You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 162

You Have Been Defended – Episode 162

[Truth]

Seeing the words floating above his head, I almost burst out laughing.

It wasn’t a bluff; the double ledger really existed.

However, I couldn’t understand how a double ledger that even I didn’t know about could come from a tax firm, not an accounting firm.

Tax firms usually create double ledgers for tax evasion purposes.

The person who benefits from tax evasion is, of course, the client, the taxpayer themselves.

But I had never taken such a benefit, not even once.

I paid all my taxes as the country had determined, without hiding a single dime.

I’m not a tax accountant, but I have enough knowledge to at least check whether they are doing their job properly.

Unlike my previous life, I had acquired a large amount of money and naturally studied tax law to manage it.

I personally checked the expense reports and calculated how much tax would be due.

There might be minor errors, but it was always an accurate amount.

It’s clearly a fabrication.

“Cha Juhan, there’s only one reason you’re in this investigation room. We’re giving you a chance to plan for your future. To be even slightly in your favor in court, the best thing to do is confess here.”

Choi Jonghyun’s prediction that they wouldn’t go to the trouble of fabricating ledgers to make me a criminal was wrong.

They had extended their reach to the tax firm, and although I didn’t know what kind of deal they had made, they had created a double ledger that didn’t even exist.

They are putting in more effort than I thought to ruin me.

“I’ll say it again. The tax firm’s double ledger—I doubt it even exists, but even if it does, it has nothing to do with me.”

Let’s assume that the tax firm really created a double ledger without my knowledge.

But even if we exclude all that, it’s the tax firm’s fraud, not mine.

I’m actually the victim.

As soon as the investigation is over, I need to go back and look into this in detail.

“Then, regarding the speculation, do you think there’s any room for excuses?”

“Regarding the land purchase in northern Gyeonggi Province, my parents wanted to retire and return to farming, and I wanted to live as close as possible to them, so I bought the land. In the first place, if it wasn’t agricultural land, there would be no reason to buy so much of that ‘garbage land’ as the prosecutor described it, would there?”

I didn’t want to lie, but I couldn’t say that I invested based on information I obtained in my previous life.

It’s a world full of lies.

If there is a god, they would say that this level of lie doesn’t even count as a lie.

“So, it’s for speculative purposes. It’s a common occurrence. Usually, everyone says that. They say they bought the land for agricultural purposes, but they didn’t know it would rise so much. But if you dig into it, they all turn out to have been tipped off by someone in the know and bought it for speculative purposes.”

“I’m just a former junior prosecutor. There’s no way I would have connections to get land development information in advance. Bring the person in charge in front of me and confront them.”

“So, are you farming there now?”

“I’m not directly farming yet, but I know there’s a field on that land now. But since the market profit has increased by 3 billion won, there’s no need to use it as farmland. It’s better to sell it than to keep farming there. Thanks to the prosecutor, I got some good information.”

Kim Dongsu sighed deeply at my answer.

“Okay. Haa, shall we take a break? It seems like this is going to be a long conversation.”

After a short break, the investigation continued.

About 15 hours had passed since the summons.

Usually, news reports say that if the investigation time exceeds 15 hours, it’s considered a ‘high-intensity investigation,’ so it was definitely excessive for me, who wasn’t a celebrity and was only suspected of illegal speculation and tax evasion.

I ate Korean rice soup [a mild, savory soup often eaten for breakfast or when feeling under the weather] twice in between.

It wasn’t very tasty, so I left some, but I continued to sit in the investigation room without properly digesting it.

I wasn’t with the prosecutor for every hour of the investigation.

It was as if they were determined to keep me there for a long time; I was left alone in the investigation room for about four hours.

I guess they won’t let me go until they fill all the time allotted by law.

It was presumed to be to stimulate my anxiety, and as a result, their method was somewhat effective.

Since hearing the news that a double ledger had come from the tax firm, I was itching to check it myself.

Even as I was stuck here, the media would be pushing the narrative that a double ledger had been found and tax evasion was almost certain.

“Prosecutor.”

At that moment, someone opened the door to the investigation room and came in.

He left a small note for Kim Dongsu and then disappeared again.

Kim Dongsu checked the note and frowned, then stormed out of the investigation room.

Usually, such cases are divided into two main categories.

Either new information has been obtained, or instructions have been given from above.

“…Cha Juhan.”

An hour later, Kim Dongsu returned to the investigation room.

He looked at me with a frustrated face.

“You seem to have good backing.”

Good backing?

I frowned at the unexpected words.

“What do you mean?”

“A former junior prosecutor, Cha Juhan, who has no connections in that area and is nothing. You’re very good at lying.”

Kim Dongsu retorted irritably.

I still didn’t know what was going on, and Kim Dongsu seemed to be getting more annoyed with me for saying that.

“I’ll end the investigation here. Since Cha Juhan continues to deny everything, a meaningful investigation was impossible anyway. I’ll summon you again if necessary.”

With those words, Kim Dongsu left the investigation room.

I recalled Kim Dongsu receiving the note and leaving the investigation room an hour ago.

Considering he keeps talking about ‘backing,’ I think the order to release me must have come from above.

But I have never been friends with anyone in a position to issue such an order.

I walked across the hallway with a disturbed feeling.

“I’m sorry.”

Lost in thought, perhaps because I didn’t pay attention to the front.

I bumped into someone who was passing by in a hurry.

I apologized, but he ignored me and brushed past me.

Leaving a small note in my hand.

[To Attorney Cha Juhan. Please contact us.

011-XXX-XXXX]

I hurriedly looked back, but he had already disappeared.

Even though it’s 2010, a number starting with 011, which was hardly used even then, was unusual.

I put the note in my inside pocket and came out of the prosecutor’s office.

And headed towards the deserted parking lot.

Kim Dongsu’s ‘backing,’ that is, the person who released me?

Numerous questions floated in my head.

There’s no need to hesitate for long.

Calling will give you the answer.

-Are you Attorney Cha Juhan?

The voice on the phone was someone I had never heard before.

I pressed the call recording button and answered.

“Yes, that’s right. Who is this?”

-You’ve had a hard time. You must be very tired after being investigated for 15 hours.

He didn’t answer my question.

“I’ll ask again. Who is this?”

-Haha, I think the lawyer is fully expecting it.

“I think I was released by someone; did the person who called release me?”

-I am the person who receives instructions from that person.

“I’m asking who that person is.”

A low laugh was heard over the receiver.

-You’re in a hurry.

“There’s no reason not to be in a hurry.”

-I understand. But it’s a bit difficult to say now… Anyway, he wants to meet Attorney Cha Juhan.

“The person who released me, are you talking about him?”

-That’s right. I know you have a lot of questions. But there’s not much I can tell you now. It would be better to meet in person and talk.

This incident was an unexpected crisis that suddenly struck me.

In this situation where there was no other way but to perfectly explain everything so that it wouldn’t lead to an indictment, what does the appearance of this unknown man mean?

And who is this person who can interfere with what Go Sangjun and Go Sangkyung, and Taekwang have set their minds to do?

The Prosecutor General? Or the Minister of Justice?

What is certain is that it is almost impossible unless you go up to that level.

-First, go home and rest. After taking a nap, wouldn’t it be better to meet with a clear mind? How about 7 p.m. today?

“At least I need to be sure that I can contact you. I appreciate your help, but I can’t just contact someone I don’t even know.”

In my previous life, I was kidnapped as soon as I went out after receiving a call from Secretary Oh.

I was immediately put in a drum and died, so it’s a trauma for me.

I don’t know who helped me or what the purpose of helping me was.

No matter how much I want to see the identity with my own eyes, I can’t rashly say that I will meet.

-I understand what you’re saying. But I will say for sure. He is the only person who can help the lawyer right now. If you refuse to meet, you will definitely regret it.

He said very definitively.

-I’ll send a car to your house by 7 p.m. If you take that car, you’ll be able to meet him in person.

“……”

-Oh, and I’ve sent a car to the parking lot of the prosecutor’s office. I’ll take you home. It’s just a simple favor, so don’t feel burdened and go home comfortably.

At that moment, the headlights of the black sedan in front of me turned on.

-See you later.

And the phone hung up.