Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 462: Scalper (3)

How Moon-Sang recognized me was a mystery, but now that he had, I couldn't let him get away.

As I quickly advanced, Moon-Sang sprang to his feet. "Damn it!"

In a panic, he kicked the chairs in front of him.

Clang!

The metal stools tumbled and formed a barrier between us. Taking advantage of the distraction, he sprinted toward a side door at the back of the arcade.

There was no time to lose. With the chairs blocking my path, I leaped onto the arcade machines. I balanced precariously on the narrow 20 cm panels above the LCD screens as I raced after him.

I reached the last machine just in time. Without hesitation, I launched myself at Moon-Sang's back with a flying kick.

Whoosh!

I soared through the air for several meters before my foot connected.

Thud!

The impact sent Moon-Sang sprawling face-first onto the floor.

Bang!

I climbed onto his back, pinned him down, and twisted his arms behind him.

Moon-Sang groaned as his arm bent painfully. "Ughhh..."

At that moment, the commotion drew the attention of the guards outside and the arcade door burst open.

"You little bastard! What's going on?"

"Moon-Sang hyung-nim! Are you okay?"

The two burly guards rushed in and took in the scene. Spotting me restraining their boss, they grabbed metal chairs, ready to attack.

I quickly raised my wrist and spoke into my smartwatch. "Soo-Chan, get in here."

Right on cue, Lee Soo-Chan pushed the door open and strode in. "Hey, you overgrown toads. Freeze!"

About ten of Lee Soo-Chan's men filled the arcade behind him.

Though unarmed, the sheer presence of Lee Soo-Chan's group brought the guards to an abrupt halt.

At that moment, Lee Soo-Chan barked, "Still confused about the situation, huh? Kneel, you bastards!"

Overwhelmed by the tension, the guards hesitated briefly before dropping the chairs they were holding.

Clang!

Then the guards knelt on the ground as if resigned to their fate. The man I had pinned, Moon-Sang, also averted his gaze and squeezed his eyes shut as he realized there was no escape.

The situation was under control.

Taking the opportunity, I checked my planner.

[Everyday V12]

[Date: December 26, 2020]

-07:05 p.m. <Schedule Deleted>

(Deleted Schedule: [NEW. Kim Sae-Ri] (Urgent) Cherry Blossom year-end concert. 10% of sold-out seats left empty due to scalped tickets. On-site action directed. (Ticket King involved. Cases of "premium tickets" sold at 50 times the original price confirmed.))

Thanks to capturing the sales head of Ticket King's organization, the schedule had finally disappeared.

Now, it was time to find out who Ticket King really was.

***

I pulled Moon-Sang to his feet and started questioning him.

"Name?"

"Jo... Jo Seok-Min!"

"Not Moon-Sang?"

"No!"

He explained that the nickname "Moon-Sang" came from dealing in cultural gift certificates[1], hence the abbreviation.

Jo Seok-Min quickly stopped resisting when he realized that Lee Soo-Chan and his group were former members of the Kanghan gang, which once dominated Gyeonggi Province.

With his newfound cooperation, I began gathering his testimony without lifting a finger. He revealed that the thirty members of his Moon-Sang gang were part of Ticket King's organization. However, my curiosity was piqued about something else.

I asked, "How do you know me?"

Jo Seok-Min sighed. "Is there anyone in this business who doesn't know the name Jung Yoon-Ho? You even made headlines with Lee Tae-Poong at the Hwangryong Film Association."

Apparently, the video from Hwangryong Film Association had reached more people than I expected. If even someone like him recognized me, I would have to be more cautious moving forward.

Now it was time to get to the main question. "Who is Ticket King?"

Jo Seok-Min hesitated, then sighed deeply. "I... I can't tell you."

"Can't tell me?"

When Lee Soo-Chan shot him a cold glare, Jo Seok-Min flinched. "If I reveal Ticket King's identity, I'll be killed!"

To deal with a frightened man, it was often more effective to play on his fears and grievances than to use brute force.

I gestured for Lee Soo-Chan to step back and began persuading Jo Seok-Min. "You must think Ticket King is pretty powerful to stay loyal, huh? Don't fool yourself. I found you in just a day. You think I can't find Ticket King?"

I leaned closer and added pressure with my words.

"And when we catch him, do you think he'll confess and take the fall? Or will he pin everything on you to save himself? If you ask me, he's going to let you take the blame."

Jo Seok-Min's eyes darted nervously. My words were hitting the mark.

"If you end up taking the fall and going to prison, do you think Ticket King will thank you? No way. He'll forget you exist and live comfortably off his dirty money."

It was human nature to avoid going down alone. Looking at Jo Seok-Min nervously darting his eyes, my argument seemed plausible enough to stir his doubts.

"You know the saying: 'Share the knife, and you survive.'"

Finally, Jo Seok-Min opened his mouth hesitantly. "Yes..."

"The same goes for punishment. Don't bear it all on your own. The more you share the blame, the lighter your sentence will be. And if you cooperate with me, I'll make sure the prosecutor goes easy on you. I've got connections."

"Really...?"

'Got him.'

Jo Seok-Min was beginning to waver. Then it was time to seal the deal.

"Oh, and one more thing. A law to crack down on scalpers is about to pass. If you take full responsibility for this, you're looking at a ten to fifteen year sentence."

The legislation, now awaiting a parliamentary vote, would impose harsher penalties than fraud. Hearing this, Jo Seok-Min's face turned pale. Until now, he had operated with impunity because the laws were lenient.

"So think carefully. Do you want to rot in prison for over a decade, or spill Ticket King's name and save yourself?"

At last, Jo Seok-Min squeezed his eyes shut and muttered, "Ticket King... that bastard is a cop."

"What?"

"The Cyber Investigation Unit's Inspector Kim Jung-Hoon. He's a police academy graduate, but he's Ticket King."

I couldn't believe it. A graduate of the elite police academy working in the cybercrime unit was meant to fight crimes like this, yet he was the mastermind behind it all.

I said, "A police academy graduate running a scalping ring? Do you expect me to believe that?"

Having anticipated my disbelief, Jo Seok-Min defended his claim. "After covering costs and splitting with partners, we still pocket 1.2 billion won a year! 1.2 billion! That's like hitting the first prize in the lottery every year!"

"I guess it's true when they say the darkest place is under the lamp.'"

Looking back, I had sought help from the cybercrime unit multiple times before my regression, but we could never catch Ticket King. Now I knew why. I had suspected the police were involved, but to think Ticket King himself was a cop was surprising.

The absurdity of it made me laugh.

Lee Soo-Chan also joined in. "A cop stealing from the public? How can ordinary people trust anyone at this rate?"

"No kidding."

At that moment, the arcade door burst open.

Seo Jae-Ill entered with two investigators and caught his breath. "What the heck is going on here? Why are there so many people?"

Clearly unable to recognize all of Reverse Entertainment's associates, Seo Jae-Ill assumed the worst.

Raising his voice, Seo Jae-Ill shouted to assert dominance. "Damn hooligans roaming around like this! I'm a prosecutor of the Republic of Korea! Eyes down, you punks!"

I smiled and waved at Seo Jae-Ill. "The situation's handled, Mr. Seo. These people are on our side."

Only then did Seo Jae-Ill notice me and laugh awkwardly. "Oh, is that so? Ha ha ha..."

***

"Take them away!"

"Yes, sir!"

Seo Jae-Ill had Jo Seok-Min and the two guards hauled off by the investigators.

Afterward, Seo Jae-Ill turned to me with a serious expression. "Are you sure Inspector Kim Jung-Hoon is Ticket King?"

"I doubt Jo Seok-Min was lying. Plus, I recorded everything."

I had anticipated the possibility of Jo Seok-Min changing his story later and made sure to record the entire conversation. If anyone tried to pull any stunts, I planned to spread the recording far and wide.

Seo Jae-Ill wore a serious expression. "If he's a police academy graduate, taking him down won't be easy."

"What do we need, then?"

"We need tangible evidence. Like solid proof."

Jo Seok-Min had mentioned earlier that Kim Jung-Hoon used burner phones and never recorded his communications.

After a brief thought, I called Lee Doo-Oh. "Doo-Oh, have you gathered any evidence?"

-Yes, Hyung-nim.

"Good. Send it to the email I'll give you."

At that moment, Lee Doo-Oh asked.

-Hyung-nim, did you catch Moon-Sang hyung-nim?

"Don't even call him hyung-nim. Yeah, we got him."

I heard a sigh of relief from the other end of the line. Knowing the man who had assaulted him and threatened his sister was caught seemed to lift a weight off Lee Doo-Oh's shoulders.

-What about Ticket King?

"Oh, we know who he is now. Turns out he's a big deal."

I explained that Ticket King was none other than Inspector Kim Jung-Hoon of the Cyber Investigation Unit.

At that moment, Lee Doo-Oh's voice perked up instantly.

-If that's the case, I think I can help!

"What do you mean?"

-I couldn't dig into him before because I didn't know his identity. But if he's a public official, it'll be easier. A little hacking and I can prove that Inspector Kim Jung-Hoon sent those emails.

"Really?"

-Yes. I've got some emails that came from a Chinese email server. If I trace the server, I can gather proof that he sent the orders.

While I didn't understand all the technical details, one thing was clear.

"If you can access that Chinese server, you can make the evidence irrefutable?"

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on freёwebnoѵel.com.

-Exactly. But it'll take some time. Chinese security firms are pretty advanced, so breaking into their servers isn't easy...

"Don't worry about that. I know someone local who can help."

-It won't be easy, hyung-nim.

"That's my problem. Just tell me where to look."

-Shanghai Donghua Systems. It's an electronic payment site.

With Wang Long's help, accessing the Shanghai server wouldn't be an issue.

But one thing still bothered me. If all the evidence came from Lee Doo-Oh as a whistleblower, he could end up in jail as well since he was technically an accomplice.

I told Lee Doo-Oh I would call him back and turned to Seo Jae-Ill. "Mr, Seo, what if we submit the hacked evidence anonymously rather than as a whistleblower report?"

Seo Jae-Ill hesitated before shaking his head. "Our target is a police officer, so anonymous tips won't be enough. Both Mr. Lee Doo-Oh and Jo Seok-Min will need to testify to secure Ticket King's arrest."

"Isn't there a way to spare Lee Doo-Oh? If he's imprisoned, his disabled sister will be left all alone. He's admitted his wrongdoing and is willing to cooperate. Can't you grant him leniency?"

Seo Jae-Ill considered this and asked, "Does he have any proof of being coerced? That might allow for mitigating circumstances."

I hadn't anticipated this twist of fortune, but the bruises from the beating Lee Doo-Oh received days ago could now work in his favor.

"A few days ago, Ticket King sent that thug, Jo Seok-Min, to assault him. His body is covered in bruises. On top of that, he was threatened with violence against his ailing sister if he tried to leave the organization."

Seo Jae-Ill smiled. "I can work with that."

While there were no guarantees, Seo Jae-Ill assured me he would do his best, though a suspended sentence was likely the best we could hope for.

But that was acceptable, as Lee Doo-Oh was prepared to atone for his crimes.

Next, I called Wang Long of Shanghai New Media Inc. When I explained the situation and asked for his help, he readily agreed.

-Shanghai Donghua Systems? Got it. I'll send you the data within 24 hours.

"Thanks, as always."

-If you're grateful, take good care of Ling Ling. I'll send her your way soon.

Ling Ling's arrival had been delayed due to school transfer issues in China, but Wang Long knew I would treat her like family.

"You know you can count on me. I'll take good care of Ling Ling like she's my sister. Don't worry."

Now, it was time to catch Ticket King.

***

Two days passed, and today was December 6: the day of the joint concert ticket sales.

It was 7:50 p.m, ten minutes before the ticket sales for Cherry Blossom's concert began.

"All right, everyone. Get ready."

In the meeting room, the Hoengseong Girls High School's girls and Do Ran-Hee were preparing to screen out other potential scalpers.

Of the eight thousand seats, four thousand were reserved for fan club members. With access to the membership list, the High School girls would cross-check the buyers.

Lee Doo-Oh sat next to me with his laptop and got ready to detect any macro programs in action.

Pyo Yeon-Ji was aware of Lee Doo-Oh's true identity but had agreed to keep quiet, acknowledging that he had only followed Ticket King's orders. After assisting with the ticketing, Lee Doo-Oh planned to turn himself in.

To the rest of the Hoop Entertainment's staff, Lee Doo-Oh was just a programmer I had hired.

The large LCD screen in the meeting room displayed the video call with Pyo Yeon-Ji. She looked concerned as she spoke.

-Mr. Jung, why haven't we heard anything yet? Is it because Ticket King is a police officer and that makes his arrest difficult?

"That shouldn't be the case."

At that moment, Do Ran-Hee exclaimed, "Mr. Jung! Look at this!"

"What is it?"

Do Ran-Hee handed me her tablet, which was displaying a live broadcast from YTM News.

[Breaking News: Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office Raids Cyber Investigation Unit Headquarters!]

"Wh-what the...?"

Seo Jae-Ill wasn't just targeting Inspector Kim Jung-Hoon, but he was raiding the entire Cyber Investigation Unit.

'Holy. He doesn't do things halfway, does he?'

On screen, Seo Jae-Ill was at the forefront, pushing past police officers and directing the raid. It was 7:51 p.m on a Sunday, prime time for a media splash. Seo Jae-Ill was becoming a nationwide sensation overnight.

Reporters at the scene narrated the events.

-We're here at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office's Cyber Investigation Unit. The prosecutor's office has obtained intel that Inspector Kim of the unit has been running an illicit scalping operation worth billions of won annually...

The footage showed Seo Jae-Ill basking in the media spotlight as he led the raid.

Soon after, Kim Jung-Hoon was escorted out in handcuffs, wearing thin silver-framed glasses and a resigned expression. Several other officers were also taken into custody, likely accomplices within the unit.

Ticket King had been caught and his entire organization dismantled.

'Finally.'

The elusive Ticket King, who evaded capture before my regression, was finally behind bars.

Relieved, I turned to everyone in the meeting room. "Now that Ticket King is out of the picture, let's focus on our work."

Even with the biggest scalper gone, small-time scalpers could still appear. I reminded everyone to stay vigilant until the ticketing was complete.

"Yes, Mr. Jung!"

It was 8:00 p.m. The "Buy Tickets" button on Ticket Park's site went live and the banner announcing the Cherry Blossom concert ticket sale was displayed.

At that moment, chaos struck.

"What the...?"

Tickets were being sold at an impossibly rapid pace as if another large-scale scalper was in action.

1. Moonhwa Sangpumgwon ☜