Chapter 45. Finishing Blow (1)
Harok spent the entire morning trying to track down Kang Chiwan.
The skills he had developed in his previous life while lurking through online communities and social media for story leads came in handy.
But there was no trace of a fisherman named Kang Chiwan anywhere.
It felt like getting cut off halfway through taking a dump.
Like discovering a promising sweet-potato vine, only to start digging and find a massive boulder blocking the way.
Kang Chiwan.
At this point, Harok was starting to doubt whether that was even his real name.
He needed to find Kang Chiwan, or at least meet someone who knew him, before he could move another step forward.
In the past, reporters often received help from the police with things like this.
But after the Personal Information Protection Act came into force, that had become impossible.
There was no longer any way to get police help even to confirm whether someone named Kang Chiwan actually existed.
Harok needed another breakthrough.
He was still deep in thought when his phone rang.
Ring, ring.
Seol Yubin.
“Anything new?”
“You’re trying to roast beans with lightning.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why are you always in such a rush?”
“Just tell me.”
“Yes, yes. Heaven has finally sent us a righteous man.”
A righteous man from heaven?
Had Kim Jongseok finally decided to speak?
“Department Head Kim contacted you?”
“How did you know?”
“Wasn’t it obvious?”
“He wants to meet in a little while.”
“Good. Go meet him.”
“Come with me.”
“Why?”
“You’re the one looking forward to Kwon Jaegwan’s finale more than anyone. If Department Head Kim blows the whistle, won’t that be the finishing blow?”
That was true.
As the person most eagerly awaiting Kwon Jaegwan’s tragic ending, Harok could hardly miss it.
The follow-up investigation into the dumpling scandal would have to be a long-term project anyway.
It could take a year.
Maybe two.
Wait for me, Hyeon Yeongmo.
I’ll show you what real investigative reporting looks like.
But first, he needed to finish off Kwon Jaegwan properly.
“Okay. I’ll come.”
“We’re meeting at Café The Oli in Gwanghwamun. Come there.”
“I’m Kim Jongseok.”
Tension was written all over Kim Jongseok’s face.
Who could remain calm when a tip like this might change the course of their entire life?
“I spent my whole career in safety-related work. Now I’m managing construction materials.”
It was easy to see on his face how much he had suffered over the past several months.
“What made you decide to come forward?”
Kim Jongseok’s expression didn’t brighten.
He only let out a long sigh.
“Until this morning, I had no intention of meeting you. In fact, I was going to reverse my testimony regarding the sexual harassment incident.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“The company tried to make me commit perjury so they could turn Executive Director Ahn into a shameless criminal. They promised to restore me as a team leader in return.”
If Kim Jongseok, the person closest to Ahn Changwan, had reversed his testimony...
The thought alone was terrifying.
Ahn Changwan would almost certainly have been branded a shameless sexual offender.
“Then why did you change your mind?”
“My daughter made me realize how foolish I was being.”
Kim Jongseok calmly explained the long message his younger daughter had sent that morning.
“Your daughter was raised very well. I suppose the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“Pardon?”
“She has such a fine outlook because she has such an admirable father.”
Hearing someone else praise his daughter made Kim Jongseok visibly proud.
“All right. We don’t have much time, so let’s move quickly.”
“Yes.”
Thinking of his daughter seemed to ease some of his tension.
Right.
Like my daughter said, I’m choosing what’s right.
There’s nothing to be afraid of.
“You must’ve been furious with Vice President Kwon Jaegwan for leading the dismantling of the TF.”
“Of course. He humiliated the team members too.”
Kim Jongseok answered without hesitation.
“Was the reduction in the safety budget directly ordered by Vice President Kwon?”
Instead of answering, Kim Jongseok quietly pulled a USB drive from his pocket.
“What is this?”
“An audio recording.”
Jackpot.
Once an audio recording appeared in a dispute over the truth, the argument was basically over.
“You know that recording a conversation you’re not part of can be illegal, right?”
“It’s a recording of Vice President Kwon and me.”
“Why did you record him?”
“Because his instructions changed constantly. He’d say one thing today and something completely different tomorrow.”
That made sense.
When a superior’s instructions kept changing, recording them was almost inevitable.
It was insurance against them later claiming they had said something else.
“What’s in the recording?”
“Vice President Kwon personally ordering the budget cuts.”
Harok cheered inwardly.
An audio file.
This was a straight-news story worthy of leading the social-affairs page.
“I recorded the call with Vice President Kwon on my phone. I couldn’t believe he was now claiming he never told anyone to cut the budget.”
This was undeniable.
The problem was that after publication, Kim Jongseok would almost certainly suffer massive retaliation from the company.
“This may put you in a very difficult position.”
“Things can’t get much worse than they already are. Besides, my daughter is supporting me. I don’t want to disappoint her.”
“Ah...”
Harok understood Kim Jongseok’s desire to do the right thing.
But he was still worried.
Reporters occasionally met whistleblowers during investigations.
And the fate of whistleblowers in Korea was often brutal.
Inside their organizations, they were branded as traitors.
They were ostracized.
Or pushed out entirely.
Kim Jongseok surely knew the risks.
Harok respected his courage.
At the very least, they had to make sure his sacrifice wasn’t wasted.
Kwon Jaegwan had to pay.
“Can we listen to it now?”
“Of course.”
Yubin plugged the USB drive into her laptop.
Then pressed play.
.
.
.
“You call this a report?”
“Pardon?”
“If we’re going to spend money anyway, why the fuck did we create a TF? Wasn’t the whole point to look like we’re doing something without spending money?”
“Vice President, this is the minimum required—”
“Cut the bullshit and redo the report.”
“After last year’s safety accident, we publicly apologized and promised investment.”
“Hey!”
“Yes?”
“Have you kept every single promise you’ve made in your entire life?”
“N-No, but that’s different...”
“You can intend to keep a promise and still have circumstances that make it impossible.”
“...”
“And that promise was made by my predecessor. It has nothing to do with me.”
“But it was a public commitment.”
“Shut up! Every one of you acts like this isn’t your own company and all you care about is bleeding money out of it.”
...
