You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 248

You Have Been Defended – Episode 248

It was all lies.

There was no one trying to tell the truth, and I was getting sick of it.

But the guards’ lies weren’t entirely without benefit.

“I see. So there wasn’t.”

“…….”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

[Lie]

There were four guards, and they took turns denying my questions as if they had rehearsed it.

The fact of Seol Hyeong-seok’s illness was a secret known only to them until an insider at the hospital spoke up.

If Executive Director Seol Hyeong-seok, the de facto commander of Hanyoung Electronics, were to die, it was feared that the company would be shaken.

There was no way they would have chosen untrustworthy people to guard Seol Hyeong-seok’s hospital room.

But if they all lied as if they had rehearsed it, there was a high probability that they had been instructed by someone.

If so, who could have given them such instructions?

“Then let’s move on to another question. Have you ever had a private conversation with Dr. Kim Seong-woo of the Department of Neurosurgery at Myeongdae Hospital?”

The guards looked bewildered at my words.

Was that acting too?

“No, I haven’t.”

[Truth]

“What about the people next to you?”

“I haven’t either.”

[Truth]

All the guards have never had a separate conversation with Kim Seong-woo.

The fact that there was someone who overheard the conversation about cephalosporin injections has already been confirmed.

Goo So-jeong and Kim Seong-woo are trying to hide the existence of that person, and so are the guards.

But the guards have never had a private conversation with Kim Seong-woo.

Then the person who instigated the guards is not Kim Seong-woo, but a third party.

It was expected, but it was a bit surprising.

From the beginning, Kim Seong-woo was the most likely suspect, so I asked Kim Seong-woo’s name, but I didn’t think Kim Seong-woo had the ability to make them hide the truth.

The title of the son of the director of a large hospital is only great within that hospital.

Unlike general hospitals, Kim Seong-woo’s father has to leave the hospital when his term expires.

Besides, it is true that his family is wealthy, but that doesn’t mean he can bribe the guards hired by the chaebol [family-owned conglomerate] family.

Then who is this third person?

Who silenced them?

For now, I can only think of someone inside the Hanyoung Group.

“Lawyer Cha, do you have any idea?”

Chief Secretary Bae, who was listening to the questions and answers, turned to me and asked.

I was lost in thought for a moment, and it seemed like I had come to some conclusion.

“No. I was thinking about the names of the neurosurgery medical staff.”

Whoever silenced them, the things I asked would likely get into Kim Seong-woo’s ears.

If it becomes known that I only asked about Kim Seong-woo, he will start to suspect me unless he is an idiot.

I need to put up a smokescreen.

And check it out.

“Then, have you ever had a private conversation with Dr. Joo Yoon-kyung of the Department of Neurosurgery at Myeongdae Hospital?”

I asked about all the doctors and nurses in the Department of Neurosurgery, checking whether they had any personal contact with the guards one by one.

None of the neurosurgery medical staff had any personal contact with them.

Of course, neither did Goo So-jeong.

“Next question.”

The person who made the guards lie, that is, the person who knows that a witness exists and does not want it to be revealed to the world.

Maybe the witness.

I have to identify that person.

“From the time the incident occurred until you came here to meet me, have you ever shared, reported, or asked for opinions from anyone about the content of the conversation you will have with me today?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“I haven’t either.”

[Lie]

It is obvious that the person who received the report from them before coming here is the person who ordered them to conceal it.

But the problem is that it is difficult to identify who that person is with the clues I have now.

According to Lee Se-hwa, she had a private meeting with Chairman Seol and brought up Dongjin’s story.

And Chairman Seol called Chief Secretary Bae on the spot and ordered him to help me.

Chairman Seol instructed Chief Secretary Bae not to tell anyone else and to call the guards.

But the fact that the guards contacted someone in advance means that the word was leaked somewhere, and there is someone who silenced the guards before that.

“Chief Secretary, I think I’ve asked enough.”

“All four of you may leave now.”

At Chief Secretary Bae’s words, the guards bowed their heads and left the room.

Only after hearing the sound of the door closing did Chief Secretary Bae open his mouth.

“I don’t think it was a very sufficient questioning to confirm the facts. Was it enough?”

Chief Secretary Bae asked me.

If I didn’t have the ability, the question itself was weak.

“May I ask you a few questions, Chief Secretary?”

“To me?”

“Yes.”

“Go ahead.”

He didn’t seem very surprised that the focus was suddenly on him.

Instead, he leisurely drank his tea and waited for my question.

“Do you think the truth of this case must be revealed, Chief Secretary?”

“Of course.”

[Truth]

“Even if it was the work of someone inside the Hanyoung Group?”

Chief Secretary Bae was lost in thought for a moment, but it didn’t last long.

“Of course.”

[Truth]

Chief Secretary Bae is one of Chairman Seol’s closest aides.

Chairman Seol ordered him to introduce the guards to me without telling anyone, so Chief Secretary Bae is also someone Chairman Seol trusts a lot.

At least I can trust him in this matter.

“The guards are lying now. As I said before, I don’t know who it is, but there was definitely someone who overheard the conversation between Yang Dong-jin and Goo So-jeong in the hospital room. Nevertheless, the guards kept denying it.”

“……Lawyer Cha, are you saying that someone instigated the guards to lie?”

“That’s right.”

“And that it was the work of someone inside our Hanyoung Group?”

“I think there’s a high probability of that. I heard the story from CEO Lee Se-hwa, and Chairman Seol and Chief Secretary Bae are the only ones who know about this. CEO Lee Se-hwa and Chairman Seol met yesterday, and it’s only been a day. The word was leaked somewhere in that one day. I don’t think anyone other than someone inside the Hanyoung Group could do this.”

“That makes sense. ……Ha, I thought it was just a mistake made by the medical staff, but suddenly the possibility that it could be a conspiracy is opening up, so I’m quite embarrassed.”

“Do you have any idea?”

“……Well. I didn’t give the guards any advance notice and called them in today, so I don’t think those people knew in advance and reported it, ha, this. The word was leaked……. It’s a story that only CEO Lee and I heard in the chairman’s private reception room. The chairman wouldn’t have told his wife either. I’m sure of that. And the reason I came to meet Lawyer Cha in person like this was to prevent the word from leaking elsewhere.”

[Truth]

No one said anything, but someone knew that the guards would be questioned today and prepared in advance?

No matter how I think about it, there is only one way.

“Someone overheard……. Ah, is there any possibility of wiretapping?”

“……Wiretapping?”

“I don’t know if I’ve watched too many movies, but there are often such things, aren’t there?”

Actually, it’s not something I saw in a movie, but an actual incident that happened in my previous life.

It wasn’t known to the public, but as a result of the prosecution’s search, a wiretapping device was found in the chairman’s study.

“I don’t think there’s no possibility. Let’s check it out.”

“I have one more request.”

“Tell me.”

“I would like to ask if it is possible to find out the guards’ movements from the time of the conversation between Chairman Seol and CEO Lee Se-hwa yesterday until now.”

“Are you asking me to check who they contacted?”

“That’s right.”

“Okay. I’ll contact you after I check.”

Until he met me today, Chief Secretary Bae would have thought that the reason Seol Hyeong-seok became a vegetable was simply due to a communication error between the attending physician and the nurse.

Also, even when he heard that there was a witness, he would have thought that it was a simple problem of identifying the witness and finding out whose mistake it was.

This case started as a conspiracy by someone from the beginning for me, but not for him.

But he quickly grasped the situation with a few words from me.

He said he was embarrassed, but he didn’t panic much.

He is a very smart and quick-witted person.

“I’ll wait for your call.”

I bowed lightly and left the room.

The guards only lied, but the gains weren’t bad.

It was confirmed that there was another accomplice besides Kim Seong-woo and Goo So-jeong in this case.

If Kim Seong-woo’s accomplice or accessory is someone inside the Hanyoung Group, it should be seen that the two people’s needs matched and created this situation.

It is because too many people were mobilized to say that it was simply an incident caused by Kim Seong-woo to bring down Dongjin, and this is beyond Kim Seong-woo’s ability.

Therefore, it seems more correct to say that Kim Seong-woo is helping him.

And Kim Seong-woo took the benefit of Dongjin’s downfall as a bonus.

Then what does the insider of the Hanyoung Group want?

……Maybe it’s Seol Hyeong-seok’s death.

* * *

When I returned to the office, Kang Min-jae and Secretary Oh were not there.

It seemed like they were on a business trip.

Since I don’t take on cases directly, the two people’s business trips have become more frequent.

I sat on the sofa thinking of taking a nap because I was tired, but suddenly my cell phone rang.

The caller was Sang-gil.

-Lawyer!

“What’s wrong?”

-Kim Seong-woo suddenly received a call during his rounds and went somewhere! So I’m following him now!

“He went somewhere in a hurry?”

About 30 minutes have passed since I parted ways with Chief Secretary Bae.

After the guards confronted me, they reported to someone who instigated them, and that someone may have called Kim Seong-woo.

-Yes! He ran like crazy, asked the nurse to cancel today’s outpatient visit, and left?

“Is that so?”

-I’m following Kim Seong-woo’s car for now. I have a feeling. I have a very strong feeling! How many years have I been doing this? It smells fishy!

“Can you check who he’s meeting?”

-Of course! Just leave it to me! I’ll take a picture and send it to you!

“Okay. Thanks for your hard work.”

I didn’t expect the reaction to come so quickly.

Perhaps Chairman Seol and Chief Secretary Bae are rolling up their sleeves and starting to investigate, so he has become anxious.

If it’s really wiretapping, Kim Seong-woo will also know that Lee Se-hwa asked Chairman Seol to introduce me to him.

He may already know.

Then I should stop approaching Kim Seong-woo as if he were an ally.

“……Who is he meeting?”

I stared at my cell phone, waiting for Sang-gil’s call.

About 30 minutes passed.

A text message arrived.

[Color Mail]

It’s a text message with a picture.

It seems like he’s taking a picture of the person Kim Seong-woo met and sending it, but the reception is quite slow.

What can I expect from the communication situation in 2011…….

Beeeee-

At that time, the cell phone started ringing.

I was receiving an important text message, so I was going to skip it if possible, but the caller was Chief Secretary Bae.

I didn’t expect him to call so quickly, so I answered the phone right away.

-This is Chief Secretary Bae.

“Have you confirmed the part I asked you for?”

-……Um, I wanted to ask you one thing before that.

“Tell me.”

-Does Lawyer Cha think that the person who ordered the guards to lie was the witness in that hospital room?

“I think there’s a high possibility. And even if he’s not a witness, I think he’s at least an accessory.”

-I see.

“If there is someone who needs to hide the fact that a witness exists, there are only two reasons, right? Either he is trying to hide that he is a witness, or, as you said, he is trying to hide the truth of the incident. Anyway, it has become clear that there is someone who is trying to conceal the truth, and that proves that this incident is not simply an incident caused by a communication error between Yang Dong-jin and Goo So-jeong. Frankly speaking, isn’t it okay as long as the Hanyoung Group properly punishes whoever is responsible?”

-So, are you saying that the attending physician and the nurse did not unintentionally make a mistake, but that one of the two deliberately made Director Seol like that and covered it up?

“Yes. The two of them are not in a position to wiretap Chairman Seol’s reception room and bribe the guards just to cover up their mistakes. It is clear that they are receiving support from someone who can at least wiretap the chairman and bribe the guards, and the person who supported them must have also gained something from this incident.”

-I see. ……Okay. I’ll contact you again as soon as the information is confirmed.”

After the call ended, the cell phone screen changed back to the text message inbox that had arrived from Sang-gil.

The picture Sang-gil sent was indeed a picture of Kim Seong-woo with a man.

‘Who is it?’

I downloaded and enlarged the picture.

And soon, I was able to remember where I had seen the man in the picture.

While investigating Seol Hyeong-seok, I had checked the Hanyoung Group’s direct family photos.

It’s a face I saw there.

“Seol Hyo-seok…….”

He is Seol Hyeong-seok’s older brother and Chairman Seol’s eldest son.