You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 231

“Welcome, Attorney Cha.”

She had arrived before me.

I gave a brief nod and sat across from her.

Lee Se-hwa looked much brighter than the last time I saw her.

I suddenly remembered someone at lunch saying that only Lee Se-hwa was having a good time.

“How have you been?”

“I’ve been comfortable. Since Deputy Director Park Young-gi’s promotion, everything has been smooth sailing.”

“It’s not just because Deputy Director Park was promoted, but because Attorney Cha has navigated the situation so beautifully.”

Lee Se-hwa said with a subtle smile.

I couldn’t tell if she was putting him down because he wasn’t here, or if she was trying to praise me.

I didn’t answer and quenched my thirst with water.

“I heard Lee Jung-chan is stepping down from his position as the leader of the Minwoo Party.”

“I heard. There’s an embargo [a restriction on the publication of news] until the day after tomorrow.”

“Our Attorney Cha certainly has fast information. Even I, the leader of the first opposition party, only found out today.”

“Wasn’t that why you asked to see me?”

Lee Se-hwa playfully glared at me.

“Attorney Cha, you seem to know me too well. I might as well die here.”

I chuckled softly.

If the person wasn’t Lee Se-hwa, I might have laughed a little louder.

“Lee Jung-chan and Kang Jong-myung’s deal seems to have ended successfully, one way or another. Even if there were some hiccups along the way.”

She rearranged the tableware in front of her.

“Wasn’t your plan to split the Minwoo Party, Attorney Cha? It doesn’t look like it’s going to split, unfortunately. What should we do?”

Lee Se-hwa looked at me again with the same expression she had during the interview.

Although I’m cooperating with Lee Se-hwa on this case, I’m not her strategist.

It’s difficult for me to be looked at with an expression that says, ‘The situation doesn’t seem to be going the way you said it would, so what are you going to do?’

“I think it’s unfortunate. It seems Kang Jong-myung was more capable than I thought. Or, he has a capable aide.”

I replied, pretending to be nonchalant.

Lee Se-hwa stared at me with a blank face for a moment.

It felt cold, but on the other hand, I couldn’t read any other emotions on her face.

I wondered if she would say something like, ‘I’m not in the mood for jokes right now.’

“Haha, ahahahaha.”

But contrary to expectations, Lee Se-hwa soon relaxed her expression and burst into laughter.

I didn’t open my mouth rashly and just looked at her.

“Attorney Cha. Attorney Cha is such a master of pretense.”

Lee Se-hwa couldn’t stop laughing until the waiter, who had knocked and entered, set the dishes on the table.

“Attorney Cha, are you uncomfortable with me wanting you on my side? Is that why you answer in a way that tells me not to expect anything whenever I expect something?”

Lee Se-hwa said after the waiter left.

That’s not wrong.

It’s not so much that I’m uncomfortable, but more that I find it annoying.

“Or, is Attorney Cha thinking, ‘I’ve paved the way enough for you, so now it’s up to you. I’m going to see how you handle it. I’m going to test you,’ is that your mindset?”

When I first met her, I predicted that it would be difficult to completely destroy the Minwoo Party.

So I suggested cutting off Lee Jung-chan and splitting the Minwoo Party in half.

Lee Se-hwa accepted it.

Therefore, I revealed my hand to her as if doing her a favor, informing her that Lee Jung-chan was closely involved in the Myunghwa Pharmaceutical case.

I thought it would end there, but unfortunately, I only failed to split the Minwoo Party.

From the beginning, my goal was the downfall of Lee Jung-chan, not the Minwoo Party, so even looking at this situation alone, I have achieved my initial goal.

So there’s no reason for me to cooperate with her anymore.

Nevertheless, the only reason I came here was because Lee Jung-chan had to be crushed so thoroughly that he couldn’t make a comeback, but Kang Jong-myung had soothed Lee Jung-chan so well that a loophole for Lee Jung-chan to recover remained.

That being said, who is more urgent in this situation?

Of course, it’s Lee Se-hwa.

I can interfere with Lee Jung-chan’s comeback timing again, but Lee Se-hwa, who has the presidential election in sight, would be troubled if the Minwoo Party were to unite.

Then, just as she tested me at first, shouldn’t I be in a position to test her too?

“You make me feel like I’m acting too presumptuously.”

But since I’ve already put on an act, I’ll try to act a little more.

“Actually, that’s right. I asked to see you because I thought Attorney Cha would have another card up his sleeve. It’s true that I’m in a tight spot right now.”

But Lee Se-hwa admitted it more readily than I thought.

In fact, she has no choice but to be in that position.

From the beginning, I created this game, and Lee Se-hwa was just brought into it.

To put it bluntly, her role in this case is only at the level of a megaphone.

“So, I’ve been thinking about what I can give Attorney Cha.”

What can Lee Se-hwa give me?

There’s nothing like that.

What can the leader of the opposition party give me, who has no intention of entering politics, at least for now?

Even if it’s something unrelated to politics, Kang Kwan-woong could give me what the leader of the opposition party can give me.

I quenched my thirst with tea, anticipating what she would say.

“But, there’s nothing.”

She answered coolly.

“I thought about it, but there’s nothing. I even thought about making you the spokesperson for the Blue House [the presidential residence]. But to become a spokesperson, you’d have to join our party and build a career, so that’s out too.”

Spokesperson for the Blue House.

To even think of promising me such a position, with my meager experience as a prosecutor and lawyer.

The spokesperson for the Blue House is also a figurehead.

It’s a position mainly held by people who have gained the trust of the public.

Mostly well-known announcers or people who have been involved in the media are appointed.

This is to take advantage of the public’s tacit belief that journalists will maintain neutrality.

But to offer me, who doesn’t fit any of those categories, the position of spokesperson.

I didn’t expect this.

“To think you even considered me for the spokesperson of the Blue House, I should be grateful.”

“But one thing. Even if Attorney Cha isn’t interested in politics right now, you’re bound to change your mind someday. Everyone has. Lee Jung-chan, me, Kang Jong-myung, even my teacher. No one came into the legal profession wanting to go into politics from the start.”

“I see.”

“When Attorney Cha wants to enter politics someday, I’ll help you. Well, saying ‘help’ is a bit of an understatement. ‘Push’ is a more accurate term.”

Everyone lives without even being able to predict what will happen an inch ahead.

What will I do for a living in the future, what should I do in the future…

Many people die worrying about that for their entire lives.

Trading with that future as collateral is a better strategy than I thought.

It’s not just an average person, but a position guaranteed by the leader of the opposition party and the future president.

Even if it’s a field you have no interest in right now, you should think it’s beneficial to at least accept the promise for such a position.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine.”

The unfortunate thing here is that I’m living my second life.

I’ve already experienced enough.

Based on that, I made a plan to catch Wooshin.

There was no entry into politics in that plan.

Even if I think about life after catching Wooshin, I still don’t want to enter politics.

I’ve already made a lot of money, and I just want to spend the rest of my life leisurely with that money.

“I think it’s because Attorney Cha is still young, but no one knows what the future holds. You might regret it, rejecting it so decisively?”

It was the moment when I realized how much power it is to have something.

In the case of Lee Se-hwa, it was her social status.

She can get what she wants by using the numerous positions and futures that she can guarantee with that status as collateral.

Lee Se-hwa, Lee Jung-chan, and even Go Sang-joon would have easily gotten what they wanted with that as a weapon.

Of course, that position is also limited, and Lee Se-hwa is the type to be picky about who she uses, so she can’t use it often, but it must have been a great help at crucial moments.

The reason why people want positions is one.

The future that humans cannot know.

The path that the future self, which the current self cannot know, must take.

It is to make that blurry picture more clear.

But the reason why Lee Se-hwa can’t persuade me with such a weapon right now is one.

Just as Lee Se-hwa has social status, I have the future.

I don’t need to make a blurry picture clear.

My picture has had very good quality from the beginning.

I want to achieve my goals, not help Lee Se-hwa achieve her goals.

“I have a personal reason for not wanting to go into politics.”

Lee Se-hwa looked very disappointed.

She seemed to have interpreted my close relationship with Kang Kwan-woong as meaning that I was somewhat interested in politics.

In the end, she thought that my lack of response to her subtle love calls was also a strategy.

I understand.

Even people who seemed to have no intention of entering politics at all always try to take a position when they get older, which is the way of this world.

I’ve seen such situations countless times in my previous life.

“But, I would like to continue my relationship with you, Representative.”

What Lee Se-hwa can give me is not just a position.

I have a lot of work to do in the future, and I need to have as many allies as possible.

I have Kang Kwan-woong, but he has retired from the front lines, so there will be limitations.

Kang Kwan-woong’s authority is high, but his power is limited.

But Lee Se-hwa, who is currently active, is different.

If I can have the future president as an ally, I don’t mind giving out a few more of my cards.

“Attorney Cha. Attorney Cha is really…”

Lee Se-hwa trailed off with a smile.

“You’re a bit of an annoying type. You know that, right?”

“…Yes, I guess so. I hear that a lot.”

“But I don’t hate you. That’s Attorney Cha’s charm.”

“Thank you.”

“I can’t promise you anything right now, but I still want to recruit Attorney Cha as much as possible. So our relationship will remain valid.”

Lee Se-hwa said cheerfully.

“Now, then. Shall we see our Zhuge Liang’s [a famous strategist in Chinese history, known for his wisdom] card?”