You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 288

You Have Been Defended – Episode 288

Do I know that man?

I do.

But not exactly, I don’t.

I know that man killed me, but I don’t know his name, age, or any information about his identity.

“…….”

I didn’t answer for a moment.

Using information from my previous life to handle matters in this life is something I’ve often done, but I was still cautious about speaking up.

When using information from my previous life, I’ve always tried to adjust the level so that it wouldn’t seem strange for me to know that information.

Of course, when I confronted Choi Jong-hyun to prevent Kim Jung-woo’s death, it was an urgent situation, so I took some risks, but I managed to get through it by explaining that I had obtained the information in advance and that the situation was inferable.

But about that man, even if I could say I’ve seen him before, I can’t explain the exact reason why I pointed out that he killed Lee Jung-chan.

“Is it difficult for you to say? Or do you not know?”

When I closed my mouth, Kang Min-jae asked cautiously.

Wouldn’t it be funny to say I don’t know?

The moment I saw that man’s face, I couldn’t breathe.

Of course, panic attack symptoms come on suddenly, so I could deny that it was because I saw that man’s face, but anyway, wasn’t I the one who identified that man as the culprit?

I don’t regret pointing him out.

I had to point him out.

In a situation where it was clear that man killed Lee Jung-chan, I couldn’t delay the investigation by hiding crucial information just because it was difficult to explain.

“I don’t know that person.”

I shook my now-recovered hand and drank some more water.

Still, it would be best to make excuses as much as possible.

“When I was looking into Wooshin before working with Attorney Kang, I saw him then.”

“So you have evidence that he is definitely related to Wooshin?”

Kang Min-jae asked, his face brightening.

If that were the case, the moment they caught evidence that that man killed Lee Jung-chan, it would be possible to tie it to Wooshin [a large corporation].

So why wouldn’t he be happy?

I wish that were the case too, but unfortunately, there is no such evidence.

This is just the victim’s, no, the position of someone claiming to be a victim, which only I know, so to speak objectively, it’s a situation where there’s only someone claiming damages.

That bastard killed me.

But there’s no way there would be evidence.

I’m alive like this now.

“That’s not it.”

“……Attorney. Please tell me honestly. Don’t you trust me?”

Kang Min-jae asked with a sigh.

It wasn’t that I didn’t expect to be misunderstood like this, but I still didn’t feel good about it.

“No. It’s not that……. There was someone who died while investigating Wooshin’s corruption before. That bastard killed that person.”

“Who was it?”

“If you keep asking like that, I won’t want to talk.”

“……I’m sorry.”

“Ha, there’s no need to be sorry……. I’ll talk about this when it becomes a little more certain. Anyway, that bastard killed that person. That’s for sure.”

Because that person is me, I know best.

I finished speaking without saying the most important thing.

“But wasn’t there an investigation then?”

I went back to 10 years ago as soon as I died, and I don’t know how that world turned out after I disappeared.

Of course, I’ve imagined it.

At that time, I was supposed to attend Hwang Young-chan’s confirmation hearing for the Prosecutor General and expose Hwang Young-chan’s corruption and their collusion.

But on that day, I didn’t show up at the hearing, so there must have been people who felt strange.

As a result, a search would have begun, but my body was put in a drum, buried in cement, and thrown into the sea, so it wouldn’t have been found.

In that situation, the prosecution, where I disappeared, would have become Hwang Young-chan’s world, so the investigation into my disappearance would have ended there.

They would have wasted time and eventually presumed me dead.

Even if there were people who tried to investigate, they would have given up because all the clues had disappeared.

The man who killed me, of course, would not have come to the surface.

He would have been recognized as an even more loyal dog of Wooshin for killing the annoying Third Deputy.

“The investigation couldn’t proceed.”

“……Is that related to why you left the prosecution?”

I nodded heavily.

“Then if we catch that man, we can hold him responsible for killing that person back then.”

Kang Min-jae said, clenching his fist as if he had made a firm decision.

That’s unlikely, but if we catch that bastard, at least one of the people who died like me might be saved.

Of course, even if that bastard disappears, Wooshin will find another replacement, but it won’t be easy for Wooshin, who is careful in selecting people, to find someone that trustworthy again.

“Anyway, if that bastard is that kind of person, the meticulousness that the meter reader showed might be the result of being trained by that bastard.”

Kang Min-jae, who would have grilled me every time I showed an uneasy attitude, changed the subject appropriately, perhaps because of the seizure I had just had.

“The person Sang-gil met at the reservoir, the one who said he saw the men in suits.”

“Ah, yes.”

“First of all, since that person is the only one who witnessed something at that time, tell him to identify this bastard’s face.”

“Okay. Come to think of it, Sang-gil said he was going to meet that person today and ask if he saw the meter reader.”

The reason why Sang-gil was trying to confirm whether he saw the meter reader with the person he met was because of a possible chance.

At that time, before seeing the photo in the meter reader’s phone, I thought that the meter reader who brought the weapon to my house might be the culprit.

But as it stands, it has become more urgent to confirm whether he saw the man in the photo than to confirm whether he saw the meter reader.

“I’ll call him.”

* * *

“Hyung [Korean honorific for older brother or male friend], I’m a bit tired, when are you going to finish?”

Sang-gil, who had been dozing off in front of the fishing rod, shuddered and woke up.

In fact, he had wanted to go home for several hours.

He had already achieved his purpose by hearing testimony that he had seen the meter reader, hadn’t he? But he couldn’t stand continuing this boring and tedious fishing.

However, discovering Life Betting is the best achievement Sang-gil has made in this case.

If Life Betting doesn’t want to be with him because he finds fishing with him boring, or if he gets upset, he won’t be able to dig up information in the future, and naturally, his achievements will disappear.

So he can’t help but keep hanging out like this…….

“Shall we call it a day then?”

Life Betting asked, stretching.

Just as he was about to nod vigorously, Sang-gil’s phone started vibrating.

“Oh, Hyung. I’ll take this call.”

Sang-gil went to a distance where Life Betting couldn’t hear him before answering the phone.

It was Kang Min-jae.

-Sang-gil. Where are you now?

“I’m at Hwagun Reservoir. Haaahm. I’m so sleepy, really. I’m about to go home now.”

-Did you confirm if he saw the meter reader’s face?

“Yes. I sent a text to Hyung Tae-shik, didn’t I? Haven’t you received a reply yet? He said he saw the meter reader’s face.”

-He saw the meter reader’s face? Really?

“Yes. He saw him around 10 PM that night, and he was fishing not far from this ahjussi [term for middle-aged man]. But he said he was with some rough-looking people.”

“……He was fishing? At 10 PM at night?”

“Yes.”

-Crazy……. Wait a minute, Sang-gil. Don’t hang up.

Kang Min-jae seemed to be talking to Cha Joo-han next to him for a while, then answered the phone again.

“I really want to go home, *shibaal* [Korean curse word]. I’m so sleepy.”

-No can do.

Kang Min-jae responded firmly to the words he threw out to see if he could complain.

“Ah, why! I did everything you asked!”

-I think you need to confirm one more person. I just sent you a photo in a message. Can you check if this person saw him too? It’s a group photo, so ask if anyone there has seen anyone. And the person who is shoulder to shoulder with the meter reader must! Definitely! Confirm it.”

“……Ha, I understand.”

-How long will it take?

“I don’t know. I’ll text you as soon as I confirm. Since it seems urgent, I’ll send ‘O’ if he saw him, and ‘N’ if he didn’t.”

-Okay. I’ll be waiting without sleeping, so contact me as soon as you confirm.”

Sang-gil drooped his shoulders as he hung up the phone.

He was finally about to go home, but he was stuck here again.

He walked weakly towards Life Betting.

Life Betting was already putting away his fishing rod as if he was preparing to go home.

Sang-gil knew why, but he pretended not to know and asked.

“Oh, Hyung. Why are you putting away the fishing rod?”

“You said you were tired?”

“Ah, I was just saying. Let’s stay a little longer.”

“Really? Okay.”

Sang-gil said with a smile, but he was shedding tears of blood in his heart.

About 30 minutes passed as he sat back in his chair.

During that time, Life Betting showed him 20 photos of his daughter and wife, and Sang-gil repeatedly gave insincere compliments to please him.

It seems like it’s okay to ask now.

He looked around and then slyly took out his phone.

“Hyung. I’m sorry, but can I ask you just one more thing?”

“What is it?”

“No, that reporter hyung. Ah, I’m so annoyed, really. I sent him the message that you confirmed earlier, and it seems like he just checked it now. He keeps sending me messages asking me to ask just one more thing…….”

“Was that what the phone call was about earlier?”

At Life Betting’s question, Sang-gil nodded with a tearful face.

“Ha, I don’t want to keep bothering you and making you uncomfortable, but that hyung is asking me too much…….”

“Okay, then. It’s not difficult.”

Sang-gil displayed the photo he received from Kang Min-jae on the screen as if he had been waiting for it.

“This person. This person is the one, the one you said was with rough-looking people in the photo I showed you earlier.”

“Yeah.”

“There’s a high probability that he was with him. Even if not, please check if you’ve seen him even just passing by…….”

“Hmm…….”

Life Betting zoomed in on the photo and stared at it for a long time.

Sang-gil waited for Life Betting’s answer with sweaty hands.

Life Betting tilted his head repeatedly and soon handed the phone back to Sang-gil.