You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 303

Although the sign for Ohsung Landscaping is prominently displayed on the main street, reaching the actual location requires driving deep into an unpaved road leading towards the mountains.

As is often the case with businesses located near mountain entrances, only the sign is prominently displayed like a beacon on the main street. Therefore, even if those tailing the car were to lose sight of it, they could still figure out its general destination.

The number of vehicles tailing them is currently estimated to be around three.

Including suspicious vehicles, it’s four.

There may be more unidentified vehicles, so generously estimating five or six, the number of people on their side would be between 20 and 24 at most.

It’s a large number, but still within the range that the private investigation agency employees stationed at Ohsung Landscaping can adequately handle.

Perhaps Cha Joo-han’s foresight has created an opportunity to embrace this risk.

Taeshik mentioned that one day, Cha Joo-han suddenly approached him and invested a large sum of money to expand the private investigation agency. Taeshik listened to him and diligently recruited trustworthy individuals to strengthen their ranks.

“If they were only planning to confirm the meter reader’s location and then leave, they wouldn’t follow us all the way into the alley leading to Ohsung Landscaping.”

It’s suspicious enough that there are multiple cars on this deserted road at night, but sticking so closely on this narrow, unpaved road is bound to raise suspicion.

“But I think there’s a slim chance of that. I think they’ll try to silence the meter reader today, even if it means killing several people.”

In the first place, if they were just planning to confirm the location and leave, they would have chosen to attach a GPS tracker rather than tailing them with multiple cars.

But they didn’t do that and chased after them with several vehicles.

It seems like they’re either trying to take the meter reader back with them no matter what, or they intend to take some kind of decisive action.

Yes, they’ll have to take that risk.

Because they’ve been constantly hinting that the meter reader will talk today.

They also mentioned that they obtained high-quality information while announcing the break [referring to a pause in their broadcast or activities].

Aside from all that, Kang Min-jae had already set things up so that they had no choice but to move today.

From the day Kang Min-jae appeared on Choi Jong-hyun and Jo Bong-joon’s Part 2 broadcast.

– Oh? Min-jae.

– You haven’t left yet?

– Ah, I’m just smoking a cigarette.

– Hey, how many have you smoked?

– What were you thinking so hard about? You don’t look good. The broadcast went well, though.

– That’s true, but… I’m just thinking a lot.

– How’s the meter reader doing?

– He’s just there.

– Is that bastard still keeping his mouth shut? …He hasn’t said anything?

By Kang Min-jae appearing on the two’s broadcast, the three became their targets.

Of course, even if Kang Min-jae hadn’t appeared on the broadcast, he was at the scene during the meter reader’s abduction and was working with Cha Joo-han, so it was natural for him to become a target. However, the two started being followed because the broadcast gave the impression that they were all in the same gang.

Of course, it was intentional.

The reason why they emphasized on the broadcast that the two had a very close relationship with Cha Joo-han was, firstly, because they couldn’t proceed with the story without talking about it, but secondly, it was to give the impression that they were all in the same gang.

The guys started tailing Jo Bong-joon and Choi Jong-hyun from the day the first broadcast aired.

And on the day the Part 2 broadcast aired, Kang Min-jae discovered the guys ambushing in the parking lot in front of the studio.

So he intentionally leaked information about the meter reader.

– He finally opened his mouth.

– He opened it?

– Yes. To be exact, he said he would open it. He said he would talk in front of me when I came. I haven’t fed him for days and haven’t let him sleep, so it’s understandable. He’d rather die. Why, they used to torture like that in the old days, they say.

– You’re cruel, you bastard. You should have just beaten him up.

– Then there would be traces left. It would be troublesome.

Kang Min-jae was planning to provide a fuse for those who were only tailing him and being cautious without taking any action.

It seemed that they had so much trust in their colleague, the meter reader, that they firmly believed he wouldn’t open his mouth.

– Then will they all come out like a string of candy [meaning one after another]?

– Probably. He’ll probably tell who the real culprit is. I think it’s a good idea to secure a confession video first. I’m going to take a camera and grill him properly.

– When are you going to go? Let’s go together. There might be something to secure for the broadcast.

– We should. It’s a bit difficult to move right now. I’m too noticeable because of your broadcasts… I’m going to stay quiet for now and then move, watching the atmosphere. The presidential election is in a week.

– Ah, that’s right. The presidential election.

– It’ll be easier to move when the attention is focused on that side during the election. Let’s move together on that day.

Kang Min-jae, who had been lost in thought for a moment, came to his senses at the sound of someone calling him.

“Hey, Min-jae.”

“Yes?”

“What were you thinking about that you didn’t answer when I called you?”

“Just thinking.”

“Aren’t you nervous?”

Choi Jong-hyun glanced at Kang Min-jae, who was unusually calm.

If Cha Joo-han had been next to him, and if this had been a plan devised by Cha Joo-han, Kang Min-jae would have been quite different.

He would have been fussing over Cha Joo-han, who was sitting there as if nothing was happening, saying, ‘Are you a robot?’

“I’m nervous.”

Kang Min-jae said, looking out the window.

“But I’m the leader now. I heard somewhere that the leader shouldn’t be nervous.”

“Leader? Hehe. Yeah, you’re the leader, for now.”

This plan came from Kang Min-jae’s head, and Choi Jong-hyun and Jo Bong-joon agreed to cooperate.

Kang Min-jae smiled slightly and called Taeshik.

And at the same time, Jo Bong-joon made a right turn towards the unpaved road leading to Ohsung Landscaping.

“Taeshik, we’re near the alley entering Ohsung Landscaping now.”

– I heard. They say there are about four or five of them?

As much as Kang Min-jae, Choi Jong-hyun, and Jo Bong-joon were directly luring them, they couldn’t help but have safety measures in place.

If they were being followed, one of the private investigation agency employees was driving a truck behind them, monitoring the guys who were tailing them.

It would be better if there were more people, but they couldn’t do that because they were concentrating as much manpower as possible at Ohsung Landscaping.

Still, he’s doing his job diligently on his own.

It seems he’s been reporting the movements of the cars in front in real-time to Taeshik, as Taeshik was well aware of the situation.

“Yes.”

– Are we going to see a lot of blood?

“We have to accept it. After all, wounds heal, right?”

– Oh, you’re a tough guy.

“Geez.”

– Should we expect about 20 people on their side?

“I can’t confirm if all those cars are filled with four people each. Well, they probably brought as many as they could since they don’t know how many we have.”

– Hmm, I’ve confirmed that there are two people in the back seat of two cars so far?

“Then we should expect about 20 people. That seems a bit more than the number of people in the photo found on the meter reader’s phone. They might have mobilized all their manpower.”

– I think we should prepare our tools and wait. You’ve entered the alley now, right?

“Yes.”

– Are they still following you?

Kang Min-jae glanced back.

Beyond the entrance to the alley, the car that had been persistently tailing them was seen passing straight by.

That means they’re not planning to engage in an all-out war right now.

Well, they’re not fools, and no matter how urgent they are, it would be crazy not to prepare for any eventuality.

On the map, this is the only way to get in and out of Ohsung Landscaping.

Of course, that’s just their delusion, but haven’t they come this far without being detected while being followed?

In that situation, they would have been worried that Kang Min-jae would cancel all his plans and smuggle the meter reader away if they were too hasty and followed right away.

“They’re not following us. But once we arrive at Ohsung Landscaping, they’ll slowly come in.”

– Okay, I understand. Let’s see when you get here.

Kang Min-jae hung up the phone and looked back once more.

There are still no cars following.

If Kang Min-jae’s prediction is correct, they will probably enter here in a line within 15 minutes at the latest.

If it takes longer than that, it’s enough time to smuggle the meter reader away if they’ve already noticed the tail, and even if they haven’t noticed, it might be after filming a video of the meter reader confessing.

The moment they fell into Kang Min-jae’s trap, it became a foregone conclusion that they would try to silence the meter reader at all costs.

They will prioritize stopping the meter reader from talking, no matter what the cost.

Because they’ll think it’s all over if the meter reader opens his mouth.

“Guys, drop me off here and go to the back. There’s a way out in the back. Go back the way you came.”

“…What about you?”

“I have to stay here.”

“Hey, even if you came up with the plan, it doesn’t mean you have to be here.”

“Yeah, it’s dangerous. Come with us. You’ve lured them enough. Leave it to Taeshik and his guys.”

But Kang Min-jae shook his head.

He doesn’t know when and how he’ll have to take immediate action, and he can’t leave all those decisions to Taeshik.

As much as he designed it with a big risk, if a small mistake occurs and ruins the plan, he has to bear the full risk.

Kang Min-jae looked at his watch.

Already 5 minutes have passed.

There’s no knowing when they’ll come crashing in.

“Stop the car quickly.”

“No way. We’re going as we are.”

The two didn’t seem to have any intention of dropping Kang Min-jae off.

He can’t waste time with this bickering.

Kang Min-jae opened the moving car door and jumped out.

“Hey, you crazy bastard!”

Choi Jong-hyun shouted, opening the window, and Kang Min-jae kicked the trunk and said.

“Go, quickly!”

They must have thought they had no choice, and eventually the car moved towards the road in the back.

Of course, Choi Jong-hyun stuck his head out the window and cursed until the car disappeared.

Kang Min-jae, after confirming that they had safely entered the back road, ran into the Ohsung Landscaping building.

“Oh, Attorney Kang. Where are the other hyungs [a Korean term for older brothers or respected male figures]?”

“I sent them home. I thought it would be dangerous.”

Kang Min-jae replied nonchalantly and put on the bulletproof vest in the office.

“But isn’t the bulletproof vest a bit much?”

Taeshik asked leisurely, watching him, and Kang Min-jae shook his head.

“They definitely brought guns. You and the other employees are wearing them too, right?”

“We’re wearing them. Attorney Kang kept telling us to wear them.”

He doesn’t just seem like a gangster who handles the work of rich guys for money.

The way he handles things is like that too.

He smells like a professional.

Lee Jung-chan’s case had some slip-ups, but if there hadn’t been the condition that Cha Joo-han had to be framed, he would have killed him cleanly without anyone noticing.

Above all, the fact that Taeshik couldn’t even find out his name, let alone his location, even though he had been searching for the ‘shoulder-to-shoulder guy’ with a composite sketch for a long time, says it all.

Above all, Cha Joo-han’s attitude was also quite different.

Even though they seem like thugs who provide manpower, he acted as if he was dealing with guys who use their heads quite well.

“When the guys come in, we have to secure the ‘shoulder-to-shoulder guy’ first. He’ll probably make the underlings fight and try to find the meter reader himself.”

Kang Min-jae said, putting a hoodie over the bulletproof vest.

He deliberately came wearing sporty clothes to make it easier to move.

Taeshik nodded heavily.

“The kids are guarding the meter reader now. I’ve put the strongest guys among our kids there, so don’t worry. Ah, but we’re not allowed to strike first, right? We could just run them all over with the car and it would be over. Then we could just find the shoulder-to-shoulder bastard among the crushed guys and keep him alive.”

“No. Only if they attack first.”

Today, Kang Min-jae’s goal is to secure the ‘shoulder-to-shoulder guy’.

According to Cha Joo-han, the ‘shoulder-to-shoulder guy’, whose location and identity have not been secured even with a composite sketch, will never be caught even if the vagrant’s statement is accepted and a wanted order is issued.

He also said that if he’s only satisfied with putting the meter reader in, that guy might come to kill him.

He said it like a joke, but there was sincerity in his words.

To prevent that from happening, he has to catch that guy along with the meter reader, and the only way to do that is to lure him in and catch him.

“A preemptive strike is essential, but if we can’t strike first, we might lose.”

“We have to make sure we don’t lose.”

A good way to do this is to get hit first, fight back, and secretly report it to the police so they show up.

Then the police will arrest the guys, and of course, they will be taken into custody as well, but if they emphasize that they are victims, there will be no problem.

But the biggest reason why they can’t use that method now is that they kidnapped the meter reader.

The meter reader still hasn’t opened his mouth.

As Taeshik said, he really hasn’t said a word to the point where he wants to torture him.

It seemed like he was planning to hold out until the end.

If that’s the case, if he’s caught by the police alongside the shoulder-to-shoulder guy, he’ll obviously focus on emphasizing his victimhood and try to make Kang Min-jae his cellmate.

“They’re coming.”

It was then.

Headlights were shining on the dark unpaved road.

Along with the sound of gravel rolling, there was a tearing friction sound.

Screech-

Several sedans quickly stopped in the empty lot in front of Ohsung Landscaping.

“Damn, it’s been a while since I’ve loosened up my hands.”

Taeshik tilted his head from side to side.