You Are Defended - Chapter 573



Only Noblemtl

Episode 573

[Breaking News – Munyeok Dump Truck Accident Driver Admits to Murder by Hire]

Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office cafeteria.

People who were eating while watching the TV placed in the middle of the restaurant suddenly stared blankly at the breaking news that appeared in the subtitles.

“It was really a murder for hire?”

“Hey, check out the breaking news.”

“Does this make sense?”

Those who were concentrating on eating lunch also started checking the breaking news and chattered as other people’s eyes turned to the TV.

“I naturally thought that Cha Ju-han had just brought it up to make me cry for no reason.”

A young inspector said incredulously.

“I did the same. I saw in a previous article that the broadcast kept saying that Wooshin was asking for a murder. What do you think, Yoo Pro? Do you think it’s true?”

A senior prosecutor who was clicking through related articles one by one, wondering if there might be a more detailed article on the Internet, asked.

He even put down his spoon, as if he was about to have a serious chat.

“Well, but why would Wooshin do that? Even though Cha Joo-han is famous, he’s not a big shot. From Wooshin’s perspective, he’s just a fly. So, why would he go to such lengths to kill Cha Joo-han?”

“It’s obvious that it’s not Wooshin, it’s just a personal grudge. The same goes for the case where they kidnapped Cha Juhan and tried to beat him up. I heard about it from the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office because they had a motive. Even then, they said that even after investigating all the criminals, there was not a single piece of evidence linking them to Wooshin. It was just Cha Juhan who made the claim. But I guess he’s done a great job of storytelling. People are really excited. Wherever you go, it’s all about Wooshin and Cha Juhan.”

Before long, all the tables near that table were silent and eavesdropping on their conversation.

But whether they knew that fact or not, they didn’t stop talking.

“Why is Cha Ju-han so upset because he can’t catch Woo-shin? Well, Woo-shin can be annoying to look at. But what difference would it make if he did that? The opponent is Woo-shin. There are many more famous and capable seniors than Cha Ju-han, and there’s Tae-kwang, and there’s a truckload of them in the legal department, so what would he do…?”

“If you look closely, it seems like he’s trying to do politics. That’s why he keeps appearing on TV and talking about interesting things. A righteous lawyer who fights against big business. That’s exactly the kind of stuff people like. But… … . Looking at the fact that he hasn’t gotten a proper position yet, it seems like he’s far from achieving his goal.”

“I think I heard before that Lee Se-hwa put a lot of effort into taking Cha Joo-han away.”

“If the president put in so much effort, why is he still at a law firm with only two lawyers? He should have gone to the presidential office or something. It’s just a rumor. And that doesn’t make sense, to begin with. He’s not the type of person that adults like.”

“Why, what is it like?”

“We worked together briefly at the Western District Prosecutors’ Office, but his personality is really… … . He’s a bit odd. He’s the type that gets a lot of hate because he’s so upright. Well, there are rumors that he was favored because of his good performance, but he’s a character that you don’t really like. What about the old farts in the political world?”

“Oh, inspector, were you with Cha Ju-han before?”

The senior prosecutor, who had been continuing to tell stories in response to the junior prosecutor’s questions, responded with a shrug.

“Well, wait. It might look cool to the eyes of a novice who doesn’t know anything. But I thought that guy was never going to make it. He was already out of favor with his seniors.”

“No?”

The senior prosecutor, who had been talking until his lips were dry, was startled by the voice of the intruder who suddenly barged in and dropped the cell phone he was holding.

His phone fell into the bowl with a splash, but unfortunately he had no time to retrieve it.

“……omg!”

He was so scared that he turned pale as if he had seen a ghost while trying to find the owner of the voice.

It was Special Forces Deputy Chief Lee Ye-jin.

“Who said that the seniors were out of favor with the car driver?”

This kind of scenery was very familiar to Lee Ye-jin.

It should only happen once or twice.

Well, now it’s time to cause trouble again.

Lee Ye-jin pulled the empty chair from the table next to her and placed it between the two of them.

And then he put his plate down between their plates, squeezing into the gap and settling down.

“Yes? No, I… … .”

“Son Pro, You Pro. What time was it?”

“It’s the 33rd… … .”

“… … I am from the 35th class.”

“Really? 33rd, 35th? Then it’s 4th and 6th lower than the car?”

“… … .”

“But do our juniors call out their seniors’ names indiscriminately in the cafeteria of the prosecutor’s office, not in private? Does it make the seniors feel embarrassed when they hear it?”

“… … .”

“In my opinion, it’s not Cha Byun but our juniors who are the type to get on the bad side of their seniors. By any chance, my juniors, do you keep calling my name, Lee Ye-jin, Lee Ye-jin?”

They were still unable to escape from the fear as they began to be intensively scolded by Lee Ye-jin.

“Seo, senior, there’s been some misunderstanding… … . I’ve never called senior Cha Ju-han by his name like that, but if I had, I really did it without realizing it and without thinking… … .”

“No. I’ve been listening to it for a while now, and it seems like you keep saying ‘Cha Ju-han, Cha Ju-han.’ You never once said ‘Attorney Cha,’ ‘Senior.’”

One of the inspectors who was quietly eating at the next table interrupted.

Lee Ye-jin turned her gaze to see who the ally who suddenly attacked was, and was inwardly surprised to find an unexpected person at the end.

He was a senior who used to say bad things about Cha Joo-han.

‘Why is that bastard Kim Jong-seok suddenly helping me?’

Unfortunately, I couldn’t say anything because I was a senior to Lee Ye-jin both in class and grade level.

However, when there was no one around, I would vent my anger by pointing my middle finger at his back… … .

‘Well, back then, all the inspectors hated tea.’

Lee Ye-jin decided to accept Kim Jong-seok’s change in attitude.

You might not have liked it then.

Because I did feel a bit annoyed.

Anyway, since you helped me today, I decided to stop talking now.

“Our manager said that? So, did both of us hear something?”

Lee Ye-jin asked, but they just kept their heads down and their mouths shut.

“Pro Son, you were with Attorney Cha Ju-han at the Western District Prosecutors’ Office? In the same department?”

The moment she was about to start begging in earnest, Kim Jong-seok struck first.

Son Inspector, who was unable to answer when called out specifically, answered in a crawling voice.

“……yes.”

“There was no one in the same department as Attorney Cha Joo-han who didn’t ask for his help. Here, and at the Western District Prosecutors’ Office. Especially when I was at the Western District Prosecutors’ Office, there was a guy I knew who was in the same department as Cha Joo-han at the time. I heard that Cha Joo-han took care of almost all of the unsolved cases by himself. So Son Pro must have had it easy thanks to Cha Joo-han. Right?”

“… … .”

“I hear people talking bad about the lawyer who hired me here and there. Do you think it’s okay to do the same since your seniors are talking bad about you?”

“… … No, sir.”

“Seniors say that because they feel inferior. Whenever I see Cha Ju-han, my stomach hurts so much. Why can’t I be as capable as him? I have more experience than Cha Ju-han, so why can’t I be as good as him? It’s just a stupid thing to say. Why do you follow him when you have nothing to follow?”

“… … .”

“Cha Ju-han is out of favor with his seniors? At least Cha Byun doesn’t call out his seniors’ names one by one like you guys and spread unconfirmed rumors. Between you two, who do you think is worse in the eyes of your seniors?”

First of all, senior Lee Ye-jin is worse than those.

“If you’re a prosecutor, when you hear that Cha Byun received several death threats, instead of cursing Cha Byun, shouldn’t you be curious about what kind of culprit he is? When I first heard about the contract killing, I was skeptical, but when I saw the breaking news that the guy who drove the dump truck admitted it, I was astonished.”

Kim Jong-seok looked around the cafeteria, which had become as quiet as a mouse.

Everyone started eating again awkwardly, as if they hadn’t overheard their conversation.

Still, their ears were completely turned towards Kim Jong-seok.

“What Cha Byun did, isn’t that what we were supposed to do? I wonder why the lawyer went through such a huge investigation. Oh, then you could have just asked the investigative authorities for help. Do you think Cha Byun did it all by himself because he wanted to become famous?”

“… … .”

“Is Cha Byun stupid? If he was in the prosecution, he would have done it a long time ago if he thought it would work out. The people think the same. What is the country doing that lawyers are doing this? If you want to criticize it as a sense of honor, I have nothing to say. How many people would risk their lives for a sense of honor? I wish prosecutors would stop feeling inferior and at least feel a sense of duty. At least we don’t have to worry about our lives like Cha Byun.”

Strangely, Kim Jong-seok’s voice volume seems to have gotten louder.

Is it because of my mood?

“Behave yourself. There are many ears to listen. Don’t assume that other people have the same opinion as you.”

Kim Jong-seok suddenly stood up, holding his plate in his hands.

At the same time, the people who were sitting with Kim Jong-seok also got up and left for the exit.

The two people who got scolded by their senior in front of everyone swallowed trembling breaths with their faces turned bright red.

“Umm… … .”

Lee Ye-jin was embarrassed as she had everything she wanted to say robbed.

She stood up quietly, holding her plate.

“Senior! Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me?! I’ll buy it!”

And then he quickly walked towards Kim Jong-seok.

I couldn’t pretend to be cool because of Kim Jong-seok, but I felt really good.

Since Cha Joo-han left the prosecution, there have been more than a few times when I’ve been so annoyed by the people who talk nonsense whenever he’s a topic of conversation.

Now it seems people are recognizing his true worth.

* * *

“My ears tickle.”

“I guess someone is badmouthing the lawyer.”

Kang Min-jae spoke as if he had been waiting for my words.

Kang Min-jae always jokes about it whenever I say my ears are ticklish, but this time I think it might be true.

With Cheon Jong-nam admitting to contract killing, I am once again in the spotlight.

And my seniors in the legal profession did not look favorably on me.

I confidently told Lee Se-hwa that there would be seniors who would join the special investigation team, but honestly, even then, no other face came to mind besides Lee Ye-jin.

Well, there must be a way.

“I had to answer this important call. I’m sorry.”

At that moment, the door opened and Heo Min-woo, who had gone out to answer a phone call, returned.

“Where did we leave off? Oh, it was the doctor in charge of Jeongmin’s turn to speak his mind.”

“yes.”

“The symptoms of longing have improved a lot, but the mood disorder shows no signs of improving. There’s nothing I can do about the depression and nervousness, but um… … The doctor said that I’m showing some delusional symptoms now.”

“Are you delusional?”

When Kang Min-jae shouted in surprise, Heo Min-woo also sighed as if he felt sorry.

“I thought it was closer to denial of reality… … . In the end, it’s the same thing. Jeongmin now knows what consequences his actions have had and what kind of situation he’s been in. And now that he’s not on drugs, he has to face the abuse he’s suffered with a clear mind. So, because of his drug addiction, his already weak psychological state is refusing to accept reality and defining the situation as he wants to think.”

“Wasn’t it okay when you first confronted Seongyoon?”

“Yes. But when I tried to confront him again, Seong-yoon seemed to think that he had been bribed by the adults. Seong-yoon also said that he couldn’t believe it. In order for Jeong-min to make a proper statement, Jeong-min’s distorted perception must first be normalized. According to the teacher, it seems like this problem will be solved once his condition improves.”

I nodded.

Jeongmin has been living in confinement for two months since the incident at the literary station, dependent on drugs.

This situation would have been too sudden and scary for a 17-year-old to accept.

“Jeongmin needs to open his mouth quickly. Then… … .”

“I want to give Jeongmin more time. To be blunt, Jeongmin’s statement is just a means to us. It would be nice to have it, but it’s not a big problem if it’s not there. But for Jeongmin, it’s a matter of life and death.”

Heo Min-woo froze for a moment, seeming surprised by my words.

Then he soon laughed in a self-mocking manner.

“That’s right. I… … . forgot the most important thing. It was a matter of life and death for Jeongmin. I was only thinking about our plan and the investigation.”

“There is a golden time in an investigation, so it would be better for him to speak up quickly in order to conduct a search and seizure before Angel’s House destroys the evidence. It would be hard to say that the detective’s thoughts are completely cool-headed. However, for the sake of the investigation, I think it would be better for Jeong-min to speak up later.”

“Why?”

“If Jeongmin opens his mouth, the conditions for a search and seizure of the Angel’s House will be met. However, since the Angel’s House has been an obstacle to us and we have been delaying the surgery, we do not know how Wooshin will react once the search and seizure of the Angel’s House begins.”

“Are you saying that the surgery may be postponed again?”

“Whether they postpone the surgery or drastically change the plan, there will be variables. And if that happens, we may fail to stop the surgery. They no longer conspire in places where Ms. Kim Mi-ja can be eavesdropped on. Then we have no way of knowing about the revised plan. That’s the worst case scenario.”

“That’s right.”

“So I thought it would be better to leave it alone for a while even if Jeongmin made his statement.”

Even if Jeongmin had to open his mouth as soon as possible, he should have been given enough time.

Even if we have a cause, can we force sacrifice on someone who has no will to make sacrifices?

We came here to catch the fool who sacrificed countless people for their own cause.

* * *

As Onodera’s grandson’s surgery approaches, obtaining the design drawings becomes critical.

Kim Chan-young must also feel burdened, and I don’t want to rush him, but I can’t help it.

If you can’t see the design drawings, you’ll need to find a way to supplement them.

“If it’s within the next two weeks, then time is of the essence.”

Kim Chan-young also tapped the table with a serious expression.

“When did you schedule the meeting?”

“Tomorrow. That’s the fastest I can catch it, but will it be too late?”

It’s not too late.

In an email sent this evening, reporter Kirihara said that Onodera’s grandson has not yet been admitted to Okashima Hospital.

Just because you’re admitted doesn’t mean you’ll go straight into surgery, right?

We also need time to conduct various tests, and above all, both So-eun and Im Hyeon-il are still in Korea.

Ding dong.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

“uh?”

At the same time, Kim Chan-young was startled and his shoulders flinched.

“What? Isn’t there anyone coming?”

He seemed to feel uneasy for a moment and became alert.

I think he’s reacting like this because he’s afraid that the person you’re talking to might find out.

“I called you. The informant. I called you because the background check on the architect’s representative was finished today, so I wanted to see and hear it with you.”

“… … Ha, I was surprised. Could you tell me in advance?”

I didn’t know Kim Chan-young would be this surprised.

As I opened the guest room door, Taesik’s staff came inside.

He took a folder out of his bag and placed it on the table, then began to explain.

I was able to know everything about the architect’s daily routine, including his personality, tastes, the people he meets, and even what books he reads.

“You’re back in the super car?”

“Yes. Well, almost. Except for when he’s working, he’s busy washing and maintaining his supercars all day long. He has so many supercars. It looks like there’s nothing to clean, but he washes them all the time. I thought he was crazy. All the clubs he goes to are supercar clubs.”

“Hmm, I know you’ve worked hard to research this, but I don’t think there’s any information that would be of much help… … .”

Kim Chan-young began to carefully read the document from the beginning again, with a worried expression on his face.

It seemed like they were trying to find some weakness.

I snatched the file from Kim Chan-young and placed it back on the table.

“Stop looking.”

“I might have missed something. I should read more… … .”

“No. I got the answer.”

“yes?”