Devil Returns to School Days - Chapter 186: The Long-Awaited Moment (6)

It was unexpected.

Kang Dong-chul, sitting across from Yoon Hyeon-min, spoke sincerely when he appeared without a single lawyer in tow.

“Why would you do this? Just cooperating with this investigation is already a loss for you.”

The first question.

The message was blatant.

Kang Dong-chul was already certain that Yoon Hyeon-min was the mastermind behind it all, which made this move anything but advantageous for Yoon Hyeon-min. The problem becomes real when you accept it as one. Up until now, no matter how serious it seemed, it could have ended as just a conspiracy theory. But by appearing before the prosecution, Yoon Hyeon-min had turned it into a genuine issue.

Yoon Hyeon-min stared at him silently.

Understanding the unspoken meaning, Kang Dong-chul turned off the recording function in the interrogation room.

*Click.*

“Speak freely. Nothing you say from this point will have any effect in court.”

“Is that so?”

Yoon Hyeon-min smiled.

Kang Dong-chul, Deputy Chief Prosecutor.

Despite his reputation, Yoon Hyeon-min showed no sign of intimidation.

“Sometimes, silence is not the answer. Representative Kim Pan-ho, and you, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kang Dong-chul—significant figures like yourselves have already proven the existence of the Golden Circle. If I remain silent while being accused as the mastermind, what do you think will happen? People will target me, and it will harm Taeyang Group. That’s why I came here personally. By addressing the issue head-on instead of avoiding it, people will dismiss it as mere conspiracy.”

“You believe you’re innocent?”

“And do you believe you can prove my guilt?”

The tension was palpable.

The two men locked eyes, neither avoiding the other’s gaze.

“I’ve heard much about you from those in the legal field. They say you’re a knife that slaughters cow—known for being impartial and incorruptible. If the time comes to take down a significant figure, they say you’re the one for the job. That’s why people are in an uproar. Not just any prosecutor, but Kang Dong-chul himself is trying to prove the Golden Circle’s existence and targeting me. Naturally, doubts have arisen. I implore you to do your best in this investigation. Use every means at your disposal to prove that I, Yoon Hyeon-min, am the mastermind behind the Golden Circle. If, by any chance, this case ends in ‘not guilty’…”

His face twisted into a chilling smile.

“Everyone involved in this will pay the price.”

—

The interrogation officially began.

Kang Dong-chul started.

“Representative Lee Kyung-chul. What’s your relationship with him?”

“Personally, there’s no relationship. Professionally, you could say Taeyang Group is his sponsor.”

“According to the information we’ve gathered, there’s evidence linking you to Lee Kyung-chul through the Golden Circle. Around the time the Golden Circle is presumed to have been formed, Taeyang Group decided to sponsor him. Recently, Kim Hyunsung even assaulted Lee Kyung-chul’s son, Lee Cheong-soo. At the time, Lee Cheong-soo’s behavior at school was notably similar to the Golden Circle’s methods, stirring controversy. Are you chalking all of this up to coincidence?”

“Yes, coincidence. Isn’t this just a minor issue created by Representative Lee Kyung-chul’s authority?”

Minor issue.

Kang Dong-chul’s eyebrows twitched at those words.

“Perhaps. The connection between you and Lee Kyung-chul, and his children benefiting from the Golden Circle’s methods, could be dismissed as coincidence if there’s no concrete evidence. The problem, however, is that Representative Lee Kyung-chul used his influence during the time when Go Chang-beom, a director at Myungjin Construction and Kim Hyunsung’s guardian, faced aggression from your side. The tax investigation against Myungjin Construction at that time was excessively harsh. The suspension of that investigation was also suspicious.”

*Rustle.*

He flipped through some documents.

“Myungjin Construction isn’t much different from other construction firms. They offer quality homes at reasonable prices and have earned public support. But in their early days, they didn’t shy away from practices like bribery to secure contracts. The problem with the construction industry is that tax investigations inevitably uncover results. Yet, the National Tax Service, which was allegedly influenced by your lobbying, withdrew halfway, claiming no issues. The connection? The individuals who received bribes from Myungjin Construction were part of the Golden Circle. You must have considered this problematic.”

“I know nothing about that.”

“Then what about this? After the failure of the office building project, Im Cheol-hyung, the CEO of Mirae Investment Securities, is documented to have met with you. Although it was explained as an investment matter, Im Cheol-hyung is strongly suspected of being a prominent member of the Golden Circle. Many of Taeyang Group’s influential allies have connections through him.”

“You just said it yourself—it was about an investment. After that meeting, Taeyang Group and Mirae Investment Securities proceeded with an investment in battery projects. I believe it was even reported in the media.”

Every question had an answer.

The connections to Lee Kyung-chul, Im Cheol-hyung, and other suspected Golden Circle members were probed thoroughly. Though suspicious, there was plausible deniability: investment matters, sponsorships, and so forth. Despite Kang Dong-chul’s relentless questioning, he failed to extract anything substantive.

Kang Dong-chul had prepared extensively.

The relationship between Yoon Hyeon-min and the Golden Circle.

Circumstantial evidence that was almost conclusive.

But the critical “smoking gun” was missing.

‘So, this is why he appeared voluntarily. He was confident we couldn’t convict him.’

He was a step ahead.

Before Kang Dong-chul could secure decisive evidence, Yoon Hyeon-min had voluntarily turned himself in, stealing the timing. It would now be difficult to escalate this case further with the same charges. Yoon Hyeon-min’s actions weren’t reckless reliance on his connections; they were calculated.

Yoon Hyeon-min spoke.

“Did you notice? I attended this investigation without a single lawyer. If I leave here without providing any clues about my connection to the Golden Circle, Prosecutor Kang Dong-chul, not only will your reputation plummet, but you won’t be able to investigate me again for the same reason. I’ll ensure that. The media, especially those aligned with Taeyang Group, will stir public opinion so much that I’ll appear completely innocent, regardless of the truth.”

*Rustle.*

He checked the time.

The investigation was nearing its end.

Prosecutor Kang Dong-chul didn’t have much time left.

“So tell me, how exactly do you plan to prove my guilt?”

—

In the end, the interrogation concluded just like that.

Leaving behind Kang Dong-chul’s peculiar expression, Yoon Hyeon-min walked out.

“Good work.”

His secretary approached.

When the secretary offered to straighten his disheveled appearance, Yoon Hyeon-min cheerfully declined.

“Why bother?”

“The reporters are waiting outside.”

“Then it’s all the more reason to go out looking like this. If the heir of Taeyang Group emerges from an interrogation looking a mess but with no evidence found, what will people think? ‘Ah, there must have been some mistake. It’s all just a conspiracy.’ The narrative shifts from me being the culprit to possibly being innocent.”

“My apologies. I didn’t think it through.”

The secretary bowed his head.

“Forget it. Let’s go show the ignorant masses how exhausting this has been for me.”

As he stepped outside…

*Click.*

*Click-click.*

As expected, the reporters swarmed to capture him.

—

Under the glare of cameras, Yoon Hyeon-min maintained the same confidence he had when he entered.

When a reporter asked, “How did the investigation go?” he responded calmly.

“As a person who sincerely wishes for the truth to come out, I cooperated fully with the investigation.”

“Do you believe in your innocence?”

“Yes, I’m confident. That’s why I came here and why I’m pleased to have proven it through this process.”

Cameras flashed incessantly as his words echoed beyond the lenses.

To the unseen audience, Yoon Hyeon-min delivered a carefully rehearsed plea.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to face this investigation. I don’t know why Kim Hyunsung identified me as the mastermind, but there was no tangible evidence against me. My advisors urged me not to throw myself into the fire, warning that conspiracies never truly die.

“Yet, I chose to proceed. Taeyang Group’s stock prices plummeted, and countless individuals affiliated with the group suffered because of these baseless rumors. As a manager striving for Taeyang Group’s success, I couldn’t stand by and watch the intangible suffering of my people.”

“Despite the lack of substantial evidence revealed during this investigation, why have these conspiracies gained such momentum?

“That’s why I agreed to the investigation, I wanted to clear my name and protect everything I’ve built. I swear on my name and accomplishments that I have no ties to the Golden Circle.”

Then he added resolutely:

“Should the Golden Circle truly exist, I too will fight for their punishment.”

With that, he ended his speech and began to leave.

“One last question. Can you confidently say that everything you’ve claimed is entirely truthful?”

The voice came from someone pushing through the crowd—Bang Hyun-tae from Jeongan Ilbo.

The thorn in his side.

Without faltering, Yoon Hyeon-min answered firmly.

“Yes, I can.”

Bang Hyun-tae retreated.

As Yoon Hyeon-min got into his car and left the prosecution office behind, flashes of cameras trailed after him.

—

The investigation was over, and his carefully delivered speech had gone well.

Yet, despite everything unfolding as planned, Yoon Hyeon-min couldn’t shake an unease.

‘What is this?’

Bang Hyun-tae’s last question seemed oddly calculated, as if he’d wanted Yoon Hyeon-min to say those exact words.

And Kang Dong-chul?

His lack of decisive evidence, his peculiar behavior—everything about the prosecutor seemed uncharacteristically sloppy. If he truly lived up to his reputation, he would have had a more effective move up his sleeve.

Still, Yoon Hyeon-min dismissed the thought.

‘It’s nothing.’

But his irritation lingered.

Suddenly, the secretary turned to him with a pale face.

“Sir, I believe we may have a problem.”

His reaction, his expression—this wasn’t mere anxiety.

“What is it?”

“Im Cheol-hyung, the CEO of Mirae Investment Securities, just called a press conference regarding the Golden Circle.”