The Mad Prosecutor Picked Up AI - Chapter 129



Only Krnovel

Episode 129: Was there another Jongbeom?

A few days later, after completing the additional investigation into the street tree poisoning incident, I decided to summon the suspect, Song Jong-beom, for questioning. Based on what we found out, it was certain that Song Jong-beom was the culprit.

As the investigation time was running out, I was waiting for Song Jong-beom and reading the case file one last time.

It’s strange. Why is the office so quiet today?

I looked up from my paperwork and looked around the office. Ki So-young had gone to hand over the paperwork for the cases we had finished, and Wi Jun-woo was diligently looking at the case files.

Chief Han Jae-sik. Hmm? He’s not the type of person to stay quiet like that.

By now, I should be smashing my keyboard thinking, ‘What the heck, you idiot? Can you even say that in front of a judge?’

It was very quiet now. He was just quietly moving the mouse.

Because it seemed suspicious, I quietly went back to look.

“What is it?”

“Oh my, this is a surprise!”

“Did you commit a crime? Why are you so surprised?”

“Surprising.”

While saying that, Manager Han Jae-sik covered the screen and hurriedly rolled down the window. I nodded and patted Manager Han Jae-sik on the shoulder.

“Yes. It’s the perfect age for that.”

“What, what?”

“Your wife is also across the ocean. You must be lonely. I understand, but you shouldn’t see her during work hours, right?”

“What are you talking about, Inma? What do you think of people as! Chief, you know that’s not true, right?”

“Of course. If someone in our office did something wrong, it’s you, Prosecutor. If someone misunderstood something, it’s you, too. If someone did something wrong, it’s you, too. Either way, Prosecutor.”

Manager Han Jae-sik quickly looked around the office, fearing that someone might misunderstand. Fortunately, Ki-young was out of his seat, and Wi Jun-woo showed his unwavering faith in Manager Han Jae-sik.

“Then what is it? Why are you secretly watching it by yourself and then covering it up so that it’s not visible?”

“Hey, right. Look, look.”

Manager Han Jae-sik raised the window again and showed it to me.

“What is this? Red ginseng?”

“I was thinking of buying some red ginseng, but there are quite a few types. There’s jelly, red ginseng slices, and some that you can squeeze out and some that you can drink mixed in water. Which one would be best?”

“Why red ginseng all of a sudden? Are you feeling low on energy?”

“I realized something while fighting with snotheads on the internet.”

“Are you going to fight after eating red ginseng?”

Manager Han Jae-sik shook his head with a determined expression.

“Now is not the time for me to be like this. I should be in the criminal division, not the police department! I’m going back to the criminal division!”

“It’s not something you can do just by making up your mind.”

“So I was going to give Deputy Manager Nam some red ginseng as a gift. His birthday is next week.”

So you’re going to bribe me?

Oh my, boss.

“You’re going to send me back to the criminal department just because I gave you this red ginseng? Chief Nam? If that’s the case, you shouldn’t have indicted me for entertaining prosecutors in the first place.”

“No, no. You’re the one who’s out of favor with Chief Nam. The one who destroyed the 3rd criminal division at the trial was a sword. I just passed it off as a slap in the face. You’ll never be found guilty on that.”

“I don’t think it’s something to brag about.”

“Anyway. Nam, the deputy chief, is gnashing his teeth. I’ll let it go. I’ve been doing all this secretly. I’ll let it go. Okay, okay.”

“Isn’t that wishful thinking on a cosmic scale?”

“Would Korean beef be better? But I think a lot of people will send Korean beef. Hmm, would a luxury tie be better? But I need to know how to look for luxury goods. What do you think, Dogum?”

“I think it’s all nonsense.”

“That guy has no sense of shame.”

I saw Manager Han Jae-sik bury his nose in the monitor again and choose a gift, then I looked up at the clock on the wall. It’s been 10 minutes since Song Jong-beom was supposed to come, so why hasn’t he come?

“Manager, isn’t today the day that Song Jong-beom is supposed to come?”

“That’s right. I guess it’s a little late.”

“What kind of person is late for a prosecutorial investigation?”

As I was clicking my tongue, the door slammed open. A man, sweating profusely, gasping for breath entered the office.

He had taken off his suit jacket and was draped over his arms, his shirt was darkly stained with sweat around his chest and armpits, and his tie was loose and hanging loosely from his chest.

The man bent over, placed his hands on his legs, and took a deep breath as if he had just run a 100-meter dash. Then he finally raised his head and asked us.

“Hey, is this, gasp gasp. Is this the Jongbeopbu?”

“yes.”

“Oh my, look at all that sweat. Drink some water.”

The man looked at the direction Wi Jun-woo was pointing, then approached him without hesitation, filled a cup of water from the water purifier, and began to drink it.

The man, who was not satisfied with one cup, drank two more cups before he could finally breathe comfortably. Then he suddenly got angry at us.

“What kind of prosecutor’s office is this tucked away in the corner? It took forever to find it.”

“The rule is that the first trip departs 30 minutes early.”

“It’s not even written on the floor guide.”

I tilted my head.

“That’s strange. I clearly wrote in my own handwriting that the Jongbeopbu is here and posted it there.”

“Oh, that one. The security guard took it off. He said it spoiled the appearance.”

I couldn’t help but sigh at Wi Jun-woo’s answer. To consider external beauty over practicality? This is an unbecoming action for a prosecutor.

I looked at the man who was fanning himself with his hand.

“So, how did you get here?”

“ah.”

Only then did the man seem to realize where he had come. He quickly tightened his tie, straightened his clothes, and greeted me.

“Hello. My name is Song Jong-beom and I will be questioned by the prosecution today.”

“Please sit over here. This is Prosecutor Do Hyeon-gwang.”

Song Jong-beom, who had calmed down and sat down, was a little nervous like any other person. Even if he was innocent, he was always scared when he appeared before the prosecutor.

“Are you Mr. Song Jong-beom?”

“yes.”

“Your date of birth is… … .”

After I finished the formalities of verifying my identity, such as my name and date of birth, I began my investigation in earnest.

“Are you working as a manager at Cafe ‘Maison de Blanche’?”

“I did. But it’s been cut off now.”

“How long is the period of employment?”

“It hasn’t been that long. Since we first opened, maybe three months?”

“Do you know why you are here now?”

“Because that street tree died.”

I placed both arms on the desk, folded my arms, and looked straight into Song Jong-beom’s eyes. I asked with a weighted attitude that would not allow even the slightest lie.

“Did you kill him yourself?”

Song Jong-beom flinched and said.

“Hey, if you ask me that, it’s not like anyone died… … .”

“Then let’s change the subject. Did Mr. Song Jong-beom do it with his own hands?”

“No, I don’t think that changed anything… … .”

“You did it without anyone knowing!”

“It’s a bit… … to say that.”

When you kill a tree, you kill it mercilessly without any sympathy, and yet you pretend to be weak in front of such words.

I changed my strategy. I looked at Song Jong-beom with a compassionate smile on my lips.

“I may have been a bit harsh. It’s not like the person died, it’s just a tree. Right?”

“yes yes.”

“Let me ask you again. Was it Song Jong-beom who sprayed the herbicide on those two street trees?”

“Yes. That’s the boss’s order.”

“But you sprayed too much herbicide and it ended up flowing into the trees next to you, right?”

“That’s what I said.”

Song Jong-beom’s expression softened as if he was finally starting to understand.

“I don’t know if you know, but it rained cats and dogs that day. From the afternoon until dawn.”

“That’s right. According to the records, it rained a lot that day.”

“Because of that rain, the herbicide flowed along with the rain to the trees next to it.”

“Oh, I see.”

“That’s what I said.”

Look at this guy?

Did you think I’d just let it go like this?

“That’s strange. The herbicide ingredient didn’t go anywhere else, but only to the three trees in front of the cafe building! Do these guys have their navigation on? They find their way around better than our manager.”

“… … .”

I took the material out of the file on the desk.

“The police only tested the five dead trees for herbicide. We tested all the other trees around them. I’m a meticulous person by nature.”

“uh…….”

“The two trees that were originally supposed to be killed had high levels of 152 mg/kg, and the three dead trees next to them had levels as high as 101 mg/kg. Strangely, the remaining trees did not show any herbicide. How could this be?”

“… … .”

“There’s no Wailing Wall blocking it. How is it that only three trees were found to have over 700 times the standard amount of herbicide, while the fourth tree right next to them didn’t show any herbicide?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

I don’t know.

Amshilong.

“Rather than saying that it flowed down the water, it seems more likely that someone directly injected the herbicide into the three trees. Furthermore, we found out that this herbicide is a ‘foliar herbicide’ that is only effective when sprayed on the stems or leaves.”

“Kyungyeop… … What?”

“They say it’s no use spraying it on the soil. You have to spray it directly on the stem or leaves to kill it. So what does it mean that it ran off in the rain and killed the tree next to it?”

“that…….”

“They’re all just fools.”

Song Jong-beom’s face was turning pale.

Our Wi Jun-woo and Ki So-young did a great job investigating.

Our crisis couple is the best, the best.

As I was smiling happily inside, Aliotta glanced at me.

‘You did well too.’

[Right?]

‘Then. The one who analyzed the CCTV footage was our Aliotta. Aliotta is the best.’

Aliotta’s mouth twitched and she became slightly arrogant.

Is it because I’m feeling down? It feels like my stomach is sticking out a bit more than before.

I turned my gaze back to Song Jong-beom. It seemed as if his soul was trying to escape his body after being attacked by me.

It’s not over yet, Yonsuk!

I placed a photo in front of Song Jong-beom, who kept his mouth shut.

“Do you know what this is?”

“This, this is.”

It was a scene from the CCTV footage that Detective So Hae-jin had sent. It was a man walking in the pouring rain with a raincoat pulled over his head.

In fact, this alone doesn’t tell us anything.

[Why not? Height 176cm, weight 72kg. The physicality is exactly the same as Song Jong-beom who is in front of you right now.]

Even though Aliotta made a fuss, that alone wouldn’t be enough to prove that the person in this photo is Song Jong-beom, and even if he did, no one would believe him.

However, our innocent Song Jong-beom was in a state of shock after seeing his picture taken. He could have just shamelessly denied it and asked who it was.

“Do you feel like confessing now? There’s more than one piece of evidence.”

“… … .”

“There’s no point in holding out. What are you going to do if I sentence you to the maximum sentence? Wouldn’t it be better to confess and ask for leniency? Chief, what’s the maximum sentence?”

“Yes. The penalty is imprisonment for up to 3 years or a fine of up to 7 million won.”

“Did you hear?”

Song Jong-beom was surprised when he heard Wi Jun-woo’s words and asked back.

“Seven million won?”

“That’s when you get fined. You can even go to prison.”

“Uh, that’s… … .”

“But if you confess and reflect, the judge will show leniency. I see you don’t have a criminal record, and it’s your first offense.”

Only then did Song Jong-beom realize how serious a sin he had committed.

I don’t know why he killed the other tree, whether he really wanted to screw the boss, or if he was just bored, but the price he paid was not light.

“Oh, and I have to ask for the price of the street trees too.”

Song Jong-beom opened his eyes wide.

“What about the price of street trees? Street trees don’t have owners.”

“They don’t have owners. Those trees were planted, raised, and cared for by the Gaemyeon-gu Office. The Gaemyeon-gu Office is going to file a lawsuit for damages.”

“How much will it cost?”

“Three sycamore trees. Let’s see. It’s 8.7 million won.”

“her.”

Song Jong-beom’s eyes shook violently as he heard the amount. That’s understandable. If you add the cost of the street trees to the fine, it would cost over ten million won.

I asked, tapping the keyboard.

“Isn’t it true that Mr. Song Jong-beom killed the three remaining street trees by spraying herbicide on them, in addition to the trees that were originally permitted?”

“……yes.”

“Okay, so you confessed. So… … .”

Just as I was about to ask for his motive, Song Jong-beom raised his hand and spoke hurriedly.

“But I didn’t do it alone. Someone told me to do it! I just did what I was told!”

Oh my.

Besides our Jongbeom, was there another Jongbeom?