Chapter 5

In the morning, the entire open-plan office area was bustling with activity: phone calls, conversations, and orders mixed together, creating a scene of busy chaos.

Only Jin Yunho's section of the office was quiet and peaceful.

Jin Yunho sat at his desk, his gaze fixed on the lavender plant on the table, deep in thought with a serious expression.

He had lavender at home and on his desk, almost like he was running a lavender flower shop.

However, he wasn't some artsy young man, nor did he understand the romantic connotations of lavender. He simply had poor sleep and had heard that lavender could help, and it was easy to take care of, so he got a few pots.

Jin Yunho had nothing to do, and as his assistant, Shin Donghae had even less to do. He held a pen in his mouth, listlessly lying on the table.

With nothing to do and no "big scene" to fantasize about, Shin Donghae felt quite down. After a while, he slid his chair over to Jin Yunho and started a conversation: "Boss, what are you thinking about?"

Jin Yunho leaned on the table, and the two heads came together.

"Look at that lavender plant. What do you think of?" he whispered.

Shin Donghae meditated for a few seconds, then his face contorted as if he were constipated, and he groaned bitterly: "Boss, are you serious? I've already bought you six or seven lavender plants, and you want more?"

Jin Yunho hit him on the head and glared at him fiercely: "What are you thinking? Think carefully. Weren't there two lavender plants in that private room yesterday?"

Although Shin Donghae could be a bit silly at times, he wasn't really stupid. After a few seconds, he nodded: "Yeah! There were two. At the time, I thought it was strange. The room was so luxurious, but they had such cheap plants."

"Exactly. The meaning of lavender is 'I wait for you.' I suspect those two lavender plants were added later to leave a secret message," Jin Yunho recalled and analyzed.

"Think about it. The prosecutor seemed to leave the room in a hurry without saying goodbye to that woman. And the woman's expression was also strange. In the end, she walked to the window, touched the lavender, and smiled back. I suspect there's something going on, and it's related to us two."

After listening, Shin Donghae's face suddenly changed, and he carefully examined Jin Yunho: "Boss, are you falling for that woman?"

"Are you serious? Can't you focus on the important things?" Jin Yunho hit him on the head again.

"No, really, no. That woman is beautiful, but she seems too calculating, and she's not suitable for you," Shin Donghae shook his head like a rattle drum.

"Get lost, don't talk nonsense. There's definitely something wrong with that woman. Go and investigate her background. Maybe we can find a 'big scene' through her," Jin Yunho said, not bothering to argue further.

"Really?... You're right. Such a mysterious woman must have something to hide," Shin Donghae muttered, excitedly walking away.

Jin Yunho watched Shin Donghae leave with a sly smile. He was truly a unique character. No matter the situation, as long as the term 'big scene' was used, he would follow orders without question.

Jin Yunho had great confidence in Shin Donghae's investigative skills. That guy was smart and would come up with all sorts of ideas to get the job done.

Sure enough, by lunchtime, Shin Donghae had the results of his investigation.

However, his expression was not good: "Boss, this is the woman's information. I think we should avoid getting involved with her."

Jin Yunho was surprised. The fearless Shin Donghae was actually backing down? After reading the information, his expression also turned grim, finally understanding Shin Donghae's concern.

The woman's name was Li Xiaoran, 28 years old, the eldest granddaughter of the third generation of the Li family, a prominent Korean business clan. Her grandfather and father were famous business figures, and her uncle was a senior prosecutor, one of the most powerful people in the prosecution system. Other family members were also well-known figures in politics and business.

No wonder Shin Donghae looked like a wilted eggplant.

However, Jin Yunho still put on his coat, preparing to meet Li Xiaoran.

Beside him, Shin Donghae's face was pale, and he quickly tried to stop him: "Boss, you're not going to find her, are you? Didn't you read the information? She's not someone you can mess with."

Jin Yunho put on his suit jacket properly and slapped the information in his hand: "I can't sleep if I have something on my mind. Let's go and meet this woman and see what she's up to."

---

On the second floor of the Crown Pearl Nightclub, it was the same luxurious private room as yesterday.

After Jin Yunho and Shin Donghae arrived, he was respectfully led in by a waiter, while Shin Donghae was stopped outside.

Today, Li Xiaoran was wearing a fiery red dress with a white vest, looking incredibly alluring. Her snow-white, round legs were crossed and placed diagonally, and her bare arms elegantly poured tea.

Seeing Jin Yunho enter, she smiled faintly and raised a cup of tea, gesturing: "Please come over and have a cup of tea."

Jin Yunho took the tea and drank it in one gulp. It was a bit hot, and he didn't taste anything special. It was not much different from the loose tea you could buy on the street.

Li Xiaoran smiled: "A bit of a waste."

Jin Yunho shrugged: "I'm not really a tea drinker, and I didn't come here to drink tea."

Li Xiaoran raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Then why are you here?"

Jin Yunho shrugged: "I can't sleep if I have something on my mind."

Li Xiaoran blinked: "I will be completely honest."

Jin Yunho started asking questions: "Is this nightclub part of your family's assets?"

Li Xiaoran: "You can say that."

Jin Yunho thought for a moment and blurted out: "Your subordinates are corrupt. Using the prosecution office's simulation exercise, you gave them a lesson and did a favor for Prosecutor Park Kukwon?"

Li Xiaoran nodded: "Not bad, you're very smart."

Jin Yunho continued: "Can you tell me what Prosecutor Park Kukwon promised you in return?"

Li Xiaoran: "I said you're very smart. You should have guessed."

Jin Yunho was puzzled: "Why me?"

Li Xiaoran: "Because you're very smart."

Jin Yunho smiled bitterly: "Thanks for the compliment, but there are other smart people."

Li Xiaoran: "Yes, but time is short, and you are the most suitable candidate at the moment."

Jin Yunho smiled bitterly again: "It's fate. Tell me, what is it that you need, and why go to such lengths?"

Li Xiaoran took a sip of tea, and a pained expression flashed across her face: "My brother, Li Minjun, 24 years old, a fourth-year student at Seoul University, suffered a head injury a few days ago and is currently in a coma, receiving treatment in the hospital."

Jin Yunho was confused: "Publicly, you can report it to the prosecution office and start an investigation. Privately, you can hire a private detective. I don't understand why you chose me, who has an awkward status."

Li Xiaoran suddenly realized, staring at Jin Yunho for a long time before softly laughing: "I said you're very smart. How could you not see the key point? It's a cognitive bias."

Then, Li Xiaoran picked up a file and read it to herself:

Jin Yunho, male, 25 years old, 183 cm tall. Father passed away when he was seven, raised by his mother, with a younger sister.

At 20, he took the Korean judicial exam and was admitted with the highest score, then entered the judicial research institute. Two years later, he graduated first in his class and became the youngest trainee prosecutor in Korean history.

Unfortunately, to save face for those who became trainee prosecutors in their thirties and to maintain the authority of the prosecution system, after a discussion by eight senior prosecutors, it was decided to send him to the United States for further study. Three years later, he returned and became a trainee prosecutor at 25. His internship is now over, and he will officially become a prosecutor next week.

Li Xiaoran closed the file and smiled: "It seems you've been deeply influenced by American culture, leading to a cognitive bias: just because American private detectives are good doesn't mean Korean private detectives are as good. Do you understand now?"

Damn! So that was the key!

Jin Yunho finally understood where he went wrong.

As for the information Li Xiaoran just read about him, he was not particularly surprised. These were not secrets, and with Li Xiaoran's status, it was easy to investigate. Besides, he had a senior prosecutor as an uncle. In front of her, he was practically naked.

Jin Yunho continued the previous topic: "I understand. Private detectives take too long, and you don't want to wait. You also don't want to expose the matter, so you chose me. A soon-to-be prosecutor with no roots, easy for you to control."

Li Xiaoran gave him an approving look: "Not bad, quick thinking."

Jin Yunho knew he had no choice but to cooperate with the woman across from him. From the moment he stepped into this private room, he had already fallen into her trap. Now that he had heard her secrets, he had even less choice. Either cooperate with her or disappear from the prosecution system, or even from the earth.

She had chosen the perfect timing! If a formal prosecutor disappeared, it would cause a huge stir. But if a trainee prosecutor disappeared, it wouldn't cause much of a fuss. No wonder Prosecutor Park Kukwon was eager to end his internship early and make him a prosecutor next week. The key was here.

Understanding the current situation, Jin Yunho was not anxious. He leisurely drank a cup of tea before asking:

"I have a principle—equivalent exchange. To get what you want, you must offer something of equal value. What do you have to offer?"

Li Xiaoran was not offended by Jin Yunho's directness; instead, she liked this way of talking. She took out a document and read it haltingly: "Your family has a 50 million won loan, and your house is a tower. So the conditions I offer are: 100 million won in cash and a 100 square meter apartment in Gangnam, worth 1 billion won."

Jin Yunho laughed sarcastically: "Do you think I'm an idiot? Taking the cash and the apartment would leave a handle for you. Besides, as a prosecutor, my annual salary is nearly 100 million won, so I can eventually solve the loan and housing issues."

Seeing Jin Yunho firmly reject the offer, Li Xiaoran was not angry. Instead, she laughed self-deprecatingly: "You're so smart, you should know what you can't take. Sigh, I knew the people below me weren't reliable."

She casually tossed the document aside, flicked a strand of hair behind her ear, and said: "Now, let me offer you something else:... career assistance."

Jin Yunho was more interested in this: "How so?"

Li Xiaoran explained: "You became a trainee prosecutor at 22, then studied in the United States for three years. Your peers from the same batch are now at least fourth-level chief prosecutors. So... if you solve this case, I will use my family's resources to propose a promotion for you at a high-level meeting. The level of promotion will depend on how quickly you solve the case."

Jin Yunho smiled and shook his head, countering: "Too vague. I need to know the upper and lower limits."

Li Xiaoran thought for a long time, long enough for a cup of hot tea to cool, before saying: "Minimum: fourth-level chief prosecutor. Maximum: third-level prosecutor."

Among the four levels of prosecutors, there are three sub-levels: prosecutor, chief prosecutor, and ministerial prosecutor.

Currently, he was a fourth-level prosecutor. If he helped solve the case, he could be promoted at least one level to a fourth-level chief prosecutor, and at most three levels to a third-level prosecutor. This would save him a lot of time and allow him to reach a high position and gain more power faster.

Jin Yunho's right fist, hidden under the table, clenched tightly, making a cracking sound. He answered firmly: "Deal!"

Li Xiaoran's sexy lips curved slightly, revealing white teeth: "I hope our cooperation goes smoothly."

Jin Yunho smiled slightly but said nothing.

Although he had fallen into a 'trap' and made a difficult choice, he had also received a tempting promise. This deal was very worthwhile.

Jin Yunho stood up and, as he was about to leave, suddenly thought of something and turned back: "Oh, by the way, please give me a more straightforward signal next time. I'm not an artsy young man, and I don't know much about deep cultural meanings. The lavender thing was just a coincidence this time."

With that, he turned and left, looking exceptionally cool.

Watching Jin Yunho leave, Li Xiaoran hesitantly picked up her teacup and murmured: "...a coincidence, huh?"

---

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