You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 209

‘This is harder than I thought. Ugh.’

Even though my face is known from internet broadcasts and news appearances, that’s only for people who know me.

Few people would recognize Choi Jong-hyun, who looks so ordinary.

When I interviewed as a cleaner at the Japanese restaurant, even when I ran into the owner, no one recognized Choi Jong-hyun.

I thought I’d just put up with it for a few days since I planned to leave as soon as I got the information, but there was more work than I expected.

Perhaps because it was close to Lee Jung-chan’s house and famous for being frequented by politicians, the owner was unusually picky.

Even though he said he doesn’t come often, as soon as a famous politician made a reservation, he would drive his imported car to work and nag endlessly.

He even personally designated the employee who would serve in that room, saying they had to have a neat appearance.

Judging from the atmosphere, the employees had a terrible opinion of him.

Moreover, the fact that part-timers quit frequently suggested that the owner was quite a pain.

Actually, Choi Jong-hyun felt like he already knew, even though he had only seen him once.

“Hey, clean here too! Ugh, seriously. There’s no one who can do their job properly. Do you think it’s easy to get paid?”

No matter how clean it looks, if there’s even a speck of dust on the marble floor, he throws a fit.

Choi Jong-hyun swallowed his curses and scrubbed the floor diligently with the mop.

He pretended to organize the shoes and moved towards the inner room where Lee Jung-chan had gone.

The appointment with Lee Jung-chan today was with a judge who was about to retire.

It seemed like they were meeting to discuss joining the party, but that judge was of no interest to Choi Jong-hyun.

“Hey! Sweep the parking lot too! You never do anything unless I tell you. What kind of person did the manager hire?”

Choi Jong-hyun flinched at the sharp voice suddenly coming from behind.

He turned around and saw the owner.

“Ah, yes. Yes.”

‘Is she really a crazy woman?’

“Ugh, damn it.”

Choi Jong-hyun cursed without realizing it while sweeping the parking lot and washing the mop in the small drain behind it.

He realized he shouldn’t have, but what does it matter if no one is listening?

“Crazy bitch. Aish.”

As his hands washing the mop became increasingly rough, an unfamiliar voice came from behind him.

“Are you having a hard time?”

In the alleyway that seemed to be used as a smoking area by the employees, a young woman in a Japanese restaurant uniform was standing alone, smoking a cigarette.

It seemed like she came out for a break.

“The owner is really over the top. It’s so stressful.”

“Her voice is really sharp.”

“I think she’ll appear in my dreams, really. No, I really did see her in my dreams. If I used that woman’s voice as my alarm, I’d never be late for class in the morning. I’m thinking of recording it before I quit. I wonder if the politicians she fawns over know she’s a psychopath.”

“Are you a college student?”

“Yes. I go to Sungmoon Women’s University, which is nearby. I failed to get the national scholarship, so I’ve been working the evening shift to earn tuition for about a year.”

“You’ve been working for a long time?”

“Yeah, but whatever. I’m quitting today. I don’t have to see that woman’s face anymore. I met the national scholarship grade requirements this time.”

She smiled proudly.

However, Choi Jong-hyun’s mind was focused on the fact that she had been working here for a year and came out for the evening shift, rather than the story that she had met the national scholarship grade requirements.

The reason he came here was to see if he could meet the head of the Food and Drug Administration at this restaurant, which Lee Jung-chan loved the most.

He was already picking out a few employees to win over, and this worked out well.

She said she was quitting soon.

Besides, she has bad feelings towards the owner, so it seems like she will answer if I ask her for some useful information.

Also, I saw the owner directly instructing this employee to go serve Lee Jung-chan’s room earlier.

“Hey, student.”

“Yes?”

“Can I ask you just one thing?”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

“Lee Jung-chan is here now. Does he come often?”

“Ah, Lee Jung-chan? He comes very often.”

The college student waved her hand as if to say, ‘don’t even mention it’.

“Alone?”

“No, he comes with many different people. It seems like the Minwoo Party also holds *hoesik* [company dinners] here.”

“Really?”

Choi Jong-hyun smiled subtly as the college student nodded.

‘Even if it’s not related to the head of the Food and Drug Administration, I might be able to find out suspicious things about Lee Jung-chan while I’m here. I think I made a good choice in choosing this place.’

With the presidential election approaching and the prosecution investigating Myunghwa Pharmaceuticals, I started with the intention of staying for a month in case I might meet Lee Jung-chan at least once, but I got a good informant in just a few days.

It’s a bit of a shame that she’s quitting, but I should get her contact information.

“But, mister.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re Choi Jong-hyun, the reporter, right?”

He, who had been off guard, widened his eyes at the sudden question.

In fact, Choi Jong-hyun had caught celebrity disease around the time he started internet broadcasting and appeared on the news.

So, he unnecessarily went to crowded places, cleared his throat, and held his head high, wondering if anyone would recognize him.

And surprisingly, no one paid attention to him.

The same was true when he entered this Japanese restaurant.

But to meet someone who recognizes him here?

Even this student, who hadn’t acknowledged him for days?

“Don’t be surprised. I’ve seen a few broadcasts related to Myunghwa Pharmaceuticals. I’m a chemistry major, and I was preparing for pharmacy school, so I thought the Myunghwa Pharmaceuticals issue might come up in the interview. Well, I gave up on pharmacy school recently, though.”

“So you knew who I was from the beginning?”

“Of course. But I didn’t pretend to know because it seemed like you didn’t want me to. Oh, and don’t worry. I haven’t told anyone.”

“……Thank you for that.”

“But why did you come here? Is it because of Lee Jung-chan? Is it the next topic?”

She lowered her voice and whispered.

Instead of answering, Choi Jong-hyun also lowered his body towards her and whispered.

“Then, student, can you help me?”

* * *

“Cha Byun [Cha, Attorney]!”

I headed straight to the studio after receiving a call from Choi Jong-hyun, who told me to come after work because he had caught a big fish.

Jo Bong-joon and Choi Jong-hyun had already arrived and were sitting at the table eating ramen.

“Want a bite of ramen?”

“No, thank you. By the way, what’s this about a big fish?”

Choi Jong-hyun chuckled and put his hand in his pocket.

And he took out a small recorder from inside.

“What’s that?”

“I showed a picture of the former head of the Food and Drug Administration to an employee at the Japanese restaurant that Lee Jung-chan frequents, and asked if he had ever come with Lee Jung-chan.”

“[Recording begins]
-Oh, this person!

-Have you seen him before?

-Yes. He used to come with him very often a few months ago?

-Really?
[Recording ends]”

“He said he came with him.”

Choi Jong-hyun said pleasantly, pausing the recorder.

“Hmm, it’s good news, but it doesn’t seem like enough to call it a big fish. As I said, Lee Jung-chan and Kim Hyung-joong are from the same hometown, so they might have met personally.”

“No, wait a minute. It’s still early.”

“[Recording continues]
-Didn’t you hear them talking about anything?

-Of course not. The soundproofing is good, and they stop talking as soon as I go in to serve.

-Hmm, then…….

-Oh, wait a minute. Show me the picture you just passed again.

-The picture?

-Yes. This person and the head of the Food and Drug Administration you mentioned earlier, and Lee Jung-chan came together a few times.

-Do they still come together these days?

-No. Um, around the end of last year? I thought, Lee Jung-chan’s member changed.
[Recording ends]”

“Who is this person talking about here?”

I asked Choi Jong-hyun, who stopped the recorder again.

“Who else could it be?”

He gave a triumphant smile.

“Of course, it’s the CEO of Myunghwa Pharmaceuticals.”

“That’s a big fish.”

Jo Bong-joon nodded and said.

I also admitted it.

That’s a big fish.

However, there’s really nothing we can do with just this.

Of course, it is true that the three people met together around the time of the Antrosol Alpha review.

But since we don’t know the content of the conversation, we can’t clearly know what purpose they met for.

People knew about the connection between the CEO of Myunghwa Pharmaceuticals and the former head of the Food and Drug Administration first, and only those who are very interested know about the connection between the head of the Food and Drug Administration and Lee Jung-chan.

If Lee Jung-chan says that he simply met because the head of the Food and Drug Administration said he would introduce someone he knew when this issue became a topic, the essence will be blurred.

Even though Lee Jung-chan introduced the head of the Food and Drug Administration to the CEO of Myunghwa Pharmaceuticals.

Well, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use this at all.

If we can expose the self-made drama of Lee Jung-chan and his son Lee Se-hyung.

When public opinion criticizing Lee Jung-chan intensifies due to that incident, if we expose this connection together, then the prosecution will take care of it.

A week later, Tae-shik sent me a document with an employee.

It contained pictures and minor information taken while following Lee Se-hyung.

There were also comments in Sang-gil’s handwriting.

“[Sang-gil’s note] Because there’s a garage attached to the house, I had to chase the car coming out of the garage, but Lee Se-hyung can’t drive, so he has a driver. But the car is tinted, so I didn’t know whose car it was, so it took a while. Sorry [Korean abbreviation ‘ㅈㅅ’].

He just goes to the welfare foundation in the morning and comes home. He doesn’t do any other activities and tends to stay at home.

So there’s nothing special…….

And the hospital where he goes for rehabilitation that the lawyer asked me to find out is Seoul Myungwoon University Hospital. I’ll find out more and contact you again…[crying emoticons ‘ㅠㅠ’]”

Myungwoon University Hospital.

Since it’s a place he goes to pretending to receive rehabilitation, he will naturally see a doctor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.

However, since Lee Se-hyung said that he became paralyzed in his lower body due to spinal cord injury, Lee Se-hyung would need a consultation with the Department of Neurosurgery.

Department of Neurosurgery at Myungwoon University Hospital.

Isn’t this quite a coincidence?

I picked up my cell phone.

“Hey, it’s me. Are you busy?”

-Oh, is that Joohan? How have you been?

“I’m always the same. How about you, are you busy?”

-I’m doing okay. But what’s up?

“I have something to ask you, do you have time?”

-Something to ask? Well, I guess we’ll have to see each other on my day off?

“Can you spare some time if I go to the hospital?”

-You’re coming to the hospital? Is it urgent? Then it’s okay today too.

“Then do you have time for dinner? Let’s talk over dinner.”