With 29 days remaining until the Seoul mayoral by‑election, I received word from Cheon Min‑jeong that evidence had been secured, and I went straight to Captain Kang's office.
"Have you finally obtained decisive evidence?" I asked.
"The operation was run out of the Philippines, so it took longer than expected. Thanks to your tip that they might use IPs previously used in North Korean DDoS attacks, we were finally able to catch them," Cheon replied.
I knew tracing the route of a DDoS attack was extremely difficult.
But with the hints I provided and the competence of Cheon Min‑jeong and Captain Kang's team, they'd managed to uncover the route.
"Based on the evidence Team Leader Cheon secured, we narrowed down the ringleaders. Three parliamentary aides appear to be the masterminds. The youngest of them is currently in the Philippines, orchestrating the DDoS attacks. We also confirmed the involvement of an IT company CEO," she reported.
"You need IT specialists to carry out a DDoS, so they must have brought in an IT firm's CEO," I observed.
"He's senior–junior with one of the aides and runs a company in Daegu, the ruling party's stronghold," Cheon said.
There was more than enough suspicion to form a case.
But suspicion alone could not scale the operation. To carry momentum through to the presidential race, we needed conclusive evidence.
"Can you obtain decisive proof?" I asked.
"We've quietly arranged to access the Daegu IT company's office CCTV feed in real time, and surveillance specialists are watching all the suspects around the clock," she answered.
"Operations of this scale cost money. If necessary, use our channels to pull every financial transaction record of the ringleaders," I instructed.
"We'll do that. We've also sent several staff to the Philippines. If we're lucky, we might catch someone actually participating in the DDoS."
As expected, it was Captain Kang.
Better evidence than footage or wiretaps was having someone participate directly in the operation.
If we could turn someone into an insider, we could secure every piece of proof.
"That would be the best approach, but it's also extremely dangerous. Prioritize the safety of your staff even if it costs a lot. If necessary, hire a large number of Philippine mercenaries," I warned.
"If this operation requires it, I'll lead a team of thirty and go to the Philippines myself. The chance that anything will happen is low, but we'll prepare thoroughly for every contingency," Captain Kang answered.
If Kang went to the Philippines in person, I would feel reassured.
The other side wasn't a violent gang—just a former parliamentary aide and some IT specialists—so the likelihood of violent escalation was low. Still, firearm incidents were common in the Philippines, so caution was necessary.
With Kang and his team on standby, we could respond to any worst‑case scenario.
"Because the ringleader is an aide from the ruling party, the fallout could be huge. But if we capture proof of a lawmaker actually ordering the DDoS, the impact would multiply several times over," I said.
"We'll put the suspect lawmaker under 24‑hour surveillance. Tracking the money flow should reveal the links to the lawmaker," Cheon promised.
"Proceed that way," I instructed.
I thought the case would be straightforward. Then Cheon gave me new information that raised the danger level dramatically.
"Following the zombie‑PC route led us to online gambling sites. It looks like the hackers may have been connected through gambling organizations," she reported.
"If online gambling rings are involved, that raises the possibility of organized‑crime participation," I said.
"It also seems likely that the IT firm itself is a paper company set up to conceal the gambling site," Cheon added.
Politics and organized crime.
It was astonishing that such a relationship, the kind one would expect only under a military regime, still existed.
Of course, not the entire ruling party was involved, but just knowing that even a portion maintained such ties was enough to make me sigh.
"Captain Kang, identify which organization they are connected to," I instructed.
"Following the funds through the online gambling site should lead to solid evidence. But since the money goes through laundering processes, it will take some time. We'll keep the IT firm under 24-hour surveillance to trace any leads," Kang replied.
"I've already tracked the cash flows from the online gambling sites," Cheon Min-jung interjected. "And I've figured out exactly how they're laundering the money."
Cheon's abilities never ceased to amaze me.
It was impressive enough that she could track the money flow—but to uncover the laundering method as well? Remarkable.
"How are they laundering it?" I asked.
"They're annoyingly using the Bitcoin we created for laundering purposes," she explained.
"Are they cashing it out through the exchange at the fintech bank?"
"Globally, the fintech bank is the only place that can safely convert Bitcoin to cash, so the likelihood is very high."
Even before my regression, Bitcoin was widely used for money laundering.
Unlike other cash assets, its origin was difficult to trace, and since it wasn't classified as cash, it could be converted without detection.
Neither the prosecution nor the police had a way to track it.
But I could.
Not only had I created the Bitcoin, but I also controlled the fintech bank that owned the exchange—making tracking and intervention entirely possible.
"Wait a moment. I'll contact Dimon," I said.
I pulled out my phone and dialed him. Before the line even rang fully, Dimon answered with a familiar, welcoming tone.
[Chairman, what brings you to call at this hour? I've heard from Mr. Han that you're having quite a successful time in Japan and Europe. I even heard you might be able to repay the principal and interest ahead of schedule.]
"Even at the latest, repayment should be possible within two years. If things go well, early repayment could happen as soon as next year. There's one piece of information I'd like to confirm—would that be possible?"
[If it's the Chairman's request, what can't I do? I can provide all confidential fintech bank data if needed.]
I told Dimon about the online gambling organization, and Cheon Min‑jeong sent him the related information in real time by e‑mail. About twenty minutes later, Dimon called back.
[Confirmed. I searched mainly for accounts where large volumes of Bitcoin were being transacted, and it wasn't hard to identify a few cases where funds were routed into Korea. That made the trail easy to follow.]
"That was easier than I expected. I thought it would take at least a few hours," I said.
[That's because I'm the only one with access to all of the fintech bank's security data. Not to brag, but that's why I could find it so quickly.]
Dimon handed over what he had found to Cheon. Based on that information, Cheon and Captain Kang began their analysis, while I continued a brief conversation with Dimon.
"I'll be going to the U.S. soon. Let's meet there," I said.
[Is this another big project? Count the fintech bank in — we'll join without hesitation!]
"This one is quite large. Taewoo Group and the fintech bank alone might not have sufficient capital for the operation," I warned.
[Bigger scale means higher returns. We'll liquidate fintech assets if necessary and invest everything.]
"Let's discuss the details in the U.S.," I said.
[I'll be waiting!]
When the call with Dimon ended, Cheon and Captain Kang rushed up to me together.
"We found the link between the online gambling operation and the IT company. As expected, the IT firm is a shell company hiding the gambling site," Cheon reported.
"I traced who's running the online gambling sites. It's the Kang Il‑pa gang, which used to be big in Gangnam. They've moved operations to Busan and are running online gambling and match‑fixing brokerage," she continued.
The moment organized crime became involved, the danger level spiked dramatically.
Depending on the scale of the Kang Il‑pa gang, we might need to increase the number of security personnel deployed to the Philippines.
"Contact Myeong‑dong and find out about Kang Il‑pa. They were based in Seoul, so Myeong‑dong will surely know about them," I instructed.
"I already know about them," Cheon Min‑jeong said in a trembling voice.
She had no business knowing about gangsters—so how did she know Kang Il‑pa?
"How do you know Kang Il‑pa?" I asked.
"They were the ones behind e‑sports match‑fixing. I personally investigated them for over eight months," she replied.
I had never seen Cheon so furious. Her eyes seemed ready to spew flames; she burned with righteous anger. Given how passionate she was about e‑sports, her rage made sense.
"Do you know the extent of Kang Il‑pa's power?" I asked.
"They were pushed out of Seoul and fled to Busan. They never got settled there and now run online gambling and act as match‑fixing brokers—low‑life thugs. Their numbers are roughly forty," she said.
"They're not a large outfit, then. No need to be overly concerned," I said.
"Give me two days. I'll turn the boss and every member's phones into zombie phones. Then we can monitor calls and see what messages they send in real time," she declared.
This wasn't something a corporate employee would normally propose. Turning phones into zombie devices is essentially surveillance—and plainly a criminal act. But Cheon wasn't an ordinary corporate worker. Before joining Taewoo Group, she'd made money through illicit means; her mindset was far more flexible in that realm.
"Making zombie phones won't be easy. Are you sure you can do it?" I asked.
"If they click a link I send, it turns their phone into a zombie. Anyone tempted to join match‑fixing will click without thinking," she replied.
"Do whatever you need to do. But don't let your identity be exposed. Tell me anything you need and we'll provide support," I said.
I had no intention of stopping her. Deep down, the best way to ease that knot of resentment was revenge.
A few days later.
We gathered again in Captain Kang's office.
Cheon Min‑jeong and Captain Kang had already achieved substantial results.
"We turned all three cell phones of Kang Il‑pa boss Seo Gang‑il into zombie phones. About thirty members' phones were zombified as well. Using the data we gathered, we located their office in the Philippines," Cheon reported.
"Based on the information Team Leader Cheon secured, we deployed our people to the Philippines. With help from Myeong‑dong, we managed to get one of our employees hired at Kang Il‑pa's Philippine office. They depart tomorrow, and fifty security personnel will take the next flight to the Philippines," Captain Kang added.
Now obtaining decisive evidence was only a matter of time.
These were the proofs painstakingly secured by two of my most trusted aides, who had poured time and effort into this operation.
I sometimes wondered if it was necessary to go this far, but if making Choi Jaeseok president required it, this was the best route.
It didn't matter whether Choi himself ever acknowledged our efforts. As long as the vision I had sketched—Taewoo Group and South Korea growing together—came to fruition, that was enough.