Sunday morning.
Even though it was a holiday, Prosecutor Bae Sang-yoon, the director of the First Investigation Bureau, couldn't afford to rest at home.
After all, a major corruption scandal had erupted just the day before.
With a haggard face from lack of sleep, Bae Sang-yoon had barely set his briefcase down on his desk when he was summoned to the director's office.
As he entered, he found Director Hwang Sang-hyun seated at his desk, his back to a wall adorned with a framed Taegeukgi (Korean national flag) and a portrait of the president.
With a hardened expression, Hwang Sang-hyun fixed Bae Sang-yoon with a piercing gaze, his arms crossed. He didn't bother offering him a seat on the sofa.
Then, in a cold voice, he spoke first.
"Director Bae."
"Yes, sir."
"I assume you've seen the rumors circulating in the stock market and the articles in yesterday's evening newspapers regarding the Financial Supervisory Service?"
"...Yes, I have."
"I'll get straight to the point. Did you take money to cover up the insider trading allegations involving Seonjin Leather instead of properly investigating them?"
Bae Sang-yoon had anticipated this line of questioning, but now that he was actually being confronted, he couldn't immediately answer. He swallowed dryly without realizing it.
Hwang Sang-hyun, his sharp eyes locked onto him, didn't miss the telltale movement of his Adam's apple. His expression darkened.
"It's true that our bureau investigated Seonjin Leather. However, after reviewing the case, we found only minor issues—not enough to warrant a prosecution, so we closed the investigation."
"Are you absolutely certain about that?"
"Of course."
Bae Sang-yoon did his best to appear indignant, as if falsely accused.
But Hwang Sang-hyun had already noticed his earlier hesitation and saw right through him.
With a deep sigh, Hwang remained silent for a moment before reaching into his desk drawer. He pulled out a paper shopping bag and placed it on the desk.
"Take this."
"What is it?"
Bae Sang-yoon eyed the bag warily, hesitating before asking cautiously.
Hwang Sang-hyun's face remained as cold as ice as he responded.
"It's the inauguration gift you gave me."
"Why…?"
When Hwang had first taken office, Bae Sang-yoon had gifted him an expensive solid-gold toad, claiming it symbolized wealth and prosperity.
"I've thought about it, and it feels like too much to accept as a gift. So I'm returning it. Take it with you."
"!"
Bae Sang-yoon had seen how delighted Hwang had been when he first received the toad, grinning from ear to ear as it gleamed under the fluorescent lights. And now, suddenly, he was claiming it was too much?
It was obvious—Hwang Sang-hyun was trying to distance himself before the scandal got any worse.
Already on edge, Bae Sang-yoon felt a fresh wave of unease at this blatant attempt to cut ties.
"Please, just accept it as a token of my sincerity."
"Tsk. If I could accept it that easily, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Hwang Sang-hyun's tone was cold, as if scolding a fool for not understanding the obvious.
"There will be an audit on the Seonjin Leather case soon. Be prepared."
"...What?"
Bae Sang-yoon felt his heart drop into his stomach and hastily clung to the conversation.
"As I just explained, despite what the rumors and newspaper articles claim, my actions were entirely justified. But… an audit?"
"If that's the case, then the audit will only serve to prove your innocence. Isn't that a good thing?"
"T-That's…"
Bae Sang-yoon trailed off, his face visibly stricken.
Hwang Sang-hyun, now even more convinced that the corruption allegations were true, waved a dismissive hand.
"In any case, I've said everything I needed to. Now, take this with you and leave."
"D-Director…"
Bae Sang-yoon tried to say something more, but when he saw that Hwang Sang-hyun had turned his head away entirely, refusing to even look at him, he felt his shoulders slump in defeat.
"...Understood."
Reluctantly, he picked up the shopping bag containing the golden toad and shuffled out of the office, looking utterly dejected.
Only after the door clicked shut did Hwang Sang-hyun finally straighten his posture. Then, clicking his tongue in irritation, he muttered to himself.
"I've barely settled into this position, and now this mess? What rotten luck."
* * *
Monday morning.
As soon as Seok-won arrived at work, he didn't head straight to his office but instead made his way to the Capital Management Department.
"Good morning, sir!"
"Welcome, sir."
Dressed in a navy suit with a pocket hanger chief neatly tucked into his breast pocket, Seok-won entered the office with his aide, Han Ji-sung. The employees immediately rose from their seats to greet him.
"Good morning, everyone."
With a warm smile, Seok-won returned their greetings, glancing around at Manager Choi Ho-geun and the rest of the staff.
It was clear that they had arrived early to prepare for the day's trading; the office was already bustling with activity.
"This week is going to be quite a busy one. Did everyone get a good rest over the weekend?"
"Ugh, don't even mention it. The market's been so volatile with all these unexpected events over the weekend, I barely had time to breathe. Even when I close my eyes, I keep seeing stock charts—I couldn't sleep at all!"
At that, Jung Hwan-yeop let out an exaggerated groan, as if he had been waiting for the chance to complain.
"For someone who claims to be sleep-deprived, your complexion looks surprisingly healthy."
"Haha."
Seok-won teased, prompting Jung Hwan-yeop to laugh awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head.
He seemed about to say more, but upon noticing the intense glare from Manager Choi Ho-geun—who looked as if he could shoot lasers from his eyes—he quickly shut his mouth.
With a small sigh, Choi Ho-geun turned to Seok-won and spoke.
"Did you see this morning's newspaper?"
"Are you referring to New Era National Conference Chairman Kim Jae-chun's statement?"
Choi Ho-geun nodded.
"Yes. The leader of the main opposition party has strongly criticized the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which wields immense power over the stock market, for being embroiled in corruption allegations. He's insisting that there should be a special audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection rather than an internal investigation. Given that, this scandal is unlikely to die down quickly—it will only escalate further."
The fact that Kim Jae-chun, the opposition leader himself, had stepped forward rather than delegating to a mid-level lawmaker, proved that the political funding they had provided over time had certainly paid off.
"On top of that, if they blow this case up to attack the presidential office and the administration, it will benefit them as well. No wonder they're being so aggressive about it."
Ultimately, this was a mutually beneficial situation for both sides, so there was nothing to complain about.
"You're right. Since the opposition party is keeping a close eye on this, the Board of Audit and Inspection won't be able to conduct a half-hearted investigation."
At Seok-won's words, Choi Ho-geun agreed and added,
"If they're not careful, the backlash could even reach the audit board itself, so they'll likely take this very seriously."
Seok-won remained composed, his tone unchanged as he spoke.
"For years, it's been common practice for listed companies to bribe SEC officials. If this scandal serves as an opportunity to completely root out such corrupt traditions, it wouldn't be a bad thing for the stock market."
"Are you suggesting that this scandal won't just result in a regulatory warning but will escalate into a full-scale prosecution investigation?"
Seok-won gave a small nod.
"This is a massive corruption case involving numerous current and former SEC executives. It won't just end quietly. Now that the opposition party is actively pushing the issue, a mere scapegoat tactic won't be enough to sweep it under the rug."
"Hearing you say that, it does seem likely."
Choi Ho-geun acknowledged the reasoning with a serious expression.
At that moment, Jung Hwan-yeop, who had been listening quietly, cautiously interjected.
"If things unfold the way you predict, the stock prices of Osung Information & Communication and Seonjin Leather will be completely wrecked, won't they?"
"Most likely."
"Seonjin Leather is one thing, but Osung Information & Communication was performing well thanks to market trends. There must be many investors holding their stocks. Once the market opens, there's going to be panic selling everywhere."
At his remark, both Hong Jae-hee and Yoo Seok-hyun nodded in agreement.
"I made some quick profits from short-term trades on Osung Information & Communication because the chart looked promising. If it weren't for the boss telling us to sell everything we had, I would've been in serious trouble."
Jung Hwan-yeop chuckled sheepishly as he spoke.
However, this was a sensitive topic, and Choi Ho-geun immediately reprimanded him with a stern look.
"Jung! Watch what you say."
"Huh? Why?"
"Do you really not understand?"
Jung Hwan-yeop looked confused for a moment, then suddenly realized his mistake and let out an Ah!
If this kind of conversation were to leak outside, people could suspect that Seok-won had received insider information in advance or, worse, orchestrated the entire scandal himself.
"I'm sorry."
Realizing the gravity of his mistake, Jung Hwan-yeop quickly apologized.
Seok-won, too, seemed to think the comment had been reckless and shot him a reproachful look.
"Even in an office full of trusted colleagues, you never know how words can spread. Be extra careful from now on."
Jung Hwan-yeop, fully aware of his blunder, bowed his head in remorse.
"Yes, I'll make sure this never happens again."
Seeing that he had understood, Seok-won didn't say anything further. Instead, he reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a folded note, handing it to Choi Ho-geun.
"This is a list of ten companies, in addition to Osung Information & Communication and Seonjin Leather, that are linked to this scandal."
"…!"
"Make sure to inform Daehung Securities so they don't suffer any unnecessary losses. Tell them to liquidate everything before the stock price crashes."
"Understood."
Choi Ho-geun responded briefly, took the note from Seok-won, quickly scanned the names of the companies written inside, and carefully tucked it into his pants pocket.
"And another bombshell is about to drop soon. Keep an eye on the stock movements of Mido Department Store and Donghae Oil, but halt all purchases completely."
Everyone was curious about what would happen next, but they nodded without question.
"Understood."
"Oh, by the way, Jeongmi Electronics' stock price exceeded 140,000 won per share on Saturday, surpassing Saseong Electronics."
"Yes. It has outpaced Saseong Electronics, which was the industry's leading stock, and has now climbed to the 7th spot in market capitalization."
Choi Ho-geun looked at Seok-won with admiration.
"When you told us to buy at 60,000 won, I was worried it might be too high. But in just a few months, the price has more than doubled. It's still astonishing to see."
Not only Jeongmi Electronics but also A-One and Korea Mobile Communications—the three stocks Seok-won had recommended—had all surged significantly, multiplying their initial investment.
"There's still some room for growth, but they're nearing their peak. Starting next month, we should gradually start offloading all three stocks."
The idea of selling stocks that were still rising felt counterintuitive, but Choi Ho-geun trusted Seok-won's judgment.
"Understood."
After giving his instructions, Seok-won rolled up his sleeve to check his watch and said,
"The market will open soon. Let's all have a good day."
As Seok-won left the office with his secretary, Han Ji-seong, Jung Hwan-yeop, who had been holding his breath the whole time, finally let out a deep sigh.
"See? There aren't even any rumors or news articles yet, but he handed over a list of companies involved. That proves this whole thing was orchestrated to take down Donghae Group."
Hearing this, Choi Ho-geun frowned and pressed down hard on Jung Hwan-yeop's head.
"You idiot. Didn't you just get scolded for running your mouth? Do I need to throw you into the river and watch your lips float to make you understand?"
Jung Hwan-yeop let out a startled Ack! and pretended to zip his mouth shut. Seeing that, Choi Ho-geun's blood pressure rose even higher.
"I swear, I can't take this anymore. I can't physically lock your mouth, but at this rate, you'll be the death of me."
"I'm really sorry. I'll be careful."
Jung Hwan-yeop, visibly deflated, mumbled his apology in a small voice.
Seeing his pitiful state, Choi Ho-geun let out a long sigh, his irritation mixed with a bit of sympathy.
"Just try to do better, okay?"
"Yes."
"Ugh. Well, you're my junior, so I guess I just have to put up with you."
After heaving another sigh, Choi Ho-geun turned to the gathered employees and called out loudly,
"The market opens in ten minutes! Everyone, get ready!"
Just as Seok-won had said, it was going to be another extremely busy day. If he was already exhausted this early in the morning, there was no way he would last.
Pushing Jung Hwan-yeop forward to get back to work, Choi Ho-geun took his own seat, waiting for the opening bell to ring.