11.Prosecutor Plan

Li Tae shook his head, thinking, This guy, Ding Qing, is really something else.

"Big brother!" Park Tae-soo, with a backpack slung over his shoulder, ran in excitedly.

"Oh, you're here?" Lee Tae said, "Have a seat."

Park Tae-soo quickly closed the door, carefully sat down across from him, and looked at him with eager eyes. "Big brother, are you finally going to take me in? I'm the unbeatable king of the school!"

Lee Tae remained expressionless. This is what's wrong with South Korea—people are always quick to boast.

"You brat, you're still a student. It's not time for you to be out in the streets yet," Lee Tae said.

"But, big brother, I'm an adult now!" Park Tae-soo protested, his excitement deflating. He'd caused enough trouble at school that he'd been held back several times. This was his last chance to graduate.

"Do you think life in the gang is all fun and games?" Lee Tae asked seriously.

Park Tae-soo quickly nodded. Of course it was fun—wearing suits, eating without paying, beating up whoever you didn't like. How could he not be interested? As someone who hadn't yet faced the harsh realities of life, he didn't understand the brutal reality of gang life.

"Do you think it's really that fun?" asked Lee Tae, his face turning more serious.

"Uh… maybe?" Park Tae-soo laughed awkwardly.

"Three people were killed here yesterday," Lee Tae said bluntly. "You heard about it, right?"

"Big brother, is something wrong?" Park Tae-soo asked cautiously, not quite grasping what his brother meant.

Tough kid, thought Lee Tae. This guy doesn't get it. Kids like him, full of bravado and unaware of their own limits, were the hardest to deal with. Still, Park Tae-soo was the only one still in school, and there wasn't anyone else to turn to at the moment. So, he decided to test him.

"There's a task for you," Lee Tae said.

Park Tae-soo jumped up immediately, full of energy, "Loyalty!"

"I'll arrange for a private tutor," Lee Tae continued. "Your only task is to pass the prosecutor's exam."

Park Tae-soo was stunned. "What? Prosecutor? That's way harder than getting into college!"

"Big brother," Park Tae-soo whined, his face scrunched up in distress. "Just reading books gives me a headache."

"You brat," Lee Tae said, trying to guide him, "If you become a prosecutor, you'll be on top of the world. Do you really want to waste your life away?"

"But…" Park Tae-soo slumped, his spirits deflated. "It's so hard."

Of course, it was hard! The prosecutor's exam in South Korea wasn't just a tough test—it was a nightmare. Prosecutors in South Korea held immense power, with their authority being practically untouchable. A prosecutor's right to conduct investigations autonomously meant that no one could interfere with their cases. They could act independently, and even their superiors couldn't overrule them. In historical terms, South Korean prosecutors held the kind of power that was once granted by kings—the power to execute first and ask questions later. Given their immense influence, thousands of people took the exam every year, hoping to become one of South Korea's elite. Once you passed, you were immediately part of the upper class, with wealthy families even competing to marry their daughters to you.

Lee Tae had always been observant. He remembered scenes from the movies, and even though the details were fuzzy, he could still see the bigger picture. According to the information he'd gathered, Park Tae-soo was destined to pass the prosecutor's exam even without his help, eventually rising to prominence. Now that fate had placed a future prosecutor in front of him, how could he not seize the opportunity? In South Korea, if you didn't have a prosecutor in your corner, you were in real danger of being targeted one day. With a prosecutor on your side, you held a sharp knife, and doing business would become much easier.

"But big brother," Park Tae-soo groaned, "I want to, but I just can't focus on studying."

Recalling a scene from a movie, though the details were hazy, Lee Tae said, "You're naturally restless. You can't study in a quiet place. Why don't you try studying in a lively spot?"

"I'll take you to a bar tonight. You can drink and study there," Lee Tae added.

Park Tae-soo was dumbfounded. What? Study in a bar? How come I didn't know about this? Could his big brother read minds?

"Listen, kid. This is an assignment from the organization, and you need to complete it," Lee Tae said nonchalantly. "You should know what happens if you disobey."

At that, Park Tae-soo straightened up, saying loudly, "Understood, big brother!"

Satisfied, Lee Tae added with a smile, "Don't come here anymore. We'll keep in touch on a single line."

"Oh, right!" Park Tae-soo quickly agreed. To him, Lee Tae was an idol. At his age, he admired someone like Lee Tae who could fight and kill without hesitation. Whatever Lee Tae said, he would follow.

Lee Tae called in one of the younger members and asked, "Where's big brother?"

"He's outside playing arcade games," the younger member quickly replied.

Damn, this fool is still hogging the arcade games, thought Lee Tae, his face showing no emotion. "Invite him in."

Ding Qing strolled in lazily, wearing a pair of sunglasses, hands in his pockets. "Bro, is it time to go drinking yet? Oh, hey, Tae-soo, looking sharp!"

"Big brother," Park Tae-soo quickly stood up and bowed.

"And stop hogging the arcade machines," Lee Tae scolded. "You're supposed to be the big brother, act like it."

"Oh, my God, kid," Ding Qing exclaimed, exasperated. "This little brother of mine is more like my boss. He wants to regulate everything!"

"Show a little respect, will you?" Ding Qing muttered, feeling frustrated.

Turning away, Park Tae-soo barely managed to stifle his laughter. It seemed that big brother Ding had no dignity in front of Lee Tae.

"You brat!" Ding Qing smacked the back of Park Tae-soo's head. "I might not be able to hit your big brother, but I can still hit you! No manners!"

"Come on, let's get out of here," Ding Qing grumbled as they headed out.