You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 553

The news Heo Min-woo brought was unpleasant, but we were no longer shocked.

We hadn’t guessed the exact details, but we knew they would take this approach.

“Hmm, Tae-gwang wrote a good story. When evidence is scarce, he created a narrative using the available elements. An investigation would eventually reveal it as nonsense, but that will take time. If we do nothing, the college students will become punching bags, especially in the early stages when they’re under intense scrutiny.”

Choi Jong-hyun stroked his stubbly chin and murmured.

“I agree. I’m most worried about the students. Judging by their actions, they’ll publish an article soon, right?”

Choi Jong-hyun nodded at Secretary Oh’s question.

“They’ll publish an article with subtle hints so netizens can identify the club. It’s a club with many public-facing activities, so press releases featuring the students’ faces are readily available… The students will be in trouble.”

Choi Jong-hyun, who had been in direct contact with the club president, seemed particularly concerned.

“They volunteered at our request, and now they face false accusations. The longer this drags on, the greater the damage to the club.”

Kang Min-jae added his concern.

Everyone worried about the college students who would be harmed because of us.

“That’s what Wooshin [a powerful organization or individual] is aiming for.”

When I spoke, Kang Min-jae nodded.

“Ah, that’s right. Once the case is public, someone must take the blame. If they target the college students, the students won’t stand still. They’ll reveal that we’re the masterminds behind this, and then we’ll…”

“No, that’s not what I mean.”

“Then what is it?”

“This is a feint [a deceptive maneuver].”

Regardless of the House of Angels’ preparations, a search of public CCTV should reveal how they contacted Jung-min.

If Jung-min worked as a day laborer at a construction site to make a living while he was a runaway, as they claim, the construction site’s location must be identified.

Jung-min must specify the construction site himself, but he can’t because he never worked at one.

Even if they somehow find a construction site that hired Jung-min, his appearance entering the site must be captured on CCTV.

But it won’t be there, will it?

Even if they managed a conversation through coaxing and begging, there should be at least one scene of them being flustered, regardless of where they contacted him.

That won’t exist either.

Besides, if they were desperately searching for Jung-min and finally caught him, at least one House of Angels employee should have a history of continuous contact with Jung-min’s cell phone.

Will that really be there?

In the absence of evidence, the statements of the victims, Jung-min, and Seong-yoon, contradict their claims.

All these circumstances will suggest that the House of Angels is lying.

“They want us to get caught up in saving the college students and juvenile delinquents who are being criticized. Given our past actions, we’ll do our best to prove the innocence of the students and children while simultaneously proving the House of Angels’ guilt.”

“Huh? So you’re not going to do your best? Are you just going to stand by and watch the college students suffer?”

As soon as I finished, Kang Min-jae turned to me, incredulous.

“Are you going to be distracted by this and hand over So-eun’s heart to Onodera’s grandson?”

According to Kim Mi-ja, Onodera suffers from severe allergies.

His grandson also has allergies, possibly inherited.

Onodera paid Wooshin a fortune and promised various benefits to entrust his grandson’s surgery for a reason.

The fact that Ko Yoon-soo was called to Japan to expedite the surgery, yet there’s no movement, suggests they’re preparing meticulously.

Of course, Onodera was elected Prime Minister, failed to kill me, and succeeded in driving out the college students, but many risks remain, making him feel burdened.

Now, it can’t be postponed.

They’ll try to have the surgery done quickly at Okashima Hospital while I’m focused on this in Korea.

“Cha-byun [Cha-byun is likely a shortened form of a name, possibly referring to a lawyer named Cha] is right. He’s busy as Prime Minister, but I feel Onodera will make a fuss if he doesn’t get the surgery soon. Even reporter Kirihara said Onodera is holding out longer than expected.”

If even a reporter who knows Onodera well says that, my guess is correct.

“And something bothers me a little.”

“What bothers you?”

“When they took Jung-min to the cafe to catch Seong-yoon, they couldn’t have anticipated Jung-min’s arrest. They thought it would be easy to cover up, but that’s not the case. They may have lied because they thought it would be difficult to escape the situation completely. But that’s a simplistic judgment. The lie will be exposed during the investigation. The Kyungwi [a police rank] knows better than I do, but…”

Heo Min-woo pulled a file from his bag, as if prepared.

“Yes, we’re checking the call and text records of all House of Angels employees, as well as CCTV using vehicle numbers. So far, it doesn’t seem the House of Angels has made any effort to protect Jung-min.”

“Yes. Jung-min contacted CEO Do via email, saying he was in danger of being sent to study in Japan under their instructions. And I don’t think they received a confession, but they know we have Cheon Jong-nam.”

“That’s right. They did this knowing we had a card to reveal their lies…”

Heo Min-woo bit his lip and trailed off.

“They wanted to see our cards. They thought we were quiet because the card was incomplete. An incomplete card is easier to deal with if they force us to reveal it before it’s complete.”

“Are they going that far to buy time for Onodera’s grandson’s surgery? Even if it succeeds, the damage to the House of Angels will be enormous.”

Secretary Oh, listening, asked with a dubious expression.

“That’s why I’m concerned. Wooshin doesn’t seem to want to save the House of Angels.”

Not everyone agreed.

Choi Jong-hyun, who had been involved with the House of Angels case for a long time, wasn’t easily convinced.

“Can’t they cut off the tail by blaming the director and Kim Young-ji, as they used to? By the time the verdict comes out, people will have forgotten.”

“That’s possible, but since the entire House of Angels has systematically lied and evaded responsibility, a closure order is likely. That would disgrace the Wooshin Welfare Foundation, so they’ll probably try to close it down before the order comes, depending on the situation.”

“Hmm, so closure is inevitable. The House of Angels is a card to buy time and then discard?”

“Yes. Besides, they knew we were monitoring them through the club and were constantly anxious. They must have wondered if we knew something. So, they decided to eliminate their weaknesses, right?”

It would be fortunate if the House of Angels closed and the human trafficking stopped.

Then the children sent to Japan for sexual favors or organ sales would disappear.

But the House of Angels is unlikely to disappear this way.

“You bastards, it’s too late. We’ve collected enough evidence. What are you going to do if you get rid of it now? It’s a relief we caught the last train. If we had moved a year later, we wouldn’t have been able to do anything because we didn’t have any evidence.”

Jo Bong-joon chuckled.

I was anxious that the House of Angels might be cleaned up before the special investigation started, but Jo Bong-joon’s words relieved me.

After all, perspective matters.

If Heo Min-woo buys time in the drug investigation, the House of Angels won’t be closed down before that.

Wooshin had opportunities to clean up the House of Angels in the past.

If they had, I wouldn’t have found out.

Wooshin was blinded by easy profits and missed the opportunity.

Will Ko Sang-joon blame innocent people again and deny that times have changed?

“Anyway, our main goal was to save Seong-yoon and Jung-min. We achieved that. No need to waste energy on a group that will destroy itself.”

Heo Min-woo, who had been listening quietly, spoke with a relieved face.

“I was worried when the lawyer started talking about the college students, but I’m glad there’s a way. And we learned something from their response.”

“That the surgery is really soon…”

Kang Min-jae muttered.

“Those bastards must think it’s good that something happened in this situation.”

“That’s right. Let’s live up to their expectations. Let’s pretend to be obsessed with saving the college students and excited about blowing up Wooshin by making this case bigger.”

To think they thought I’d fall for this trick insults me. They underestimated me.

But since I’m underestimated, I should use the methods available in that situation.

Later, they’ll have to re-evaluate me, whether they want to or not.

* * *

“Cheon Jong-nam, you seem to have gained weight.”

I said without thinking, watching Cheon Jong-nam scratch his side while watching television.

Cheon Jong-nam jumped up as if he had heard a death sentence and ran to me.

“O-o-oh, you’ve come, Lawyer!”

Cheon Jong-nam ran to me and bent over 90 degrees.

I disliked his exposed bald spot, so I looked away.

“Thanks to the lawyer taking good care of me, I gained weight… And I emptied my mind a little, so I guess the stress disappeared…”

“Stress shouldn’t disappear. You tried to kill someone, right?”

“…”

“You haven’t forgotten, have you? Kang-byun [Kang-byun is likely a shortened form of a name, possibly referring to a lawyer named Kang] had a hole in his skull because of Cheon Jong-nam.”

“Ah, of course… I haven’t forgotten.”

“Then why don’t you ask if Kang-byun is okay?”

“Is Kang-byun okay…”

“He was very stressed because he had a bald spot on his head from the surgery. Cheon Jong-nam seems to know that pain very well.”

I said, recalling his bald spot that I had seen clearly because he had bowed his head earlier.

I’m about a hand taller than Cheon Jong-nam, and he was sitting when I first caught him, so I wouldn’t have seen his hair condition.

I didn’t recognize it because I was paying attention to other things.

Seeing his bald head annoyed me because I remembered Kang Min-jae standing in front of the mirror, checking how much hair had grown.

Well, I can’t just vent my anger all the time.

“Enough of the preamble. You probably noticed I’ve shown up after a long time.”

“…”

“Cheon Jong-nam will turn himself in tomorrow.”