You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 569

You Have Been Defended – Episode 569

Following my broadcast appearance and the subsequent revelations, various media outlets published follow-up reports.

Even the director of News9, who had previously insisted on avoiding negative stories about Wooshin, had no choice but to diligently cover the unfolding situation.

Iljung Daily was probably the quietest of the bunch.

However, even they couldn’t ignore such a significant issue and eventually published an article.

Of course, their article focused on Cha Joo-han, painting him as a scoundrel trying to incite the public with unconfirmed facts.

[Angel House Hired Tae-kwang Lawyers LOL They’re trying to solve it by throwing money at it]

But that didn’t exactly improve things for Angel House.

Whether out of simple curiosity or a genuine desire to help at-risk youth, people began launching their own investigations.

Even though the case hadn’t yet been handed over to the prosecution, and there was no official way to access the data, the fact that Tae-kwang [a major law firm] was representing Angel House was quickly revealed.

[Tae-kwang is money-grubbing bastards LOL I knew it when they kept defending trash groups]

[It’s famous that Tae-kwang takes all the Wooshin cases LOL There used to be talk that if you hired Tae-kwang, you’d always win, but haven’t Wooshin cases been failing one after another? Tae-kwang seems to be washed up too]

└It’s not Tae-kwang, it’s Faded-kwang

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋFaded-kwang

└They’ve defended a lot of trash besides Wooshin. They defended when some harmful substance came out of a baby bottle sterilizer and got sued

└Seriously needs to be kicked out ASAP;;

└Seems like they’re faded + need to be kicked out, so Faded-kwang]

I witnessed the moment when Tae-kwang, arguably the most successful law firm in South Korea, acquired an amusing new nickname.

I felt a certain pride in having contributed to its creation.

“Is Angel House planning to just stay silent? It’s such a mess, and they’re still not saying anything,” Office Manager Oh said, stirring the kimchi stew in the pot with a ladle.

I put down my phone, which I’d been checking, and waited for the stew to boil.

“Releasing a statement now would be counterproductive. The police haven’t even held a briefing yet. If they release a statement beforehand, and the investigation contradicts it, they’ll just be ridiculed.”

“From what I’ve heard, they did prepare a statement. But the public’s reaction is more intense than they expected, so they’re holding back. It sounds like they’ll be crucified if they make even one mistake.”

“Oh, Attorney Kang. Where did you hear that?”

“Have you forgotten? My informants are all over the legal world. Of course, these days, they complain that I only listen and don’t share, but I still have colleagues with whom I’ve built strong friendships,” Kang Min-jae said, puffing out his chest.

Come to think of it, Kang Min-jae did have a pretty extensive network, unlike me.

Now that we’ve been living together for a while, I rarely see Kang Min-jae going out.

I’d started to wonder if his connections were fading, but it seems I was wrong.

“I’ve also heard the atmosphere is tense. Tae-kwang lawyers participated in the investigation as representatives for Angel House, but I heard they’ll withdraw when it’s handed over to the prosecution. It makes sense. Like you said, if Angel House is a lost cause, there’s no point in defending them and getting called Faded-kwang,” Office Manager Oh chimed in.

Having spent a long time in the prosecution service, he seemed to still have connections throughout the legal world.

“Attorney Cha, haven’t you heard anything?” Kang Min-jae asked, adding ramen noodles to the kimchi stew.

Knowing full well that I have no connections, Kang Min-jae’s intention in asking this question was clear: he was trying to tease me.

“I’ve heard something too. I heard Kang is saying he wants to get fired in private. I was thinking of firing him anyway if he kept acting up.”

“Oh, come on, when did I say that! And I have equity in Jungdo, you know? You can’t just fire me anymore! And if you fire me, Jungdo has to go back to being a solo practice from a law firm, you know?”

“I don’t care.”

“Are you really going to be like this?”

“Attorney Cha keeps teasing you like that because you get so worked up every time he says he’ll fire you,” Office Manager Oh said, smiling contentedly as he began serving the stew into our individual bowls.

“My trauma is being triggered! The trauma of when you tried to fire me!”

If he brings up that story, I’ll have nothing to say.

I feel somewhat guilty about it.

So, isn’t my current punishment living with Kang Min-jae because of that original sin?

Kang Min-jae doesn’t even pay rent.

“Attorney Kang, you should lower your voice.”

Kang Min-jae was fuming, recounting how cold-blooded I was when I told him not to come when he was excited about the company dinner that day.

Office Manager Oh put a finger to his lips and made a ‘shh, shhh’ sound.

But Kang Min-jae didn’t seem inclined to stop.

He kept complaining about what a bad boss I was and how I didn’t appreciate his efforts.

Office Manager Oh sighed.

I did too.

Kang Min-jae was overlooking one crucial fact.

It’s lunchtime, and this place is famous for serving delicious stew at a cheap price.

“…….”

Only then did Kang Min-jae come to his senses and, pretending not to notice, shut his mouth, aware of the glances we were getting.

Some people were even subtly taking pictures.

Perhaps a photo will be uploaded to social media along with rumors of discord between me and Kang Min-jae.

* * *

“What if a photo really gets uploaded?”

Kang Min-jae sighed, looking worried.

He pretended to be fine until we left the restaurant, and even when the owner asked him to sign an autograph for the store, he acted cheerfully, but he looked noticeably uneasy.

“Attorney Cha, your attention-seeking behavior is increasing day by day. What are you going to do if a photo gets uploaded? You’re not a celebrity.”

Tae-shik also sighed, as if he was fed up.

“What if I jokingly raised my voice and a post like ‘Cha Joo-han and Kang Min-jae don’t seem to be on good terms?’ gets uploaded?”

“Kang, you really think you’re a celebrity. Stop worrying about useless things and shut up.”

“That’s right. If you two were celebrities, it would be a huge topic. But you’re lawyers? No one cares.”

We were already in front of Songhak Police Station.

Unlike our visit to Gangnam Police Station, we were able to move comfortably from the parking lot into the building.

After filling out the visitation request form and waiting a bit, it was soon our turn.

“Attorney Cha, how have you been!” As soon as we entered the visiting room, Cheon Jong-nam bowed deeply.

Since Cheon Jong-nam’s residence was Songhak, located in northern Gyeonggi Province, the case was transferred here from Munyeok Police Station.

“I heard you’ll be transferred to the detention center tomorrow. Today is exactly the 10th day you’ve been in jail.”

“Ah, yes. That’s really fortunate.”

According to what Kang Soo-il told me immediately after Cheon Jong-nam’s surrender, he was originally scheduled to be released because he showed no signs of fleeing while detained as a wanted criminal.

But Cheon Jong-nam desperately wanted to remain in detention.

Of course, this was because I had thoroughly convinced him that his life would be in danger the moment he was released.

It’s not like I made up the story.

Now that we know how many death threats we’ve received, the likelihood of Wooshin trying to kill him has decreased, but it’s still true that they’d face significant difficulties if Cheon Jong-nam were to talk.

Wouldn’t they want to silence him by any means possible?

“I think I know why you told me to surrender for drowsy driving first!”

I had told him to surrender for drowsy driving to confuse Wooshin about the cards we held, but Cheon Jong-nam seemed to have interpreted it a little differently.

Well, fortunately, both Cheon Jong-nam and I got what we wanted.

Thanks to the public opinion shift caused by the broadcast, people now believed that Cheon Jong-nam had orchestrated a deliberate hit, not just drowsy driving.

Because of this, the police couldn’t help but conclude that Cheon Jong-nam was lying.

There were also enough suspicious circumstances.

That’s why the police and the prosecution had no choice but to keep him detained, right?

“You were truly merciful. I was really scared at first…….”

If Cheon Jong-nam had told the truth from the start, the court would have likely accepted it as remorse and taken it into account during sentencing.

So, to minimize his prison time, it would have been best for him to reveal from the beginning that it was a contract killing.

However, I instructed him to surrender for drowsy driving and stick to that story until I gave him the go-ahead to change it to a contract killing.

As a result, the possibility of a reduced sentence based on ‘signs of remorse’ decreased.

Of course, I did promise to compensate for that.

“You even take care of my wife and children……. To think I tried to kill such a good-natured lawyer…… I’m truly trash…….”

[Truth]

Cheon Jong-nam began to sob, wiping away tears with his sleeve.

I’m glad he seems to be reflecting, but it’s really unsightly.

Cheon Jong-nam’s wife and daughter were already experiencing financial difficulties due to the absence of the head of the household.

I heard that the capital company [loan shark], where Cheon Jong-nam had borrowed a large sum of money for gambling, was pressuring them to repay the debt.

That alone makes Cheon Jong-nam a sinner in front of his family, and now, if he admits to the contract killing, the threat to him will undoubtedly extend to his family.

That’s why I promised to protect Cheon Jong-nam’s family, who had done nothing wrong but were stuck with a trashy husband and father, so they could live safely.

So, is he misunderstanding?

“Is it okay to just leave him misunderstanding…….” Kang Min-jae whispered, leaning towards me.

“Stop crying,” I said with a frown.

There are many people whose lives are ruined by debt.

But not everyone driven into a corner chooses crime.

I have no intention of reevaluating Cheon Jong-nam just because he’s showing a weak side now.

“You even care about me crying…….”

What’s wrong with this guy?

“Your crying is annoying.”

“Ah, yes…….”

“After you’re transferred to the detention center tomorrow, you’ll be investigated by the prosecution.”

“Yes, Attorney Cha.”

“Then tell the story of the contract killing. You were offered the contract through the capital company because of your debt, and later you had a conflict because you didn’t receive the promised payment and were hiding. Then they sent someone to kill you. Someone you don’t know suddenly appeared and helped you, and you took the opportunity to run away and hide before surrendering. Of course, it was such a mess that you shouldn’t remember that person’s face.”

“Yes, of course. I’ll do as you said.”

“Don’t add unnecessary explanations and mess things up, just do as you’re told.”

“……I understand. I kept practicing with the staff. I’ll definitely do it that way.”

“Don’t forget to refuse all visits except for your wife and daughter, the public defender, and us.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t say nonsense to the people you’re imprisoned with.”

“Of course. My wife and children are at stake, so of course I have to do as you said no matter what!”

[Truth]

Cheon Jong-nam even clenched his fist.

He thought so much about his wife and children, yet he participated in this kind of crime?

I can’t understand his mental state.

Anyway, his will has been confirmed several times with my ability, so there seems to be no need to doubt it anymore.

“Attorney Kang.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you have anything to say separately?”

This is the first time Kang Min-jae and Cheon Jong-nam are actually meeting since the accident.

When he said he was coming with me to the visit today, I thought he was going to express some resentment, since he almost died, but he’s been quiet all along.

“No, I don’t.”

“Is that so? Then that’s fine. I’m sure you’ll do well, so we’ll be going now.”

As Kang Min-jae and I got up from our seats, Cheon Jong-nam suddenly spoke.

“Excuse me, Attorney Kang Min-jae!”

Kang Min-jae, suddenly called by name, looked at him with a bewildered expression.

“Come to think of it, I was so flustered that I couldn’t apologize separately……. I’m really sorry. That……. You saw the video message, but…….”

[Truth]

I keep using my ability to check if Cheon Jong-nam has any other intentions, but seeing that this is also genuine, it seems he’s really reflecting.

He’s even apologizing to Kang Min-jae without being told to.

“Are you apologizing to ask for a settlement?” Kang Min-jae asked.

Cheon Jong-nam shook his head wildly.

“No, but you had an accident because of me, and I’m meeting you in person like this, so I felt bad that I couldn’t apologize…….”

“Still, it’s good that you’re capable of normal thinking for someone who accepted a contract killing request. That’s a relief. Don’t do this kind of thing in the future. You keep talking about your wife and daughter, how much hurt do you think you’re causing them?” Kang Min-jae added, and Cheon Jong-nam lowered his head deeply.

It seems that even someone who tried to commit murder for money is reflecting.

I wonder if Go Sang-joon will ever reflect.

……Even I think that was an excessive expectation just now.

“Cheon Jong-nam seems to be reflecting a bit, right?” Kang Min-jae said as we returned to the parking lot after the visit.

“Until now, I’ve only seen people who have no sense of guilt about the crimes they committed, and are only very upset about being betrayed by others in small ways. Cheon Jong-nam is a bit of a fresh character.”

“I guess so.”

I’m a lawyer, but there are many times when I sympathize with the public’s legal sentiments.

I used to put criminals in correctional facilities, and I’m still trying to put Go Sang-joon there, but I have a fundamental question.

What is the probability that criminals who have served their sentences and been released have truly been reformed?

Cheon Jong-nam seems to have genuinely reflected, but is there any guarantee that he won’t commit a crime again if he faces this temptation in the future?

Kang Min-jae and I, as far as this case is concerned, became direct victims, unlike usual.

So I’m even more curious.

Should Cheon Jong-nam be forgiven?

If so, what about Go Sang-joon?

Even he, who has committed an unforgivable crime, can he be forgiven if he truly repents and serves his sentence as a model prisoner?

“Attorney Cha, did you turn on your phone?” Kang Min-jae asked, turning on the phone he had retrieved after the visit.

I had forgotten for a moment.

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

As soon as the phone turned on, notifications started ringing.

I was about to check the messages when a call came in.

It was Choi Jong-hyun.

─Attorney Cha! Why is your phone off? Min-jae’s is off too. Is something wrong? If you don’t answer this call, I was going to try calling Tae-shik.