You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 245

“Doesn’t it seem suspicious? How could the CCTV records be missing only on that particular day?”

Dongjin let out a hollow laugh, as if he was dumbfounded.

It was a common situation, so there was nothing new about it.

Kim Sungwoo is the director’s son.

Whether it was the director’s influence or Kim Sungwoo’s influence as the director’s son, deleting a CCTV record would have been a piece of cake.

“What’s the reason they gave?”

“They don’t know. They said there seemed to be a problem with the storage.”

This is also a common excuse.

From the perspective of someone looking for the CCTV footage, the question remains, ‘Why on that particular day?’ But from the perspective of someone who lied, it’s the best excuse to say, ‘It broke down, what can you do about it?’

“What do we do now……”

“Before calling you, I already considered the possibility that the CCTV might be missing.”

“……Is there a way?”

“There is, but let’s confirm one thing first.”

Dongjin nodded with an anxious look.

“When entering that hospital room, you said you needed an access card, right?”

“Yeah.”

“When visitors entered, the guards swiped their cards. What about the medical staff?”

“The guards swiped the cards for the medical staff too, unless they were in charge of Seol Hyungseok.”

In that case, it seems impossible to know who went in and out based on the card swipe records.

Again, the only way is to check with the guards.

Of course, on that day, Seol Hyungseok had a sudden shock, so there were many people who went in and out of the hospital room, so it’s uncertain whether they will clearly remember who came and went.

“I don’t know if Hanyoung will cooperate. I’m already marked as trash to them…….”

This is exactly what I was worried about.

Anyway, if I, as a third party, want to meet them, I have to request it as Dongjin’s representative.

Even if they don’t cooperate, making them cooperate is my job, but…….

“I’ll take care of that.”

“……Is there a way? Ha, damn it. I’m so pathetic. I’m just leaving everything to you and asking if there’s a way.”

“You’re doing everything you can in this situation.”

“…….”

“So, don’t make that face.”

“……Thanks, Joohan.”

Only silence flowed in the car.

Instead of answering, I offered him a cigarette.

I didn’t want to hear him say thank you already.

I will help him and do my best to prove his innocence, but that was the same in my previous life.

And in my previous life, I was of no help to him.

So, it’s too early to say thank you.

Dongjin went back to the hospital, saying he still had work to do, and I went straight home.

I thought about contacting Hanyoung Group right away, but soon stopped.

If I contacted them out of the blue as Dongjin’s representative and left a bad first impression, it would be troublesome.

Even while showering at home, and even while drinking beer afterward, I kept thinking about how to have a smooth conversation with Hanyoung Group.

To be honest, according to my personality, I would have just charged in.

But unfortunately, I knew too well about the elitist consciousness of the *chaebol* [large South Korean conglomerates].

They would be looking at Dongjin with the same perspective as executing a royal physician who failed to cure the crown prince’s illness.

In that situation, if someone like me charged in, arguing about the facts, the arrows would rather turn to Dongjin.

Late at night, I checked my phone briefly while lying in bed.

At 8:30, I received a KakaoTalk message from Kang Minjae.

[Kang Minjae: I don’t know if your friend’s case is going well. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know anytime. Please tell your friend to stay strong and have a good night. See you tomorrow.]

Kang Minjae.

Could he have connections with Hanyoung Group?

The next day, I went to the office early.

Since working with Kang Minjae, this is the first time I’ve waited for Kang Minjae to come to work like this.

I didn’t want to burden Kang Minjae if I could help it, but I had nothing to hide regarding this matter.

“Oh, you’re here early? Ah, the office manager said he’s stopping by the court.”

Almost as soon as it turned 9 o’clock, Kang Minjae pushed open the door and came in.

“I got your message. Anyway, Kang, let’s talk for a second.”

“Talk? About what?”

Was he eager to talk to me?

Kang Minjae was so excited that he forgot to put down his bag and came to my side.

“Put your bag down first.”

“Yes. But wait a minute. ……Why are you saying that so seriously? Am I getting fired?”

Hanging his coat on the hanger, Kang Minjae turned around and asked me.

“Should I fire you?”

“No?”

“It’s nothing like that. I have something to ask.”

“That’s a relief.”

Kang Minjae pretended to wipe his chest and came out to the veranda.

I roughly explained to him what had happened so far.

The story that Kim Sungwoo and Gu Sojeong are suspicious, and that there seemed to be a witness.

Since he wasn’t involved in this case from the beginning, there was no need to explain how I knew there was a witness.

“So, do you know anyone on the Hanyoung Group side?”

“Hanyoung Group? Hmm…….”

Kang Minjae crossed his arms and pondered.

Then, he began to carefully examine his phone’s phone book.

Looking at him pondering for a long time, it seems like he doesn’t have any close friends there.

“I recently changed my phone, so my phone book was initialized. I don’t remember well. Um, I’ll ask Soo-il *hyung* [older brother or male friend] if he knows anyone.”

“Soo-il *hyung*?”

“Ah, Chief Kang. That *hyung’s* name is Soo-il. Maybe he can connect through my grandfather.”

Kang Kwanwoong.

He helps me, but I don’t think he would do me a personal favor for such a private matter.

Of course, as a former president, he would naturally have acquaintances with the chairman of Hanyoung Group, but it doesn’t seem like it would be valid now, almost 20 years after his term ended.

Nevertheless, I didn’t say it was okay.

If there is a way, even if I have to pay Kang Kwanwoong separately later, saving Dongjin comes first.

Kang Minjae called Chief Kang right there.

He even turned it on speakerphone without me asking.

-Oh, Minjae.

“*Hyung*, are you busy right now?”

-No, I’m not busy. Why?

“Do you know anyone on the Hanyoung Group side?”

-Hanyoung Group?

Chief Kang paused for a moment and made a long humming sound as if he was thinking.

-I don’t know what’s going on, but do you need it for a case?

“Um, yes.”

Before I could say it was okay to answer no, Kang Minjae took the lead.

It was a lie that would be exposed anyway, but Kang Minjae seemed to think that he would find it more diligently if he said it was his own work.

-If it’s about a case, you have to solve it on your own. You said you wouldn’t ask your grandfather for help.

When Chief Kang scolded Kang Minjae, Kang Minjae drooped his shoulders.

“I said that with my own mouth, but the reason I’m asking you like this is because I can’t do it on my own.”

“Kang, it’s okay. I’ll talk.”

As the situation turned into Kang Minjae asking his grandfather for a case that he couldn’t solve on his own, I snatched the phone from him.

I turned off the speakerphone and put the phone to my ear.

-Are you Lawyer Cha?

“Chief Kang, how have you been?”

-Ah, yes. Of course. It’s been a while. But what’s going on all of a sudden?

“I needed to contact Hanyoung Group for personal reasons, so I asked Kang. It’s not like Kang is asking for help because he can’t solve the case.”

-Is that so. That guy, really.

Chief Kang chuckled.

-If you need someone to convey a message to Hanyoung Group, you don’t have to ask the elder.

“What do you mean?”

-You already know someone who has a connection with Hanyoung Group.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

-Haha. I’m talking about Lee Sehwa, the representative of the Free Justice Party. She’s close to the chairman of Hanyoung Group. I know Representative Lee Sehwa likes you very much, so I think you should ask her.

At Chief Kang’s words, I nodded.

It’s better this way.

It’s cleaner to ask Lee Sehwa and pay the price than to ask Kang Kwanwoong.

I hung up the phone and handed it to Kang Minjae.

“What did Soo-il *hyung* say?”

“He told me that there’s someone I know who’s close to the chairman of Hanyoung Group.”

“Really? Who is it?”

“There is. Someone whose calls I’ve ignored about 5 times.”

* * *

The reason I ignored Lee Sehwa’s calls was that about 2 times were not intentional and 3 times were intentional.

Even those 2 times, I checked and didn’t call back, so can I consider them intentional?

The reason why the Minwoo Party expelled Lee Jungchan was because Kang Jongmyung heard Lee Sehwa’s story.

And the story that Lee Sehwa told was a lie that Lee Jungchan’s recording would be released.

By now, Lee Sehwa would have already known that such a recording never existed in the first place.

Perhaps the five missed calls she left me were because of that.

“…….”

Lee Sehwa is someone who openly wants me, so she’s not a very comfortable person to talk to.

If Lee Sehwa was a lawyer, I might have been able to maintain a cooperative relationship, but she’s trying to bring me into politics.

But if it comes to this, there’s no way.

I called Lee Sehwa.

-Who is this. Isn’t it the expensive Lawyer Cha?

Lee Sehwa said, emphasizing the word ‘expensive’.

“How have you been?”

-How have I been? Kang Jongmyung is telling everyone that I’m a liar, I’m really going crazy.

As expected.

Anyway, if I want to achieve my goal, I have to take the blame.

“I’m sorry about that time.”

-There’s nothing to be sorry about. Well, I was happy that I could completely expel Representative Lee Jungchan. But I took all the blame instead?

“…….”

-Did you avoid my calls because you thought I would blame you? Cheaply?

“It’s not like that.”

It’s not that I don’t like being blamed, but I keep getting sales pitches from you, so it’s difficult and that’s why I avoided you.

-Then, why did Lawyer Cha, who kept avoiding my calls like that, call me first?

“I’d like to meet you and talk, can you spare some time?”

-Time, well. It’s not difficult to give it.

“Then please decide the time and place at your convenience and contact me.”

-What’s the matter?

She seemed unbearably happy with this situation where I asked to meet her first.

Her voice was mixed with laughter throughout the conversation.

She was clearly trying to tease me.

I sighed deeply and answered.

“I’ll tell you when we meet.”

-Okay. I’m so excited. What favor will Lawyer Cha ask me for?

With such quick wit, is that how she was able to stand tall in the political arena full of foxes?

I hung up the phone, leaving Lee Sehwa’s laughter behind.