novelraw Chapter 62
Chapter 62
Cold fluorescent lights illuminated the National Assembly audit room.
A sense of tension slowly permeated beneath the high ceiling, and the sounds of papers flipping and whispers were heard intermittently from the assemblymen's seats.
Kim Jongseok, sitting in the witness chair, took a deep breath.
Something hot surged from deep within his chest.
The sense of liberation he felt when throwing his resignation letter enveloped his entire body once again.
The grievances accumulated while serving the company for years and the truths that had to be kept silent were finally able to see the light.
He was also surprised by the fact that his hands were not trembling at all.
Rather, his mind was calmer than ever before.
The figure of President Nam Jae-heon, sitting at the very front of the meeting room, came into his view.
He was maintaining a calm expression as usual, but Kim Jongseok could tell.He knew what kind of calculation was running behind that perfectly controlled expression.
'He probably intends to escape somehow this time as well. But can he really do that?'
A smile spread across Kim Jongseok's lips.
He was already in a state of having made a decisive move.
Assemblyman Jeong Yu-chan turned on the microphone.
Fitting for someone who was a former lawyer, his eyes shone keenly.
From the way he organized the prepared materials step by step, one could guess that today's questioning would not end easily.
Assemblyman Jeong Yu-chan's first question followed.
“Witness Kim Jongseok, you testified that you witnessed an illegal transaction during the process of winning a Middle East oil tanker order while you were at Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Please explain in detail.”
As if he had been waiting for this question, Kim Jongseok's eyes became even clearer.
He stopped his breath for a moment and took a deep breath.
The thump-thump of his heart echoed in his ears.
It was the moment to break the silence he had maintained all this time.
Kim Jongseok recalled an event from the past.
It was the memory of Manager Song Chol-min, who had left this world due to an accident.
While digging into the internal corruption of Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering with him, he had passed away first in an unexpected accident.
He still vividly remembered the last words he left behind.
‘Jongseok, someone has to let the truth be known.’
Kim Jongseok opened his mouth without hesitation.
“In March 20XX, under the direct instructions of the Strategic Planning Office, funds amounting to 3.8 billion won were remitted to a local broker in the Middle East under the guise of technical consultancy.”
Kim Jongseok's voice did not waver in the slightest.
Rather, he contained the weight of truth in his clear voice.
“However, this was an obvious rebate. The funds were intentionally processed through a fragmented slip method so that no traces would remain in the accounting system, and I confirmed that entire process myself.”
The meeting room began to stir.
The hand movements of the reporters became even faster.
Small exclamations broke out among the assemblymen as well.
There was still no change in President Nam Jae-heon's expression.
However, his right hand was unconsciously tapping the table lightly.
Kim Jongseok did not miss even that small change.
‘As expected, he is agitated.’
Assemblyman Jeong Yu-chan slowly unfolded the prepared documents.
In his every move, the prudence originating from long experience was evident.
“Looking at this document submitted by the witness, it states that the funds in question were not paid at once but reached the final destination through various routes. What is the reason for that?”
Kim Jongseok replied while catching his breath for a moment.
“It is to erase traces. It is a meticulously planned money laundering process.”
He continued his explanation while mixing in hand gestures.
“First, some funds are sent to a subsidiary under the guise of technical consultancy fees. Next, they are remitted separately to an outsourcing company as service fees and to another company under the guise of system establishment fees. On paper, they appear to have no connection at all, but in reality, it is one giant flow of funds.”
Assemblyman Jeong Yu-chan's gaze became even sharper.
He knew through the intuition he had built up that this testimony was only the tip of the iceberg.
“If so, are there specific evidentiary materials remaining related to the transaction in question?”
Kim Jongseok opened a file of materials as if he had been waiting for this question.
His movements were overflowing with confidence.
“Here is decisive evidence involving Vice President Choi Dong-ryeol.”
He raised the documents and put strength into his voice.
“This is a fictitious contract concluded with an outsourcing company. However, the actual representative of this company is Vice President Choi’s nephew.”
Kim Jongseok stopped speaking for a moment and looked around the meeting room.
Every gaze was concentrated on him.
“What is even more ridiculous is that if you go to the registered business address, there is only an empty warehouse. There was no actual delivery, no technology transfer, nor any substantive transaction whatsoever. It was a complete paper company.”
The tension in the meeting room heightened even further.
President Nam Jae-heon's jawline stiffened minutely, but he still maintained a poker face.
However, within him, he was quickly seeking a response plan.
As if he could sufficiently overcome this much.
Assemblyman Jeong Yu-chan threw an even sharper question.
“Then are you saying that billions of won of company funds just evaporated?”
Kim Jongseok nodded his head firmly.
“That is correct. They were technology usage fees packaged as consultancy fees, but their substance was an obvious rebate. And this entire process was carried out organizationally.”
At this time, Assemblyman Jeong Yu-chan took out the last document submitted by Kim Jongseok.
One could catch a glimpse of a gambler's temperament in his expression.
“Is this document submitted by witness Kim Jongseok a copy of the report prepared by the Internal Audit Office?”
Kim Jongseok's eyes flashed.
This was indeed the best card he had prepared.
“That is correct. The author is Assistant Manager Choi XX of the Audit Office, and this document has recently been deleted.”
He stopped speaking for a moment and then looked at President Nam Jae-heon.
For the first time, a minute change flickered across the president's face.
“However, a backup copy was being stored separately within the audit team. And I secured that copy before my resignation.”
The document was clearly projected on the screen.
The meeting room was momentarily engulfed in silence.
[Report of Objection to Request for Suspension of Internal Audit]
[Author: Audit Office Choi XX.]
[Date of Preparation: 20XX.11.03.]
When the document was disclosed, President Nam Jae-heon's face froze in an instant.
He wavered, rendering the effort he had put into managing his expression all this time useless.
However, he quickly regained his composure.
Assemblyman Jeong Yu-chan slowly moved his gaze to President Nam Jae-heon.
His eyes contained a keenness like a hunter targeting prey.
“Specifically, who is the 'President' mentioned in this document referring to?”
Every gaze in the meeting room was concentrated on Kim Jongseok.
Camera flashes went off continuously and silence flowed.
Kim Jongseok also looked at President Nam Jae-heon and spoke firmly.
“It is President Nam Jae-heon of Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.”
His voice echoed throughout the meeting room.
“Advisor Bak Tae-yun is the closest aide to President Nam Jae-heon and has been in charge of communication between the Strategic Planning Office and the Audit Office. And there is no one in the company who does not know the meaning of the expression 'the President's side's business'.”
President Nam Jae-heon gnawed on his lips.
‘I can’t be held legally responsible with just this much. It’s only circumstantial evidence.’
However, Kim Jongseok's next words completely shook his calculation.
“And I also have a recording of a phone call with Advisor Bak Tae-yun.”
The meeting room stirred once again.
President Nam Jae-heon's face turned even whiter.
Assemblyman Jeong Yu-chan nodded his head with a satisfied expression.
He had encountered numerous people while living as a politician, but it was rare to meet someone as perfectly prepared as this.
“Through witness Kim Jongseok's testimony, the substance of this case has been clearly revealed.”
He looked around the meeting room slowly and summarized.
“This is not a simple accounting fraud. The entire system of the corporation was swayed at the whim of the top manager, and the internal check-and-balance system was structurally neutralized. And this entire process was executed while being meticulously planned organizationally.”
Kim Jongseok felt a deep sense of satisfaction while watching this entire scene from the witness chair.
It was the moment the truth that had been buried for a long time finally revealed itself to the world.
‘It’s just the beginning.’
The next step was already being drawn in his mind.
Today's testimony was not the end but only the beginning.
The sound of camera shutters heard from all over the meeting room became even busier.
***
The CEO office on the top floor of HJ Partners headquarters was filled with the sound flowing from the television screen.
The National Audit was being broadcast live on the screen, and Kim Jongseok's decisive testimony was continuing.
I, Lim Hyunjun, was sitting leisurely leaning back on the sofa while drinking coffee.
My expression was peaceful as usual.
“He really has a temperament for the stage. Mr. Kim Jongseok, that is.”
My voice was calm, but the corners of my mouth went up slightly.
The work I had put effort into preparing for a long time finally revealed its appearance on the actual stage at the perfect timing.
Choi Seo-jun, who was sitting in the next seat, could not hide his excitement while pointing at the screen with the hand holding the remote control.
“Representative, things will go crazy in the news today. With this much impact, not only Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering but the entire Daehan Group will likely take a significant hit.”
I slowly nodded my head while still maintaining a composed expression.
“Yes, it seems the engine has been properly started for now.”
Choi Seo-jun crossed his arms and stared intently at the screen.
Silence flowed for a moment.
Only the sound of reporters' shutters heard from the screen filled that silence.
Choi Seo-jun opened his mouth cautiously.
“However, Representative. Daehan Group will not just take this lying down. Considering Chairman Nam Kun-ho's personality, he must already be devising all sorts of countermeasures. Now that even real names have been mentioned in the National Audit, they must have entered the work of collecting internal documents or whatever, and signs of media control starting are visible. By now, their hand must have reached the Ministry of Industry side as well.”
I looked at Choi Seo-jun for a moment and then replied with leisure.
“Then we should start moving as well, Representative Choi.”
At those words, Choi Seo-jun's eyebrows rose slightly.
It was an expression as if he had captured some important signal.
“By any chance, are you talking about that thing you prepared in advance?”
I nodded my head lightly and carefully raised the coffee cup again.
The sweet taste of the coffee mix lingered in my mouth.
“That’s right. If they block the media, we must shake the market. Now the time has truly come to speak with money.”
From the television screen, Assemblyman Jeong Yu-chan's final summarizing remarks were flowing grandly.
“This is not an individual's deviation but an organizational act and the collapse of the system itself. Accordingly, a thorough investigation by relevant agencies and strict disciplinary action against the responsible parties must surely be carried out.”
I gazed at the screen and then wore a meaningful smile.
In my head, the things that would happen next were already proceeding step by step.
“From now on is the real beginning.”
A cold yet calm tone, as if I was already predicting all the situations that would unfold, was embedded in my voice.
Choi Seo-jun nodded his head without a word.
The process of long and meticulous preparation ended, and the curtain of the real stage finally rose.