You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 327

“Wow, this flower wreath list is insane.”

The prosecutors gathered in the smoking area were clustered around one person, looking at a photo taken on a cell phone.

“Kang Kwan-woong, sure, because he’s Kang Min-jae’s grandfather, but why did our chief send one too?”

“Cha Ju-han was Chief Park’s direct subordinate when he was in the Western District Prosecutor’s Office. And there was talk that he got the source from Cha Ju-han for the Myunghwa Pharmaceutical case recently. That’s why Cha Ju-han participated in the investigation.”

“Oh, right. He’s more noticeable out there than when he was in the prosecutor’s office. Being a lawyer must suit him.”

“But isn’t it kind of funny? He acts like he’s not interested in any of that, but when you look, he’s on all sorts of broadcasts. He’s on the news, and that SBC [a South Korean broadcasting company] thing, whatever it is, anyway, he’s on that program too. They even made a special broadcast about him, right?”

“It’s hilarious, really.”
The prosecutor holding the cell phone scoffed.

That day, Chief Prosecutor Park Young-gi went to Cha Ju-han’s law firm opening, and I followed along to make an impression, but honestly, all I could say was that it was quite a sight.

It’s funny that they rented the entire floor even though it’s just an office started by two lawyers, and it seems like they spent a lot of money on the interior. I wondered what they would do if they couldn’t handle the maintenance costs.

You could feel the money plastered all over the floor material, wallpaper, office furniture, and even the nameplates.

It wasn’t so much a feeling that they were openly throwing money around, but more like, ‘This is pretty,’ and then you look at the price tag and your jaw drops.

He pretends he doesn’t like attention, but he’s having an opening ceremony even though it’s just a two-person law firm, and inviting the chief prosecutor. It’s obvious he wants to bring a bunch of prosecutors with him, isn’t it?

A person who hasn’t contacted prosecutors properly since becoming a lawyer, and who even targeted his own family from his first case, trying to gather prosecutors is obviously to show off.

Rumors are already spreading that Cha Ju-han has become a multi-billionaire through not only retainer fees but also all sorts of investments.

When you look at it, he seems to be doing everything that nouveau riche [newly rich] people do.

Even if he was disliked by the prosecution, maybe he wanted to show off that ‘I’m doing well and living well’.

“Wow, isn’t that Lee Se-hwa’s flower wreath?”
The prosecutor who was flipping through the photos said, zooming in on the name part.

“Looks like the rumor that Lee Se-hwa has her eye on Cha Ju-han is true. She even sent a flower wreath.”

“Kang Kwan-woong raised Lee Se-hwa, so he probably told her to send a flower wreath to boost his grandson’s prestige.”

“Even so, would someone who’s going to have an inauguration ceremony send a flower wreath just anywhere?”

“The chief prosecutor is in luck too. Kang Kwan-woong’s most cherished disciple is the chief prosecutor, right? But if Lee Se-hwa is elected, is the Prosecutor General position a done deal?”

“You never know. Looks like we need to get in line carefully, too.”

“The president is going to leave anyway. In five years, there will be another president, so why bother standing in line thinking about that? Are you only going to be a prosecutor for five years?”

“That’s not it, but…….”
When one of the prosecutors trailed off, the others all ruffled their hair as if they were complicated.

Even when he was in the Western District Prosecutor’s Office, and even before that, Park Young-gi was an inconspicuous person.

I had heard from the directors who had attended the training institute or school with him that Kang Kwan-woong cherished him the most, but Kang Kwan-woong had been living quietly since his retirement, and Park Young-gi hadn’t shown much presence either.

So, when Park Young-gi suddenly came to the Central District Prosecutor’s Office as the 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor, weren’t we shocked?

Still, they say he’s a good person, and that he’s not greedy, so I thought it was fortunate, but after Lee Se-hwa was elected, I started to feel uneasy.

I was wondering if I should get in line on this side.

Especially for those for whom the next five years are important.

In fact, no one paid attention to the quiet Park Young-gi, who would attend alumni gatherings, take a few sips of champagne with a few classmates, and then disappear.

In fact, there are a few people who didn’t bother with Park Young-gi when they went to visit other seniors at alumni gatherings and bowed [a sign of respect in Korean culture].

“Wow, what’s up with the Hanyoung Group flower wreath? It’s not from a subsidiary representative, but from Chairman Seol Jung-joon. That’s insane.”

“Wow, really. What’s his connection with Seol Jung-joon?”

“You know, that thing where the eldest son of Hanyoung Group tried to kill the second son and it became a mess.”

“Ah, that? Why is that again?”

“That’s when he first appeared on SBC, wasn’t it? Originally, it was a problem with a doctor’s prescription error, but the doctor happened to be Cha Ju-han’s friend. So Cha Ju-han helped him, but it turned out that the doctor was not at fault, and the eldest son of Hanyoung Group, the nurse, and the doctor conspired to kill the second son.”

“Ah, he sent a flower wreath out of gratitude for finding the real culprit who tried to kill the second son?”

“I guess so.”

“But isn’t it funny? The real culprit is his eldest son. The second son is already in a vegetative state, and the eldest son went to jail because of Cha Ju-han. The 2nd generation management went down the drain in an instant, but what is he grateful for that he even sent a flower wreath?”

“I don’t know. Still, maybe he’s grateful that he found out that his son, whom he thought was a good son, was a demon who devoured his brothers. Cha Ju-han must have talked a good game. Ha, whatever the case, Cha Ju-han is really funny. He’s secretly good at getting close to powerful people, isn’t he?”
The place, which started with the intention of looking at Cha Ju-han’s fancy opening flower wreath list, had already turned into a Cha Ju-han gossip session.

“Both the chief prosecutor and Cha Ju-han, it seems like quiet people are suddenly standing out.”

“Hey, you don’t know because you weren’t there, but Cha Ju-han was very noticeable even when he was a prosecutor. You must not know because you came from somewhere else.”

“Really? What was he like? Was he that outstanding?”

“He’s a machine, a machine. He’s terribly rude, but he does his work like a machine. His accuracy is good, and his speed is good too. That’s why the directors who had Cha Ju-han liked him a lot. Then he went into Director Hwang’s arms and couldn’t come out again until he opened his business.”

“Director Hwang, is that Director Hwang Young-chan?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, don’t even mention it. I was in the Criminal Division 3. Director Hwang was very protective. I heard them talking when the directors were together, and Hwang Young-chan blocked all the criticism about Cha Ju-han’s rudeness. I thought he was trying hard.”

“Does he protect him that much just because he’s good at his job?”

“Cha Ju-han does the work of a hundred people, so if you have Cha Ju-han with you, all the results are yours. He was trying hard not to be taken away by other departments. Especially since the Special Investigation Department is the flower of prosecutors, how many prosecutors want to do that once. If Cha Ju-han said he was going, the Special Investigation Department would have accepted him with gratitude. So, he tried to win him over with all sorts of sweet words so that Cha Ju-han wouldn’t say he was going to the Special Investigation Department. Hwang was pathetic too. He must have been holding back and enduring, suppressing his anger at having to serve an unlucky junior like a master.”

“Friends, aren’t you working?”
A pleasant voice was heard from behind.

When the prosecutors turned their heads, Lee Ye-jin was standing in front of them, holding a paper cup with traces of chewing.

“I know it’s really fun to talk about others, but you have to work. That’s how even if you’re rude like Cha Ju-han, the directors will like you. Right, Jin Pro?”

“……Ah, yes. Prosecutor.”

“Okay, break it up. Go quickly!”
Lee Ye-jin pushed her way through the group of prosecutors, waving her arms from side to side.

Then the prosecutors scattered, watching her.

“Ugh, where are those son of a bitches looking at other people’s flaws like that? They want to die.”

When the investigator added a word, Lee Ye-jin put her arm around her shoulder and smiled.

“Let’s go to work too!”
The two disappeared with energetic steps, and it became quiet in an instant.

When the pouring spring sunlight shattered through the lush green leaves, a man sitting in the shade, quietly smoking a cigarette, scraped the cigarette against the wisteria pillar for a long time.

“Those bastards…….”
Hwang Young-chan ground his teeth.

* * *

“My ears are itchy.”
I picked at my ear with my pinky finger.

Then Kang Min-jae, who was eating a peppermint candy, chuckled and said.

“Someone must be gossiping about you, Lawyer.”

“I wish they would, really.”
I wiped my hands with a wet wipe and went outside the store.

The moved office was not far from the previous one, so the restaurants I frequented were the same.

Of course, Kang Min-jae, having come out to the main street, was burning with enthusiasm to explore the new restaurants across the street.

“But it definitely feels a bit awkward since the office changed. I was sitting alone earlier, and I felt lonely.”
When Secretary Oh threw a joke, Kang Min-jae, as if he had been waiting, clung to Secretary Oh, massaging her shoulders and saying.

“Right. I cried alone in my room earlier too. Secretary, can’t you work with me? There’s a spare desk in your room anyway.”

“There’s a lot of stuff there.”

“I have nothing to do, so I can clean it up. I’ll do it. Should I stop by the stationery store on the way and buy label paper? Let’s clean up together.”

“Oh, no. I can do it alone, you know.”

“No. I really have nothing to do. I’m tired of phone games too.”
With the help of the National Intelligence Service, we opened a website and updated the office address and phone number on the internet.

Thanks to that, we received inquiries from a few places, but they were not at a level that we could review yet, so Secretary Oh was just giving appropriate consultations.

“I used to worry every day about not getting new cases, but suddenly I’m reminded of that time.”
Kang Min-jae said, entering the office.
While Secretary Oh was turning on the phone, which had been temporarily set to the lunch break announcement, Kang Min-jae quickly went into Secretary Oh’s room and began exploring where to put his seat.

“Oh? There’s a call.”
At that time, the phone in the office began to ring.

“Yes, this is Law Firm Jungdo. Yes. Yes, ah. Lawyer Cha Ju-han? What’s the matter……. Ah, yes. I see. Yes, then please leave your contact information and I will tell him to contact you. Yes. Zero-one-zero…….”

It seems like a call for me.
I, who was spraying water on the leaves of the plant placed at the entrance of the office, looked at Secretary Oh.

Then Secretary Oh, who hung up the phone, came to me with a memo.

“Mr. Kim Chan-young said he has urgent business with you, Lawyer. The only Kim Chan-young I know is that friend from back then. Myunghwa Pharmaceutical. I think it’s that friend, his voice.”

“It probably is.”
Kim Chan-young has urgent business with me, what could it be?

I took the memo and returned to my room and picked up the receiver.

I had backed up all the contact information on my cell phone just in case, so I had Kim Chan-young’s number, but I didn’t bother to give out my changed number, so he probably didn’t know it.

Since the office number is public, I thought that anyone who had business with me would contact me there, but when I thought about it, it had been a long time since I closed the office, so I probably couldn’t be reached.

-Hello?

“This is Lawyer Cha Ju-han, I just received a memo from your secretary.”

-Lawyer……. Please help me.

“What do you mean? Tell me more.”

-Please, please help my mom…….”
His voice was mixed with tears at the end.