If I make you a prosecutor, are you going to be the president of South Korea?

It was late when Kwon Seok-joo and Kim Moo-chan returned to their secret hideout. The failed operation at the abandoned factory left them both silent, the air in the car seeming to freeze.

“It seems Park Sung-ho was prepared.” Kim Moo-chan broke the silence, tapping his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. “He’s more cunning than we thought.”

Kwon Seok-joo took off his glasses and wearily rubbed his temples. "He's not just cunning; he must have Lee Min-soo backing him. Otherwise, with his abilities, he couldn't have figured out our plan so quickly."

As the car entered downtown Seoul, neon lights cast shifting shadows on Kwon Seok-joo's face through the windows.

Kim Moo-chan observed the professor, whom he once regarded as omnipotent, through the rearview mirror. After a series of setbacks, he noticed a kind of anxiety and loss that he had never seen before flickering in the professor's eyes.

"Where are we going now?" Kim Moo-chan asked.

“To headquarters.” Kwon Seok-joo’s voice was low and firm. “It’s time to gather the remaining members. The organization needs a thorough purge.”

Kim Moo-chan nodded, turned the car around, and drove toward an inconspicuous office building in Gangnam District.

This is the true headquarters of the National Death Penalty Voting Organization. On the surface, it is a small IT company, but in reality, it is the central hub for planning every operation.

Inside the meeting room, five core members wearing dog-face masks were already seated.

Kim Moo-chan noticed that everyone's posture was more tense than last time, and there was an indescribable sense of tension in the air.

Kwon Seok-joo stood in front of the projector, his expression grave: "Everyone, we have two important matters to discuss today. First, it has been confirmed that Ko Dong-kyu and Park Sung-ho have betrayed the organization and joined Lee Min-soo."

A murmur rippled through the meeting room. A female member wearing a dog-face mask abruptly stood up: "This is impossible! Park Sung-ho was on a mission with me just last week, how could he..."

“Number 3, sit down.” Kwon Seok-joo’s voice brooked no argument. “The evidence is irrefutable. Ko Dong-kyu has confessed; he betrayed us for money. As for Park Sung-ho—” He paused, “he almost fell into our trap today, but ultimately escaped.”

Kim Moo-chan leaned against the wall, carefully observing everyone's reactions.

Judge Number 2, the dog-faced judge, trembled slightly under the table.

The tall man sitting in the corner—a member codenamed "Judge"—clenched his fist.

What caught his attention most was another hacker in the technical team, a man who remained silent throughout, his eyes flickering.

"The second thing," Kwon Seok-joo continued, "is that starting today, Kim Moo-chan will officially join the core team, taking over Ko Dong-kyu's position."

This statement was like a bomb exploding in the conference room.

"What? A policeman?" A dog-faced judge slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly. "Professor Quan, are you insane? He almost ruined our plan!"

“Precisely because he was a police officer, he understands the loopholes in the judicial system better,” Kwon Seok-joo calmly retorted. “Besides, he has already proven his worth.”

Kim Moo-chan felt several sharp gazes piercing him. He slowly walked to Kwon Seok-joo's side, his voice steady: "I know you all have doubts. But please believe me, I, like you, yearn for justice. Those demons who escape legal punishment must pay the price."

Judge Number Two, with his dog-like face, suddenly sneered, "That sounds nice. Who knows if you're just another spy sent by Lee Min-soo?"

A chilling silence fell over the conference room. Kwon Seok-joo's face turned ashen. "Number 2, watch your words. Kim Moo-chan may have been investigating the organization, but that doesn't mean he's a bad person. I've known him for years; I know his character very well."

"I'm just speaking for everyone," Judge Number Two, with his dog-like face, said without backing down. "Professor Quan, your decisions lately have become increasingly incomprehensible. First, you suddenly changed the execution list, and now you've let an outsider into the inner circle..."

Her gaze swept over the other members. "I have to wonder if there's anyone in the organization I can still trust."

Kim Moo-chan keenly noticed that when Judge Number 2 said those words, the silent hacker nodded almost imperceptibly in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Kwon Seok-joo waved his hand and said, "If anyone wants to leave, they can say so sooner rather than later. Let's part ways amicably. After all, we were once like-minded brothers and sisters. There's no need to betray the organization."

"Next, we need to discuss the preparations for the vote to execute Lee Min-soo. This guy is a complete madman, and also an ambitious man."

“He not only wants to control our organization, but also wants to turn it into a dirty tool for indiscriminate killing and for his mother to execute political enemies. We absolutely cannot let him succeed.”

"Therefore, I hereby announce that the target of the next death penalty vote is Lee Min-soo. Those who agree, please raise your hands."

Upon hearing Kwon Seok-joo speak.

Everyone immediately stopped arguing and raised their hands to vote. The final answer was four to three.

agree.

The meeting ended in a tense atmosphere.

Kim Moo-chan made an excuse to go to the restroom, but actually secretly followed Judge Number 2.

He saw the female member quickly dial a phone in the stairwell, her voice extremely low: "Yes, he's already suspicious... No, he doesn't know about Park Sung-ho... I'll continue to monitor him..."

As Judge Number 2 turned around, Kim Moo-chan had already silently retreated into the shadows.

His heart raced—the problems within the organization were far more serious than Kwon Seok-joo had imagined.

Back in the temporary office, Kim Moo-chan found Kwon Seok-joo looking at something on the computer, his expression so focused it was almost obsessive.

“Professor Kwon,” Kim Moo-chan began softly, “I think we need to talk.”

Kwon Seok-joo slammed his laptop shut: "What is it?"

“Regarding Judge Number 2, the dog-faced judge,” Kim Moo-chan looked directly into her eyes, “I think there’s something wrong with her.”

Kwon Seok-joo's expression became complicated: "What evidence do you have?"

“Intuition.” Kim Moo-chan lied; he couldn’t reveal that he had been eavesdropping. “Her reaction in the meeting was too intense, like she was trying to distract herself.”

Kwon Seok-joo sighed deeply, suddenly looking much older: "Kim Moo-chan, do you know? When I founded this organization, I thought I had found like-minded partners."

"We all have loved ones who died at the hands of those demons, and we have all witnessed the incompetence of the justice system..."

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table. "But now I'm starting to wonder if someone approached me with ulterior motives from the very beginning."

Kim Moo-chan felt a chill run down his spine. Kwon Seok-joo was more perceptive than he had imagined.

"You mean... Lee Min-soo's men have already infiltrated?"

“It’s not just Lee Min-soo.” Kwon Seok-joo’s voice was barely audible. “There’s a much more powerful force manipulating all of this. The source code for the death penalty voting software has been modified, the execution list has been artificially adjusted… and I, trapped in prison, am powerless to do anything about it.”

Kim Moo-chan suddenly understood the source of the fear in Kwon Seok-joo's eyes—the founder realized that the organization he had created had slipped out of control and become a weapon in the hands of others.

“We need help,” Kim Moo-chan cautiously suggested, “reliable outside assistance.”

Kwon Seok-joo gave a wry smile: "In this world, who is left to be trusted?"

Kim Moo-chan did not answer. The image of Lee Seung-hwan flashed through his mind—that prosecutor whose cunning and shrewdness were unfathomable.

Late at night, Kim Moo-chan came to the Han River alone. He dialed an encrypted number.

“Minister Lee, the situation is more complicated than we thought,” he reported in a low voice. “There are at least three traitors within the organization, and Kwon Seok-joo is on the verge of losing control.”

On the other end of the phone, Lee Seung-hwan's voice was calm and steady: "I understand. Don't worry about these things, just cooperate fully with Kwon Seok-joo."

Kim Moo-chan's pupils contracted slightly: "You knew about the traitor all along?"

“I know more than you think,” Li Chenghuan chuckled. “I’ll give you instructions beforehand if there’s a mission.”

After the call ended, Kim Moo-chan stared at the dark river, feeling as if he were standing in the eye of a massive storm.

Kwon Seok-joo thought he was fighting against Lee Min-soo, unaware that there was a much larger game going on behind the scenes.

They were all just pawns.