Min-ah sat in a corner booth, her cap pulled low over her eyes. Moments later, the door creaked open, and a man in a weather-beaten jumper walked in. It was Investigator Kim Jae-hyuk. This was their first face-to-face meeting, only two hours after her phone call.
"Have a seat."
Kim sat opposite her, his eyes scanning Min-ah with a mix of curiosity and caution. To him, she was the 'Whistleblower with an Indefinite Suspension.'
Min-ah pushed her 'Valuation Analysis Table' and the scrap-paper calculations across the table.
"The 20 billion won valuation Professor Han proposed is a total fabrication," she said firmly. "It’s inflated by 20 times compared to similar bio-ventures from late 2003."
Kim scanned the documents quickly, his brow furrowing. "Numbers don't lie. Actually, I’ve been watching the 'puppet CEO,' Yoon Seong-min. He has several paper companies registered in his name."
The investigator’s instinct and the insider’s analysis finally clicked into place. But Kim shook his head.
"It’s still not enough. In court, they’ll argue that the bio-tech sector is naturally prone to bubbles. We need 'The Smoking Gun'—evidence that will hold up in a criminal trial."
"The Smoking Gun?"
"Not just the flow of money, but proof that the technology itself is a fraud. For example... the original data before it was manipulated."
A face flashed through Min-ah’s mind: Yu-jin. "What if," Min-ah whispered, "someone inside the lab happened to find that data?"
Kim’s gaze sharpened. "Then the game changes. Investment fraud might get him 3 years, but if we prove data fabrication, research fund embezzlement, and document forgery? He’s looking at at least 7 years behind bars."
He set his coffee cup down. "But there’s one more thing. The scale of the damage. To move against a Seoul National University professor, the prosecution usually needs the fraud to exceed 2 billion won ($2M USD)."
Min-ah nodded silently. "I understand. That’s why I was waiting... for more victims to get dragged in."
"A cold decision," Kim said, standing up, "but the right one. Call me the moment you have that evidence. I’ll handle the rest."
[Same Day, 7:00 PM / Professor Han Do-yoon’s Lab]
"Hey, Jung Yu-jin!"
The lab door swung open violently. Professor Han stepped in, his nerves clearly frayed. He had hooked Professor Choi, but tomorrow’s VC (Venture Capital) due diligence was a different beast.
He threw a stack of papers onto Yu-jin’s desk, sending them fluttering to the floor. "Organize all of this into a file by tomorrow morning. Make the graphs look pretty for the investors. If there are any outliers in the data... 'adjust' them. You know what I mean?"
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"Yes... I understand, Professor," Yu-jin replied, kneeling to pick up the papers.
Han walked out, already on his phone. "Yes, CEO. The wire transfer will be confirmed tomorrow morning. Don't worry, the data is perfect."
Left alone, Yu-jin sighed and began tidying the Professor’s cluttered desk. As she lifted a mountain of old journals, something fell.
Thud.
It was a worn-out spring notebook. Unlike the official lab notebooks, it had no label on the cover. Yu-jin had never seen it before. She picked it up, her hands trembling as she flipped to the first page.
Instead of the glowing success graphs shown at the investment briefing, the pages were filled with disastrous failure records scribbled in red ink.
[November 15, 2003. Mouse Tumor Model Experiment (In vivo)] N=200, Tumor Reduction: 18/200 (9%) Conclusion: Minimal effect in living organisms. Not viable for clinical trials.
[Red Pen Memo]
Investor Materials: Use In vitro (test tube) data instead.
HY-001 Cytotoxicity Test: 87% cell death (48hr, high concentration).
Presentation Hook: "Cancer Cell Fatality Rate of 87%."
Note: Do NOT specify experimental conditions (in vitro vs. in vivo).
Graphs: Use only cell-based results.
Label: Mark as "Preliminary Results" to remain vague.
"Oh my god..." Yu-jin gasped.
This was it. The evidence Min-ah had talked about. The blade that would cut through the Professor’s lies. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She pulled a digital camera—her prize possession from Christmas—from her bag.
With shaking hands, she turned off the flash and began snapping photos of every page.
Click. Click. Click.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Yu-jin shoved the notebook back into its place and hid the camera just as Professor Han walked back in.
"Not finished yet?"
"I’m sorry, Professor. I’m just finishing up now," Yu-jin said, her voice barely steady. Han didn't suspect a thing. He walked to his desk and checked his bank account, a satisfied smirk on his face.
Yu-jin gripped the camera inside her bag.
[The Next Day, February 11, Wednesday, 9:10 AM / S-Bank]
Min-ah sat in a cafe across from the bank, her eyes fixed on the entrance. She had been patient, gathering evidence for Han’s downfall, but she couldn't watch her family's benefactor, Professor Choi, ruin himself. She had to stop him from walking through those doors.
In the distance, she saw Professor Choi In-seok. He was carrying a briefcase, his stride full of misplaced confidence. Min-ah ran toward him.
"Professor!"
Choi looked at her, surprised. "Min-ah? What are you doing here at this hour?"
"Professor, please... reconsider. That investment is dangerous."
Choi shook his head with a patronizing smile. "Min-ah, I know you have hard feelings toward Professor Han, but the world of adults is different from what you think. That man is doing work that will change the world. You’ll understand one day."
"Professor, please—"
"I appreciate the concern, but my mind is made up." He patted her shoulder and walked into the bank.
Min-ah stood frozen, watching through the glass doors. She saw him take a number and sit at the counter. Moments later, his house deed and personal seal were handed over to the teller.
She clenched her fists, a wave of guilt washing over her for being unable to save him.
Ding.
Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Yu-jin with a photo file.
[Unnie, I found it. The Professor’s real data.]
The zoomed-in photo showed the number 9% next to the red-ink memo: "Presentation Hook: Cancer Cell Fatality Rate of 87%." At that moment, the bank doors opened. Professor Choi walked out, clutching his loan confirmation. He put the papers in his bag and walked away with a light step, disappearing around the corner.
Min-ah put the phone to her ear and dialed Investigator Kim.
"Investigator. I have the evidence."
in vivo (living organism) failure data for in vitro (test tube) success data to trick investors. For those unfamiliar with bio-tech, this is a massive crime—it's like selling a car that only works on a treadmill but fails on the actual road.
Discussion Point: If you were Min-ah, would you have physically tried to stop Professor Choi, or was his "blind faith" too strong to break? Also, how do you think Professor Han will react when he realizes a student has his private notebook?
Rate & Review – Support Yu-jin and Min-ah in their bravest moment yet!
Follow to witness the start of the legal raid.