You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 572

“That wasn’t my intention.”

That *was* the intention.

I was about to use my ability to check her answer one more time.

“If Woo-shin had won me over, would I be talking about Cha-byeon [Cha-byeon refers to the protagonist, Cha, a lawyer] like this?”

[Truth]

I had used my ability once before to confirm Lee Se-hwa’s values.

Back then, she had no record of taking bribes from large corporations.

But that was before the presidential election, so I wanted to check one more time.

It was more about being sure than being suspicious.

“If I had taken money from Woo-shin after hearing those words from you, I wouldn’t dare mention your name. I know how heartbroken you were after losing your close friend, the Chief of Staff.”

Respect for Kang Kwan-woong also played a part, but I think the idea that taking Woo-shin’s money would be like putting a leash around her neck resonated with her.

Kang Kwan-woong’s expression is accurate.

If that were the case, Lee Se-hwa would have to do everything in her power to obstruct me and turn a blind eye to Woo-shin’s corruption.

“Cha-byeon may or may not know, but even after the Chief of Staff passed away, you tried to dig into the Gongnyeo case [Gongnyeo refers to women who were sent as tributes to foreign rulers] and even attempted a tax investigation into the Woo-shin Group.”

I thought Kang Kwan-woong had lost his drive after his Chief of Staff was murdered.

He had already left the world when I received the case files for the Gongnyeo case.

I had to hear the details from Kang Soo-il, and he didn’t say such things.

During Kang Kwan-woong’s tenure, Kang Soo-il was young and hadn’t had any contact with Kang Kwan-woong, so he might not have known.

“Back then, you tried to shake up Woo-shin with a tax investigation, targeting Koh Sang-joon’s father, the founder of Woo-shin… I hate him so much that I don’t even want to say his name. If I had made that bastard kneel, it might have been possible. Even if it was difficult to blow it up completely, I could have at least prevented him from doing such things again. The president’s power was much stronger back then. But I couldn’t properly start the tax investigation. Do you know why?”

“Is it because of Japan’s involvement?”

“That’s right. That bastard had very close ties with Japan. Well, from the time he first started his business, he was paying money to the Governor-General of Korea [The highest-ranking official in Korea during Japanese colonial rule] and the Oriental Development Company [A Japanese company that exploited Korean resources during the colonial period], using them as a strong backing, so how could that relationship just disappear?”

Lee Se-hwa frowned and clicked her tongue.

“Anyway, when you decided to investigate Woo-shin, Chairman Seol of Hanyoung Group, who has passed away, told you this: Woo-shin has Japan as its backing, so you need to be careful when you touch them.”

“So, Hanyoung already knew back then that Woo-shin was offering people to Japan?”

“Well, I don’t know about that. But I heard an anecdote. Back then, Japan was much more advanced and powerful than our country. After Chairman Seol Jung-joon took over the management, he mentioned to a Japanese company that he had been maintaining a business relationship with for quite some time that he wanted to receive some technology transfer. It wasn’t even a huge core technology, but they refused as if they were cutting it with a knife. But not long after, Woo-shin released a product using that technology.”

Lee Se-hwa didn’t say it definitively, but she seemed to think that the connection from that time had continued until now.

I had also been speculating that Woo-shin started the human trafficking business for that reason, and now I could be sure.

For a company to transfer technology, even if it’s not core technology, is like revealing its resources.

Even so, the fact that they transferred the technology meant that they were under pressure from the Japanese political world.

At that time, Woo-shin wouldn’t have just offered people to Japan.

They would have provided political funds to influential politicians and done various dirty deeds for them.

“At economic gatherings, they loudly proclaimed that we need to catch up with Japan and show the potential of our people. But the heads of large corporations in those days often felt competitive with Japan, so they must have just agreed because it would have been strange if they were the only ones keeping their mouths shut. They probably shouted even louder because they felt guilty about something.”

In the end, considering that he passed on the human trafficking business to Koh Sang-joon, it seems that his mind was stuck before 1945.

“There’s something I wanted to tell Cha-jangnim [Jangnim is a respectful title] today.”

In the atmosphere that had become somber with the story of Kang Kwan-woong, I opened my mouth.

I explained to them the newly discovered facts related to the issues we had revealed on the broadcast this time, as well as our future plans.

Lee Se-hwa and Park Young-ki seemed very surprised that Koh Yoon-soo was trying to liquidate Angel’s House.

The fact that Koh Sang-joon recently established the Ribbon Medical Center was to lead the business more firmly in the future.

In other words, liquidating Angel’s House is an act against Koh Sang-joon’s will, and it can be seen as a challenge to his father.

It is also an action that cannot be taken unless he is confident that he is the only choice left among his children.

“And soon, Onodera’s grandson will be undergoing surgery. He has applied for a three-month long-term sick leave from school. Also, he has been observed leaving his house for several days. However, it seems he has not been hospitalized yet.”

“I see. It’s really not much time left.”

“We plan to strike the moment the child selected as the heart donor from Angel’s House, or the doctor selected as the surgeon, leaves the country. There will be movement within the next two weeks.”

“It’s really amazing that Cha-byeon has built such a surveillance system to this extent, even though you’re not an investigative agency. I understand why Cha-byeon said you wanted to make a lot of money. I know about Cha-byeon’s financial power, but even so, it must have been difficult. Why haven’t you asked for help until now?”

It is true that Lee Se-hwa’s help is absolutely necessary for the special investigation, but even so, I had no intention of receiving her help from the investigation stage.

If Lee Se-hwa intervenes, there is a high possibility that I will lose control.

No matter how much Lee Se-hwa acknowledges me, she also knows that I am not her person.

She will try to plant her people in this matter, and I may have to work with people I don’t want to.

After the special investigation begins, it can’t be helped, but until that stage, it is difficult to work with people I can’t fully trust.

It increases the things I have to worry about, and the probability of information leakage also increases.

“I didn’t want to create unnecessary noise. There are already many people who know that the President and I are close, so it would be troublesome if it was caught that public power was involved.”

“That’s true, but there must have been something I could have helped with.”

“The fact that you are selecting me, who is young in legal experience and age, as a special prosecutor is already a great help. I wouldn’t have even dreamed of it if it weren’t for the President.”

“Isn’t that what Cha-byeon made it? If Lee Jung-chan hadn’t dropped out, I wouldn’t be the President now. Cha-byeon made Lee Jung-chan like that.”

Her statement was quite unexpected.

It is true that I met her at the time, planned the division of the Minwoo Party, and told Kang Jong-myung, another presidential candidate, how to prevent Lee Jung-chan’s concrete base from moving.

But I didn’t expect her to say so openly that my contribution to her election was so great.

From the perspective of a prominent politician like her, I thought it would be difficult to evaluate a young person like me to that extent.

“I remember that Cha-byeon decided to join the election camp and didn’t.”

“I am sorry for that.”

“But now that I know Cha-byeon’s goal is the special investigation, I think it’s rather fortunate. Even if you hadn’t joined the party, if Cha-byeon had advised my camp, it would have affected the appointment of the special prosecutor. I was too oblivious. I was making too difficult a request to Cha-byeon.”

Lee Se-hwa quenched her thirst with the coffee on the table for a moment.

“If the Woo-shin special investigation begins, it is entirely Cha-byeon’s credit. But the result of that special investigation will ultimately remain as an achievement of my regime. So, I am receiving too great a reward for just building a bridge to Hanyoung Group.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. I’m almost sorry that I couldn’t pay attention sooner. I’ve received too big a gift, so I can’t just stand still. I can’t openly move public power, but I think I can give some minor help. You said you are confirming Im Hyun-il’s departure through surveillance, right?”

“Yes. I can’t confirm whether he has booked a plane ticket.”

She seemed to be contemplating for a moment before opening her mouth.

“If it is confirmed that anyone belonging to Angel’s House, including Im Hyun-il, has booked a ticket to Japan, I will let you know.”

“If you do that, it will be a great help.”

“In addition to that, if anything is needed domestically, I will take measures so that the police can quickly cooperate with Cha-byeon.”

Even if we have a lot of manpower, there is a difference in the ripple effect compared to when the police move.

Even if Heo Min-woo is with us, he is a police sergeant, so the possible range is limited.

In particular, it will be a great help when blocking Im Hyun-il’s departure at the airport.

Even so, it was difficult to nod easily.

“But if it is revealed later in the investigation process that the President helped with this, both the President and I will be in trouble.”

“We have to do it without being obvious. Do you think I wouldn’t know that?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“If I had known a little earlier, there would have been more I could have helped with. Cha-byeon must have been fighting a really lonely battle. I feel ashamed.”

“No. I am alone in this place, but there are many people who are suffering together.”

“What do you mean no? If you follow the lineage, I am practically the successor of the teacher. But instead of fulfilling the teacher’s long-cherished project, I was just watching the juniors struggle. So, I have to help you finish the work safely now. That way, I’ll have something to say when I meet the teacher at the National Cemetery later.”

Lee Se-hwa said with a faint smile.

“And even if it’s not the teacher, isn’t it the job of the seniors to help the juniors? From Cha-byeon’s point of view, you might think I’m just adding a spoon [Korean idiom for getting involved for personal gain].”

“I don’t think so.”

“I’m glad then.”

While listening to my story, she tore off the corner of the paper where she had been writing densely.

And she wrote her phone number on it and pushed it towards me.

“This is my number. I don’t use the old number anymore. Cha-byeon probably didn’t know because you’ve never called me since I entered the Blue House [The executive office and official residence of the South Korean president]. If you need anything, contact me here without going through the chief of staff.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Se-hwa checked her wristwatch and moved her body, which had been close to the table, away.

“I want to ask you to have a meal, but Cha-byeon wouldn’t want to, right? It’s already almost dinner time. Go and have dinner quickly.”

“Then I’ll get up.”

As I got up from my seat, Lee Se-hwa burst into laughter.

“You don’t deny it until the end.”

“You know Cha-byeon’s personality. He’s not a friend with cute aspects.”

Park Young-ki also laughed together and looked at me.

Shouldn’t I have gotten up as if I had been waiting?

Thinking about it, Kang Min-jae would have said, ‘Let’s have dinner quickly and continue our conversation. I was worried that you wouldn’t even give me a meal,’ and acted nonchalantly.

Or he would have refused while indirectly inducing the other person’s laughter.

But I am not Kang Min-jae.

It’s been over four years since I’ve been dragging Kang Min-jae around for smooth communication, but it seems my skills haven’t improved just by watching and listening.

What can I do if I want to eat comfortably at home?

“I’m sorry for making you come all the way here today. Next time, I’ll go if you call me.”

“You said you can’t come because of the Woo-shin tailing.”

“You’re saying to call me after everything has blown up. Cha-byeon’s social skills have improved anyway. Now he even knows how to beat around the bush.”

……Well, I guess it has improved?