In the end, it was Ma Sido who spoke up in fairness.
"Kim Jun-ho isn't that bad. I haven't worked with him much, but when it comes to not fearing powerful people, he's actually pretty solid. Otherwise, he'd already be a senior prosecutor by now."
"In your country, aren't prosecutors seen as some kind of 'Judge Bao' figures? By that logic, a guy like him should've been promoted ages ago."
Jack suddenly switched to Korean while asking the question, making Ma Sido pause in mild surprise before grinning.
"A foreigner like you knows about Judge Bao?"
"As a writer, it's only natural for me to have some knowledge of Eastern culture, don't you think?" Jack chuckled.
The 1993 version of Judge Bao was as huge in South Korea as Three Kingdoms was in Japan.
At its peak, the show's ratings reached 40%, and KBS TV aired it non-stop for three years.
Back then, South Korea was going through a massive societal shift, and corruption was everywhere.
People stayed up late just to watch Judge Bao unleash his famous guillotine on corrupt officials.
"In this country, the more something is lacking, the more people crave it.
Sure, there are righteous prosecutors, but they rarely end well—just like President Roh."
Ma Sido suddenly realized he had said too much.
"Ah, damn it. What am I rambling on about?
I'm going to ask around—see if anyone spotted anything suspicious."
With that, he swaggered off.
—
"Either way, this Lee Geon-woo seems very suspicious," Jack said, moving past political talk.
There were too many tragic stories about Korea's past presidents—enough to fill an entire day's conversation.
"He first attended Eton College in the UK before transferring to Cambridge University.
According to school records, he majored in economics and actually did well—his professors even gave him high praise.
That is, until his senior year—when he was caught running a dark web site that distributed adult films and snuff films.
He got expelled immediately."
Aubrey took the documents Jack handed him, flipping through them until he suddenly froze in place.
His expression turned awkward.
"What's wrong?" Clay snatched the papers from him, reading ahead—then suddenly grinned.
"JJ, are you sure you're looking at the right file?
Because Lee Geon-woo's dating history sounds an awful lot like a certain someone we know."
JJ shrugged innocently.
"I have no idea what you're talking about.
All the tabloid gossip came from Alice's research.
Lee Geon-woo is one of Korea's most famous playboys—not only has he had close to 100 girlfriends, but he also has a string of broken engagements."
"I haven't dated a model in a long time, okay?" Aubrey awkwardly defended himself, practically admitting guilt in the process.
"I can vouch for that," Jubal added, piling on.
"He hasn't bragged about dating models and actresses in at least a month."
"Focus on this part," Jack coughed lightly, cutting off their teasing.
"One of Lee Geon-woo's ex-girlfriends revealed in a tabloid interview that he pressured her into getting facial surgery—specifically, cheek and jawline procedures—to look like his favorite anime character.
She did it.
Then, just one week later, he dumped her because she 'wasn't similar enough'."
"And his current girlfriend is 25 years old, blonde, American, and engaged to him?
My gut tells me this isn't just a coincidence."
Aubrey's serious tone was a sharp contrast to his usual demeanor.
Internally, he was relieved—his past had finally stopped haunting him.
No one was actually judging him—it was just banter.
After all, they were all Americans.
It wasn't weird to have a history of dating.
The only reason they targeted Aubrey was because he used to brag so much about his flings—and now, his own past was slowing him down.
Alice, a single mom, was naturally cautious when it came to relationships.
Judging by their current dynamic, the two of them seemed to be heading toward a long, slow-burn romance.
And in a way, Jack was grateful to Aubrey.
The guy had spent so much time soaking up attention that Jack never had to deal with it himself.
So, returning the favor by changing the subject was the least he could do.
—
"Now that we have a prime suspect, how do we find him?" Clay asked.
"Kim Jun-ho is probably already on it," Jubal replied.
Jack and he exchanged knowing looks.
Aubrey clapped his hands.
"Then let's grab lunch.
I hear Korean fried chicken is pretty good—my treat."
—
The fried chicken lived up to its reputation.
Before heading back to their temporary base, they even bought takeout for Hannah and Alice.
Once back, everyone rested.
The jet lag had almost worn off, but last night's murder scene had left them exhausted.
Jack also took a nap, and when he woke up, Alice was the only one still working.
"You hacked into a local telecom provider's network?"
Jack stood behind her, watching the screen.
The more he looked, the more suspicious he became.
Alice held up her hands in a mock innocence pose.
"You asked me to track Lee Geon-woo's cell phone—to check his last 48 hours of movement.
Instead of waiting for Korean authorities to waste time, I figured I'd get started."
"Nice work."
Jack gave her a thumbs-up.
She was getting better and better at knowing exactly what needed to be done.
Just then, Jubal walked into the main room, yawning.
"Jack, Kim Jun-ho called—he found out Lee Geon-woo recently bought a luxury apartment in Myeong-dong.
He's probably living there."
"Alright, I'll drive."
—
Myeong-dong was one of Seoul's most famous shopping districts, and the luxury apartments there weren't cheap.
When Kim knocked on the penthouse door, a stunning blonde woman answered—dressed in full Korean idol fashion.
"Geon-woo is getting changed.
Would you like some coffee while you wait?"
She was the definition of a dumb blonde stereotype—completely unfazed by Kim's formal suit or the FBI agents standing behind him.
She didn't even ask for their identities before welcoming them in.
"No need," Kim said.
"They'll be leaving soon."
At that moment, Lee Geon-woo strolled out—wearing a deep purple suit and a gray silk shirt.
His eyes dripped with disdain as he looked at Kim.
"I'm Prosecutor Kim Jun-ho from the Seoul District Prosecutor's Office.
These are agents from the FBI."
The blonde gasped.
"FBI?! Like… THE FBI?"
Jack sighed.
How many times had he heard this reaction already?
"Yes, exactly what you're thinking."
Hannah flashed a smile that was even sweeter than the blonde's own.
Meanwhile, Kim looked back at Lee Geon-woo.
"We need you to come to the station."
"Sorry, I'm busy.
My fiancée and I have dinner plans.
Maybe I'll drop by tomorrow afternoon."
Jubal stepped forward.
"I don't think you understand—Kim didn't say 'please'.
You're a suspect in the torture and murder of three women."
The blonde froze, mid-sentence.
Lee Geon-woo shot her a deadly glare, cutting her off.
"Fine, I'll come with you.
Sounds fun."
Jack was suddenly very glad he didn't bring Ma Sido.
Otherwise, they'd be questioning this guy in a hospital bed.
"You two stay here," he told JJ and Hannah.
"Talk to his fiancée."
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