You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 163

I arrived home and collapsed onto the bed without even changing, only to wake up at 4 PM.

It had been a long time since I’d slept so deeply.

There was still plenty of time before my 7 PM appointment.

I hadn’t been able to shower while stuck in the interrogation room, so I quickly took one and made myself a cup of coffee.

Then, I spent the time thinking about the person who had gotten me out.

To do that, I needed to recall all the high-ranking officials I knew from my previous life.

Many people flashed through my mind, but none seemed suitable for this situation.

They were all people I hadn’t met by 2010.

I would be able to see for myself in three hours anyway, but I wanted to be prepared if possible.

This person had saved me from the biggest crisis I’d faced since starting this life, but I couldn’t know what their motives were.

Well, even if he got me out of the prosecutor’s office to use me, a deal required mutual agreement.

Right now, I’ve only been temporarily released from the investigation; not all suspicions have been cleared.

If an agreement with that person doesn’t go smoothly, I’ll have to go back for further investigation.

So, it’s best to meet without any pressure.

“…….”

Before I knew it, it was 7 PM, the appointed time.

Looking down from the balcony, I saw the sedan I had ridden in this morning parked in front of the entrance.

“Thank you.”

The driver opened the door as soon as he spotted me.

The protocol was appreciated, but it wasn’t something I was very used to.

The car glided smoothly, and soon we were crossing the Han River bridge.

About 40 minutes after we set off, the car entered the upscale residential area of Pyeongchang-dong.

Pyeongchang-dong, huh?

A nice neighborhood.

I’ve never lived there myself, but it’s the neighborhood I’ve visited most frequently for search and seizures.

The car pulled into the garage, which opened right on time.

“Welcome, Attorney Cha Ju-han.”

Before I could even reach for the door handle, the car door opened.

The person who opened the door had a familiar voice.

It was definitely the man I had spoken to as soon as I left the prosecutor’s office.

“Hello. How should I address you? I don’t know who you are yet.”

I spoke pointedly, and the man replied with his usual smile.

“You can call me Chief Kang. I’ve heard a lot about you. Your performance has been remarkable.”

“That’s very kind of you, but I’m curious who told Chief Kang so much about me.”

Instead of answering, Chief Kang led me inside the mansion.

As we climbed the stairs, a wide lawn came into view.

It was a well-landscaped garden.

Trees that had clearly been tended to by a gardener lined the walls.

It was no exaggeration to say it felt like being in an arboretum.

There was even a space for tea under the largest zelkova tree.

Beyond that, there was even a small artificial pond, so the word ‘garden’ didn’t fully capture the scale of this place.

In the middle of the lawn, there was also a sculpture that looked like it could be the work of a famous modern artist.

It wasn’t a space I remembered.

“The garden is beautiful, isn’t it?”

Chief Kang asked with a smile, as if he recognized that I was looking around.

“It is.”

“The Elder has always dreamed of living in the countryside, but unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to fulfill that dream yet.”

“Why hasn’t he been able to?”

“Perhaps it’s because there are still things he needs to protect. How could I possibly guess the Elder’s thoughts?”

As we walked along the stone path that ran through the middle of the lawn, the main building of the mansion came into view, illuminated by indirect lighting installed in the garden.

It was a modern and stylishly designed house, quite different from what one might expect for someone of the ‘Elder’s’ age.

Through the large window that offered a clear view of the spacious living room, I glanced to see if I could get a sneak peek at the owner’s identity.

Unfortunately, I only saw the busy figure of a housekeeper.

“Let’s go in.”

We reached the entrance, and Chief Kang opened the door for me.

My first impression was that the paintings hanging on the walls were wonderful.

But I didn’t let my admiration for this mansion overshadow the need to find out the identity of the owner.

I became even more curious.

Who on earth was the owner of this house?

“Please wait here for a moment.”

He led me to a sofa in the living room, and as soon as I sat down, the housekeeper placed a teacup in front of me.

Chief Kang slowly climbed the stairs.

Soon, I could hear two sets of footsteps descending to the first floor.

I watched the figure slowly revealing itself.

“…….”

“Have you been waiting long? Attorney Cha Ju-han.”

And at the sight of the person who came before me, I stood up without realizing it.

I knew I should greet him, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“Oh my, it seems Attorney Cha is quite surprised.”

I knew it was rude, but I couldn’t help it.

Before coming here, among the many influential figures I had diligently tried to recall for three hours, he hadn’t existed in my thoughts at all.

“I apologize for my rudeness. Greetings, former President Kang Kwan-woong. I am Cha Ju-han.”

“President, you say. I’m just an old man in retirement now. Feel free to call me comfortably.”

“What would you like me to call you?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. For now, call me Elder. That’s what this friend calls me too.”

Former President Kang Kwan-woong said, looking at Chief Kang beside him.

“Sit down.”

Then, he gestured to me, who was still standing.

Even as I lowered myself back onto the sofa, I still couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.

But if it was former President Kang Kwan-woong, then all of this made sense.

How many people in Korea could so easily get me out, when I was being heavily bombarded by the Ko Sang-jun brothers and Tae Kwang?

But even now that I had confirmed his identity, I still didn’t understand.

Why Kang Kwan-woong, of all people?

He had completely retired from politics.

Former presidents may not be able to participate in politics on the surface, but there are those who continue to exert influence in the political world.

Kang Kwan-woong had rarely shown his face since the 1980s, when he was in power, except for events at the Blue House [the presidential residence of South Korea].

As he had often said, he had quietly lived in seclusion after his term ended.

Frankly speaking, unless he was involved in a new scandal, I would never have thought of his name until his death.

“Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.”

“Are you very hungry?”

“No.”

“That’s good. There’s one more person coming.”

Another person?

I frowned slightly and tried to guess, but I gave up.

I hadn’t even considered Kang Kwan-woong’s identity when I came here.

There was no point in guessing; I wouldn’t be able to get it right.

“I heard you were interrogated for 15 hours? You must be very tired.”

“No. I’ve had plenty of rest.”

“Is that so?”

He smiled slightly and took a sip of his tea.

“You have a face full of questions. Why wouldn’t you? I would be out of my mind too. I, who have no connection or acquaintance with you, suddenly pulled you out of the prosecutor’s office.”

“As you said, Elder, I want to know why you got me out of the investigation.”

At my words, Kang Kwan-woong chuckled.

“Usually, people say thank you first, but you’re starting with a question. Don’t you think the order is a bit off?”

“I haven’t decided yet whether it’s something to be thankful for or not.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t know what your purpose is in getting me out of the investigation. If what you want from me doesn’t align with my goals, then I shouldn’t accept your favor.”

Kang Kwan-woong tapped the armrest and smiled.

“You don’t want to offer premature thanks? You’re very stingy. No matter what my purpose is, the fact that I got you out doesn’t change.”

“If the investigation had continued much longer, I would have been quite exhausted. Thanks to you, I was able to take a break, so I am truly grateful for that. Thank you.”

“Haha, Chief Kang. This friend is quite something. I can’t tell if he’s proud, rude, or just cautious.”

Kang Kwan-woong said, looking at Chief Kang with a smile.

I knew I was being quite stiff in front of the former president.

But without knowing his intentions, I couldn’t say anything rashly.

If I said thank you for getting me out, he might use that as an excuse to demand something in return.

My investigation is not completely over.

I just wanted to make it clear that I was aware of that fact.

“I think he doesn’t want to say anything that could leave room for misinterpretation, Elder.”

“I apologize if I seemed rude. But it doesn’t seem like a situation where I can just say anything rashly yet.”

“That’s right. As you said, it’s too early to say thank you. I can receive such greetings after everything is over. Then let me ask you. How do you plan to overcome this crisis? If it weren’t for me, what would you have done?”

Kang Kwan-woong looked me straight in the eye and asked.

The only card they’ve shown so far is the fabricated double book [a secret ledger used for illegal transactions].

But this won’t be the end of it.

The charges against me now are real estate speculation and excessive legal fees.

The excessive legal fees issue isn’t a crime, so it will end with criticism, and since I didn’t receive an excessive amount from the beginning, let’s move on.

The key is the land purchase in northern Gyeonggi Province.

Right now, they don’t have any grounds to confirm that I speculated.

But what if a person who leaked the new city development information to me appears?

I think Woo-shin will definitely create that person somehow.

Maybe they’re already on standby.

“Honestly, I didn’t have a plan yet.”

“You didn’t have a plan? So, you were just going to lie down on the execution table prepared by Ko Sang-jun and have your head cut off?”

“I was going to review the currently revealed data and remain silent until I could figure out how far they had prepared. If I responded rashly and things didn’t add up, I would face a backlash.”

“What about the image consumption that will occur while you wait?”

Image consumption, huh?

It was a question that a politician would ask.

But that wasn’t a virtue needed by a typical lawyer.

Of course, I value my image.

“What does my image matter to a mere lawyer like me?”

“Is that so?”

He lowered his glasses towards the bridge of his nose and stared at me with his bare eyes.

His eyes, for an old man who could die at any moment, were full of life.

His eyes seemed to be saying that he knew I was lying.

“Elder.”

It was then.