You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 404

“KDL Company’s business is listed as leasing, right? So, what are they leasing? What exactly are they leasing that the stock dividends are so high?”

Kang Min-jae asked, seemingly unable to understand.

He was right.

Lee Jung-chan, who owned only 20% of the shares, received hundreds of millions in dividends.

What KDL Company leased wasn’t just a simple building.

“Should we search for KDL Company? Maybe something will come up.”

With those words, Choi Jong-hyun searched for KDL Company on a portal site.

Various search results appeared, but none of them were about the KDL Company we were looking for.

“Since it’s a corporation in Liechtenstein, let’s search in German on the Liechtenstein portal.”

At my suggestion, Choi Jong-hyun used a translator to enter the search terms.

This time, quite a few search results came up.

There seemed to be more useful information compared to when we searched in English.

The most noticeable among them was the title ‘KDL Company Mining Development.’

“Mining development? Click on this one. The third one from the top.”

“Cha-byeon [Cha-byeon is a respectful title for a lawyer], you can speak German?”

“I learned it a bit in college.”

It was true, but having seen so much German when selling KDL Company in my previous life, I could roughly understand related keywords.

“……This is incredible.”

“I’m not very good at it. I think we’ll need to use a translator to read the article.”

Choi Jong-hyun clicked on the article I mentioned.

Then, he copied the article and pasted it into a translator.

The Korean translation was rough, but it was still enough to grasp the meaning to some extent.

[KDL Company is set to begin gold mine development in South Sudan. The estimated gold reserves of the South Sudan gold mine acquired by KDL Company this time are……]

“Their business is leasing, but they’re developing a gold mine?”

“Right, that’s strange.”

“Besides, South Sudan has just gained independence from Sudan, so it doesn’t seem easy to access.”

Jo Bong-joon nodded at my words.

“But the stock prices related to South Sudan gold mine development are soaring as South Sudan becomes independent.”

“If you look at the date of this article, KDL Company bought the gold mine before South Sudan’s independence. Buying a gold mine during a civil war, when it’s uncertain when the civil war will end, seems like taking on too much risk…….”

“Well, if you give enough money to the government, buying and developing a gold mine isn’t too difficult. They’ll need a lot of money to fight the rebels.”

After checking the article, we searched the search results page a bit more.

“Oh, here’s a photo of the gold mine that KDL Company bought.”

Jo Bong-joon pointed at the monitor and said.

Choi Jong-hyun immediately clicked on the article.

“Oh, it even has a relatively detailed location.”

Choi Jong-hyun exclaimed after running the article through a translator.

Until now, there was no other explanation besides the word ‘South Sudan,’ but this time, it was described as a gold mine located in Warrap State.

The gold mine in the photo didn’t seem very active, probably because it was still under development.

Of course.

That gold mine is abandoned.

“But this South Sudan Warrap State, the Wooshin Welfare Foundation is building schools and hospitals there, using the House of Angels as a front. I haven’t been there myself, so I don’t know much, but that’s what I know. I heard there are a few more places in Africa, but Warrap State is the most well-known.”

In his previous life, Choi Jong-hyun already knew in 2011 how bad the condition of the school and hospital sites that the Wooshin Welfare Foundation was building under the name of the House of Angels was.

However, in this life, he left Iljung Ilbo early and lived a different life, so it seems the timing of obtaining that information was delayed.

But I can’t bring up the fact that Warrap State is related to Wooshin first.

With what I’m thinking now, I don’t know if the gold mine is related to the hospitals and schools that the Wooshin Welfare Foundation is building.

In the photos I saw in my previous life, there was no gold mine, just poorly built schools and hospitals.

But if there is a connection, this investigation will yield quite a significant result.

“Wooshin Welfare Foundation is also involved in Warrap State, and KDL Company, which is clearly related to Wooshin, is developing a gold mine in Warrap State. Isn’t this quite strange?”

“I think it’s strangest that KDL’s business is leasing, but they’re developing a gold mine. Shouldn’t they change or add their business type? Is it okay to develop without reporting like this?”

Choi Jong-hyun nodded at Kang Min-jae’s words.

“L&B, the largest shareholder of KDL Company, is also suspicious, but from what we’ve seen now, it seems like Ko Sang-joon set up a ghost company or paper company to secretly collect money. If we dig into KDL Company first, everything else will follow in order.”

At my words, he hesitated for a moment, then turned to me and said.

“Should I go there? I’ll check if the gold mine is actually operating and if the schools being built in Warrap State are really in progress. Of course, it probably isn’t, but even if it’s not, securing photos is essential for reporting.”

“You?”

“Hyung-nim [Hyung-nim is a respectful Korean term used by males to address older male friends or brothers]?”

Jo Bong-joon and Kang Min-jae asked simultaneously.

“Why, I’m a former reporter. I’ve been to war zones too.”

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous?”

“I’ll have to contact them to find out, but there should be a reporter from Iljung Ilbo who went to South Sudan as a correspondent because of South Sudan’s independence. I can ask that person to find a local coordinator and go. The problem is it’ll cost a bit of money.”

Choi Jong-hyun made a circle with his index finger and thumb and looked at me.

“I understand. Then let’s do this.”

“What?”

“Chief Choi can go to South Sudan, and Kang-byeon [Kang-byeon is a respectful title for lawyer Kang] and I will go to Liechtenstein. KDL Company is doing business on such a large scale, so I think we need to check if they have properly established a corporate structure.”

“Good.”

Then Jo Bong-joon asked.

“What about me?”

“Hyung-nim is…….”

“You just stay home.”

“Ah, what! Then I’ll go to Liechtenstein too.”

“If you’re paying for it yourself, go ahead.”

It’s enough for just me and Kang Min-jae to go.

No, to be exact, I can go alone, but I’m only taking Kang Min-jae because he’ll whine.

“Then…… I’ll go to South Sudan.”

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous?”

“Hyung is going, so why can’t I go? It’s better for me to go with Hyung than for Hyung to go alone.”

“Okay, then.”

Choi Jong-hyun shrugged.

With an expression that seemed to say, ‘Go suffer a little too.’

“I need to check if there’s a reporter dispatched to South Sudan first.”

Choi Jong-hyun started making a phone call right there.

“Oh, Reporter Park. It’s me. Oh, yeah, yeah. No, it’s not that, but I was wondering if there’s a reporter who’s been dispatched to South Sudan as a correspondent right now. Oh, oh, there is? Then can you introduce me to a local coordinator? Yeah, oh, thank you! Yeah.”

Choi Jong-hyun hung up the phone, gave us a thumbs up, and said.

“I’ve secured a local coordinator for now. I’ll have to go with a volunteer group.”

“Wooshin Welfare Foundation?”

“Are you crazy? Would they accept me?”

“I guess not.”

* * *

To avoid missing any timing, it’s best to proceed quickly, so I booked a ticket to Switzerland for the very next day.

Liechtenstein is such a small country that there are no direct flights, and usually, you take a train and bus from Zurich, Switzerland.

I was planning to stay for one night and come back, so I packed lightly and waited for Kang Min-jae at the airport, when I heard the loud sound of a suitcase rolling in the distance.

“Attorney Cha-nim!”

Kang Min-jae was dressed up as if he were going on a trip.

I think Kang Min-jae looks better in casual clothes than in a suit, but I still want to sigh every time.

And he had packed so much luggage that he was approaching me while pushing a huge suitcase.

“Are you going on a trip?”

“It’s practically like going on a trip!”

Kang Min-jae smiled brightly and hung his sunglasses on his clothes.

“Ah, how long has it been since I had a vacation.”

“I told you it’s not a vacation. We’re going to work.”

“Still. Since the company address is all out there, all we have to do is go there and check the company’s form, and then we’re done. It’ll all be over in an hour. No, it won’t even take an hour.”

“That’s why I said let’s go for a day trip.”

A day trip would have been enough, but Kang Min-jae insisted on staying one night because he said it would be a waste to go all the way to Europe and not do anything.

He wanted to go for two nights and three days, but I threatened to fire him and finally agreed to one night.

“Really, what’s one night when you go all the way to Europe? Switzerland is right next door, so we can see Switzerland, and, uh? Germany is there too, so we can go to Germany, uh? How great would that be.”

“Do you really think we’re going on a trip?”

“It’s not that I think we’re going on a trip, but since we’re going anyway! Since Jong-hyun hyung-nim and Bong-joon hyung-nim will take some time to come back from South Sudan, we can rest a bit during that time!”

“Okay, let’s check in first. I’m hungry.”

After checking in our luggage and standing in line at the departure hall, Kang Min-jae raised the lounge map he received with his ticket and said.

“No matter how hungry you are, don’t fill up at the lounge.”

“Why.”

“They give you food right away when you get on the plane, and after you eat and your stomach is a little empty, you have to eat ramen [Korean instant noodles]. But if you fill up at the lounge, you won’t be able to enjoy the food they give you on the plane.”

“I can eat ramen at home, why would I eat it again on the plane.”

“You’re saying that because you don’t know how delicious ramen is on the plane. It’s different. And there are many other snacks besides ramen. You can’t fill up at the lounge if you want to eat all of that.”

I’m hungry.

“Ah, I want to get on the plane quickly.”

Kang Min-jae seemed used to riding in first class.

It’s been a while since I’ve been abroad, and when I went before, I was just a salaryman, so it’s my first time riding in first class.

“Ah, I’m so excited.”

“I told you we’re not going on a trip.”

“Yes, yes. Of course.”

It seems like he’s not even listening to me.