Translator: rainbowturtle
Only two people existed in the dimly lit spaceâthe man standing in the black suit, Kim Junsik, and the man sitting in the chair opposite him, Jung Cheolho.
Kim Junsik bowed toward Jung Cheolho. âHello, Jung Cheolho-ssi. I am Kim Junsik from the anti-corruption department of the Supreme Prosecutorâs Office. Congratulations on being called back within a few hours.â
Jung Cheolhoâs expression stiffened as he faced Kim Junsik, who was talking playfully in front of him. He couldnât understand why he had been called back here.
âWhy am I called back to the prosecution?â
Clearly Park Gangcheol had used his power to end thisâ¦
Yet somehow, he was called back to the prosecutorâs office and sat in the investigation room.
âIt is definitely an arrest this timeâ¦â
This morning, it was just a summons to the prosecutorâs office. Now it was definitely an arrest warrant.
âJung Cheolho-ssi? Are you listening to me? It is a problem if you are this uncooperative.â
Kim Junsik frowned at Jung Cheolho who was staring blankly at the desk.
âNo, keep talking, Prosecutor Kim Junsik.â
Jung Cheolho raised his head when he heard Kim Junsik calling him.
âBefore I start the investigation, let me ask you one thing. Have you hired a lawyer?â
âNo, I havenât appointed a lawyer. It was so sudden that I canât call one.â
âAh, is that so? Would you like to have a lawyer now?â
Jung Cheolho pondered for a moment on Kim Junsikâs words. Then he soon shook his head. He made the decision that he didnât need to have a lawyer now.
âIn any case, it is meaningless to hire a lawyer before meeting Park Gangcheol.â
Additionally, the legal team of Geumgang Investment Finance would move on its own even if he didnât call them.
âIf you donât need one⦠can I just start the investigation?â
âYes, I will do my best to cooperate with the investigation.â
Kim Junsik smiled when he heard Jung Cheolhoâs answer.
âWill he still be able to act like this after a while?â
Kim Junsik was excited about the scene that would occur later.
âIn order to enjoy it, I need to work hard now.â
âThen I will start. The suspect is the vice president of Damsu Construction. One day, you suddenly became the director of Geumgang Investment Finance. Can you briefly explain the process?â
âDamsu Construction went bankrupt, so I moved to another company. There is nothing else.â
âDoes the suspect think the explanation makes sense?â
âYes, I think so,â Jung Cheolho firmly replied to Kim Junsikâs question.
Kim Junsik started to raise his voice to such a Jung Cheolho, âGeumgang Investment Finance is a huge conglomerate. Why would they scout the vice-president of a mid-sized company? Doesn it make sense at all? Are you living in your own world? Arenât you too overconfident about yourself?â
Despite Kim Junsikâs attitude, Jung Cheolho repeated the same thing like a parrot, âI donât know that. I just received the scouting offer from Geumgang Investment Finance and accepted it.â
âOkay, letâs move on. What is your role in Geumgang Investment Finance?â
Kim Junsik smiled and changed the question. There was no need to get angry. All of this was just a performance.
âThe result is already determined.â
Even Jung Cheolhoâs sentencing had already been set. Maybe there was even a fixed date for his prison release.
âIt depends on those aboveâ¦â
Kim Junsik was merely the leading actor of this play and not its director, so he didnât know the detailed ending. He only knew the general picture.
âIt is fun to pretend I donât know anything and keep watching.â
Jung Cheolho didnât know Kim Junsikâs heart and gave out prepared answers while waiting for Park Gangcheol, whom he didnât know when would come.
âMy job was to set the direction of the investment. My job is to analyze which companies will invest huge amounts of money.â
âThen you often have meetings, right? It is with people from outside companies, or⦠investors who have deposited large amounts of money in Geumgang Investment Finance.â
âIt isnât my job, but I sometimes had meetings like that. Otherwise, I wouldnât be able to survive in such a large company.â
Kim Junsik smiled and asked another question. Even if this was a race with a predetermined result, there was still a certain course and Kim Junsik was obliged to run along the route.
âI see⦠so, do you remember the investors you met with?â
âI canât tell you that because it is confidential. It is an issue related to the privacy of the investors. If we lose their trust, no investor will invest money in Geumgang Investment Finance,â Jung Cheolho replied with an expression like Kim Junsik didnât know this.
Kim Junsik glanced at Jung Cheolho.âReally? Do you know these names? Kim Jindong, Park Yongtae, Hong Sangman, Na Yeongrim, Choi Joun, Jung Chando, and Gu Hyeongang.â
Jung Cheolhoâs expression stiffened as Kim Junsik recited names. The names that came from Kim Junsikâs mouth were former and current lawmakers, all of whom had entrusted a large amount of slush funds to Geumgang Investment Finance.
âI donât knowâ¦â
The moment Jung Cheolho shook his head and tried to answer Kim Junsikâs question, the door to the investigation room opened.
âWho can arrest a suspect at will? Huh?â A man came through the door while shouting. Then the man abruptly stopped when he saw Kim Junsik staring at him.
âOh my, isnât this Third Deputy Chief Park Gangcheol? What brings you here?â Kim Junsik gently greeted Park Gangcheol.
âWhy did Kim Junsik of the anti-corruption department come here? This is the Seoul District Prosecutorâs Office, not the Supreme Prosecutorâs Office.â
âLetâs see⦠why did I come?â
Kim Junsik, who moved behind Jung Cheolho, made a strange expression and abruptly slammed his hand against the desk in the interrogation room.
Bang!
Both Jung Cheolho and Park Gangcheol were upset by Kim Junsikâs sudden behavior.
Kim Junsik smiled at the two men.
âThere is a strange rumor, so I came directly. It is said that Jung Cheolho, director of Geumgang Investment Finance, deliberately caused the bankruptcy of Damsu Construction⦠there is a rumor that a prosecutor was transferred to a province while investigating the incident⦠doesnât that mean that someone high in the prosecution has become his backer? As the head of the anti-corruption department, I have to figure out the truth. Isnât that right, Third Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District, Park Gangcheol?â
Park Gangcheol paled when he heard Kim Junsik speak. Things had become twisted in a worse way than he thought.
Kim Junsik drove the wedge into Park Gangcheol. âThe Prosecutor General is very offended by such rumors. It isnât something that happened during his term in office, but rumors about collusion between the prosecution and a company⦠how could he feel good?â
Kim Junsik mentioned the prosecutor general and oppressed Park Gangcheol.
âUm⦠Prosecutor Kim Hyeongon went on vacation and I came here because I heard someone was going in and out of Prosecutor Kimâs office. Please work hard as you have been doing. It is nothing, so Iâll leave first,â Park Gangcheol spoke nonsense and exited the investigation room.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Jung Cheolhoâs expression was very stiff when he saw Park Gangcheolâs actions.
âThen I will ask again. You really donât know these names?â
Kim Junsik started to question Jung Cheolho again.
***
âPhew, I was almost late.â
Hyeonu hurriedly pressed the button to close the elevator door several times.
âI feel very good.â
The time calculation was a miss. Hyeonu wasnât sure of how much time he spent moving. Then he suddenly remembered to check the time in reality and found it was time to leave the hotel immediately.
âIf I hadnât left like that at the end, I wouldâve been late for the competition.â
Hyeonu intentionally went out forcefully. He created an excuse to escape. Otherwise, he wouldâve kept being caught and wasted time.
âYou are the last one to come today.â
In the makeup room, Kale greeted Hyeonu. There were no other players. Only the hair stylist and Kale were left.
âWhat about the others? Have they already departed?â
Hyeonu took out his smartphone and checked the time.
âIt isnât time to leave yet.â
Time was running out, but he wasnât late. If he prepared quickly, then he could start as usual.
âThe players have returned to their respective rooms. They seem to be preparing something. After all, it is the last day.â
The Crescent Moon players finished their preparations even quicker than the past few days and had already returned to their rooms to get their things. The reason they went back was due to the fan meeting scheduled after Arena Week ended today.
Fan meetings had been held several times in South Korea, but a fan meeting in the United States had a different type of tension. It was a fan meeting in the US that might happen only once in a lifetime, so they prepared carefully.
âAh, it seems so. The fan meeting. Everyone has brought many things⦠I didnât pack anything.â
Hyeonu scratched his head. He was only told there was a fan meeting after arriving in the United States. He had been busy in many ways in South Korea, so things went in one ear and out the other.
âMister Gang can just go. Originally, isnât a fan meeting to meet with fans and receive gifts?â Kale laughed at Hyeonu. It was an unnecessary worry. Most of the fans gathered at Hyeonuâs fan meeting today would be satisfied just seeing Hyeonuâs face.
âOr how about you sing a song? Dancing is also good.â
Hyeonu heard Kaleâs words and momentarily thought about it.
âIâm sure everyone has prepared something⦠I donât like being the only one without anything.â
âI will think about it. Letâs look at the atmosphere.â
As Hyeonu and Kale were talking, the hair stylist approached and dragged Hyeonu to a chair.
âWhy donât you talk once Iâve finished doing your hair? Wonât you be late if it drags out like this?â
Hyeonu sat down in the chair with an embarrassed expression.
âWhat style do you want today? A neat one? Gentlemanly? Manly? Sexy?â
âAnything is fine as long as it isnât the last one.â
âReally? Then Iâll take care of it. I will wash your hair first. I canât do anything when there is sweat.â
The hair stylist raised Hyeonu again and led him to a chair where his hair could be washed.
âThere is a fan meeting today, so he should look good⦠please do your best,â Kale said while watching from the back.
This only lasted a short time. Kale disappeared outside when his smartphone vibrated. âYes, hello.â
-Kale?Itâs me, Jamie.
The person who called Kale was Jamie Moore, the CEO of Nike Management.
âYes, Boss. Please speak. What is going on?â
-That money ghost has caused a big incident, Kale.I think we need to prepare something as well.
âIncident? What type of incident did that person make, Boss?â
Kale cocked his head at Jamie Mooreâs words that were spoken without any context.
-I donât know what he did, but he acted against Lockeâs father by moving the Korean prosecutors.Locke's father was arrested hours after the prosecutionâs summons.
âHuh? Arrested?â Kale repeated it like he couldnât believe it.
-Yes, arrested.It is already noisy in South Korea.The news will soon spread to the scene.The story will be led in a direction we donât know unless we know the details of the situationâ¦
âI will speak with Mister Gang. Consulting with the party involved is important.â
-That is what I wanted to say.Please take care of it, Kale.
The call ended with Jamie Mooreâs request.
âMister Gang will know the newsâ¦â
No matter what Jamie Moore said, he eventually had to talk to Hyeonu, the party involved in this matter.
âWe have to talk about it.â
Locke/Jung Hanbaek was Hyeonuâs personal matter. It was obviously impolite to bring it up where there were other players or people.
âI will ask him in the elevator.â
Additionally, the time when traveling in the vehicle. These were the only two times when Kale could talk with Hyeonu. There was no other time. Peopleâs eyes always followed them and there were listening ears everywhere.
âI hope things go wellâ¦â
Kale prayed briefly before returning to the room where Hyeonu was.