In the afternoon, Yuan Xudong met the physical education teacher who had repeatedly sexually assaulted underage female students in his office. Seeing the arrogant criminal suspect sitting in front of his desk and not taking him, a prosecutor, seriously, Yuan Xudong laughed in anger:
"Song Baekho, you sexually harassed Han Ji Min five times and assaulted her three times, right?"
"Prosecutor, I am just her physical education teacher. I saw that her feet were too tight, so I helped her massage and stretch them for a while. If I don't help her, it will have a bad influence on the growing child. Do you understand what I mean?"
After looking at Yuan Xudong, Song Baihao continued with a playful smile:
“Besides, Jimin and I have already decided to reconcile, why are you picking on me?”
"You threatened the victim to reconcile with you because you saw that her mother had intellectual disabilities and thought she was easy to deceive, right?"
Throwing the case materials in his hand at Song Baihao's face, Yuan Xudong said in a deep voice:
"The evidence is all here. Han Zhimin had multiple injuries on her body, especially on her arms and neck. There were traces of cigarette burns, and your body fluids were found inside her. The evidence is irrefutable. Do you still want to keep quibbling?"
Sighing, Song Baihao looked at Yuan Xudong and said directly:
"Prosecutor, are you like this because you just took office?"
"What?"
"I mean, is it because I didn't pay my respects to you?"
Song Baihao lay on Yuan Xudong's desk, came up to him and smiled softly:
"Prosecutor, if that's the case, I'll come to you privately again. If you let me go, I'll give you 50 million won. How about that?"
Before Yuan Xudong could speak, the investigator Jiang Zhentai shouted:
"Hey, how dare you say something like that to the prosecutor?"
Waving his hand to ask Jiang Zhentai to keep quiet, Yuan Xudong leaned back in his office chair and looked at the fearless Song Baihao with a sarcastic tone:
"You paid the victim 5 million won, but you used 50 million won to bribe the prosecutor. You bastard, I don't care how much money your family has, whether your father is a congressman or a high-ranking official, I will prosecute you and you can go to jail!"
After saying that, Yuan Xudong looked at Jiang Zhentai and Che Xiuhao standing beside him and said:
"Lock him up and prepare for prosecution!"
"Yes, prosecutor!"
After receiving Yuan Xudong's order, Jiang Zhentai and Che Xiuhao, who had long disliked the arrogant Song Baihao, picked him up from his seat and scolded him:
"Get up, you little brat, and go to jail!"
"Don't touch me, I can get up on my own!"
After struggling for a while, Song Baihao was forced up from his seat by Jiang Zhentai and Che Xiuhao. He glanced at Yuan Xudong and continued to laugh and scold arrogantly:
"Fuck you, I'm waiting for you to apologize. Do you know who my father is?"
"I'm not your father, how do I know who your father is?"
"you……"
Without waiting for Song Baihao to finish, Yuan Xudong glanced at Jiang Zhentai and ordered:
"Inspector Jiang, tell him to shut up!"
"Yes, prosecutor!"
Nodding slightly, Jiang Zhentai slapped Song Baihao on the head a few times and threatened:
"Shut up, brat, got it?"
"You dare to hit..."
"I told you to shut up, you know?"
"You fucking ..."
Seeing that Song Baihao still dared to speak, Jiang Zhentai slapped him on the head a few more times. With Yuan Xudong in front to support him, he was very happy to teach a lesson to a guy like Song Baihao who was worse than a beast and didn't treat others as human beings.
After Jiang Zhentai and Che Xiuhao forced Song Baihao out of the office, Yuan Xudong sorted out the relevant information on his desk, and then called Li Yilia who was not far away:
"Li Yilia, come with me to Han Zhimin's house and see if we can get her mother to give up the settlement and choose to sue Song Baihao!"
"Yes, prosecutor!"
Putting the confiscated cell phone and earphones of Li Yiliya into his pocket, Yuan Xudong walked out of his independent office and asked his secretary Park Eun-hye to stay in the office to look after the house and call him if there was anything. Then he took Li Yiliya out and prepared to find the victim's mother to convince her to give up the settlement and choose to sue Song Baihao. Yuan Xudong was confident that he could make Song Baihao stay in prison for ten or eight years, and then increase the compensation amount from 5 million won to 50 million won, or 100 million won, so that the victim could get some financial compensation.
After walking out of the Central District Procuratorate Office Building, Yuan Xudong was about to stop a taxi on the side of the road. Li Yiliya, who was following him, quickly spoke out to stop him:
"Prosecutor, please drive my car over there. It will be more convenient to go back and forth!"
"Okay, I'll reimburse you later!"
When he heard Li Yiliya say that she wanted to drive her own car over, Yuan Xudong agreed and said that at most he could reimburse her for some gas money, which would at least save her a lot of money compared to taking a taxi. Following Li Yiliya to the open-air parking lot, a bright red sports car came into view. Looking at the beautifully curved body of the sports car, Yuan Xudong smiled and joked:
"Li Yilia, I didn't expect you to be such a rich and beautiful woman."
"White, rich and beautiful girl?"
Li Yilia started the sports car, turned around and looked at Yuan Xudong and said with a smile:
"I'm not some rich, beautiful girl, Prosecutor Yuan. Aren't you curious about why I can live in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, and why I can drive a sports car to work?"
"Why should I be curious?"
Giving Li Yiliya a strange look, Yuan Xudong walked into the passenger seat and sat down. While fastening his seat belt, he looked at Li Yiliya who walked into the driver's seat and sat down, ready to drive, and said with a smile:
“Are there a lot of people curious?”
“Hmm~~”
Nodding slightly, Li Yilia drove towards the destination according to the navigation, glanced at Yuan Xudong and replied:
"I used to work part-time in a bar, recommending drinks to clients. Later, a colleague saw me. In addition, I lived in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, and drove a sports car to work every day. People around me started to wonder where I got so much money. Gossip gradually spread, such as drinking with clients, having sex, being a mistress for rich men, etc. Among them, I hated it most when people said that I worked in a bar!"
"Why?"
After taking a look at Li Yilia, Yuan Xudong said in surprise:
"Shouldn't the most annoying thing be having sex with clients or being a mistress to a rich man?"
After looking at Yuan Xudong, Li Yilia said confidently:
“Because I actually worked in a bar!”
After that, without waiting for Yuan Xudong to speak, Li Yilia looked at him again and continued:
"Prosecutor, do you look down on women who have worked in bars?"
"Of course not. There is no distinction between high and low jobs. Every job needs someone to contribute. Although some jobs are glamorous and some are obscure, there always has to be someone to do it, right?"
After that, Yuan Xudong looked at Li Yilia and asked tentatively with a smile:
"Does your boyfriend mind if you work at a bar?"
After looking at Yuan Xudong, Li Yilia smiled slightly and said:
"No problem, he's quite open-minded!"
"Yeah?"
Yuan Xudong forced a smile, feeling a little disappointed. The woman he liked actually had a boyfriend. The good cabbage was eaten by the pig. Thinking gloomily in his heart, Yuan Xudong deliberately sang the opposite tune:
"If it were me, I would definitely not agree to let you work in a bar!"
"Why?"
Li Yilia looked at Yuan Xudong curiously and said:
"Didn't you say that there is no distinction between high and low jobs, and that every job requires someone to contribute?"
"It's just talk. Only fools believe this nonsense!"
After saying that, Yuan Xudong looked at Li Yilia and opened his eyes slightly wide, pretending to be surprised:
"You don't really believe it, do you?"
"you……"
Li Yilia was so angry at Yuan Xudong that she couldn't speak. She couldn't help but roll her eyes and said:
"I won't talk to you anymore, it's boring!"
"Just kidding!"
Seeing Li Yiliya smile, Yuan Xudong gradually restrained his expression and said seriously:
"I said that there is no distinction between high and low jobs, and that every job requires contributions. I am sincere about this. I believe that most people will agree with this statement, but it is human nature to say one thing and do another. Most people are like this, seeking benefits and avoiding harm. People with good jobs can say this to show their humility, and people with bad jobs can say this to protect their dignity. From another perspective, if you ask a congressman to deliver food and occasionally put on a show to win votes, there is nothing wrong with that, but does he really recognize this job? Does he really regard himself as a servant of the people instead of the master of the people? The son of an entrepreneur is still an entrepreneur, the son of a banker is still a banker, and the son of a politician is still a politician. The result is obvious, isn't it?"
After that, without waiting for Li Yilia to speak, Yuan Xudong concluded:
"Equality is the biggest joke. This world will never achieve true equality. The desire to pursue equality itself is a manifestation of inequality. As long as humans have thoughts and emotions, the differences between relatives will never be eliminated, and equality will be impossible to achieve.
Of course, it is okay to talk about freedom and equality verbally. Just go with the flow and shout it out to show that you hold the same position as the vast majority of people. Anyone who takes it seriously is a real fool, the kind of person who is sold out and still helps others count money.
Look at our country. The five major chaebols control the economic lifeline of the entire Republic of Korea. No matter what crime the chaebols commit, the court will sentence them to a maximum of five years in prison, and then they can walk out of prison in a few months at most through various commutations, probation, etc. The rich and powerful can hire the best lawyers, while the poor and powerless can only apply for legal aid. Even the law is not equal, let alone others?"
Hearing Yuan Xudong say this, Li Yilia smiled and said:
"If that's the case, then why do you still care about Han Zhimin's affairs? She only has a single mother with severe intellectual disabilities, while Song Baihao's family is rich and powerful, and his father is a local councilor. Isn't what you do contradictory to what you say?"
"So, people always like to say one thing and do another, and I am no exception!"
Yuan Xudong smiled and boasted:
"The Republic of Korea is broken, from top to bottom, the entire system is in danger of collapse at any time. The poor don't even have houses to live in, but the rich easily earn trillions of wealth and evade taxes. All of this is waiting for promising young people like me to save it. National justice and national responsibility are the goals that young people of my generation should strive for, instead of greed, chasing wealth, and aiming to be rich. A noble character is my greatest pursuit in this life. Let alone the son of a local councilor, even the high-ranking president and chaebol chairman of the Republic of Korea, I will arrest anyone who should be arrested, and I will never let anyone go!"
Looking at Yuan Xudong who was boasting to the sky, Li Yilia laughed:
"That prosecutor Hong Zhengzhu last night was suspected of sexually harassing a female intern. If you arrest him, I will believe what you say!"
"good!"
Nodding vigorously, Yuan Xudong answered without thinking:
"I can't arrest anyone without evidence, but I will report this to Minister Han, and they will decide whether to investigate and punish Prosecutor Hong Zhengzhu. After all, I don't have the power to convene an internal disciplinary investigation meeting for prosecutors!"
"You...are you serious?"
Unexpectedly, Yuan Xudong would say this. Li Yilia quickly stopped him and said:
"It's useless. The higher-ups won't punish Prosecutor Hong Zhengzhu for such a small matter. In other words, the people above are the same as Prosecutor Hong Zhengzhu. They are all in the same group. If you report this to Minister Han, you will offend a lot of people!"
"so what?"
Yuan Xudong leaned back in his chair and smiled:
"Lee Elijah, do you want me to pretend that I know nothing and let Song Eun-hee, the female intern, be bullied by Prosecutor Hong Jung-soo, or do you want me to stand up and protect the juniors from being sexually harassed by their superiors who take advantage of their positions?"
"I……"
After hesitating for a long time, Li Yilia finally shook his head and said in a confused voice:
"I don't know what to do either. I..."
"Don't worry, I've made all the arrangements, nothing will happen!"
Before Li Yiliya could finish, Yuan Xudong interrupted her with a smile:
"Song Eun-hee will apply to the higher-ups to transfer from Hong Jung-soo to me for internship. I will mention it to Minister Han, and he will agree!"
"You've already arranged everything, and you're still making fun of me?"
"Humor, humor, understand?"
Seeing that Li Yiliya rolled her eyes and was unwilling to pay attention to him, Yuan Xudong took out her mobile phone and headphones from his pocket and said with a smile:
"Here, this is your phone and earphones. If you use them again, I will confiscate them!"
"I understand, Prosecutor!"
Li Yilia rolled her eyes at Yuan Xudong, then took his phone and earphones from him while driving and said suspiciously:
"You didn't peek at my phone?"
“Are there any private photos or videos in there?”
As Yuan Xudong spoke, he tried to snatch back Li Yilia's phone and watched:
"Let me take a look. How about I just take a look?"
"don't want!"
Li Yilia turned slightly and put her phone and earphones away from Yuan Xudong and said coquettishly:
"Prosecutor, I'm still driving, can you please be quiet?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Hearing Yuan Xudong calling her "Queen", Li Yilia couldn't help but glance at him and said:
"You really didn't look at my phone?"
"No, I really don't have that. Besides, I don't know the password you set, so how can I peek at your phone?"
"That's good, fasten your seat belts, I'm going to speed up!"
"What?"
Before Yuan Xudong could figure out what was going on, Li Yilia stepped on the accelerator, the engine emitted a low roar, and the bright red sports car sped towards the destination like an arrow from a bow, allowing Yuan Xudong to experience what speed and passion were, and his adrenaline soared.
About half an hour later, they arrived at their destination. The bright red sports car stopped by the roadside. Yuan Xudong and Li Yiliya got out of the car. Looking at the old and dilapidated residential buildings around them and the few elderly people, Yuan Xudong walked on the weed-covered path and said:
“I didn’t expect there is such an old neighborhood in Seoul. This place must be several decades old, right?”
Li Yiliya let pass a sixty-year-old man who was carrying a bottle of wine and walking crookedly, and adjusted his glasses and said:
"It has been more than 50 years since the 1960s and 1970s!"
"More than fifty years?"
Looking at the dilapidated residential building, Yuan Xudong frowned slightly and said:
“Are these dangerous buildings?”
"Theoretically speaking, the dangerous buildings you mentioned are..."
Before Li Yiliya could finish, an old lady pushing a wheelchair walked by. She glanced at the young and handsome Yuan Xudong and Li Yiliya, and quickly stopped them and said:
"Young man, are you here to look for someone? I've lived here for decades, and I know everyone around here. Let me take you there!"
"Okay, thank you grandma!"
Looking at the enthusiastic old lady, Yuan Xudong took the wheelchair from her and pushed it, saying:
"Grandma, do you know Han Ji Min? She's a 17-year-old girl who's still in high school. Her mother sells fried rice cakes. Black wheel..."
Before Yuan Xudong could finish, the old lady interrupted him and said:
"I know. It's the little girl from Shagu's family. I heard that she was harmed by the teacher at school. They are an orphan and a widow. It's really pitiful. I'll take you there. By the way, what do you want to do with them?"
"Grandma, I'm Yuan Xudong, the prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. This is my assistant, Li Yilia. The PE teacher who hurt Han Ji Min has been arrested. We came here to talk to Han Ji Min's mother and ask her not to reconcile, but to sue the PE teacher who hurt her daughter and put him in jail!"
Hearing Yuan Xudong say this, the old lady said with some worry:
"Oh, silly girl, your brain is not very smart. I heard that he paid 5 million won and let it go. Can we still sue him?"
"Of course you can. The PE teacher just bullied her because she thought she was easy to bully. I will help her make the decision!"
"Okay, I thank you on behalf of Zhimin. She used to be such a lively little girl, but since she was harmed by that teacher, she hardly talks anymore. She locks herself in the room all day and doesn't see anyone. Her mother doesn't know how to comfort her. It's really a sin!"
As the old lady was talking, Yuan Xudong and Li Yiliya followed her to Han Zhimin's home. There was a very simple room on the first floor, without many household appliances. Han Zhimin and her mother were preparing rice cakes, black wheels and other roadside snacks to sell in the evening. When she saw the old lady from the community walking in with Yuan Xudong and Li Yiliya, who were dressed brightly, she couldn't help but be a little surprised:
"Grandma, who are they?"
"Jimin, they are prosecutors. The teacher who harmed you has been arrested. They are here to ask your mother not to reconcile, but to sue the bad teacher and make him go to jail!"
Hearing the familiar old lady say this, a glimmer of hope flashed in Han Zhimin's eyes. She looked at Yuan Xudong and said in disbelief:
"Prosecutor, is everything Grandma said true?"
“Yes, it’s true!”
Nodding slightly, and glancing at the scars on Han Zhimin's face that had not yet fully healed, Yuan Xudong said affirmatively:
"Since the suspect has repeatedly harmed minors and the evidence is irrefutable, and he has no intention of repenting, I will sentence him to more than ten years in prison and give you a certain amount of financial compensation. I hope you and your mother will refuse to settle and file a lawsuit in court. I will arrange the relevant procedures for you!"
"Thank you, thank you prosecutor!"
After bowing to Yuan Xudong and Li Yiliya, Han Zhimin looked at her mother hiding behind her and cried:
"Mom, did you hear that? That bad guy has been arrested and will be in jail for more than ten years. We don't have to be afraid anymore!"
"Be good, my daughter, don't cry!"
Seeing Han Zhi Min crying, the intellectually disabled Sha Gu wiped her tears and hugged her to comfort her like a child. Seeing that her mother was so stupid that she didn't even know what kind of injustice she had suffered, Han Zhi Min couldn't help but become even more sad. She cried for a long time before she stopped crying with the comfort of Li Yiliya and the old lady. Her mother Sha Gu just watched from the side. Obviously, she didn't quite understand what kind of misfortune her daughter had encountered that made her cry so sadly.
After Han Zhimin calmed down for a while, Yuan Xudong walked with her in the community. It began to drizzle, and the two walked in the rain holding umbrellas. Han Zhimin told the cause and effect intermittently, and Yuan Xudong followed her and listened quietly, occasionally asking about relevant details, making final preparations for the upcoming lawsuit.
"The teacher said we should stretch our muscles, but you know, it's not to stretch your muscles. Where are your hands?"
"The principal asked me to write a statement or something, threatening me to write that the PE teacher did nothing wrong. The prosecutor also asked me to choose to reconcile and accept compensation from the PE teacher. I have already compromised, but the PE teacher still refuses to let me go. Instead, he tortured me even more. I've had enough!"
"Has he ever bullied anyone else besides you?"
"He would take advantage of any good-looking girl in our class by using the excuse of helping her stretch her muscles or something like that. He used to treat me like that, too. But after he found out that I was from a single-parent family and my mother had an intellectual disability, he started to go too far. I told the school, but no one believed me. That afternoon, he asked other students to play football and took me to the equipment room. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. I fought back desperately, but..."
Looking at Han Zhimin crying silently, Yuan Xudong nodded and said:
"Okay, I understand the situation clearly. Let's let bygones be bygones. As for Song Baihao, I promise you that the law will make him pay the price!"
"Well, thank you, prosecutor!"
After understanding the relevant details and successfully persuading Han Zhimin and her daughter to give up the settlement and choose to sue Song Baihao, Yuan Xudong took Li Yiliya away. On the way back, Li Yiliya looked at Yuan Xudong while driving and said worriedly:
"Prosecutor, are you sure?"
"What?"
"Song Baihao's family is rich and powerful, and his father is a congressman. Are you sure you can sentence him to more than ten years in prison?"
After taking a look at Li Yilia, Yuan Xudong told the truth:
"The evidence in this case is solid, and the circumstances are extremely bad. I am sure I can send him to prison and sentence him to more than ten years in prison. However, you are also familiar with the laws of the Republic of Korea. After entering prison, there are ways to reduce the sentence or even suspend the sentence for good behavior, writing a confession, physical discomfort, mental discomfort, etc. In the end, there are cases where the case is left unresolved. It all depends on whether the family relationship is strong enough. So I can only guarantee that Song Baihao will be sent to prison. The rest depends on the professional ethics of other law enforcement officers!"
Having said that, without waiting for Li Yilia to speak, Yuan Xudong said sarcastically:
"The law is quite humane. If you commit a crime, you still have a chance to turn over a new leaf. If you behave well in prison and write a confession, you can get a reduced sentence. I don't know whether the victim's consent was obtained. If the sentence was reduced without the victim's consent, then a very interesting question would arise: to whom did the criminals confess, and who agreed to their reduced sentence? And who has the power to forgive those who have hurt them on behalf of the millions of victims?"
After looking at Yuan Xudong , Li Yilia hesitated and said:
"So there's no way to really punish those rich and powerful criminals?"
"Yes, I have!"
Yuan Xudong leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head and smiled:
"When you are richer and more powerful than them, you can punish those bad guys as you please. But then again, when you can interfere with the outcome of judicial decisions as you please, what is the essential difference between you and those people? In the final analysis, the law is just a means. When the weights on both ends of the scale are asymmetrical, they will naturally lose their original balance. Whoever has the heavier weight will be the final winner."
After listening to Yuan Xudong, Li Yilia said with some worry:
"What about Han Zhimin? Will Song Baihao continue to torture her after he is released from prison?"
"Don't worry. When I enter the Great Procuratorate and become Chief Prosecutor, Senior Chief Prosecutor, or even Chief Prosecutor, I can control these small characters at will. Sentence him to twelve years in prison. If he loses one day, I lose!"
"You are so beautiful!"
Looking at Yuan Xudong who was bragging without thinking, Li Yiliya said happily:
"All those superiors have worked for more than 20 years. If you want to climb up, you need to have 20 years of experience first!"
"That's not necessarily true!"
Yuan Xudong smiled and joked:
"Just find a good wife, like the Five Star Group's little princess, Lee Jae-yeon. If you can marry her, wouldn't you be able to work less for twenty years?"