Finally, Ma Xidao spoke up, "Kim Junhao's actually not bad. Although I haven't worked with him much, he's been pretty good in terms of not fearing power. Otherwise, he should have been a senior prosecutor long ago."
"In your country, aren't prosecutors considered figures like Justice Bao? According to that, with his personality, he should have been promoted long ago."
Jack suddenly switched his question to Korean, which startled Ma Xidao slightly. A smile broke across his honest, chubby face. "You, an American, actually know Justice Bao?"
"As a writer, with some knowledge of Eastern culture, that makes sense, right?" Jack chuckled.
The 1993 version of Justice Bao is to South Korea what the CCTV version of the Three Kingdoms is to Japan. Its ratings peaked at 40%, and KBS even broadcast it continuously for three years.
At the time, South Korea was in the midst of a social transition, and corruption was rampant. Many Koreans would stay glued to their televisions late at night, just to watch Bao Gong execute corrupt officials with his various guillotines.
"In this country, the more something is lacking, the more the people crave it. South Korea does have upright prosecutors who are unafraid of power, but their fates don't usually end well, like President Roh."
Ma Xidao seemed to realize he'd said too much after he finished speaking. "Asiba, why are you saying all this? I'm going to ask around and see if anyone has seen any suspicious individuals."
With that, he sauntered off.
"Anyway, this Lee Gun-woo does look suspicious." Jack didn't plan to continue his keyboard politics; the tragic end of past South Korean presidents was enough to fill a whole day of conversation.
"He first attended Eton College in England, then went on to Cambridge University. According to school records, he majored in economics, had good grades, and was highly regarded by his professors.
It wasn't until his senior year that he was discovered setting up a dark web on campus to distribute adult and torture films, leading to his expulsion."
Aubrey took the information Jack had handed him, page by page. After reading a paragraph, he suddenly stopped, his face turning slightly awkward.
"What's wrong?" Clay snatched the rest of the information from him. A smile suddenly spread across his face as he read. He turned to Jiejie and asked, "Did you look up the wrong information? Why does Li Jianyu's subsequent experiences resemble someone else's?"
Jiejie shrugged, playing dumb. "I don't know. All that paparazzi gossip was gathered online by Alice. Li Jianyu is a notorious playboy in South Korea. Not only did he have nearly three-digit girlfriends, but he also had a string of canceled engagements."
"I haven't dated a model in ages, okay?" Aubrey said, rather awkwardly, seeming to admit his mistake.
"I can prove that. He hasn't boasted about his romances with supermodels and celebrity stars in front of us for at least a month," Jubal said, adding insult to injury. "Pay attention to this," Jack said with a cough, interrupting the laughter. "One of Li Jianyu's ex-girlfriends once revealed in a tabloid interview that she was asked to have cheek and chin surgery to resemble a favorite anime character.
She did, and was dumped a week later because she wasn't 'resembling enough.'"
"And his current girlfriend is 25, blonde, and American? And they're engaged. My sixth sense tells me this is definitely not a coincidence,"
Aubrey said seriously, secretly relieved. He had really calmed down recently and was working hard to break away from his past.
We were all Americans, so there was nothing to joke about. The reason they were teasing Aubrey was simply because he used to like bragging about his romantic affairs that were more about sex than love.
Now trapped in his own web, his past romantic history has become a minor obstacle in his pursuit of his beloved. After all, even a prodigal son's return requires time.
As a single mother, Alice is particularly sensitive when it comes to relationships, and it seems their pursuit is poised to develop into a long-term relationship.
Of course, in a way, Jack even felt grateful to Aubrey for his efforts in drawing attention to him, and he didn't mind helping him out a little during that moment.
Seeing that they finally had a clear suspect, Clay frowned. "So, how do we find him?"
"I think Kim Junho is more proactive than we are in this matter," Jubal said, and he and Jack exchanged a smile.
Aubrey patted his empty stomach and waved his hand generously. "Let's find a place for lunch. I heard Korean fried chicken is good. It's my treat."
The Korean fried chicken was indeed delicious, and everyone packed a portion for Hannah and Alice before returning to their temporary base.
After returning to the residence, everyone went to rest separately. The jet lag had almost been resolved, but because of the sudden incident last night, everyone was extremely sleepy.
Jack also took a nap, and when he woke up, only Alice was still busy in front of the computer.
"You hacked into the network of the local communication service provider?" Jack stood behind her and stared at the screen for a while. The more he looked, the more he felt something was wrong.
Alice spread her hands, her face full of innocence, "Didn't you ask me to track Li Jianyu's phone and determine his whereabouts in the past 48 hours?
Instead of waiting for the Korean police and those private mobile communication operators to slowly argue, I think we can get the job done first."
"Well done." Jack gave her a thumbs up. This girl has a more and more accurate grasp of her job positioning.
At that moment, Jubal also yawned as he entered the hall. "Jack, Kim Junho called. He found out Lee Jae-woo has just bought a luxury apartment in Myeongdong and might be living there."
"Okay, I'll drive."
With a GPS, there was no need for Ma Seok-do to lead the way. Although Jack hadn't seen all of the "Vice City" series, he was still a little worried about the ancient Greek god of big pussies, afraid he might get angry and beat up Lee Jae-woo, the rich kid.
Furthermore, considering Kim Junho's suggestion that Lee Jae-woo might be living with his American girlfriend, Jack called Hannah and Jiejie along.
Myeongdong is a famous commercial district in South Korea, and the luxury apartments there are quite valuable. When Kim Junho knocked on the door of the top-floor apartment, he was greeted by a beautiful white woman dressed in the style of a typical Korean girl group.
"Jianyu's getting changed. Do you want me to get you some coffee?"
This blond, blue-eyed white girl, with a decidedly naive personality, greeted Kim Junho, dressed in formal attire, and several other FBI agents, also white like herself, without even asking their identities, and ushered them into the living room.
"That's not necessary. They'll be leaving soon," Lee Jianyu, dressed in a striking burgundy suit and gray silk shirt, emerged from the bedroom and glared at Kim Junho with a mixture of disgust and contempt.
"I'm Kim Junho, a prosecutor from the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office, and these are agents from the FBI." Kim Junho, clearly sensing Lee Jianyu's gaze, straightened his small frame and introduced himself to the FBI agents behind him without servility.
"FBI? You mean the American FBI?" Before Lee Jianyu could react, his American girlfriend exclaimed.
How many times had he heard this question? Jack wondered.
"Yes, the FBI you're thinking of."
Hannah smiled sweetly at the girl, looking even more innocent than she was. Meanwhile, Kim Junho continued to address Lee Jae-woo, "We need you to come with us to the police station."
"Sorry, I'm busy right now. Honey and I are planning to go out for dinner. I might have some free time tomorrow afternoon, so I'll make time to come over then."
Lee Jae-woo nonchalantly adjusted his sleeves, ignoring the renowned prosecutor in South Korea.
Jubal stepped forward and stood beside Kim Junho. "I'm afraid you don't fully understand your current situation. Prosecutor Kim Junho didn't use the word 'please.' You're suspected of being involved in the torture and murder of three women."
"Honey, this is..." The white girl at the side asked in surprise, but a stern look from Lee Jae-woo stopped her from saying anything.
"Okay, I'll go with you. This sounds like fun."
Seeing his irreverent attitude, Jack was glad he hadn't called Ma Seok-do beforehand; otherwise, he might have been questioning Lee Jae-woo in the hospital.
"You stay and have a good chat with this young lady." He winked at Jiejie and Hannah, and then left with them.
(End of chapter)