Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 181

"Hey, what the hell are you doing!!"

The voice booming from the receiver.

It was Prosecutor Park Seong-won’s voice.

He was the one who had told Kim Seung-hwan to take care of the junket room case, or more accurately, he was the one who acted as an intermediary rather than directly applying pressure.

At Park Seong-won’s scolding, Kim Seung-hwan took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

"What is it you're talking about?"

– What? You’re asking me what I’m talking about?

"Yes, I asked what’s going on."

– You dumbass, you’ve been getting by just fine, so now you’re acting like this...!

"If it’s because of the junket room, I have nothing more to say. Which prosecutor ever tosses a case just because it’s too big to handle?"

– What?

"Senior, I’m not interested in promotions or anything like that. So if I’ve done something wrong, feel free to discipline me however you want."

– Hey, Kim Seung-hwan! Are you serious right now?!

"It’s getting late. I’m hanging up now."

Kim Seung-hwan ended the call.

It was close to midnight.

After feeding some juicy information to the reporters, Kim Seung-hwan headed straight home, worried that his seniors might come back to the prosecutor's office.

Kim Seung-hwan took another sip of the beer he had bought.

"Ah."

The taste of the beer was bitter.

No, it was both bitter and sweet.

In fact, the alcohol he had been drinking lately had all been sweet.

All because of Su-ho.

But tonight’s drink tasted unusually sweet.

Just then, his phone notification went off.

It was a news keyword alert.

Whenever a news article with the keywords he set up comes out, this notification pops up.

After reading the notification, Kim Seung-hwan laughed.

– [Exclusive] Son Baek-geum: There is a redevelopment cartel.

– A redevelopment cartel? What’s that?

– The real truth hidden behind Save Zone Premium!

Kim Seung-hwan laughed after reading the notification.

Finally, it had begun.

The story about the redevelopment cartel.

Kim Seung-hwan threw his phone next to the sofa, then stood up and headed to the liquor cabinet.

He grabbed some whiskey and ice and returned to his seat.

"Can’t just settle for beer on a night like this."

It was a pleasant evening.

***

"......."

The monitor screen.

It reflected in someone’s eyes.

It was Pi Seong-yeol’s eyes.

He stared silently at the computer monitor with narrowed eyes.

He couldn’t speak.

His lips were so tightly pressed together that his upper teeth seemed to be about to tear his lower lip.

After watching the news articles pour in for a while, Pi Seong-yeol exhaled a stale breath and picked up his phone.

He dialed someone.

It was Kim Mu-hwan.

But Kim Mu-hwan didn’t answer.

He didn’t answer, so Pi Seong-yeol tried again—once, twice, three times—but Kim Mu-hwan still didn’t pick up.

His anger rose to the top of his head.

His direct subordinates were on standby 24/7, and Kim Mu-hwan, in particular, had never once failed to pick up a call since joining the division.

Yet this time, he didn’t answer.

What was going on?

Was he hiding?

Absolutely not.

Something must have happened to him.

‘He wouldn’t betray me, not with his family and children held hostage... something must have happened.’

He was certain.

It wasn’t just Kim Mu-hwan.

All of his direct subordinates were picked because they held what could be called their "Achilles’ heel"—a family or a loved one.

That was why he was sure they wouldn’t betray him.

Pi Seong-yeol put the phone back into his pocket.

Then, another phone rang.

Pi Seong-yeol glanced at it.

It was President Jang Kyung-hwan of the association.

In fact, it wasn’t just President Jang Kyung-hwan.

Others were also trying to contact him.

All of them were people who had benefited from the shock project he had initiated.

But Pi Seong-yeol didn’t pick up.

Even if he answered now, all he could say was something like, "Please wait a moment," or "It’ll be resolved soon."

That was why he didn’t even turn his phone off.

The moment people found out his phone was off, their anxiety would skyrocket, and they would do something ridiculous.

‘And those actions would create the worst possible variables.’

So he had to come up with a solution, no matter what.

But how could he manage without his shadowy, loyal direct subordinates?

There weren’t many options.

But it wasn’t time to use the worst option yet.

After a while, Pi Seong-yeol took out a burner phone from his drawer and dialed a number.

The phone rang a few times before it was finally picked up.

– Hello.

A deep voice came from the other side of the receiver.

Pi Seong-yeol greeted him eagerly.

"Deputy Chief Seong. This is Pi Seong-yeol."

– Ah, Chief Pi. I wasn’t sure who it was for a moment.

Deputy Chief Seong.

His full name was Seong Dae-gyeom, and he was the Deputy Prosecutor General at the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office.

The power held by the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office is immense.

As the second-highest position in the prosecutor hierarchy, the Deputy Prosecutor General assists the Prosecutor General and oversees high-ranking prosecutors at the high prosecutors’ offices.

Moreover, if the Prosecutor General is unable to perform his duties due to unavoidable circumstances, the Deputy Prosecutor General can take over those duties on their behalf.

Seong Dae-gyeom was Pi Seong-yeol’s ultimate and most powerful weapon.

They had been seniors and juniors since high school and university, and even once worked in the same department, making Seong Dae-gyeom his direct subordinate.

Furthermore, Seong Dae-gyeom was an elite, even more so than Pi Seong-yeol, and was royally loyal.

Everyone believed he would eventually become the Prosecutor General, and this was why Pi Seong-yeol was so adamant about staying close to him and never letting him go.

Yes.

If that were the case, he could solve all of this.

How powerful is the South Korean prosecutor's office?

With that thought in mind, Pi Seong-yeol was about to speak when—

– I was just talking with Deputy Chief Kim. Thanks for the gift you sent; I’ll definitely put it to good use.

Pi Seong-yeol’s eyes widened at the mention of Kim Mu-hwan.