Chapter 136 – Recruitment – Part 7

Chapter 136 – Recruitment – Part 7

Lee Yohwan leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.

It was a very comfortable posture, and he even had a relaxed smile on his face.

“I hear that our star Prosecutor wants to get in line with me, is that it?”

Kim Cheolung also replied with a calm smile.

“I’m not interested in money.”

Lee Yohwan chuckled and said,

“You want power?”

“Oh, my… Why say such things out loud? It’s embarrassing.”

Lee Yohwan didn’t yet have anyone in the Prosecution directly connected to him.

Kim Cheolung continued speaking.

“Even though I may look like this, I have the title of Deputy Division Chief Prosecutor, so I’ll be more useful than a Junior Prosecutor.”

“Oh, really? You’re the one who broke into someone else’s house and kidnapped them with the Forensics Team.”

“Well, it would be great if you could see it as me having guts.”

“Hahahahaha!”

Lee Yohwan threw his head back as if he was about to burst from laughter.

He pointed a finger at Kim Cheolung, looking very amused.

Kim Cheolung also smiled and let out a ‘hohoho’ laugh, but it seemed to lack any soul.

After laughing for a while, Lee Yohwan caught his breath and said,

“Power? Fine, I’ll let you have it. First, make sure you get me out with a suspended sentence.”

Kim Cheolung spoke indifferently.

“Yes.”

And he thought to himself,

‘You poor soul, I’m not letting you go. I’m sending you to the fish farm to fatten you up even more.’

***

Lee Hyerim was meeting with the Professional Manager alone since the morning.

Lee Hyerim put down her coffee cup and asked in a calm tone,

“How much of your term is left?”

“One year left. Oh, it’s late, but congratulations on your inauguration as Managing Director.”

This was in place of Lee Yohwan.

Lee Hyerim nodded lightly and looked around.

“SH Construction, there have been so many incidents and accidents since the New Year.”

The Professional Manager smiled awkwardly.

“As you know, last year’s quarterly sales continued to increase. This year too…”

“I heard GH Construction received orders worth about 2 trillion won from the first day of the new year. What about our SH Construction?”

“We are reviewing seven major projects, but…”

“Is it a contract worth over 2 trillion won?”

“Not that, but…”

Lee Hyerim’s eyes sank.

“Hey. Professional Manager Choi Jongmun. What good is it if you make money alone and celebrate by yourself? You don’t know your place, your level. Our competitors are flying high.”

Lee Hyerim spoke again, fitting his age.

“Are you just going to play marbles on the ground and be gleeful? Do you think our SH Construction is that kind of company?”

“Of course not. Absolutely not.”

“What would happen if I told my Grandfather what I just said, even showing him charm I don’t usually have? I don’t think there will be any more contracts. No, I wonder if you’ll even finish your term?”

Choi Jongmun’s eyes darted around, reflecting his uneasy state of mind.

“Managing Director, no, Young Lady…”

“How old is your daughter?”

“She turned 21 this year.”

Lee Hyerim slowly nodded her head.

“You’re using our Shinhwa Group Business Card and meeting an idol with it, it seems. He looks younger than your daughter. And you’re giving your daughter more allowance than that idol?”

This was information from Cha Juhyeok at SH Strategy, but he said it was just a suspicion.

However, with Lee Hyerim’s question, it was being confirmed right then and there.

Because the Professional Manager was at a loss for what to do.

“Ah, Young Lady…”

Lee Hyerim drove the point home.

“I’m sure your wife would be thrilled to know. What would your daughter think?”

He, who had been standing with his mouth open, unable to say anything, suddenly fell to his knees.

“I beg you. If you just don’t tell anyone, I’ll do whatever you say! No, if you want me to step down from my position, I’ll do it immediately. Please…”

Lee Hyerim looked down at him, who had his head bowed.

His hands on the floor were trembling.

Imagining this man in bed with a woman younger than his child made her feel as if bugs were crawling on her body.

If we get rid of these bug-like beings one by one from the company, will the company become a healthy enterprise?

No.

Even if it’s disgusting, you have to close your eyes and swallow it.

“Please. I’ll do anything, anything you want.”

“The Professional Manager of SH Construction looks rough. Sit down.”

He, who had slowly risen from his seat, sat down again.

The Professional Manager, as Lee Hyerim saw him, had the same sitting posture as before, but his body seemed to have shrunk a little.

It was not strange for her to feel this way.

Because she had spent a lot of time with Woojin and had seen and heard things, she unconsciously observed him.

“I hope you maintain your dignity as the Professional Manager of SH Construction.”

“What can I do… What can I do so you won’t reveal it? If you tell me the rule…”

Lee Hyerim stood up and said,

“Just listen to me carefully. If you listen carefully.”

Lee Hyerim clenched her fist as she looked at him, unable to lift his head.

She won’t get rid of it just because it’s disgusting like a bug.

She has to put it in her mouth, chew it, swallow it, and digest it.

Because she had already decided to become such a person.

“Nothing will happen. Things will be harmonious on the Righteous Path. A contract renewal is also possible.”

Leaving those words, Lee Hyerim exited the Professional Manager’s office.

***

Woojin was lounging around at home.

Being a Director hadn’t changed Woojin at all.

If anything had changed, it was that the area he could lounge in had become larger.

As Woojin rolled around from side to side, he checked the wall clock.

He had been lounging for 20 minutes.

Woojin stood up as if he had finished his work.

Just then, Kim Taehyun called him.

“Yes, Detective Kim.”

-Oh, Woojin. We have solid evidence, and he confessed everything easily. He’ll be transferred to the Prosecution today or tomorrow.

“That’s good.”

-But this bastard is pretending to be crazy, isn’t he?

It was Woojin who had tortured his brain and shown him the brink of death countless times.

“Pretending to be crazy?”

-Yeah, he hasn’t taken any medication for mental illness, and there’s no record of it. He might even be charged with contempt. Well, Prosecutor Kim Cheolung will handle it well, I’m sure.

A Reporter Interview would have also been conducted.

It would be a good achievement for Detective Kim, and then Prosecutor Kim Cheolung would once again receive the baton and gain exposure.

-Just so you know. Have a good lunch.

“You too, Detective Kim, enjoy your meal.”

After finishing the call, Woojin touched his Cellphone to check the CCTV.

It was the Villa where Woojin used to live.

No special individuals approaching were noticeable yet.

Number 2038 was either in hiding solely to escape, or was thoroughly preparing. It had to be one of the two.

Woojin kept both possibilities in mind, but he leaned heavily towards the latter.

No, he was sure of it.

Because he had watched 2038 for a long time, during the time his touches were etched one by one onto his body.

After briefly looking at the CCTV, Woojin walked over to the Living Room window.

A bird was preening its feathers on a tree.

“It’s peaceful.”

At that moment.

Kim Cheolung was sitting with Assemblyman Hwang Man-sik at a Luxury Korean Restaurant.

“Here, have a drink.”

Assemblyman Hwang Man-sik offered a gourd bottle.

“Oh… I’m on duty. I’ll drink water. Water.”

“This person, again. Again. Do you know what happened to all the stubborn people in this field? They all got thrown out. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Then just one glass.”

As Kim Cheolung held out his glass with both hands, Assemblyman Hwang Man-sik smiled and filled it with alcohol.

“You know, people sometimes have to bend like reeds. If the wind blows hard, do you think you can just endure it? You’ll just break.”

‘Oh dear… you’re like a reed.’

Kim Cheolung, smiling, thought that as he sipped his glass dry.

“I’ll pour you a drink.”

“Good.”

Assemblyman Hwang Man-sik said as he accepted the drink.

“Lee Yohwan’s suspended sentence. You thought well. A person should know how to go with the flow.”

If Lee Yohwan was released this time, his father, Lee Jeongcheol, would provide ample compensation.

Even if Lee Jeongcheol told the media he would punish his son, knowing that he had helped him get out, generous compensation was inevitable.

Kim Cheolung let out a small laugh.

“Hahaha. I hope the Assemblyman does well, so I’ll work even harder in the future.”

Assemblyman Hwang Man-sik, seemingly in a good mood, patted his knee and smiled.

“Prosecutor Kim, when you show leniency like this, the favor returns like a boomerang. Everything is like that. So…”

Kim Cheolung, guessing what Assemblyman Hwang Man-sik was about to say, waved his hand.

“I don’t have a desire for money…”

“Hahaha! This guy is overreacting. Did you think I’d bring a briefcase? What kind of era is this, my friend? Hahaha!”

‘You guys are probably like that.’

Assemblyman Hwang Man-sik, who had been laughing at Kim Cheolung’s expression as if it were amusing, spoke again.

“This time, New City Development will begin. And it will be very big. In Yongsan…”

Simply put, it meant that only a very few people knew about it, so he should invest before prices skyrocketed.

“Prosecutor Kim, you’ve worked hard this time, so here’s some pocket money. You know if you tell anyone else, you and I will be in trouble, right?”

Kim Cheolung gave an awkward laugh.

This is why those who have, can only have more.

“Oh dear. Even if I wanted to invest, I don’t have a lump sum. A lump sum of money.”

Assemblyman Hwang Man-sik did not wipe the smile from his face.

Because he was sure Kim Cheolung would invest.

“I’ll just go to the bathroom for a moment.”

As Kim Cheolung got up, Assemblyman Hwang Man-sik casually tossed out a remark.

“Leave your cell phone. While you’re at it, splash some cold water on your face and come back. As I said again, it’s best not to tell even your relatives.”

“I’m not that kind of person……”

Kim Cheolung smiled and bravely spoke again.

“Understood.”

Kim Cheolung, who had placed his cell phone on the table, soon exited the private room.

“Our Assemblyman Hwang doesn’t know I have two cell phones.”

Kim Cheolung, muttering as he trudged down the hallway, pulled out a cell phone from his inside pocket and made a call somewhere.

As he tidied his hair while looking in the bathroom mirror, the other person didn’t answer the phone, even though the dial tone was quite long. No.

“Is he eating something again……”

-Yes. Prosecutor Kim.

When Woojin answered the phone, Kim Cheolung said with a smile.

“What are you doing? Woojin?”

-I was boiling ramen. Prosecutor Kim, this is an important time to stir the noodles, so I’ll call you later……

Kim Cheolung instinctively shouted.

“Wait! Just a moment! Ramen isn’t important right now! Hey! Woojin! Shin Woojin!”

-Is it urgent?

Kim Cheolung sighed, rubbed his forehead, and spoke.

“It’s not about the ramen right now. I want to give you a gift. A gift.”

-A gift?

“This is good news that even Woojin’s father would appreciate. It might even be worth going all in for. This time…”

Kim Cheolung began to relay the information to Woojin in detail as a form of reciprocation.

* * *

He, a full-time trader, was eating cup noodles in his underwear in front of four monitors, slurping them down.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open.

“What?! Why is this going up!?”

He pushed the ramen aside as if throwing it, and his hands moved quickly.

The trading volume of Shinhwa Hotel, an affiliate of Shinhwa Group, was rising at a frightening speed, and the trading value was exploding.

Woojin was moving like a stock manipulator.