In an unprecedented incident of a sitting prosecutor's arrest, all broadcast networks halted regular programming to cover the news.
Jang Min-hyuk hurriedly turned off the television. It seemed he was trying not to offend Choi Seon-man.
Choi Seon-man stared blankly at the black screen for a while, and then finally opened his mouth.
"Impressive. To take down a seated prosecutor. You're more thorough than I expected. Perhaps I underestimated you. Did you manage to move Kim Hak-gwon?"
"He knows nothing. Besides, what power does a president nearing the end of his term hold? The head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office acted directly, with the consent of the Prosecutor General, of course."
While the president held absolute power, he became surprisingly weak as his term came to an end.
At this moment, neither the prosecution nor any agency cared for the president's orders.
But did you manage to sway Kim Hak-gwon? Choi Seon-man seemed to have lost his instincts.
"You moved the Prosecutor General? Isn't that a statement that claims Kim Hak-gwon moved him? Isn't Kim Hak-gwon's sword currently the Prosecutor General?"
"He already shifted his allegiance. That's the only way he could leave the prosecutor's position gracefully. So why did you unnecessarily expose yourself? Look how many people have already been hurt."
"Huh…"
Now, Choi Seon-man wore a serious expression.
He was still pretending to be relaxed but had clearly lost that pretense long ago.
"President, you still seem to be under a misconception. This is no longer an era of military regimes. Do you think you can seize power with guns?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"You're preparing for a military coup, aren't you? You actually think that's even remotely possible."
A look of disbelief spread across Choi Seon-man's face. Perhaps he was shocked that I knew his last move, he stumbled over his words.
"W-What?"
"Don't do anything rash. That's the only way you can survive."
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