Volume 4: Counterattack: Bright Star Road Chapter 253 Korean Drama Liar
This jewelry fraud case was not complicated. After recording a confession from the jewelry store owner and clerk and taking a copy of the store's surveillance footage as evidence, Yuan Xudong and Jiang Zhentai prepared to return to the Central District Procuratorate. As for how to catch the three not-so-sophisticated scammers and whether the jewelry that the jewelry store owner was cheated of could be recovered intact, that was the police's job.
Yuan Xudong is only responsible for the general direction of the case, and the specific practical actions still depend on the Jiangnan District Police Station in charge of the case. In his opinion, with the current advanced surveillance network, it is only a matter of time before the scammers whose appearance has been exposed are caught. This is also the fundamental reason why he believes that the methods of these three scammers are not very sophisticated. It is much easier to solve a jewelry fraud case like this than an ordinary telephone fraud case.
Returning to the first floor lobby of the Central District Procuratorate, Yuan Xudong couldn't help but stop. Jiang Zhentai beside him also stopped and followed his gaze towards the press conference not far away and said:
"Prosecutor, what's wrong?"
"It's okay, you go back first, I'm going to meet someone I know!"
"Okay, I'll go back first!"
"Well, you are responsible for following up on this jewelry fraud case. Just notify me when you catch the person!"
"Yes, prosecutor!"
After Jiang Zhentai left, Yuan Xudong walked to the press conference not far away. Han Qiangzhi and Hong Zhengzhu stood on the stage. The person in charge of the speech was a relatively young prosecutor. Below the stage were reporters from various TV stations and newspapers, as well as some new media reporters. There were crowds of people, flashlights flashing non-stop, and all kinds of cameras were pointed at the prosecutor who was speaking. The prosecutor held an account book in his hand and said in a sonorous and powerful voice:
"Police Chief Kim Tae-gyun received a total of 1.2 billion won from Jang Doo-chi in five installments. This account book is evidence of his bribery!"
"Prosecutor Park, is the account book you are holding the bribery account book of Jang Doo-chil that has been circulating recently?"
A female reporter in the audience raised her hand and asked.
"Yes, based on this account book we will continue to investigate other people involved in the case."
“Can you please disclose who accepted the bribes?”
Another female reporter raised her hand and asked.
"Sorry, we still need to investigate who exactly accepted bribes. We cannot make this list public until we have thoroughly investigated it!"
"Is he still alive?"
A male reporter in the audience raised his hand and asked:
"I'm talking about Zhang Douqi. Eight years ago, he organized a pyramid scheme to defraud more than 30,000 people of a total of 4 trillion won, which eventually led to 22 people jumping off a building and committing suicide. You are his prosecutor, aren't you?"
After looking at the male reporter, the prosecutor smiled and said:
"Didn't the police release information about his death a few years ago?"
"Then why are there always rumors that he is still alive? And what about the 4 trillion won that was defrauded? If Zhang Douqi is dead, where did this huge sum of money go?"
Hearing the male reporter's question, the prosecutor on the stage avoided answering directly and said with a smile:
"If the rumors are true, I can catch him, find out where the money is hidden, and return it to the more than 30,000 people who were deceived!"
"Prosecutor Park, some people say that Jang Doo Chil was murdered and that the real mastermind was the one who silenced him. He was just the pyramid scheme leader in public. There was a big shot hidden behind that financial pyramid scheme. This time, Police Chief Kim Tae Gyun was exposed for accepting bribes from Jang Doo Chil. Are there any higher-ups behind him? Besides the police, are there any people from the prosecution suspected of taking bribes?"
A new media reporter raised his hand and asked a question, fiercely:
"A high school graduate opened a shell company, which actually flourished in just one year, opening branches all over the country to raise funds illegally. How could such a shell company develop without the support of big shots? A police chief accepted a bribe of 1.2 billion won. How many police chiefs like this can be bribed with 4 trillion won? Do we have enough police chiefs in the Republic of Korea?"
After looking at the fiercely-worded new media reporter, the prosecutor on the stage said calmly:
"I can't answer such questions. Well, today's press conference ends here. Please pay attention to the official website of the Central District Procuratorate for follow-up developments."
After the press conference ended, many reporters began to disperse. Yuan Xudong walked towards the prosecutor who was speaking, as well as Han Qiangzhi and Hong Zhengzhu, and greeted them:
"Minister, Prosecutor Hong, Senior Park!"
"Xudong!"
Hearing Yuan Xudong's voice, the prosecutor who had spoken earlier patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile:
"How are you doing recently? Are you still adapting to work?"
"Not bad, thank you for your training, Senior Park!"
Yuan Xudong smiled and said, it turned out that the prosecutor who spoke was called Park Hee-soo, a senior prosecutor in the Criminal Division II, and also Yuan Xudong's guiding prosecutor and predecessor. It was heard that he was likely to be transferred to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office as prosecutor general. Like Han Qiangzhi, he was a prosecutor with support from behind. He could rise to the top by simply making some contributions, and then gain greater power and more resources, and build his own network of contacts in the Supreme Prosecutor's Office and the local procuratorates at all levels below.
In the eyes of others, Yuan Xudong is one of his confidants, and a relatively close one. After all, Park Hee-soo is not only Yuan Xudong's senior schoolmate, but also the guiding prosecutor who introduced him to the profession. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is Yuan Xudong's teacher, just like Yuan Xudong is now Song Eun-xi's mentor. Their relationship is closer than that of ordinary colleagues and they are natural allies.
After chatting for a while and agreeing to have a drink together when they have time, Park Hee-soo, Han Qiangzhi and Hong Zhengzhu said goodbye and left. Yuan Xudong also began to return to the Criminal Division 2. According to Song Eun-hee's stubborn personality, if Yuan Xudong did not go back to help handle some of the cases, she would definitely choose to stay up late and work overtime, finish all the cases on hand and then go home to sleep. Yuan Xudong did not want to give people the impression that he did not know how to be gentle with women and desperately exploited interns.
When Yuan Xudong returned to his independent office to handle the case with Song Eun-hee, Park Hee-soo, Han Qiangzhi and Hong Zhengzhu came to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office and the office of Prosecutor General Lee Jung-suk.
"Come and sit down!"
Inviting Park Hee-soo, Han Qiangzhi and Hong Zhengzhu to sit down in the rest area, Li Zhenshuo spoke first:
"We have blocked public opinion with Police Chief Kim Tae-gyun, but we cannot allow any more rumors about the account books. We don't have any more cards to play now, right?"
"It will quiet down!"
Park Hee-soo lit a cigarette for himself and puffed away. Han Kang-sik and Hong Jung-soo were sitting next to him. Prosecutor General Lee Jung-suk was sitting opposite the three of them. Compared to the expressionless Lee Jung-suk and the well-behaved Han Kang-sik and Hong Jung-soo, Park Hee-soo had the lowest position but the most arrogant attitude.
"Yeah?"
Looking at Park Hee-soo in the smoke, Li Zhenshuo's eyes flashed with displeasure, but his face remained calm as he asked:
"Have you found the source of the rumor?"
"It was spread by Li Jiangshi, the accountant under Zhang Douqi."
"Isn't he holding the real account book?"
"Don't worry, it's just a small fish, how can there be an account book?"
"Then we should catch him before he gets away with it, and check to see if he really has the account book!"
After taking a look at Chief Prosecutor Lee Jung-suk, Park Hee-soo put out the cigarette in his hand and said impatiently:
"It's been eight years. How long will I have to keep cleaning up the mess? Everyone had a hand in what happened back then. Now, each of you is the chief prosecutor of the Central District Prosecutors Office, the ministerial prosecutor, and the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors Office. I am the only one responsible for cleaning up the mess, and I am still just an ordinary senior prosecutor. Is this really fair?"
Hearing Park Hee-soo's complaint, Lee Jung-suk smiled and said:
"If Zhang Douqi's case gets heated, you, the prosecutor in charge, will be the one in the most trouble, right?"
After that, without waiting for Park Hee-soo to speak, Lee Jung-suk took the initiative to comfort him:
"Wait a little longer. Once Zhang Douqi's case is completely over, as long as I become a member of parliament, it won't be a problem for you to become the Attorney General. Of course, you have to do it step by step. It's impossible for you to become the Attorney General all at once. That's unrealistic!"
After looking at Li Zhenshuo, Park Xizhu lit another cigarette for himself and puffed out smoke:
"If you ask me to wait, I will wait. I have already waited for eight years, right?"
Seeing Park Hee-soo and Lee Jung-suk arguing, Han Qiangzhi coughed twice, cleared his throat and smiled:
"Chief, Prosecutor Park, let's talk about Jang Doo-chil's case. Is he really not dead?"
"Not dead, at least not dead eight years ago!"
Park Hee-soo glanced at Han Qiangzhi and continued:
"He is a smart man. He knows how to spend money to buy safety. Of the 4 trillion won, he kept 300 billion for himself, and the rest was for buying his life. Someone from above gave him a message to save his life. I asked someone to prepare a fake identity for him to go to China. After arriving in China, he disappeared. He may be dead, or he may have gone into hiding. Who knows?"
Hearing Park Hee-soo say this , Hong Jung-soo on the side said:
"We shouldn't have let him leave Korea eight years ago. If he were dead, there wouldn't be so many problems now!"
"madness!"
Glancing at Hong Zhengzhu, Park Hee-soo said sarcastically:
"Do you think that what's happening now is all Zhang Douqi's fault? What good will this do him? Besides, the people above asked me to let him go, so why should I do something that's thankless?"
"you……"
Hearing Park Hee-soo calling him stupid, Hong Jung-soo was about to retort, but Park Hee-soo didn't take him seriously at all and just stood up and left, saying:
"You guys chat, I'll go deal with Li Jiangshi!"
After that, without waiting for Li Zhenshuo and others to speak, Park Xizhu left on his own and began to head for his secret base. After he left the office, Hong Zhengzhu looked at Han Qiangzhi and Li Zhenshuo and said indignantly:
"Director General, Minister, this Park Hee-soo is really too much. He is simply lawless and arrogant. He doesn't take anyone seriously at all. Why is he so arrogant?"
Without waiting for Li Zhenshuo to speak, Han Qiangzhi glanced at Hong Zhengzhu and said:
"He has a list of officials that Zhang Douqi bribed. Otherwise, do you think he would let Zhang Douqi go so easily?"
After Han Qiangzhi finished speaking, Li Zhenshuo sighed and said:
"Forget it. We are all in the same boat. Although Park Hee-soo has a bit of an arrogant attitude, he is still very capable. With that list, the benefits to our prosecution outweigh the disadvantages. At least we can suppress the police. Don't they want the power to handle cases independently from us? Even the chief of the police station is corrupt and accepts bribes. I don't think they will have the nerve to compete with us."
Seeing that Han Qiangzhi and Li Zhenshuo had no intention of causing trouble for Park Xizhu, and seeing the list in Park Xizhu's hand, Hong Zhengzhu gave up the idea. Park Xizhu did not take him, the chief prosecutor, seriously, and even his apprentice Yuan Xudong dared to snatch women from him. The most important thing was that with Han Qiangzhi around, he could not openly cause trouble for Park Xizhu and Yuan Xudong. It was really depressing to think about it. He was too cowardly as the chief prosecutor and could only act according to Han Qiangzhi's mood. No wonder Park Xizhu and Yuan Xudong looked down on him and dared to confront him.
In Park Hee-soo's secret base, Gao Xidong, Director Jin, and Chunzi looked at Park Hee-soo and said respectfully:
"Prosecutor Park, you're here!"
After taking a look at Gao Xidong and the other two, especially the young and beautiful Chunzi, Park Hee-soo asked while smoking a cigarette and looking at the diamond necklace Chunzi was wearing around her neck:
"This is a necklace I've never seen before. Where did it come from?"
When Chunzi heard Park Hee-soo asking about the origin of the diamond necklace, she whimpered, and Gao Xidong beside her quickly answered for her:
"Because it's Haruko's birthday, we organized a small event, so..."
"Didn't I tell you that?"
Before Gao Xidong could finish, Park Hee-soo interrupted him and said:
"Don't make small things public!"
“I’m sorry, Prosecutor Park!”
"Forget it, this won't happen again!"
Knowing that Gao Xidong and the other two were not good people, and that Park Hee-soo was just using them to do things for him, he didn't bother to care about what they did, as long as they didn't delay the things he had entrusted to him. Thinking of this, he directly asked:
"Where's Li Jiangshi? Have you found him?"
"We found it a long time ago. The monitoring and tracking devices have been installed. Do you want to take a look?"
Director Jin on the side spoke up. Among the three, Gao Xidong was big and strong, good at fighting and driving; Chunzi was young and beautiful, with a graceful figure, good at seducing all kinds of men and taking the opportunity to steal their money; Director Jin was smarter, especially good at computer electronics. He could hack into South Korea’s transportation network and use ubiquitous cameras to find specific targets and track them in real time. Of course, as a liar, he also had the ability to get away with something. His ability level was below Chunzi and above Gao Xidong.
"Let's go and take a look!"
"Okay, this way!"
Park Hee-soo followed Director Kim and others into a secret room. There were three huge desks filled with all kinds of documents, as well as scattered photos and newspaper clippings. There were two old sofas, with Park Hee-soo and Gao Xidong sitting on one each. Chunzi sat on the edge of the desk, leaning on her hands behind her back, her long legs stretched straight forward, and her head tilted slightly to look at the huge screen in front of her, which was showing the target person Li Jiangshi's personal information and whereabouts, as well as some video and photo information. Director Kim fiddled with his tracking equipment and computer, while popping up and enlarging various information on the huge screen, and began to explain:
"Li Jiangshi was implicated in the Zhang Douqi case and spent three years in prison. After he was released, he did foreign currency exchange, ghost stocks, and anything that could make money. He did phone fraud, virtual currency, simulated stock trading, etc. Recently, he caught a fool who was planning a real estate fraud."
Hearing what Director Kim said, Gao Xidong, who was sitting on the sofa, looked at Park Xizhu and smiled:
"Prosecutor Park, this guy is so evil, why are you looking for him?"
"Don't worry about this, I just need to catch him!"
Hearing Park Hee-soo say this, Chun-ja, who was leaning on the edge of the desk, looked at him puzzledly:
"Then can't we just use the official channel?"
Without answering Chunzi's question, Park Hee-soo directly ordered:
"When I take the police to arrest him, you go to his house and see if there are any hidden account books or anything!"
"Yes, prosecutor!"
Haruko and the other two responded in unison.
