You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 400

You Have Been Defended – Episode 400

Kang Min-jae and I headed straight to the Hwa-gun Police Station.

We went to the floor with the relevant department and reported the loss of the pocket watch engraved with the plum blossom pattern.

The police checked the lost and found list and shook their heads.

“It doesn’t seem like anything like that has come in.”

“I’ll leave my contact information. Please contact me if it turns up.”

“Okay. Please write down your contact information and name here.”

After leaving our names and contact information at the police station, we left the Hwa-gun Police Station.

Lee Jung-chan died at the hands of the meter reader and CEO Shin, and his body was dumped in the reservoir.

The pocket watch would naturally have fallen into the water along with the body.

However, considering that the pocket watch was not found when the body was discovered, it was likely swept away by the current further inside or fell off Lee Jung-chan’s body and onto the bottom of the fishing site.

Since the pocket watch has weight, it would have sunk to the bottom rather than drifting in the reservoir.

Or, someone might have found it after it was swept away by the current.

So, the next place we need to go is the Hwa-gun Reservoir.

“Let’s go to the Hwa-gun Reservoir.”

The Hwa-gun Reservoir was not far from the Hwa-gun Police Station.

“Ah, this place used to have amazing hangover soup,” Kang Min-jae said as we passed by the hangover soup restaurant.

I had come here once at Lee Jung-chan’s call, then was falsely accused of murder and lived in hiding for over a month.

Kang Min-jae also suffered quite a bit because of that.

Seeing him say such carefree things, Kang Min-jae is really something.

“Hello?”

“Ah, welcome. But the reservoir water is all dried up, so you’ll have to go further inside to fish,” a man who seemed to be the owner of the fishing site, who had been idly watching television, got up and said mechanically.

“We’re not here to fish, but to ask if a watch has been turned in as lost property.”

“A watch?”

“It’s a silver pocket watch, and I think I lost it here when I visited a few months ago.”

“Well… wait a moment.”

The fishing site owner went inside and came out with a box.

Then, he busily began rummaging through the box.

I also checked inside the box with my eyes.

“Nothing here?”

“I’ll look for it myself.”

“Go ahead.”

The fishing site owner indifferently pushed the box towards me.

Kang Min-jae and I carefully checked the inside of the box, but there were wristwatches, but no pocket watch.

If nothing has been turned in as lost property, then all that’s left is that it’s buried at the bottom of the reservoir.

“You said the reservoir water has dried up?”

“Yes. We released some water due to the drought.”

“Then, would it be okay to search the bottom of the reservoir?”

“It’s all mud there, so it’ll be difficult.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

The fishing site owner looked at us with a displeased face, but he nodded as if he had nothing else to say.

“Do as you please.”

Kang Min-jae and I went outside and looked at the reservoir.

As he said, the nearby area was muddy, and the inner area was filled with water.

Fortunately, the place where Lee Jung-chan was first discovered was not far from the entrance, so it was now muddy.

It seems like we should search that area first.

The problem is that if we can’t find it near the point where Lee Jung-chan was discovered, it becomes complicated.

If it’s not there even after searching all the mud, then it’s in the water, but how can we find something in the water?

Should we hire a diver?

“Are you going to search all that mud?”

“I have to.”

“It looks like it’ll take a long time.”

“I think we should call Taeshik’s guys too and search. That’s how we’ll find it quickly.”

“It would be faster if we had a metal detector.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Right now, we don’t have a metal detector, and it’s somewhat reckless to search the mud with our bare hands, so we have no choice but to withdraw for now.

“Ugh, seriously, I’m doing all sorts of things I never thought I’d do.”

Two days later, employees, including Taeshik wearing boots, gathered at the Hwa-gun Reservoir.

Each holding a metal detector.

I wanted to start as quickly as possible, but the ordered metal detectors only arrived today, so it was delayed.

According to the NIS [National Intelligence Service, South Korea’s primary intelligence agency], SD cards can be reused if they are dried well even after being submerged, but the watch is likely to have been submerged in water for a long time, so I wanted to find it even a little faster.

“Only coins are coming out.”

Taeshik muttered as he put coins into a basket with his gloved hand.

We don’t necessarily need to collect the coins, but the metal detector keeps beeping, so we’ve collected them one by one, and it seems like we’ve collected almost ten thousand won [approximately $7.50 USD] worth.

“Hyungnim! [term used by younger males to address older brothers or close male friends] There’s a gold necklace here!”

Jung-hyuk shouted from afar.

In his hand was a fairly thick gold necklace.

“Hey, put it in, put it in. I’ll wash it well and sell it.”

“That’s embezzlement of lost property.”

I said, searching for the pocket watch next to Taeshik.

“Embezzle, what are you saying?”

“It’s embezzlement of lost property.”

“What’s that?”

“In short, picking up someone else’s belongings and taking them without reporting it is also a crime. For example, picking up a wallet and keeping it without reporting it.”

Kang Min-jae, who was diligently turning the metal detector with mud on his face, said from a little further away.

Taeshik pouted and retorted.

“They should take better care of their things.”

“Shut up and find it. If it doesn’t end today, we’ll do it tomorrow too.”

It’s my first time doing such a primitive investigation, so I’m not used to it, but I really wanted the SD card that Lee Jung-chan had.

I don’t know what’s inside, but Lee Jung-chan is practically a whistleblower, so there’s a high probability that there’s some decent information inside.

“Wow, I found another gold necklace!”

“The lawyer says to take it to the lost and found center.”

“Ah, why? I think I could get a lot of money if I sell it.”

“That’s embezzlement of lost property.”

“Wow, Hyungnim, you looked really smart just now.”

“Really? Haha.”

It’s not embezzlement of lost property, it’s embezzlement of lost items.

We started searching early in the morning, and it was already afternoon.

Even if we’re in a hurry to find the pocket watch, I thought we should feed the employees, so I said let’s take a break.

“Even though I wore boots, my clothes are all ruined.”

Kang Min-jae said, patting his jeans.

I was also wearing long boots that you might see at a fish market, but my clothes were covered in a lot of mud.

“Kang, there’s mud on your face too.”

“Huh.”

When Kang Min-jae wiped his face with his arm, the mud spread even more to the side.

“It got bigger.”

“Ah, damn it. I need to go to the bathroom and wipe it off.”

“Kang, you were raving about how delicious the hangover soup restaurant over there is. Should we eat that?”

Taeshik asked, sitting on the dirt floor and patting his boots.

Most of the other employees who were out of the water were also in agreement.

I nodded, took off my boots, and changed into sneakers.

“Let’s eat first and then do it.”

It was the first time I had mobilized all of Taeshik’s employees, so even though I had been to Taeshik’s office, there were many faces I didn’t recognize.

After ordering at the hangover soup restaurant, Taeshik began to introduce each of the faces I wasn’t familiar with.

“This is Sang-jin. He’s quick and good at his job.”

“Hello, Lawyer! I’m Noh Sang-jin!”

“This is Seong-jun.”

“Hello!”

The employees whose names were called stood up and bowed 90 degrees, shouting loudly.

People inside the restaurant were looking at us.

“Stop it. I get it.”

“Why? There are more left.”

“I’m not curious.”

“…You’re hurting our kids. Our kids have been looking forward to the day they meet the lawyer.”

“Why are they waiting for the day they meet me?”

“The lawyer is such a famous person, so they were curious. But the lawyer hasn’t been coming to our office lately.”

“I didn’t become a lawyer to satisfy that curiosity.”

“You’re so annoying.”

“Am I too comfortable these days?”

At my question, Taeshik covered his mouth with his large hand.

“My inner thoughts came out without me realizing…”

Anyway, after the meal, we returned to the reservoir.

I put on the boots I had taken off again and put on the rubber gloves.

This time, we decided to widen the search radius a little more.

It’s true that Lee Jung-chan was found around here, but I thought that the pocket watch might have been swept away by the current to a more distant place.

In fact, if we can’t find the pocket watch at the point where Lee Jung-chan was discovered, I think the chances of us finding the pocket watch are also greatly reduced.

But I couldn’t give up.

I thought that if it wasn’t at the bottom of the reservoir, there would be no way to find the pocket watch.

“What are you looking for so hard, from earlier?”

At that time, I was about to go back into the reservoir when I heard a strange voice.

I reflexively turned around.

“Huh? Huh? I’ve seen you somewhere before?”

Then, a strange man pointed at me and shouted.

I didn’t feel good about being suddenly pointed at, but I quietly looked at him.

“You’re Lawyer Cha Ju-han, right?”

“Yes.”

“Wow, that’s right. I enjoyed the broadcast.”

I didn’t expect someone to recognize me here suddenly.

I think he’s talking about Choi Jong-hyun and Jo Bong-joon’s broadcast, but I don’t often appear on their broadcasts.

It seems like he’s someone who watches Choi Jong-hyun and Jo Bong-joon’s broadcast.

The man asked me for a handshake, but I couldn’t respond to the handshake because I was wearing gloves covered in mud.

“Ah, gloves… Haha. But what are you looking for so hard, from earlier? Even mobilizing machines.”

“The lawyer lost his watch here,” Kang Min-jae interjected.

“A watch? You’re going this far to find a watch?”

“It’s a precious watch, haha. In that sense, do you come here often?”

“I often come here to fish. I came here to fish now too.”

He pointed to his fishing bag.

“Have you ever fished on this side too?”

At Kang Min-jae’s question, the man nodded.

“That’s right. This used to be a good place to catch fish. It’s just that the water has receded now.”

“Haven’t you seen a pocket watch?”

I asked, interjecting because Kang Min-jae and the man’s small talk seemed to be getting longer.

“A pocket watch?”

“It’s a silver watch with a plum blossom pattern engraved on the back.”

Then suddenly, the man’s expression seemed to stiffen.

Soon his expression brightened again, but since I had captured that moment of change, I had no choice but to check it properly.

“Haven’t you seen it?”

“Ah, I haven’t seen anything like that…”

[Lie]